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E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Medusa vs OpenCart

Medusa logo

Medusa

E-commerce & Retail

Open source Shopify alternative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenCart logo

OpenCart

E-commerce & Retail

Open-source ecommerce platform for business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Medusa the managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage; OpenCart openCart is GPLv3 licensed and free to self-host, but there is no official vendor-hosted SaaS; most payment gateway and shipping integrations beyond the basics require paid extensions from OpenCart's own third-party marketplace.
  • They diverge on capability: Medusa covers Open source, OpenCart covers Product management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medusa and OpenCart actually diverge.

Attributes where Medusa and OpenCart differ
AttributeMedusaOpenCart
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
Founded20202009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail).

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 Medusa

  • Open source
  • Modular architecture
  • Multi-region support
  • Plugin system
  • Admin dashboard
  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Payment integrations

Only in OpenCart

  • Product management
  • Multi-store support
  • Payment gateways
  • Shipping integration
  • Customer management
  • Coupon system
  • SEO optimization
  • Reporting tools

What people use each for

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

Medusa

  • Building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platformnot OpenCart
  • Running a self hosted or managed commerce API with a custom storefrontnot OpenCart

OpenCart

No use cases recorded yet. See the OpenCart review.

Where each one falls short

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

Medusa

  • The managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage
  • The Develop plan at $29 a month applies a hard limit of 1,000 emails, so it stops rather than bills
  • Compute hours are capped at 600 on Develop and 800 on Launch
  • Edge request overage is $0.3 per million and storage $0.5 per GB month above the plan allowance
  • Background workers and priority support require the Scale plan at $299 a month

OpenCart

  • OpenCart is GPLv3 licensed and free to self-host, but there is no official vendor-hosted SaaS; most payment gateway and shipping integrations beyond the basics require paid extensions from OpenCart's own third-party marketplace.

Pricing, plan by plan

Medusa

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full source code
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • Cloud$50/month
    • Managed hosting
    • Automatic updates
    • Priority support

OpenCart

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Medusa if

  • You need open source.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want modular architecture.
Medusa review

Choose OpenCart if

  • You need product management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multi-store support.
OpenCart review

Questions people ask

Is Medusa or OpenCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Medusa 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, Medusa or OpenCart?
Medusa starts at Free and OpenCart at Free.
Does Medusa or OpenCart run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Medusa for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Medusa best used for?
Medusa is most often used for building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platform, running a self hosted or managed commerce api with a custom storefront. Of those, building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platform and running a self hosted or managed commerce api with a custom storefront are not what OpenCart is typically brought in for.
What can Medusa do that OpenCart cannot?
Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system. OpenCart covers Product management, Multi-store support, Payment gateways, Shipping integration.
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