BigCommerce to OpenCart
Moving your store from BigCommerce to OpenCart lets you keep products, customers, orders, and content intact—while protecting SEO rankings and customer logins. This guide walks through data mapping, migration tools, pricing, and execution steps.
Migrating from BigCommerce to OpenCart moves your store from hosted SaaS to a lighter-weight self-hosted solution. Whether you're reducing subscription costs, simplifying your stack, or preferring OpenCart's admin UX—this guide covers the data mapping and migration steps you need.
BigCommerce to OpenCart: Quick Facts
- Average cost: $69–$400 (automated) vs $2,500+ (custom)
- Typical duration: 2–4 hours (automated) vs weeks (manual)
- Recommended method: Automated cloud migration (Cart2Cart, LitExtension)
- Password migration: Supported with migration tool
- SEO preservation: 301 redirects required—automated tools create them
Why Move from BigCommerce to OpenCart?
BigCommerce works for many stores, but its constraints can limit growth. OpenCart offers a different set of advantages:
💰 Hosted Infrastructure
The BigCommerce Pain: Subscription costs. API limits. Stencil theme lock-in.
The OpenCart Gain: Hosted or managed. Reduced server management. Focus on selling.
🚀 App Ecosystem
The BigCommerce Pain: App Marketplace vs. OpenCart extensions. Different ecosystem.
The OpenCart Gain: Broader app ecosystem. One-click integrations. More third-party options.
🛠 Ease of Use
The BigCommerce Pain: Stencil vs. Twig. Different template engine.
The OpenCart Gain: User-friendly admin. Modern UX. Non-technical users can manage stores.
⚡ Quick Launch
The BigCommerce Pain: Hosted SaaS. No self-hosted minimal footprint.
The OpenCart Gain: Launch fast. Focus on selling, not infrastructure.
Who Should Migrate from BigCommerce to OpenCart?
BigCommerce to OpenCart migration suits merchants wanting a lighter PHP platform, lower hosting footprint, or OpenCart's simpler admin. Trade-off: smaller OpenCart extension marketplace.
BigCommerce to OpenCart: Platform-Specific Considerations
Each migration path has its own quirks. For BigCommerce → OpenCart, watch for:
- BigCommerce variants map to OpenCart product options—structure is analogous; migration straightforward.
- BigCommerce CDN and OpenCart image/ use different folder structures—path conversion required.
- BigCommerce API vs OpenCart oc_ prefix—migration tools handle mapping.
BigCommerce to OpenCart Pre-Migration Checklist
Before moving from BigCommerce to OpenCart, review your source data and prepare the OpenCart store. Different structures mean mapping matters—get it wrong and you risk data loss.
Understanding the Platform Disconnect
BigCommerce and OpenCart use different data structures—mapping them correctly prevents data loss.
- BigCommerce Plan: Check API access.
- OpenCart Setup: Install OpenCart on PHP hosting.
- Product Structure: BigCommerce variants map to OpenCart options.
- Images: BigCommerce CDN to OpenCart image/.
BigCommerce to OpenCart Data Mapping: Products, Customers, Orders
Correct field mapping from BigCommerce to OpenCart keeps variants, customer history, and order links intact. Reference mappings for developers:
🛍 Product Data Mapping
| BigCommerce Field (Source) | OpenCart Field (Target) | Notes & Logic |
|---|---|---|
Product.id |
oc_product.product_id |
OpenCart generates new IDs. Use reference for mapping. |
Product.name |
oc_product_description.name |
Direct string transfer. |
Product.sku |
oc_product.model |
Direct mapping. |
Product.price |
oc_product.price |
Direct price transfer. |
Product.description |
oc_product_description.description |
HTML content. Images need re-uploading. |
Product.categories |
oc_product_to_category |
BigCommerce categories map to OpenCart. |
Product.variants |
oc_product_option |
BigCommerce variants map to OpenCart options. |
👥 Customer Data Mapping
| BigCommerce Field | OpenCart Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
Customer.email |
oc_customer.email |
Unique identifier. |
Customer.password |
oc_customer.password |
Password migration supported. |
Address |
oc_address |
BigCommerce addresses map to OpenCart. |
📦 Order Data Mapping
| BigCommerce Field | OpenCart Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
Order.id |
oc_order.order_id |
Preserve order number. |
Order.status |
oc_order.order_status_id |
Map BigCommerce status to OpenCart. |
Order.total_inc_tax |
oc_order.total |
Direct mapping. |
BigCommerce to OpenCart Migration Tools
For BigCommerce → OpenCart, three approaches: automated cloud migration (recommended), CSV import, or custom scripts. Compare BigCommerce migration tools for features and pricing.
Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)
Tools: Cart2Cart, LitExtension
Specialized tools that connect via BigCommerce API and OpenCart API.
- ✅ Pros: Handles structure complexity, preserves relationships, formats data for OpenCart automatically.
- ❌ Cons: Cost scales with data ($200–$400).
Option B: CSV Import
Tools: BigCommerce Export + OpenCart Import
Export from BigCommerce Admin, format for OpenCart, and import manually.
- ✅ Pros: Lower cost, direct control.
- ❌ Cons: Manual work required. Limited to products and categories.
Option C: Custom Development
Tools: BigCommerce API + OpenCart API
Build a custom script using BigCommerce API and OpenCart API.
- ✅ Pros: Complete control, reusable.
- ❌ Cons: Expensive ($2,500+), time-consuming.
How to Migrate from BigCommerce to OpenCart: Step-by-Step
Use this workflow for BigCommerce → OpenCart with automated tools. Full BigCommerce migration guide for planning.
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (OpenCart):
Create your OpenCart store. Complete setup. Configure API access. Use subdomain for testing.
Tip: Don't point your domain yet.
1.2. Prepare Source (BigCommerce):
Ensure API access. Keep your BigCommerce store live during migration.
Phase 2: Connection Setup
2.1. BigCommerce Access:
Configure API credentials in BigCommerce Admin. Or install migration app if using automated tools.
2.2. OpenCart Access:
Provide API credentials. Migration tool connects to OpenCart.
Phase 3: Migration Execution
Select what to move. Critical settings:
- Create 301 Redirects: Essential for SEO. Redirects from BigCommerce URLs to OpenCart URLs.
- Migrate Product Variants: BigCommerce variants map to OpenCart variants.
- Migrate Images: Images from BigCommerce CDN uploaded to OpenCart media system.
- Password Migration: Supported with migration tool. Customer passwords converted.
Phase 4: Post-Migration
Verify products, images, prices, variants. Notify customers. Choose a OpenCart theme.
BigCommerce to OpenCart Migration Cost (2025)
For a typical store (2,000 products, 10,000 orders, 5,000 customers):
Custom Script
Developer Time
Automated Cloud
Average Cost
Agency Service
Starting Cost
BigCommerce to OpenCart: Troubleshooting & SEO
Common issues when moving BigCommerce to OpenCart:
- Variant Mapping: BigCommerce variants map to OpenCart variants. Check variant limits (e.g., Shopify 100/product).
- API Structure: BigCommerce REST API differs from OpenCart. Migration tools handle translation.
- Image Migration: BigCommerce CDN images need re-uploading to OpenCart media system.
- Password Migration: Supported with migration tool.
301 Redirects: Preserve SEO
BigCommerce URLs differ from OpenCart URLs. Create 301 redirects to preserve search rankings. Automated tools create redirects—verify in target admin.
BigCommerce to OpenCart: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about BigCommerce to OpenCart—costs, timing, passwords, and SEO.
Why migrate BigCommerce to OpenCart?
OpenCart is lighter, uses fewer resources, and has a simpler admin. BigCommerce is hosted SaaS; OpenCart suits self-hosted minimal footprint.
Is OpenCart data structure similar to BigCommerce?
Both have products, categories, customers, orders. BigCommerce uses REST API; OpenCart uses MySQL. Migration tools handle the translation.
Ready to Migrate from BigCommerce to OpenCart?
Migrating from BigCommerce to OpenCart gives you new platform capabilities, broader ecosystem, and reduced constraints. Run a free demo to confirm your data maps correctly.