TechRadar Verdict
PinnacleCart has been offering high-quality ecommerce solutions for over 20 years, so it's surprising that its excellent selling features, intuitive management dashboard, and impressive all-around service haven’t made it more popular.
Pros
- +
Excellent security tools
- +
Attractive, intuitive management dashboard
Cons
- -
High subscription fees
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Somewhat limited design flexibility
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With the best ecommerce platforms, you can create your own online store, selling virtually anything that you want to virtually anyone in the world.
Although there are numerous platforms out there, a few stand out above the crowd. One such provider is PinnacleCart, which offers high-end ecommerce solutions for online stores of all sizes.
- Want to try PinnacleCart? Check out the website here
In our PinnacleCart review, we take a closer look at this popular platform, identifying its main pros and cons and analyzing everything from its plans and prices to its customer service.
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Plans and pricing
With PinnacleCart, you have the option of using either the company’s fully hosted solutions or a self-hosted solution.
If you go for the fully hosted option, prices start from a rather high $79.95 per month for the Standard plan, which is significantly more than what most competitors charge. However, the features on offer here are excellent.
You will be able to list unlimited products with zero transaction fees and up to five admin accounts. Payment processing options include PayPal and PruPay. Do note that you will be restricted to a maximum sales volume of $250,000 per year, and you will only have 10 GB of storage and 20 GB of bandwidth.
Upgrade to the Advanced plan ($199.95 per month) to unlock unlimited admin accounts, unlimited sales volume, and more than 30 different payment options. You will also benefit from unlimited bandwidth and storage.
There are also custom-priced Enterprise plans available, and all subscription options come with a 14-day free trial.
Alternatively, you can purchase a one-time PinnacleCart license for full access to the software. However, you will have to install this on your own server, and prices aren’t openly advertised.
Features
As a leading ecommerce platform, PinnacleCart boasts all the expected online selling tools, along with a suite of notable extras.
One thing that stands out is PinnacleCart’s built-in integrations with a wide range of third-party apps. These include everything from Google Analytics and PayPal to Amazon and eBay.
Another standout is the impressive selection of professionally designed store templates. Although the theme library is small, every design is unique and attractive. With full code access, you will be able to customize everything that you need to.
Many ecommerce platforms charge relatively low monthly fees but then force you to pay significant transaction fees. With PinnacleCart, you will benefit from zero transaction fees for life, which is excellent.
With PinnacleCart’s powerful yet intuitive reporting dashboard, you can access high-quality data about every aspect of your store and its performance. Use this to make informed management decisions.
Interface and in use
To get started with PinnacleCart, simply sign up for a free trial, and follow the prompts to log into your admin panel. Here, you will find a selection of management tools designed to streamline the day-to-day running of your store.
When it comes to editing your store, customization options are a little limited. You will be confined by the theme that you choose, although you can personalize the basic layout and global appearance settings.
On the plus side, you will have full access to your theme’s code files, which provides full design flexibility.
Support
PinnacleCart offers phone, email, and live chat support. However, the live chat appears to be available sporadically, which isn’t ideal if you’re looking for a fast resolution to a problem.
There is also a comprehensive knowledge base that contains cleverly categorized information. You will find resources detailing everything from starting your first store to optimizing your search engine ranking and driving organic traffic.
Security
PinnacleCart boasts excellent security features that are up there with the best that we’ve seen. All servers are located in a PCI-compliant area, and all stores are protected by the PA-DSS certification.
On top of this, all checkout and other sensitive processes are protected by powerful SSL certificates, you can create IP restrictions if necessary, and all passwords are fully encrypted. Combine these features with FraudLab and No Fraud partnerships, and it’s easy to see that PinnacleCart is a winner on the security front.
The competition
If you’re looking for a powerful ecommerce platform that has stood up to the test of time, you simply can’t neglect to consider Shopify. It’s an ideal option for beginners, is used by millions of people worldwide, and prices start from just $29 per month.
Weebly is another great option, especially if you want to build a content-focused website with a small online store. It boasts an excellent template library, a drag-and-drop website builder, and a broad selection of beginner-friendly ecommerce tools.
Final verdict
PinnacleCart isn’t the most well-known ecommerce platform, but it’s certainly up there among the best that we’ve used. It has zero transaction fees, a beginner-friendly store designer, and a high-quality management dashboard, so there’s much to like here.
The main downsides are the platform’s relatively high subscription fees and somewhat limited editor. However, if you can look past these minor flaws, PinnacleCart is a true winner.
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