OpenCart hosting for light, fast online stores
OpenCart is a light open-source store system that is quick to set up, with several stores in one admin, product options, coupons and an extensions marketplace. Run OpenCart 4 on our Linux web hosting with a control panel, or on a HyperDC VPS as your store grows.
- OpenCart 4 with PHP 8.1 or newer
- Several stores from one admin
- Web hosting with a control panel, or a VPS
- HTTPS on every page, as stores require
- Install
- ZIP package with web installer
- StackOpenCart 4 needs PHP 8.1 or newer.
- PHP 8.1+ · Apache or Nginx
- Databases
- MySQL or MariaDB
- Current release
- OpenCart 4.1
- Official docs
- github.com/opencart/opencart
Built in
- Multiple stores
- Product options
- Coupons
- Gift vouchers
- Multilingual
- Multiple currencies
- SEO URLs
- Extensions
- Themes
Facts from the project’s official website, documentation and repository, checked in October 2026.
OpenCart hosting plans
Tell us how big your catalog is and how many orders you expect, and our team will recommend the right plan. Or start today on our Linux web hosting and install OpenCart with our guide.
How big a plan does your OpenCart store need?
OpenCart is light: most stores start on web hosting. Large catalogs and many extensions need the room of a VPS.
| Feature | Small store Hundreds of products | Recommended Growing store Thousands of products and daily orders | Several stores Several shops from one admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server. | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system. | 1–2 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups. | 20 GB | 40 GB | 80 GB |
| Hosting typeWeb hosting covers PHP and MySQL with a control panel. A VPS adds root access and services of your own. | Linux web hosting | Linux web hosting or a VPS | VPS |
-
Small store
Hundreds of products
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 1
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 1–2 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 20 GB
- Hosting typeWeb hosting covers PHP and MySQL with a control panel. A VPS adds root access and services of your own.
- Linux web hosting
- Recommended
Growing store
Thousands of products and daily orders
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 2
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 4 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 40 GB
- Hosting typeWeb hosting covers PHP and MySQL with a control panel. A VPS adds root access and services of your own.
- Linux web hosting or a VPS
-
Several stores
Several shops from one admin
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 4
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 8 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- 80 GB
- Hosting typeWeb hosting covers PHP and MySQL with a control panel. A VPS adds root access and services of your own.
- VPS
Starting points: the projects publish software requirements rather than server sizes. Catalog size, visitors and modules decide what a store needs.
Everything your OpenCart store needs
Start on web hosting with a control panel and move to a server of your own when the store grows.
Start on web hosting
Our Linux web hosting runs PHP sites on LiteSpeed and NVMe storage, with free SSL and a control panel such as cPanel or Plesk.
The PHP version you need
Choose the PHP version per domain and turn on the extensions the system lists, on web hosting or on your own server.
HTTPS on every page
Free Let’s Encrypt certificates for your domain, so every page, from the login to the checkout, loads over HTTPS.
Cron jobs included
Order emails, indexes and cleanups run on a schedule: add the cron jobs the system documents in your control panel or on the server.
Staging next to production
Run a copy of the site on a second subdomain to test updates, themes and extensions before they reach your visitors.
Fast pages
LiteSpeed and NVMe storage on web hosting; OPcache, a page cache or Varnish on a server of your own.
Backups included
Free weekly and monthly backups come with every VPS and VDS plan. For data that changes every day, keep copies of your own as well.
Room to grow
Start on a VPS and move to a bigger plan, a VDS with NVMe storage or a dedicated server when your data and users grow.
Open your OpenCart store in four steps
Order the app preinstalled on your server, or install it yourself with our guide.
-
Choose your plan
Pick Linux web hosting for a small or medium site, or a VPS in the size from the table above for a busy one.
-
Create the database
Create a database and a user in your control panel, or in MySQL or MariaDB on your server, and note the details.
-
Upload and install OpenCart
Upload the contents of the package’s upload folder, rename the two config-dist.php files to config.php and open your domain.
-
Secure the store
Delete the install folder, move the storage folder out of the web root when the admin asks, and turn on HTTPS.
Step-by-step setup guides
Install, secure and update the app with our guides, written for current Ubuntu and Debian releases.
- Install Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Moodle or Laravel on web hosting
PHP applications install the same way on web hosting: the right PHP version, a database, the files in the right folder and the web installer. This guide gives the shared steps and the extra steps each application needs.
25 min Beginner - Change the PHP version and PHP limits on web hosting
Each site can run the PHP version it needs. Set it per domain, enable the extensions your application asks for and adjust the PHP limits for uploads and memory, then check the result.
10 min Beginner - How to move a website to a new host without downtime
A website move goes smoothly when the new server is ready and tested before visitors are sent to it. The order of work, with the commands for each step.
25 min Intermediate
Related solutions
Linux Web Hosting
Web hosting for PHP sites, email and databases, with a control panel such as cPanel or Plesk.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Can OpenCart run on web hosting?
Yes. OpenCart is light, and most stores run well on our Linux web hosting with a control panel such as cPanel or Plesk. Choose a VPS for large catalogs, many extensions or settings that a shared server does not allow.
What does OpenCart 4 need?
PHP 8.1 or newer, MySQL or MariaDB, and Apache or Nginx. Turn on the PHP extensions the installer lists before you start it.
What do I do after the installer finishes?
Delete the install folder. If the admin dashboard warns that the storage folder is inside the web root, use its button to move it. Then set up email, payments and HTTPS for every page.
Can I run several stores?
Yes. OpenCart runs several stores from one admin, each with its own domain, theme and settings, sharing products and customers. Point each domain at the same OpenCart folder.
Does my store handle card data?
It should not. Use your payment provider’s hosted payment page or embedded fields, so card numbers go straight to the provider and never touch your server. That keeps your security obligations small; the provider’s module for your store system sets this up.
Can you move my site to HyperDC?
Migration is free on our Linux VPS plans. We copy the files and the database and update the configuration, and you switch DNS once the site works on the new server.
Ready to open your OpenCart store?
Tell us what you want to run and for how many people, and we will help you pick the right server.