Magento Marketplace Extension by Webkul vs. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor Marketplace Platform: Review and Comparison

Greetings to a future web marketplace owner! Why do I think so? I am pretty sure that if you started reading this page, it means that:

• You would like to create a virtual marketplace
• You are looking for the best ready-to-use multivendor platform for marketplaces
• You are considering either a CS-Cart Multivendor or a Webkul Marketplace Extension for Magento. Maybe both?

If you mentally ticked one of the checkboxes, continue reading.

When you’re comparing the best marketplace software options, it’s essential to understand what makes each one unique. In this article, we will examine both solutions closely to determine their differences. No, we are not choosing the best one. Does such a thing even exist? We simply point out each one’s strengths and weaknesses so you can see them “naked” without all this marketing.

I will try to be objective and assign points to each eCommerce marketplace solution at the end of each section.

I hope it will help you select the right one. If it did, let me know then.

What Is It? General Information And Key Differences of Magento and CS-Cart

It is important to understand the type of software solution used in each shopping mall in order to evaluate them objectively. Usually, future online marketplace owners compare eCommerce platforms of absolutely different types, neglecting the fact that the basic differences lie in the solutions’ types.

Understanding eCommerce software basics will help us choose the right solution for a particular project.

So, let’s start with Magento + a Webkul extension. Since we are analyzing a free Magento version* in combination with a third-party extension, I suggest classifying it as an open-source solution + a paid plugin.

* Here, I would like to note that a paid Magento version can reach $18,000. For this version, a Webkul extension is more expensive.

So, what do we know about open-source platforms?

Strong points first:

• Customizable. Modifying and adapting open-source software according to your specific business requirements is possible.
• Free (who can argue it is a good thing?)
• Lots of add-ons (free & paid).

Now, the weak ones:

• It is more complicated, which means that technical skills are required compared to commercial software. This is difficult for a newbie.
• Complex source code.
• Possible upgrade issues.
• No free support (community forums instead).
• Lower security.

Read more about the general features of both solutions here: Magento vs CS-Cart: General Overview of Multi-Vendor Features

Let’s take a look at what we get with a plugin addition:

Strong points:

• eCommerce functionality is easily added as a plugin, taking you to a new level.
• Ideal for running simple online stores with a few products

Weak points:

• Initially created for running a site, not a store with all that it implies:
• Lacking marketing features (e.g., cross/up-selling tools, discounts & promotions).
• Limited functionality for managing products and orders. Not suitable for thousands of items.

So, what we get with an open-source multivendor website builder + a paid plugin like Magento extended with a Webkul add-on is a worthy platform for a small project with a moderate number of items (but can a marketplace really be small?). The probability of upgrade and security issues is higher than with other types of software.

Now, let’s take a closer look at CS-Cart Multivendor, a licensed shopping cart solution.

Strong points:

• Customizable. Open access to the source code.

• High-security level.

• The code is more straightforward than that in free, open-source solutions and web store plugins.

Weak points:

• Launching expenses are higher than with open-source solutions

While it’s true that choosing a licensed multivendor platform might seem more expensive at first glance. However, I suggest looking at it from a long-term perspective. Since you probably don’t intend to close your project soon, you’ll see that licensed solutions cost less in the long run.

By paying for the license, you get more features out-of-the-box, native technical support, and smooth upgrade opportunities. All of it saves you money. You do not have to pay for more advanced functionality; hire a web developer to fix issues and upgrade your store.

Besides, I would take into account the fact that plugins are usually created by third-party developers. This means that there may be incompatibility issues, problems with upgrades, and glitches.

Jon Jordan from AtlanticBT mentions that “Magento and Magento Enterprise are not designed to be set up by a business owner (without expertise), so, at a minimum, you are likely to spend $5,000.00 with a good domestic vendor just to set up your store and do basic configuration and training.”

Another expert, Bill Carmody, Founder and CEO of Trepoint, also mentions in Inc. that “given the complexity of store setup and management with Magento, the platform is not recommended for beginners.” I’d take this into account as well.

