OpenCart vs Smartstore
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
OpenCart
Free PHP-based shopping cart system
VS
Smartstore
Modern open-source .NET commerce platform
| Feature | OpenCart | Smartstore |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,174 | ★ 1,508 |
| First released | 2009 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Wix Stores | Shopify, Magento |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCart or Smartstore better?
OpenCart is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Smartstore if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenCart and Smartstore free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCart is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Smartstore under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCart and Smartstore with Docker?
OpenCart: yes. Smartstore: yes.