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E-Commerce · head to head

Memberful vs OpenCart

Memberful logo

Memberful

E-Commerce

Membership platform for creators to sell subscriptions, courses and gated content

From
$49/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: Memberful charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.; 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: Memberful covers Membership checkout, OpenCart covers MIT licensed source.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Memberful and OpenCart actually diverge.

Attributes where Memberful and OpenCart differ
AttributeMemberfulOpenCart
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
Platformsweb, apiWeb
Founded20132009

Identical on both: 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 Memberful

  • Membership checkout
  • Flexible subscriptions
  • Member management
  • Landing page builder
  • Dynamic paywalls
  • Third-party integrations

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.

Memberful

  • Selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing websitenot OpenCart
  • Gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywallnot OpenCart
  • Running a WordPress site with paid member-only contentnot OpenCart
  • Offering one-time purchases alongside recurring membershipsnot OpenCart

OpenCart

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

Where each one falls short

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

Memberful

  • Charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.
  • Requires a separate Stripe account, adding setup complexity compared to all-in-one checkout platforms.
  • Lacks built-in course-hosting depth found in dedicated learning management platforms.
  • No free plan beyond the pre-launch trial period; charges begin once payments go live.

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

Memberful

$49/month
  • Standard$49/month
    • 4.9% transaction fee
    • Full platform access
    • Free until you go live
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom volume-based rates
    • Premium services and success management
    • Dedicated migration support

OpenCart

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Memberful if

  • You need membership checkout.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want flexible subscriptions.
Memberful 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 Memberful or OpenCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Memberful starts at $49/month and OpenCart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Memberful or OpenCart?
OpenCart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Memberful and Free for OpenCart.
Does Memberful or OpenCart run on more platforms?
Memberful runs on web, api. OpenCart runs on Web.
Can I use OpenCart for free?
Yes. OpenCart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Memberful starts at $49/month.
What is Memberful best used for?
Memberful is most often used for selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing website, gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywall, running a wordpress site with paid member-only content, offering one-time purchases alongside recurring memberships. Of those, selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing website and gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywall are not what OpenCart is typically brought in for.
What can Memberful do that OpenCart cannot?
Memberful covers Membership checkout, Flexible subscriptions, Member management, Landing page builder. OpenCart covers MIT licensed source, Self-hosted PHP and MySQL, No transaction fees, Multi-store.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Memberful: What does Memberful cost?

Memberful's Standard plan costs $49/month plus a 4.9% transaction fee, while larger organizations can get custom volume-based rates on the Enterprise plan.

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.

Memberful: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Memberful can be used for free while setting up a membership site, with no charges incurred until the creator goes live and starts accepting payments.

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.

Memberful: What does Memberful integrate with?

Memberful integrates with WordPress, Mailchimp, Discord and Kit, among other tools, to connect membership data with existing sites and marketing systems.

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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