These are the key differences. The main conclusion is that Magento + a Webkul Plugin works better for a small project, while CS-Cart Multivendor suits large marketplaces with ambitious goals.

As we are selecting an eCommerce solution for a marketplace, which is rarely a small project, CS-Cart wins this round and gets 10 points, while Magento + Webkul gets 5 points.

It is just the beginning. Let’s consider other aspects that will help you choose the right option for your project.

Moving to the next point.

What? Where? How Many? Company Information

Creating a marketplace is not just a side project. It’s a serious business. That’s why looking at features alone is not enough when choosing a shopping mall software solution. You have to get to know the platform’s “parents” as it is a real commitment.

The first public release of Magento was published on March 31, 2008. Webkul’s headquarters are in India.

CS-Cart appeared in August 2005. Its residence is in the U.S.

All companies have virtual stores around the globe. Webkul claims to have 150,000 customers. However, when digesting this number, we have to note that the company mostly makes various plugins, not only marketplace projects, which makes us look at this number differently.

According to BuiltWith, 114,000 websites worldwide use Magento. Wow! That’s a lot. 

Magento is most popular in the United States and the UK and is also gaining traction in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, and New Zealand. 

CS-Cart has over 40,000 Internet stores worldwide and proudly claims to have over 2,000 online marketplaces. Its Multivendor edition has grown 25% since 2023, indicating a rising interest in marketplace solutions.

It looks like a fairly accurate number, doesn’t it?

CS-Cart stores can be found in 170 countries, including the United States, Greece, Romania, and the United Kingdom, which are among the most popular locations.

Here is a chart.

CS-Cart gets 10 points for the oldest platform, while Magento and Webkul get 5. However, being more popular, Magento receives 10 points, and CS-Cart is left with 5. So, this round ends with 15 points for each side.

How Was It Built? Programming Language

This information is helpful if you have a detailed vision of your project. It usually means that the default features are not enough, and you have to customize the multivendor platform so it completely fits into your dream picture.

Also, once the project begins to grow, you will probably need to modify what was given to you by default. By that time, you will already have a clear notion of what the platform lacks in your particular case and what would be required to convert more customers.

As a rule, this is the point where web marketplace owners say goodbye to cloud solutions, as their hands are tight with them. Luckily, this is not the case for both Magento + a Webkul plugin and CS-Cart Multivendor. Here, we get open access to the source code and can make any integrations and modifications.

If you are a developer, it is important to know that both Magento + a Webkul extension and CS-Cart Multivendor are PHP-based solutions. CS-Cart Multivendor uses the Smarty template engine, JavaScript, to represent data, and Controllers are written in PHP.

If you are not a developer and are considering hiring one, ensure they have experience working with this programming language.

By the way, CS-Cart Marketplace has a Developer section with a rating, where the partners are listed by the number of projects on CS-Cart. This makes it easier to find experienced developers and request a quote.

What Can You Achieve? Marketplace Examples

What inspires and motivates me is someone else’s success. That is why I think checking the websites created on the software you will use is necessary. This is when you can see what can be achieved and how many examples of successful websites exist.

That is why any serious solution displays its customers’ stores on its websites. A solution’s success ultimately measures its customers’ success.

The Webkul add-on and CS-Cart Multivendor have Success stories sections on their websites. It is already a good sign!

What is noticeable about Webkul’s examples is that they are displayed as website logos that are not clickable.

Once I tried to look them up, I found most of them difficult to find. For example, I Googled GoGlobalis, the first website mentioned. Google suggested correcting the spelling, but the first ten results did not match my request.

I was so interested in their successful marketplace websites that I contacted their support. They provided case studies in their blog articles.

The top marketplaces built on Magento 2 included such prominent companies as Volkswagen Chile, Kimberly-Clark, Schneider Electric, Etihad Airways, and Edumalls.

