Django Shop vs OpenCart
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Django Shop | OpenCart |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 23 · At risk | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,317 | ★ 8,201 |
| First released | 2011 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, Wix Stores |
What are Django Shop and OpenCart?
Django Shop
django SHOP is an open-source e-commerce framework for building online stores on top of Django. It provides a flexible product model, cart, and checkout that developers extend for custom shops.
- Django e-commerce framework
- Flexible product model
- Cart and checkout
- Highly extensible
OpenCart
OpenCart is a free, open-source online store management system built in PHP. It is lightweight and easy to set up, with a marketplace of extensions and themes for small to mid-sized retailers.
- Lightweight and quick to install
- Multi-store from one admin
- Extension marketplace
- Multilingual and multi-currency
Django Shop vs OpenCart: key differences
Django Shop is written in Python, while OpenCart is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Django Shop versus GPL-3.0 for OpenCart. OpenCart is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Django Shop. OpenCart is the more established project (first released 2009), while Django Shop arrived in 2011. OpenCart has the considerably larger community, at 8,201 GitHub stars versus 3,317.
Why pick each one
Choose Django Shop if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose OpenCart if…
- Low resource requirements
- Beginner-friendly setup
Watch out for
- Smaller community than competitors
- Limited advanced features
Frequently asked questions
Is Django Shop or OpenCart better?
OpenCart is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Django Shop if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Django Shop and OpenCart free and open-source?
Yes. Django Shop is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and OpenCart under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django Shop and OpenCart with Docker?
Django Shop: yes. OpenCart: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Django Shop or OpenCart?
OpenCart has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Django Shop. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.