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Medusa alternatives

Top E-commerce Platforms like Medusa

The most popular alternative to Medusa is Saleor, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Medusa are Shopify, Magento Open Source, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

Most alternatives to Medusa are in the E-commerce Platforms category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Medusa alternatives
AllFreeOpen source
6 apps

All Medusa alternatives

  1. Saleor is an open source, API-only commerce platform built with Python and Django, with everything exposed through a GraphQL API. It handles multi-channel catalogs, several currencies and warehouses, and extends through webhooks and apps, while the storefront is built separately with any framework. Teams can self-host it or use the managed Saleor Cloud.

    6 Saleor alternatives

    Pros

    • GraphQL-first API built for headless storefronts
    • Handles multiple channels, currencies and warehouses natively
    • Open source Python stack, self-hosted or on Saleor Cloud

    Cons

    • The storefront must be built separately by developers
    • Smaller ecosystem and community than mainstream platforms
    Cost / License
    FreemiumOpen source
  2. Shopify is a hosted commerce platform for creating an online store, selling on social networks and marketplaces, and taking payments in person with its point-of-sale app. It handles hosting, checkout, inventory and shipping, while a large app store and theme marketplace extend what a store can do. It scales from first-time sellers to large brands on the Shopify Plus tier.

    12 Shopify alternatives

    Pros

    • Hosting, checkout, payments and security are handled for you
    • Huge app store and theme marketplace
    • Sells online, on social channels and in person with its POS app

    Cons

    • Monthly app subscriptions quickly raise the total cost
    • Extra transaction fees apply when not using Shopify Payments
    • Checkout customization is limited outside Shopify Plus
    Cost / License
    Free trialProprietary
  3. Magento Open Source is the free, self-hosted edition of the Magento e-commerce platform, maintained by Adobe alongside its paid Adobe Commerce product. Written in PHP, it supports multiple stores, languages and currencies, complex catalogs and a large ecosystem of extensions and agencies. It is suited to merchants with development resources who need deep customization.

    6 Magento Open Source alternatives

    Pros

    • Handles complex catalogs, multiple stores, languages and currencies
    • Large ecosystem of extensions and specialized agencies
    • Free and open source, with full control over code and hosting

    Cons

    • Resource-hungry, so it needs well-tuned hosting to perform well
    • Development and maintenance require experienced PHP developers
    • Some advanced features are reserved for the paid Adobe Commerce
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Platforms
  4. WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin that adds a full online store to a WordPress site: products, cart, checkout, taxes, shipping and orders. Because it runs on your own hosting, you control the code and data, and a large catalog of free and paid extensions covers payment gateways, subscriptions, bookings and more. It is a natural choice for shops that already use WordPress.

    12 WooCommerce alternatives

    Pros

    • Free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a full store
    • Huge catalog of extensions for payments, subscriptions and bookings
    • Full control over code, data and hosting

    Cons

    • Hosting, security and updates are your responsibility
    • Paid extensions add up for features many stores need
    • Performance needs tuning as catalogs and traffic grow
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
  5. BigCommerce is a hosted e-commerce platform that targets mid-sized and enterprise merchants, including B2B sellers. It includes multi-storefront management, built-in B2B features, multi-currency selling and open APIs, and can serve as a headless back end behind a custom front end. Merchants pick it when they want SaaS convenience with more flexibility around integrations.

    8 BigCommerce alternatives

    Pros

    • Strong built-in B2B features and multi-storefront management
    • Open APIs and headless support for custom front ends
    • Hosted platform with multi-currency selling out of the box

    Cons

    • Plan upgrades are required once annual sales pass set thresholds
    • Smaller app and theme ecosystem than Shopify
    Cost / License
    Free trialProprietary
    Platforms
  6. PrestaShop is an open source e-commerce application written in PHP and created in France. You install it on your own server and extend it with modules and themes from its marketplace, covering payment methods, shipping carriers, marketing and multilingual catalogs. It suits merchants who want a full-featured store that they, or an agency, host and customize.

    8 PrestaShop alternatives

    Pros

    • Free and open source, with full ownership of your store
    • Large marketplace of modules and themes
    • Widely used in Europe, with many local payment and carrier modules

    Cons

    • Many essential modules are paid, so costs add up
    • Hosting, updates and technical upkeep are your responsibility
    • Major version upgrades can break existing modules
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Platforms

Medusa vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Medusa, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Medusa vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsAPI accessHeadless commerceMulti-currencyPaymentsPlugins & extensions
MedusaFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, Self-hosted
SaleorFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, Self-hosted
ShopifyFree trialWeb, iPhone, Android
Magento Open SourceFreeOpen sourceSelf-hosted
WooCommerceFreeOpen sourceiPhone, Android, Self-hosted
BigCommerceFree trialWeb

Medusa alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Medusa?

The most popular alternative to Medusa is Saleor: Open source, GraphQL-first headless commerce platform. Other great alternatives are Shopify, Magento Open Source, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

Is there a free alternative to Medusa?

Yes, 4 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Saleor, Magento Open Source, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop.

Is there an open source alternative to Medusa?

Yes, 4 open source alternatives are listed, including Saleor, Magento Open Source, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop.

Is Medusa free?

Medusa has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.

Compare Medusa with its alternatives

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