OpenCart vs Solidus
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 | Solidus |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,201 | ★ 5,333 |
| First released | 2009 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Wix Stores | Shopify, Magento |
What are OpenCart and Solidus?
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
Solidus
Solidus is a free, open-source e-commerce platform built with Ruby on Rails. It is a community-maintained fork of Spree focused on stability, security, and customization for high-volume stores.
- Stable Rails engine architecture
- Strong upgrade path
- Highly customizable
- Active community governance
OpenCart vs Solidus: key differences
OpenCart is written in PHP, while Solidus is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for OpenCart versus BSD-3-Clause for Solidus. OpenCart is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Solidus. OpenCart is the more established project (first released 2009), while Solidus arrived in 2015.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCart if…
- Low resource requirements
- Beginner-friendly setup
Watch out for
- Smaller community than competitors
- Limited advanced features
Choose Solidus if…
- Reliable for high-volume stores
- Good security focus
Watch out for
- Rails knowledge required
- No managed hosting option
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCart or Solidus better?
OpenCart is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Solidus if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenCart and Solidus free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCart is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Solidus under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCart and Solidus with Docker?
OpenCart: yes. Solidus: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenCart or Solidus?
OpenCart has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Solidus. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.