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Where are All the Free OSCommerce Templates?

May 4th, 2007 by Joshua Dorkin | Filed under Google, eCommerce.

Non-Existent Free Templates

As many of you now know, I’ve been working on getting an ecommerce website up and running. I decided to use OScommerce for my shopping cart, but now I’m beginning to have second thoughts. I’ve been looking for a few days now and have not been able to find any even half-decent free templates.

I’ve worked with many different web-based programs (wordpress, phpbb, etc.) and have never had a difficult time finding great free templates. I’m just amazed that no one out there is offering them for OSCommerce. My guess is that if someone did, they’d do quite well financially from ads served on their site.

Poor Search Engine Results for “Free OSCommerce Templates

The worst part of it all is that when doing a Google or Yahoo search for “Free OSCommerce Templates” all you get are results from companies offering limited trials to their templates, which expire; you then have to pay to get anything. These guys have worked the SERPs to get themselves high priority rankings. I’d have to say that I haven’t seen a worse set of results from the search engines then this.

Does Anyone Know Where to Find Any Free OSCommerce Templates?
If you do, please help me out here! I’d love to create a large master list of these resources, but so far I’ve struck out.

The Master List – As Begun 5/7/07 – Know of Any Others?
http://how2make.blogspot.com/

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  • I currently work with osCommerce/CRE Loaded and havent had much luck finding a good deal of templates; especially CRE Loaded Templates. At this point I think it might be less punishing to fool around with the CSS and PS then scowering the internet for hours in the wee hours of the morning with burning eyes like vampire.
  • aboodthedude
    im constantly looking for new themes. i like to change my templates every so often, so people dont get bored of your site. but dont have time to build them all, so free templates are a great use to me and they drive a lot of traffic to your site
  • inetsolution
    Its highly informative. I would be visiting your blog hereafter regularly to gather valuable information.

  • shining
    Oh and Martin, you need to leave your contact info, as we would all like to get in touch with you.
  • Aren't OsCommerce templates harder to build? There are literally thousands of free WordPress themes out there but I struggle to find one decent decent OsCommerce template.
  • There are some nice free osCommerce version 3 templates available at http://www.freeoscommerce.com - look like good clean templates
  • Steve
    @deeogee, thanks very much for providing and hosting your very nice designs. It definitely shows what can be done with oscommerce by a skilled hand, and mind.
  • Instead of looking for a free template, one may simply edit an existing out of the box template via trial and error to change colours and images. This should make your site unique. Free templates are easily duplicated if no changes are worked upon.
  • I have some free oscommerce templates that designed by me, not stolen from somewhere else

    http://e-themes.info/category/oscommerce-templa...
  • MIke
    ^ +1. Jared Ritchey certainly is one of those douchebags without whome the web would be a better place.
  • Jake
    Jared Ritchey your website's like masturbation without the payoff.
  • luis villarino
    you can find free oscommerce templates in this website http://www.ezosc.com/store/osc-templates-c-39.html

    thanks
  • http://www.badeziner.com/2008/12/16/5-free-osco... Here you can find some free good quality oscommerce templates
  • Michelle
    To be frank, free templates apart from being hard to find are not worthwhile for professional websites. What I would suggest the new store owder is to really get the base template and customize it even if its simply about changing colours.
  • Nice article, great read! If I am honest Magento is better than osCommerce by far. It just has so much more functionality and freedom its unreal. The only issue I find is that on the hosting side it can be a little demanding but it swings in roundabouts.

    Anyway thanks again!
  • I strongly suggest that you try Zen Cart, http://zen-cart.com.

    These designers based their original design on oscommerce, but have completely rewritten the code.

    To top it all off, they have a plethora of free designs. Here's a site that showcases many of the free designs, and they all work.

    http://zencarttemplates.info/
  • Tony
    I also found the 13 free templates at http://garcya.us/blog/13-free-oscommerce-templa... but then I also notice that these same templates are being sold (albeit very cheaply) at http://www.almat-computers.co.uk/index.php.

    So not sure whats going on here. Either someone is selling them when they shouldn't be or someone is giving them away for free when they shouldn't be.

