{"id":68214,"date":"2023-05-22T03:06:54","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T09:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/?p=68214"},"modified":"2023-05-22T03:06:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T09:06:55","slug":"opencart-vs-shopify-head-to-head-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/opencart-vs-shopify-head-to-head-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenCart vs Shopify – Head-to-Head Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know that ecommerce sales are predicted to grow by 10.4%<\/a> in 2023? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now really is the best time to kickstart your online business<\/strong>! An issue you\u2019ll encounter fairly quickly, however, is finding the right ecommerce platform for your goals. With an abundance of options on the market, finding a suitable one can be challenging.
To help you out, we\u2019ll take a look at two of the most popular platforms – OpenCart vs Shopify<\/strong>. We\u2019ll discuss the pros, cons, and everything in between to see which shopping cart can fit your business better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is OpenCart?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"OpenCart<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

OpenCart is an open-source ecommerce platform<\/strong>, used by 0.8%<\/a> of websites worldwide. It allows users to manage multiple online businesses via a single backend<\/strong>. The platform is also mobile-friendly<\/strong>, enabling admins to deal with every aspect of their store on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being open-source means that you\u2019ll have to do some of the heavy lifting, like finding a hosting server <\/strong>and setting up a database<\/strong>. On the bright side – this all gives you more control<\/strong> over your store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is OpenCart\u2019s main benefit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s free<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platform is great for small to medium-sized businesses<\/strong>. It has all the necessary features to help you scale your store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Shopify?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"OpenCart<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shopify is maybe the most popular SaaS<\/strong> (software-as-a-service) in the ecommerce world. It is currently used by 4.15 million businesses<\/a>. The solution can handle all types of stores – from small to large scale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopify provides users with an all-in-one platform<\/strong>, that allows them to build a store and sell in multiple locations. It\u2019s cloud-based<\/strong> so it can be accessed from different devices, no matter your location. It\u2019s also hosted<\/strong>, which means that once you create an account – the software is set on Shopify\u2019s servers<\/strong> and the company keeps it running for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not free, Shopify does offer a trial period – three days<\/strong>. It also allows interested parties to dabble for three months for only $1\/month<\/strong> on select plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OpenCart vs. Shopify<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"OpenCart<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ease of Use<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shopify is fairly straightforward to use. You just need to provide an email, password, <\/strong>and store name<\/strong>. Once that\u2019s set up – you\u2019ll be taken to your <\/strong>admin dashboard and you can start configuring your store. The platform is very intuitive and even a complete beginner will get the hang of it pretty quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OpenCart is a completely different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


First, you\u2019ll need to <\/strong>purchase a domain name and web hosting<\/strong>. You\u2019ll then need to create a database<\/strong> via open-source administration, install the platform<\/strong>, and set up the store all on your own<\/strong>. That does require some coding skills or hiring an expert, which will cost you extra. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, many hosting providers might offer free OpenCart setup or an autoinstaller for the task. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Features<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to the must-have features, the two ecommerce solutions are pretty much equal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td>OpenCart<\/strong><\/td>Shopify<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Admin dashboard<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Multi-store management<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td>\u2715<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Coupons, discounts, vouchers<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Integrated payment options<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td>\u2715<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
SEO options<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Reports<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Security features<\/strong><\/td>\u2715<\/strong><\/td>\u2713<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both OpenCart and Shopify have an admin panel<\/strong>, which is fairly intuitive. You can easily manage user permissions, extensions, themes, <\/strong>payment gateways<\/strong><\/a>, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of payments, with Shopify you\u2019ll need to get the Payments addon<\/strong> in order to offer credit or debit cards for your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An OpenCart installation gives you access to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n