# WooCommerce vs OpenCart for EU sellers: costs and a third option WooCommerce vs OpenCart for EU sellers: hosting, extension prices, EU VAT and OSS, updates and year-one costs, plus when a hosted platform fits better. Source: https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/woocommerce-vs-opencart · CloudCart · 2026-11-10 In short: choose WooCommerce if you already run a WordPress site whose content brings traffic, and OpenCart if you want a lighter, standalone store with no blog around it. Both have no license fee, but hosting, paid extensions, EU VAT setup and updates are yours to run. Without a developer, a hosted platform such as CloudCart is the third option, from €14/month billed annually. This comparison is for ecommerce sellers anywhere in the EU. WooCommerce and OpenCart prices are in US dollars, as their official pages list them; CloudCart prices exclude VAT and come from the [pricing page](https://cloudcart.com/en/pricing). ## What is the difference between WooCommerce and OpenCart? WooCommerce is a plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store, and OpenCart is a standalone platform built only for selling. Both are open source, have no monthly subscription and take no percentage of your sales, so the real difference is what sits around the store and who maintains it. - WooCommerce runs inside WordPress. Its plugin page on wordpress.org lists more than 7 million active installations and requires WordPress and PHP on your own hosting ( WooCommerce on wordpress.org ). - OpenCart installs as a separate system with its own admin for catalog, customers and orders. The OpenCart marketplace lists more than 13,000 extensions ( OpenCart marketplace ). - CloudCart , a hosted ecommerce platform from Sofia, Bulgaria, used by 1,500+ merchants across Europe, runs hosting, updates, EU VAT rules and invoices inside the plan, with a 0% fee on sales. ## WooCommerce vs OpenCart vs CloudCart: comparison table The table compares the standard setup for a small store selling in one or more EU countries. | Criterion | WooCommerce | OpenCart | CloudCart | | What it is | Open-source plugin for WordPress | Standalone open-source store platform | Hosted platform (SaaS) | | License or plan | No license fee, no subscription | No license fee, no monthly fee | Baby Pack €168/year or €19/month; Starter Pack €390/year or €39/month | | Fee on sales | None from the software | None from the software | 0% on every plan, with any payment provider | | Hosting | Yours: $25 to $350/month for most stores, per WooCommerce | Yours: the price of the host you choose | Included, with automatic SSL | | Paid extensions | $29 to $299/year each on woocommerce.com | Priced one by one, for example $59 to $99 for common modules | Couriers, invoices, OSS and imports are built-in apps | | EU VAT and VIES check | Tax rate tables per country in core; VIES check with the EU VAT Number extension | Tax rates per geo zone in core; VIES and OSS invoices through extensions or custom work | VAT by zone, OSS switch, VIES check at checkout, no-VAT reason on the invoice | | Updates and security | WordPress, WooCommerce, theme and each plugin separately | Core, theme and each module separately | Done by the CloudCart team for all stores | | Who answers when it breaks | You, your developer or the plugin author | You, your developer or the module author | One address: support@cloudcart.com | Important: hosting and extension prices for WooCommerce and OpenCart are from [woocommerce.com/pricing](https://woocommerce.com/pricing/) and the OpenCart marketplace. ## Hosting: where your store lives and what it costs With WooCommerce and OpenCart you rent the hosting and you are responsible for it: the server, the PHP version, the database, SSL, backups and speed. Per WooCommerce's pricing page, hosting for most stores costs $25 to $350 a month, rising with traffic. OpenCart gives no price range. Its download page offers set-up through a hosting partner, a self-hosted download, installation through Softaculous, or Amazon Web Services ([OpenCart download page](https://www.opencart.com/index.php?route=cms/download)). WooCommerce usually needs more server resources, because WordPress loads with the store; OpenCart contains only the store. For a small catalog both run on shared hosting, and for thousands of products with campaign peaks, hosting becomes the biggest cost line. Under the GDPR you are the controller of your customers' data, so on self-hosted software you also sign a data processing agreement with the host. In CloudCart, hosting is part of the plan: Baby Pack covers up to 100 products with 1 GB of disk space, Starter Pack up to 2,000 products with 3 GB, and SSL is set up automatically. ## Extensions: what they cost and who maintains them On both platforms, almost every feature beyond the