How to Avoid Poor Quality OpenCart Extensions

Posted by Paul Feakins on September 29, 2026

In our previous article about Good Quality OpenCart Extensions, we listed some of the extension developers that we have had good experiences with over the years.

Unfortunately, there are also developers whose extensions we've had less positive experiences with.

We don't like to name and shame, and these developers may well improve as time goes on. However, we've worked on a lot of OpenCart websites over the years, and occasionally we come across extensions where the code quality, implementation or support has been below the standard we'd expect.

We've therefore put together a list of developers that we've had problems with. As with our list of good developers, this is based on our own experience rather than an attempt to provide a definitive assessment of every extension they produce.

We'll keep this list updated as our experience changes.

• TMD
  • We have experienced problems with their extensions, the code quality has generally not been great, and their support has also applied fixes that can only be described as "hacks".
• Astra
  • We have experienced problems with their support - or lack there of! Over time, their first-level support dwindled into nothing; waiting weeks for replies to get copy-paste answers.

As with our list of good developers, this isn't intended to be a definitive judgement on these companies or all of their extensions. Developers and their products change over time, and our experience may not reflect the current state of every extension they offer.

If we find that a developer's extensions improve, we'll update the list accordingly. Likewise, we'll add developers where we repeatedly encounter problems with their extensions.

If you're considering an OpenCart extension from one of the developers on this list, we'd recommend doing some additional research before installing it on a live store. In particular, check recent reviews, look at when the extension was last updated, and consider how well it is likely to work alongside the other extensions on your site.

If you've encountered poor quality extension developers, give us your story below. We'd love to hear your thoughts.