For a new Joomla 6 store in 2026, choose an actively maintained cart that already supports Joomla 6: HikaShop, J2Commerce 6, EShop or Phoca Cart. VirtueMart 4 does not run on Joomla 6. VirtueMart 5 does, but it is still a beta (released as 4.9.x). Pick the cart that fits your catalogue, your payment gateway and your migration path. Joomla 6.2, released on 13 October 2026, is the current version.
This guide compares the Joomla shopping carts that are still alive, using data we checked on the Joomla Extensions Directory (JED) and vendor sites in October 2026. It explains what is happening with VirtueMart, maps the US payment gateways each cart supports, and shows how to move a store safely. Need a hand? Tell us your cart, Joomla version and payment gateway. A senior engineer replies within 12 hours. Contact Infyways.
What is the best shopping cart for Joomla in 2026?
There is no single winner. Match the cart to the store:
- New Joomla 6 store that needs a wide feature set: HikaShop. It is actively updated, supports J3 to J6, and ships Authorize.net and PayPal Checkout in the core.
- A content-led shop built on Joomla articles: J2Commerce 6. It turns articles into products and is built natively for Joomla 6.
- Many payment gateways off the shelf: EShop. Five gateways are built in, and the vendor sells more than 50 add-ons, including Stripe, Braintree and Square.
- Simple, digital or point-of-sale shops: Phoca Cart. It is free and includes a POS view.
- Running VirtueMart today: no need to panic. Read what’s going on with VirtueMart before you decide to stay, wait for VirtueMart 5, or migrate.
Joomla shopping cart comparison (October 2026)
Reviews, ratings, versions and compatibility come from each cart’s JED listing, checked on 16 October 2026. Ratings are the star rating shown on the JED. Built-in gateways come from vendor documentation.
| Cart | Joomla support (JED) | Latest version (JED) | JED reviews, rating | US-relevant payments | Watch out for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EShop | J3, J4, J5, J6 | 5.7.0, 2 Oct 2026 | 354, 5 stars | Core: PayPal Standard, Authorize.net, Eway. Paid add-ons: Stripe, PayPal Pro, Braintree, Squareup, PayTrace and more | Most gateways are separate purchases | Stores that need a specific gateway |
| J2Commerce | 6.x: J6. 4.1.x: J5 and J6 with the backward compatibility plugin. 4.0.x: J4 and J5 | 4.0.22 / 4.1.7 / 6.6.1, 2 Sep 2026 | 324, 5 stars | Core: PayPal. Premium gateways in its marketplace | Version 6 needs Joomla 6 and PHP 8.3+, and does not run on J4 or J5 | Article-based, content-led shops |
| HikaShop | J3, J4, J5, J6 | 6.6.0, 10 Sep 2026 | 301, 5 stars | Core: Authorize.net AIM/SIM, PayPal Checkout, Advanced and Pro. Marketplace: Stripe Checkout (with recurring), Square (third-party) | The Square plugin redirects and takes cards only | Feature-rich new stores, subscriptions |
| JoomShopping | J3, J4, J5, J6 | 5.9.4, 22 Jul 2026 | 133, 4.5 stars | Paid add-ons, including Stripe and Authorize.net | Ecosystem is centred on Germany and Russia | DACH-focused stores |
| DJ-Catalog2 | J4, J5, J6 | 6.0.8, 27 Jul 2026 | 50, 5 stars | Stripe, including a recurring plugin | Catalogue-first, lighter checkout | Catalogues with an optional cart |
| Instant Pro Shop | J3, J4, J5, J6 | 2.38, 22 Jun 2026 | 45, 5 stars | PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net (per listing) | Small, niche product | Very small catalogues |
| Phoca Cart | J3, J4, J5, J6 | 6.1.9, 16 Oct 2026 | 24, 5 stars | Core: PayPal Standard, Cash on Delivery, POS Cash. Stripe and Authorize.Net from a third party (NorrNext) | No native Square, Braintree or PayPal Advanced plugin found | Simple, digital and POS shops |
| Solidshop | J6 only | 1.5.0, 9 Sep 2026 | 13, 5 stars | Payment plugins from the vendor | New. Needs PHP 8.4+ and MySQL 8.4+ | Free, self-hosted Joomla 6 stores |
| VirtueMart | VirtueMart 4: up to J5. VirtueMart 5 (beta): J6 | 4.6.8 (members); VirtueMart 5 beta as 4.9.x | Listing unpublished on the JED | Own payment plugins plus a large third-party market | See VirtueMart status | Existing VirtueMart stores |
Not recommended for new stores: Quick2Cart (JED lists J3 to J5 and no Joomla 6, last updated 15 July 2025), and older names such as MijoShop, jMarket and JomDirectory Cart, which have no Joomla 5 or 6 builds on the JED.
