Move beyond the upkeep. Keep the details your customers rely on.
We review your Zen Cart products, attributes, custom pricing and store features, then build and test the agreed Shopify setup. One team for your data, storefront and launch.
or call 888-711-2347
Includes 60 days of free post-launch migration support. We stay with you after the move.
Official Shopify Partner
Since 2015 · Shopify store migration, design and development. View profile ↗
Illustrative workflow, not a live project
Attention: 6 items need attention.
Is upgrading my Zen Cart more work than it should be?
Official and hosting-provider upgrade guides describe comparing the new release file by file against your store and testing on a copy of the database. Users note that many differences are unrelated to your own changes, which can make the comparison slow.
If your store was last upgraded several versions ago, estimate the review time before deciding. The effort grows with the number of edited core files and overrides.
Will the plugins I depend on keep working after an upgrade?
Forum threads advise checking each plugin's own support thread for compatibility with the newest Zen Cart, and some plugins state a minimum version. A maintainer has also noted plugins failing on newer PHP until the core itself was upgraded.
Make a list of installed plugins with their last update dates. Those without recent updates are the ones that most often need replacing or rewriting.
Does a custom template break when the cart updates?
Zen Cart customizes design through a template override system, and users report that templates built for older versions can fail on newer cores. The documented fix is usually to start from the matching files of the new release and reapply changes.
If your design relies on many overridden files, a redesign may cost about the same as updating them. Weigh which makes more sense for the next several years.
Does my host's PHP version limit which Zen Cart I can run?
The current release line lists PHP 8.2 or later as a requirement in its package metadata, and release notes mention work for PHP 8.4. Older Zen Cart versions were written for older PHP.
Check which Zen Cart version and PHP version you run today. A gap between them means the upgrade involves both the cart and the server.
Am I responsible for hosting, patching and backups?
Zen Cart is self-hosted software, so server setup, updates and backups sit with you or your host. Agency guides about leaving Zen Cart often cite this upkeep, though they are sellers of migration services.
Think about who handles updates and who is called when something breaks at checkout. A hosted platform moves server upkeep to the provider, while you still manage apps and theme code.
Who do I ask when something goes wrong?
Help for Zen Cart generally comes from the community forum, plugin authors' own support threads and independent developers. Many answers in the forum are long-standing volunteer replies, and experiences vary.
If you need guaranteed response times, plan for a paid developer or host. Compare that cost with the support route on any platform you consider.
Software-defined radios & engineering services · USA
We moved Red Wire Technologies from Zen Cart to BigCommerce: a technical catalog of software-defined radios, development kits with selectable options, and accessories.
Visit the live store
Pet supplies
Advance Pet Mart started on WooCommerce, but plugin and hosting problems kept getting in the way. We moved the store to Shopify, and they are very happy with the move. We also worked with them on design, SEO, AI SEO and marketing.
Visit the live store
Electronics & gaming retail
We moved City of Games from a broken OpenCart store to Shopify in four weeks, kept its look, rebuilt the features it had lost and protected its search rankings with 301 redirects.
Read the case studyMove and rebuild. For stores that need their data moved and a storefront rebuilt on Shopify.
Quote after a free store review
Move a complex business. For large or heavily customized stores and connected systems.
Custom quote after discovery
Included in every migration: redirects for your old URLs, titles and descriptions carried over, and 60 days of free support after launch. Quotes don’t include your Shopify plan, apps or other third-party costs.
Names, descriptions, model numbers and agreed SKUs
Base prices, sale prices and shipping weights
Options, combinations and custom information
Main and additional images, in order
Planned as collections and menus, without duplicates
Brand information as vendor or custom fields
Details, addresses, groups and available consent
Agreed orders, line items, totals and statuses
Information pages, translations and embedded links
Metadata, important URLs and existing redirects
After an access and product-matching check
Coupons, balances and custom records, assessed first
Where each item goes in Shopify, and what we check before launch.
