The choice between OpenCart 3 and OpenCart 4 for your online store depends on your specific needs and preferences.
OpenCart 3 is a solid and reliable version that has been used by many businesses and has proven its effectiveness in the past. However, OpenCart 4 represents a significant upgrade that offers important improvements in security, performance, and usability.
As the world of e-commerce evolves, so do the platforms that power it. In particular, OpenCart has advanced from version 3 to version 4, with significant improvements in security, performance, user interface, product management, and mobile compatibility.
For online store owners, the decision between OpenCart 3 and OpenCart 4 can have a big impact on the success of their business. Migrating to newer version can mean a significant improvement in user experience, product management efficiency, and customer data security. Although there is a cost and learning time associated with migration, many businesses have found it worthwhile to ensure they are at the forefront of modern e-commerce.
In this article, we will compare the two latest available versions: Opencart 3 and Opencart 4, and see what their main differences and advantages are.
What is Opencart 3?
Opencart 3 is the previous version of Opencart, released in June 2017. It is a stable and mature version, supported by a wide community of developers and users. Some of its most outstanding features are:
- It has an intuitive and easy-to-use administration panel, with options to customize design, products, orders, customers, extensions, and more.
- Multilingual and multi-currency system that facilitates the internationalization of the online store.
- The integrated marketing system allows you to create coupons, discounts, rewards, and other promotions to attract and retain customers.
- It has an analysis section that allows you to measure the performance and behavior of the online store.
- It has a wide variety of available extensions (more than 13,000) that expand the possibilities and capabilities of the software.
What is Opencart 4?
Opencart 4 is the latest version of Opencart, released in October 2021. It is a renewed and improved version that incorporates new technologies and features to offer a more modern and efficient experience.
What does this version of Opencart bring us?
- A redesigned and optimized administration panel for mobile devices (responsive), with options to manage design (with Twig templates), products (with custom attributes), orders (with custom states), customers (with custom groups), extensions (with automatic installer), and more.
- It has an improved modular system that allows you to create or modify functionalities without affecting the source code of the software (with events).
- It has an improved multilingual system that allows you to translate all website content from the administration panel (without .php files).
- Improved SEO integrated system that helps improve organic positioning in search engines (with friendly URLs, dynamic meta tags, XML sitemap, automatic redirects, and more).
- Improved marketing section that allows you to create email marketing campaigns, social media ads, affiliate programs, and other strategies to attract and retain customers.
What are the advantages of Opencart 4 over Opencart 3?
The advantages of Opencart 4 over Opencart 3 are quite apparent to all its users. It is undoubtedly a superior version in many aspects. Some of its most important advantages are:
Loading speed:
It is faster and lighter than Opencart 3, which improves the loading speed and performance of the online store. This is because it uses PHP 8.1 or higher, which is more efficient and secure than PHP 7.1 or lower. Additionally, it has an improved cache system that reduces the number of queries to the database.
Security:
It uses HTTPS by default, which encrypts the communication between the server and the browser. Additionally, it has an improved backup system that allows restoring the online store in case of problems.
Customization:
It is more flexible and customizable than Opencart 3, allowing the online store to be adapted to the preferences and needs of each client. This is because it uses Twig as a template engine, which is more powerful and easier to use than PHP. Additionally, it has an Event System that allows modifying the behavior of the software without altering the source code.
Scalability:
It facilitates integration with other services and platforms. This is because it uses a RESTful API architecture, which is a communication standard between systems. Additionally, it has an automatic update system, which allows installing the latest versions of the software without losing data or configurations.
How to choose between Opencart 3 and Opencart 4?
Although Opencart 4 has many advantages over Opencart 3, it doesn’t mean that it’s the best option for all cases. Both versions have their benefits.
OpenCart 4 offers significant improvements in security, performance, user interface, product management, and mobile device compatibility. However, the choice between OpenCart 3 and OpenCart 4 will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a modern, reliable, and highly functional e-commerce platform, OpenCart 4 might be the best choice for you.
In conclusion, Opencart 4 is a superior version to Opencart 3 in many aspects, but not all. Depending on the budget, time, and experience available, it may be convenient to choose one or the other version for your online store.
The important thing is to know the characteristics, differences, and advantages of each version before making a decision.
