Migrating from osCommerce to Shopware is a strategic upgrade from a legacy PHP/MySQL platform to a modern, Symfony-based open-source e-commerce solution. In 2025, with osCommerce's outdated architecture, limited security updates, and no headless capabilities, and Shopware's modern Symfony framework, Store API, and flexible product variants, the case for migration has never been stronger.

This comprehensive technical blueprint is designed for store owners, developers, and decision-makers. We will bypass the marketing fluff and dissect the database structures, the exact field mappings, the cost analysis, and the step-by-step execution required to move your data to Shopware without losing a single byte.

1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave osCommerce?

osCommerce is a pioneering open-source eCommerce platform, but it has become legacy—outdated architecture, limited security, and no modern features. Moving to Shopware opens specific opportunities:

💰 Modern Architecture

The osCommerce Pain: Legacy PHP/MySQL structure. No modern framework. Extensions can conflict. Limited scalability.

The Shopware Gain: Built on Symfony. Clean architecture. Composer-based plugins. Enterprise-ready scalability.

🚀 Headless & Store API

The osCommerce Pain: No native headless support. REST API is limited. Custom development required for modern frontends.

The Shopware Gain: Native Store API. Built-in headless capabilities. PWA-ready. Vue Storefront integration.

🛠 Flexible Product Variants

The osCommerce Pain: Product options structure can be rigid. Limited variant flexibility.

The Shopware Gain: Flexible product variants with option groups. Streamlined product management. Better variant handling.

⚡ Administration & UX

The osCommerce Pain: Dated admin interface. Inconsistent UX. Steep learning curve for complex setups.

The Shopware Gain: Modern, intuitive Administration. Rule Builder. Flow Builder. Better user experience.

2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit

Before touching any data, you must map the terrain. osCommerce and Shopware speak different data languages.

A. Understanding the Platform Disconnect

osCommerce uses MySQL database with products, categories, and customers tables. Shopware uses Symfony entity structure with Store API.

osCommerce Version: Are you on osCommerce 2.x or 4.x? Table structure may differ.
Database Access: osCommerce stores data in MySQL. Direct DB access required—no native API.
Shopware Setup: Ensure Shopware 6 is installed on PHP hosting (PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8+). Install migration plugin if using automated tools.
Product Structure: osCommerce products with products_attributes maps to Shopware products with option groups.
Images: osCommerce stores images in images/ directory. Need to be uploaded to Shopware's media system.

3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint

This is the most critical section for developers. This is how osCommerce entities translate to Shopware.

🛍 Product Data Mapping

osCommerce Field (Source)	Shopware Field (Target)	Notes & Logic
`products_id`	`product.id`	Shopware generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping.
`products_name`	`product_translation.name`	Direct string transfer.
`products_model`	`product.number`	Direct mapping.
`products_price`	`product_price.price`	Direct price transfer.
`products_description`	`product_translation.description`	HTML content. Images need re-uploading to Shopware media system.
`products_to_categories`	`product_category`	osCommerce categories map to Shopware categories.
`products_attributes`	`property_group_option`, `product_configurator_setting`	osCommerce product attributes map to Shopware product variants.

👥 Customer Data Mapping

osCommerce Field	Shopware Field	Critical Logic
`customers_email_address`	`customer.email`	Unique identifier.
`customers_password`	`customer.password` (hashed)	Password migration supported with migration plugin. Both use similar hashing. Migration tool handles conversion.
`address_book`	`customer_address`	osCommerce address_book maps to Shopware customer addresses.

📦 Order Data Mapping

osCommerce Field	Shopware Field	Mapping Logic
`orders_id`	`order.order_number`	Preserve osCommerce order ID in Shopware order_number field.
`orders_status`	`order_state_machine_state`	Map osCommerce order statuses to Shopware order states.
`orders_total`	`order.price.totalPrice`	Direct mapping with currency conversion if needed.

4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle

You have three vectors of attack for this migration. Choose based on budget and technical capability.

Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)

Tools: Shopware Migration Hub, LitExtension, Cart2Cart

Specialized tools that connect via osCommerce database and Shopware Store API or migration plugin.

✅ Pros: Handles structure complexity, preserves relationships, formats data for Shopware automatically.
❌ Cons: Cost scales with data ($200 - $400). Requires Shopware migration plugin installation.

Option B: CSV Import

Tools: osCommerce Export + Shopware Admin Import

Export from osCommerce, format for Shopware, and import manually.

✅ Pros: Lower cost, direct control.
❌ Cons: Manual work required, may lose some data relationships. Limited to products and categories.

Option C: Custom Development

Tools: osCommerce DB + Shopware Store API

Build a custom script using osCommerce database and Shopware Store API.

✅ Pros: Complete control, reusable.
❌ Cons: Expensive ($2,500+), time-consuming. Must handle both platform structures.

5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step

We will proceed using the Automated Cloud Migration method as it is the industry standard for minimizing downtime.

Phase 1: Environment Preparation

1.1. Prepare Target (Shopware):
Install Shopware 6 on PHP hosting (PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8+). Complete Shopware installation. Install migration plugin if using automated tools. Do not point your domain there yet. Use subdomain for testing.
Tip: Use maintenance mode to prevent public access during setup.

1.2. Prepare Source (osCommerce):
Ensure database access. Keep your osCommerce store live during migration.

Phase 2: The Connection Setup

2.1. Shopware Access:
Install migration plugin on Shopware. This provides API endpoints for migration tools.

2.2. osCommerce Access:
Provide database credentials. Migration tool connects to osCommerce data source.

Phase 3: Migration Execution

Select what to move. Be careful with these specific settings:

Create 301 Redirects: Check this box if using custom domain. It creates redirects from osCommerce URLs to Shopware URLs. Without this, your SEO dies.
Migrate Product Options: Shopware supports flexible variants. osCommerce product attributes map to Shopware product variants automatically.
Migrate Images: Images are downloaded from osCommerce images directory and uploaded to Shopware's media system automatically.
Password Migration: Supported with migration plugin. Customer passwords are migrated and converted to Shopware format.

Phase 4: The Full Migration

Launch the process. The migration tool handles osCommerce data extraction and Shopware import automatically.

Time Estimation: 5,000 products + 10,000 orders usually takes 2-4 hours. Legacy PHP/MySQL structure can be migrated with automated tools.

Phase 5: Post-Migration Cleanup

5.1. Customer Communication:
Notify customers about the migration. With password migration support, customers can log in immediately.

5.2. Verify Products:
Check all products migrated correctly. Verify images, prices, and product options.

5.3. Design & Customization:
Choose or customize Shopware theme. osCommerce themes cannot be migrated, but Shopware offers modern Storefront.

6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)

What does it actually cost? Here is a realistic breakdown for a medium-sized store (2,000 Products, 10,000 Orders, 5,000 Customers).

Custom Script

$2,500+

Developer Time

Automated Cloud

$249

Average Cost

Agency Service