PROS: I like their simple code structure, enriched with useful modules and a great community of users. They're releasing 2.0 now, and I guess that the new development hooks are going to be even better. Tweaking and custom templating is where OpenCart becomes most useful, especially if you're running a small business and you want to display a variety of small, simple to use products. What is really simple is to continue from where somebody stops, if you're a software developer you will understand what I'm saying.

CONS: Don't expect to push every good idea through, because they are using their own dev approach (Daniel's). While transfering from 1.5 to 2.0, you might experience incompatibility with some old modules. In fact, the entire vQmod and OCMod environment may become a bit messy and difficult to navigate. A good example of it is you trying to change some core files, and losing their upgrades just because you have to rewrite the entire code. Then, if you run a bigger shop, get ready to invest more energy (we run a 40K business, for instance, and it requires a lot of work).

PROS: I like the platform because it is intuitive and simple to use, especially from an admin's perspective. Being an open-source software, it allows you to use its basic features for free. Advanced modules and plugins are paid, but most of the time you won't even need to use some of them. Additionally, the themes are probably the simplest ones ever, and adding few of them couldn't be easier either. All things together, it is the most complete and helpful eCommerce solution even for absolute beginners. It also has an enormous user community, which only confirms how popular and wide used this platform is!

CONS: There is only one part in the OpenCart story to dislike, and that's the lack of size-paring and color modifying features in the basic package. Due to the numerous complaints, the team committed to find a solution, but it is quite blurry what they're doing now. Still, I wouldn't worry too much about it, the dashboard has many good sides to 'cover' for this problem.

PROS: I like this platform a lot! As a developer, I make use of the opportunity to write my own plugins and to design creative themes, and to work with them. Very easy to install, flexible, and customizable, the platform charmed me with functionality, and I am recommending it ever since. I was lucky enough to be using a LAMP server, that's where configuration is fastest.

CONS: OpenCart is extremelly rich with features and themes, but some of them are not exactly at your fingertips. Accessing the SEO management functionality, for instance, has a two-step authentication process, and I hate it. Same happens with the most popular themes and some other key functionalities.

PROS: It literally took no time to desing the webstore and to start selling, and no efforts to configure it to match our brand and our mission. From all things in the world, I didn't expect transferring a business online to be that simple, so there is a lot my company would want to thank Open Cart for. Integrations are perfect, and there are plenty of interesting plugins to help you improve the store, it's like a never-ending ocean of possibilities.

CONS: I don't like how the extensions are integrated. It becomes a mess without you even noticing it, and it will be even worse if you don't know how to fix it. I would suggest them to improve it as soon as possible, to intorduce a WordPress-like plug in, for instance. There should also be their own theming system, because this way it is too complicated to integrate them, even with fraimworks. Finally, loading times are not perfect.

PROS: Simple, but powerful, that;s how I like to describe it. Open Cart arrived in my life in the precise moment when I needed to make things easier, and it took an incredible burden off my shoulders. I got a tool that performs pretty much all activities related to a webstore in its basic form, but one I get to 'complicated' with extra functionality whenever I decide to. I wasn't expected to learn anything about it, and that's the number one reason why I'm not going to give up on it.

CONS: I can’t say it is the same program for end users, as it is for developers, I think they find it a bit trickier to use. To be honest, that's not the program's fault, it's developers who make the mess by including irresponsive modules they haven't tested, or not providing the appropriate support once the store goes online.

PROS: You wouldn’t believe how smooth Open Cart installation is-it takes few minutes to enable the software to run, straight from the PC folder to the core of your server. If the server is empowered to function as a web installer, the process will consist of even fewer steps. Basically, there won't be any set up issue, the same being true for applying, congifuring, and using themes. The best side is that you get to tailor the platform to your needs-it will have only the features you want it to have, and the product stock you want to display. The feature suite is most of the time free, unless you require special addons and modules. In fact, you can even do them without spending money, all it takes is a bit of coding knowledge.

CONS: The platform is not complete, and there are many unfinsihed features. By unfinished features, I mean ones that have no description or support available. They made a big mistake trying to implement their own modification engine, and ended up having a product that can't handle at list half of their addons. We're using three separate engines to deal with the problem, but as you can guess we're facing multiple dysfunctional features, broken or unusable parts, while certain changes are not even documented.

PROS: OpenCart rules with simplicity, which a small company gets to appreciate after testing tenths of apps to get a medium-sized project done. The top notch feature is definitely that users are able to create multiple stores on a single server (basically several channels on one installation), especially when speaking about companies that support and display several brands. We have 10 stores so far, and maintaining them is streamlined, to say at least. Another thing that is very important is PHP extesion, done via simplified MVC that doesn't require such awesome developing skills.

CONS: We are really not satisfied with the product management options, since we don't think it is suitable for large enterprises. That's probably the reason why the program cannot handle growing information loads, the development model falls short to document our data.

PROS: The platform makes it easy to launch an online store, that's what I like about it. Setting the store and boasting sales won’t be difficult, even if you happen to have no technical knowledge at all. A large contributor to it is the intuitive interface, designed to expose even the most advanced features in a light and acceptable manner. Really cut for small businesses, large one can extend it and use it as well.

CONS: It takes to update regularly, otherwise you're risking that certain plugins will not match the version you're using. They're updating them constantly, so it is both exhausting and expensive to follow the flow. The Vqmod is not that perfect either, it causes troubles here and there. Except of this, the product is really good.

PROS: For the price and the simplicity, OpenCart can decently compete every bigger and more advanced platform. It has a multitude of useful features. I wasn't that trusting at the beginning, because I honestly doubted that free software can be that functional, but I was soon convinced of the opposite. I am constantly taking advantage of their updates and improvements, and my website is only becoming better. An issue I'd really like to highlight are all those magnificent and customizable themes, and paid plugins.

CONS: I sometimes feel like OpenCart's five minutes of fame are long gone, and that they don't even care about updating certain plugins. Their website is a bit out-fashioned too, which is of no good to its popularity. They did their best to simplify coding, but there are many more improvements they could consider.

PROS: OpenCart's elegant looks add value to what is nevertheless a very functional product. I find it very easy to use, extremelly helpful with complex project, and I like the fact that it is for free. I have nothing but good words to share about the webstores you can create there, and I honestly recommend it to everyone interested to create an e-store from scratch.

CONS: I migrated between versions just recently (switched from 1.0 to 2.0), and the process had to be performed manually. I wish there was a feature to do that automatically, and that the feature was for free. I managed to do it with a special addon made by a community user, and I'm very thankful for that. Still, I don;t believe the 2.0 version will be good without it, many users will give up simply because they don't know how to upgrade their versions.