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E-Commerce · head to head

OpenCart vs Razorpay

OpenCart logo

OpenCart

E-Commerce

Self-hosted open source shopping cart written in PHP, released under the MIT licence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Razorpay logo

Razorpay

E-Commerce

Indian payment gateway for domestic and international card, UPI and wallet acceptance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenCart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Razorpay it requires an Indian legal entity and settles only to Indian bank accounts, so it is not an option for a business incorporated elsewhere no matter how many Indian customers it has.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenCart covers MIT licensed source, Razorpay covers Domestic payment methods.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenCart and Razorpay actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenCart and Razorpay differ
AttributeOpenCartRazorpay
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcetransaction
Free tierYesNo
Founded2009Unknown

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 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

Only in Razorpay

  • Domestic payment methods
  • International cards
  • Payment links and pages
  • Route
  • RazorpayX
  • Subscriptions
  • Smart Collect
  • Dashboard and reporting

What people use each for

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

OpenCart

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

Razorpay

  • An Indian D2C brand needing UPI acceptance alongside cards in a single checkoutnot OpenCart
  • An Indian SaaS business billing domestic customers on recurring mandatesnot OpenCart
  • A marketplace that must split each payment between the platform and its sellersnot OpenCart
  • A business that needs to take payment without building a website, using links and pagesnot OpenCart

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Razorpay

  • It requires an Indian legal entity and settles only to Indian bank accounts, so it is not an option for a business incorporated elsewhere no matter how many Indian customers it has.
  • The transaction percentage applies to the full order value including shipping and tax rather than to the product price, so low margin categories with heavy shipping give up more of their margin than the quoted rate suggests.
  • Payment aggregator authorisation sits with the Reserve Bank of India and has been withheld from aggregators before while applications were reviewed, so a dependency exists that no commercial contract term protects you from.
  • Default settlement runs on a delayed cycle with faster settlement sold as a paid add-on, so a business that buys stock from its takings either waits for cash or pays extra for it, and that cost belongs in the effective rate.
  • International card acceptance is priced higher and requires separate approval rather than being a configuration change, so cross-border revenue takes longer to switch on and earns less per order than a domestic sale.

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenCart

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

Razorpay

On request
  • Domestic Payments$undefined/mo
    • 2% platform fee per successful transaction across all payment instruments
    • GST: 18% applies on the platform fee
    • No setup fees, annual maintenance charges, or refund fees
  • Corporate Cards$undefined/mo
    • 2.15% platform fee per transaction
  • International Payments - Cards$undefined/mo
    • Up to 3% per successful transaction
  • International Payments - Bank Transfers$undefined/mo
    • 1% per transaction with zero forex markup

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenCart if

  • You need mit licensed source.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want self-hosted php and mysql.
OpenCart review

Choose Razorpay if

  • You need domestic payment methods.
  • You also want international cards.
Razorpay review

Questions people ask

Is OpenCart or Razorpay better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenCart starts at Free and Razorpay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenCart or Razorpay?
OpenCart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenCart and On request for Razorpay.
Does OpenCart or Razorpay 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. Razorpay starts at On request.
What is OpenCart best used for?
OpenCart is most often used for a merchant with volume high enough that a percentage transaction fee costs more than a developer, an agency building client stores where the client must own the code and the data outright, a store with unusual catalogue or pricing logic that a hosted platform will not permit, selling in a market where the local payment gateway is not supported by the mainstream saas platforms. Of those, a merchant with volume high enough that a percentage transaction fee costs more than a developer and an agency building client stores where the client must own the code and the data outright are not what Razorpay is typically brought in for.
What can OpenCart do that Razorpay cannot?
OpenCart covers MIT licensed source, Self-hosted PHP and MySQL, No transaction fees, Multi-store. Razorpay covers Domestic payment methods, International cards, Payment links and pages, Route.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Razorpay: Can I use Razorpay if my company is not in India?

No. It requires an Indian entity and an Indian bank account for settlement. Overseas businesses selling into India need a different arrangement.

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.

Razorpay: What is the real effective rate?

The domestic percentage on the full order value including shipping and tax, plus higher international rates, plus any charge for faster settlement and dispute handling. Compute it from a month of settlement reports, not the pricing page.

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.

Razorpay: How quickly do I get paid?

On a delayed settlement cycle by default, with faster settlement available as a paid feature. Plan working capital around the default, not the add-on.

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.

Razorpay: What is the main structural risk?

Regulatory. Indian payment aggregators operate under RBI authorisation and have previously been barred from onboarding new merchants. Keep a second processor integrated if payments are business-critical.

Razorpay: Does it support recurring billing?

Yes, built on India's mandate and e-mandate framework, which has its own rules on authentication and notification that differ from card-on-file recurring elsewhere.

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