Performance test of OpenCart versions 3.0.3.8, 3.0.4.1 and 4.1.0.3
We at ocdev.pro conducted a comprehensive performance test of three OpenCart versions — 3.0.3.8, 3.0.4.1 and 4.1.0.3 — using synthetic tests and real-world network conditions. The testing included an …
We at ocdev.pro conducted a comprehensive performance test of three OpenCart versions — 3.0.3.8, 3.0.4.1 and 4.1.0.3 — using synthetic tests and real-world network conditions. The testing included an analysis of Core Web Vitals metrics and a comparison of behavior with and without caching. The tests were carried out on the homepage of a fresh OpenCart installation, with no additional CMS configuration and no caching or stitching on the server.
In short: The tests of the three OpenCart versions showed that 3.0.4.1 offers the best balance of speed and modern technology, 3.0.3.8 has the fastest content rendering, and 4.1.0.3 demonstrates the most efficient caching and the greatest potential for the future. The difference in Core Web Vitals between versions is significant, and caching provides up to a 59% speed boost.
Tested versions:
- OpenCart 3.0.3.8 (PHP 7.4.33)
- OpenCart 3.0.4.1 (PHP 8.3.17)
- OpenCart 4.1.0.3 (PHP 8.3.17)
Testing tools:
- PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Pingdom Tools (server-side monitoring)
- WebPageTest (real network conditions)
- Chrome DevTools (Core Web Vitals)
Site sizes after installation:
- OpenCart 3.0.3.8 — 60.6 Mb
- OpenCart 3.0.4.1 — 60.8 Mb
- OpenCart 4.1.0.3 — 104.9 Mb
Online test results
Below we provide a comparative performance report of the three tested sites (OpenCart 3.0.3.8, OpenCart 3.0.4.1, OpenCart 4.1.0.3) based on the WebPageTest metrics. Testing measured performance both for the first view (First View) and for the repeat view (Repeat View). Key metrics:
- Time to First Byte (TTFB) — the time to the first byte, showing the server response latency.
- Start Render — when the first pixels began to appear.
- First Contentful Paint (FCP) — the time of the first visible content (text, image) appearing.
- Speed Index — how quickly the page became visually usable.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) — the load time of the largest visible element.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) — the cumulative layout shift during loading (rendering smoothness).
- Total Blocking Time (TBT) — the total time the main thread was blocked (UI hindrances).
- Page Weight — page weight in kilobytes.
Comparison by metrics
| Metric | OpenCart 3.0.3.8 | OpenCart 3.0.4.1 | OpenCart 4.1.0.3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First View | |||
| TTFB | 0.362 s | 0.345 s | 0.361 s |
| Start Render | 1.400 s | 1.500 s | 1.500 s |
| First Contentful Paint | 1.418 s | 1.508 s | 1.516 s |
| Speed Index | 1.943 s | 2.017 s | 1.563 s |
| Largest Contentful Paint | 1.418 s | 1.508 s | 1.614 s |
| Cumulative Layout Shift | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Total Blocking Time | 0.000 s | 0.000 s | 0.000 s |
| Page Weight | 845 KB | 850 KB | 1079 KB |
| Repeat View | |||
| TTFB | 0.308 s | 0.277 s | 0.306 s |
| Start Render | 0.800 s | 0.700 s | 0.600 s |
| First Contentful Paint | 0.805 s | 0.703 s | 0.626 s |
| Speed Index | 1.320 s | 1.218 s | 0.640 s |
| Largest Contentful Paint | 0.805 s | 0.703 s | 0.626 s |
| Cumulative Layout Shift | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Blocking Time | 0.000 s | 0.000 s | 0.000 s |
| Page Weight | 27 KB | 27 KB | 33 KB |
Key takeaways
Time to First Byte (TTFB) on all three sites is roughly the same, hovering around 0.3-0.36 seconds — a good result for server response speed.
Start Render and First Contentful Paint (FCP) are roughly equal across all three, although OpenCart 3.0.3.8 and 4.1.0.3 show slightly better numbers than version 3.0.4.1 (Start Render and FCP are somewhat faster on 3.0.3.8 and 4.1.0.3).
Speed Index is best on the OpenCart 4.1.0.3 site (1.563 s — First View, 0.64 s — Repeat View), which indicates fast visual page loading.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is fastest on repeat view in version 4.1.0.3 (0.626 s), which is a positive sign for user experience.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is practically absent (0 or 0.001) in all three, which indicates layout stability during loading and the absence of unexpected shifts.
Total Blocking Time (TBT) — 0 s in all cases, which means there are no delays on the main thread, so the interface remains responsive.
Page weight differs noticeably: OpenCart 4.1.0.3 — 1079 KB (first view), whereas the other two are around 845-850 KB. However, on repeat view the weight drops to ~27-33 KB thanks to caching.
Architectural differences: the 3.x versions make more HTTP requests but have smaller resource sizes, while version 4.1.0.3 offers consolidated resources but a larger overall size due to Bootstrap 5 and Font Awesome 6.
Conclusion
OpenCart 3.0.4.1 — the optimal choice for production (best TTFB + modern PHP). The improvement with caching is -53%.
OpenCart 3.0.3.8 — the fastest content (best FCP/LCP), but uses outdated PHP 7. This version shows a slightly better Start Render on the first view compared to 3.0.4.1, however it falls behind 4.1.0.3 on Speed Index.
OpenCart 4.1.0.3 — promising and fast, with the best potential for long-term development, but needing resource optimization (best Speed Index, but +28% size). This version has the best visual loading speed metrics (Speed Index) and the fastest repeat view, despite a page weight 28% larger, thanks to the most efficient caching (59% improvement).
All sites show excellent layout stability (low CLS) and the absence of blocking (TBT=0).
Caching provides a 43-59% improvement.
The testing was conducted using the standard OpenCart theme on servers with nginx/1.24.0. Results may vary depending on server configuration and the extensions used.
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