The Major Differences Between Magento 2 and OpenCart

When it comes to launching an eCommerce store, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. This is why entrepreneurs always learn the pros and cons of all available eCommerce platforms before utilizing any one of them.

Nowadays, Magento and OpenCart are the two most popular and widely-used eCommerce platforms that you can consider.

But making the final decision of whether to choose Magento 2 or OpenCart comes down to your specific requirements.

If you’re not sure which eCommerce platform deserves your attention, worry not! In this post, we’ve explained all the major differences between Magento 2 & OpenCart to help you decide best for you.

Difference Between Magento 2 and OpenCart

Although Magento 2 and OpenCart are quite different platforms, there are also many similarities between them. For starters, both Magento 2 and OpenCart are open-source and written in PHP language.

In addition, both platforms are also rich in plugins, extensions, third-party services, and themes. But these are the only similarities between Magento 2 and OpenCart platforms.

Now, let’s look at the major differences between the two popular eCommerce platforms.

1 – Hosting

When it’s the matter of hosting, Magento 2 consumes a lot of resources. So, if you decide to choose Magento 2 as your eCommerce platform, make sure to purchase a reliable hosting solution.

Depending on the size of your Magento 2 store, you might have to host the back-end of your store on a separate server.

OpenCart, on the other hand, is a lightweight eCommerce platform, so it does not have any strict requirements like Magento 2.

As a result, OpenCart works better for small and medium-sized eCommerce stores, while Magento 2 is better suited for large eCommerce stores.

Although, Magento 2 is adjustable to work for small & medium-sized businesses.

2 – Features & Customizations

Another major difference between the Magento 2 and OpenCart platform is the features availability and customization options.

Magento 2 offers unlimited design options, powerful SEO resources, customizable shopping experiences with the aid of unlimited plugins & third-party extensions.

In simple words, every feature you can think of is most probably already built and available in Magento 2. And in case it is not available, you can always hire Magento 2 developers to build that feature exclusive for your Magento 2 store.

OpenCart, on the other hand, has a smaller community compared to Magento 2. Therefore, it provides fewer opportunities in terms of features & customization in comparison with Magento 2.

Simply put, OpenCart has enough features and tools to set up a small eCommerce business.

And as far as SEO is concerned, although OpenCart has weak SEO, you can always improve it to a certain level with the help of third-party plugins.

3 – Community Support

Magento 2 and OpenCart both have well-established communities, offering suggestions and support by demand.

But the size of the Magento 2 community is far more robust and huge compared to OpenCart.

Furthermore, Magento 2 community also offers certification programs that grant credibility to Magento 2 developers once they clear the certification exams.

This, in turn, helps eCommerce companies to easily filter expert Magento 2 developers in the market.

4 – Security

When starting an eCommerce store, security is always the number #1 concern for business owners.

And as far as security is concerned, Magento is extremely prompt in releasing new updates & security patches for its users. This allows Magento merchants to ensure their eCommerce store is always up-to-date with the latest security standards.

OpenCart, on the other hand, is also not a slacker in the security department. But when compared to Magento 2 platform, OpenCart does not provide the most robust & up-to-date security patches as Magento 2 does.

5 – Pricing

As mentioned in the beginning, both Magento 2 and OpenCart platforms are open-source, which means they’re free to download for everyone.

Although the platforms are free, you still have to incur hosting costs.

And since Magento 2 is a resource-demanding platform, you’ll have to splurge more on its hosting in comparison to OpenCart.

Final Words…

Overall, Magento 2 is best for eCommerce stores of all sizes, offers unlimited features, and is extremely scalable for years to come.

OpenCart is better suited for only small and medium-sized businesses that do not require high-end, exclusive features.

So, the ultimate decision between Magento 2 & OpenCart mainly depends on your individual requirements.

However, if you’re not able to make the right decision, feel free to contact us for professional consultation & guidance. Our eCommerce experts assess your requirements and recommend the best platform for your business needs.