Selecting the right eCommerce platform is one of the most crucial decisions a business can make. The platform you choose not only defines your store’s functionality but also impacts scalability, customer experience, and growth potential. Two of the most talked-about options are WooCommerce and OpenCart. Both platforms are open-source, which means they offer flexibility, but they serve different kinds of users.
So, which one is right for you: WooCommerce vs OpenCart? In this WooCommerce vs OpenCart comprehensive comparison, we’ll break down the pros and cons of WooCommerce and OpenCart, examining everything from ease of use and customization to pricing and SEO performance. Let’s dive in!
Contents
ToggleOverview of WooCommerce and OpenCart
Let’s first look at the origins and setup of both platforms.
WooCommerce Overview
WooCommerce is a powerful eCommerce plugin for WordPress that was launched in 2011 by WooThemes. It’s open-source, meaning anyone can modify and customize the code. WooCommerce seamlessly integrates with WordPress, allowing you to convert your WordPress website into a fully functional eCommerce store. Its intuitive design, combined with WordPress’s CMS capabilities, has made WooCommerce a go-to solution for millions of businesses worldwide.
OpenCart Overview
OpenCart, launched in 2008, is a standalone PHP-based eCommerce platform that also offers an open-source solution. Unlike WooCommerce, which relies on WordPress, OpenCart is a full-fledged eCommerce system that doesn’t require an external CMS.
This platform is known for its user-friendliness, especially for small to medium-sized businesses, but it can be less flexible than WooCommerce when it comes to customization and scalability.
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Quick Comparison Between WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Feature | WooCommerce | OpenCart |
Platform Type | WordPress plugin | Standalone PHP-based eCommerce platform |
Market Share | 66% of all online stores | 0.1% of all online stores |
Installation Ease | Easy (WordPress Plugin with Setup Wizard) | Moderate (Manual Installation or Hosting Integration) |
Customization | Highly flexible, 59,000+ WordPress plugins | Flexible but requires coding for deeper customization |
Themes Available | 1,500+ WooCommerce themes, 11,000+ WordPress themes | 500+ OpenCart themes |
Scalability | Highly scalable with performance optimization plugins | Scales well for small to medium stores, larger stores require more resources |
SEO Features | Strong SEO plugins like Yoast and RankMath | Basic SEO features with some third-party extensions |
Payment Gateways | Extensive range including PayPal, Stripe, Square, and more | Limited options without third-party extensions |
Security | Strong security with SSL, 2FA, and security plugins | Basic security features, requires manual setup or extensions |
Extensions/Plugins | 59,000+ WordPress plugins for extended functionality | 13,000+ extensions available |
Pricing | Free core plugin, but additional costs for hosting, themes, and plugins | Free core, but additional costs for hosting, themes, and extensions |
Support & Community | Large community, extensive documentation, and premium support | Smaller community, forums, paid support available |
Best For | Businesses looking for flexibility, customization, and scalability | Smaller businesses needing a simple, standalone store |
WooCommerce vs OpenCart: Key Differences
Below, we will explore the key differences between WooCommerce and OpenCart, helping you decide which platform is best suited for your eCommerce needs.
Market Share and Popularity: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Understanding which platform is more widely used can give insight into community support and future-proofing your business.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce dominates the eCommerce space, powering 30% of all online stores globally. This popularity stems from its seamless integration with WordPress, which itself powers over 43% of websites on the internet. WooCommerce’s vast user base has also contributed to a large support community and a rich library of extensions and plugins.
OpenCart
OpenCart, while still popular, holds a much smaller market share at 0.1%. It’s favored by smaller businesses that are looking for a lightweight, standalone solution. Although it doesn’t compete with WooCommerce in terms of popularity, OpenCart remains a reliable choice for businesses that want a simple and functional eCommerce platform.
Winner: WooCommerce – With its massive user base and widespread adoption, WooCommerce clearly wins this category.
Installation and Setup Ease: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Getting started quickly and easily is a major factor, especially for users with limited technical expertise.
WooCommerce
Installing WooCommerce is relatively simple, especially for those who already use WordPress. You just need to install the WooCommerce plugin, and a guided setup wizard will walk you through the configuration process.
For new users, it might require basic technical skills to set up WordPress and hosting, but once those are handled, WooCommerce is straightforward.
OpenCart
OpenCart installation is also fairly easy but involves a few more technical steps. You can choose between a one-click installation with hosting providers or manually installing OpenCart. The manual process involves uploading files via FTP and configuring a database, which can be more complicated for beginners.
Winner: WooCommerce – Its integration with WordPress makes it much simpler to install, especially for WordPress users.
Learn: How to Setup an FTP Account for WordPress?
Customization: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Customization allows you to make your online store reflect your unique business needs and aesthetics.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is highly flexible and customizable. Being part of the WordPress ecosystem means you can take advantage of over 59,000 plugins to extend your store’s functionality. It also offers extensive customization options, both visually and functionally, through WordPress themes and plugins, making it ideal for businesses looking for unique, tailored solutions.
OpenCart
OpenCart is also customizable, but it requires more technical skills to deeply modify the store’s functionality. While OpenCart offers a good number of themes and extensions, significant customization often involves coding knowledge. If you’re comfortable with PHP and HTML, you can modify OpenCart to suit your needs.
Winner: WooCommerce – It’s easier to customize, even for non-tech users, thanks to its wide plugin and theme library.
Themes and Design: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
The look and feel of your store matter greatly. Let’s see how each platform fares in offering design flexibility.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce offers a huge selection of themes, with over 1,500 specifically designed for WooCommerce, and 11,000+ themes from the WordPress repository that are compatible with it. This gives you a broad range of design choices, from free options to premium WordPress themes that can cost between $30 and $150.
