Alternatives / Adobe Commerce
Looking for an open source Adobe Commerce alternative? We compared 7 open source ecommerce platforms by license, architecture, and maintenance. Shopware, Medusa, and Saleor are the modern choices, Solidus and Spree come from Ruby, and WooCommerce runs on WordPress.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Medusa | Modular TypeScript commerce | MIT + proprietary Enterprise Edition files |
| Saleor | GraphQL-first headless | BSD-3-Clause |
| Spree Commerce | REST platform with B2B | BSD-3-Clause + Enterprise Edition |
| WooCommerce | WordPress-based store | GPL-2.0 |
| Vendure | Node.js framework | GPL-3.0 or commercial license |
| Solidus | Ruby platform with promotions | BSD-3-Clause |
| Shopware | Full platform with headless options | MIT |
We looked for open-source commerce platforms for large catalogs like Adobe Commerce. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. We left out Alokai because its repository has no license file. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Shopware is an MIT platform with headless and API-first options, a CMS, and B2B and B2C support. Spree is a headless platform with a REST API and B2B and marketplace features, and Solidus is a Ruby platform with promotion and subscription engines.
Medusa is a modular TypeScript platform, Saleor is GraphQL-first with multi-channel support, and Vendure is a Node.js and TypeScript framework with a plugin system.
WooCommerce runs inside WordPress with thousands of extensions.
Vendure is dual licensed: GPL-3.0 or a commercial license. Spree's Enterprise Edition adds advanced security and support. WooCommerce is GPL-2.0.
Medusa and Shopware are MIT. Saleor, Spree, and Solidus are BSD-3-Clause.
All seven had commits within days or weeks of this update.
Adobe Commerce is a proprietary platform sold by license and cloud plan. Open-source platforms avoid the license, but many require building the storefront.
Medusa is a headless, API-first commerce platform written in TypeScript, with modules for products, carts, orders, and fulfillment, a plugin ecosystem, and any storefront you choose, self-hosted or on Medusa Cloud. The repository is MIT, except for Enterprise Edition materials that are proprietary and need a commercial agreement.
Pricing: Free and open source (MIT), self-hosted; Medusa Cloud offers paid managed hosting.
BSD-3-Clause alternative to Shopify. High-performance Django backend with PIM, OMS, and Next.js storefront — self-host via saleor-platform or Saleor Cloud.
Pricing: Free and open source (BSD-3-Clause); Saleor Cloud offers paid managed hosting.
Spree is a BSD-3-Clause open-source commerce platform built on Ruby on Rails, with a complete REST API, TypeScript SDKs, a React admin dashboard, and a production-ready Next.js storefront, supporting B2B, marketplaces, and multi-vendor stores. Some features, such as multi-tenant SaaS, require the paid Enterprise Edition.
Pricing: Free and open source; the Enterprise Edition and hosted options are paid.
GPL-2.0 alternative to Shopify. Products, checkout, payments, and REST API on WordPress — self-host anywhere with the world's largest plugin ecosystem.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPL-2.0); many extensions are paid.
Vendure is a headless, API-first commerce framework for Node.js and TypeScript with a plugin system, a built-in admin UI, and support for complex catalogs and variants. It is dual licensed: GPL-3.0 as the Community Edition, or a commercial license for use without GPL obligations.
Pricing: Free under GPL-3.0; commercial license is paid.
BSD-3-Clause fork of Spree for stability and customization. Modular gems (core, backend, API), custom storefronts, and Stripe/PayPal/Braintree integrations.
Pricing: Free and open source (BSD-3-Clause), self-hosted.
MIT-licensed alternative to Magento. API-first experience commerce with CMS, rule builder, and a worldwide extension ecosystem — self-host or Shopware Cloud.
Pricing: Free and open source (MIT) Community Edition; paid Shopware Cloud/Enterprise tiers exist.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medusa | Headless commerce | MIT | Yes | Node.js teams |
| Saleor | Headless commerce | BSD-3-Clause | Yes | Multi-channel stores |
| Spree Commerce | Headless commerce | BSD-3-Clause + Enterprise | Yes | B2B and marketplaces |
| WooCommerce | Plugin | GPL-2.0 | Yes | WordPress sites |
| Vendure | Headless commerce | GPL-3.0 or commercial | Yes | Complex catalogs |
| Solidus | Commerce platform | BSD-3-Clause | Yes | Brands with complex needs |
| Shopware | Commerce platform | MIT | Yes | Closest replacement |
Want a full platform with a CMS
Shopware offers headless options with B2B and B2C support.
Want a TypeScript engine
Medusa is modular, with multi-region selling.
Want Ruby
Solidus has promotion and subscription engines.