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Exploring the 13 eCommerce Platforms of Symfony

By Reuben Walker , 26 February, 2022
Illustration of people interacting with eCommerce icons

Researching eCommerce Platforms built with Symfony?

If you are, this article will explore all the ones available and provide their relevant details.

Some people say eCommerce is the future. In reality, it is the dominant form of commerce now. And it's a lucrative field of work for PHP developers.

In fact, Statista reports "the number of digital buyers keeps climbing every year. In 2020, over two billion people purchased goods or services online, and during the same year, e-retail sales surpassed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide."

eCommerce and Symfony

So, let's start exploring the Symfony eCommerce platforms.

Technically, the platforms covered in this article aren't of Symfony but built with its components to various extents.

Some of them have the capability to incorporate Symfony Bundles. Most are customizable. Some are headless. Most are coupled.

If you aren't familiar with Symfony, it's a set of 50 stand-alone, reusable PHP components available for any application. And it's also a PHP framework for web projects that third parties can build bundles for in order to extend and customize functionality.

Our exploration is for those developers or site owners evaluating eCommerce solutions. However, it will be particularly handy for those searching for one tightly tied to the Symfony framework. I recommend bookmarking this article as a reference while you hunt for the perfect platform for your project.

I have not worked with an eCommerce project at Mobile Atom Code so my personal insights will be limited. This article is more of an "easier to digest" version of the information on the Symfony site. It's not likely to win a Pulitzer being more documentation than documentary. But I hope it will prove useful to you.

If you have opinions be sure to contact us to provide input for possible updates to this article. Also, if you know of good items to curate on social media, please share them with us.

What is covered

Each platform overview will provide:

  • A description from Symfony of the eCommerce solution
  • A list of Symfony Components it uses
  • A few points from the platform about its advantages
  • A link to its site for more information

If you want information on a specific eCommerce solution, click the link below to go to its section. Please take advantage of our back-to-the-top arrow as needed for comparing two platforms at opposite ends of the list. I provided links to the components in case you want more information about particular ones.

The list of solutions built with Symfony Components is extensive and includes:

Again, I will provide a quick summary of each solution as described by Symfony and their benefits as touted by the platforms themselves. This info will be in quotation marks.

I made some adjustments to the sales pitches for grammar and readability.                                            
 

Magento

Magento is a large eCommerce platform with open-source and Adobe implementations. But, it doesn't use as many Symfony components as some of its competitors.

"Magento offers flexible, scalable eCommerce solutions designed to help you grow and succeed online. Our cost-effective technology platform makes it possible for you to control the content, functionality, and look and feel of your online store."

Symfony components used in it include:

Adobe says, "We build experiences, not just storefronts.

Adobe Commerce has powerful tools to let you confidently launch, manage, and scale your business, including the ability to host multiple instances on one platform, and cloud deployment, while native integrations with Adobe products like Analytics, Target, Experience Manager, and Creative Cloud help take personalization to the next level."                       
 

The official site of Adobe Commerce Magento

The site for Adobe Open-Source Magento                       
 

PrestaShop

PrestaShop is a well-known "Symfony eCommerce platform."  And it legitimately earns the accolade as it uses many Symfony components.                      

"PrestaShop is an Open-Source eCommerce solution used by more than 250,000 online stores. PrestaShop is simple, efficient and intuitive, enabling users to thrive in a competitive market regardless of size, industry or revenue."                      

See the Symfony Components PrestaShop uses:

PrestaShop says, "PrestaShop is an efficient and innovative e-commerce solution with all the features you need to create an online store and grow your business."

You can run your shop in multiple languages. In addition, it has a clean backend interface that reminds me of wordpress.org sites.

The official site of PrestaShop

Sylius

"Sylius is an Open Source eCommerce Framework based on Symfony full-stack. The technology is constructed from fully decoupled components (bundles in Symfony terminology), which means that every feature (products catalog, shipping engine, promotions system...) can be used in any other application. It integrates easily with existing systems and guarantees fast time to market. Built with testing in mind and a high level of code quality, Sylius is exceptionally flexible and easy to use. Its wide and friendly community is always ready to help with any issue. Finally, it is fully documented."

See the Symfony Components Sylius uses:

Sylius is the solution I have been most impressed with. It works with Platform API and claims to be the number 1 Symfony eCommerce solution.

Sylius says, "Sylius is an Open Source Headless eCommerce Platform for mid-market and enterprise brands that need custom solutions. With a modern approach to the professional development of projects, it allows the evolution of your digital stack at the pace that beats your competitors and delivers the experience your customers deserve."                                         
 

The official site of Sylius                                            
 

Shopware

"Shopware is a complete eCommerce solution, combining a full range of functionality with a masterfully crafted simplistic design suitable for novice and expert alike."

See the Symfony Components Shopware uses:

Shopware says: "Build the Exceptional with the leading Open Commerce Platform. Shopware offers you cutting-edge, highly adaptable eCommerce solutions trusted by the world's most acclaimed brands. Create outstanding customer experiences, innovate fast, and accelerate your growth in the ever-evolving space of digital commerce. You decide how far you want to go, and we'll be by your side."                                       

The official site of Shopware                                    
 

Sonata

Sonata is also a full Symfony eCommerce platform. Plus, it has the bonus of working with their non-commerce bundles.  But, it also seems to be based on an old version of Symfony.          

"Sonata e-commerce is a group of Symfony bundles & PHP components allowing you to add e-commerce capabilities to your Symfony applications. It's also fully compatible with several other Sonata bundles, such as AdminBundle and NotificationBundle."          