I looked up one of them–Volkswagen Chile. It is a very feature-rich website. However, its design does not seem fully responsive, as some page content doesn’t fit my laptop screen. The problem didn’t repeat on mobile: all the content was visible on my iPhone.

I was also very intrigued by another big name on the list—Etihad Airways. Webkul developed a ticket reservation system based on their marketplace extension. Ooph, I think it was very labor-intensive, considering the booking solution is not out-of-the-box. 

The website looks gorgeous, and the ticket reservation system is in place. I searched what others think about the website, and I found that there are some complaints about the platform functionality: 

• Some users have experienced recurring problems with completing web check-in and problems booking flights using miles. In one instance, a user was charged for a ticket not issued, requiring a phone call to resolve.
• Some clients have had issues with the payment page not loading during the booking process.
• Online check-in may not be available due to system limitations with codeshare airlines.

Hmm, this is a big company; they have money to cover these issues. Anyway, a software solution should bring you income and not diminish it.

Let’s take a look at what CS-Cart has to offer.

With CS-Cart Multivendor, the picture is clearer. The website has a Success Stories section where the most remarkable cases are collected. The biggest online marketplace created on CS-Cart Multivendor is Shopclues.com, which is well-known worldwide. It has 1,000 employees, 500,000 merchants, 53,000,000 products, and 30,000 delivery locations. Pretty impressive.

However, it is not the only outstanding marketplace. Others, like Yumbles, Country Culture, and ARTEnet, make the face of CS-Cart Multivendor beautiful and glowing with success.

Yumbles’s homepage

All customer examples are clickable and can be filtered by country, industry, or business model.

It’s hard to disagree that choosing a large platform with a name and sufficient experience for your project guarantees stability, no upgrade problems, and all the security patches. Of course, both Magento and CS-Cart are large companies. However, when talking about add-ons, double-checking is useful. Buying an unknown solution is a risk a marketplace owner cannot afford.

In this round, CS-Cart Marketplace gets 10 points for the strong live marketplaces that can easily be reached and checked. Webkul gets 5 for the nice websites but shaky proof.

How To Start? Installation

I honestly think that if you manage to install the eCommerce marketplace solution, you will be able to set it up. However, many future marketplace owners do not want to go through the installation procedure and deal with hosting at all.

Here, we need to check whether the developers can help us.

With CS-Cart Multivendor, the installation service is offered for free.

Webkul will charge you 418.8 USD for the marketplace and installation. Of course, you must install Magento first.

Let’s examine what you will encounter if you decide to install the solution yourself.

Starting with Webkul, I have to note that the installation is more complicated here as you have to make two major steps: install Magento first and then install the extension.

Installing Magento. The first thing that strikes me as strange is their registration form. It is not possible to download the package without registering. I understand the marketing motives, but the client does not have to know them.

The registration process is a bit annoying, especially when telling the truth. Not only should you provide all the contact details but state where you work, what you do there, and (the icing on the cake) your annual revenue.

As for the installation process, it is pretty easy. Magento is a very popular system; most hostings already have the free package in the CMS section of the admin panel, which is very convenient:

You just need to select it and click “Install.” As easy as it can be.

In a few seconds, the shopping mall system will be installed. You will see the login details. From here you can go both to the storefront and to the control panel.

If the package is not available, you can upload the one you downloaded from the Magento website. Once you enter the admin panel, you can install the Webkul Extension. However, I could not download the package and had to contact support. It turned out that I would be able to download it after the license purchase. Right now, I can only test it using the demo. Sad.

I checked the instructions because I could not test the add-on installation procedure. The process seemed a bit complicated for an extension installation: there are at least three huge steps, including server work. Otherwise, the instructions seem pretty clear. It would not hurt to try. Oh, well.

As for CS-Cart Multivendor, the process is simpler since we only need to install the eCommerce solution itself to get a fully functional multivendor system—no extensions are required.

First, we download the package from the website. Only the contact details are required.