J2Commerce vs HikaShop: which should you choose?
| J2Commerce 6 | HikaShop | |
|---|---|---|
| Product model | Joomla articles become products | Separate product catalogue |
| Joomla versions | 6.x needs Joomla 6 and PHP 8.3+. Use 4.1.x for J5 | One package for J3 to J6 |
| Built-in US payments | PayPal | Authorize.net, PayPal Checkout, Advanced and Pro |
| Recurring payments | Check its marketplace | Stripe Checkout and PayPal recurring for HikaSubscription |
| Upgrade risk | Version 6 needs J2Commerce 6 versions of every plugin | Same plugins across Joomla versions, provided each declares J6 |
| Choose it when | Your shop lives inside editorial content | You want the widest feature set and gateway choice today |
What’s going on with VirtueMart (and what should you do)?
Short answer: VirtueMart is still developed, but its JED listing is unpublished, current 4.x downloads need a membership, and the Joomla 6 version is still in beta. Existing stores do not need to panic-migrate. New Joomla 6 stores should pick a cart with stable Joomla 6 support today.
- Verified: the VirtueMart JED listing says it “has been unpublished” with reason code PE1.
- Verified: VirtueMart’s own news of 14 April 2026 offers VirtueMart 4.6.8 as a download that “needs Membership”. It also says “VirtueMart 5 is already running on Joomla 6”, with the VirtueMart 5 beta published as version 4.9 (virtuemart.net).
- Reported, not confirmed by us: a third-party review on FAUN.dev says the listing was pulled in August 2026 after a security audit and that newer 4.8.x fixes go to members only (FAUN.dev review). The JED page itself gives only the reason code.
| Your situation | Sensible next step |
|---|---|
| VirtueMart on Joomla 4 or 5, store works | Stay current through the membership, keep Joomla patched, and plan: wait for a stable VirtueMart 5, or migrate on your own timeline |
| VirtueMart and you must move to Joomla 6 soon | Test the VirtueMart 5 beta on staging only, or migrate to a cart with stable Joomla 6 support |
| Starting a new store on Joomla 6 | Choose HikaShop, J2Commerce 6, EShop, Phoca Cart or another cart with a J6 build |
VirtueMart migration paths
- VirtueMart to HikaShop: HikaShop’s built-in “Import from VirtueMart” moves categories, taxes, products, images, files, customers and orders, and a redirect plugin forwards old VirtueMart URLs. The documentation lists VirtueMart 1.x, 2.x and 3.x, so test a VirtueMart 4 store carefully on staging (HikaShop import docs).
- VirtueMart to J2Commerce: use a CSV bridge such as RO CSVI, which publishes VirtueMart export templates for HikaShop and J2Store (RO CSVI).
- VirtueMart 4 to Solidshop: a free migrator for the catalogue, according to Solidshop. Orders and customers do not move.
- Off Joomla (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento): possible, but you lose Joomla content integration and need a full URL redirect plan.
We plan and run these moves as a VirtueMart migration service. Ongoing VirtueMart development is available too, if you decide to stay.
What a cart migration must preserve
- Product, category and manufacturer URLs, with a 301 redirect for every URL that changes
- Titles, meta descriptions and structured data
- Customers, addresses and order history
- Taxes, shipping zones and coupons, which are rebuilt and tested
- Saved cards and subscriptions: payment tokens usually cannot be moved between plugins, so plan for customers to re-enter cards or for a gateway-side token migration
- All of it rehearsed on staging before the live switch
Is your Joomla shop ready for Joomla 6?
Joomla 6.2 is the latest version, released on 13 October 2026, and Joomla 6 needs PHP 8.3 or newer. The cart itself is rarely the only blocker. Payment, shipping and template plugins usually are.
| Cart | Joomla 6 status (JED, Oct 2026) | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| HikaShop, EShop, JoomShopping, Phoca Cart, DJ-Catalog2 | J6 listed | Every payment, shipping and template add-on also declares J6 |
| J2Commerce | 6.x for J6. 4.1.x on J6 with the backward compatibility plugin | J2Store and older J2Commerce plugins need version 6 builds |
| Solidshop | J6 only | PHP 8.4+ and MySQL 8.4+ on the server |
| VirtueMart | VirtueMart 5 beta only | Third-party VirtueMart plugins will need VirtueMart 5 versions |
| Quick2Cart | No J6 on the JED | Plan a replacement |
Scan your add-ons with the Joomla 6 compatibility check and the Joomla Migration Scanner. See what’s new in Joomla 6.2, or hand the whole move to our Joomla upgrade service.
Which payment gateways work with Joomla shopping carts?
Stripe, PayPal and Authorize.net are available for most major carts. Square and Braintree are where the gaps are. This matrix shows what we found in October 2026. “None found” means we did not find one, not that one cannot exist.
| Gateway | HikaShop | J2Commerce | EShop | Phoca Cart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Paid add-on (official Stripe Checkout, with recurring) | Marketplace | Paid add-on | Third-party (NorrNext) |
| PayPal | Bundled: Checkout, Advanced, Pro | Bundled | Bundled Standard; Pro as an add-on | Bundled Standard (redirect) only |
| Square | Third-party, redirect and cards only | Marketplace (reported) | Paid add-on (Squareup) | None found; via the PaymentHood aggregator |
| Authorize.net | Bundled AIM/SIM; Accept.js third-party | Marketplace (reported) | Bundled | Third-party (NorrNext) |
| Braintree | None found | None found | Paid add-on | None found; via the PaymentHood aggregator |
Gaps worth knowing about:
- Square on HikaShop: the marketplace plugin by Tsuki Dev redirects to Square and supports cards only; its page says digital wallets could not be properly tested (HikaShop marketplace, last updated 6 February 2023).
