OpenCart vs PrestaShop
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | OpenCart | PrestaShop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | OSL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,201 | ★ 9,217 |
| First released | 2009 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Wix Stores | Shopify, BigCommerce |
What are OpenCart and PrestaShop?
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
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is a free, open-source e-commerce solution written in PHP. It offers a feature-rich back office, themes, and a marketplace of modules for building and managing online stores of any size.
- Full-featured admin back office
- Large module marketplace
- Multi-store support
- Multilingual catalog
OpenCart vs PrestaShop: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for OpenCart versus OSL-3.0 for PrestaShop. OpenCart is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for PrestaShop. PrestaShop is the more established project (first released 2007), while OpenCart arrived in 2009.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCart if…
- Low resource requirements
- Beginner-friendly setup
Watch out for
- Smaller community than competitors
- Limited advanced features
Choose PrestaShop if…
- Mature and well-documented
- No license fees for core
Watch out for
- Paid modules can be expensive
- Upgrades can be tricky
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCart or PrestaShop better?
Neither is universally better. PrestaShop has the larger community, while OpenCart is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are OpenCart and PrestaShop free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCart is licensed under GPL-3.0 and PrestaShop under OSL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCart and PrestaShop with Docker?
OpenCart: yes. PrestaShop: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenCart or PrestaShop?
OpenCart has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for PrestaShop. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.