Freedom251 › Ecommerce platforms
EC-CUBE
by EC-CUBE
What EC-CUBE is
EC-CUBE is a free, open-source commerce platform for building and operating online shops. It is self-hosted and can be installed on your own server or a rental server. Store owners can edit page code and layouts, create pages, and add extensions from the Owners Store, which lists more than 350 extensions. Shopping tools include a cart, delivery-time and payment-method selection, points, customer accounts, favorites, and guest checkout. Management covers products, inventory, orders, and customer records, with CSV export and delivery-note PDFs. The latest download includes EC-CUBE Payment Plus and Amazon Pay plugins. The GPL edition permits free download, use, and source modification; a commercial license is required for distributions that do not comply with GPL. The cart has no initial or monthly fee, but payment, server, domain, and SSL services are separate. Security checks include specialist assessments twice yearly, OWASP ZAP before release, and weekly VAddy checks. A community forum has more than 8,000 cumulative users.
Who it suits
It suits businesses ranging from small shops to large, high-traffic commerce projects that can manage self-hosting. It is also relevant to teams needing editable code, extensions, and either GPL or commercial licensing.
What it does well
- Free GPL download and use
- Self-hosted on your server or rental server
- More than 350 listed extensions
- Built-in cart, accounts, checkout, and catalog tools
- Source-code modification permitted under GPL
What to know first
- Server, domain, SSL, and payment services are separate
- Commercial license needed for some GPL-incompatible distributions
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure management
- Core questions are not answered by the maker
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GPL license | Free download and use · Source-code modification permitted | On request |
| Commercial license — 1 site | 1 site | On request |
| Commercial license — 3 licenses | 3 licenses | On request |
| Commercial license — 4–9 licenses | 4–9 licenses | On request |
| Commercial license — 10+ licenses | 10+ licenses | On request |
| EC-CUBE (GPL license) | 無料 · Self-hosted installation; server, domain, SSL and payment services must be contracted separately | Free |
| EC-CUBE (commercial license) | 有償 · Required for distribution when not complying with the GPL license | On request |
As ec-cube.net lists them, read 21 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
EC-CUBE provides broad shop, catalog, and administration features while leaving hosting to the user. Its free GPL route is flexible, but operating the store requires separate services and may require a commercial license for some distributions.
Facts from EC-CUBE's own pages
- App marketplace
- Yes · ec-cube.net, 21 Sept 2026
- Catalog and operations
- Management features include product and inventory management, order and customer records, CSV export, and delivery note PDFs. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Company certification
- The maker says its company has ISMS certification, identified as IS 749589 / ISO 27001. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Costs
- The cart itself has no initial or monthly fee, while payment, server, domain, and SSL services must be contracted separately by the user. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Store owners can edit page code and layouts, create free pages, and add extensions from the Owners Store. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Digital products
- Yes · ec-cube.net, 21 Sept 2026
- Extensions
- The feature page says the Owners Store offers more than 350 extensions. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2018 · ec-cube.net, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · ec-cube.net, 21 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Osaka, Japan · ec-cube.net, 28 Sept 2026
- Hosting
- The download edition can be installed on the user's own server or a rental server. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Hosting model
- self-hosted · ec-cube.net, 21 Sept 2026
- Intended users
- The maker positions EC-CUBE for businesses from small starts to large-scale, high-traffic commerce projects. · ec-cube.co.jp, 12 Oct 2026
- Licensing
- EC-CUBE offers a dual license: free GPL or a paid commercial license, which is needed for certain distributions that do not comply with GPL. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Payment integrations
- The latest download page says EC-CUBE Payment Plus and Amazon Pay plugins are pre-installed. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- EC-CUBE is an open-source commerce platform for building and operating online shops. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Security
- The maker publishes discovered vulnerability information and says it coordinates with IPA and JPCERT/CC. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Security testing
- The security page lists twice-yearly specialist assessments, pre-release OWASP ZAP checks, and weekly VAddy automated checks. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Shopping and accounts
- Built-in shopping features include a cart, delivery time selection, payment method selection, points, customer accounts, favorites, and guest checkout. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- Technical help is available through a community forum with more than 8,000 cumulative users; the maker says it does not answer questions about the open-source core itself. · ec-cube.net, 12 Oct 2026
Where EC-CUBE stands on Freedom251
- Ecommerce platforms#60 of 280