OpenCart review (2026): is it any good?
Free open-source shopping cart you host yourself
OpenCart report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for a free PHP store on your own hosting
OpenCart is a free PHP shopping cart with multi-store admin, an unlimited catalog and 36 payment methods built in. You supply and run the hosting, support is sold per job, and many extensions and themes in its marketplace cost extra.
Who OpenCart is for
- Fits if you already have web hosting and want no software fee
- Works for sellers who need several storefronts from one admin
Who OpenCart is not for
- 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
Why OpenCart gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree to download with no monthly fee, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Many marketplace extensions and themes are paid.
- BFree plan and trialA free download with no caps on products or categories. You pay for your own hosting.
- BFeaturesMulti-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.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. You install, update, secure and back up the store yourself, or pay someone to.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, with a marketplace of over 13,000 modules and themes for shipping, payments, marketing and accounting.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OpenCart's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/opencart#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/opencart.svg" alt="OpenCart: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where OpenCart stands among online store builders
OpenCart's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 15 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on features (B, above 18 of 26) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
OpenCart has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 27 online store builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. OpenCart’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 26, level with 16
- BFree plan and trialAbove 14 of 26, level with 12
- BFeaturesAbove 18 of 26, level with 7
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 26, level with 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 26, level with 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 21 online store builders. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep OpenCart, or make your own?
Keep it
OpenCart is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could make
- Digital downloads: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- It plugs into other products, PayPal, Klarna and Authorize.Net among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. OpenCart’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is OpenCart?
OpenCart is a free, open-source shopping cart that you download and run on your own web hosting. It has no monthly fee, handles unlimited products and categories, and can run several stores from one admin. Themes, payment gateways and other add-ons come from its marketplace, which lists over 13,000 modules and themes.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
OpenCart pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, OpenCart is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCart | $0 | Free download with no monthly fees. You supply and pay for your own hosting; paid themes and extensions are optional. |
Read from opencart.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with OpenCart before you buy.
Works with
- PayPal
- Klarna
- Authorize.Net
- Skrill
- SagePay
- First Data
- Amazon Payments
- LiqPay
OpenCart alternatives
- OpenCart vs WooCommerce
Free plan
- OpenCart vs PrestaShop
Free plan · from €24/mo
- OpenCart vs Shopware
Free plan · from €600/mo
- OpenCart vs Ecwid
From $5/mo
Common questions
Does OpenCart have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. OpenCart is listed for Web.
Does OpenCart have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. OpenCart is listed for Web.
Is OpenCart open source?
Yes. OpenCart is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.