    Can anyone help with this?
  • I am going to provide free templates for osCommerce as for CRE Loaded and Zen Cart soon. We are in the middle of the development, so keep an eye on our site ;-)
  • andy
    Hi! I`m looking for a template monster os commerce # 17028

    ¿?¿? is impossible, i searched for everywhere and nothing.

    please help! me!
  • I've tried some of the free templates out there and they never seem to be fully finished, even some of the paid ones had weak points but with the paid ones you had a little support. Yes, the free templates reskin the shop but I've now taken to just doing the skins myself after design direction. I've released about 10 shops now and I make a point of maintaining my own core 'build' with all the useful contributions typically used (and any tweaks/fixes migrated back to the core). It makes deployment much much quicker and straightforward.

    Once you've skinned one or two shops, you'll find it a breeze - it's just getting the head down and doing that first one or two! :)
  • Hi Josh,

    I've started up a project to collect and collate free oscommerce templates over at www.ososcom.org .

    It's a small beginning, but I'm committed to growing it into a great resource.

    Kind regards,

    James
  • Jacqueline
    Martin - you didn't leave your contact information!!!
  • Yeah but look at the prices !!!!!
    and half are the same just in diferent colours….
    il stick to uktrading.biz i think lol

    Good find though
  • John
    Here's what I found on my meaningful search.

    It seems that there are 13 available here
    http://garcya.us/blog/13-free-oscommerce-templa...
    just scroll down to the bottom of the thumbnails and click on the "Download os commerce templates here" link

    and there are some tutorials here but they don't look too in depth
    http://www.vodahost.com/tut_osc.htm

    Not much help I know, but I thought I'd try and contribute....
  • Martin Wakelin
    I have been using and writing modules for OSCommerce for about 4 years now, and can truly say - If you are really struggling with finding designs and templates, contact me. I don't do them for free, but rather as a token of my time charge a small fee - less than 1% of what most people charge for a custom template. The reason I charge is to stop people taking advantage. :)
  • 1. http://www.almat-computers.co.uk/oscommerce-bea...
    It's three pounds which is cheap, and they have others. Not free, but darned close

    2. http://www.almat-computers.co.uk
    No, it isn't free, but for the prices he's charging....it might as well be.


    3. http://www.oscommercegraphics.co.uk/
    Light pink lips and doggies - lovely.

    4. http://www.freetemplatesonline.com/templates/ca...
    Quite a variety
  • Sean
    I've used some free templates in the past but not been satisfied. I am wondering if there are any OScommerece/PHP developers out there that would be interested in skinning the Store section of my website?

    sean [att] layeredcorp (dott) com
  • jerk
    Hi Agata,
    How can you know those templates are not uploaded by their designers as a business promotions. if you are the designer of all these templates, how can I know if you use this way as a trick to attract users and then you just want them to pay you big bill because you say they are uploaded by others illegally.
    I know some some big software companies to use this way to develop a country market.
  • Hey Josh, damn nice forum. I'm adding you to my blog roll tonight. I see in my logs that a few people have clicked on a link here for the free osCommerce themes. Well they are a reality and they do exist so here is a brief list.

    I know the temptation is to go out and just download some hacked versions of Template Monster stuff but in all honesty the TM stuff is known to break in almost every situation if you follow posts in the osCommerce forums.

    http://www.jaredritchey.com/available-downloads

    Again, nice blog, keep up the good work.
    ~ Jared Ritchey
  • Agata
    Hey guys, I'll advice you against all the links provided here because most of them are stolen design. If you use it, chances are that one day the rightful owner would send you a $5K bill and you'll have no option than to pay because the site you downloaded it from would be offline and gone. Is that not too much a price to pay for a free template?

    I have sent emails to several of those sites and they either just start spamming me or something else.

    beside, how are you sure there are no autodialers in the template steling your password and your clients credit card information?

    Daryl of http://how2make.blogspot.com/ is aiding and distributing illegal product and he knows that...I told him and he says he doesn't care!


    and to post 23 of logo design ... now I know you are also selling illegal products too... how can you as a designer say you get all template monster product free somewhere...how can they be free?

