OpenCart vs Shopware
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Shopware
Flexible open-source commerce for growing brands
| Feature | OpenCart | Shopware |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,201 | ★ 3,430 |
| First released | 2009 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Wix Stores | Shopify, Magento |
What are OpenCart and Shopware?
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
Shopware
Shopware is an open-source e-commerce platform from Germany built with Symfony and Vue.js. The community edition offers a modern admin, headless API, and a rich extension ecosystem.
- Modern Vue.js admin
- Headless API capabilities
- Rule-based merchandising
- Strong extension store
OpenCart vs Shopware: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for OpenCart versus MIT for Shopware. OpenCart is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Shopware. OpenCart has the considerably larger community, at 8,201 GitHub stars versus 3,430.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCart if…
- Low resource requirements
- Beginner-friendly setup
Watch out for
- Smaller community than competitors
- Limited advanced features
Choose Shopware if…
- Polished merchant experience
- Powerful B2B suite available
Watch out for
- Heavy resource needs
- Complex for small shops
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCart or Shopware better?
OpenCart is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Shopware if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenCart and Shopware free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCart is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Shopware under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCart and Shopware with Docker?
OpenCart: yes. Shopware: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenCart or Shopware?
OpenCart has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Shopware. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.