Once the package is downloaded, you need to place files in the root directory on your server and unzip the archive. Now, we need to create a MySQL database:

Then, go to the domain and use the Installation Manager to finish the installation, entering the database details and login credentials. Here, you can select whether you would like the demo data to be installed. 

In a few seconds, the installation will be complete, and the admin panel will open. Here, I can select a free trial mode and start working.

To sum it all up, I would say that installing CS-Cart Multivendor seemed easier as you need to deal with the online marketplace builder itself, no extra movements are required. You get the admin panel at once and can already start setting a marketplace.

With Magento + a Webkul extension, installation is more complex since it involves two major steps. The fact that Magento is popular helps, as you get it installed quickly. However, the fact that it is not enough and that you have to install an add-on also darkens the situation a bit.

That is why, in this round, I will award CS-Cart Multivendor 10 points and Magento + a Webkul extension 5.

What Is There Inside? Features

There is a reason why you started looking for a ready-to-use eCommerce marketplace solution and did not decide to build a website from scratch. And probably, it is not only the money—of course, but ready-made platforms are also less expensive than the developers’ services. Most likely, you are looking for a particular scope of features required for your project. At least, it would be the only natural way to go with this logic.

So, when purchasing a solution, you would probably like to get as many useful tools as possible. In this manner, we came to one of the most important sections—feature comparison.

To be honest, I feel it is a little unfair to compare CS-Cart Multivendor with Magento + a Webkul extension. This is because the number of features is absolutely different: in Multivendor, there are more than 500 features available by default. And Webkul offers just basic marketplace functionality.

There is a comparative chart that illustrates my words vividly.

Features	CS-Cart Multi-Vendor	Magento Marketplace extension by Webkul
Vendor plans	yes	no
Automatic payouts to vendors	yes	Preliminary installation required: add-on for $199 (for Stripe) and $298 (for PayPal)
Multiple levels of administrative access	yes	no
Refunds	yes	$79
Bulk products management	yes	no
Real-time shipping methods	yes	add-ons
Payment processors integration	yes	add-ons
A wide scope of marketing tools	yes	only promotions
Mobile app	yes	add-on for $599 ($399 with a promotion)
On-site editor	yes	no
Layout manager	yes	no

I would like to comment on some of the most important features.

Since we are selecting a software solution for a marketplace, I think the marketplace features should go first. Before I list some of them, I need to admit that both multivendor builders have useful features. Because they are presented on both of the platforms, I will not mention them. I will talk only about the ones that are presented in one system and absent in another.

As Webkul is just an add-on, it lacks some features that a marketplace owner cannot work with nowadays. I list them below.

Vendor plans

I started with it because collecting commissions and monthly fees for the platform renting is one of the main sources of the virtual marketplace owner. Not having this feature means either losing a sufficient amount of money or buying another add-on.

In CS-Cart Multivendor, this feature is fully presented. Using it, it is possible to create subscription plans for vendors with different conditions and limitations to get transaction commissions and fees for the membership. It is also possible to set the following restrictions:

1. Maximum number of products;

2. Maximum amount of revenue;

3. Vendor micro-store.

Automate payouts to vendors

Having this feature saves 90% of your time. Otherwise, you will have to deal with commissions and the distribution of payments between vendors every day.

This feature is not presented in Webkul and is available in CS-Cart Multivendor with the help of PayPal Adaptive and Stripe Connect.

Multiple Levels of Administrative Access

If you are creating a large project, you will eventually need employees. And you will need them to take up the duties while you are engaged in fundamental things. CS-Cart Multivendor allows new administrator accounts to be registered and sets different levels of access to the admin panel.

A Webkul Extension does not have this feature, which means you will either have to do everything yourself or share your private account with other users, which is a little risky.

Refunds

Sadly, as it is, refunds are part of an online business, which is why you cannot work without this feature.

Webkul offers this feature as an add-on, which is called Magento Product Return RMA, and costs $79.

