Open-source alternatives to Shopify

Shopify is a proprietary, hosted ecommerce platform used by millions of stores. It's fast to launch but comes with subscription and transaction fees, a closed codebase, and app-store lock-in for anything beyond the built-in feature set.

Open-source alternatives fall into two groups: full storefront platforms that ship with an admin panel out of the box, and headless commerce APIs for building a fully custom frontend. Here's a closer look at each option.

The best open-source alternatives to Shopify

1. Medusa — best overall for developer teams

Medusa has become the default open-source pick for teams replacing Shopify with something they fully control. It's a modular, API-first commerce backend written in TypeScript: products, carts, orders, and fulfillment are separate modules you compose, and the storefront is entirely yours — Next.js, mobile app, or anything that talks to an API.

That architecture is the point: where Shopify caps customization at what its app store allows, Medusa turns every commerce behavior into code you own. The tradeoff is that nothing ships pre-assembled — you're building a store, not installing one.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• No subscription or transaction fees — MIT-licensed, self-host or use Medusa Cloud
• Fully custom checkout and pricing logic, no app-store ceiling
• TypeScript modules your team can extend like any other codebase
• Works with any storefront framework instead of Liquid templates
• The largest community of the headless options (34k+ GitHub stars)

2. WooCommerce — best if you don't want to write code

WooCommerce runs on WordPress and is the closest open-source equivalent to Shopify's install-and-sell experience. It powers millions of stores — the largest real-world install base of any open-source commerce platform — and its extension ecosystem has an answer for almost every requirement.

The tradeoff is the WordPress stack itself: plugin sprawl, PHP hosting, and performance tuning become your responsibility, and quality varies across the extension ecosystem.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• Familiar admin experience without per-month platform fees
• GPL-2.0 licensed, self-host anywhere WordPress runs
• The world's largest plugin and theme ecosystem for commerce
• Products, checkout, payments, and a REST API out of the box
• Easiest option for non-developers among the alternatives here

3. Bagisto — best for B2B, marketplaces, and multi-store

Bagisto is a Laravel-based ecommerce platform whose sweet spot is exactly what Shopify charges a premium for: B2B price lists, multi-vendor marketplaces, multi-currency, and running several stores from a single admin — all native features rather than paid apps.

It's MIT-licensed with a Vue.js admin, a headless API when you need it, and even a Flutter-based mobile app. PHP/Laravel teams can extend it directly in a stack they already know.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• Native multi-vendor marketplace and B2B support, no apps needed
• Multi-store and multi-currency from one admin panel
• MIT-licensed and self-hosted — no revenue-based plan upgrades
• Laravel foundation that PHP teams can extend directly
• Headless API available when you outgrow the bundled storefront

4. Saleor — best for enterprise-scale headless commerce

Saleor is a GraphQL-first commerce API built in Python/Django, aimed at larger catalogs and multichannel operations. It ships more structure than Medusa — product information management, order management, and a ready Next.js storefront — while staying fully headless.

It's heavier to operate than the smaller options, which mostly pays off at scale or when GraphQL is already your API standard. BSD-3-Clause licensed, self-hosted via saleor-platform or on Saleor Cloud.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• GraphQL-first API for every commerce operation
• Built-in PIM and OMS capabilities Shopify gates behind Plus
• Python/Django stack — a fit for teams already in that ecosystem
• Permissive BSD-3-Clause license, self-host or managed cloud
• Designed for multichannel: web, mobile, POS from one backend

5. Vendure — best plugin architecture for TypeScript teams

Vendure is a headless commerce framework on NestJS whose plugin-first design means the features you'd rent as Shopify apps become packages you own: catalog, orders, promotions, and multi-channel APIs are all extensible through a consistent plugin system.

It's GPL-3.0 licensed with strong conventions — a good middle ground when Medusa feels too unopinionated and Saleor too heavy.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• Plugin architecture replaces the app-store dependency entirely
• TypeScript/NestJS stack with GraphQL APIs
• Multi-channel selling without per-channel platform fees
• Enterprise-ready features (promotions, roles) in the open core
• Self-host or use Vendure Cloud

6. Shopware — best for European merchants

Shopware is a mature commerce platform with particularly strong footing in the European market: 3,100+ extensions, B2C and B2B feature sets, a built-in CMS ("Shopping Experiences"), and a rule builder for pricing and promotions.

It's MIT-licensed on a Symfony/Vue stack, self-hosted or cloud, and is often the natural landing spot for EU stores that would otherwise choose Shopify or Magento.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• Mature extension ecosystem (3,100+) with EU-market depth
• Built-in CMS and rule builder instead of paid apps
• API-first architecture that also ships a complete storefront
• MIT-licensed, self-host or Shopware Cloud
• Strong B2B capabilities in the open platform

7. Solidus — best for Ruby on Rails teams

Solidus is a community-governed fork of Spree, maintained for stability and deep customization. Its modular gems (core, backend, API) let Rails teams assemble exactly the store they need, with integrations for Stripe, PayPal, and Braintree.

Pick it when your team already lives in Rails and wants full control with zero licensing fees; skip it if you'd be adopting Ruby just for the store.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• Full control over every part of the store, BSD-3-Clause licensed
• Modular Rails gems instead of a monolithic platform
• Proven payment integrations out of the box
• Community-governed — no vendor roadmap surprises
• No revenue share, ever

8. Alokai — best storefront layer over an existing backend

Alokai (formerly Vue Storefront) attacks a different problem: it replaces Shopify's storefront rather than its backend. Its Unified Data Layer and middleware connect Nuxt/Next frontends to any commerce API — Magento, Shopware, commercetools, or even Shopify itself.

That makes it the pick when your frontend is the bottleneck but you're not ready to migrate the platform underneath.

Why pick it over Shopify (or alongside it):

• Fully custom frontend performance without a backend migration
• MIT-licensed frontend framework with ready Storefront UI components
• Backend-agnostic — swap the commerce engine later without a rebuild
• Nuxt and Next.js support

9. Your Next Store — best minimal Stripe storefront

Your Next Store is not a platform but a polished Next.js storefront that runs directly on Stripe — products, checkout, and payments with no database to manage. MIT-licensed, with a typed Commerce Kit SDK and even an AGENTS.md for AI-assisted customization.

It's the fastest path to selling online when your catalog is simple and you don't need an admin suite — and the wrong pick the moment you need inventory, complex shipping, or B2B.

Why pick it over Shopify:

• Deploy to Vercel or self-host in minutes, no monthly platform fee
• Stripe-native: your payment data stays in your Stripe account
• Modern Next.js/Shadcn UI codebase you can restyle freely
• No database — minimal operational surface

What to check before migrating: payment gateway support in your region, whether you need a hosted admin panel or a headless API, and how much custom development the switch will require.

FAQ

Is there a free, open-source alternative to Shopify?

Yes. Medusa, Bagisto, Saleor, and WooCommerce are all open-source and free to self-host — you only pay for hosting and any paid extensions you add.

What's the best open-source alternative to Shopify?

Medusa for developer teams building a custom storefront; WooCommerce if you want a ready-made store without writing code. Bagisto leads for B2B and multi-store needs.

Should I choose a headless or a traditional open-source commerce platform?

Choose headless (Medusa, Saleor, Vendure) if you want a custom frontend and full control over the shopping experience. Choose a traditional platform (Bagisto, WooCommerce, Shopware) for less frontend work.

What are the top open-source alternatives to Shopify?

Browse all open-source alternatives to Shopify above, or explore the full Headless Commerce and E-commerce categories for more options.