Best Joomla Ecommerce extensions and Shopping Carts in 2025
Running an online shops is no longer trend, but a necessity nowadays with business that comes online and people prefer to make online purcases and that's why it is important to understand which way to go to build your new e-store using the right platform. In this article will discuss the best shopping cart to use with the Joomla CMS.
Why Joomla?
Joomla is an award-winning CMS that was launched alongside WordPress and Drupal in 2005, following its fork from the Mambo project. Its growth and development are powered by a global community of open-source developers who contribute to its core functionality, built with PHP, as well as to a wide range of extensions and templates that enhance its features. Joomla’s extensive add-on ecosystem offers both free and paid options, including licensed and subscription-based tools, to suit diverse website needs. This community-driven approach has been key to Joomla's success, relying on the dedication of volunteers and ensuring the platform remains free to use.
In the same time we should remember that Joomla is not a simple CMS for blogs as its core functionality. This is a tool for advanced users who have some skills and understand what web design is. Joomla gives developers the ability to build websites for a wide variety of use cases.
With modular approach it is possible to build websites by installing additional extensionss which your project needs. There are as free so subscription-based extensions for Joomla which provide solutions for ecommerce that usually far outmatch the free software options on the market. The same options are available for templates.
Joomla 5 is built on modern architecture and has raised its minimum standards. You need PHP 8+ and MySQL 10 to run it, which ensures that your site operates on the latest software versions. This gives Joomla an advantage over other CMS platforms, as modern software leverages advanced features, enhanced security, and improved performance.
Joomla is an excellent choice for building e-commerce websites. The platform is renowned for its dedicated Security Team, which prioritizes security and enforces strict standards for third-party extensions, making it a reliable option for creating an e-commerce store using the latest Joomla version.
Site integrators have access to a wide range of high-quality products to build their stores.
Below, we will explore the most significant and popular e-commerce solutions for Joomla.
In this overview we consider popular solutions that work on the actual Joomla version.
| Extension | Key Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| VirtueMart |
The largest and the oldest community, Wide functionality, Many integrations |
Free + Paid Membership |
| J2Commerce | Many integrations, option to sell digital goods | Free + Pro |
| JoomShopping | Easy of use, many add-ons, local communities | Free |
| Phoca Cart | Easy of use, rich in-built features, integration with AI | Free |
| Hikashop | Different plans including extra functionality (up to marketplace) | Free + Pro |
| EasyStore | In-built integration with SP Page Builder, Modern UI, Non-coding auditory | Paid Membership |
VirtueMart
- Advantages: adaption to local markets.
- Platform: Joomla 5, Joomla 4 and Joomla 3.
- Compatibility: Backward Compatibility plugin required to run this extension on Joomla 5.
Key Benefits of VirtueMart
- Flexible Product Management
VirtueMart provides a robust system for managing products, categories, attributes, and variants. This allows store owners to efficiently organize their merchandise, making it easy to showcase a diverse range of products with different specifications. - Multi-Language Support
With built-in multi-language capabilities, VirtueMart is suitable for businesses looking to reach international customers. Users can create and manage multilingual online stores to cater to diverse markets worldwide. - Seamless Shipping and Tax Calculation
VirtueMart simplifies tax and shipping calculations by allowing store owners to define tax rates and shipping costs based on weight, destination, and other parameters.Note: VirtueMart integration with Avalara makes it adaptable to the US market, ensuring tax compliance by calculating state and local taxes based on precise geographic data.
- Multiple Payment Gateway Support
The platform supports a wide range of payment gateways, enabling businesses to offer flexible and secure payment options to their customers. This ensures that shoppers can pay using their preferred methods, improving the overall shopping experience. - Advanced Inventory Management
VirtueMart includes essential inventory management tools such as stock tracking, low-stock notifications, and backorder management. These features help store owners maintain optimal inventory levels and ensure seamless order fulfillment. - SEO-Friendly Design
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for e-commerce success, and VirtueMart is designed with SEO in mind. It offers customizable URLs, meta tags, sitemaps, and other SEO-friendly features that help improve search rankings and drive organic traffic to online stores. - Extensive Extensions and Add-ons
One of VirtueMart’s biggest strengths is its extensibility. With a vast selection of add-ons and plugins, users can enhance their store’s functionality with additional features, integrations, and customizations tailored to their specific needs.
Payment plugins for VirtueMart we offer:
VirtueMart is a well-established, feature-rich eCommerce extension for Joomla that continues to evolve with market demands. Its strong community, powerful integrations (such as Avalara for tax compliance), and extensive customization options make it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. Whether you need a simple online shop or a highly customized eCommerce solution, VirtueMart provides the tools and flexibility needed to build a successful online store.
J2Commerce
- Advantages: Many integrations, ability to sell digital goods.
- Platform: Joomla 5, Joomla 4.
- Compatibility: Backward Compatibility plugin required to run this extension on Joomla 5.