In CS-Cart Multivendor the Return management system is available by default. Customers can register product return requests, specifying the reason for the return and providing other related information. The web store owner and their administrators can then handle requested returns through a special section of the administration panel.

Bulk products management

An eCommerce marketplace is a large project and there can be thousands of products. It means that bulk product edition is of great importance.

The main features for that presented in CS-Cart Multivendor and absent in a Webkul module are Import/Export and Bulk product management from the admin panel. Their absence makes the add-on almost not suitable for an Internet marketplace project.

Integrations

You are going to collect payment online and ship products, right? Using a Webkul add-on, you will not be able to do that because no shipping services are integrated there by default. Surely, you can purchase other 4-5 add-ons to have all that, but building a serious project based on add-ons is not the best idea.

With CS-Cart Multivendor, you will get more than 50 payment systems and six shipping systems by default.

No extra searching, installation, upgrade issues. All you need is enter your account details and that’s it.

Marketing

Do you remember a store that does not run promotions constantly? That is probably the reason you do not remember it if it exists—it is not successful.

The success of a virtual shopping mall largely depends on a solid marketing strategy and an appealing loyalty program. It means your marketplace software should offer you lots of tools using which you can set flexible promotions with different conditions.

This is what CS-Cart Multivendor does. There are tons of conditions and bonuses you can define for a promotion, making it super customer-oriented:

Using a Webkul add-on, you will only be able to configure a simple basic promotion, no advanced opportunities.

Design

Do you prefer to go with a ready-to-use theme, or would you like to create your own unique design? CS-Cart Multivendor provides you with an opportunity to choose any of the options. In the marketplace, there are lots of ready-made templates.

Also, in the default version, there are advanced tools:

• On-site editing: you can edit the theme elements right on the storefront and see the results immediately.
• Built-in template editor: you can edit the layout of every page, including a vendor’s mini-store, using it.

None of these tools are available in the Webkul add-on.

Summary of Features

As you can see, both of the solutions have the necessary features to start a marketplace.

When we think about what will happen once you open a web store, the situations are different. With CS-Cart Multivendor you get a wide range of features not just for launching your project but also for scaling and long-term success.

As demonstrated in the feature chart, with CS-Cart Multivendor, you do not have to purchase any additional add-ons until you have specific requirements.

With Magento + a Webkul Extension, you will need to use additional modules at each step of a website creation. As a result, you will have a multivendor system full of add-ons—this means that when upgrading the store you will have to upgrade each add-on separately and the smooth work of them is not guaranteed.

Being feature-rich, Multivendor gets 10 points, while the Webkul extension gets 5.

SEO Tools

Surely, there is no use for an Internet store if no one can find it. If you want to sell online, you have to make sure the online marketplace builder you use will help you with SEO.

Although the standard Magento offers SEO tools, Webkul support advises the paid add-on that costs $149.

Does it mean that the basic SEO tools are not good enough, or guys are just trying to sell additional services? We will never know, but it strikes as strange.

In CS-Cart Multivendor, there is a built-in SEO add-on that offers the following skills:

• makes the store URLs engine-friendly;
• allows meta description and keywords to products, categories, and pages adding;
• allows adding SEO names to products and categories;- automatically generates Google rich snippets;
• supports automatic 301-status redirects.

So basically, this is everything you need.

Funny fact: this SEO feature is so good that even some demo stores are found on Google. If the storefront is not closed, of course.

Conclusion: Be careful what you wish because you just might get it (too soon).

Jokes aside, both systems demonstrate a good SEO ability, so you do not have to worry about it. The only difference is that with CS-Cart Multivendor you get it for free and in case of Webkul Magento, it will cost you $149.

So, 5 points go to Webkul and 10 for CS-Cart for the “all-inclusive” service.

Pretty Is Not Everything But A Lot. Design

An experienced developer will tell you that it is not the looks that sell and will be right. However, an ugly website will have to break badly to attract a client.

