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E-Commerce · head to head

Amazon Shopping vs OpenCart

Amazon Shopping logo

Amazon Shopping

E-Commerce

Amazon's consumer marketplace app for browsing, buying and tracking orders

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenCart logo

OpenCart

E-Commerce

Self-hosted open source shopping cart written in PHP, released under the MIT licence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Shopping a significant share of listings are sold and shipped by third-party sellers, and counterfeit or mislabelled products from those sellers have been a well-documented, recurring problem that the platform does not fully prevent.; OpenCart extensions modify core behaviour through an XML patching system, so two modules that patch the same file conflict in ways that surface as broken checkout rather than as an installation error, and resolving that requires a developer reading both patches.
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Shopping covers Product search and marketplace, OpenCart covers MIT licensed source.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Shopping and OpenCart actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Shopping and OpenCart differ
AttributeAmazon ShoppingOpenCart
Pricing modelFree to use; optional Prime subscription for fast shipping and bundled mediaopen-source
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Shopping

  • Product search and marketplace
  • Prime shipping tiers
  • Order tracking and returns
  • Amazon Photos and Alexa integration
  • Sponsored product placement
  • Subscribe and Save

Only in OpenCart

  • MIT licensed source
  • Self-hosted PHP and MySQL
  • No transaction fees
  • Multi-store
  • Extension marketplace
  • Multi-currency and multi-language
  • OCMod modification system
  • Full data access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Shopping

  • A shopper comparing prices and reviews across a wide catalogue before buying from any retailernot OpenCart
  • A Prime subscriber wanting fast, free shipping on eligible everyday purchasesnot OpenCart
  • A household using Subscribe and Save to automate reordering of consumables at a discountnot OpenCart
  • Someone managing Alexa devices, Prime Video and Amazon orders from a single accountnot OpenCart

OpenCart

  • A merchant with volume high enough that a percentage transaction fee costs more than a developernot Amazon Shopping
  • An agency building client stores where the client must own the code and the data outrightnot Amazon Shopping
  • A store with unusual catalogue or pricing logic that a hosted platform will not permitnot Amazon Shopping
  • Selling in a market where the local payment gateway is not supported by the mainstream SaaS platformsnot Amazon Shopping

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Shopping

  • A significant share of listings are sold and shipped by third-party sellers, and counterfeit or mislabelled products from those sellers have been a well-documented, recurring problem that the platform does not fully prevent.
  • Search results and product pages mix paid sponsored placements with organic results, so the top listing for a search term is often an advertisement rather than the best-reviewed or cheapest option.
  • Fast, free shipping is effectively gated behind an Amazon Prime subscription, and the app's delivery estimates are designed to make non-Prime checkout feel slower and less attractive.
  • Returns and refund handling differ between Amazon-fulfilled and third-party-fulfilled orders, and a buyer often cannot tell which applies until after ordering.
  • Subscribe and Save and other recurring purchase features require active management to cancel, and abandoned subscriptions can result in ongoing charges for items no longer wanted.

OpenCart

  • Extensions modify core behaviour through an XML patching system, so two modules that patch the same file conflict in ways that surface as broken checkout rather than as an installation error, and resolving that requires a developer reading both patches.
  • Major version upgrades have broken third party extension compatibility, so moving between them means re-purchasing or re-commissioning modules and effectively rebuilding parts of the store rather than clicking update.
  • Hosting, patching, backups and PCI scope are all your responsibility, so a security update you postpone is a breach you own, and there is no vendor obligation to notify or protect you.
  • Extension quality on the marketplace is uneven and modules are sold as one-off purchases with no guaranteed maintenance, so a module central to your store can simply stop being updated and leave you holding the code.
  • The core project is maintained by a very small team relative to the platforms it competes with, so security fixes, compatibility with new PHP versions and feature work all arrive at a pace you cannot influence or pay to accelerate.

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Shopping

Free
  • Standard accountFree
    • Browsing and purchase without Prime
    • Standard, slower shipping speeds
    • No access to Prime Video, Prime Music or Prime delivery windows
  • Amazon Prime$14.99/month
    • Free fast shipping on eligible items
    • Access to Prime Video and Prime Music
    • Also offered as an annual plan at a discounted effective rate

OpenCart

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core ecommerce features
    • Free support
    • Extensions available

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Shopping if

  • You need product search and marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want prime shipping tiers.
Amazon Shopping review

Choose OpenCart if

  • You need mit licensed source.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want self-hosted php and mysql.
OpenCart review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Shopping or OpenCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Shopping starts at Free and OpenCart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Shopping or OpenCart?
Amazon Shopping starts at Free and OpenCart at Free.
Does Amazon Shopping or OpenCart run on more platforms?
Amazon Shopping runs on iOS, Android, Web. OpenCart runs on Web.
Can I use Amazon Shopping for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amazon Shopping best used for?
Amazon Shopping is most often used for a shopper comparing prices and reviews across a wide catalogue before buying from any retailer, a prime subscriber wanting fast, free shipping on eligible everyday purchases, a household using subscribe and save to automate reordering of consumables at a discount, someone managing alexa devices, prime video and amazon orders from a single account. Of those, a shopper comparing prices and reviews across a wide catalogue before buying from any retailer and a prime subscriber wanting fast, free shipping on eligible everyday purchases are not what OpenCart is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Shopping do that OpenCart cannot?
Amazon Shopping covers Product search and marketplace, Prime shipping tiers, Order tracking and returns, Amazon Photos and Alexa integration. OpenCart covers MIT licensed source, Self-hosted PHP and MySQL, No transaction fees, Multi-store.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Shopping: Do I need Amazon Prime to use the app?

No, browsing and ordering work without Prime, but fast free shipping, Prime Video and Prime Music all require the paid subscription.

OpenCart: Is OpenCart really free?

The software is MIT licensed with no paid edition. The costs are hosting, extensions, and a developer, and for a low volume store those can exceed a SaaS subscription.

Amazon Shopping: Are all products sold by Amazon itself?

No, a large proportion of listings are sold and sometimes shipped by third-party marketplace sellers, which affects returns and counterfeit risk.

OpenCart: Does it charge transaction fees?

No. There is no platform cut and no surcharge for using your own payment gateway, which is the main financial argument for self-hosting at volume.

Amazon Shopping: How can I tell if a listing is sold by Amazon or a third party?

Check the "Sold by" and "Fulfilled by" fields on the product page, which the app does not surface prominently in search results.

OpenCart: How hard is customisation?

Theme changes are ordinary PHP templates and are approachable. Changing behaviour means the OCMod patching system, which conflicts between extensions and needs a developer.

OpenCart: What is the biggest hidden cost?

Upgrades. Version transitions have broken extension compatibility before, so budget for a partial rebuild rather than assuming updates are routine maintenance.

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