Ordering.co vs CS-Cart
CS-Cart Multi-Vendor licenses a self-hosted e-commerce marketplace codebase you install on your own server. Ordering.co gives your restaurant or local marketplace a managed, auto-scaling platform built natively for menus, delivery zones, pickup, and dispatch, with frontend source code on eligible plans.
| Capability | Ordering.co | CS-Cart |
|---|---|---|
| Self-ordering kiosk | Included | Not listed |
| Kitchen and pickup displays | Included | Not listed |
| MCP for AI tools | Included | Not listed |
| Managed, auto-scaling infrastructure | Included | Add-on |
Add-on: only through third-party apps or paid extensions.
Ordering.co at a glance
- years building ordering technology
- 12+
- of orders a month, on auto-scaling infrastructure
- Millions
- products across ordering channels, operations, and delivery
- 20+
- features, from catalog to dispatch
- 1,500+
Enterprise brands running on Ordering.co technology
Why local commerce marketplaces choose Ordering.co over CS-Cart
The same reasons come up in every evaluation.
Enterprise-proven
Technology proven with enterprise restaurant brands
Ordering.co runs ordering for enterprise groups such as Alsea, which operates Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, and seven more brands on one platform across more than 4,000 locations. Your marketplace starts on infrastructure already carrying that load.
Millions of orders a month
Managed infrastructure that scales without a server to run
Ordering.co runs on auto-scaling infrastructure that can process millions of orders a month. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor is software you install on your own hosting server; capacity, patching, and uptime are on your team.
20+ products, 1,500+ features
Built for restaurants and local commerce, not adapted to it
CS-Cart Multi-Vendor is a general e-commerce marketplace platform: its food page relies on shipping carriers and add-ons for local delivery. Ordering.co puts menus with modifiers, per-zone delivery fees, pickup, ASAP and scheduled orders, and driver dispatch in the same catalog and order flow, across more than 20 products and 1,500 features.
API, MCP, source code
An open platform you don't have to host yourself
Connect any system through the Ordering.co API and webhooks, plug AI tools in through MCP, and, on eligible plans, build on the frontend source code of the storefront and apps, all on managed, auto-scaling infrastructure. CS-Cart's source code runs on the server you provide and maintain.
12+ years
Twelve years of ordering technology behind you
Ordering.co has been building ordering technology for more than 12 years, and the platform reflects the operating lessons of every restaurant, marketplace, and delivery business on it.
Side by side
Every row is something your marketplace can run on Ordering.co.
| Capability | Ordering.co | CS-Cart |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering channels for restaurants and local commerce | ||
| Menus with modifiers and per-zone delivery fees | Menus with modifiers and options, per-zone delivery fees, pickup, and ASAP or scheduled orders built into every store. | Add-onGeneric product options and shipping rates per location; distance-based fees and delivery time slots through add-ons. |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Ordering Kiosk: customers order and pay from tablets or large screens in the store. | Not listed |
| Call center console | Agents find customers by phone number, take orders, and reorder from one screen. | Admins can create orders for customers and log call-back requests; a dedicated call center console is not listed. |
| AI ordering by WhatsApp and voice | AI Ordering Agents take orders through voice, WhatsApp, chat, and web conversations on your catalog. | Add-onA web chat bot add-on that answers shoppers and fills carts; WhatsApp and phone ordering agents are not listed. |
| Marketplace website and customer apps | Ordering Web and branded iOS and Android apps on your domain and developer accounts. | A customer mobile app from the Plus tier up, published by default under CS-Cart's own developer accounts unless you have the app source code. |
| Order with Google | Customers start an order from your Google Business Profile. | Not listed |
| Store, delivery, and driver operations | ||
| Merchant app and dashboard | Ordering Merchant on web, iOS, and Android, plus a dashboard for stores, menus, users, orders, and reports. | Vendor panel inside the admin dashboard, with a separate vendor mobile app add-on. |
| Drivers and delivery partners | Driver App and Ordering Delivery, plus connected partners such as Uber Direct, DoorDash Drive, and Lalamove with per-store selection and fallback rules. | Add-onA delivery boy app and courier-management integrations, sold as add-ons; on-demand partners such as Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive are not listed. |
| Kitchen and pickup displays | Send orders to a kitchen display and show customers which orders are ready for pickup. | Not listed |
| POS integration | POS connections through Ordering.co integrations, plus a POS phone ordering extension. | Add-onA Point of Sale add-on and a customer-facing checkout screen, sold separately in the CS-Cart add-on marketplace. |
| Loyalty levels | Tiered loyalty programs that reward repeat customers, alongside points, wallets, and gift cards. | Add-onReward points and gift certificates built in; tiered loyalty through add-ons. |
| Build and extend | ||
| API and webhooks | The Ordering.co API and webhooks, included on every plan. | Storefront, admin, and vendor REST APIs (full admin API from Ultimate), plus 1,600+ add-ons and integrations. |
| MCP for AI tools | Connect compatible AI tools to your Ordering.co account through MCP. | Not listed |
| Managed, auto-scaling infrastructure | The managed service runs on cloud infrastructure that can process millions of orders a month, with frontend source code on eligible plans, so your team is not the one scaling servers. Enterprise organizations can also install it in their own AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or Railway account. | Add-onSelf-hosted source code you install on your own web server; CS-Cart's managed hosting is a separate, preconfigured monthly plan. |
| Custom features | Build them yourself on the API and source code, or with a dedicated Ordering.co team. | Edit the self-hosted source code yourself, use the minor modifications included in higher support tiers, or order paid custom development from CS-Cart. |
“Not listed” means the capability does not appear in CS-Cart's product lineup. Confirm scope and terms with each provider.