| Zen Cart | Where it goes in Shopify | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Products, model numbers & descriptions | Products, agreed SKUs and suitable custom fields. | Identifiers, text formatting and representative products, including complex ones. |
| Prices & weights | Variant prices, compare-at prices and shipping weights. | Base prices, option adjustments and weights against representative baskets. |
| Attributes & stock combinations | Variants, an options app or another agreed configuration. | Valid choices, unavailable combinations, SKUs and the inventory source. |
| Main & additional images | Product media in the agreed order. | Image locations, sequence, missing files and links that depend on the old host. |
| Categories, linked products & manufacturers | Collections, menus, vendor data or other agreed fields. | Category memberships kept, without creating a duplicate product for each category. |
| Zen Cart | Where it goes in Shopify | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Customers & addresses | Selected customer records and supported fields. | Duplicates, formatting and the account transition. |
| Customer groups | Agreed tags, segments or B2B setup. | Group membership and the pricing or access rules that depend on it. |
| Marketing consent | Supported consent fields, where evidence exists. | Available consent information. We don’t mark every imported customer as subscribed. |
| Historical orders & line items | Agreed history, using a suitable import method. | Dates, totals, status mapping and the link to each customer. |
| Open orders | A separate operating plan. | Who fulfills each one, and in which system. |
| Zen Cart | Where it goes in Shopify | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| EZ-Pages | Shopify pages and navigation. | Content, formatting, embedded images and links. |
| File-based information pages | Shopify pages or agreed sections. | Define-page content stored in files, not only in the database. |
| Translations | An agreed language setup. | Translated content and how each language version is reached. |
| Metadata | Agreed titles and descriptions. | Useful existing metadata and content worth keeping. |
| URLs & existing redirects | An old-to-new URL map and a tested redirect approach. | Query-based links, custom SEO URL modules and existing redirect rules. |
| Zen Cart | Where it goes in Shopify | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | A compatible review app, after assessment. | Source access, available fields and product matching. |
| Gift certificates & store credit | Shopify gift cards, credit or an app, as agreed. | Outstanding balances reconciled before and after launch. |
| Coupons & discounts | Rebuilt Shopify discounts or an app. | The rules behind each code, not just the code itself. |
| Custom records | A compatible destination, if one exists. | Feasibility, access and who maintains it after launch. |
Passwords, saved payment credentials and every custom field are not assumed to transfer. Each one gets an explicit decision in your proposal.
Products, customers, orders and content to move.
Options, extras, quantity pricing and one-time charges.
Add-ons, modules and custom code to replace.
A new theme, a customized theme or a recreated look.
Accounting, inventory, fulfillment and marketing tools.
Testing, refreshes, redirects and launch support.
Your proposal separates our one-time project fee from Shopify subscriptions, paid themes, apps and payment-related charges. We confirm price and schedule after the review.
FreeStore review and quote before you hire us
60 daysFree post-launch migration support included
Send us your store URL and the features you rely on. We look at your catalog, attributes, pricing rules, content and important URLs, then explain what moves, what gets rebuilt and what the project will cost.
No exports or passwords needed to start. We tell you what we need and arrange secure access later.
Groups, wholesale pricing and quantity discounts, checked against your real ordering rules. Shopify B2B now reaches beyond Shopify Plus, but some features depend on the plan, so we check eligibility.
Outstanding value, ownership and redemption rules, reconciled separately from order history, with replacement codes or balances agreed.
Representative destinations, shipping rules, taxes and payment methods tested. Your Shopify payment provider is approved and set up separately; the same rates can’t be guaranteed.
Translated content, currencies, product feeds, and accounting, inventory and fulfillment integrations, with the behavior and recurring costs agreed before we build.
We don’t send old links to the homepage. Rankings can fluctuate after any platform move; we reduce the avoidable risks, and nobody can honestly guarantee unchanged rankings or zero traffic loss.
Example mapping. Your store’s actual patterns depend on its setup; query-based links are tested individually before we confirm how they’ll be handled.
Shopify notes that query-string redirects may not behave as expected, so we confirm a workable approach before promising coverage. A JavaScript redirect on a 404 page isn’t the same as a server-side 301.
Your existing domain can usually be connected to Shopify, subject to your setup. We plan the DNS changes so the website switch is coordinated.
Shopify doesn’t host email inboxes. If your mail runs on the same hosting account, we plan where it lives before anything changes.
Passwords aren’t assumed to transfer. With Shopify accounts that use emailed sign-in codes, customers don’t need a password reset, so we plan the message around the setup you choose.
We arrange secure, authorized access to your store after scoping, with an agreed archive and retention plan. The public enquiry form never asks for passwords or database files.
We choose and configure a theme around your brand, catalog and customer journey.
We adapt product templates, navigation and content sections to how you sell.
We agree the elements of your current design that matter and rebuild them for Shopify.
Product templates, navigation, content sections and store layouts shaped around your business.
Explore theme & design →Custom workflows, integrations and functionality where native features and suitable apps don’t meet a requirement.
Explore app development →Metadata, navigation, redirects and launch checks, then ongoing optimization as a separate service.
Explore Shopify SEO →SEO, Google Ads, Meta ads, email and other suitable channels to help grow the store after launch.