- Recurring Authorize.net on HikaShop: HikaShop’s team said token-based recurring with Authorize.net “would require some development”. Stripe Checkout recurring was added later, and recurring for PayPal Checkout was announced for HikaShop 6.4.1 (HikaShop forum).
- Phoca Cart: the core ships PayPal Standard, Cash on Delivery and POS Cash only (Phoca Cart plugins). We found no native Square, Braintree or PayPal Advanced plugin.
- J2Commerce 6: older J2Store plugins are not compatible with version 6, so less common gateways may not have a version 6 build yet. Check the marketplace before you upgrade.
Custom payment gateway development
When the gateway you need is missing, or exists only as a redirect, we build it. Infyways develops and maintains payment plugins for HikaShop, J2Commerce, Phoca Cart, EShop and VirtueMart. A typical plugin covers:
- On-site card fields or hosted checkout
- Wallets where the gateway supports them
- Webhooks and order-status sync
- Refunds from the Joomla admin
- Saved-card tokens for recurring billing
Each one is tested in the gateway’s sandbox before it goes live. See Joomla payment gateway integration, or Joomla extension development for other custom plugins.
PCI and security basics
- Prefer hosted fields or tokenisation (Stripe Elements, the Square Web Payments SDK, Authorize.net Accept.js), so card numbers never touch your server and your PCI scope stays small.
- Serve the whole store over HTTPS and keep Joomla, the cart and every payment plugin updated.
- Verify webhook signatures and never mark an order paid from the browser redirect alone.
- Remove payment plugins you no longer use.
How Infyways builds and migrates Joomla stores
- Audit: cart and version, add-ons, payment and shipping plugins, Joomla and PHP versions, URLs.
- Staging: a full copy of the store. Nothing changes on the live site.
- Upgrade or migration: core, cart, data, templates and redirects.
- Gateway integration: existing plugins configured, or custom plugins built, then sandbox and live test orders.
- SEO-safe cutover: 301 redirects, titles, structured data and sitemap checked after go-live.
- Support: fixes and updates after launch.
We work with US merchants and agencies with daily overlap with US business hours, and reply within 12 hours. For dedicated or hourly work, hire Joomla developers.
Why Infyways: we have built Joomla sites and extensions since 2010, and have published 125 Joomla extensions.
Setting up a Joomla shop in five steps
- Install Joomla 6.2 on PHP 8.3+ (8.4+ if you choose Solidshop), with HTTPS and SEF URLs on.
- Choose a cart from the table above and install it from the vendor or the JED.
- Configure currency, taxes, shipping zones and one payment gateway in sandbox mode.
- Add products and categories, and check product pages and checkout on mobile.
- Place real test orders, check emails and invoices, then switch the gateway to live.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best shopping cart for Joomla 6 in 2026?
For most new stores, HikaShop or J2Commerce 6. Both are actively updated and list Joomla 6 support on the JED. EShop suits stores that need many gateways out of the box, and Phoca Cart suits simple, digital or POS shops.
Does VirtueMart work with Joomla 6?
Not VirtueMart 4. VirtueMart 5 runs on Joomla 6, according to virtuemart.net, but it is still a beta released as version 4.9.x.
Is VirtueMart still on the Joomla Extensions Directory?
No. As of October 2026 its JED listing is unpublished with reason code PE1. Current releases are on virtuemart.net, and 4.6.8 needs a membership.
How do I migrate from VirtueMart to HikaShop?
On staging, use HikaShop’s built-in Import from VirtueMart, which moves products, categories, taxes, customers and orders, then publish its redirect plugin. The docs list VirtueMart 1.x to 3.x, so test a VirtueMart 4 store carefully.
J2Commerce vs HikaShop: which should I choose?
J2Commerce turns Joomla articles into products, and version 6 is native to Joomla 6. HikaShop has a separate catalogue and more built-in gateways. Choose based on your content model and the gateway you need.
Which Joomla carts support Square?
EShop (paid Squareup add-on), J2Commerce (marketplace) and HikaShop (third-party plugin, redirect and cards only). We found no native Phoca Cart plugin in October 2026. You would need the PaymentHood aggregator or custom development.
Can I take recurring payments with Authorize.net on Joomla?
Not with HikaShop’s current plugins; HikaShop has said it would need development. Stripe recurring is available for HikaShop (HikaSubscription) and DJ-Catalog2, and custom development can add Authorize.net recurring.
Can you build a custom payment gateway for my Joomla store?
Yes. We build payment plugins with on-site fields, webhooks, refunds and recurring tokens for HikaShop, J2Commerce, Phoca Cart, EShop and VirtueMart. Send us your cart and gateway, and a senior engineer replies within 12 hours.
Tell us about your store
Tell us your cart, Joomla version and payment gateway. A senior engineer replies within 12 hours. Contact us, or see our VirtueMart migration service.