J2Commerce (formely known as a J2Store) is a powerful eCommerce extension for Joomla that allows users to create online stores easily. Unlike traditional shopping cart solutions, J2Commerce converts Joomla articles into products, making it a lightweight and flexible option for selling digital or physical goods.
Key Features of J2Commerce
- Simple & User-Friendly – No need to create complex product structures. Just use Joomla articles as products.
- Multiple Product Types – Sell physical, digital, subscription-based, or membership products.
- Flexible Payment Options – Supports various payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and offline payments.
- Advanced Tax & Shipping Rules – Configure taxes and shipping rates based on location, weight, or other parameters.
- Multi-Currency & Multi-Language – a suitable solution for international stores with built-in multi-currency and multilingual support.
- Customizable Checkout Process – Modify checkout steps for a smooth customer experience
- Integration with Joomla Extensions – Works well with extensions like RSForms, EasySocial, and more.
- Mobile-Responsive & SEO-Friendly – Ensures a great shopping experience on any device while optimizing product pages for search engines.
Need custom features like bulk discounts, reward points, or Amazon S3 integration? J2Commerce offers 100+ apps and plugins to enhance your online store’s functionality.
JoomShopping
- Advantages: Easy of use, many add-ons, open community
- Platform: Joomla 5, Joomla 4.
- Compatibility: Native Joomla 5 extension (no Backwards Compatibility plugin required).
Key Features of JoomShopping
- User-Friendly Interface: JoomShopping is easy to set up and manage, even for beginners, with an intuitive admin panel.
- Flexible Product Management: Supports unlimited products, categories, attributes, and price variations, allowing detailed product customization.
- Multiple Payment Gateways: Works with PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, Klarna, Sofort, and many other payment providers.
- Multilingual and Multi-Currency Support: Perfect for international stores, allowing translations and multiple currency options.
- SEO-Friendly: Built-in SEO features like customizable URLs, meta tags, and structured data help improve search engine rankings.
- Tax and Shipping Management: Automatically calculates taxes and shipping costs based on different countries, regions, and weight classes.
- Discounts and Promotions: Includes discount codes, bulk pricing, and customer loyalty rewards to boost sales.
- Integration with Joomla Extensions: Works smoothly with Joomla modules, templates, and third-party extensions to enhance functionality.
- Mobile-Responsive Design: Ensures a seamless shopping experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
- Regular Updates and Support: Actively developed and supported, ensuring compatibility with the latest Joomla versions.
JoomShopping is ideal for small to medium businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs who need a lightweight yet powerful eCommerce solution inside Joomla. Whether you're selling physical products, digital downloads, or services, JoomShopping provides the essential tools to run a successful online store.
Phoca Cart
- Advantages: Many in-built features for free, POS system integration, extendable architecture
- Platform: Joomla 5, Joomla 4.
- Compatibility: Native Joomla 5 extension (no Backwards Compatibility plugin required).
Phoca Cart is a modern eCommerce extension for Joomla, designed as a full-featured shopping cart solution with a focus on flexibility, ease of use, and powerful customization. Phoca Cart is built with the latest technologies, making it lightweight, fast, and highly extendable.
It supports both physical and digital products, making it suitable for a wide range of online stores.
Key Features of Phoca Cart
- Modern and Lightweight: Built with the latest Joomla standards, ensuring fast performance and a smooth user experience.
- Powerful Product Management: Supports unlimited products, categories, variants, attributes, custom fields, and stock control for detailed product configuration.
- Downloadable Products: Sell digital goods with secure download options.
- Reward Points and Discounts: Implement customer incentives like reward points, discounts, coupons, and cart discounts.
- Integrated POS System: Phoca Cart includes a Point of Sale (POS) system, allowing store owners to sell products both online and in physical stores.
- Multi-Currency and Multi-Language Support: Perfect for international businesses with support for multiple currencies and languages.
- Advanced Shipping and Tax Rules: Set up complex tax and shipping rules based on country, region, weight, and other factors.
- Multiple Payment Gateways: It comes with PayPal and bank transfer plugins and there are many plugins from 3rd party developers like Stripe, Mollie, PayU, and many others, making transactions secure and convenient.
- Highly Customizable and Extendable: The component can be customized via layouts, themes, and templates for seamless integration into any Joomla website. By default, it supports Bootstrap 5 and Uikit.
- PDF Documentation: Generate invoices, delivery notes, and receipts in PDF format.
- SEO and Marketing Tools: Includes SEO-friendly URLs, structured data, discount coupons, and email marketing tools to boost conversions.
- Data Import/Export: Import and export products using XML or CSV formats for efficient data management.
- GDPR Compliance and Security: Designed with privacy and security in mind, ensuring compliance with GDPR regulations.
- Powerful Statistics: Access comprehensive analytics to monitor store performance.
