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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.

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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.
License: GPL-3.0 Self-host difficulty: 2/5 Hosted cloud optionMobile: iOS, Android

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.
License: MIT Self-host difficulty: 3/5 Hosted cloud option

Medusa homepage · Source on GitHub · Shopify vs Medusa →

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.
License: BSD-3-Clause Self-host difficulty: 4/5 Hosted cloud option

Saleor homepage · Source on GitHub · Shopify vs Saleor →

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Browse other tools in E-commerce Platforms, or check out open source projects by category on the full category index.