Draft:CE PhoenixCart

CE PhoenixCart is a free, open-source shopping cart software solution designed for e-commerce. It offers a user-friendly platform for individuals and businesses to set up and manage online stores.

Features

 * Out-of-the-box functionality: PhoenixCart comes equipped with essential e-commerce features, allowing users to start selling online quickly. This includes product management, customer accounts, order processing, and payment gateways.
 * Customizability: The software provides a foundation for building online shops, enabling customization through themes and plugins. This allows users to tailor the look and functionality of their store to their specific needs.
 * Open-source: As an open-source platform, PhoenixCart benefits from a community of developers who contribute to its ongoing development and offer support. This can lead to a wider range of features and faster bug fixes compared to some proprietary solutions.

Target Users
CE PhoenixCart caters to a range of users, including:


 * Individuals: Those looking for a user-friendly platform to set up a personal online store.
 * Small Businesses: Businesses seeking an affordable e-commerce solution with the ability to scale as their needs grow.
 * Web Developers: Developers can leverage the open-source nature of PhoenixCart to create custom solutions for their clients.

Ownership and Maintenance
Being open-source, CE PhoenixCart doesn't have a single owner. The software is maintained through a collaborative effort by the community of developers. Users are responsible for maintaining their own installations through updates released by the community. It's important to note that due to the recent shift in ownership away from osCommerce, the long-term development roadmap for PhoenixCart might be subject to change.

Reception
CE PhoenixCart is listed among open-source e-commerce options on various software review websites, such as Installatron, Softaculous , and GreenGeeks.

History
CE PhoenixCart began as a "BS" (Bootstrap (front-end framework)) version of OsCommerce in 2014, where the need for a responsive version of the once popular Eccomerce platform wasn't fulfilled by the core-team. That made Gary Burton (Burt) create the osCommerce Community Edition or osComemrce BS-version in 2014, where the first task was to add the Bootstrap-framework to the existing front-end code-base, making it possible for store owners to offer af responsive version of existing webshops.

On July 4th 2019 the Community-project was named "Phoenix" and the official name has since become CE PhoenixCart (CE standing for "Community Edition"). During all this time, the platform existed as a semi-official "Community Edition" of osCommerce, but when Holbi Group bought OsCommerce in 2021, they didn't want to house CE PhoenixCart: "When we were asked to remove ourselves from the osCommerce umbrella, we became Phoenix [...]". Thus, CE PhoenixCart moved to its own home, where development continued.

Additional Information

 * CE PhoenixCart offers a comprehensive user guide available on the project's wiki Phoenix Cart User Guide.
 * While the software itself is free to download and use, users are responsible for web hosting fees, payment processing charges, and any required customization costs.

In Conclusion
CE PhoenixCart provides a user-friendly and cost-effective solution for individuals and businesses to establish their online presence. Its open-source nature fosters a community-driven development model, making it an attractive option for those seeking a customizable e-commerce platform. However, users should be aware of the recent ownership change and potential impact on future development.