Alternatives to Opencart?

[Smithco]

I have two stores running Opencart 2.2.0.0 and need to upgrade them to either a later version or another platform to enable the use of the latest Paypal module that allows Apple Pay, etc. It seems OC 4 has very few add-ons written for it as yet, and OC3.8 might be the way to go (but it seems counterintuitive to upgrade to a version that isn't the latest). However, the OC upgrade seemingly isn't plug-and-play. It's more of a complete reinstall. The chaps I use don't seem too keen to make the transition, maybe as it's been modified so much over the years it's almost an OC fork now, so doing so and adding in Royal Mail integration and other stuff we use may be very labour intensive.

This is leading me to investigate other platforms. I don't want to go down a pay-per-sale route, which I think Shopify is. Woocommerce seems not to have good SEO, lacks some functionality, and relies heavily on 3rd party add-ons and themes that have caused me issues with other sites. Magento I gather, is very complex, bloated and server-heavy. I'd like the ability to be able to update in the future without a complete reinstall like OC now needs.

I suppose that leaves me with Prestashop, and what else? I found one called Shopware, but I don't know much about it. So I thought I'd ask the community for suggestions.

 

[DontAsk]

The chaps I use don't seem too keen to make the transition, maybe as it's been modified so much over the years it's almost an OC fork now,

I would have thought that adding all your customization will be just as labour intensive for a different solution.

I would go for OC 3.9.x (what I'm on) and avoid 4.x for a bit longer.

I'm sure Antropy will be along soon...

 

[Smithco]

I'm sure he will.

It wouldn't be labour intensive if the other solution had what people need built in out of the box. In OC you have to buy everything, and then get your dev to repair what you bought to make it work properly.

3.9 I will look into. Have they sorted the search out yet? It was always dreadful and we had a few add-ons over the years to try and improve it. And is a one-page checkout part of 3.9? I never liked that step-by-step one that was native to OC, we did away with all that too years ago.

 

[dx3webs]

Wait.. there are shopping carts other than Magento.. weird.

Woo is fine.. but you will always be thinking that you have a shopping cart glued to a CMS because that's what it is (we host some massive woo stores that are doing just fine and the owners are very happy with their decisions)
Shopware is solid and well worth a look. You can self hosts or you can host with them
Magento is as complicated as you want to make it. Otherwise it is still the best ecommerce platform available though the developer pool at contracted in recent years.

 

[fisicx]

Woo commerce is fine for SEO. And you don’t need a load of plugins, you just need to hook in using you theme functions file.

Shopify is ok but the costs can really ramp up if you want lots of customisations.

 

[Smithco]

Also, can anyone opine on why OC 3.8/9 is considered better than OC 4.1.00? And on OC 4, can further updates be easily applied?

 

[14Steve14]

Have you had a look at CE Phoenix. It was originally based on the old oscommerce but has come a long way since then. I use it on my store and it is really flexible and is all modular so adding in other modules/addons is really easy.

It may not be what you want, but may be worth a look.

 

[TCH]

presumably you know about Wikipedia's 'Comparison of shopping cart software'

there are people selling websites on eBay, for one or two hundred pounds

you can specify what you want, I suppose, and see what you're getting before you pay

 

[zomex]

Having used almost all platforms/carts I would recommend Woocommerce.

Prestashop = buggy with very little dev focus or support.

Shopify = Expensive by default - can become very expensive if you require more functionality. Not very impressed with it personally. No control of your business if using Shopify.

Woocommerce gives full control. It's free by default and default functionality I would argue is better than default functionality of Shopify. It has the best devs in the industry working on it and based on it's usage there is unlimited access to free support

 

[zomex]

Have you had a look at CE Phoenix. It was originally based on the old oscommerce but has come a long way since then. I use it on my store and it is really flexible and is all modular so adding in other modules/addons is really easy.

It may not be what you want, but may be worth a look.

I would not go anywhere near that personally. Their website looks dreadful and that also reflects with the software demo. Looks very dated and bland.

 

[antropy]

It seems OC 4 has very few add-ons written for it as yet, and OC3.8 might be the way to go (but it seems counterintuitive to upgrade to a version that isn't the latest).

