SHOPIFY VS OPENCART: WHICH IS THE BETTER ECOMMERCE PLATFORM IN 2023?

4 min readAug 11, 2023

Deciding between Shopify vs OpenCart for your business can be a difficult decision due to the distinct strengths and weaknesses of each platform. While OpenCart is outstanding as one of the best open-source eCommerce solutions, Shopify boasts the top position amongst hosted website builders. Each serves its own purpose and must be carefully considered in order to make sure you’re making the most beneficial choice for your business. Therefore, in this article, we’ll compare the features and benefits of each platform, so you can make an informative decision on which one is right for you.

Shopify vs OpenCart: An Overall Introduction

Shopify

Shopify is a leading cloud-based eCommerce platform that enables businesses of all sizes to create an online store and sell their products. With Shopify, merchants can create professional-looking websites with minimal technical knowledge because it provides a range of tools and features to help them manage their online stores. Till now, more than 4.4 million websites across 175 countries over the world have their stores empowered by Shopify.

One of the biggest advantages of using Shopify is that it is a fully-hosted solution, which means that Shopify takes care of the technical aspects of running your online store including server maintenance, security updates, and software updates. As a result, you can focus on growing your business rather than worrying about the technical details. Moreover, it also offers a wide range of customization options, hundreds of pre-designed templates, and themes.

OpenCart

OpenCart is an open-source eCommerce platform that allows merchants to create online stores and sell products. With OpenCart, you have more control over your website design and functionality. This means that you can customize your website to meet your specific requirements, and you have access to the source code.

One of the main advantages of using OpenCart is that it is a free platform, which can be particularly appealing to small businesses with limited budgets. OpenCart also has a range of features and tools to help merchants manage their online stores. However, keep in mind that there is a good deal of effort required to fully customize the store and it may seem more complicated than doing so on Shopify.

Shopify vs OpenCart: Detailed Comparison

Pricing

When it comes to succeeding in eCommerce, cost should not be the only factor you consider when selecting your platform. Nonetheless, maintaining a budget is necessary, and thankfully Shopify vs OpenCart offer competitive costs that can match any need or purpose.

Shopify Pricing Plans

Shopify offers a variety of pricing plans to fit different business needs. You can pick a free trial to experience and evaluate this platform if it’s the right choice for your business. After this free period, they offer a basic plan which starts at $29/month and includes all the essential features to get your online store up and running.

As you move up to the higher-tier plans, you get access to more advanced features such as gift cards, abandoned cart recovery, and professional reports. Their most expensive plan, the Advanced Shopify plan, costs $299/month and includes all the features of the lower-tier plans, plus additional benefits such as advanced report building and third-party calculated shipping rates. All of these plans come with a domain name, SSL license, and web hosting already included, unlike open-source platforms.

Notably, to meet the demand of expanding your online presence, Shopify Plus is developed and designed for large-scale enterprises with costs of more than $2000. And the more you continue to grow, the need for additional third-party applications and add-ons will become increasingly essential. Unfortunately, these purchases can quickly start becoming pricey.

OpenCart Pricing

OpenCart is a free open-source platform. This means that the software itself is completely free to use, and you won’t have to pay anything to get started. This can be a great option for small businesses or startups that are looking to minimize their expenses. OpenCart’s marketplace offers more than 13,000 extensions, both free and charged. If you need additional features or functions, be prepared to invest in your business.

Although this eCommerce platform is free, you’ll still need to pay for hosting, domain name, and any third-party plugins or themes that you might want to use. To get started, an OpenCart site will cost you a minimum of $4/month for web hosting. As your business grows, these fees can increase significantly. When it comes to customizing the website and taking advantage of powerful plugins and add-ons, expect to pay one-time or annual fees that range from as low as $10 up to $489. Regular themes may come at a cost between$16 — $999 (OpenCart themes). If you want comprehensive customization exclusive to your brand, that’s when hiring a developer becomes necessary.