OpenCart vs. WooCommerce: Full Comparison

If you’re an online retailer seeking the best e-commerce platform for your business, you’ll want to consider OpenCart and WooCommerce. These free, open-source e-commerce platforms are popular options for online businesses.

OpenCart is an independent shopping cart system focusing solely on online store management. Meanwhile, WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that transforms your standard WordPress website into an online store.

This article will compare both e-commerce solutions to help you determine which is better for your brand. Who will come out on top of the WooCommerce vs Opencart debate?

Contents: OpenCart vs. WooCommerce

• OpenCart overview
• WooCommerce overview
• OpenCart vs. WooCommerce: Which is better?

OpenCart overview

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A PHP-based e-commerce platform, OpenCart stores combine a MySQL database with HTML components to provide all the functionality you need to run an online shop.

You can add and manage products, provide a shopping cart for your customers, and process and fulfill their orders. This all-in-one platform is known for being user friendly, making it an ideal e-commerce solution for those new to operating an online store.

Thousands of free themes and templates, as well as other add-ons available through OpenCart, provide customization options for your e-commerce store.

The platform also uses fraud management services to review all orders as they come through and offers a wide range of payment options at checkout—both bank transfers and various online payment methods.

Features

Here are some key features of OpenCart’s platform:

• An administrator dashboard that breaks down your total orders, sales, customers, and other analytics
• A user management system, so you can organize your online store and assign roles to different people on your team
• The ability to run multiple stores from one interface
• Options for discounts, coupons, and specials
• Unlimited categories and products
• A filter system that allows customers to refine and narrow their search as they shop
• A multi-currency system
• Multiple payment processing gateways
• Integrated shipping methods
• More than 13,000 extensions that allow you to customize the functionality of your shop
• SEO enhancements
• Multi-channel marketing
• Refund management
• An abandoned cart saver
• Social media integration
• Tax management

Pricing

While the OpenCart builder is a free, open-source platform for online sellers, if you’re looking to customize your shop, the costs could add up. The platform has more than 13,000 add-ons and integrations available. While some of these extensions are free, many will cost you—some running as high as $400.

Support

OpenCart offers its users professional technical support for an additional cost of $120 monthly. It also provides password resets and one-time bug fixes and store backups for a fee, as well.

The OpenCart Forum has a dedicated and engaged community of the platform’s users sharing their experiences and tips for success. There are more than 110,000 registered members and 550,000 posts on a range of topics—from general support to upgrade and template advice.

Find an OpenCart developer through Upwork to help you build and customize your online shop.

WooCommerce overview

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The powerful WooCommerce plug-in elevates your WordPress site, transforming it into a functional online store. Typically, building an online store or e-commerce business requires you to buy and install several pieces of software and build your site yourself. WooCommerce streamlines this process—and because of its ease of use, it’s a great option for beginners.

The WooCommerce extension works with nearly all WordPress themes. It also comes with its own themes, allowing your site to take on the look you want. This valuable tool makes the customization of your WordPress shop a breeze for any business owner selling services or goods.

It also offers flexibility to shop owners. Whether you’re a small business starting out or a larger company with more complex needs, the extensions you choose for your shop can be adapted to your unique needs.

Features

Some key features of WooCommerce’s platform include:

• A platform built on WordPress, one of the world’s most popular content management systems
• Categories, tags, and attributes that make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for
• Product ratings and reviews
• Various shipping options—including free shipping for certain products or in certain locations
• More than 50 themes and 800 extensions, so you can customize your shop and create the look you want for your online store
• Easy inventory and order management
• A dashboard that gives you an easy-to-read look at your online business
• Multiple payment gateways
• The ability to add shop managers and assign tasks to your team
• Built-in blogging, so you can publish content that establishes a strong brand

Pricing

Similar to OpenCart, the WooCommerce store plug-in is a free, open-source platform. There are some costs involved, though.

Since the plug-in works with WordPress, you’ll need to select a separate host for your store and purchase a plan. There are many free themes available to help you customize your shop and paid themes that cost anywhere from $20 to $100 annually.

Many other features are free but could cost you a bit more depending on the tier of services you choose, such as search engine optimization services, communications, security, and SSL certificates.

