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Migrate from OpenCart to Astro

Complete guide to migrating your OpenCart store to Astro. Leave OpenCart's code quality and architecture have not modernized well behind and get ships zero js to the client by default (islands architecture). Free migration tool included.

1-3 hours
Advanced
100% Free
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TL;DR

You can migrate from OpenCart to Astro for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Astro as the destination, and download your content — posts, pages, and media — in minutes. No API keys, passwords, or CLI tools required. Difficulty: Advanced. Estimated time: 1-3 hours.

Official docs: Astro Documentation

Why Teams Leave OpenCart

Lightweight open-source PHP e-commerce. Small stores on a budget wanting simple, self-hosted e-commerce, but these limitations push teams toward modern alternatives.

Code quality and architecture have not modernized well

This is the most common reason teams migrate away from OpenCart. Astro eliminates this issue entirely.

Security vulnerabilities require vigilant patching

With Astro, ships zero js to the client by default (islands architecture).

Limited scalability for high-traffic stores

Modern architectures like Astro are designed to avoid this from the ground up.

Extension quality is inconsistent

After migrating, you'll no longer need to worry about this — Astro takes a fundamentally different approach.

What Astro Brings to the Table

Content-focused framework that ships zero JavaScript by default. Built with JavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic), it's content-heavy websites that need maximum performance with minimal javascript.

Ships zero JS to the client by default (Islands Architecture)

Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework in the same project

Content collections with type-safe Markdown/MDX

Purpose-built for content sites — blogs, docs, marketing pages

Astro is open-source and free to use. You own your code and data with no vendor lock-in. Deploy to any host that supports JavaScript/TypeScript, or use managed platforms like Vercel and Netlify for zero-config deployments.

OpenCart vs Astro at a Glance

Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics

MetricOpenCartAstro
Ease of Use⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Performance⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Flexibility⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Cost⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Scalability⭐⭐ 2/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Ecosystem⭐⭐ 2/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
LanguagePHPJavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic)
PricingFree (self-hosted)Free (open-source)
Open SourceYesYes

Ratings are based on publicly available data, documentation, and community consensus as of 2026. Individual experience may vary.

What Gets Migrated

A detailed breakdown of how your OpenCart content maps to Astro

Content Types from OpenCart

  • products
  • categories
  • manufacturers
  • information pages

Technical Details

Export Method
Database export or extensions
Source Language
PHP
Destination Format
Markdown/MDX files with frontmatter, organized by content type
URL Handling
301 redirect map generated automatically to preserve SEO equity

What may need manual attention

Payment gateway configurations, active subscriptions, and order history are platform-specific and need manual setup on Astro. Customer accounts may require a re-authentication flow.

How It Works

Migrate your content in three simple steps

1

Connect

Enter your OpenCart site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.

2

Configure

Select Astro as destination and choose content options.

3

Export

Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.

Is OpenCart to Astro the Right Move for You?

Migrating from OpenCart to Astro makes the most sense if you're experiencing code quality and architecture have not modernized well or outgrowing OpenCart's architecture. Astro is best for content-heavy websites that need maximum performance with minimal javascript.

You should migrate if: your OpenCart site is slow, your hosting costs are climbing, your store needs a custom frontend, or you want to adopt a modern JAMstack architecture.

You might want to stay if: your OpenCart site benefits from lightweight and easy to install on basic hosting and you don't have JavaScript/TypeScript developers on your team.

The migration itself is straightforward with LeaveWP — enter your OpenCart URL, select Astro, and download your content. The more important question is whether Astro's architecture fits your team's skills and your project's long-term needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to migrate from OpenCart to Astro?
OpenCart migrations are more complex due to product data, customer records, and order history. Expect 1-3 hours for a typical site. Simpler sites finish faster, while large sites with custom functionality may need additional configuration.
Will I lose my SEO rankings when migrating from OpenCart?
No. We help you set up proper 301 redirects from your old OpenCart URLs to preserve search rankings. Astro actually tends to improve Core Web Vitals scores, which can boost rankings over time.
What OpenCart content can be migrated to Astro?
Products, categories, customer data, blog posts, and pages can all be migrated. Order history and payment configurations will need manual setup on Astro since those are platform-specific.
Do I need JavaScript/TypeScript experience to migrate?
No coding experience is required for the migration itself — LeaveWP handles the export and conversion automatically. However, customizing your Astro site afterward will benefit from JavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic) knowledge. For teams without that expertise, the generated code is well-structured and documented, making it approachable for developers of any level.
How much does it cost to host a Astro site after migrating from OpenCart?
Astro sites can be deployed to Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or any Node.js host — often on generous free tiers. static Astro sites can be hosted for free on Vercel or Netlify (up to generous bandwidth limits), which is significantly cheaper than running a PHP server.
Can I migrate OpenCart custom fields and metadata to Astro?
Product attributes, variants, and custom metadata are mapped during migration. Astro-specific fields (like Astro pages, Markdown/MDX content) can be configured after the initial export to match your catalog structure.

Related Migration Guides

Explore more migration paths from OpenCart or to Astro

OpenCart to Astro Guides

In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration

Ready to Migrate?

Start your free migration from OpenCart to Astro today.

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