- Regular Updates and Community Support: Phoca Cart is actively developed, with frequent updates and an active support community.
Payment plugins for Phoca Cart we offer:
Phoca Cart is ideal for businesses looking for a modern, flexible, and feature-rich eCommerce solution within Joomla. Whether you sell physical goods, digital downloads, or services, Phoca Cart provides all the essential tools to run a successful online store.
Hikashop
- Advantages: Flexible editions, 3rd-party integrations, community support
- Platform: Joomla 5, Joomla 4.
- Compatibility: Native Joomla 5 extension (no Backwards Compatibility plugin required).
HikaShop is a comprehensive e-commerce extension for Joomla, developed by the Hikari Software team. It enables users to create and manage online stores directly within their Joomla websites, offering a range of features suitable for both small businesses and large-scale enterprises. HikaShop is available in three editions—Starter (free), Essential, and Business—each providing varying levels of functionality to cater to different business needs.
Key features of HikaShop include support for unlimited products and categories, advanced pricing options with multi-currency support, customizable product variants, and integration with various payment gateways. The extension also offers tools for managing taxes, shipping methods, and customer accounts, as well as marketing features like discounts, coupons, and affiliate programs. Its responsive design ensures compatibility across devices, and it supports multilingual content, making it suitable for international markets.
Key Features of Hikashop
- Flexible Editions: Available in Starter (free), Essential, and Business versions, allowing businesses to choose the feature set that suits their needs.
- Unlimited Products and Categories: Easily manage a large inventory with support for unlimited items and hierarchical categories.
- Advanced Pricing Options: Set up complex pricing rules, including volume discounts, customer group pricing, and multi-currency support.
- Custom Product Variants and Characteristics: Offer products with multiple variants, attributes, and specifications.
- Integrated Payment Gateways: Compatible with a wide range of payment methods including PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, and many more through plugins.
- Shipping and Tax Management: Define flexible shipping methods and tax rules tailored to regions, zones, or product types.
- Customer Account Management: Manage user profiles, order history, addresses, and access levels with built-in customer tools.
- Marketing Tools: Boost sales using discounts, coupons, affiliate programs, and email notifications.
- Responsive and Mobile-Ready: Fully responsive front-end design ensures smooth shopping experiences on all devices.
- Multilingual and Multi-Currency: Ideal for international eCommerce with built-in support for multiple languages and currencies.
- SEO Optimization: Generate SEO-friendly URLs and metadata for better search engine visibility.
- Reports and Statistics: Track sales, customer activity, product performance, and more with built-in analytics.
- Integration Ready: Works seamlessly with other Joomla extensions like Falang (for translations), AcyMailing (for newsletters), and more.
- Extendable with Add-ons:Add functionality such as multi-vendor support (via HikaMarket), auction capabilities, and custom plugins.
- Active Development and Community: Regular updates, extensive documentation, and community-driven support ensure long-term reliability.
Additionally, HikaShop can be extended with plugins such as HikaMarket for multi-vendor capabilities and HikaAuction for auction-based sales, providing flexibility for diverse e-commerce models.
EasyStore
- Advantages: Ease of use, in-built integration with page builder
- Platform: Joomla 5, Joomla 4.
- Compatibility: Native Joomla 5 extension (no Backwards Compatibility plugin required).
EasyStore for Joomla is a user-friendly eCommerce extension developed by JoomShaper, designed specifically for users who prefer a no-code experience. Built to integrate seamlessly with SP Page Builder, it allows you to visually create and customize your online store without needing any programming knowledge.
With its drag-and-drop interface, EasyStore makes it simple to manage products, set up payment and shipping options, and design a professional storefront—all within the Joomla environment. It's an ideal solution for individuals and small businesses looking to build an online shop quickly and efficiently using a modern, intuitive interface.
Key Features of EasyStore
- Product Management: Easily create, organize, and update product listings with support for multiple variants like size, color, and material.
- Inventory Management: Automated stock control minimizes manual errors and keeps inventory up-to-date.
- Order Management: Manage orders efficiently, apply discounts, and monitor real-time order statuses.
- Payment Gateways: Supports a wide range of payment methods, catering to various regions globally.
- Shipping Options: Define custom shipping regions, rates, and methods to offer efficient delivery options.
- Tax Management: Customize tax rates at country, state, and location levels for global commerce.
- Coupons and Discounts: Create coupons and individual sale offers to attract customers and boost revenue.
- Analytics: Access data-driven insights to track customer trends, top-selling items, and sales metrics.
- SP Page Builder Integration: Design your shop visually with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface of SP Page Builder.
- Multi-language Support: Supports over 50 languages, allowing for the creation of multilingual eCommerce websites.
- Guest Checkout: Simplify the checkout process with guest checkout functionality.
EasyStore can be used for small websites and businesses as a ready-to-use solution for launching an online store by a non-coding webmaster or business owner.
