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commercetools alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave commercetools: expensive, contract-based pricing, and needs significant engineering to assemble. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces commercetools, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Commerce Layer currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Commerce Layer logoCommerce LayerFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 366.5
2Adobe Commerce (Magento) logoAdobe Commerce (Magento)PaidNoWeb, Self-hosted5 of 562.6
3BigCommerce logoBigCommercePaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 459.6
4Saleor logoSaleorOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
5Shopify logoShopifyPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 455.3
  1. Commerce Layer logo

    1. Commerce LayerTop pick

    Best for: Developers adding international checkout and commerce APIs to a custom frontend

    Free plan + paidWeb

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from commercetools

    API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers.

    Pros

    • Free developer plan to start
    • Strong multi-market pricing and inventory
    • No backend infrastructure to run

    Cons

    • No storefront or page builder
    • Larger plans are quote-based
    • No on-premise option
    Visit Commerce Layer Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Commerce Layer a good commercetools alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Developer plan
    Checked Oct 25, 2026commercelayer.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Free live orders
    100 per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026commercelayer.io(opens source in a new tab)
    On-premise
    Not offered
    Checked Oct 25, 2026commercelayer.io(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Adobe Commerce (Magento) logo

    2. Adobe Commerce (Magento)

    Best for: Larger retailers and B2B sellers with developers who need deep customisation

    PaidSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from commercetools

    Enterprise platform with a full storefront and agency ecosystem.

    Pros

    • Extremely customisable catalogue, pricing and multi-store setup
    • Free open-source edition available
    • Large ecosystem of extensions and agencies

    Cons

    • Needs specialist developers and demanding hosting
    • Upgrades are major projects
    • Adobe Commerce licences are expensive and quote-based
    Visit Adobe Commerce (Magento) Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Adobe Commerce (Magento) a good commercetools alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Open-source licence
    OSL-3.0 (Magento Open Source)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open-source edition
    Magento Open Source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026experienceleague.adobe.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Server stack
    PHP, MySQL/MariaDB, OpenSearch and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026experienceleague.adobe.com(opens source in a new tab)
    APIs
    GraphQL and REST
    Checked Oct 25, 2026developer.adobe.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    On-premises install supported
    Checked Oct 25, 2026experienceleague.adobe.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. BigCommerce logo

    3. BigCommerce

    Best for: Growing and B2B merchants who want rich built-in features and gateway choice

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from commercetools

    Hosted platform with headless APIs at lower cost.

    Pros

    • Many features built in, fewer paid apps needed
    • No extra fee for third-party payment gateways
    • Strong B2B and headless capabilities

    Cons

    • Plans auto-upgrade as annual sales grow
    • Smaller theme and app ecosystem than Shopify
    • Admin can feel complex for small shops
    Visit BigCommerce Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is BigCommerce a good commercetools alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free trial
    15 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Core plan
    $29/month billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth plan
    $79/month billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sales-based plans
    Auto-upgrade above thresholds
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Saleor logo

    4. Saleor

    Best for: Engineering teams building custom headless storefronts with GraphQL

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from commercetools

    Open-source headless platform you can self-host.

    Pros

    • Clean GraphQL API and extensible app model
    • BSD-licensed and self-hostable
    • Multi-channel and multi-currency built in

    Cons

    • Requires developers to build the storefront
    • Managed cloud plans are expensive for small shops
    • Smaller plugin ecosystem than monolithic platforms
    Visit Saleor Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Saleor a good commercetools alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    BSD-3-Clause
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud sandbox
    Free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026saleor.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Select plan
    $1,599/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026saleor.io(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    GraphQL
    Checked Oct 25, 2026saleor.io(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Shopify logo

    5. Shopify

    Best for: Most merchants who want a reliable hosted store that can grow from first sale to enterprise

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from commercetools

    Shopify Plus for enterprises that want less to assemble.

    Pros

    • Fast, trusted checkout with Shop Pay
    • Largest ecommerce app and theme ecosystem
    • Built-in POS and multichannel selling

    Cons

    • Apps and plan upgrades push monthly costs up
    • Extra fees when using third-party payment gateways
    • Deep checkout customisation reserved for higher plans
    Visit Shopify Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Shopify a good commercetools alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free trial
    3 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    App Store
    21,000+ apps
    Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Themes
    200+ pre-built
    Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    US ecommerce share
    About 10% of US ecommerce sales
    Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best commercetools alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Commerce Layer logo

Best commercetools alternative for most people

Commerce Layer

API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers.

Saleor logo

Best commercetools alternative for a free option

Saleor

Open-source headless platform you can self-host.

Commerce Layer logo

Best commercetools alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Commerce Layer

API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers.

Saleor logo

Best commercetools alternative for open source

Saleor

Open-source headless platform you can self-host.

Adobe Commerce (Magento) logo

Best commercetools alternative for self-hosting

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Enterprise platform with a full storefront and agency ecosystem.

BigCommerce logo

Best commercetools alternative for iPhone and Android

BigCommerce

Hosted platform with headless APIs at lower cost.

Shopify logo

Best commercetools alternative for working in the browser

Shopify

Shopify Plus for enterprises that want less to assemble.

commercetools alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to commercetools?

Commerce Layer ranks first right now. API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers. Adobe Commerce (Magento) and BigCommerce follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to commercetools?

Yes. Commerce Layer (free plan + paid) and Saleor (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to commercetools?

Yes: Saleor. Saleor can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from commercetools?

The complaints we hear most: expensive, contract-based pricing; needs significant engineering to assemble; no built-in storefront.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces commercetools, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.