E-commerce platforms are one of the most important things you need to consider before opening an online store. eCommerce platforms provide you with the necessary features to start your online business, such as shopping cart, payment solution, shipping methods, and much more.
Every business is going online and the competition is tough. To stand out, you need to be well-versed in the operations and development of eCommerce platforms. eCommerce platforms are jam-packed with amazing features that can confuse beginners and non-developers at first. Among the best eCommerce platforms, WooCommerce and OpenCart are considered to be accessible, user-friendly, and overall cheaper.
WooCommerce vs OpenCart? There are many factors to consider before making a decision and thus we have compared both eCommerce platforms on various aspects to see which one is better.
WooCommerce vs OpenCart: Overview
WordPress is the most popular Content Management System and WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress that converts WordPress sites into online stores. It is an open-source and free platform which is the best option for beginners and those who are familiar with WordPress. WooCommerce easily integrates with plugins and extensions to add functionality to your website and improve scalability. It is filled with unlimited themes designed specifically for WooCommerce, although it can work with any third-party themes, plugins, and products as well.
It is a flexible and customizable platform and is suitable for all sizes of businesses.
OpenCart is another open-source eCommerce platform and is older than WooCommerce. It is suitable for beginners as it has an intuitive interface that allows you to set up eCommerce features easily. OpenCart also consists of many plugins and extensions but the number is sufficiently lesser than WooCommerce. It supports multi-store channels and allows you to easily manage them in one place. You also don’t need to have a website before using OpenCart, unlike WooCommerce. Although it is a robust and easy platform, it lacks in performance, customization, and variety.
You can check out both on the official websites:
1. WooCommerce
2. OpenCart
Pros And Cons
WooCommerce
Pros
- Open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress.
- Improved performance and functionality of WordPress is integrated.
- Suitable for all sizes of businesses.
- Unlimited plugins and extensions available.
- Integrates easily with third-party plugins.
- Supports 100+ payment gateways.
- SEO-optimized.
- Numerous themes and designs are available.
- Easy to install and set up.
- Available for free.
Cons
- Need to have a WordPress website.
- Steep learning curve.
OpenCart
Pros
- Open-source eCommerce platform.
- Available for free.
- Does not require a website.
- User-friendly set up.
- Interactive interface.
- Suitable for beginners and non-developers.
- Excellent customer service.
- Suitable for small to medium-sized business.
Cons
- Fewer plugins and extensions option.
- Lacks in performance.
- Rigid in customization.
WooCommerce vs Shopify might be something you’re looking for.
WooCommerce vs OpenCart: Let’s Compare The Fundamentals
1. Ease of Use
WooCommerce is considered the most user-friendly eCommerce platform. It is easy to install and consists of a Setup Wizard that guides you step-by-step. If you already have a WordPress website, then learning WooCommerce will be a breeze. All operations and statistics are updated on the WordPress admin dashboard. It is also easy to scale up with unlimited extensions and plugins, without affecting performance.
OpenCart is also an open-source eCommerce platform, which means it is available for free installation. It is also easy to set up and create. It has an interactive interface that lets you manage your store, although a steep learning curve is prominently displayed. Product management and statistics are harder to understand initially. It also lacks the degree of customization provided by WooCommerce.
Therefore, WooCommerce is considered an easier platform for beginners and developers alike, as it has more capacity for customization and scaleup.
2. Customer Service
Both WooCommerce and OpenCart provide similar customer support. You can find detailed guides and documentation on the installation and setup of various plugins and extensions. In case of any troubleshooting, you can put forward your queries on community forums. Customer support is also dependent on your hosting providers.
In the case of WooCommerce, you can easily find experts whereas for OpenCart, finding professional help will be harder and will cost you money.
3. Pricing
WooCommerce is a free and self-hosted plugin for WordPress. Thus, you need to pay for domain, hosting, and SSL certificates to start creating your website. WooCommerce offers basic features such as premade themes, free plugins, payment gateways, etc to kickstart your online project. Although if you want to add advanced features, you need to buy premium plugins available in the WordPress directory or by third-party sources.
OpenCart is similar in this regard. It also provides basic out-of-the-box features, but to upgrade, you need to spend money on premium extensions.
WooCommerce vs OpenCart in pricing? It will be a tie, although WooCommerce offers more free options than OpenCart in themes, plugins, and extensions.
4. Payment Options
WooCommerce supports 100+ payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, eWAY, Braintree, Payfast, etc. WooCommerce does not charge any fee per transaction of its own. It also allows multiple payment methods such as cash, major credit and debit cards, bank transfer, and digital credit. It also supports recurring payments and refunds with the help of extensions.