See the Symfony Components Sonata uses:

They don't have a site just documentation that says, "Sonata is an open-source e-commerce solution based on top of Symfony2." :(                                        
 

The official Sonata Documentation

EC-CUBE

This platform is also heavily Symfony-based.

"EC-CUBE is an open-source package used to build eCommerce sites. It is the most popular shopping cart system in Japan. Since the release of the version in 2006, users can build e-commerce sites for free. Due to its drag and drop functionality, users with no programming experience can create original online shops with ease."

See the Symfony Components EC-CUBE uses:

It says in translated Japanese, "Using "EC-CUBE", which is open source, hundreds of e-commerce industry experts are conducting business, such as major e-commerce service operators in Japan and production companies that specialize in building E-Commerce. By continuing to evolve with this partner, we can meet the complex needs and latest challenges in e-commerce. It is leading the activation of ec itself.

The official site of EC-CUBE

Aimeos

I've seen a bit of coverage for Aimeos but I'm not very familiar with it. The platform uses a minimum of Symfony components. It ties in with TYPO3.

"Aimeos enables you to do #gigacommerce! From one to 1 billion articles and from simple to complex products in your online shop, Aimeos is the first choice if you have non-standard requirements. With Aimeos, you get a professional, full-featured, well-tested and highly customizable e-commerce bundle for Symfony split into several independent components like HTML frontend, JSON REST API, and administration interface. For a quick start, a working demo shop including most of the features is set up during installation."                                

They include these Symfony Components:

Aimeos claims to be "The Symfony eCommerce framework: Ultra fast, Open-Source, and scalable to gigacommerce" Whatever that is.                                           
 

The official site for Aimeos                                  
 

Theila

"Thelia is a tool for creating e-commerce websites and for online content management, published under General Public License. Thelia differs from competitor applications due to the ease with which it can be used and customized."  It also uses many Symfony components.                               

See the Symfony Components Theilia uses:

They say, "Thelia is a powerful and efficient solution to create tailor-made online shops. Since 2005, Thelia runs hundreds of online shops in France and around the world. Many e-merchants trust our platform for the success of their online business."                                            

The official site for Thelia

Spryker

"Spryker is the commerce operating system for customer focused companies. Spryker gives you the freedom to implement, test, and reinvent new customer interfaces in no time, ensuring you the best possible access to your market at all times."                                            

See the Symfony Components Spryker uses:

"Spryker is different, so you can differentiate. Looking to transform or grow your existing transactional business or start something new? Perfect! Want to stand out? Spryker’s modular, headless cloud platform-as-a-service for digital commerce has you covered, too."                                            

The official site for Spryker                                            
 

OroCommerce

"OroCommerce is an open-source Business-too-Business Commerce application built with flexibility in mind. OroCommerce can be customized and extended to fit any B2B commerce needs." It takes advantage of almost every Symfony component.                                            

See the Symfony Components OroCommerce uses:

OroCommerce says it's "built for wholesalers, distributors, brands, and manufacturers. Our B2B eCommerce solution expands your business into new markets with an online and mobile presence. Digitize your product catalogs, enable online ordering, and provide flexible payment options with a platform that supports both headless commerce and traditional eCommerce."     

The official site for OroCommerce.                                            
 

Shopsys Framework

"Shopsys Framework is a scalable PHP framework for fast-growing eCommerce sites created and maintained by in-house developers or outsourcing companies. Our product provides the tools and know-how to help save thousands of dev-hours in the short and long term growth of eMerchants and their websites."                       

See the Symfony Components Shopsys uses:

The Shopsys Framework sayz, "We care about your success in the omnichannel world. Shopsys specializes in providing eCommerce technology and know-how for large retail companies facing digital transformation. With an 80-member team of experienced developers and consultants, we can offer our clients integrative and comprehensive services to succeed."                           

The official site for Shopsys Framework                           
 

Uvdesk

Uvdesk has minimal Symfony integrations and isn't an eCommerce platform. It's a help-desk system that ties together eCommerce solutions, CMSs, CRMs, etc. But, Symfony lists it so I will include it here.                                          

"UVdesk offers a SaaS-based and Open-source help-desk solution to ease the overall support process for delivering the best customer service. It's ready for eCommerce, Marketplace, and Multichannel sites."                                            
 

Symfony components used by Uvdesk:

Uvdesk says "Enjoy the adaptability and extensibility of PHP-based Helpdesk System which is fit for any trade to deliver better customer support experience."                                            
 

The official site for Uvdesk        

Drupal Commerce

Centarro provide the leadership and backing for Drupal Commerce. And says: "Commerce Core provides the foundation. Add configuration and custom code on top, then build and deploy as you go.
Unlock the value of a single platform that combines content, product, and order management. Activate multi-everything... sites, languages, currencies, checkout flows, customer types, and more!"

See the Symfony Components Drupal Commerce uses:


Drupal Commerces says "Build using familiar Drupal best practices then connect to popular payment providers and commerce tools to launch."                                            
 

The official site for Drupal Commerce        

Summing it up

Congratulations. You have reached the end of this lengthy overview. Color me impressed.

As you have seen, there is a wide variety of eCommerce platforms built with Symfony components.

They range from full-featured plug-and-play ones to those easily customized on the front and backend to more template-like ones that let you build a solution your way.

I hope you found it helpful in searching for the perfect Symfony-based eCommerce solution. Or at least the best one for your project.

Bookmark this article if you are still undecided, and thanks for reading.

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