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E-Commerce · head to head

Bluepark vs OpenCart

Bluepark logo

Bluepark

E-Commerce

A UK-based ecommerce platform to design, sell and manage your online store

From
£14.99/month
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

  • Only OpenCart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bluepark pricing in GBP plus VAT; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bluepark and OpenCart actually diverge.

Attributes where Bluepark and OpenCart differ
AttributeBlueparkOpenCart
Starting price£14.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Bluepark

Nothing recorded that OpenCart does not also cover.

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.

Bluepark

  • E-commerce catalog managementnot OpenCart
  • Multi-channel selling integrationnot OpenCart

OpenCart

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bluepark

  • Pricing in GBP plus VAT
  • Email overage fees apply to all plans beyond 50,000/month at £0.002 per email
  • Extra storage on Enterprise limited to maximum 12GB

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

Bluepark

£14.99/month
  • Central$14.99/month
    • No products, 500MB storage
    • For non-ecommerce use
  • Retail$29.99/month
    • Up to 500 products
    • 500MB storage
    • All essential features
  • Business$44.99/month
    • Up to 2,000 products
    • 1GB storage
    • Marketing and B2B features
  • Enterprise$64.99/month
    • Unlimited products
    • 2GB storage
    • QuickBooks integration

OpenCart

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Bluepark if

Nothing in the data separates Bluepark from OpenCart on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Bluepark 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 Bluepark or OpenCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Bluepark starts at £14.99/month and OpenCart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bluepark or OpenCart?
OpenCart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £14.99/month for Bluepark and Free for OpenCart.
Does Bluepark or OpenCart run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use OpenCart for free?
Yes. OpenCart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bluepark starts at £14.99/month.
What is Bluepark best used for?
Bluepark is most often used for e-commerce catalog management, multi-channel selling integration. Of those, e-commerce catalog management and multi-channel selling integration are not what OpenCart is typically brought in for.
What can Bluepark do that OpenCart cannot?
OpenCart covers MIT licensed source, Self-hosted PHP and MySQL, No transaction fees, Multi-store.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bluepark: What are Bluepark's pricing plans?

Bluepark offers four plans: Central at £14.99/month for non-ecommerce use, Retail at £29.99/month for up to 500 products, Business at £44.99/month for up to 2,000 products, and Enterprise at £64.99/month for unlimited products. All prices exclude VAT.

Source
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.

Bluepark: Does Bluepark charge transaction fees?

No, Bluepark advertises 0% transaction fees across all plans.

Source
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.

Bluepark: How much is the email overage charge on Bluepark?

Email overages beyond the included 50,000 emails per month are charged at £0.002 per email on all plans.

Source
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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