Explore ecommerce marketing →Migration is quoted on its own. Custom development and ongoing marketing are added only if you want them, each with its own scope and price.
| Your question | Self-service migration tool | Migration managed by WEP |
|---|---|---|
| Who defines the scope? | You choose the records and options the tool supports. | We review your store and document what moves, what is rebuilt and who does what. |
| How are attributes and pricing handled? | Mapped to the structure the tool supports, then checked by your team. | We agree the setup and test combinations, extras, one-time charges and stock. |
| What about EZ-Pages and linked products? | Depends on the tool and options selected. | We check database and file-based content, and keep category memberships without duplicates. |
| Who rebuilds the storefront? | You, a theme, or another developer. | Our team: a new theme, a customized theme or a recreated version of your look. |
| Who runs the launch? | Your team coordinates the final updates, domain and checks. | We run the refresh, domain switch, redirects, catch-up checks and 60 days of free support. |
The online store migration was seamless without having 0 downtime. The staff is properly trained, well communicated and proactive Highly recommended
Web commerce pros created a really lovely design for our website. They also changed the layout for our images and updated/resized images so that the site is overall much more attractive. We have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from customers on the ease of use and the overall look of our site. In addition, we are very grateful to Roy for coming up with a creative solution for allowing customers to easily create their own quotes, which has been very helpful to both our operations and our customers.
Arfat and team were proficient with BigCommerce Page Builder and Shogun to create and modify pages. We successfully completed the migration with their assistance and were happy with their work. We would hire again soon for our next project.
We identify the Zen Cart version, add-ons, customizations, data sources, the features your team depends on and your business goals.
You getA free review
We agree the scope, destination structure and costs, then test representative products and complex requirements before the full move.
You approveScope & quote
We migrate the agreed data, build the storefront, and validate records and customer journeys with you on a private preview store.
You reviewRecords & test checkouts
We refresh changing records, follow a launch checklist, reconcile late orders and provide 60 days of free post-launch support.
You getThe same team, on hand
A sample should include your hardest products. We test complex attributes and pricing first, not just an easy product that makes an import look successful.
Costs outside our migration fee, so nothing comes as a surprise.
Your Zen Cart store keeps selling throughout. Orders and customers move in stages: an initial migration, a pre-launch update, a coordinated launch and a catch-up check for any order that still reached Zen Cart around the switch. We agree a catalog freeze or change log for the build period, and prices and stock follow the agreed synchronization plan.
It matters for how we read the data. Stores range from the 1.3 era to 2.2, and plugins often add their own tables. We confirm your version and plugins during the free store review.
No. We read the data from your current version, so there is usually no need to upgrade first. If your store has a damaged database or unusual plugin tables, we tell you during the review.
It depends on catalog size, how many plugins or custom edits need replacing and how much design work you want. We give a timeline after the free store review rather than a standard figure.
Yes. Your current store stays live while we build and test the new one. A short pause for final data syncing can be needed at launch, and we tell you in advance.
The data is in the store database, so we usually read it from there or use the admin tools and plugin exports you have, then clean it and load it into Shopify. We check the result against your original catalog.
Often, with reshaping. Zen Cart's attribute system can hold more option groups than Shopify's product import, which supports three options per product, so some products may need restructuring. We flag these in the review.
Categories become Shopify collections, and images are imported from public web addresses. Shopify's CSV import allows one collection per product row, so complex category trees may need a manual plan.
Shopify's customer import does not bring in order history, so past orders need a separate method such as an app or the API, and they appear as historical records. We confirm what is possible for your data during the review.
They do not transfer, because they are code for Zen Cart. We list what each one does and map it to a Shopify feature, an app or a small custom build.
No. Shopify's guidance is that passwords cannot be imported. Customers get an invitation or reset link to set a new one.
In most cases, yes. Shopify's customer import accepts email, name, phone and addresses but not totals spent or order counts. Duplicate emails are skipped, so we deduplicate first.
We can carry over consent status where you hold a record, using Shopify's yes or no marketing fields. Where consent is unclear we discuss options before importing.
Yes, in most cases, since Zen Cart addresses commonly use query parameters and Shopify uses its own product and collection paths. We build a redirect list so old addresses forward to new pages. Redirects cannot guarantee unchanged rankings.
Not directly. Zen Cart templates are not Shopify themes, so the design is rebuilt as a Shopify theme. We can match your look closely or take the chance to refresh it.
Yes. Your domain is pointed at the new store at launch. Email hosting is separate, and we keep your email records intact when changing the website settings.
It depends on the scope, so we quote after the free store review. Ongoing costs include a Shopify plan and any paid apps you choose, which can vary with your needs.
We look at your catalog, plugins, custom code and traffic needs, then tell you what moves cleanly, what needs rebuilding and what we recommend. There is no obligation.
Yes. Every migration includes 60 days of free post-launch migration support within the agreed scope. Ongoing development, maintenance or marketing can be scoped separately.
Tell us what your store needs to keep and what you’d like to improve. We’ll review the requirements and prepare a migration scope and quote.
Or call 888-711-2347
60 days of free post-launch migration support within the agreed scope.
