nopCommerce vs OpenCart (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenCart grades higher than nopCommerce: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
OpenCart grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick nopCommerce if
- Fits if your team works in .NET and wants the source code
- Works for agencies building custom stores from plugins and themes
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted store, as no hosted plan is listed
- Skip it if you can't run servers: install, updates and security are yours
- Watch out: premium support and the Web API plugin are paid, with prices not published
- Watch out: the project's own site blocked our check, so these facts come from its GitHub README
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
| 2.2GPAnopCommerceFair | 2.4GPAOpenCartFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Premium support and the Web API plugin are sold separately, with prices we couldn't read. | 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 | BFree and open source with no sales or product caps. You pay for hosting, and there's no hosted trial. | BA free download with no caps on products or categories. You pay for your own hosting. |
| Features | CRuns on .NET with a choice of SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL, web farm support, plugins, themes and multi-factor sign-in. The REST API is a separate plugin. | 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 | DNo store rating on record. You install, host, update and secure it yourself, which assumes technical skill. | DNo store rating on record. You install, update, secure and back up the store yourself, or pay someone to. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, running on Windows, Linux or Mac with Docker. A plugin and theme marketplace and a REST plugin connect other services. | BWeb, with a marketplace of over 13,000 modules and themes for shipping, payments, marketing and accounting. |
| Best for | a free .NET store you host yourself | 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: nopCommerce and OpenCart. How we grade
Price against what you get
nopCommerce has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. OpenCart has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
OpenCart scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other online store builders on the chart, none scores higher than nopCommerce 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
- OpenCart also covers digital downloads.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableOnline store
At a glance
| nopCommerce | OpenCart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | nopCommerce | OpenCart |
| Price read from | github.com | opencart.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
nopCommerce
- There is no hosted plan on the pages read; you arrange hosting, installation, updates and security yourself.
- Premium support and the Web API plugin are separate paid products whose prices were not readable.
- The nopCommerce site and its documentation answered with a bot check, so facts here come from the project's GitHub README.
- The README says the core team gives professional support within 24 hours and has developed the product since 2008.
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
nopCommerce
- Runs where you choose
- Runs on .NET 10 on Windows, Linux or Mac, with Docker support and a choice of Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL databases.
- Web farm support
- The README says it works across web farms and Azure, with all methods asynchronous, for stores that need to scale across servers.
- Plugins and themes
- A pluggable architecture and a marketplace for themes, plugins and integrations. Developers can write their own and sell them there.
- Web API plugin
- A REST plugin from the nopCommerce team covers backend and frontend methods, for connecting third-party services or mobile apps. It comes with source code.
- Multi-factor sign-in
- Multi-factor authentication is built in, alongside a store demo with both the customer front end and the admin area to try before installing.
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
nopCommerce
nopCommerce$0
Free, open-source software that you host and run yourself. Premium support, plugins and themes are priced separately.
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, nopCommerce or OpenCart?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both nopCommerce and OpenCart are free to use.
Which has a free plan, nopCommerce or OpenCart?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both nopCommerce 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.