OpenCart supports 20+ payment gateways such as 2CHECKOUT, Authorize.Net, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Skrill, etc. It also supports 8+ shipping methods.
In terms of payment options, WooCommerce is the clear winner. It has more variety than OpenCart in both payment gateways and shipping modules.
We have compiled a list of Best WooCommerce Payment Gateways For You.
5. Integrations
WooCommerce is built upon the strong core of WordPress and thus enjoys its added functionality and performance. With WooCommerce, integration with plugins and extensions is very easy and seamless. It is also mobile-optimized and works well on all other devices as well. Once you get used to it, you can scale up your online store as much as you want.
OpenCart is a standalone eCommerce platform and also offers easy integration with plugins and extensions. Although, it is not mobile optimized and doesn’t work on iPhones or iPads.
Overall, both WooCommerce and OpenCart are flexible eCommerce solutions and offer easy integrations, but in terms of options, WooCommerce wins again.
6. Security
Security should be your top-most priority when opening an online store. Having security measures like SSL certificates in place lets your customers know that it is a safe and secure platform. Let’s see what WooCommerce and OpenCart offer in this regard.
WooCommerce has no built-in security measures in place. Moreover, WordPress is a popular forum and thus is the target of many hackers. Therefore, WooCommerce consists of many plugins and extensions that can provide you with SSL certificates, PCI compliance, login authentication, URL customization, and much more.
OpenCart is also similar in this regard, although it does have PCI compliance built-in, which means your customers’ payment information will be protected.
7. Features
WooCommerce is a platform that offers more than 50,000 plugins and extensions, both paid and free. WooCommerce enables you to manage your online store from an intuitive admin dashboard along with statistical analysis. These plugins and extensions are associated with social integration, product listing, shipping and taxes, payment gateways, social proof, notifications, etc. With WooCommerce, you can enjoy unlimited product types, categories, CMS features, and much more.
OpenCart offers multiple store channels, unlimited products, multiple currencies and languages, and tax plugins. But in terms of other advanced features, OpenCart lacks the variety in extensions. It has limited payment and shipping options and thus is difficult to scale up.
WooCommerce is the ultimate winner here, with unlimited plugins and extensions for every possible eCommerce feature.
8. Customization
Both WooCommerce vs OpenCart are open-source eCommerce platforms and allow room for customization but there is a difference.
WooCommerce is a completely customizable platform and is suitable for beginners as well. It is easy to customize and scale WooCommerce-specific extensions with just a few clicks. Whereas, OpenCart is a bit rigid in its operation. It is not beginner-friendly and you need professional help to customize and scale your online business.
Therefore, we have to side with WooCommerce here as it offers unlimited options with easy customization.
9. Themes and Design
WooCommerce offers thousands of premade themes and designs, both free and paid. With WooCommerce, you also enjoy the added functionality of WordPress and thus can also use themes made for it. You can find unlimited themes at Themeforest and WooThemes. There is a theme available for every type of product. You can also customize the themes according to your style.
OpenCart also offers a wide range of themes and designs on its marketplace and Themeforest. But when it comes to customization, OpenCart is a lot rigid. It is not beginner-friendly and thus developers are required to create changes in themes.
Want to check out the best themes for WooCommerce?
10. SEO
To rank higher in search engines, you need appropriate SEO tools. Luckily, WooCommerce is linked with WordPress and thus enjoys CMS benefits. You can also add meta descriptions, text on images, and optimization of keywords with the help of SEO plugins, such as Yoast SEO.
OpenCart also enables you to add meta descriptions, titles, and keyword optimization. But further customization requires expert coding help, which might cost you extra.
Conclusion
WooCommerce vs OpenCart are ideal eCommerce platforms for creating an online store. WooCommerce is powered on WordPress and thus offers enhanced functionality, performance, and accessibility. With WooCommerce, the possibilities are endless with unlimited plugins and extensions. It is also a fully customizable and affordable platform. It is user and developer-friendly and thus is the perfect choice for all types and sizes of businesses.
OpenCart is a standalone eCommerce platform and does not require you to have a website beforehand. It also has numerous plugins and extensions available but the variety is nowhere near as WooCommerce. It also lacks in performance and scalability.
Thus, WooCommerce is a better and easier option for online stores. It is easy to install, set up, and customize. It is also perfect for people who are already familiar with WordPress. But, the final decision depends on your experience, convenience, and usability. Just make sure that the platform you choose should be able to scale up in the future easily.
