AppBreakup

Medusa alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Medusa: needs developers for storefront and integrations, and younger ecosystem than established platforms. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Medusa, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Saleor currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Saleor logoSaleorOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 466.5
2Vendure logoVendureOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
3Shopify logoShopifyPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 459.6
4commercetools logocommercetoolsPaidNoWeb3 of 357.2
5Spree Commerce logoSpree CommerceOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 555.3
  1. Saleor logo

    1. SaleorTop pick

    Best for: Engineering teams building custom headless storefronts with GraphQL

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Medusa

    GraphQL-first headless platform built on Python.

    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
    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 Saleor a good Medusa 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)
  2. Vendure logo

    2. Vendure

    Best for: Node.js teams building custom B2B or B2C commerce backends

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Medusa

    TypeScript headless framework with strong B2B and plugin system.

    Pros

    • Clean TypeScript and GraphQL architecture
    • Powerful plugin system
    • Strong B2B features on paid plans

    Cons

    • GPLv3 core; commercial licence needed for some uses
    • Requires developers for storefront and setup
    • Paid plans are expensive for small shops
    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 Vendure a good Medusa alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPLv3 (framework)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026vendure.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Starter plan
    €199/month on a 12-month term
    Checked Oct 25, 2026vendure.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    30 days, no card
    Checked Oct 25, 2026vendure.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Revenue fees
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026vendure.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Shopify logo

    3. Shopify

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

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Medusa

    Hosted platform when the team would rather not run a backend.

    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
    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 Shopify a good Medusa 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)
  4. commercetools logo

    4. commercetools

    Best for: Large enterprises building composable commerce across many brands and regions

    PaidWeb

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Medusa

    Enterprise SaaS composable commerce with vendor support.

    Pros

    • Highly scalable API-first architecture
    • Handles complex multi-brand, multi-region setups
    • Strong B2B and B2C capabilities

    Cons

    • Expensive, contract-based pricing
    • Needs significant engineering to assemble
    • No built-in storefront
    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 commercetools a good Medusa alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free trial
    60 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026commercetools.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Annualized GMV processed
    $110B+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026commercetools.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Annualized orders
    700M+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026commercetools.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Spree Commerce logo

    5. Spree Commerce

    Best for: Rails teams building B2B, marketplace or multi-store commerce

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Medusa

    Mature open-source platform with B2B and marketplace features.

    Pros

    • Mature, BSD-licensed Rails codebase
    • Admin and storefront included, or go headless
    • Multi-store, B2B and marketplace features

    Cons

    • Needs Ruby on Rails developers
    • Smaller extension ecosystem
    • Hosting and upgrades are on you
    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 Spree Commerce a good Medusa alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    BSD-3-Clause
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spreecommerce.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Use cases
    B2B, marketplace and enterprise
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spreecommerce.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes, zero platform fees
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spreecommerce.org(opens source in a new tab)
    APIs
    REST API, TypeScript SDK, Next.js storefront
    Checked Oct 25, 2026spreecommerce.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Medusa alternative for…

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

Saleor logo

Best Medusa alternative for most people

Saleor

GraphQL-first headless platform built on Python.

Vendure logo

Best Medusa alternative for a free option

Vendure

TypeScript headless framework with strong B2B and plugin system.

Spree Commerce logo

Best Medusa alternative for open source

Spree Commerce

Mature open-source platform with B2B and marketplace features.

Saleor logo

Best Medusa alternative for self-hosting

Saleor

GraphQL-first headless platform built on Python.

Shopify logo

Best Medusa alternative for iPhone and Android

Shopify

Hosted platform when the team would rather not run a backend.

commercetools logo

Best Medusa alternative for working in the browser

commercetools

Enterprise SaaS composable commerce with vendor support.

Medusa alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Medusa?

Saleor ranks first right now. GraphQL-first headless platform built on Python. Vendure and Shopify follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Medusa?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Medusa?

Yes: Saleor, Vendure and Spree Commerce. Saleor, Vendure and Spree Commerce can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Medusa?

The complaints we hear most: needs developers for storefront and integrations; younger ecosystem than established platforms; no theme marketplace for quick launches.

How is this list ranked?

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