Why Web Agencies Are Switching to Open-Source Commerce for Client Builds

For years, the default answer for many agencies was simple: put the client on a hosted platform, install a theme and a handful of apps, and move on to the next project. It’s quick to sell and quick to launch. But a growing number of agencies are asking a hard question: who actually benefits from that setup over the long run?

Every month, part of the client’s budget flows to platform subscriptions and app fees instead of to the agency’s services. The agency’s best work is locked inside someone else’s ecosystem. And when the client needs something the platform doesn’t allow, the agency has to say no. That’s why more agencies are building client stores on open-source commerce, where they control the stack, the margins and the roadmap.

• Hosting, maintenance and optimisation create recurring revenue instead of one-off projects.

• Agencies can build reusable modules and themes that become their own intellectual property.

• Clients get full ownership of their store, a strong selling point in itself.

• The trade-off is responsibility: hosting, security and updates must be planned and priced in.

The SaaS Squeeze on Agency Margins

Hosted platforms are excellent products, and for some clients they remain the right choice. But for agencies, the model creates some familiar frustrations:

• Budget leakage: platform plans, transaction surcharges and app subscriptions take a share of what the client can spend every year.

• One-off income: once the store launches, the platform earns monthly revenue while the agency often earns nothing until the next project.

• Customisation limits: some requirements, such as complex B2B pricing, custom checkout flows or deep ERP integrations, are hard or impossible without workarounds.

• Rented differentiation: features built from third-party apps are available to every competitor, and can disappear if an app is withdrawn or reprices.

• Platform risk: pricing, policies and partner programmes can change at any time.

Why Agencies Are Choosing Open Source

Keep more of the client’s budget 1 With no licence fee or platform cut, money that would have gone to subscriptions can fund design, development, content and marketing work your team delivers.

Build recurring revenue 2 Managed hosting, security updates, performance monitoring and support become ongoing retainers, turning launches into long-term relationships.

Create your own IP

3 Modules, integrations and themes you build can be reused across clients, cutting delivery time and becoming a genuine competitive advantage.

Say yes to complex requirements 4 With access to the full code, unusual business rules and integrations are engineering tasks, not dead ends.

Sell ownership

5 Clients increasingly value owning their code and customer data. “It’s yours, not rented” is a powerful message in a pitch.

Ride the AI wave

Research firm IDC has highlighted an accelerating shift toward open-source 6 commerce, and notes that AI coding tools work especially well with open code, helping smaller teams build and maintain custom integrations faster.

How the Agency Business Model Changes

Revenue stream On a hosted platform On open source

Store build and setup One-off project One-off project, often larger in scope

Custom features Limited by platform rules; often replaced Billable development you can reuse by apps

Themes and design Theme customisation Fully custom storefronts and reusable starter themes

Hosting and Included in the platform fee (to the Monthly managed-hosting retainer (to management platform) you)

Maintenance and Occasional ad-hoc work Ongoing support and update plans support

Performance and Limited by platform Deep optimisation as a recurring service SEO

An illustrative example Imagine a mid-sized client with an annual eCommerce budget of $12,000. These numbers are only an example, but they show where the money goes:

Where the client’s $12,000 goes Hosted platform Open source

Platform plan and apps $4,000 $0

Hosting and backups Included $600

Agency services (build, support, growth work) $8,000 $11,400

Share of budget going to the agency 67% 95%

Illustrative only. Platform and app costs vary widely by store size and requirements.

The client spends the same amount, but far more of it pays for work that improves their store, and more of it stays with the agency.

The Trade-Offs to Plan For

Open source isn’t free of effort, and pretending otherwise leads to unhappy clients. Plan for these from the start:

• Hosting and security become your responsibility. Standardise your server setup, automate updates, backups and monitoring, and price them into a care plan.

• Upgrades need a process. Keep customisations out of core files where possible, so platform updates stay manageable.

• Skills matter. Your team needs developers comfortable with the platform’s stack.

• Clients need clear expectations. Explain what’s included, who handles what and how support works.

• Ecosystems differ. Newer platforms may have fewer ready-made extensions, which is both a cost and an opportunity to build your own.

How to Package Your Open-Source Offer

Package What’s included Best for

Launch Store setup, theme customisation, product import, payments New brands and small and shipping configuration, training catalogues

Care plan Managed hosting, security updates, backups, uptime Every client after launch monitoring, a set number of support hours

Grow Care plan plus monthly SEO, speed optimisation, conversion Ambitious, growing stores improvements and new features

Custom Integrations (ERP, CRM, marketplaces), B2B rules, bespoke Complex or larger businesses modules and migrations

What Agencies Should Look for in an Open-Source

Platform

• A mainstream technology stack, so hiring and onboarding developers is easy.

• A complete store out of the box, so you don’t rebuild basics for every client.

• Clean extension points, so customisations survive upgrades.

• Active development and documentation, with a visible roadmap.

• A clear licence that suits how you deliver and reuse your work. Review copyleft terms with your legal adviser, especially for extensions you plan to sell.

• Regional features such as multi-language, multi-currency and tax settings for your clients’ markets.

Why Agencies Are Looking at WentoCart

WentoCart was designed with agencies and developers in mind. Its own positioning is simple: help agencies “deliver branded storefronts, configure regional settings and extend the platform.”

• Laravel and React: two of the most widely used frameworks, so your existing developers can be productive quickly.

• A complete store from day one: React storefront, checkout and an admin dashboard for catalog, inventory, orders, customers, coupons, taxes and currencies.

• Fast project starts: install with php artisan wento:install and begin customising.

• Room to extend: the developer documentation covers working with the Laravel and React foundation and its published extension APIs.

• No licence fees per client: WentoCart is free and open source under OSL-3.0, so every new client adds to your revenue, not to licence costs.

• A chance to shape the platform: as a young project, it welcomes contributions and feedback from agencies building with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clients accept a self-hosted store? Most clients care about results, reliability and cost, not where the server sits. Present hosting as part of a managed care plan with clear service levels, and highlight that they own the store outright.

Isn’t open source riskier for clients? Not when it’s managed well. Automated updates, backups, monitoring and a hosted payment gateway cover the main risks, and clients avoid the risk of a platform changing its prices or rules.

Should agencies drop hosted platforms completely? Not necessarily. Many agencies keep hosted platforms for simple, low-budget projects and use open source for clients who need customisation, ownership or long-term growth.

The Bottom Line

Open-source commerce lets agencies stop renting their clients’ success from a platform. You keep more of each budget, build recurring revenue, own your best work and give clients a store that is truly theirs. With the right processes for hosting and maintenance, it’s a stronger business for you and a better deal for your clients.

Building stores for clients? Let’s talk. Explore WentoCart’s live demo and developer documentation, download v1.0, or get in touch to share what your agency needs from an open-source platform.