Support

WooCommerce offers free customer support through its help desk, as well as plenty of resources—including blogs and various guides—for users to find the answers to their questions and help themselves. The platform also showcases customer success stories and online shops made using WooCommerce to inspire and educate new users.

For additional help building your shop, find a WooCommerce developer through Upwork.

OpenCart vs. WooCommerce: Which is better?

Let’s take a look at the differences between WooCommerce and OpenCart to get a better idea of which choice would work better for you.

Price

Both the OpenCart builder and WooCommerce store plug-in are free, open-source platforms for online sellers. But if you’re looking to customize your shop, with OpenCart some add-ons cost as much as $400.

WooCommerce extensions, themes, and other features are a bit more affordable, ranging from $20 to $100 each year. You’ll also need to pay for a separate host for your store.

Features

Before choosing between OpenCart and WooCommerce, be sure to compare the features to make sure you select a platform that has everything you need.

Both offer the ability to customize your shop, but OpenCart offers thousands more extensions when considering the functionality and looks you want for your store. It also offers a multi-currency system, allowing you to reach customers worldwide, as well as integrated shipping methods, SEO enhancements for searchability, and a comprehensive admin dashboard. And if you operate more than one store, it’s easy to do from one interface.

Meanwhile, WooCommerce is designed to work with WordPress, which is one of the more popular content management systems (CMSs) in the world, making this easy-to-use plug-in accessible to many. And while there are fewer themes and extensions, customization is still an option for users.

Its dashboard also breaks down all your data to provide an easy-to-understand view of how your online store is doing. Built-in blogging helps you create content that builds a brand and engages shoppers. You can also add shop managers, making it easy to bring your team into the fold.

Ease of use

Both OpenCart and WooCommerce are known for their ease of use. But if you’re just starting out, WooCommerce has the advantage here.

While OpenCart has more customization features available, it requires a bit more know-how and a more complicated installation process. Meanwhile, WooCommerce is an easy-to-install plug-in designed to use with WordPress, making it ideal for novices.

Other considerations

Now, let’s compare OpenCart and WooCommerce in some more specific areas:

• SEO. Both platforms are SEO friendly. OpenCart offers SEO plug-ins to land your store higher in searches and makes it easy to track marketing campaigns in your dashboard. Meanwhile, WooCommerce runs on WordPress, which is known for its top-notch search engine optimization practices.
• Themes and designs. As you design your shop, you can change its look using different themes and designs. WooCommerce offers more than 2,100 free themes for store owners and more than 30,000 paid premium themes. OpenCart has fewer options with about 500 themes, some free, some paid.
• Extensions. If you want to customize the functionality of your shop, both platforms offer various extensions. OpenCart has more than 13,000 choices, while WooCommerce offers more than 800.
• Support. If you’re looking for assistance with your online shop, WooCommerce support is available by email through the WooCommerce website. You can also find additional help in the WordPress forums. Customer support is available through OpenCart for general questions. Dedicated support, password resets, one-time store backup, and one-time bug fixes are also available at a price.
• Installation. Before installing WooCommerce, you need to have an existing WordPress website and domain name set up. But the plug-in is easy to install and run without needing a developer. OpenCart, while also known for its ease of use, is a bit more complicated, especially if you opt for manual installation and using extensions. For trickier applications, you may want to work with a developer to set up your OpenCart shop. You can find an e-commerce freelancer to help set up your online store through Upwork.

Winner: WooCommerce

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While OpenCart offers users more extensions for functionality options, WooCommerce provides more themes so you can customize your shop and help your brand stand out.

While both are known for being easy to use, the WooCommerce plug-in has the advantage as it works hand-in-hand with WordPress sites and is ideal for new business owners with little to no technical knowledge.

As you launch your online store, find the professionals who can help you build your brand using WooCommerce services offered on Upwork.

Work with an e-commerce specialist for more

Even though e-commerce platforms like OpenCart, WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and Yoast have a reputation for their ease of use, business owners can benefit from hiring an e-commerce specialist.

A developer can help you elevate the design and e-commerce functionality of your site, helping you strengthen your brand and increase sales. Find a talented e-commerce expert with the skills needed to transform your online store through Upwork.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyse and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

Prices are current at the time of writing and may change over time based on each service’s offerings.