basic cart is an extension costing from a few dozen to a few hundred dollars. ### WooCommerce extensions Paid extensions on the WooCommerce marketplace cost $29 to $299 a year each. The wordpress.org directory adds thousands of plugins with no price tag and uneven support. ### OpenCart extensions OpenCart extensions are bought one by one. As listed on the OpenCart marketplace, PDF Invoice Pro costs $59, SEO Pro for OpenCart $69, Universal Import/Export Pro $99, and the download page shows AJAX Quick Checkout PRO at $110.99. The marketplace filters extensions by OpenCart version, from 4.1.0.4 back to 1.4.7, with separate 3.x.x.x and 4.x.x.x groups, and the version is the detail that matters most: a module has to be built for the exact line your store runs on. Important: before you buy any WooCommerce or OpenCart extension, check when it was last updated, which core version it supports, and who answers support questions about it. ## EU VAT, OSS and VIES on WooCommerce and OpenCart Neither WooCommerce nor OpenCart has an OSS setting in core: both give you tax rate tables, and VIES checks and OSS-ready invoices come from extensions or custom work. The One Stop Shop (OSS) lets an EU seller declare the VAT of every customer's country in one quarterly return filed in its own member state. Once cross-border sales to consumers in other EU countries pass €10,000 a year, the seller charges the VAT rate of the customer's country ([European Commission, VAT One Stop Shop](https://vat-one-stop-shop.ec.europa.eu/one-stop-shop_en)). VIES is the European Commission's system for checking that a business customer's VAT number is valid, which you need before selling to that customer without VAT. - WooCommerce: core WooCommerce lets you enter tax rates per country code and choose whether prices include tax. The official EU VAT Number extension adds a VAT number field at checkout, validates it against VIES and applies the exemption when the check passes; woocommerce.com lists its 1-year plan at €36 ( EU VAT Number extension ). The extension page covers VAT number checks only and says nothing about OSS returns. - OpenCart: core OpenCart sets tax rates per geo zone, as a percentage or a fixed amount, and groups them into tax classes. You build the geo zone and rate for each EU country yourself, and VIES validation and OSS invoice texts come from marketplace modules or a developer. - CloudCart: VAT rules are set by geographic zone. With the One Stop Shop switch on, the destination country's rate applies to cross-border consumer sales in the EU; the customer's VAT number is checked in VIES; and the invoice prints your text explaining why VAT is zero for EU business customers or for exports outside the EU. See invoices, VAT and OSS in CloudCart . On every platform, you or your accountant still file the OSS return. The platform's job is to charge the right rate and keep invoices that match. Filing steps and thresholds are explained in [OSS VAT for cross-border EU sales](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/oss-eu-vat-cross-border-sales). > New store €1/month for the first 3 months on every plan Add products, switch on OSS and take real orders before paying the full plan price. Start a store for €1 a month → ## Updates and security: how much work is maintenance? On WooCommerce and OpenCart, updates and security are your responsibility: the core, the theme and every extension update separately, and a backup before each update is mandatory. A WooCommerce store has four layers, WordPress, WooCommerce, the theme and the plugins, each with its own author and release rhythm. The current WooCommerce version requires WordPress 7.0 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer, so one update often pulls another after it. OpenCart has fewer layers, but moving from the 3.x line to the 4.x line is a bigger change: the theme and every module must exist in a version for the new line. For a store with a developer, this is routine work; for an owner who packs parcels, it is a second job. In CloudCart, the team runs server, security and updates for every store at once. ## Payments and couriers across the EU Both open-source platforms connect payments and couriers through one plugin or module per provider, and the software adds no fee of its own. For every provider, check that the module exists for your exact version and whether it also creates the shipping label from the order. A seller starting on OpenCart 4 should confirm each courier module exists for 4.x first. In CloudCart, [CloudCart Pay](https://cloudcart.com/en/cloudcart-pay) takes Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay with a payment form built into the store, for businesses registered in 30 European countries (the EU, Norway, Switzerland and the UK), with SEPA payouts in 11 currencies. Couriers