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Last verified 2026-07-15/Independently scored/No paid placementHow we score →
Headless commerce

Medusa

8.0/10
Our verdict

The open-source Shopify alternative for developers. Enormous flexibility if you'll build and host it; not for non-technical owners.

At a glance

CategoryHeadless commerce
HostingSelf-hosted
Free tierYes (open source, free)
Pricing fromInfra only; Medusa Cloud paid
APIREST, GraphQL
FrameworksNext.js starter, any
Open sourceYes (MIT)
Self-hostYes
Best forCustom ecommerce, developers wanting full control

The honest split

+ What's good
Open source, fully customizable
Developer-first commerce
No platform lock-in
− Who it's not for
Requires developers to build/host
Not for non-technical owners
Younger than Shopify

The full review

Medusa: our verdict

The open-source Shopify alternative for developers. Enormous flexibility if you'll build and host it; not for non-technical owners.

Our score: 8/10

At a glance

  • Category: headless commerce platform
  • Hosting: Self-hosted
  • Free tier: Yes (open source, free)
  • Paid from: Infra only; Medusa Cloud paid
  • API: REST, GraphQL
  • Self-host: Yes
  • Best for: Custom ecommerce, developers wanting full control

What's good

  • Open source, fully customizable
  • Developer-first commerce
  • No platform lock-in

What's not

  • Requires developers to build/host
  • Not for non-technical owners
  • Younger than Shopify

Who it's for

Medusa is best for: Custom ecommerce, developers wanting full control.

Data last verified 2026-07-15. Prices and plans change, so always confirm on the vendor's site.

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