It really is best to use the full version number as "3.8" could potentially mean a lot of things such as 3.0.0.8, 3.8.0.0, 3.0.8.0 etc. and I don't think you actually mean any of those, I think you mean 3.0.3.8?

4.0.1.3 came out recently but still has some issues so at this point we recommend 3.0.4.0 for new builds.

However, the OC upgrade seemingly isn't plug-and-play. It's more of a complete reinstall.

Yes, generally that is best, but it's not too tricky to do and migrate all the data over. It guarantees everything is fresh and clean.

This is leading me to investigate other platforms. I don't want to go down a pay-per-sale route, which I think Shopify is.

Here's how the Shopify costs compare to OpenCart:

OpenCart vs. Shopify: Cost Calculator - Antropy - OpenCart Developers

When choosing an ecommerce platform, it's important to consider not just the upfront costs but also the hidden fees that can impact your profitability over time. Shopify, while user-friendly, operates on a subscription model with transaction fees for each sale. For example, the Basic Shopify...

www.antropy.co.uk

Of course, we would suggest a rebuild into 3.0.4.0, perhaps with one of the beautiful new CSS-only themes we've designed and built recently: https://www.opencart.com/index.php?...on&filter_category_id=1&filter_member=antropy

Paul.

 

[DontAsk]

It really is best to use the full version number as "3.8" could potentially mean a lot of things such as 3.0.0.8, 3.8.0.0, 3.0.8.0 etc. and I don't think you actually mean any of those, I think you mean 3.0.3.8?

Sorry, that's my fault. I said 3.9 when I meant 3.0.3.9

 

[antropy]

Sorry, that's my fault. I said 3.9 when I meant 3.0.3.9

That's alright, it's just always good to be precise and specific when discussing something technical.

Paul.

 

[Smithco]

It really is best to use the full version number as "3.8" could potentially mean a lot of things such as 3.0.0.8, 3.8.0.0, 3.0.8.0 etc. and I don't think you actually mean any of those, I think you mean 3.0.3.8?

4.0.1.3 came out recently but still has some issues so at this point we recommend 3.0.4.0 for new builds.

Can I ask you why you recommend 3.0.4.0 instead of 3.0.8.0? Surely 8 should be better than 4?

 

[DontAsk]

There is no 3.0.8.0 as far as I am aware.

 

[antropy]

There is no 3.0.8.0 as far as I am aware.

Exactly, this is why accurate version numbers are important.

3.0.4.0 is the most recent release of OC3.

Paul.

 

[gf.nextboost]

The best option, without a doubt, is to develop a custom-made Ecommerce project using a programming language. This will ensure that your Ecommerce platform is scalable, maintainable, and delivers high performance.

 

[boxlot]

The best option, without a doubt, is to develop a custom-made Ecommerce project using a programming language. This will ensure that your Ecommerce platform is scalable, maintainable, and delivers high performance.

Same can be done with Opencart and at a fraction of the cost.

 

[fisicx]

The best option, without a doubt, is to develop a custom-made Ecommerce project using a programming language. This will ensure that your Ecommerce platform is scalable, maintainable, and delivers high performance.

And I bet you know someone who can do just this…

 

[gf.nextboost]

Of course! As a platform starts to grow and handle more users, it is essential to think about how to scale it and keep it running smoothly. Servers also play a key role in making sure everything is ready for the demand that comes along. Tools like OpenCart, WooCommerce or Shopify are very useful because they are practical, accessible and quite versatile. From a technical point of view, they are great allies, but it always depends on what each project needs.

 

[fisicx]

@gf.nextboost - your posts contradict each other.

 

[antropy]

@gf.nextboost - your posts contradict each other.

Probably an AI, an admin should remove them.

Paul.

 

[sdob]

To give a correct answer, a lot depends on:
- product range size / # skus
- traffic requirements
- sales channels like marketplaces
- UK only or selling internationally
With a more details understanding of what your current site looks like, a more fitting answer is possible.

 

[antropy]

3.0.4.0 is the most recent release of OC3.

3.0.4.1 has just been released!

Paul.

 

[WebDesires]

unfortunately OpenCart is a bit of an oddball when it comes to development and versions, you should definitely ignore the 4.x branch - it should never of been a full release. 3.0.4.1 is the version you want to aim for.