Is Opencart 4 current?

Opencart, an open source e-commerce platform, has become widely used in online trading. It is free to download and use and offers a variety of features that can be extended with add-ons and plugins.

After the release of Opencart 4, many users are interested in how stable this version is and whether it is suitable for their online stores. In this article, we will compare Opencart 4 with the previous version to help you determine which version is right for you.

What's new in Opencart 4 compared to the previous version (Opencart 3)?

1. Folder structure changes: Each extension or author now has its own directory in the root /extension/ directory where all extension files are stored. The path to the module interface controller and module template is now more convenient and understandable;
2. The product block has now been moved to Product/thumb.twig, making it easier to edit buttons and add stickers to products without changing all the templates;
3. Added new features such as the ability to release multiple versions of a single product, tools for GDPR compliance, a one-page checkout form, a CRON task scheduler, and the ability to rename the admin;
4. PHP 8.1+ support has become a minimum requirement;
5. Updated layout using Bootstrap 5 and Font Awesome font collection version 5;
6. A new version of the jQuery 3.6.0 library has been added to Opencart 4;
7. After installing the new version, you will notice more modifications and improvements.

Using Opencart 4 provides several benefits. The interface has become more user-friendly, and the platform has become more efficient and faster compared to the previous version.

Although OpenCart 4.0 is still relatively new, it has already made a significant impact on e-commerce. In terms of functionality, OpenCart 4.0 has significant improvements compared to OpenCart 3.0.

Compatible with PHP version

OpenCart 3 is compatible with PHP 7.1 or later, while OpenCart 4 requires PHP 8.1 or higher. This means that earlier versions of OpenCart (3.x) are not compatible with PHP 8.1 and cannot be upgraded to OpenCart 4.

Code structure

OpenCart 4 and OpenCart 3 use a modular code structure, making it easy to customize and update functionality. OpenCart 4 also offers a more consistent directory structure and use of namespaces, making the code more robust and easier to work with.

Database structure

Both versions use MySQL, but OpenCart 4 uses a NoSQL database, making it more flexible and scalable. However, this may lead to some compromises in performance and data management.

Website loading speed

OpenCart 4 is faster in loading pages and processing requests compared to OpenCart 3 thanks to the use of a new platform.