Where CS-Cart stops
What operators run into as a CS-Cart Multi-Vendor marketplace grows.
You host and scale it yourself
CS-Cart's FAQ states the software "is installed only on your web site (hosting server)." Capacity, uptime, security patching, and server maintenance sit with your team unless you buy CS-Cart's managed hosting, a separate monthly plan.
Restaurant and local-delivery features are add-ons, not the platform
CS-Cart's food and grocery page offers built-in shipping carriers, customer pickup, and creating your own delivery service. Distance-based fees, delivery time slots, and a driver app come from separate add-ons, several from third-party developers.
Features are gated by license tier
The entry Standard plan ($725/year) has no mobile app and only root-admin API access; the app starts on Plus ($1,449/year), and multiple storefronts, pickup points, warehouses, and app source code start on Ultimate ($3,599/year).
Custom work is capped or paid separately
Lifetime licenses include one year of updates (five on Unlim); after that, updates need a paid annual subscription. Higher support tiers include 4 or 7 minor code modifications a month; larger custom work is a separate paid service.
Proven with enterprise brands.
The platform you would run on already runs ordering for Alsea, a multi-brand restaurant group with more than 4,000 locations.
Alsea runs WOW+ and ten restaurant brands on one ordering platform.Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, Vips, and six more brands share one app, one website, call centers, and a delivery operation that assigns drivers automatically.10 brands on WOW+4,262 locationsMexico and ColombiaRead the Alsea storyHow to move from CS-Cart to Ordering.co
A CS-Cart move is a multi-vendor import, not a single menu paste. Build and test the new marketplace while CS-Cart stays live, then switch the domain and apps once the checks pass.
What moves
Vendors and catalogs
Vendor records, products, categories, options, prices, and images from your CS-Cart export, checked with one vendor before the full import.
Customers and order history
Customer records, saved addresses, and order history that your CS-Cart export contains and that your data rights allow.
Delivery zones and drivers
Delivery zones, fees, and driver rosters set up in Ordering.co, since CS-Cart's own material does not list zone-based delivery or driver dispatch to migrate from.
Domain and apps
Your marketplace domain points to the new storefront. With the same developer accounts and app listing, the new build can ship as an update under the existing icon.
Payments and integrations
Payment gateway, POS, and delivery connections, reconfigured against your existing provider accounts where the provider supports it.
How the move runs
Export your CS-Cart data
Export vendors, products, customers, and orders from the CS-Cart admin panel, and keep that file as your own backup. Record settings the export may not include, such as commissions, coupons, and modification history.
Map vendors to your new catalog
Match the vendors, categories, and storefronts you run today to Ordering.co's marketplace structure. Add kiosk, call center, or AI ordering agents only if the marketplace needs them.
Import and configure
Import vendors and catalogs, style the storefront, and set up delivery zones, payments, and POS. Test one vendor before you run the full batch.
Test with a few vendors
Run real orders end to end with one to three vendors you trust: dispatch, driver app, notifications, and payment settlement. Train your team and vendors on the new tools before customers see them.
Cut over and tell people
In a low-volume window, point your domain to the new storefront and release the app update. Tell customers, vendors, and drivers what changes, then cancel your CS-Cart hosting and license once the new marketplace is running.
Duration depends on vendor count, catalog quality, payments, delivery setup, and app-store access, so the scope, responsibilities, and timing are set in your project plan. Apple and Google decide app review and approval.
Questions from CS-Cart customers
Why choose Ordering.co over CS-Cart Multi-Vendor?
Ordering.co is built for restaurants and local commerce from the start: menus with modifiers, delivery zones, pickup, scheduling, and driver dispatch on one catalog and order flow. It runs on managed, auto-scaling infrastructure proven with enterprise brands, so your team is not the one hosting or patching a server.
Do I need to manage my own server with Ordering.co?
No. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor is software you install on your own hosting server, or a separate cloud hosting add-on you buy. Ordering.co runs on managed, auto-scaling infrastructure that can process millions of orders a month, included in the platform.
How does pricing compare?
CS-Cart Multi-Vendor licenses run from $725 a year (Standard) to $3,599 a year (Ultimate), or a lifetime purchase plus an annual update subscription (lifetime licenses run $3,590–$19,990), before hosting and any add-ons. Ordering.co's Marketplace Platform is priced on account capacity and an annual term, from $500 per month billed annually ($6,000 a year). Ask for a quote at your order volume.
What do I get instead of CS-Cart's self-hosted source code?
Frontend source code for the storefront and apps on eligible plans, plus API, webhooks, and MCP access, on infrastructure Ordering.co manages and scales, so you customize without hosting or patching a backend.
Will my customers need to download a new app?
Not if you keep the same developer accounts and app listing. The Ordering.co build can then ship as an app-store update under the existing icon. That path needs your Apple and Google access, a reviewed build, and store approval, which Ordering.co does not control.
Can I keep my marketplace domain?
Yes. Ordering Web runs on your own domain with an SSL certificate. At cutover you point the domain you already control to the new storefront.
What happens to my CS-Cart data?
CS-Cart's admin panel exports vendors, products, customers, and orders. Keep that export as your backup. Ordering.co can import the records those files contain and that your rights allow; the fit for each field is confirmed during the project, not assumed.
Can I run CS-Cart and Ordering.co at the same time during the move?
Yes. Build and test the new marketplace while CS-Cart keeps taking orders, then cancel your CS-Cart hosting and license only after your cutover is confirmed.
CS-Cart and every other product name on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. Ordering.co is not affiliated with CS-Cart.
Move your marketplace to a platform built for local commerce.
Bring the vendors and catalog you run today on CS-Cart. We'll show you the Ordering.co setup and the move in a live demo.