OpenCart

OpenCart provides conventional store administration with an extension marketplace for additional shipping, payment and other functions. Its GPLv3-licensed core has no monthly software fee. The free download leaves hosting and maintenance with the owner; the linked OpenCart Cloud route uses paid ScalaHosting plans. Compare the initial hosting term with its renewal rate before choosing that route.

Set up the shop and a product

For OpenCart 4, sign in with the administrator credentials created during installation. Start in System > Settings with the store name, contact details, currency and language.

Open Catalog > Products and choose Add New. Supply the product name, search title, model identifier, price and quantity, then enable its status when it is ready for sale. Add the category and images, save and inspect the storefront. A stocked item and its visible product status are separate checks.

The product editor also has options for sizes, colours and other choices, including price adjustments. Use a specific example from the shop, such as one item with two sizes, before configuring the rest of the catalogue.

Check the order path

Install and configure the payment and shipping methods needed for the store, then check the cart, checkout, shipping calculation and order confirmation with a test order. The vendor's Quick Guide locates payment extensions under Extensions > Extensions > Payments.

Orders are handled under Sales > Orders. Open an order, inspect its details and use History to record the appropriate status and comment; the customer receives the update. Community support and paid dedicated support are separate options, as are the licences and maintenance arrangements for marketplace extensions.