OpenCart vs Smartstore (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenCart grades higher than Smartstore: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 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.
Smartstore
Open-source ASP.NET Core commerce platform for B2C and B2B shops
Free plan
Which one is for you
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
Pick Smartstore if
- Fits if you have a developer and want an open-source shop on .NET
- Works for German-market sellers who want German-first documentation
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you cannot run a server, as the free edition is self-hosted
- Not for you if you need AI tools or search out of the box, as they are paid
- Watch out: paid editions are quoted by sales and show no price
- Watch out: the English site is a translation of a German-first one
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAOpenCartFair | 2.2GPASmartstoreFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CThe Community Edition is free but needs a server, which makes it a C. Paid editions show no price. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free download with no caps on products or categories. You pay for your own hosting. | BOpen source with unlimited products, multishop and multilanguage, if you can host it. A trial of the paid editions is offered, with no length stated. |
| Features | 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. | CA full shop core, page builder and B2B tools, but AI tools, Mega Search and CSV or XML export are in the paid editions. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install, update, secure and back up the store yourself, or pay someone to. | DNo store rating on record. You install and host it yourself, so someone must run the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with a marketplace of over 13,000 modules and themes for shipping, payments, marketing and accounting. | BWeb, with seven listed integrations and an API. |
| Best for | a free PHP store on your own hosting | a self-hosted .NET shop |
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: OpenCart and Smartstore. How we grade
Where they differ
- OpenCart also covers digital downloads.
- Smartstore also covers inventory.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableOnline store
At a glance
| OpenCart | Smartstore | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Community Edition: open source, unlimited products, multishop, multilanguage, responsive Flex theme and SEO features. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; the page does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| Made by | OpenCart | SmartStore AG |
| Price read from | opencart.com | smartstore.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Smartstore
- Paid editions show no prices; each one is quoted by sales.
- You install and host it yourself unless you take the rental option, so someone must run the server.
- AI tools, Mega Search and export features sit in the paid editions, not the free one.
- The website and much of its documentation lead with German; the English site is a translation.
Key features
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.
Smartstore
- Open-source core
- The source code is on GitHub, and the free Community Edition has no product limit.
- Multishop and multilanguage
- Run several shops, brands and languages from one installation, with currencies and taxes managed centrally.
- Page Builder
- Pages, menus and shopping experiences are laid out visually with drag and drop, through a Page Builder plugin and a Menu Builder.
- B2B tools
- The Enterprise B2B Edition lists cart approval, budget limits, sales representative support and PunchOut via OCI and cXML.
- Data exchange
- A REST API plus OCI, cXML, BMEcat and OpenTrans connect the shop to other systems; import and export are built in.
- Built-in AI
- AI features for texts, images and translations are listed from the Premium Edition up.
Plans
OpenCart
OpenCart$0
Free download with no monthly fees. You supply and pay for your own hosting; paid themes and extensions are optional.
Smartstore
Community Edition$0
Open-source download that you host yourself, with unlimited products, multishop and multilanguage.
Premium EditionCustom
Adds AI tools, Mega Search, media manager, CSV/XML export, OpenTrans and BMEcat; no price shown, also offered as a rental.
Enterprise B2C EditionCustom
Adds webfarm support, Redis, Lucene-based search, customer-specific prices and 24/7 support. Price on request.
Enterprise B2B EditionCustom
Adds direct order, cart approval, budget limits, PunchOut via OCI and cXML, and order management. Price on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenCart or Smartstore?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenCart is free, and Smartstore publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, OpenCart or Smartstore?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both OpenCart and Smartstore 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.