magento VS magento clone - cost of ownership [closed]

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Its sexy, its frustrating, its expensive?

based on assumption that the primary cart features could be emulated (cart and catalog rules, etc...) --- what else is there about Magento that makes it excusive?

If it could in fact be emulated using another CMS and a skilled programmer, wouldn't it stand to reason that the long term cost of ownership would be far less with a clone?

Lets face it, Magento extensions are all typically $49-$299. Same Magento extensions are sure to be paid upgrades. Or Store Owner will have to pay devs开发者_开发知识库 to customize Magento extensions + pay again for upgrades.

Seems to me, almost every remedial feature that could be implemented, in Magento is paid and in "other" is free (or donation).

So i guess the question is, what is it in Magento that could not be emulated if another CMS was used as framework?

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Congratulations. You've analyzed the market and discovered what you think is an opportunity. Let us know when your clone is ready for use.

Less snarkily, you can build anything. What Magento offers you is

1. A system that has identified, and successfully executed a solution for, many common Ecommerce problems not addressed by other carts/frameworks. Yeah, anything Magento has solved you can eventually solve with another CMS or Programming Framework, but Magento has already solved it.

2. A system that is extendable, allowing it to meet the future needs of Ecommerce, whatever they are and an ecosystem where third party developers are solving those problems for a fixed, flat rate.

It's not 1970 anymore. No software vendor is going to solve every problem you have, and any software vendor that promises to is either lying or extremely costly. Magento offers you a platform and an ecosystem that can help you solve these problems, and not be reliant on the existing cart vendors who aren't too invested in solving new problems.

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We are currently moving from a custom programmed site to magento. The cost of ownership has been very high for our currently used webshop. Its is not owned by us and only the one supplier can help us. They can charge whatever they want. The USP of using a open source cart is the possibility to change programmer, host etc. It is easy to find freelance programmers and extension providers. A magento clone would be great if it was flawless and backed up by good support. I follow CS-shop as I considered it instead of magento. In the forum some requests are 2 years old and are still not part of the package. We are not happy with the rather high cost our magento site has cost us so far, but we will stay. The biggest problem with open source (magento) is conflicts between extensions. Whos fault is it, when something is not working? Would I choose magento again? Knowing the real cost is not free I would consider a full ERP software solution with accounting and everything built in and simply pay the monthly fee with a smile. The tipping point is knowing I can call anytime and get help.