OpenCart vs Saleor
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 | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,201 | ★ 23,369 |
| First released | 2009 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Wix Stores | Shopify, commercetools |
What are OpenCart and Saleor?
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
Saleor
Saleor is a high-performance, GraphQL-first e-commerce platform built with Python and Django. It is designed for headless storefronts and offers a comprehensive dashboard, multichannel support, and a powerful API.
- GraphQL API throughout
- Multichannel commerce
- React-based dashboard
- Strong B2B and B2C support
OpenCart vs Saleor: key differences
OpenCart is written in PHP, while Saleor is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for OpenCart versus BSD-3-Clause for Saleor. OpenCart is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Saleor. OpenCart is the more established project (first released 2009), while Saleor arrived in 2016. Saleor has the considerably larger community, at 23,369 GitHub stars versus 8,201.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCart if…
- Low resource requirements
- Beginner-friendly setup
Watch out for
- Smaller community than competitors
- Limited advanced features
Choose Saleor if…
- Modern API-driven architecture
- Scalable for large catalogs
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Requires significant infrastructure
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCart or Saleor better?
Neither is universally better. Saleor 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 Saleor free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCart is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Saleor under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCart and Saleor with Docker?
OpenCart: yes. Saleor: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenCart or Saleor?
OpenCart has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Saleor. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.