Who is standing out there to start a new eCommerce venture might have the same questions at this point: Which eCommerce platform should I select to start my business?
There is no straightforward way to answer this question. When it comes to eCommerce platforms,as there is no single solution. There are multiple tools and platforms to go with.
In this article, we will discuss the two major competitors in the market, Magento vs. Opencart, and explore their features to help you pick the right platform.
Some Similarities between Magento and Opencart
Though they are competitors, they have a lot in common. Firstly, they both are open-source platforms that are ultimately created for eCommerce activity.
Both are based on PHP and use templates to upload the product, so they can be managed by non-programmers. Also, extensions, add-ons, and plugins are there to support the new functions.
The greatest advantage of both platforms is that they both support multiple languages and currencies. This makes them a global solution that suits the business of all around the world.
What are the differences between Magento and Opencart?
Community Support
As per the google trend search, you can see Magneto is more popular than Opencart. It also has more market share than Opencart.
Both platforms have a well-established community of developers offering support and advice per demand. But obviously, the Magento community is way more robust. Magento also offers certification to grant them credibility. The certification adds the credibility to receive advice and lets you know whom to listen.
Hosting and Other Extension Costs
You will get nothing for spending nothing. Even though they are open-source and free to start, you need to purchase quality hosting and extensions. The quality hosting and extensions will make a big difference in your store’s performance.
Mark our words, the hosting cost for Magento can be more. It consumes a lot of resources, so you need a stronger hosting plan to keep the store performance intact. Also, you would need to pay $79 to $179 for most of the design templates and $1000 for a single extension license.
On the other hand, Opencart is lightweight. Thus, the cost of hosting is also less. Talking about themes, they are nearly twice as cheap as Magento ones. Being costly, we can’t miss the fact that Magento performs better in hosting medium to large-sized business websites.
Over All Features and User-friendliness
One of the major differences between Magento and Opencart is the simplicity in management that is lacking in Magento. Indeed Magneto’s learning curve is complex and requires programming knowledge and technical experience. As a result, the store-owners tend to hire a developer.
But as soon as you get your hands on Magento, your store can do anything you have dreamed of. You can customize the design with total flexibility, unlimited SEO resources, and countless plugins and extensions.
On the contrary, Opencart is effortless to use and manage. It offers a straightforward way for the business owner to set up their store in a few hours. It offers a powerful shopping cart and great tools which are more intuitive. But some developers may find it too simplistic, with insufficient features to play with.
Basically, the demand for Opencart is less among the bigger store owners, but it competes to power the small business. Magento offers “Too Much” to the big store owners and is a perfect match for the big online retailers.
Pros and Cons of Magento
Pros
- Magento offers more features than any other platform
- Magento is flexible enough to meet the requirements of the store owner
- Magento has helped the large community of users
- It comes with mobile-friendliness functionality
- It is ideal for the usage of enterprise
Cons
- Magento is too expensive.
- Less number of authentic Magento developers
- It takes more time to launch the store
- The hosting cost is costlier
- Complex learning curve
Pros and Cons of Opencart
Pros
- Opencart offers a complex set of reports and metrics
- The store can be managed easily
- Lets you use your preferred shipping method
- Effortless to use and manage
- Cheap themes and extensions
Cons
- Limited SEO functions
- Difficult in customization
- Sometimes it is difficult to import your inventory list
- Offers slow checkout process
- Not so good for big store owners
Conclusion
Want to develop a small online store or have fewer financial resources, then Opencart is great for you. On the other hand, Magento is great for big store owners with big budgets. However, both platforms are good, it’s your call to decide on the platform based on your requirements.
If you are finding any difficulting in the selection process, feel free to contact us, we will be happy to help you. If you have picked up a solution to go with, then we can even help you in developing your store from scratch.
