Why OpenCart?
OpenCart (opens in a new tab) is an open-source self-hosted e-commerce solution - which means that it is entirely free to use it, and you get to have sole ownership of the code that you deploy. Other than your usual costs for server and domain, you do not have to pay any other fees for using OpenCart, unlike other subscription-based and/or cloud-based platforms like Shopify (opens in a new tab) and BigCommerce (opens in a new tab).
If you prefer to have someone else to take care of the technical work for you, OpenCart Cloud (opens in a new tab) is also available.
Pros / Advantages
- It's free to use!
- Relatively easy to setup compared since OpenCart is built using PHP and should work with almost any VPS servers out-of-the-box
- Easy to customize for your business requirements
- Large community of developers and users - the OpenCart Forum (opens in a new tab) is regularly updated with posts and replies by community members
- Huge range of plugins/extensions available in OpenCart's Marketplace (opens in a new tab)
- Multi-lingual and multi-currency support by default
- Built-in multi-store feature
Cons / Disadvantages
- Requires some technical know-how to get it set up (but still easier than most of the other self-hosted solutions out there)
- Extension Marketplace does not have any vetting process
- Limited options for themes and templates
- Just like any other self-hosted solutions, maintenance of your server and website will have to be done by you
- Uses older technologies like PHP and jQuery compared to other platforms
Alternatives
There are many other open-source e-commerce solutions out there! Below is a list of some of the more popular ones available out there:
Medusa.js
Medusa.js (opens in a new tab) is a modern open-source e-commerce platform built on Node.js and React. Compared to other platforms out there, Medusa.js is one of the newest players in the game but is already the most popular open-source e-commerce project on GitHub (based on number of stars).
It is a headless e-commerce solution - which allows you to choose whichever framework you prefer for your store's frontend.
Some of the businesses using Medusa.js include Mitsubushi Netherlands (opens in a new tab), Tekla (opens in a new tab), and Good Chef (opens in a new tab).
PrestaShop
Just like OpenCart, PrestaShop (opens in a new tab) is also an open-source e-commerce solution that is built with PHP.
WooCommerce
One of the most popular open-source e-commerce solutions out there, WooCommerce (opens in a new tab) is a Wordpress-based platform
Sylius
Sylius (opens in a new tab) is another PHP-based open-source e-commerce solution, and is also a headless e-commerce platform, which also means that you have the freedom to choose whichever framework you want for your store's frontend.
Vendure
Another headless e-commerce platform, Vendure (opens in a new tab) is more developer-focused and built with Node.js, GraphQL, Nest, and TypeScript.