E-commerce & Retail · head to head
OpenCart vs BigCommerce
OpenCart
E-commerce & Retail
Open-source ecommerce platform for business
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
BigCommerce
E-commerce & Retail
Enterprise ecommerce platform for ambitious merchants
- From
- $29.95/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only OpenCart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; BigCommerce listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller CTI Digital Limited at £14,000 per instance for a managed BigCommerce implementation
- They diverge on capability: OpenCart covers Product management, BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OpenCart and BigCommerce actually diverge.
| Attribute | OpenCart | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $29.95/month |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail), founded (2009).
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 OpenCart
- Product management
- Multi-store support
- Payment gateways
- Shipping integration
- Customer management
- Coupon system
- SEO optimization
- Reporting tools
Only in BigCommerce
- Multi-channel selling
- Built-in SEO
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Customer segmentation
- Marketing automation
- B2B functionality
- API access
- Advanced security
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
BigCommerce
- Listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller CTI Digital Limited at £14,000 per instance for a managed BigCommerce implementation
Pricing, plan by plan
OpenCart
Free- Open SourceFree
- Core ecommerce features
- Free support
- Extensions available
BigCommerce
$29.95/month- Standard$29.95/month
- Unlimited products
- 2 staff accounts
- Basic reports
- Plus$79.95/month
- All Standard features
- Up to 5 staff accounts
- Advanced reports
Which should you pick?
Choose OpenCart if
- You need product management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want multi-store support.
Questions people ask
- Is OpenCart or BigCommerce better?
- Neither clearly leads. OpenCart starts at Free and BigCommerce at $29.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OpenCart or BigCommerce?
- OpenCart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenCart and $29.95/month for BigCommerce.
- Does OpenCart or BigCommerce 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. BigCommerce starts at $29.95/month.
- What can OpenCart do that BigCommerce cannot?
- OpenCart covers Product management, Multi-store support, Payment gateways, Shipping integration. BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling, Built-in SEO, Abandoned cart recovery, Customer segmentation.