An Analysis and Comparison of Proprietary and Open-Source Software for Building E-commerce Website: A Case Study

Abstract

—Starting an e-commerce website has been one of the most successful business ideas in recent years. Managing an e-commerce website used to be challenging, but thanks to advances in technology, it is now feasible to successfully manage an e-commerce website by choosing the right e-commerce platform. Almost every company nowadays has a website, particularly those that cater to digital or internet-based clientele. Starting a modest online store is straightforward, but as the company expands, the expectations get more specialized, and they are not met. Unfortunately, “ready to go” solutions are typically resistive to acceptance, meaning that all individual changes are not warmly welcomed. This study analyzed and compared the two types of software used in building e-commerce websites in the Philippines’ popular websites and detected the current web technologies and conducted an online survey using qualitative approach with the participation of experts and familiar with e-commerce system. It also to identified what are the things need to consider when choosing software. As results from the surveys on e-commerce software, the most significant variables to consider when choosing an e-commerce software, whether proprietary or open source, are security and performance, followed by time and budget when establishing an e-commerce website.