Aimeos vs OpenCart (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Aimeos and OpenCart share a 2.4 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Aimeos if
- Fits if you are a PHP or Laravel developer who wants to extend a store in code
- Works for agencies building shops for clients without per-store license fees
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted store builder, as the core is a developer framework
- Skip it if you will not maintain hosting, updates and security yourself
- Too light for support unless you pay, since enterprise and long-term support have no listed price
- Watch out: it runs only on PHP, as a Laravel package or TYPO3 extension
Pick OpenCart if
- Fits if you already have web hosting and want no software fee
- Works for sellers who need several storefronts from one admin
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted store, as you run it yourself
- Pricey if you need help: a version update starts at $300, a bug fix at $100 and a backup is $50
- Watch out: extensions and themes come from third parties, and many cost extra
- Skip it if you want the hosted OpenCart Cloud priced up front, as that goes through ScalaHosting
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAAimeosFair | 2.4GPAOpenCartFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe packages are free but you host and run them, and the ladder treats self-hosted software as ordinary value. | CFree to download with no monthly fee, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Many marketplace extensions and themes are paid. |
| Free plan and trial | BOpen source and free for commercial use with no recurring license fee. You still pay for your own hosting. | BA free download with no caps on products or categories. You pay for your own hosting. |
| Features | BLaravel and TYPO3 packages, headless APIs, B2B and wholesale, marketplaces and multi-tenancy. Nothing in the listing is missing from a store's job, though there is no hosted builder. | BMulti-store admin, an unlimited catalog, 36 payment methods, multi-currency, 40+ languages, coupons and an affiliate system. The listing shows no gap in the core store job. |
| Ease of use | DInstalled with Composer and run on your own hosting, with updates and security on you. No store rating is on record. | DNo store rating on record. You install, update, secure and back up the store yourself, or pay someone to. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Laravel, TYPO3, Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, Adyen and Elasticsearch. It runs only on PHP. | BWeb, with a marketplace of over 13,000 modules and themes for shipping, payments, marketing and accounting. |
| Best for | PHP and Laravel teams building a store in code | a free PHP store on your own hosting |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Aimeos and OpenCart. How we grade
Price against what you get
Aimeos has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. OpenCart has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other online store builders on the chart, none scores higher than Aimeos for less, and none scores higher than OpenCart for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableOnline storeDigital downloads
At a glance
| Aimeos | OpenCart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The core packages are open source and free for commercial use, with no recurring license fees, according to the vendor. You host and run it yourself. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Aimeos GmbH | OpenCart |
| Price read from | aimeos.org | opencart.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Aimeos
- It is a developer framework installed with Composer; there is no hosted store builder in the core product.
- You provide and maintain hosting, updates and security yourself.
- Enterprise support and long-term support are sold through Aimeos, and the page names no price for them.
- It runs only on PHP, as a Laravel package or TYPO3 extension.
OpenCart
- You install, update, secure and back up the store yourself or pay a host or partner to do it.
- Dedicated support is sold per job: a version update starts at $300, a bug fix at $100 and a one-time backup is $50.
- OpenCart Cloud, the hosted option, is signed up for through ScalaHosting, whose pricing is not recorded here.
- Extensions and themes come from third parties in the marketplace, and many cost extra.
Key features
Aimeos
- Laravel and TYPO3 packages
- Installs with Composer as a standalone Laravel shop, into an existing Laravel project, as a headless back end, or as a TYPO3 extension.
- Headless APIs
- JSON:API and GraphQL endpoints let a Next.js, Nuxt, Vue, React or PWA front end sit on top.
- B2B and wholesale
- Custom price lists, volume discounts, quote workflows, punchout and ERP integrations and company hierarchies.
- Marketplaces and multi-tenancy
- Multi-vendor portals, regional storefronts and multi-warehouse setups in one installation via a sites extension.
- Product types
- Configurable variants, bundles, digital downloads, event bookings, vouchers and subscriptions with recurring billing.
- Payments and shipping
- Over 100 payment gateways through the Omnipay library, including Stripe, PayPal, Mollie and Adyen, plus configurable shipping and tax rules.
OpenCart
- Multi-store admin
- Several stores can be managed from one admin screen, each with its own theme, localized settings and per-store product prices.
- Unlimited catalog
- No cap on products or categories, with product options and attributes, filters, reviews and ratings, reward points and downloadable products.
- Payments and currencies
- 36 payment methods ship with it, including PayPal, Klarna and Authorize.Net, plus recurring payments and multi-currency pricing with automatic rate updates.
- Languages
- Available in more than 40 languages, including right-to-left ones such as Arabic and Hebrew.
- Marketplace and extensions
- A marketplace of over 13,000 modules and themes covers shipping, payments, marketing, accounting and reporting.
- Built-in marketing tools
- Coupons, discounts and specials, an affiliate system with set commission percentages, and a newsletter signup are part of the core software.
Plans
Aimeos
Open source$0
Core Aimeos packages for Laravel, TYPO3 or headless use, installed with Composer and hosted by you.
OpenCart
OpenCart$0
Free download with no monthly fees. You supply and pay for your own hosting; paid themes and extensions are optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Aimeos or OpenCart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Aimeos and OpenCart are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Aimeos or OpenCart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Aimeos and OpenCart have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.