OpenCart

What is OpenCart

OpenCart is a free, open-source e-commerce platform built using the PHP programming language. Its main purpose is to provide business owners with a simple and robust foundation to create and manage an online store. The platform was originally developed by Christopher G. Mann and later taken over and re-released by UK-based developer Daniel Kerr in 2009. OpenCart is known for its user-friendly administrative dashboard, which allows store owners to manage products, customers, orders, taxes, and coupon codes without needing deep technical knowledge. Because it is open-source, developers have full access to the code, allowing for extensive customization to meet specific business needs.

OpenCart Features

OpenCart provides a comprehensive set of features to run a successful online store.

• Open-Source and Free: The core OpenCart software is completely free to download, use, and modify. There are no monthly fees for the software itself.
• Administrator Dashboard: A clean and intuitive interface to view key metrics like total orders, sales, and customers. It provides quick access to all management functions.
• User Management: Create multiple user accounts and set specific access and modification permissions for different roles, which is useful for teams.
• Multi-Store Management: Manage multiple storefronts from a single admin interface. You can localize each store with different themes, languages, and currencies.
• Product and Category Management: Add unlimited products and categories. It supports various product options (like size and color) and attributes for detailed specifications.
• Built-in SEO: Includes features to improve search engine rankings, such as support for SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and product-specific keywords.
• Extensive Marketplace: Access to over 13,000 modules and themes. This marketplace allows you to add new functionalities, integrate with third-party services, and change your store's design.
• Payment and Shipping Integrations: Comes with many built-in payment gateways (like PayPal, Stripe, and Klarna) and shipping methods (like FedEx and UPS).
• Marketing Tools: Create and manage discount coupons, gift vouchers, and special offers to attract and retain customers.

OpenCart Pricing Plans

OpenCart operates on two primary models. The main software is self-hosted and free. This means you download the software at no cost and install it on your own web hosting server. Your expenses in this model are for your domain name, hosting plan, and any premium themes or extensions you choose to buy.

For users who prefer a managed solution, OpenCart also offers OpenCart Cloud. This is a subscription-based service where hosting and maintenance are handled for you. OpenCart Cloud is available in multiple tiers, designed for different business sizes, from small startups to larger enterprises. Each higher-tier plan typically offers more storage, better performance, and additional support.

OpenCart Free Plan

OpenCart's core offering is a completely free plan. The software is open-source, which means you can download it from the official website and use it forever without any license fees or monthly payments. This free version includes all the core functionalities needed to run a complete e-commerce store, such as unlimited products, categories, customer management, and order processing. The main limitations are not in the software itself but in the resources you need to provide, such as web hosting, a domain name, and an SSL certificate. Free community support is available through forums, but dedicated technical support is a paid service.

How to use OpenCart

Getting started with OpenCart involves a few key steps:

1. Download OpenCart: Go to the official OpenCart website and download the latest version of the software files.
2. Set up Hosting: You need a web hosting plan that supports PHP and MySQL. Upload the downloaded OpenCart files to your server using an FTP client.
3. Create a Database: Use your hosting control panel (like cPanel) to create a new MySQL database and a database user.
4. Run the Installer: Navigate to your domain in a web browser. The OpenCart installation script will start automatically. Follow the on-screen instructions, accept the license agreement, and enter your database details.
5. Configure Your Store: After installation, log in to your admin panel. Here you can set up your store name, currency, language, and other basic settings.
6. Add Products: Go to the 'Catalog' section to create categories and add your products, including descriptions, prices, and images.
7. Set up Payments and Shipping: Configure your preferred payment gateways and shipping methods in the 'Extensions' section.
8. Launch: Customize your store's appearance with a theme and start selling.

Pros and Cons of OpenCart

Pros:

• Completely Free: The core software costs nothing, making it a great option for businesses on a tight budget.
• Easy to Use: The admin interface is clean and straightforward, making daily management tasks simple.
• Lightweight: OpenCart is less resource-intensive than other platforms like Magento, so it can run well on more affordable hosting plans.
• Highly Extensible: A massive marketplace of themes and extensions allows for easy customization and addition of new features.
• Strong Community: A large and active user community provides free support and resources through forums.

Cons:

• Requires Technical Setup: You need some technical knowledge to install and manage the software on a server.
• Paid Support: Official, dedicated technical support comes at a cost.
• Extension Quality Varies: With so many third-party extensions, their quality and support can be inconsistent.
• SEO Can Be Improved: While it has basic SEO features, you often need extensions to achieve advanced SEO performance.

OpenCart integrations

OpenCart integrates with thousands of third-party applications and services through its marketplace extensions. Key integration categories include:

• Payment Gateways: PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, Square, Klarna, WorldPay, and many regional payment providers.
• Shipping Carriers: FedEx, UPS, USPS, Royal Mail, DHL. These integrations help automate shipping calculations and label printing.
• Marketing and Analytics: Mailchimp for email marketing, Google Analytics for tracking website traffic, and various social media integration modules.
• Accounting: Extensions to connect with accounting software like QuickBooks to sync sales and customer data.
• Marketplace Sync: Modules to sync your products and orders with major marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

Integrations are typically installed by purchasing or downloading an extension from the OpenCart Marketplace and uploading it through the admin panel.

OpenCart Alternatives

• WooCommerce: A free plugin that turns a WordPress website into an e-commerce store. It is ideal for users already familiar with WordPress but requires the WordPress platform to run.
• Shopify: A fully hosted, subscription-based platform known for its ease of use and excellent support. It is less customizable than OpenCart but much simpler to start with.
• PrestaShop: Another open-source e-commerce platform similar to OpenCart. It offers a strong feature set out of the box but can be slightly more complex to manage.
• Magento (Adobe Commerce): A powerful and highly scalable open-source platform aimed at large businesses and enterprises. It is much more complex and resource-heavy than OpenCart.

OpenCart API

Yes, OpenCart provides a REST API that allows developers to interact with the store's data programmatically. The API can be used to manage products, customers, and orders, enabling integration with external systems like mobile apps, ERPs, or CRMs.

To use the API, you must first enable it in the OpenCart admin panel under System > Users > API. There, you can create a new API user, which will generate an API key. You must also add your IP address to the list of allowed IPs for security.

Here is a basic PHP cURL example to get an API token:

<?php
// API Login
$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
  CURLOPT_URL => 'http://your-opencart-store.com/index.php?route=api/login',
  CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
  CURLOPT_ENCODING => '',
  CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
  CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 0,
  CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
  CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
  CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => 'POST',
  CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => array('username' => 'your_api_username', 'key' => 'your_api_key'),
));

$response = curl_exec($curl);
curl_close($curl);

$json_response = json_decode($response, true);

if (isset($json_response['api_token'])) {
    echo 'Success! API Token: ' . $json_response['api_token'];
} else {
    echo 'Error: ' . $json_response['error']['key'];
}
?>

For more details, developers can consult the official OpenCart documentation.

OpenCart Affiliate program

OpenCart offers an affiliate program that allows you to earn commissions by promoting OpenCart and its products. Affiliates can earn money by referring customers who purchase items from the OpenCart Marketplace, such as themes and extensions, or who sign up for OpenCart Cloud hosting plans.

The commission rate is typically a percentage of the sale amount. To join, you need to register for an affiliate account on the official OpenCart website. Once approved, you will receive a unique tracking code and access to marketing materials. You can place your affiliate links on your website, blog, or social media channels. Payments are usually made through PayPal after your earnings reach a certain threshold.