OpenCart vs Zen Cart (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenCart grades higher than Zen Cart: 2.4 against 2.0 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 and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 Zen Cart if
- Fits if you're comfortable installing PHP software and want a free cart
- Works for people who want the source code and don't mind forum support
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted store that someone else keeps patched
- Not for you if you need paid support, as the pages list only community forums
- Watch out: the project's own guide tells owners to secure the site for PCI themselves
- Watch out: version 3.0 is in development, so the current release may differ from what we read
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAOpenCartFair | 2.0GPAZen CartFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CFree to download, but only free if you host it, which means paying for a server. That puts it in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free download with no caps on products or categories. You pay for your own hosting. | BNo cap on the software and no ads, but hosting is on you and there's no hosted trial. |
| 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-function cart with a PCI-certified version on offer. No built-in marketplace, subscriptions or headless side is listed. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install, update, secure and back up the store yourself, or pay someone to. | DNo rating on record. You install it from a zip on your own server and look after it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with a marketplace of over 13,000 modules and themes for shipping, payments, marketing and accounting. | CWeb only, with open code on GitHub. No apps and no integration list. |
| Best for | a free PHP store on your own hosting | self-hosted PHP shops run by someone who likes to tinker |
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 Zen Cart. How we grade
Price against what you get
OpenCart has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zen Cart has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
OpenCart scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other online store builders on the chart, none scores higher than OpenCart for less, and none scores higher than Zen Cart 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
| OpenCart | Zen Cart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | OpenCart | Zen Cart |
| Price read from | opencart.com | raw.githubusercontent.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.
Zen Cart
- You provide the web server, and the project's own guide tells owners to secure the site for PCI compliance themselves.
- Support is community-driven through forums, with no paid plan listed in the pages we read.
- The project's own site was behind a bot check when we read it, so details here come from its GitHub readme.
- Version 3.0 is in development, so the current release and upgrade path may differ from the pages we read.
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.
Zen Cart
- Full-function shopping cart
- The project describes Zen Cart as a full-function ecommerce application for a website, with storefront and admin back end.
- PA-DSS certified version
- The project says version 1.5.4 was PA-DSS certified, and later releases build on it with PHP 8 updates.
- Self-installed from a zip
- The install is a download, an upload to a web server and a browser-based setup that asks a few questions.
- Community support
- Free community-driven support runs on the project's forums, with an implementation guide and online documentation.
- Open code on GitHub
- Source code, issues and pull requests are public, and developers can fork the repository to contribute.
Plans
OpenCart
OpenCart$0
Free download with no monthly fees. You supply and pay for your own hosting; paid themes and extensions are optional.
Zen Cart
Zen Cart$0
Free and open-source software that you download and install on your own server; hosting is your own cost.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenCart or Zen Cart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both OpenCart and Zen Cart are free to use.
Which has a free plan, OpenCart or Zen Cart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both OpenCart and Zen Cart 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.