3 open source alternatives to Shopify
Hosted e-commerce platform for online stores. Here are the open source projects real teams use instead — ranked by fit, with honest pros and cons for each.
What people don't love about Shopify
- App ecosystem pushes costs higher than advertised.
- Transaction fees if you skip Shopify Payments.
- Checkout customization is limited on lower plans.
Current Shopify pricing (for reference): Basic from $29/month plus transaction fees.
Quick comparison
| Alternative | Best for | License | Self-host | Hosted cloud? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
WooCommerce E-commerce plugin on top of WordPress. |
Store owners already on WordPress or wanting maximum plugin choice. | GPL-3.0 | ★★☆☆☆ | Yes |
|
Medusa Open source alternative to Shopify for developers. |
JavaScript-first teams wanting a modern headless commerce stack. | MIT | ★★★☆☆ | Yes |
|
Saleor GraphQL-first headless commerce. |
GraphQL-native teams building custom commerce experiences. | BSD-3-Clause | ★★★★☆ | Yes |
1. WooCommerce — Store owners already on WordPress or wanting maximum plugin choice.
E-commerce plugin on top of WordPress.
Strengths
- Huge extension marketplace.
- Mature — powers millions of stores.
- Full ownership of code and data.
Weaknesses
- Performance tuning required at scale.
- Extension costs can add up.
- Depends on WordPress stack.
WooCommerce homepage · Source on GitHub · Shopify vs WooCommerce →
2. Medusa — JavaScript-first teams wanting a modern headless commerce stack.
Open source alternative to Shopify for developers.
Strengths
- Node.js-native — familiar for JS teams.
- Modular — plug in any storefront.
- Rapid community growth.
Weaknesses
- Younger ecosystem than Saleor/WooCommerce.
- Some modules still maturing.
- Plugins community-driven.
3. Saleor — GraphQL-native teams building custom commerce experiences.
GraphQL-first headless commerce.
Strengths
- Headless architecture — any frontend stack.
- GraphQL API first.
- Multi-channel and multi-warehouse built in.
Weaknesses
- Complex self-host (Postgres + Redis + search + worker).
- Python + JavaScript teams needed to extend.
- Steep learning curve.
Not what you're looking for?
Browse other tools in E-commerce Platforms, or check out open source projects by category on the full category index.
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