Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Hi Everyone,

I am here to inform you about pricing increase when v4.4 is released.

Since we are including all the X-Cart add-ons into X-Cart license new X-Cart GOLD license cost will be:
USD $149.00 for a license w/o tech support points ($115 now)
USD $265.00 for a license w/ tech support points ($229 now).

X-Cart PRO pricing is not changed, i.e. it will remain $431 for a PRO license w/o tech support and $575 for a license w/ tech support points.

The new pricing is taking effect after we release v4.4, before that moment existing pricing is in effect.

Pricing for bulk GOLD license orders is going to be increased as well (PM me for details or contact us at sales@qtmsoft.com)


PS:
v4.4 release is planned for August. I hope it will happen in the beginning of August but exact date depends on beta-testing results.

Re: Pricing increase once v4.4 comes out
 

Still a bargain

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

The only problem I see is that now users are forced to buy modules that they may never need and use depending on their business. X-Config may be good for computers builder business but is useless for say selling clothes. But now you are forced to buy it.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Do we have to pay the difference to use 4.4? Or our licenses we already have will still work?

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Your license for X-Cart v1 / v2 / v3 / v4 is valid for v4.4.
You don't have to pay extra.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Still pretty cheap. Thanks Ambal

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I have no problem with this increase - especially if it is PA-DSS compliant out of the box!

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Hi ambal,

I can't say it's not a fair price, I for one have held back 2 projects for this version with it's extras (am trying it on local machine and so far impressed)

It would be nice to have another option, with x-payments integrated as a module selectable in admin area. It would then be a more viable product for QT if made this way, say charge $249 for X-cart Gold with no support & $359 with tech support.

Then you could make the present x-payments, pre 4.4 less expensive, say $150 with $75 integration fee. You will still be getting $225 per module, example; I have 1 licence that I could use for my 2 stores/projects but if it was more reasonably priced and integrated I might buy a new store licence licence giving you an extra $24 without the hassle of integrating & all the complaints if it doesn't work properly even when it's not your fault and leave your team to carry out more development work (on version 7.0.0 perhaps)

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

QT, with the fact that everyone so far has responded by saying its still a bargain, don't you think your pricing is still too cheap?

I mean considering x-cart is arguable a market leader, looking at the competition x-cart is way way cheaper.
I accept pricing must play a part in x-cart's market position but I think you could push the price nearer the $400 mark.

And before anyone tells me to be quiet, the reason I'd be keen for QT to be making more $ is so that development could improve. Personally I think X-cart development is way too slow. X-cart 5.0 is late and I can see it, like 4.x falling behind current trends in cart technology unless development up's pace.

Another area I feel QT has wrong in their business model is the free updates for life policy. Perhaps updates such as 4.3 to 4.4 should be free but I'm sure if you tagged a minor $20-30 charge even on those most wouldn't grumble. But as for major updates from say 4.x to 5.0 you could easily ask for 50% upgrade charge.

One area I don't want to see pricing changed is in your support charges. I think you have that just right and its arguable the no.1 reason why I have not jumped ship.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I think that is where you are wrong. Upgrades may be free for the X-cart licenses but again and again we hear store owners discussing the amount of work it is to upgrade a customized site from one version to the next and we know how much of a pain it is to go from one version to the next. If the upgrades themselves were somehow seamless I am sure THEN you could charge for each upgrade.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

But that's true of anything. If you customise something beyond its factory defaults then you cannot expect the next official update to work out-of-the-box.

I could get many of the features I wish for by going customised but I know I'll be opening up a can of worms keeping the site stable and spending a small fortune on developer fees.

This actually opens up a whole other topic regarding x-carts customer base.
It seems to me that a huge part of that customer base are developers who manage carts on behalf of the customer.
I on the other hand am not a developer, I'm a business person and that is my focus. I handle the day to day running of my cart including, where I can, updates and some maintenance. Where I can't I use QT support.

What I have felt for far too long is those of us like me, who are hands on business people are generally ignored. Perhaps that's because I'm on Litecommerce and if/when I move to x-cart 5 I hope QT will give a bit more interest to the part of their customer base who actually use the product to run a business.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

It is already above that if you need X-Payments

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Upgrading even a stock cart can be a nightmare! ;)

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I have no problem with the increase (like I said the only problem I see is people being forced to pay for somethign they won't use) or QT charging some small amount for major upgrades like 10% of the price of new license. I think strip-out-cart-with-separate-modules pricing model was good. Anyway it is done already - the modules are included in stock cart.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I totally agree with Swish.
If moving up the price could actually speed up the development of x-cart we would be happy to pay some more for a license.
There are other shoppingsystems out there with much quicker development. I still think X-Cart is a great product compaired to other systems but QT should be alert not to be overtaken by others.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I agree with steve. Different people have different need. Selling a big cloud makes it more difficult to use it. Modular software system approaches are more scalable than homogeneous systems. I have yet to see a case in hardware or software where modularity is in-efficient. Open software systems should be more scalable since they are group/community effort. Modularity also provides opportunity for innovation. Modular systems are also easy to debug and manage. Can X-cart refute my argument ?. X-cart should reconsider their approach now and in V5.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

i dont agree with that "400 mark", that would make this platform something i couldnt use anymore. i think the price thats being charged now and even the 150 is good.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

and this stuff about being forced to buy stuff that you wont use, etc...its only $35 for all the modules. thats a pretty good deal. it's not like you're getting charge double for stuff you dont use.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I agree...

