Overview

The downloadable platform combines a storefront, admin dashboard, vendor portal and API server, linking product, customer, pricing, inventory, cart, checkout, order, payment and administration functions. That breadth gives builders a cohesive base for a custom commerce operation rather than a single-purpose shop.

Litekart was founded in 2014; its maker is based in Rourkela, Odisha, India. Self-hosting puts infrastructure and end-to-end security policy in the customer’s hands, and the customer owns deployment data, with products, customers and orders exportable through APIs and CSV. That control will appeal to organizations with specific operational requirements, but it also means they must take responsibility for running the platform.

Key features

Marketplace and vendor operations

The foundation covers seller onboarding, vendor catalogues, commissions, vendor orders and shared administration. Commission rules and automated payouts are included, making it relevant to multi-seller operations. Mixed product types, multi-currency and shipping workflows broaden its fit, though the customer-facing marketplace still depends on the implementation a team builds.

B2B rules

Company accounts, buyer roles, tiered and account-specific pricing, minimum order rules, approval workflows, credit limits and quote-to-order conversion address the complications of business purchasing. This is a more suitable starting point for structured B2B selling than a basic storefront, especially where access and price vary by buyer account.

APIs, integrations and security

The API-first design uses documented APIs, events and webhooks across the storefront, dashboard and vendor portal. Integrations include Razorpay, Stripe and PayPal, with an abstraction layer for adding gateways; shipping and logistics providers, email and SMS, Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel and analytics are also covered. APIs and webhooks support ERP, CRM and OMS connections, giving integration-minded teams useful extension points.

Integrated payment gateways are PCI-DSS compliant, while passwords use strong one-way hashing. Self-hosting lets customers set their own security and compliance policies, but that flexibility makes secure deployment their responsibility. SEO features include server-side rendering, automated sitemaps, structured data and clean URLs.

Mobile and implementation services

Android and iOS apps can be built and branded as a paid service, then published from the customer’s developer accounts. The engineering team also offers setup guidance, architecture reviews, deployment help, custom development, integrations, migration and ongoing technical support. These options can help teams that need assistance, but mobile work and implementation services are separate from the free downloadable core.

Pricing

Download and Build

The Download and Build plan costs 0.00 USD per free. It includes self-hosting on the customer’s infrastructure, full source code, all features and community resources. This is the clearest fit for teams able to handle deployment and ongoing operation themselves; the trade-off is that community resources, rather than included engineering support, are the stated support provision.

Paid services

White Label includes complete white labeling, software updates and standard support, with custom pricing. Engineering Support offers architecture reviews, deployment assistance, priority support, custom modules and integrations, also with custom pricing. Complete Platform Delivery covers design and build, deployment, ongoing maintenance and optional managed infrastructure, with custom pricing. There is no free trial. These services create routes beyond self-service, but their cost must be established directly with the maker.

Platforms

Litekart is offered for web, Android, iOS, API and self-hosted use. The downloadable platform is self-hosted; mobile apps are a paid build-and-customization service rather than part of the free core.

Who it's for

Litekart fits developers and businesses that need control over deployment and data, and have the capacity to configure and operate a commerce platform. Its vendor tools and B2B rules suit marketplace operators and organizations with account-specific buying processes. It is a weaker fit for anyone seeking a ready-made hosted store or a published, fixed-cost mobile app package.

Pros and cons

Pros

Broad free foundation: the self-hosted plan includes full source code and all features, spanning storefront, administration, vendors and APIs.
Marketplace and B2B depth: seller operations, automated payouts and detailed buyer-account rules support more complex commerce models than a simple catalogue.
Data control and extensibility: API and CSV exports, documented APIs, events and webhooks support customer ownership and system integrations.

Cons

Self-hosting carries operational responsibility: customers manage infrastructure and apply their own security and compliance policies.
Service costs require a quote: White Label, Engineering Support and Complete Platform Delivery have custom pricing.

Alternatives

MarketplaceKit is worth considering for a freemium marketplace option: its Community Edition is 0.00 USD per free and self-hosted, though it is lighter than the hosted version and has no customer support; its Hobby plan is 15.00 USD per month.
Dokan Multivendor Marketplace suits readers seeking a WordPress-oriented multivendor option: its free Lite plan includes unlimited vendors, while Starter (annual) costs 149.00 USD per year for one site license.
Marketbridge by Hykmah may fit teams wanting a managed API and web offering with a small free tier: its Free plan covers 1 product, 100 records, 100 transactions/month and 1 GB storage, with docs support and no onboarding; Professional costs 50.00 AUD per month.
Mercur is another free, self-hosted marketplace core, but its team handles implementation, deployment and maintenance.
Websta is a freemium web and mobile option for profile pages, with a free plan that includes an AI-built profile page and unlimited editing and AI edits.
Yclas Neo is another freemium web option.
Arcadier is a paid web option.
Digivance Marketplace Platform is a paid Android, iOS, web and API platform; its Starter plan costs 2999.00 USD per month and supports up to 100 active vendors.

For broader comparisons, browse Online Marketplace Software and Ecommerce platforms.

Verdict

Choose Litekart if you need a customizable commerce foundation for a marketplace or B2B operation and can take responsibility for self-hosting. Its strongest case is the combination of connected components, seller workflows and substantial buyer-account rules at no software cost. Look elsewhere if you need a managed, ready-to-run service or want mobile apps and engineering work included in the base price.

	ExpandCart	Litekart
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	$19/mo	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	Android, api, iOS, self-hosted, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Hosting model	hosted	—
Sales channels	omnichannel	—
Transaction fee	none	—
Abandoned cart recovery	Yes	—
App marketplace	Yes	—

ExpandCart vs Litekart

ExpandCart

Litekart