What happened to Mindstellar's Osclass?
After Osclass 3.9.0 the project went two ways. OsclassPoint continues Osclass 8.x. Mindstellar's line, Osclass 5.x, took its own name in 2026: ShopClass. It is the same code with the same git history. It is still free, and you still host it yourself.
Nine years of one project, under two names.
Every date below is checkable: Mindstellar's against the release history in its repository, OsclassPoint's against its published changelog.
- 2017
The fork begins
Upstream Osclass releases stop at 3.7.4. Mindstellar starts maintaining a fork of the 3.x line.
- 2019
Osclass 3.9.0
Released by Mindstellar. The last release on the 3.x branch, and the last one both later Osclass lines share. Many long-running sites are still on it.
- 2020
The line splits
OsclassPoint releases Osclass 4.0.0, the start of its own line (now 8.x, Apache 2.0). The Mindstellar line carries on separately.
- 2021
Osclass 5.0
A modernised core with PHP 8 support, a reworked installer and a security pass. The licence moves from Apache 2.0 to GPLv3.
- 2024
Osclass 5.2
Compatibility and security work continues through 5.2.0 (2024) and 5.2.1 (2025), keeping installs patched.
- 2026
Osclass 5.2.2, the last one
The final Osclass-branded release from Mindstellar. It repoints the built-in updater at the new repository, so sites on it move across on their own.
- 2026
ShopClass 6.0
The same project under its own name: an admin in plain JavaScript on native browser features, jQuery out of the core, PHP 8 throughout, and a real CLI.
Upgrading is not a migration.
There is no export, no re-import and no rebuild. It is the same application continuing at a higher version number.
It updates itself
5.2.2 points its built-in updater at the ShopClass releases. Open Admin → Tools → Update and take the update as you always have.
Step up, then across
From 3.x, upload 5.2.2 by hand, then let it carry you to 6.x. You can also unpack a release by hand. Then run php oc-cli.php db:upgrade to bring the database up to date.
Not for OsclassPoint Osclass 4.x–8.x: that is a separate codebase with no upgrade path to ShopClass.
Back up your database and oc-content/uploads before you start.
Just install ShopClass
New sites should skip Osclass entirely. The guided installer checks your host, sets up the database and creates your admin login.
DownloadWhat carries over untouched
- The
osc_*template and helper functions - Hook and filter names, so plugin entry points still fire
- Theme and plugin folder layout, and the asset paths themes reference
- The database schema and its
oc_t_table prefix - Your listings, users, categories, locations and uploads
Some older extensions use internal code instead of the public API, or expect jQuery in the admin. Those may need a small fix, so test on a copy first.
Osclass 3.x, and where it is now.
The comparison most people arrive looking for: what a frozen Osclass 3.9.0 install gives you against a current one. OsclassPoint's Osclass 8.x is a separate line; see our side-by-side test of ShopClass, Osclass 8 and HivePress.
| Osclass 3.9.0 | ShopClass 6.x | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest release | 3.9.0 (Nov 2019) | 6.3.0 (Sept 2026) |
| PHP support | PHP 5.x / 7.x era | PHP 8.0 – 8.5 |
| Security fixes | None since 2019 | Ongoing, with a disclosure policy |
| Admin panel | Legacy, jQuery-bound | Plain JavaScript and native browser APIs, no jQuery |
| Plugin & theme API | osc_* API | Same osc_* API, preserved |
| Command line | None | oc-cli.php for cron, upgrades and backups |
| Licence | Apache 2.0 | GPLv3 |
| Price | Free | Free |
Still the reason people chose Osclass.
A classifieds site you fully own: your database, your server, your code. The new name did not change that. It is the reason we keep the project going.
Questions people arrive with.
Is Osclass still maintained?
Yes, in two separate lines. OsclassPoint maintains Osclass 8.x at osclass-classifieds.com. Mindstellar maintained Osclass 5.x, and that line continues as ShopClass. The original upstream releases stopped at 3.7.4 in 2017.
Is ShopClass the same thing as Mindstellar's Osclass?
Yes. It is the same codebase and the same git history, renamed in 2026. ShopClass is not a rewrite. It is what Mindstellar's Osclass 5.x became. It is GPLv3 and self-hosted.
How is ShopClass different from OsclassPoint's Osclass?
Both grew from Osclass 3.9.0 and went separate ways in 2020. OsclassPoint's Osclass 8.x is published under Apache 2.0 at osclass-classifieds.com. ShopClass is the Mindstellar line: GPLv3, the same osc_* API, an admin in plain JavaScript and a command-line tool. They are separate codebases today.
Will my existing Osclass themes and plugins work?
In most cases yes. ShopClass deliberately preserves the Osclass extension API: the osc_* helper functions, the hook and filter names, the folder layout and the asset paths. Extensions that reach directly into legacy internals or assume jQuery is loaded in the admin may need adjusting, so test on a copy first.
How do I upgrade an Osclass site to ShopClass?
It is an in-place upgrade, not a migration. Osclass 5.2.2 already points its built-in updater at the ShopClass releases, so an up-to-date site can update itself from Admin → Tools. From an older 3.x or 5.0 install, step up to 5.2.2 first. This path covers Osclass 3.x and the Mindstellar 5.x releases, not OsclassPoint 4.x or 8.x. Always back up your database and uploads before upgrading.
Is ShopClass still free?
Yes. It is free under the GPLv3, with every feature included. There are no per-listing fees, no paid tiers and no hosted service you are pushed towards. You run it on your own hosting and your data stays in your database.
What happened to Mindstellar's Osclass repository?
It is the same repository, renamed. github.com/mindstellar/Osclass now redirects to github.com/mindstellar/shopclass, carrying its history, issues and releases with it. Old links, clones and the Osclass 5.x download archive all still work.
Try it before you upgrade anything.
The demo is a full install that resets every hour. Post a listing, open the admin with admin / admin, and break whatever you like.