Are you stuck with OpenCart and feeling limited in growing your eCommerce business? As ecommerce rapidly evolves, more businesses are turning to Shopify for its user-friendly interface, robust app ecosystem, and hassle-free management. Migrating from OpenCart to Shopify could be the strategic upgrade your business needs to grow faster, sell smarter, and manage operations more efficiently.

This comprehensive guide walks you through every step of your migration —from preparation and data transfer to post-launch optimization. Let’s get started!

What Data Can Migrate from OpenCart to Shopify?

When migrating from OpenCart to Shopify, you can transfer most of your essential store data:

• Products: Product names, descriptions, SKUs; Regular and sale prices; Product images; Weight and dimensions; Inventory levels; Product variants.
• Customers: Customer names and contact information; Email address; Billing and shipping addresses; Account histories
• Orders: Order histories and details; Order statuses; Shipping information; Payment information
• Categories: Names and structures; Descriptions; Images
• Reviews: Product reviews and ratings; Review author information; Review dates
• Blogs: Blog posts and content; Publication dates; Blog categories; Author information 
• Redirects: URL structures 

However, certainly elements cannot be migrated directly: 

• Theme and design elements (Shopify uses a different theme architecture)
• Custom functionality and modifications
• Payment gateway configurations
• Third-party integrations
• Tax settings
• Shipping method configurations

Before Migrating OpenCart to Shopify: What You Should Prepare

Before initiating your OpenCart to Shopify migration, proper preparation is essential to ensure a smooth transition. Here’s what you should prepare:

• Back up your essential data in the OpenCart store: Always start by creating a full backup of your current store, including product data, customer information, order history, and media files. This safeguards your data in case anything goes wrong during migration.
• Clean Up Your Store Data: Review your product catalog, customer lists, and order history. Clean up any outdated or duplicate data. The goal is to only migrate what you truly need, making your Shopify store more organized from day one.
• List Essential Features & Apps: Make a list of all the features, extensions, or customizations you use in OpenCart. Then, research Shopify apps or built-in tools that can replicate or improve those functions.
• Choose a Migration Method: Decide whether you’ll use a manual approach, a third-party migration tool (like LitExtension or Cart2Cart), or hire a Shopify Expert. Your decision will depend on budget, store size, and technical expertise.

How to Migrate from OpenCart to Shopify:  A Detailed Guide in 2025 

Migrating from OpenCart to Shopify is straightforward using a Shopify migration tool. In this part, we will explore how to integrate OpenCart with Shopify using service providers such as Cart2Cart. Here is a detailed guide on this migration process: 

Step 1: Logging in to Shopify

To start, either sign in to your existing Shopify store or set up a new account for the migration process.

Step 2: Subscribing

Now, you need to subscribe a specific Shopify plan to continue setting up your store. Remember that you can save up to 25% if you choose the yearly payment for your subscription plan.

For newbie, the Basic or Starter plan would be a suitable option to get started. Meanwhile, the Advanced or Plus option is for experienced online merchants who want to enlarge their business operation online. With all plans, users can enjoy the short trial period + $1 for your first month before entering the real payment period.

Step 3: Installing Cart2Cart

Install the Cart2Cart plug-in on Shopify App Store. Search for the app name, then click the “Install” button to acquire it for your Shopify store.

Remember that you need to confirm the process again by clicking the “Install” button to allow the installation process to occur.

Step 4: Cart2Cart Log in

Head to Cart2Cart and log into your account. If you are currently logged in your Shopify store, you will then be directed to Cart2Cart main dashboard immediately without having to log in again.

Step 5: Source Cart Selection

Now, it’s time to set up your stores for migration.

• If you’re transferring from a CSV file, select “CSV” as your source and enter the store URL where you exported the CSV files. 
• However, if you’re moving directly from a shopping cart, pick it from the list provided. After that, either input your store’s URL (for open-source carts) or provide the store’s API details (for hosted solutions). 

Remember, if you can’t access your original cart or it’s unsupported, importing products via a CSV file is an efficient alternative.

Step 6: Set up the target cart

Step 7: Choose what to migrate

Here, you decide what data entities you move from OpenCart to Shopify or migrate them altogether by clicking on the “Select all box.”

Step 8: Pick the desired additional migration options

While optional, we suggest you consider the following for a smooth transition:

• Select the “Migrate Source Store categories into the Shopify Automated Collections” option to transfer your OpenCart categories seamlessly.
• Consider opting for the “Create 301 redirects on your target store after migration” choice to maintain your SEO performance.

Step 9: Launch Free Demo Migration

Once the demo migration is complete, review the results to ensure they meet your expectations. If satisfied, proceed with the full transfer of your eCommerce data from OpenCart to Shopify. This process won’t disrupt your current store operations, allowing you to carry on with your business and sales seamlessly.

Step 10: Finalization

After the migration, tailor your store to fit your preferences. When you’re content with its setup, launch it to begin taking orders from your clients.

