CRE Loaded strives to create the most usable and stable open source shopping cart system available to the small or medium business and entrepreneurs alike. CRE Loaded,  or simply Loaded is it is more frequently called, is a version of osCommerce 2.2 MS2 which has been preloaded with a number of very useful extras to help e-commerce merchants get their stores up and working faster, and keep them working more efficiently without the added hassle of having to add additional modules to the store right away.  A CRE Loaded site allows a store owner to grow with the platform without needing to pay developers to add many of the commonly requests contibutions.  The user just clicks the "install" button and the pre-loaded features are applied to the store.

CRE Loaded has been an excellent addition to the osCommerce and Open Source communities, and it is the prefered cart of the Inventory Source team.

Click here to view the CRE Loaded site.

What is Zen Cart? 

According to their site, "Zen Cart™ truly is the art of e-commerce; a free, user-friendly, open source shopping cart system." The software is being developed by group of like-minded shop owners, programmers, designers, and consultants that think e-commerce could be and should be done differently. Some "solutions" seem to be complicated programming exercises instead of responding to users' needs, Zen Cart™ puts the merchants and shoppers requirements first. Similarly, other programs are nearly impossible to install and use without an IT degree, Zen Cart™ can be installed and set-up by anyone with the most basic web site building and computer skills.

If you are familiar with osCommerce or CRE Loaded then you understand the basic workings of Zen Cart.  The osCommerce CRE Loaded 6.2 is more in line with Zen Cart then previous CRE Loaded versions, but they are still two distinct shopping carts.