OpenCart
OpenCart has a smaller collection of themes, with around 500 themes available on its marketplace. While you can easily implement basic design changes, more advanced customization typically requires knowledge of HTML and CSS. The price of OpenCart themes are around $69.
Winner: WooCommerce – With a much larger theme selection and more user-friendly design options, WooCommerce is the better choice.
Scalability: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
As your store grows, your platform must be able to handle increasing traffic, products, and transactions.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is highly scalable and can handle stores with thousands of products, especially when paired with WordPress performance optimization plugins. It can grow with your business, making it suitable for small stores and large enterprises alike.
OpenCart
OpenCart is a good fit for small to medium stores but may struggle with performance issues if your product catalog or traffic grows significantly. To scale efficiently, OpenCart often requires additional resources or technical adjustments.
Winner: WooCommerce – It’s better suited for businesses that expect significant growth and need a scalable solution.
SEO Features: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Search engine optimization is crucial for visibility and driving traffic to your store.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce has an advantage here because it’s part of WordPress, known for being SEO-friendly. This integrates seamlessly with powerful SEO plugins like AIOSEO and Yoast SEO, allowing you to easily optimize your store for search engines with features like custom meta tags, sitemaps, and schema markup.
OpenCart
OpenCart offers basic SEO features, such as the ability to edit meta descriptions and use SEO-friendly URLs. However, it lacks the depth of SEO tools that WooCommerce provides. For advanced SEO, you’ll likely need to integrate third-party extensions, which may require technical expertise.
Winner: WooCommerce – Its integration with WordPress and top-tier SEO plugins gives it a clear edge in this category.
Payment Gateways: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Offering multiple payment options is essential for eCommerce success. Let’s see how each platform stacks up.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways, including popular options like PayPal, Stripe, and Square. Additionally, there are numerous third-party plugins that add support for even more gateways, making it highly versatile in terms of payment processing.
OpenCart
OpenCart offers several built-in payment options, including PayPal and Stripe, but its selection is more limited compared to WooCommerce. You’ll need to rely on third-party extensions for additional gateways, which may not be as extensive or easy to integrate.
Winner: WooCommerce – Its broader range of payment gateway integrations makes it a more flexible choice.
Security: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Security is a top priority for any online business. Let’s see how each platform handles it.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce benefits from WordPress’s extensive security plugins and features. You can easily implement SSL certificates, two-factor authentication (2FA), and other security measures. Additionally, WooCommerce is regularly updated to address any vulnerabilities, keeping your store secure.
OpenCart
OpenCart also offers solid security features, including SSL support and built-in fraud detection tools. However, securing an OpenCart store may require more manual setup or reliance on third-party extensions compared to WooCommerce’s plugin-based approach.
Winner: WooCommerce – With more comprehensive security plugins and easier implementation, WooCommerce has the edge.
Extensions and Plugins: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Extensions add functionality to your store, so having access to a wide range of options is crucial.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce’s plugin ecosystem is vast, with over 59,000 WordPress plugins that can extend your store’s functionality. Whether you need tools for marketing, payment, shipping, or analytics, there’s a plugin for virtually everything, allowing you to tailor your store to your exact needs.
OpenCart
OpenCart has around 13,000 extensions available in its marketplace, covering various functionalities like payment processing, shipping, and social media integration. While this is a good selection, it’s still smaller compared to WooCommerce’s library of plugins.
Winner: WooCommerce – The sheer number of plugins available gives WooCommerce more versatility.
Related: Ultimate Guide to Core Web Vitals Optimization
Pricing: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Both platforms are free to start, but what are the additional costs involved?
WooCommerce
WooCommerce itself is free, but you’ll incur costs for hosting, premium themes, and paid plugins. Hosting can range from $5 to $100 per month, and premium themes or plugins typically cost between $30 and $150. The overall cost depends on the complexity and scale of your store.
OpenCart
OpenCart is also free to download, but like WooCommerce, there are costs for hosting, themes, and extensions. Hosting typically costs between $5 and $100 per month, and extensions are priced between $15 and $100. OpenCart can be slightly more cost-effective if you don’t require many extensions.
Winner: Tie – Both platforms are free to use but have similar additional costs for running a store.
Support and Community: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Having access to a helpful community and support resources is vital for resolving issues and improving your store.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce has a large and active community, with extensive documentation, forums, and support available through WordPress. Additionally, you can purchase premium support packages directly from WooCommerce or use third-party services for expert assistance.
OpenCart
OpenCart also has an active community and offers documentation, forums, and video tutorials. However, the community is smaller than WooCommerce’s, and more complex issues may require purchasing support from OpenCart or third-party developers.
Winner: WooCommerce – Its larger community and access to WordPress support give it the upper hand.
Read: WooCommerce Vs Shopify: Who Wins
Final Verdict: WooCommerce vs OpenCart
So, which platform should you choose?
For businesses looking for a flexible, highly customizable eCommerce platform with vast plugin support, WooCommerce is the clear winner. Its scalability, strong SEO capabilities, and large community make it ideal for both small and large businesses alike.
OpenCart, while still a solid option, is better suited for small stores with simpler needs. It’s easy to use, but it lacks the flexibility and scalability of WooCommerce.
Ultimately, WooCommerce is the better choice for most eCommerce businesses, especially if you’re already using WordPress. If you need simplicity and a lightweight solution, consider OpenCart—but for everything else, WooCommerce has you covered.