Why Migrate from OpenCart to Shopify

Businesses often opt to migrate from OpenCart to Shopify for several compelling reasons:

1. Market Leadership & Adoption

Shopify powers over 2.8 million websites and holds 28.41% of the ecommerce platform market share in the U.S. In contrast, OpenCart only accounts for 0.82% of the market with around 81,000 active websites.

OpenCart Weakness: Its small market share reflects limited updates, fewer community innovations, and slower evolution in response to merchant needs.

2. Ease of Use

Shopify provides a clean, user-friendly interface specifically designed for non-technical users. It handles hosting, security, and software updates automatically, allowing merchants to focus on running their business. 

In contrast, OpenCart requires manual installation, server configuration, and ongoing maintenance, posing a significant challenge for users without technical expertise.

OpenCart Weakness: Many users find OpenCart’s admin interface outdated and unintuitive. Common tasks like installing modules or making design edits often require coding skills.

3. App Ecosystem & Flexibility

The Shopify App Store features over 8,000 apps, with a 27% year-over-year growth, offering merchants a wide range of tools for marketing, sales, inventory management, and analytics. In comparison, OpenCart’s extension library is much smaller, and many of its modules require manual installation and lack consistent compatibility with the latest platform versions.

OpenCart Weakness: Limited extension options and lack of consistent quality control among available modules make scaling more complex and risky.

4. Security & Uptime

Shopify Plus ensures 99.99% uptime, includes built-in SSL certificates, and is PCI DSS compliant by default, providing a secure and reliable environment out of the box. In contrast, OpenCart places the responsibility for security on the store owner, requiring manual setup of SSL certificates, regular software updates, and ongoing server maintenance.

OpenCart Weakness: The burden of managing security can lead to vulnerabilities, especially for store owners without technical expertise.

5. Customer Support

Shopify provides 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone. On the other hand, OpenCart relies heavily on community forums and paid developer support.

OpenCart Weakness: Without dedicated support, solving issues—especially during high-stakes events like product launches or sales—can be slow and stressful.

After Migration: Problems and Solutions

Migrating your e-commerce platform is a major undertaking, and even with the best tools, hiccups can happen. I’ve personally overseen a few migrations, and while they went mostly smoothly, there were definitely moments of “uh-oh!” 

Before, during, and after the OpenCart to Shopify migration, you are likely to encounter several bugs and errors that can prevent you from finishing the process. If you are also in such a case, let us assist with the detailed troubleshooting methods below:

1. Missing or Incomplete Data After Migration

Cause: This is often due to incorrect data mapping during the transfer process. Some fields in OpenCart might not have a direct equivalent in Shopify, or your CSV export might have been incomplete.

Solution:

• Thorough Review: Before starting the full migration, most tools offer a preview. Comb through this carefully to ensure everything is mapping as expected.
• Manual Correction: If minor data is missing post-migration, it’s usually faster to manually add it in Shopify than redo the whole transfer.
• Contact Support: If major data is missing or corrupted, contact the support team of your migration tool. They can often diagnose the issue and assist in fixing it. I once had a few product images not transfer properly, and Cart2Cart support was very helpful in resolving it.

2. Broken Links or 404 Errors

Cause: This happens when your old OpenCart URLs don’t properly redirect to their new Shopify counterparts.

Solution:

• 301 Redirects: Ensure your migration tool or process includes setting up 301 redirects. This tells search engines the pages have moved permanently, preserving your SEO efforts.
• Manual Checks: After migration, spot-check key pages to ensure they load correctly. You can use a broken link checker tool if your site is large.
• Update Internal Links: If you had internal links within your OpenCart content, make sure to update those to point to the new Shopify URLs.

3. Theme & Customization Issues

Cause: Shopify themes are structurally different from OpenCart. Even with the best migration, some design elements might not translate perfectly.

Solution:

• Theme Selection: Choose a Shopify theme that closely matches your OpenCart design aesthetic beforehand.
• Minor Tweaks: Be prepared to make some minor CSS adjustments post-migration to fine-tune the look.
• Expert Help: For extensive design changes, consider hiring a Shopify expert to ensure everything looks pixel-perfect.

4. App Compatibility

Cause: The apps you rely on in OpenCart may not have Shopify equivalents.

Solution:

• Research Beforehand: Check the Shopify App Store for similar functionality before migrating.
• Alternative Solutions: Be open to trying new apps that might offer even better features than your old ones.
• Custom Development: In some cases, you might need custom development to replicate a specific function.

Remember, even the smoothest migration might have a few bumps along the way. Stay patient, seek help when needed, and you’ll soon be enjoying the benefits of your new Shopify store!

Shopify OpenCart Migration: FAQs 

Bottom Line

Migrating from OpenCart to Shopify streamlines the e-commerce experience, transitioning from an open-source platform to a user-friendly, hosted solution. This shift offers businesses enhanced functionality and a more intuitive interface for their online store operations.