OpenCart
OpenCart is free, open-source software for managing one or more online stores.
What OpenCart is
OpenCart is free, open-source software for managing one or more online stores. Its admin dashboard brings together orders, sales, customers, people online, and sales analytics, while one interface can manage multiple stores with separate themes, localized settings, and per-store product prices. Stores can have unlimited categories and products, including downloadable items. Customer tools include reviews and ratings, reward points, filters, multiple currencies, and support for more than 40 languages. Shoppers can check out as guests or registered users. OpenCart lists 36 integrated payment methods, with more available through its marketplace, and shipping integrations including Australia Post, FedEx, Royal Mail, UPS, and USPS. The marketplace offers more than 13,000 modules and themes. An API allows third-party applications to communicate with a store; the software also describes itself as SEO friendly. Users can set up their own backups and restorations. OpenCart has no monthly fees. For self-hosting, the listed minimum requirements include a web server, PHP, cURL, and a database. Support options include a community forum and dedicated commercial technical support.
Good
- Free download and updates, with no monthly fees.
- One admin interface manages multiple stores.
- Supports downloadable products and unlimited catalog entries.
- Marketplace offers more than 13,000 modules and themes.
- Includes an API and user-managed backups.
Watch out
- Self-hosting requires a web server, PHP, cURL, and a database.
- No abandoned cart recovery.
Who it suits
OpenCart suits store operators who want to manage one or multiple stores and configure catalogs, checkout, and integrations. Self-hosters need to provide the listed server and software requirements.
Verdict
OpenCart combines multi-store administration with a large marketplace and a broad set of catalog and checkout features. Account for the self-hosting requirements and the lack of abandoned cart recovery when evaluating it.
Plans and prices
From OpenCart's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCart | Free | Open-source store software · free download and updates · no monthly fees |
| OpenCart open-source download | Free | Unlimited categories and products · self-hosted installation · no monthly fees |
The facts
Each one read from OpenCart's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Nochecked 20 Sep 2026
- Admin dashboard
- The administrator dashboard summarizes orders, sales, customers, online visitors and analytics through widgets.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Affiliate marketing
- A built-in affiliate system tracks referrals, supports percentage commissions and offers cheque, PayPal or bank-transfer payouts.checked 21 Oct 2026
- API
- OpenCart has an API that lets third-party applications communicate with a store.checked 8 Oct 2026
- API and architecture
- OpenCart uses an MVC-L architecture and exposes an API for third-party applications to communicate with a store.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Backup and restore
- The administration area includes tools to create and restore store backups.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Backups
- The features page says users can set up their own backups and restorations.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Catalog
- The product page states that stores can have unlimited categories and products, and can sell downloadable products.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Checkout and SEO
- The software provides guest and registered-user checkout and describes itself as SEO friendly.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Currencies and languages
- OpenCart supports automatic currency-rate updates, multiple tax settings and more than 40 languages, including right-to-left languages.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Customer features
- The software includes product reviews and ratings, reward points, filters, multiple currencies and support for more than 40 languages.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Developer documentation
- Official documentation covers installation, administration, catalog, extensions, sales, systems, reports and a developer guide with coding standards, database schema, extensions, events, startups, tasks and cron jobs.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Digital products
- Merchants can upload downloadable products and set their selling price.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Discounts and coupons
- Core merchandising includes discounts, coupons and special prices.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Extensions
- The marketplace offers more than 13,000 modules and themes, including service integrations, payment providers and conversion modules.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Extensions marketplace
- The official marketplace advertises more than 13,000 modules and themes covering integrations, payments, shipping, marketing, accounting, reporting and language packs.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Hosting model
- hostedchecked 20 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- App marketplace
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
The company
- Company founding and headquarters
- LinkedIn lists OpenCart as founded in 2005, headquartered in Hong Kong and privately held.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company history
- The company page says OpenCart was registered as a business in Hong Kong in June 2012 and that version 0.3 was released in 2006.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Company incorporation
- A Hong Kong company directory records Opencart Limited as incorporated on May 8, 2012, with live status.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company legal identity
- Crunchbase lists the legal name as Opencart Holding Ltd and identifies Daniel Kerr as owner and founder and Andy Tsang as co-founder.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists OpenCart's company size as 11–50 employees.checked 21 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
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