👻
📦

Migrate from OpenCart to SolidStart

Complete guide to migrating your OpenCart store to SolidStart. Leave OpenCart's code quality and architecture have not modernized well behind and get solidjs fine-grained reactivity. Free migration tool included.

1-3 hours
Advanced
100% Free
Start Free Migration

TL;DR

You can migrate from OpenCart to SolidStart for free using LeaveWP. Enter your site URL, choose SolidStart 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.

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. SolidStart eliminates this issue entirely.

Security vulnerabilities require vigilant patching

With SolidStart, solidjs fine-grained reactivity — updates dom without virtual dom diffing.

Limited scalability for high-traffic stores

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

Extension quality is inconsistent

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

What SolidStart Brings to the Table

Full-stack framework for SolidJS with fine-grained reactivity. Built with JavaScript/TypeScript (SolidJS), it's performance-focused developers who want react-like syntax without virtual dom overhead.

SolidJS fine-grained reactivity — updates DOM without virtual DOM diffing

Top benchmark performance — often faster than Svelte

JSX syntax makes it approachable for React developers

File-based routing with SSR and SSG support

SolidStart 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 SolidStart at a Glance

Side-by-side comparison based on real platform characteristics

MetricOpenCartSolidStart
Ease of Use⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Performance⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Flexibility⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Cost⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Scalability⭐⭐ 2/5⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Ecosystem⭐⭐ 2/5 1/5
LanguagePHPJavaScript/TypeScript (SolidJS)
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 SolidStart

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 SolidStart. 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 SolidStart as destination and choose content options.

3

Export

Download your migrated content or preview it in your browser.

Is OpenCart to SolidStart the Right Move for You?

Migrating from OpenCart to SolidStart makes the most sense if you're experiencing code quality and architecture have not modernized well or outgrowing OpenCart's architecture. SolidStart is best for performance-focused developers who want react-like syntax without virtual dom overhead.

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 SolidStart, and download your content. The more important question is whether SolidStart'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 SolidStart?
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. SolidStart actually tends to improve Core Web Vitals scores, which can boost rankings over time.
What OpenCart content can be migrated to SolidStart?
Products, categories, customer data, blog posts, and pages can all be migrated. Order history and payment configurations will need manual setup on SolidStart 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 SolidStart site afterward will benefit from JavaScript/TypeScript (SolidJS) 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 SolidStart site after migrating from OpenCart?
SolidStart sites can be deployed to Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or any Node.js host — often on generous free tiers. static SolidStart 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 SolidStart?
Product attributes, variants, and custom metadata are mapped during migration. SolidStart-specific fields (like Solid routes, server functions) can be configured after the initial export to match your catalog structure.

Related Migration Guides

Explore more migration paths from OpenCart or to SolidStart

OpenCart to SolidStart Guides

In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration

Ready to Migrate?

Start your free migration from OpenCart to SolidStart today.

Start Free Migration