Magento Community Vs Opencart

Magento has been the open source eCommerce standard for the past several years now and is considered one of the premier eCommerce platforms out there.  However, with recent upgrades and features added to Opencart, there are some substantial benefits to using Opencart in certain instances. Opencart is fast, easy to use and great for a small business that wants something simple. Magento is still the enterprise class eCommerce platform but requires substantial customization, web development, and a strong server to maintain.  When considering between Magento and Opentcart, there are many things to consider.  Here are some differences between the two platforms that may help you make the right decision when considering an eCommerce platform.

MAGENTO:

Magento has many advantages over other eCommerce platforms. One of the major advantages of Magento is that you can have multiple stores and customer groups within the same website. This is ideal for a wholesale company.  In fact, I would not recommend any other open source eCommerce technology for a wholesale business other than Magento.
Magento is also great for SEO because you can create custom URL’s and have a lot of flexibility with the URL structure and product information. Additionally, there is great flexibility among your Magento websites user interface and you can pretty much customize everything on the site as long as you have the technical capabilities to do so.
ADVANTAGES OVER OPENCART:

• Complete UI Customization
• Custom URL Structures for SEO
• More Built in Payment Options Including Paypal Advanced
• Enterprise Reporting Such As What Products Were Searched
• A Massive Developer Community
• Can Integrate with Ebay and Part of X Commerce Community
• Wholesale Capabilities and Multiple Store Management
• Dynamic Themes and Extensions Available
• Built in excel product uploads and downloads
• More flexibility and extensions for integrating with POS/ERP
• Enterprise Security (used by many enterprise businesses E.G Vizio)

DISADVANTAGES:

• Slow and Heavy On Server
• Takes Longer to Add One New Product
• Difficult Administration Panel To Master
• Requires Strong Technical Skills to Customize Design and Features
• More Expensive To Build If Hiring a Company To Do So

OPENCART:

Opencart has quietly become one of the best eCommerce platforms out there, and is steadily growing. Not quite as large as Magento, Opencart still boasts a strong developer community and has some built in features that can very beneficial to almost any online business.\
The major benefits of Opencart are its speed to market capabilities. It’s very easy to add categories and products, so if you only have a small store this is a great place to start. It is also very lightweight on the server and can load quickly. The admin panel is also easy to use, and there are many built in features like a slideshow and carousel for quick to market UI features.
ADVANTAGES OVER MAGENTO:

• Easy to Use Admin Panel
• Faster Load Time – Less Strain on Server
• Built In Features Like Slideshow and Carousel
• Products Have Share Feature Connecting Them to Social Media Automatically
• Much Less Time Consuming to Develop
• Cheaper To Hire a Developer to Build

DISADVANTAGES:

• Not As Customizable UI
• Cannot Customize URL for SEO
• Cannot Automate Product Uploads Without Plugin
• Less Payment Integration Options
• Less Shipping Options
• Cannot Have Multiple Stores for Wholesale

All in all, both are great platforms, and you can run a successful business off of either eCommerce solution. Both are open source, have strong developer communities, and have massive potential with much lower costs than opening up a brick and mortar store. However, there are major benefits to Magento or Opercanart for certain businesses. Magento is great for a business with wholesale as well as someone that wants complete customization over their site. Opencart is ideal for someone looking to get their products to market quickly, as well as use a more intuitive admin panel for simpler management. If you are still unsure about what eCommerce platform to use for your business feel free to call the team at Trellis and we will be happy to assist you!