    I'll catch up with all your clients! :)
  • Aleron
    Do you know what the OS stands for? OPEN SOURCE. How about I send YOU a 5k bill for violating the terms of the GNU which clearly state that any edits should be released OPEN SOURCE, FREE OF CHARGE. I hate people like you who cash in on open source designs. You are destroying the open source community. Go and work for M$.
  • Hi there,

    I offer a few oscommerce templates for free over on:

    http://www.oscommercegraphics.co.uk/

    Thanks,
    Eddy
  • thedevilman
    Here are quite a few good ones. I found them at the osC forums...
    http://www.dangerstudio.com/portal/index.php?a=osc
  • Hey Guys,

    Checkout this website. you can pretty much get any of the template monster templates on this website. i use it all the time. at the moment its currently offline, but try it again in a few hours and ull see. http://www.allfreetemplates.org/

    template monst
  • There are very few if not any free OS Commerce templates, before you could download them from torrent sites, just look up Template Monster, maybe you could get a coder to do one for you with sponsored links but you would probably need at least 7-10 links in its footer.
  • Mikel
    Well I hope things have changed since the last post, as I am now joining your ranks. I will advise if I find anything. Bes tof luck to all!
    miKel
  • It's sad to see how such a great product, doesn't have a easy way to create your own templates. Or at least a descent manual how to create them.

    I think it's a shame !

    Let's hope v3.0 has more to offer in creating nice shops.
  • osc
    Good point, surely isn't enough free templates for oscommerce out there. We are hoping to have some css based ones developed for osc v3.0 as soon as its released from beta. doing templates for v2.2 with the 3.0 just weeks away waste time i think, lots of people are excited about switching to the css based v3 soon....will be interesting to see how the final version comes out of beta =)
  • I have searching by google too, but the result is same...

    BOLOX!!!
    And maybe i need to use the free templates that not good enough and making modified for that..

    regards..
  • internetking
    Yeah but look at the prices !!!!!
    and half are the same just in diferent colours....
    il stick to uktrading.biz i think lol

    Good find though
  • Joe
    I found some not so bad templates @www.7dana.com. However their premium ones are better...
  • Thanks for the links.

    I've been looking at setting my own oscommerce store recently, but the templating has been an issue - So just having something I can work from to create my own is a great help.
  • Taryn
    Thanks Marty, cool site
  • Taryn
    Im in the same boat as evey1 else here, thats how I came across this... Its draining searching for these things!!!!
  • Marty
    Well guys i was looking for a website template that was free and i found that there where hardly any templates available. I had found a website that was usful to find OS Commerce templates http://www/templatesociety.com
  • Andy
    Glad i stumbled across this, as i too am trying to search for templates, and not having any luck either.

    I'm new to all of this OScommerce and STS stuff, been using it for 2 weeks, so trying to work about the best solutions to do things.

    Obviously a lot of learning to do, but it is rewarding when you achieve things.

    I know the STS manual is comprehensive, but wonder if anyone has seen any instructions which are complimented with Pictures... to show you if you do X this will happen, and if you do Y you will see these results??

    I'm quite happy to move the variables around in the template, but not sure about redesigning tables in HTML and seeing where else i can move stuff too.... I want to get creative... but need some inspiration from other templates i think.

    Cheers

    Andy
  • OOPS maybe I should have put his URL? Sorry about that! http://www.jaredritchey.com
  • I found a guy with several free ones available but you have to ask for them because he took down the download links until his site is redesigned. He is some sort of template guy for Realtors but he does templates and tutorials for oscommerce oscmax and creloaded.

    I too am looking for tutorials and information on how to build my own themes.

    anyone know of any?
  • and I used to think that I'm the only one having this problem.
  • Stewart . . . I feel your pain!
  • You and me both...

    I run 4 OScommerce powered sites for friends and clients alike, and I recently decided to upgrade them all to STS v4.5.2 so that I could make better, quicker templates for them.

    But I think I'd like to get some inspiration from some freely available ones, as some of the example sites are stunning...

    But nope, nada, zilch, zero, nothing....
  • I don't know of any, but I remember trying to find some when I was trying to get OSC set-up. I agree, they're not easy to find.
  • Tobsy, thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to add it to the post. Anyone else know of any?
  • If I remember correctly, I have seen Daryl posting about free OSCommerce templates every now and than at http://how2make.blogspot.com/
  • To be honest, I'd be open to any or all of them. I truly believe that I'm not alone on this. I think if someone would offer up some great free templates, they would see tremendous traffic. I've talked to other people who have also been frustrated by the same issue . . . this is a great opportunity for a designer with a little hustle!
  • Hi Joshua,

    Good comment about the osCommerce templates, I never realised there weren't any free ones. What kind are you after, Simple Template System (STS), BTS or just plain osC ones?

    Chris.
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