Znode: A Comprehensive eCommerce Platform Analysis with a List of Alternatives

What is Znode? Znode is a headless ecommerce solution developed by Znode LLC based in the USA. It allows small and middle ecommerce businesses to easily build websites in different niches using a single database. The platform itself is built to handle a heavy workload, making it a good solution for enterprise-level businesses. Znode is suitable for businesses of various sizes, though it is mainly tailored to mid-size businesses. It caters to retail, B2B, manufacturing, wholesale, and more. 

The solution is a SaaS platform that can be deployed either on-premises or in the cloud. 

The downside of this platform is that it requires a lot of coding knowledge. Without it, you may not have access to the majority of its features. So, if you are not very tech-savvy, it might not be the best B2B ecommerce platform, still offering you essential functionality but without lots of complicated technology. 

If this is the case for you, here is a deeper description of Znode, some alternative solutions and Znode competitors. 

1. FEATURES OF ZNODE
2. ZNODE PRICING
3. CUSTOMER REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES
4. ZNODE COMPETITORS AND ALTERNATIVES
5. COMPARING ZNODE VS. VIRTO COMMERCE
6. CONCLUSION

As a headless solution, the platform offers many useful features and capabilities. Here are  some of Znode features:

1. Multistore capabilities to manage multiple online stores from a single platform. 
2. Catalog management tools enable businesses to easily create, organize, and update their product catalogs. Though these capabilities are quite limited, Znode can satisfy the needs of small and medium businesses. 
3. Content management features for creating and managing product listings, content pages, blogs, and promotional banners. 
4. Search and navigation capabilities for customers to find products they are looking for easily. 
5. Comprehensive order management tools, allowing businesses to efficiently process, track, and manage customer orders. 
6. Various payment gateways, making it convenient for customers to complete transactions. 

How much does Znode cost? Znode doesn't share the pricing structure or initial prices. The solution is totally custom-priced. Mostly, Znode pricing includes standard SaaS subscriptions but might offer account-based payments for B2B platform services. It has no free or trial versions but offers demos with company representatives. 

According to some open case studies, the solution can support 300K+ SKUs simultaneously. Though it is not modular, it is flexible enough to earn some good reviews from the SMBs. That's what users say: 

1. "It has provided inventory visibility, helps in streamlined pickup and drop facility."  
2. "Znode ecommerce framework doesn't have any customized code limitations. This framework is given full access to customization in source code."  
3. "Drew Shoe Corp needed a major upgrade to our ecommerce platforms, and Znode helped us update all our platforms across five brands." 

However, there are some complaints about the solution too: 

1. "More detailed reporting is required for better clarity of the business and making informed decisions. The real-time update is also required." 
2. “Znode upgrade version process is very complex.” 
3. “There are some basic reports which are fine, but we would like some more details for staff to see.” 

Many users look happy with the service and basic features, but the main concern is complex upgrade processes, lagging UI, and poor reporting capabilities. 

Here's a brief overview of notable Znode ecommerce competitors and alternatives in the ecommerce platform market 

This Znode alternative is great for creating full-featured web stores that suit your business needs. The platform is good for both small businesses and enterprise-level companies. It comes with a dashboard with checklists for you to complete before launching your web store. This includes a logo, a theme, various templates to choose from, product listings, design features, pricing, shipping options, and other settings. The pricing is excellent for this type of ecommerce platform. You can post up to 5 product listings for free, and from there, offered plans start from $ 9.99 per month and allow you to post up to 300 product listings and items. 

If you already have a website, you can use this alternative to Znode to embed a web store into it. There is no need to build a full-fledged online store; just create product pages. This is the simplest way of creating an ecommerce store. There is no need for switching; you can easily change and vary the design of your pages. This is the best platform for small stores that do not have many products. Basic plans start at $ 9 monthly and allow you to post up to 10 products. 

This is also an outstanding platform among Znode alternatives that allows you to embed a web store into an existing website. This platform offers maximum freedom and can almost be considered a full-fledged ecommerce store. Adding product listings, managing products, and setting prices have never been easier. The templates are robust, and the platform creates the design for you. Publish your store on social networks and add it to your personal blog or website. The store will be clearly organized into categories with a search tool, making exploring the store's options easy. With Ecwid, you can receive an entire ecommerce store embedded right in your personal website.   

PrestaShop is a hosted shopping cart solution that allows you to launch an ecommerce store hosted by the platform itself. The best thing about it is its openness. The app is free and enables you to use various tools in the cloud and local servers. You can easily add popovers for customers to see your product options and browse through all of them in no time. It also comes with filtered search and email marketing options that provide detailed statistics about your website's visitors and consumers. The platform allows you to manage multiple storefronts with a single account. And if you are not satisfied with the available design templates (which, frankly, are quite limited), consider purchasing more from the store.   

This Znode alternative is one of the most secure solutions, thanks to its top-notch security protocols. It provides much-needed reliability and has all the data about your website's current state. With Opencart, you can explore more marketing opportunities and optimize your web store's content. The community is very active and supports you in setting up your web store. The solution is very flexible in its usage, giving you as much freedom as you need while having the most complicated processes already set up. Overall, it's an affordable, all-in-one solution for all of your ecommerce needs, with the possibility of web-hosting adaptation. 

Though Virto Commerce is an enterprise-level ecommerce solution, let's also put it in this list for comparison. Being based on ASP.NET with the usage of IoC, EF, AngularJS, Liquid, MVC, and many other cutting-edge technologies, Virto Commerce is great at delivering the best ecommerce solutions for every need. Whether it is SEO optimization, B2B marketplace solution, marketing, or traffic management, Virto Commerce provides you with clear instructions and services, maximizing your efforts.   

Both Znode ecommerce platform and Virto Commerce are modern headless solutions. Besides targeting different audiences — Znode targets SMBs, and Virto Commerce's audience is enterprises — there are some significant differences between the two. Let's dive deeper: 

Znode seems to be an excellent solution for smaller businesses like mid-level companies. Though it offers some extensibility, headless, and open-code capabilities, it still lacks readiness for innovations.

Among all the Znode alternatives, Virto Commerce seems to be the perfect option for those who are now working as middle-sized companies and plan to develop and grow or businesses in the process of growth to the enterprise level, as the solution is fully enterprise-ready and can provide all the needed capabilities to biggest enterprises.

With Virto Commerce, you can start from basic ecommerce features and capabilities and seamlessly grow into a huge, powerful enterprise without needing to replatform. With the modular approach, API-first architecture, and cloud-native capabilities, this is the best alternative to Znode for those who don't want to wait and aim to start their growing journey now.

If you are unsure what to choose or have questions regarding unlimited Virto capabilities, please contact our teams or request a free demo.