So selecting a multivendor website builder and then creating a design for it is a tough task—you need to find a balance between a nice design and a convenient navigation tools that can easily be used by a client.

CS-Cart Multivendor boasts a responsive theme with nine styles. It is possible to take one of the styles and create an individual look and feel of your marketplace based on it.

In CS-Cart, there are two interesting design tools, and one of them is really unique.

Let’s start with it right away. I mean a famous CS-Cart layout manager which allows creating individual layouts of a page by simple block adding and drag and drop.

You can easily drag and move blocks around, create new blocks, banners, menus, etc. A layout of each page can be changed, a new one can be created and used as a template for later usage.

Using this tool, you can add graphics blocks that link to the desirable pages.

What is good about it is that if you allow eCommerce vendors, they can also edit the look of their mini-store.

The second tool is a more classic one–a Theme editor. Using it, you can change the theme elements like color, background colors, fonts, logo, and CSS.

Of course, if you do not want to go into the design setting at all, you can select a ready-to-use theme, install it, and enjoy the features it offers. CS-Cart Marketplace offers a variety of such themes for newbies and the ones who need to start immediately:

Advice: if I were you, I would still play around with the layout and theme editor. You’ll see, it’s fun!

As for the Webkul add-on, it supports all the Magento templates and themes, and it will be compatible with responsive web designs.

If you would like to create an individual design for your virtual store, you will need to find a paid theme for it. Luckily, there are lots of ready-to-use themes, so you will have a lot of options to choose from. The upsetting thing is that it is almost impossible to do without a paid template.

This way, the Webkul add-on gets 5 points for its paid options, while CS-Cart Multivendor gets 10 for offering a variety of choices.

Stay Young Forever. Upgrades

An online store is a dynamic substance, at least it should be. To keep up with all the new features that are non-stop developing in the Internet world, your web store has to be regularly renewed.

That is why when selecting a multivendor platform, it is necessary to make sure you are not going to be a dinosaur in a year.

CS-Cart Multivendor releases new versions 3–4 times a year. Each version included new features and updates of the ones that were already there. This way we can see that the software is continuously improving.

Upon purchasing a license, you get one year of free access to new multivendor versions and upgrades. Also, you can get the security patches free of charge.

Once this year is over, and if you want to upgrade your store, a maintenance plan is needed. The prices are a little complicated: $245 / year—within 1 month upon termination. $385 / year—after 1 month upon termination. Not to miss the discounted price, you will be sent 2 notifications: the day the upgrade subscription is over and several days before the 30-day period ends.

As for the Webkul extension, everything is very simple here.

The module support says that they update the solution “on a regular basis”. What is more than nice is that they provide free updates for the lifetime. Besides, you do not have to go into the upgrade process. All you need to do is just send them the order ID, and they will update your add-on for you.

So it will not cost you anything to have your store updated. Seems appealing.

This way, Webkul gets 10 points for free updates, and CS-Cart Multivendor gets 5 for the paid option.

What If? Technical Support

Every future web marketplace owner asks this question—what will happen if something goes wrong with the store? How much money will I lose? How many customers will not return to my virtual store?

Being sure that someone will help you if the online shop is down is a must. Let’s see what the solutions have to offer in terms of technical support.

Starting with Webkul, as the situation is a bit more complicated here. You see, every self-hosted solution has 2 main technical sides responsible for the stable work of the marketplace—a hosting and the platform itself.

If you are using a CMS + a plugin, another side is added. This does not make an issue investigation easy. It is what happens with Magento + a Webkul plugin.

Webkul offers one month of free support from the date of purchase.

Once the support period is over, it is possible to extend it. 

The price for extending Webkul support after the initial period for their Magento 2 marketplace extension is as follows:

• 6 months support: 50% of the product price
• 12 months support: 80% of the product price

Thus, if the original product price was $418.8:

• 6 months extended support: $209.40
• 12 months extended support: $334.24

What is also worth mentioning, even bugs are not fixed if you do not extend the support period. So to have the developers’ mistakes solved, you have to pay your own money.

