---
title: "Magento Open Source eCommerce Platform – Preview Version Released"
date: 2007-09-04
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2007"
    url: "/tag/2007.md"
---

# Magento Open Source eCommerce Platform – Preview Version Released

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957im_/http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/images/magento_logo2.png)Varien, a Los Angeles web development firm, has just [launched](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957/http://www.varien.com/blog/announcing-magento-preview-and-launch-of-the-magento-community-site/) a preview version of its open source eCommerce platform called [Magento](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957/http://www.magentocommerce.com/). Also released was a [community site](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957/http://www.magentocommerce.com/) and a [demo store](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957/http://www.magentocommerce.com/demo). Check out the [screencasts](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957/http://www.magentocommerce.com/media/screencasts), the first of which explains how to add a new product to your e-commerce catalog using Magento – see screenshots below.

This is Version 0.6 of Magneto and so it’s an early beta release. As such, the company doesn’t recommend it for use in production environments. Magento does however come with professional and community support. Along with the usual e-commerce features (product input, shopping cart, single-page checkout, etc), some other features of note are integration with 3rd party apps and product tagging.

Magento looks to be an easy to use and easily customizable open source e-commerce platform. There are sure to be many web developers and startups keen to try it out. If you’ve already given it a test drive, please leave a comment with your thoughts. For the others, here are some screenshots:

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957im_/http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/images/magento2.jpg)*Magento Admin interface*

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957im_/http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/images/magento3.jpg)*Frontend Demo store*

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20110830125957im_/http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/images/magento4.jpg)*Add to cart function*

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/magento_open_source_ecommerce_platform.php))*