Are you thinking about starting an eCommerce business? If yes, you’ve made the right decision as, according to web development stats, it is estimated that 95% of all purchases will be made through eCommerce by 2040.

Online shopping is the new norm, and the market has been flooded with different eCommerce solutions. But selecting the right eCommerce platform that matches your specific requirements is a tough job.

Nowadays, Shopify and OpenCart are the two shopping carts that are extensively used for building an online business. They serve various goals and have their weaknesses and strengths. But which one is right for you? Well, it all depends on your requirements and budget.

Through this article, I will compare Shopify vs OpenCart: which one is better for your business? So, without wasting any more time let’s get into details of these two eCommerce platforms.

What is Opencart?

OpenCart is one of the popular open-source online store management platforms developed in the PHP programming language. Plus, it has a wide array of extensions.

It allows for adding products by using the templated approach and supports multiple languages ​​and currencies. Moreover, it provides excellent site speed thanks to AJAX technology OpenCart stores are running on.

Also, the OpenCart Multi-Store feature enables managing online shops from a single admin panel.

Opencart Functionalities

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Shopify: A Brief Introduction

Shopify is a hosted shopping cart that launches and manages online stores effortlessly. With a customer base, which spans over 1.8 million sites, Shopify is one of the most prominent e-commerce platform players today.

It has become one of the well-known names in the eCommerce sphere as it offers dynamically developed eCommerce solutions. Currently, it powers more than 1 million businesses in 175 countries around the world.

In a nutshell, it will impress you with the most enhanced eCommerce functionality currently offered by a shopping cart.

Perhaps, it is the easiest to use tools to build your online store. It is a full-fledged, hosted solution designed to provide you with everything you need to start selling online.

Shopify Features

Shopify will help you to focus on your business and avoid any technical issues. That’s why the platform has a strong emphasis on marketing and SEO tools.

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Opencart vs Shopify Comparison: Key Differences

Shopify and OpenCart are widely used in the eCommerce market today. These two eCommerce solutions will benefit businesses in any sector. First of all, they provide professional themes and templates.

Secondly, these two platforms can easily enhance the basic eCommerce functionality with the help of various types of extensions.

Yet there are various vital aspects where Shopify and OpenCart differ. Now, it's time to discuss the role and benefits of Shopify and Opencart based on some criteria. Let's dive into the details:

#1 Ease of Use

OpenCart

The OpenCart's slogan which says, "Simple to start. Easy to run" showcase one of the most important benefits it provides. OpenCart suggests a highly intuitive and well-designed interface to its users.

With basic technical knowledge, you will tackle the task of optimizing your website efficiently. OpenCart allows you to operate smoothly and update your OpenCart store using a single admin panel.

Therefore, you do not need to appoint a developer to manage your business. If you have experience with PHP and know the MVC structure well, you can get familiar with the case very quickly, and begin to build extensions and modify themes, respectively.

Shopify

It is a hosted solution that helps you manage your business as all technical aspects are taken care of. Even an eCommerce newbie will find the Shopify drag and drop interface highly intuitive.

Shopify itself provides the software and hosting that is required to launch the website. A variety of simple tools and precise theme edits will transform online store customization into an enjoyable experience.

#2 SEO Capabilities

OpenCart

OpenCart provides a basic set of SEO functionalities; however, there is still a long way to go. By default, the platform does not optimize its site as adequately as it could.

It means that OpenCart cannot perform automatically on search engines in the most pleasant way, like other eCommerce solutions.

Also, OpenCart limits its users to make some critical SEO modifications. On the bright side, there are many extensions available in its market that you can leverage to improve the SEO performance of your site.

Shopify

Shopify comes with robust search engine optimization (SEO) features. This allows designing landing pages for campaigns, which is a significant distinguishing factor from other eCommerce platforms.

You have access to advanced analytics to find out where your customers are coming from. In addition, it also supports friendly URLs, meta descriptions, and automatically generated sitemaps.

If you consider this aspect, Shopify provides more enhanced functionality. According to recent research on the best eCommerce platform for SEO, Shopify got a score of 98.

#3 Cost Analysis

OpenCart

OpenCart is an open-source option, which means that downloading and installing it is entirely free. It is one of the reasonable shopping carts that would be a perfect match for startups and companies with a limited budget.

You can upgrade your OpenCart website without worrying about any monthly or annual fees. Of course, there are 13,000+ OpenCart extensions available in its market, both paid and free.

While the platform is free, keep in mind that you will have to pay for hosting and domain name. However, being a light platform, hosting costs are very cheap.

Otherwise, you can use OpenCart Cloud edition, an eCommerce solution hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) server. The service has three different pricing schemes, ranging from £ 25 - £ 150, as shown below.

(OpenCart Cloud Version)

Shopify

After a 14-day free trial, Shopify will offer you three plans to choose from. Prices start at $ 29 / month for a basic membership. You will get ample of Shopify benefits regardless of whichever plan you want. You will be able to sell unlimited amounts of products and enjoy enhanced eCommerce functionality.

Another aspect to note when choosing Shopify, if you are willing to use an external payment gateway (for example, PayPal), you will be charged 2% in the Basic plan and 0.5% in the Advanced Shopify plan.

Shopify Pricing Plan

#4 Customer Support

Opencart

For Opencart, both free and dedicated support is offered. The Opencart community is very active. You have all the chances to find the information you need.

Selecting the Opencart dedicated support version, you will be charged either for the support package (price starts at $ 99 for a one time fix) or monthly support plan (starting at $ 99 / month).

Shopify

Shopify is renowned for its excellent customer support, which you will have access to even before signing the Shopify plan. The support team of Shopify is available 24/7 through phone, instant messaging, and email.

In particular, 24/7 phone support is considered the second most wanted feature by eCommerce merchants.

In addition, Shopify provides comprehensive documentation and a knowledge base and a large community for users and developers. You can also hire eCommerce developers if you need additional help or if you want to integrate a third-party solution.

#5 Design and Customization

Opencart

OpenCart offers a variety of themes, most of which are entirely mobile-optimized and relatively well-designed. It has over 1,600 templates listed on the market, an impressive number compared to other eCommerce solutions.

Its advanced template system allows you to quickly and efficiently modify your online store's look and feel. However, when it comes to customization, it can be relatively complex and requires technical skills.

Shopify

One of the significant advantages of Shopify is its visually appealing themes. It comes up with a plethora of free and paid themes. Therefore, it is simple to design a beautiful and unique online store that matches your brand identity.

Also, you don't need any technical or design expertise to create an online store. These themes are mobile-optimized and support a wide variety of businesses. Thus, users can easily select a theme that suits their business features.

Due to Shopify's proprietary codebase, the platform offers limited customization options. However, you can design your store using Shopify's specialized 'Liquid' language.

Opencart vs Shopify: Which One to Choose?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution while making a selection between the two shopping carts. It is a subjective decision, and that is why the debate will continue. It would be best if you try each of them before making a final decision by evaluating each of them' advantages and disadvantages.

Since OpenCart is entirely free to download and offers a 14-day free trial, you can go ahead and test each of them. And if you feel comfortable with any of the two - move your online store to either OpenCart or Shopify!

Wrapping Up

So these were some of the main parameters which are making us understand the nature of Opencart and Shopify. Robust functionality and advanced capabilities make these two platforms stand out amongst the rest.

Well, it is totally up to you to select the right one for you. Based on your requirement, you can hire developer in India that can fulfill your needs keeping in mind the budget and functionalities.