include GLS, DHL, DHL Express, Sendcloud and EuShipment across Europe, plus regional networks such as Econt, Speedy and BOX NOW in Bulgaria, Sameday and FAN Courier in Romania, and ACS in Greece. See [couriers and shipping in CloudCart](https://cloudcart.com/en/shipping). > CloudCart Pay Card payments in the store, with no bank contract During the current offer the card fee is 0%; after it, consumer Visa and Mastercard cards from the EEA cost 1.29% + €0.05 per transaction, with no monthly fee. How CloudCart Pay works → ## How much does a store cost on WooCommerce, OpenCart and CloudCart? WooCommerce and OpenCart start at $0 for the software, but year one adds hosting, paid extensions and developer hours. CloudCart Starter Pack costs €354 in year one billed monthly, with hosting, EU VAT rules, invoices and couriers included. The example store: 300 products, 50 orders a month, customers in two EU countries, prices excluding VAT, and a minimal stack: VAT number check, invoices, SEO addresses and product import, at listed prices. | Year-one cost | WooCommerce | OpenCart | CloudCart Starter Pack | | Software or plan | $0 | $0 | €354 (3 months at €1, then 9 at €39) | | Hosting | From $300 ($25/month, the low end of WooCommerce's range) | The host's price | Included | | VAT number check (VIES) | €36/year, EU VAT Number extension | Marketplace module or developer | Included | | Invoices, SEO addresses, product import | $29 to $299/year for each paid extension | $59 + $69 + $99 = $227 as listed | Included | | Developer and updates | Developer hours | Developer hours | Not needed | | Fee on sales | None | None | 0% | The biggest cost on WooCommerce and OpenCart is usually the developer, missing from the table because the price depends on the project. That is why the honest comparison is over three years: on WooCommerce, every paid extension renews yearly; on OpenCart, a move from 3.x to 4.x can mean buying modules again. Every cost line of a new store is broken down in [how much an online store costs](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/online-store-cost-bulgaria). > 0% fee on sales A fixed plan, with no share of your revenue Like open source, CloudCart takes nothing from your sales, and the plan covers hosting, VAT rules and updates. How a store with a 0% fee on sales works → ## Who should choose WooCommerce, OpenCart or a hosted platform? The right platform depends on whether you already have a site, who maintains the store and where your customers are. | Your situation | Best fit | Why | | You run a WordPress site whose articles bring Google traffic, and you have a developer or agency | WooCommerce | Your content and SEO stay in WordPress, with a very wide choice of plugins and full control of the code | | You want a standalone store with a simple admin, and a developer who knows OpenCart | OpenCart | A lighter system with only the store, and one-off module prices | | You already sell steadily on OpenCart with tested modules | Usually stay on OpenCart | Switch only when a version upgrade, a missing VAT feature or hosting problems cost more than a move | | Small or mid-size store in one or several EU countries, no developer | CloudCart | Hosting, OSS, VIES, invoices and European couriers are in the plan, with a 0% fee on sales | | A separate store for each country, with its own language, currency and VAT | CloudCart | Multistore keeps one catalog and syncs stock across country stores | | Most customers outside Europe, or you rely on a large app and agency ecosystem | Shopify | A hosted platform with a large app store and agency network, priced per plan | If Shopify is also on your list, the differences are in [Shopify vs WooCommerce for EU sellers](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/shopify-vs-woocommerce). All the main platforms side by side, with Magento: [the best ecommerce platform in Europe](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/best-ecommerce-platform-europe). ## The third option: a hosted platform built for EU selling A hosted platform (SaaS) is a store you rent for a monthly plan, while hosting, security and updates are the platform's job. It folds the three biggest costs of open source, hosting, extensions and developer time, into one plan price. Beyond VAT, invoices and couriers, CloudCart includes features that need an extension elsewhere: - Multistore: each country gets its own store with its own domain, currency, prices, couriers and VAT rate, while the catalog stays in the main store and stock syncs after every order. Each country store runs on its own plan. See how multistore works . - AURA , the CloudCart AI assistant: Aura Chat sells in the chat, Aura Search understands what shoppers mean, and Aura Studio writes descriptions and translations. See AURA . - A store run by an AI assistant: with a Personal Access Token (PAT) from the admin you connect Claude Code, ChatGPT Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor or VS Code, and the assistant uploads products and makes changes step by step, with read-only or full permissions you choose. > Store run by AI One sentence connects Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Cursor The assistant works in the store through a PAT token, and you approve each step. Connect your AI assistant → ## How to decide in one week Run the same order from start to finish on both platforms on your shortlist. - Count three years. Hosting, theme, extension renewals, card fees and developer hours. - Check the EU modules. For VAT number checks, OSS invoices, your payment provider and your couriers, confirm the core version, the last update date and who supports each one. - Place two test orders. One from a consumer in another EU country and one from a business customer with a valid VAT number, and check the VAT on each invoice. - Create a shipping label from the order. Use the courier you will actually ship with, to a pickup point and to a home address. - Try one update. On WooCommerce or OpenCart, update the core and the extensions on a test copy and see whether the checkout still works. ## If you already sell on WooCommerce or OpenCart A WooCommerce or OpenCart store moves to CloudCart without stopping sales: products, customers, articles and order history, with a 301 redirect from every old URL. The CloudCart team migrates the store in up to 45 days while the old store keeps selling, at €0 with a 24-month contract during the current offer; you request it under Services → Migration in the new admin. You can also use the WooCommerce Importer or OpenCart Migrator apps on every plan, CSV and XML import, or the Admin API. See the [migration page](https://cloudcart.com/en/migration) and the [OpenCart migration offer](https://cloudcart.com/en/offer/migrate-from-opencart). How to keep your Google rankings: [migrating from WooCommerce without losing SEO](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/migrate-from-woocommerce-guide). Before any move, run through the [platform switch checklist](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/switch-ecommerce-platform-checklist). > Migration €0 with a 24-month contract, up to 45 days The old store keeps selling until you switch the domain. How the migration works → ## Frequently asked questions **Is WooCommerce or OpenCart better for a small business?** WooCommerce is better for a small business that already has a WordPress site with content and a developer to maintain it. OpenCart is better for a small standalone store that needs only a catalog, a cart and orders. Without a developer, a hosted platform such as CloudCart avoids hosting, extension updates and VAT setup work. **Is OpenCart cheaper than WooCommerce?** On extensions, OpenCart can cost less in year one, because its marketplace modules are priced one by one, for example $59 to $99 for an invoice, SEO or import module. WooCommerce paid extensions cost $29 to $299 a year each and renew every year. On both, hosting and developer hours usually decide the total more than extensions do. **Does WooCommerce or OpenCart handle EU VAT and OSS?** Both handle tax rates per country in core, but neither has an OSS setting or VIES check out of the box. On WooCommerce, the EU VAT Number extension adds VIES validation for €36 a year as listed; on OpenCart, VIES and OSS invoice texts come from modules or a developer. You still file the OSS return yourself on every platform. **Should I use OpenCart 3 or OpenCart 4?** A new store should start on the 4.x line, the latest download on opencart.com, but only after you confirm that every module you need, including payments and couriers, exists for 4.x. A store running well on 3.x should plan the move as a project, because the theme and every module need 4.x versions. **What is a good alternative to WooCommerce and OpenCart in Europe?** A hosted platform is the main alternative when you have no developer. CloudCart includes hosting, EU VAT with OSS and VIES checks, invoices, European couriers and a 0% fee on sales, from €14/month billed annually and €1/month for the first 3 months. **Can I move from OpenCart or WooCommerce to CloudCart without losing SEO?** Yes. Products, customers, articles and order history move over, and every old URL gets a 301 redirect to the new one. The CloudCart team does it in up to 45 days, at €0 with a 24-month contract during the current offer, or you use the WooCommerce Importer, OpenCart Migrator or CSV and XML import yourself. Questions about your own setup: write to support@cloudcart.com. To try the hosted option on your own products, [create a store for €1 a month](https://cloudcart.com/en/offer/online-store-for-1-euro).