Complete guide to migrating your OpenCart store to Gatsby. Leave OpenCart's code quality and architecture have not modernized well behind and get rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (cms, apis, databases). Free migration tool included.
You can migrate from OpenCart to Gatsby for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose Gatsby 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: Gatsby Documentation
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. Gatsby eliminates this issue entirely.
Security vulnerabilities require vigilant patching
With Gatsby, rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (cms, apis, databases).
Limited scalability for high-traffic stores
Modern architectures like Gatsby are designed to avoid this from the ground up.
Extension quality is inconsistent
After migrating, you'll no longer need to worry about this — Gatsby takes a fundamentally different approach.
React-based SSG with GraphQL data layer. Built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React), it's content-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via graphql.
Rich plugin ecosystem for data sources (CMS, APIs, databases)
Unified GraphQL data layer pulls from any source
Excellent image optimization with gatsby-plugin-image
Pre-renders pages for fast initial load and good SEO
Gatsby 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.
Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics
| Metric | OpenCart | Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Performance | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Flexibility | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 |
| Cost | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
| Scalability | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Ecosystem | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript/TypeScript (React) |
| Pricing | Free (self-hosted) | Free (open-source) |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes |
Ratings are based on publicly available data, documentation, and community consensus as of 2026. Individual experience may vary.
A detailed breakdown of how your OpenCart content maps to Gatsby
What may need manual attention
Payment gateway configurations, active subscriptions, and order history are platform-specific and need manual setup on Gatsby. Customer accounts may require a re-authentication flow.
Migrate your content in three simple steps
Enter your OpenCart site URL — LeaveWP connects automatically.
Select Gatsby as destination and choose content options.
Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.
Migrating from OpenCart to Gatsby makes the most sense if you're experiencing code quality and architecture have not modernized well or outgrowing OpenCart's architecture. Gatsby is best for content-rich sites pulling data from multiple sources via graphql.
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 Gatsby, and download your content. The more important question is whether Gatsby's architecture fits your team's skills and your project's long-term needs.
Explore more migration paths from OpenCart or to Gatsby
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