3.0.x.x
Maintenance
Takes bug fixes and support for new PHP versions. No new features are added.
If this is you: you run v3 — stay. It has not been abandoned, and there is no reason to migrate in a hurry because it is "old".
Platform guide
OpenCart: the versions today, and why you would choose it
If you are picking a platform for an e-shop, or you already run one on OpenCart and do not know which version to stay on, this page answers both — without selling you something first.
Request a quoteWhat OpenCart is
It is e-shop software you install on your own server. Written in PHP and MySQL, released freely under the GNU GPL v3, with no monthly subscription and no commission on your sales.
From its admin you manage products, orders, customers, discounts and taxes. Multiple stores, currencies and languages are supported from one installation, and the extension marketplace holds more than 13,000 listings — payments, couriers, invoicing, marketplaces.
The versions, and what each one means for you
In September 2026 the branches were separated cleanly. Until then "stable" and "in development" lived in the same place; now you know where to look for a fix and where to look for something new.
4.1.x.x
Stable v4
Renamed from the old 4.x.x.x. Stability and fixes — this is where every v4 running in production today belongs.
If this is you: you run v4 — this is you. It is the branch to watch for security updates.
4.2.x.x
In development
Current development and the next release, as an evolution of v4 with compatibility preserved.
If this is you: you are planning an upgrade — watch it before you move. New work lands here, so problems show up here first.
opencart.js
Separate project
The master branch was split off for a different idea: static stores on a CDN built from JS/JSON rather than PHP, with one place to manage many stores.
If this is you: it does not affect you yet. There is no technical specification, only a direction — do not factor it into a decision you make today.
Latest releases: 3.0.5.1 and 4.1.0.4, both with PHP 8.5 support. No end-of-support date has been announced for either, and no official release cadence.
Why choose OpenCart
The reasons that matter in practice, not the features that appear on every list.
The store is yours
It runs on your server, with your database. Nobody can change the terms, raise the price or close your account. If you decide to change partner or host, everything comes with you.
No subscription and no commission
The software costs nothing. You pay for hosting, for the build and for support — not a percentage of your turnover. On a growing e-shop the difference against a platform that takes a commission runs into four figures within a year.
Several stores, one admin
A second brand, a second market or a separate wholesale shop? They are set up as extra stores on the same installation, sharing stock if you want them to. Multiple currencies and languages are already there.
Ready-made connections for the Greek market
More than 13,000 extensions, and the essentials a Greek e-shop needs already exist: payment methods, couriers with vouchers, invoicing and marketplace connections.
Code anyone can read
PHP and MySQL. You are not tied to one partner because nobody else understands the system; developers are easy to find, and the cost of changes stays reasonable.
Predictable cost of change
Because it is open and widely used, most requirements have already been solved by somebody. Most changes are configuration or an existing extension, not custom development from scratch.
Start small, and never meet a ceiling
The same installation carries your first fifty products and a catalogue of tens of thousands. What changes along the way is not the platform -- it is the engineering underneath it.
A shop opening with a handful of SKUs and one category needs nothing more than a clean install and serious hosting. You are not paying for size you do not have yet, and nobody takes a percentage of your sales as you grow.
Once the catalogue fills up and traffic rises, the difference is engineering: optimised images, filters written properly, caching, clean database queries, and few, deliberately chosen extensions. We have seen a clean OpenCart on ordinary hosting outrun an overloaded shop on three times the machine.
There is no point at which we tell you the platform has run out and must be replaced. There is a point at which we tell you what has to be rewritten to carry the next step. The one exception is genuinely complex B2B, which we set out plainly below.
When OpenCart is not the right choice
No platform suits everyone. If you recognise yourself below, tell us — we will suggest something else.
- You do not want to deal with anything technical. Self-hosted means somebody has to run updates, backups and monitoring. If that will not be you and you do not want a support contract, a SaaS platform suits you better.
- You have tens of thousands of SKUs and complex B2B rules. OpenCart handles large catalogues, but in very complex pricing and warehouse scenarios the cost of customisation outweighs the gain. There we would discuss another platform or custom software.
- You want a headless architecture today. There is an API, but OpenCart was not designed to be headless. opencart.js points that way, but it has no specification yet and is not a basis for a decision today.
What changed in the project's governance in 2026
For years the project's decisions went through one person, and that drove developers away. In September 2026 a public discussion opened under the title "Community Governance or a Fork?" and within three weeks it concluded: community maintainers were recognised from among those already committing, and the master branch was handed to the community.
What the project gained is not the branches. It is that the discussion happened in the open and reached a conclusion. For a platform you will build a store on that has to last years, how openly decisions get made counts as much as the feature list.
We do not only use it -- we take part
When we find a bug, or something that could be better, we do not keep it as a local patch of our own. We open a pull request against the project's repository, with the problem described and the steps to reproduce it, and we argue it through until it is judged.
The same goes for the public discussions. Decisions about where OpenCart goes -- which version is maintained, what belongs in core, how disagreements get settled -- are taken in open issues and discussions. We are there, under our own name, and we take a position.
This is not charity. We run clients' shops on this code; it is in our interest that it is correct, and that we know first-hand where it is heading.
Frequently asked questions
Which OpenCart version should I build a new e-shop on?
4.1.x.x. It is the stable v4 line, it takes fixes and it supports PHP 8.5. 4.2.x.x is still in development and we would not recommend it for a store opening now.
I have OpenCart 3. Do I need to upgrade to 4?
Not because it is "old". 3.0.x.x is actively maintained and recently shipped a release with PHP 8.5 support. Upgrading to v4 makes sense when you need something specific that only exists there, because every extension has to be retested.
Is support for version 3 going to stop?
No end date has been announced. 3.0.x.x remains a maintenance branch and takes fixes. When something is announced, there will be time to plan the move.
How much does an OpenCart e-shop cost?
The software is free. The cost is hosting, the build and support, and it depends on how many products you have, which integrations you need and how custom you want the design. Tell us what you need and we will give you a concrete estimate.
Can I migrate an e-shop from another platform?
Yes. Products, categories, customers and orders migrate from the usual platforms. The critical part is keeping the URLs or putting proper redirects in place, so you do not lose your position in search.
Considering OpenCart for your e-shop?
Tell us what you sell and what you need. We will tell you honestly whether OpenCart is the right choice — and if it is not, what we would suggest instead.
Talk to us