Creating an online store is a complex process that includes developing, customizing, launching, and maintaining a platform. Developers often choose OpenCart as a budget option for launching online sales, but how much does it correspond to reality?

It is important to understand that the final cost of creating a store depends not only on the platform itself, but also on additional costs. Some projects require minimal investments, while others require significant investments. Let’s take a look at the main costs of developing an online store on OpenCart and what you should pay attention to when calculating the budget.

OpenCart — a flexible solution for creating online stores

OpenCart is a free content management system (CMS) that is used to create online stores of various levels of complexity. Developed by OpenCart Limited in Hong Kong, this platform runs on PHP, uses a MySQLi or PostgreSQL database, and supports HTML components.

Today, OpenCart is used by more than 400,000 online stores worldwide, and more than 13,000 extensions and themes are available on the official marketplace.

The platform supports multilingualism, different currencies, and integration with more than 30 payment systems. The main advantages of OpenCart:

1. Free basic version.
2. Built-in analytics.
3. Thousands of modules and themes for customization.
4. Clear administrative panel.
5. Suitable for both small shops and large e-commerce projects.

Budgeting: the main costs of an OpenCart store

Despite the fact that the system itself is free, there are a number of costs that can affect the final budget during the launch process. The first thing you need is a domain and hosting. A domain costs from $10 to $50 per year, depending on its popularity and zone (.com, .net, .store, etc.). Hosting is chosen according to the needs of the store:

• The budget option is shared hosting: $3-10/month. Suitable for a small store with minimal traffic.
• The best option is VPS (virtual server): $15-50 per month. Higher level of security, speed, and the possibility of flexible configuration.
• The most expensive option is a dedicated server or cloud solutions (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean): from $100 per month. It is used for large-scale projects.

Another important aspect is website design. Using a free template can save your budget, but most stores choose premium themes that cost from $30 to $150. If you need to create a completely unique design or significantly modify an existing template, the cost can increase to $1000 or more.

The basic features of OpenCart are often insufficient, so the installation of additional modules is another mandatory cost item. For example, SEO optimization can cost from $20 to $100, integration with CRM — from $50 to $200, connection of payment systems — up to $50, and delivery settings — from $20 to $80.

In general, the minimum cost of creating an online store on OpenCart can be $100-300. However, if you need a unique design, additional functionality, and deep optimization, the final cost can reach $1000-3000 or more.

Launching an online store in OpenCart with Web Stork: minimum costs, maximum efficiency

On the one hand, you can install OpenCart yourself, but if you need a stable and professional result, you will have to hire a programmer. For complex settings, integration of third-party services, and correction of possible errors, it is also better to contact a specialist.

Web Stork selects the best solutions according to the needs of the business to avoid unnecessary costs and at the same time ensure the stable operation of the store. Thanks to our experience in e-commerce, we optimize the client’s budget without losing quality. Instead of expensive modules, we offer effective alternatives, and we adapt the template design to make it look professional. We also provide technical support.

Web Stork helps not only to launch your business online, but also to make it efficient, convenient, and ready for scaling.