With a CS-Cart Multivendor license purchase, you may get up to 1 year of free technical support, depending on the type of license you purchase:

1. Multivendor Plus Annual Subscription: Entire subscription period
2. Multivendor Plus Lifetime License: 3 months of support

During this time, you will be able to ask an unlimited number of questions about the shopping mall software features. If you have any issues, they will also be solved by the support team.

On the website, there is a list of services provided during this period; I do not want to just copy it here:

It’s important to note that CS-Cart has moved towards a subscription-based model for technical support, which they now recommend as the optimal solution. 

If there is a bug, it will be fixed for free, regardless of whether you have support credits or not. Pretty fair, don’t you think?

It’s somewhat hard to assign points here, as both multivendor shopping cart systems offer an adequate level of technical support. As for the support prices, both companies offer similar pricing. However, the Webkul’s paid bug fixing brings the mood down.

In this manner, CS-Cart Multivendor gets 10 points and Webkul—5 points for bug-fixing terms.

People Talk. Community

CS-Cart has active community forums where a great number of topics are discussed. There are lots of useful topics for different kinds of users: newbies, store owners, developers, and the one who is looking for a developer for their project.

As for Webkul, they do not have a community forum, so all the questions are answers by the sales department or the support team.

This way, CS-Cart Multivendor gets 10 points, and Webkul gets 0 for the absence of the community.

Do You Have Any Friends? Partners

Before drawing any conclusions, we have to take into account the difference between the 2 solutions and their respective developer companies.

CS-Cart Multivendor is developed by CS-Cart itself. It is one of the 3 main products offered by the company, so everything CS-Cart does is concentrated on these 3 versions. One of them is Multivendor. It was first launched in 2013.

CS-Cart thinks of itself as the software developer. Even though the source code is open, they do not provide custom development services. They are provided by their partners.

That is why there are more than 350 partner developers you can contact to get a quote for a modification or a marketplace setting.

There is a filter so you can sort the partners by country or language:

Funny Fact: Webkul also develops add-ons for CS-Cart Multivendor. However, I didn’t find them on the list of authorized resellers.

There is a sufficient number of add-ons for CS-Cart developed by this company:

Webkul is a developer that works on the add-ons, primarily. They first offered their marketplace extension in 2016. What they do now is extending the present functionality.

If it is required to extend the Webkul add-on features, the company is willing to do it for you. That is why there is no partner network, but there is also no necessity for that either.

That is why I think it is only fair that no one gets any points in the round.

How To Go About It? Tutorials And Docs

When you decided to start an Internet marketplace, you do not only need to choose a multivendor system, you also need to learn how to work with it.

As for me, I like being independent. It means that it is convenient when a company plays openly: all the information is available on the website. Also, having detailed instructions is a must. It is even better when you can watch tutorials not to go too deep into docs.

Webkul provides a User Guide with thorough instructions.

What struck me as strange is that there are no contents. I get the impression that you have to read it from the very beginning or just scroll until you find the part you need. It is not convenient when you are working on a marketplace creation and are setting a particular feature at the moment.

On the whole, I would say that this organization of the docs underlines the fact that it is an extension of a limited functionality and can be scrolled through, not a professional solution.

As for CS-Cart Multivendor, we have a different picture here.

First, there is a detailed User Guide with a wide content where each feature is covered. There is an instruction on how to install and set the solution. Also, there is a Developer and Designer sections in the Docs, so even your developers will be guided.

Another strong point is native video tutorials. They are very short and informative. Actually, I would combine the two sources: watch the tutorials first and get a deeper idea using a written guide.

Tutorials can be found on the website. They are divided into the topics, so the navigation is pretty easy:

I think it is pretty obvious that 10 points go to CS-Cart for customer care and 5 points go to Webkul for the nice user guide but poor navigation around it and the absence of tutorials.

