Picking a Joomla eCommerce template starts one step earlier than most people expect: with the shopping cart. A shop template is styled for one cart extension, and the cart decides which Joomla version your store can run on. Get that right and the choice of design is the easy part.
This guide covers where the main Joomla carts stand in 2026, what to check before you buy a shop template, and the VirtueMart templates we currently sell for Joomla 5.
Which Joomla cart should you use?
Three cart extensions cover almost every Joomla store:
- VirtueMart is the longest-running Joomla cart and is free. The current release, VirtueMart 4, runs on Joomla 4 and Joomla 5 but not on Joomla 6. VirtueMart 5, which targets Joomla 6, is in development with no release date yet. A VirtueMart store today belongs on Joomla 5.
- HikaShop has a free Starter edition and paid editions, and its 6.x releases support Joomla 6.
- J2Commerce is the community continuation of J2Store, which stopped development in 2024. It adds cart features to regular Joomla articles and supports Joomla 4, 5 and 6.
If you already run a VirtueMart store, stay on Joomla 5 until VirtueMart 5 is released. If you are starting a brand new shop and want Joomla 6 from day one, you will need HikaShop or J2Commerce, and a template made for that cart.
What to check before you buy a shop template
- It is built for your cart. A general template will show a VirtueMart or HikaShop store, but the product, category and cart pages will look unstyled next to the rest of the site.
- The whole buying path is designed, not just the home page: category listings, product pages, the cart, checkout and the customer account area. Click through all of them on the live demo.
- It comes with a quickstart package. A quickstart installs Joomla, the cart, the template and demo products in one go, so you start with a working store instead of an empty one.
- Checkout works on a phone. Most shoppers will see your store on a small screen. Add something to the cart on the demo from your own phone.
- It is still being updated. Look for a changelog with recent dates and a clear statement of which Joomla, cart and PHP versions it supports.
Are there free Joomla eCommerce templates?
VirtueMart and the HikaShop Starter edition are free, and both work with Cassiopeia, the template that comes with Joomla, using their own built-in layouts. That is enough to test an idea. A paid shop template gives you a designed storefront, styled product and cart pages, and a quickstart with demo content, which saves a good deal of setup time on a real store.
Our VirtueMart templates for Joomla 5
Every template below is a complete VirtueMart store for Joomla 5 with a live demo and a quickstart package. Current version numbers for each one are on our template compatibility table.
Rebuilt for Joomla 5.4 and VirtueMart 4.8
Bike Store is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with an eye-catching, functional design made for getting a bike shop online.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
Electra Shop is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with everything you need to open a store and start selling your products online.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
Enfuse is a multipurpose VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, with a responsive design and eCommerce features for selling and taking payments.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
Envisage is a mobile-ready VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, with powerful SEO options built in to help your store rank in search engines.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
Evo Store is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, built on Bootstrap 5 with a responsive layout so your online store looks great anywhere.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
Fashion store is prefect choice for anyone looking to build a website selling clothing, accessories or jewellery.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
Muble Store is a mobile-friendly VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, with everything you need to open an eCommerce shop and sell online.
Joomla 5.4.8 nativeVirtueMart 4.8.0PHP 8.3+Bootstrap 5
More VirtueMart shop templates
Veva Shop is a modern, stylish VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, packed with built-in features for eCommerce stores of any size.
Joomla 5.3.0 quickstartVirtueMart 4.4.4PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Ultimate Shop is a versatile VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, suited to selling physical goods, digital products or both.
Joomla 5.3.0 quickstartVirtueMart 4.4.4PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Hyperon Shop is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with support for multiple currencies, languages and products in your online store.
Joomla 5.3.0 quickstartVirtueMart 4.2.12PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Light Shop is a clean, multipurpose VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5, built for mobile-friendly eCommerce websites.
Joomla 5.3.0 quickstartVirtueMart 4.4.4PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Magneta Shop is a responsive VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with over 100 built-in features and easy customisation.
Joomla 5.3.0 quickstartVirtueMart 4.2.12PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Restaurant Store is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with menu and events pages plus an online store, and 100+ built-in features.
Joomla 5.3.0 quickstartVirtueMart 4.2.12PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Captiva is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with everything you need to open a modern online store and capture your visitors' attention.
Joomla 5.1.1 quickstartVirtueMart 4.4.4PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Universal Shop is a VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with product pages, cart and order management ready for your online store.
Joomla 5.1.1 quickstartVirtueMart 4.2.12PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
Zeus Shop is a clean, bright VirtueMart shopping cart template for Joomla 5 with over 100 built-in features to shape your customers' shopping experience.
Joomla 5.1.1 quickstartVirtueMart 4.2.12PHP 8.1+Bootstrap 5
You can see all of these on one page at VirtueMart templates for Joomla 5. For a larger range of VirtueMart designs, visit our sister site VirtueMart Templates. Not building a shop? Browse our Joomla 6 templates.
