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E-Commerce · head to head

Mollie vs OpenCart

Mollie logo

Mollie

E-Commerce

European payment service provider with published per-transaction rates and no monthly fee on the online plan

From
£0.3/transaction
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: Mollie non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.; 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: Mollie covers Local payment methods, OpenCart covers MIT licensed source.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mollie and OpenCart actually diverge.

Attributes where Mollie and OpenCart differ
AttributeMollieOpenCart
Starting price£0.3/transactionFree
Pricing modelPer transaction by payment methodopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb
FoundedUnknown2009

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 Mollie

  • Local payment methods
  • Published rate card
  • Hosted checkout and payment links
  • Subscriptions API
  • Point of sale terminals
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Multicurrency settlement

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.

Mollie

  • A Dutch or Belgian shop where most customers pay by iDEAL or Bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value basketsnot OpenCart
  • A small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costsnot OpenCart
  • A subscription business in the EEA collecting by SEPA Direct Debit mandate instead of cardnot OpenCart
  • A marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main European local methodsnot OpenCart

OpenCart

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mollie

  • Non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.
  • Coverage is built around European methods, so if you expand into Latin America or Southeast Asia you will need a second processor and a second reconciliation process rather than extending Mollie.
  • The in-person Pro plan requires a one-year contract and charges 20 pounds a month per additional terminal, so a shop with four tills pays 80 pounds a month in terminal fees before any transaction cost.
  • Mollie offers no interchange-plus option publicly, so large merchants cannot see or benefit from falling interchange the way they could on a cost-plus contract with an acquirer.
  • The developer tooling and reporting are lighter than the largest processors, so finance teams that want detailed fee breakdowns or granular reconciliation exports often end up building that layer themselves.

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

Mollie

£0.3/transaction
  • Online paymentsFree
    • No monthly fee
    • UK domestic consumer cards 1.20% + 20p
    • European and commercial cards 2.90% + 20p
  • In person, pay as you goFree
    • No monthly commitment
    • Per-transaction terminal rates
    • One terminal
  • In person, Pro$20/month
    • Lower per-transaction terminal rates
    • One-year contract required
    • Each additional terminal 20 pounds per month

OpenCart

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Mollie if

  • You need local payment methods.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want published rate card.
Mollie 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 Mollie or OpenCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Mollie starts at £0.3/transaction and OpenCart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mollie or OpenCart?
OpenCart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £0.3/transaction for Mollie and Free for OpenCart.
Does Mollie or OpenCart run on more platforms?
Mollie runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. OpenCart runs on Web.
Can I use OpenCart for free?
Yes. OpenCart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mollie starts at £0.3/transaction.
What is Mollie best used for?
Mollie is most often used for a dutch or belgian shop where most customers pay by ideal or bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value baskets, a small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costs, a subscription business in the eea collecting by sepa direct debit mandate instead of card, a marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main european local methods. Of those, a dutch or belgian shop where most customers pay by ideal or bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value baskets and a small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costs are not what OpenCart is typically brought in for.
What can Mollie do that OpenCart cannot?
Mollie covers Local payment methods, Published rate card, Hosted checkout and payment links, Subscriptions API. OpenCart covers MIT licensed source, Self-hosted PHP and MySQL, No transaction fees, Multi-store.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mollie: Does Mollie charge a monthly fee?

Not on the online payments plan. You pay only per successful transaction. In-person Pro is 20 pounds a month.

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.

Mollie: Is iDEAL really a flat fee?

Yes, 30p per transaction regardless of the amount, which is why it is cheaper than cards on high-value baskets.

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.

Mollie: Can I use Mollie outside Europe?

You can accept non-European cards but at 3.25% plus 20p, and merchant accounts are aimed at European businesses. It is not a global processor.

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.

Mollie: Does Mollie do interchange plus?

Not publicly. The published rates are blended, so falling interchange does not flow through to you automatically.

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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