How To Extend What I Got? Marketplace For The Marketplace

A project is like a person—there can hardly be two identical ones. Each one has its peculiarities, unique features, and a character.

However, when projects are “born” they all look alike. Don’t they? So most virtual shopping malls built on a ready-to-use platform use similar abilities. Once a project is beginning to grow, it needs some additional skills not included in the box.

Having an opportunity to modify the code is good but also expensive. That is why it is great to have an online marketplace where some ready-to-use extensions can be found.

Both the multivendor website builders can boast such a place. The difference is that CS-Cart has a marketplace where only third-party themes and add-ons are available. As we discussed above, the company itself does not develop extensions.

With Webkul there is an opposite situation: their website offers lots of ready-to-use add-ons. Actually, a Magento Marketplace module is one of them. Also, in the User Guide, there are several recommended add-ons mentioned. The good thing about it is that if you purchase all the add-ons from Webkul, all of them will also be supported by the company correspondingly.

It means that if something goes wrong, you know who to call.

Again, it is difficult to rate the solutions here; however, I would give 10 points to Webkul for providing the opportunity to find everything in one place. 5 points go to CS-Cart for a large marketplace.

Wrap It Up? Prices

Finally, let’s see whether the features match the prices.

No extra words here, just numbers.

CS-Cart Multivendor:

• Pricing: CS-Cart Multivendor has multiple pricing editions.
  • Standard: $1,250 per year.
  • Plus: $3,150 per year.
  • Ultimate: $6,950 per year.
• License: Options for both annual subscriptions and lifetime licenses are available.
  • The Multivendor Ultimate plan also has a monthly subscription option for $274.99, billed annually.
• Support:
  • Multivendor Ultimate includes unlimited VIP technical support for 180 days via online chat.
  • The Multivendor Ultimate lifetime license includes 6 months of Customer Care Ultimate.
• Installation: CS-Cart Multivendor can be installed for you free of charge.

Webkul Magento Marketplace Multivendor Module:

• Cost: $349.
• Support: Includes 1 month of free support.
• Installation: If you need the add-on to be installed, it will cost you $69.80.

These would be the initial costs, and then you will most likely start purchasing add-ons—the ones we mentioned here. Additionally, their rich marketplace offers so many extensions that you would probably end up buying quite a few. As you saw, the default features are no more than basic. This cannot be enough for a marketplace.

I do not think we should give any points here, should we? Let’s wind up so you can actually work on your project already.

Marketplace Face-Off. Scoring Results: What Is Better In 2025?

Ok, now that we’ve compared everything, it’s time to calculate the points: CS-Cart Multivendor—115 points; Marketplace Extension for Magento—75 points.

If you read the whole comparison, this will probably not surprise you. The fact that the two represent different marketplace software types defines everything: ease of use, amount of features, sales and support consultations, and prices.

CS-Cart Multivendor is a complete professional solution for marketplaces. The classic web marketplace features are already included there. There is no need to look for extra add-ons. Also, you will get the support in one place. In addition to the installation and maintenance, there is just one task per store.

A Magento Extension module is an add-on, and it speaks for itself. It has pretty good features and can really turn your store into a shopping mall. However, when selecting this option, you have to be ready to purchase additional modules to extend a pretty moderate functionality. Also, I would not neglect the fact that it is installed on top of another solution developed by a different company.

There is no ideal software. Your choice should depend on your project idea and its requirements. Searching among ready-to-use solutions, it is hard to find the one that matches your dreams 100% (unless you dream in a very standard marketplace perspective). That is why it is wiser selecting the software that matches most of your “I want”.

If you have a Magento store and would just like to give a marketplace idea a try, a Webkul extension might work just fine. It is not expensive and has a fair scope of features.

If you dream big and have a serious, ambitious marketplace project all planned, CS-Cart Multivendor is surely the option to take. For a reasonable price, you can have more than 500 features out-of-the-box, native support, regular updates and a worldwide community.

Good luck with your marketplace project—I hope to shop there soon!

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