This post made by xplorer was 1-23-09. http://forum.x-cart.com/showthread.php?t=45022

According to the roadmap as of today v5 is not expected until May 2011. I would gladly pay $500 per license for a cart that was more on top of their releases vs having to wait for a product they announce for over 2 years.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

All of the x-cart modules are included? Weren't some of those worth more than $149 alone?

If I upgrade to 4.4 will I also receive these?

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

They are included and part of the standard package now

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

It wasn't that long ago x-cart was priced at $200

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I don't mind to pay yearly fee or upgrade fee to upgrade cart if it won't effect modules and skins installed. You upgrade because you see good features/functions but the problem now is the modules and skins may stop work after upgrade. I support the idea of upgrade fee but please solve my concern.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I am just wondering if I can upgrade to 4.4 without pay extra money? I bought x-cart gold in 2006 that time it was $199.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

You don't have to pay anything to use 4.4.x once you already have a license. You may need to pay someone to do the upgrade for you if you can't do it yourself. Going from 4.1.x to 4.4.x is not an easy task and only database can be upgraded, store front will have to be re-design again.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

I totally agree with Jon Campbell about the "upgrade pain". vBulletin has the upgrade function perfected. I only wish that X-Cart could have an upgrade model like that: Copy the files, run the "upgrade" file and it's done.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

If QT closes the code then yes you can have this one click upgrade. With open source and everyone making changes to their carts upgrades like this are not possible

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Actually, vBulletin is customizable and adjustments do need to be made to some of the "templates" after an update, but the vB upgrade identifies the affected templates for you so it's not traumatic. I'm not a programmer but it would appear that would be possible for QT to do. In 15 years I've not yet had a vB upgrade go wrong, nor have I ever had an X-Cart upgrade that didn't require some amount of intervention and/or repairs by QT.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

It is possible, but not with the current 4.x architecture. It does not have anything to do with being open source or not - it has to do with how the software is structured. Lots of open source software have upgrade process that require little intervention to heavily modified code for upgrades within a branch. This is because they have "layers" where the users can make changes at layers above the core files which are involved in the upgrade.They have coding standards and defined apis so third parties can add their modifications without making changes to core files.
With X-CART current design - there is no such division and no hooks for 3rd parties, so any change to any file potentially requires hand patching during an upgrade. If X-CART follows Drupal standards for v5, their upgrade process has the potential to be much improved.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

The price adjustment seems reasonable, but I wish Qualiteam would focus on improving the architecture of the product instead of giving us "me too" features that other carts might also have.

We need "Wordpress" upgrade and module installation simplicity, we need a documented module API, which as long as that is adhered too makes upgrading modules as seamless and upgrading modules in other popular online php software.

Until Qualiteam provides this sort of architectural back-bone on which to develop modules, every upgrade of x-cart is going to be a painful nightmarish process.

Just my two-cents.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

wordpress update system is really great! hope x-cart can have the same function soon!

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

> but I wish Qualiteam would focus on improving the architecture of the
> product instead of giving us "me too" features that other carts might
> also have.

that's what we are doing with X-Cart v5.0 now.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Will XC5 have less features than XC4 like LC3 has less features than LC2 and XC4?

I'm all for a solid architecture but sometimes I wonder about about the whole ethos of QT & XC. It seems to me the cart is designed for designers when really the focus should be for businesses selling online. In other words E-COMMERCE!
Features that make more sales, better business optimization and give an advantage over ones competition is what really matters.

I wonder if QT changed its focus from designers to business people would their profits go up or down?
If you look at the phenomenal growth of Bigcommerce and the prices they get away with, you have to seriously wonder.
At the end of the day what we have here is a situation not unlike a Guitar maker making Guitars for people who do modifications to Guitars instead of Guitarists!

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Swish, I am not sure how much customization you have done to X-Cart but Qualiteam is not building their software to make the lives of us X-Cart customizers easier. They continue to make changes that break our mods, implement our mods into their software, and make it harder and harder to perform upgrades on customized stores.

The licensing, support, code itself, and feature decisions that X-Cart makes are not in favor of X-Cart developers. While it is open source and easy to modify they definitely do not make any effort to help us accomplish these things. Other open source shopping carts provide tutorials on how to create custom modules(to help developers) and we have never seen anything like that from X-Cart.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Yea, it is very interesting to see the new features of 4.4 and how many of them look VERY familiar to existing third party mods out there.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

> Will XC5 have less features than XC4 like LC3 has less features than LC2 and XC4?

XC5 is going to have the same volume of features X-Cart v4.4 has now. LC3 we are to release quite soon is going to be a new platform with less features than XC4.4 has now. We are going to add new features to LC3 over the time to come to the point when we can release it as XC5 based on the same platform and with all the major and mid features of X-Cart 4.4.

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

Swish, the new platform is going to marry designers needs, developers needs and end-users needs. I hope we will make it :)

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

so LC3 IS XCart5, until you think there's enough features that customers won't complain?

Re: Pricing changes once v4.4 comes out
 

http://help.qtmsoft.com/index.php?title=Roadmap answers best of all IMO 8)