# OpenCart, what it is and how websites use it.

Lightweight open-source e-commerce platform written in PHP. Easy to install and manage, suitable for small to medium-sized stores with an extensive extension marketplace.

- **Status:** Stable. Version 4.x introduced a modernized framework and admin interface improvements. Smaller community compared to WooCommerce or PrestaShop.
- **Category:** [E-commerce Platforms](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce)
- **First release:** 2012
- **License:** GPL-3.0
- **Official website:** https://www.opencart.com
- **Documentation:** https://docs.opencart.com/
- **GitHub:** https://github.com/opencart/opencart
- **Page:** https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/opencart

## OpenCart on audited websites

95 of the 16,845 websites audited by be1st run OpenCart (<1%). That ranks it #8 of the 12 technologies in E-commerce Platforms we have seen in audits.

### Websites running OpenCart vs all websites

- **Web score:** 65 (all websites 72)
- **SEO:** 73 (all websites 79)
- **Security:** 51 (all websites 59)
- **Performance:** 57 (all websites 72)
- **AI Readiness:** 29 (all websites 31)

### Most used in E-commerce Platforms

1. [Shoptet](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shoptet): 1.6% (273)
2. [Shopify](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shopify): 1.5% (248)
3. [WooCommerce](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/woocommerce): 1.4% (239)
4. [Eshop-rychle.cz](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/eshop-rychle): 1.1% (187)
5. [PrestaShop](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/prestashop): 1.0% (169)
6. [BiznisWeb.sk](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/biznisweb): <1% (162)
7. [Magento (Adobe Commerce)](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/magento): <1% (100)
8. [OpenCart](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/opencart): <1% (95)
9. [Upgates](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/upgates): <1% (45)
10. [Shoper](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shoper): <1% (43)

We don't track the release history of OpenCart yet. Its releases are published on GitHub. https://github.com/opencart/opencart/releases

## Other technologies in E-commerce Platforms

- [Packeta](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/packeta): 1.1% of websites
- [Medusa.js](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/medusa-js): <1% of websites
- [Webareal](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/webareal): <1% of websites
- [Stripe (e-commerce toolkit)](https://be1st.ai/technologies/payment/stripe)

[All 14 in E-commerce Platforms](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce)

## Questions about OpenCart

### What is OpenCart?

Lightweight open-source e-commerce platform written in PHP. Easy to install and manage, suitable for small to medium-sized stores with an extensive extension marketplace. The be1st catalog lists OpenCart under E-commerce Platforms. License of OpenCart: GPL-3.0.

### How many websites use OpenCart?

95 of the 16,845 websites audited by be1st run OpenCart (<1%), as of 8 Nov 2026.

### When was OpenCart first released?

OpenCart was first released in 2012.

### Is OpenCart still a modern choice?

OpenCart is a stable, mature choice rather than a new one. Version 4.x introduced a modernized framework and admin interface improvements. Smaller community compared to WooCommerce or PrestaShop.

### What are the alternatives to OpenCart?

Technologies that do the same job as OpenCart include WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and Magento (Adobe Commerce).

Numbers: latest audit of each of 16,845 websites audited by be1st, as of 8 Nov 2026.