OpenCart and WooCommerce are both popular open-source e-commerce platforms. The main reason behind their popularity is mainly the reason they are fairly simple to use even for regular users but can be extensively reworked by developers. And most of all – being open-source, they are free to use. 

Both OpenCart and WooCommerce are created to provide e-commerce capabilities, no matter the size of the business. But while OpenCart is a open-source standalone solution, WooCommerce is an open-source plugin for WordPress. Both platforms are famous for their user-friendliness and offer extreme customization capabilities, as well as a lot of themes that can be used for adjusting the website layout. 

But which one offers better services for online stores – and which one to choose? Read on as we give you the main differences between OpenCart and WooCommerce. 

Setting Up

The setup process for both platforms is really simple and straightforward – it only takes a few steps through the installation wizard. OpenCart provides a manual setup option though, which is great for additional customization but suitable only for advanced users. 

The dashboards of both platforms are well-structured and simple, but overall OpenCart wins when it comes to setting up because of the versatile approach it offers. For non-coders, the installation is really easy thanks to the single click script installer, and developers can use the manual option and have more flexibility. 

Online Store Design 

Design is fairly easy and convenient as both OpenCart and WooCommerce offer plenty of free and paid themes that can be used for development. If you are using WooCommerce, you can also acquire themes through WordPress, while OpenCart offers compatible themes in third-party websites. There is also the possibility of working with open-source code on both platforms to further customize the appearance. 

But overall, WooCommerce provides a more intuitive and much simpler design process with numerous customizable themes. 

Customization 

Because both WooCommerce and OpenCart are supported by numerous developers worldwide, there are plenty of effective extensions for customization – not only on their individual marketplaces but on other websites as well. 

And since both platforms provide programming documentation, there is the possibility to configure your online store even further. WooCommerce wins in this category simply because it is easier to customize and the whole process is more intuitive. 

Store Management

OpenCart and WooCommerce provide support for all primary processes when it comes to e-commerce – from inventory management, sales tracking, order fulfillment, payment processing, reporting, marketing, and much more. And thanks to the versatile open-source coding, you can adjust the processes further. 

When it comes to store management, both platforms offer the same level of functionalities, so there is no way to say which one is better – this one is simply a tie. 

Pricing 

Being open-source, you will not pay for using OpenCart or WooCommerce. But there will be charges involved in creating and running your online store – these include domain registration, hosting, premium themes and extensions, payment processing options, as well as various plugins you might need to provide different functionalities on your website.