Vendor systems comparison

Vending systems in Second Life are used to sell items to customers. They range from the most basic level systems which only allow a "pay" option on a box, to large advanced and networked systems with many functions and capabilities. Each one has different benefits and drawbacks; each merchant will need to decide which one is best for them based on their needs.

This page will compare the currently available (as of the last update) versions of some of the larger vending systems with their major features. All vending systems are sorted in alphabetical order, left to right.

Comparison table

Basic Operation	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
1-Prim Vendors	Yes	Yes	Yes	Script provided; make your own vendor object	Separate purchase: "Elite"	Script provided; make your own vendor object	Yes
1-Script Vendors	Use 1 script for minimal feature set	Yes	Yes	Yes	Separate purchase: "Elite"	1 script for standard feature, additional features through plugin script	Yes
Config via notecard (notecard settings for product vending)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Config via website (website settings for product vending)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes, through "remote control" plugin script	No
Free system upgrades	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multipanel Vendors	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Networked delivery	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Demos & notecards (Give demos, give information notecards)	Demos: No Notecards: Yes	Yes	Yes	Demos: Unknown Notecards: Yes	Demos: Unknown Notecards: Yes	Demos: Yes Notecards: No	Yes
Product server holds unlimited products? (Subject to SL grid limitations)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Dependent upon version: Standard servers: No Elite servers: Yes	Yes	Yes
Vendor Types Included	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Event-friendly version Works even in laggy shopping events	Unknown	In development	Yes	Unknown	No	Unknown	Unknown
Gacha Vendor Sell a random item out of a set	No	In development	Yes, in FatPack -OR- separate purchase	No	No	No	No
Holo/Rezzing vendor	No	In development	Yes, in FatPack -OR- separate purchase	No	Use "model script" with standard vendors	No	No
Lucky Chair	No	In development	Yes, in FatPack -OR- separate purchase	No	No	No	No
Midnight Prizes	No	In development	Yes, in FatPack -OR- separate purchase	No	No	No	No
Multi-Product vendors vend mulptiple products in one vendor	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Customization	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Customizeable Vendors	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vendor API	No	No	read only (no commands)	No	Yes	No	Unknown
Advanced Features	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Dynamic price display	No	No	Vendor API supports price display add-ons	No	No	Yes	Yes
Group products in categories	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, but only for pricing	Yes	Yes, item & fatpack, only for pricing	Yes
Scriptless integration with other systems	No	SL Marketplace ANS	Smartbots, Corrade Bot, Thoys Bot, ApexBots, SL Marketplace ANS (Deprecated: PikkuBot, MetaBOLT)	No	No	SL Marketplace ANS	No
Multi-language support	No	In development	User guides in English and German	No	No	No	Vendor messages in customer's language
Newsletter/subscriber	No	Yes	Planned for future	No	Separate purchase AND Subscription: "HippoGROUPS"	Planned for future	available upon request
Profit sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Redelivery options	Vendor only	Terminal & vendor	Terminal & vendor	Terminal only	Separate purchase: "Redelivery Terminal Pro"	Separate purchase: "MD Redelivery Terminal Script"	Available upon request redelivery voucher system
Sell items no-copy to owner (such as breedables or gacha items)	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Send product updates	Separate purchase: "Update System"	Yes	Yes	Separate purchase: "Messenger"	Separate purchase: "HippoUPDATE"	Separate purchase: "MD Redelivery Terminal Script"	Yes
User blacklist	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Built-in video playback	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Wishlist	No	No	In development	Separate purchase	No	No	No
Affiliate/Franchise Info	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Affiliate / Franchise Capable	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	available on request
Affiliate / Franchise commission fees	2% commission	2% commission	2% commission	Not Applicable	2% commission	No	Unknown
Gifting Options	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Supports "Buy as a gift"	Set additional script to "running" in vendor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gift cards available	No	Yes	Yes, in Fat Pack -OR- separate purchase	Yes	Separate purchase "HippoGIFT"	Separate purchase: "MD Store Credit & Gift Card Plugin"	Separate purchase "Gift Voucher"
Gift wrapping available	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Online check before sending	No	No	Available as option at time of purchase	No	No	No	No
Group & Loyalty Rewards	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Group discounts	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Loyalty Program available	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Group-only rewards available	Group-only discounts available	in development
# of loyalty levels	Not applicable	3 levels	Unlimited levels	Group & non-group	No	No	No
Loyalty credit option	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Separate purchase: "MD Store Credit & Gift Card Plugin"	No
Loyalty Cash back option	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Statistics & Security	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Inworld sales tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Configurable options via IM/Email & ANS
Sale statistics via web	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Use SL transaction history -and/or- Send sales data via ANS to your ANS server
Statistical graphs via web	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
SL Marketplace tracking	XStreetSL ANS	Yes	Yes	Separate Purchase "Marketplace Connection"	No	Yes	No
Vendors use llTransferLindenDollars (Ensures money is paid before giving product)	No	Yes	Yes	No	Dependent upon version: Standard vendors: No Elite vendors: Yes	Yes	"not all transactions, yet"
Privacy Notes	Stores complete sales data of merchant and customers, even sales data from other systems, like Marketplace, if configured so by the merchant	Stores complete sales data of merchant and customers, even sales data from other systems, like Marketplace, if configured so by the merchant	Stores complete sales data of merchant and customers, even sales data from other systems, like Marketplace, if configured so by the merchant	Stores complete sales data of merchant and customers, even sales data from other systems, like Marketplace, if configured so by the merchant	Stores complete sales data of merchant and customers, even sales data from other systems, like Marketplace, if configured so by the merchant	Stores complete sales data of merchant and customers	All sales transaction data stays in world and only in the private network of the merchant; no sales data is transmitted to the vendor provider
System Costs	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Free/Commission version available	Yes	No demo version	Yes	No demo version	On Marketplace only	Yes	Yes
Free/Commission version Cost	L$1 purchase	Not applicable	L$0 free	Not applicable	L$25 purchase	L$0 free	L$0 free
commission rates to system creator	Free: 5% Commission	Not applicable	Free: 5% Commission	Not applicable	Free: 5% commission L$2 minimum per sale	Unknown	Free: 2.5% Commission Paid: 0.5%, max L$500/4 weeks
System purchase (non-demo versions)	Full: L$3,500	Full: L$2,999	Premium: L$ 1,995 Fat Pack: L$2,995	Full: L$6,499	Full: L$1,950 Full + Elite: L$2,700	Basic: L$ 1,099 Full Pack: L$2,099	Professional: L$ 1,000 Plus commission: 0.5% per sale Max L$500 commission per 4 weeks
Charity concessions	Unknown	Charities must contact Redix for details	100% Free and commission free to registered charities	Unknown	No	Unknown	Unknown
Company Info	Alika	BSM	CasperVend²	E2V	Hippovend	MD Vendor System	MoVe! / MoSystems
Website	alikasystems.com	bejamble.net	CasperTech	E2V	hippo-technologies.co.uk	MD Labs	mosystems-move.blogspot.de
Inworld SLURL	Not available inworld	VirtualWorx Vendor at landing point	CasperTech	To buy inworld, talk to DavidThomas Scorbal.	Hippo Technologies	MD Labs Mainstore	Not available inworld
Marketplace Store	Alika Products Store	VirtualWorx Store	CasperTech Store	Not on Marketplace	HippoTech Store	MD Labs Store	MoDesign Store
Current System Coder	Danna Ewing	Redix Dollinger	Casper Warden	DavidThomas Scorbal	PM Sands	Mattia Delwood	Mo Noel