Medusa vs Shopify vs Saleor: Headless Commerce Compared

Medusa vs Shopify vs Saleor: which headless commerce platform? Medusa is an open-source, Node.js-based commerce engine — best for businesses that want full control, custom logic, and no platform fees. Shopify (with Hydrogen/Oxygen) is best for businesses that want a proven, hosted platform with a massive app ecosystem and don't mind platform fees. Saleor is an open-source, Python/Django-based alternative — best for teams with Python expertise. Choose Medusa for maximum customization, Shopify for fastest time-to-market, and Saleor for Python-based teams needing open-source flexibility.

Choosing a headless commerce platform is one of the highest-stakes technology decisions an e-commerce business makes. Get it right and you have a fast, flexible system that grows with you for years. Get it wrong and you're facing an expensive migration 18 months from now.

We've built production stores on all three of these platforms. This comparison comes from that experience — not from reading feature matrices on marketing pages.

Platform-by-platform breakdown

Medusa

Architecture: Node.js/TypeScript backend, modular plugin system, REST and GraphQL APIs, PostgreSQL database, Redis for caching and events.

What it is: An open-source headless commerce engine built in Node.js. Think of it as the building blocks for a custom commerce backend — products, carts, orders, payments, fulfillment — exposed through APIs that your frontend consumes.

Key strengths:

• Full source code access. Not just "open source" in name — you can modify any part of the core logic. No black boxes.
• Node.js/TypeScript stack. If your frontend is Next.js and your backend team writes TypeScript, Medusa fits seamlessly. One language across the entire stack.
• No platform fees. Zero monthly fees. Zero transaction fees. You pay only for hosting (typically ₹2K–₹5K/month for moderate traffic).
• Multi-region built-in. Multiple currencies, tax configurations, and shipping providers are first-class features, not afterthoughts.
• Extensible by design. Custom business logic lives in modules and plugins — no forking the core, no fragile workarounds.

Key weaknesses:

• Smaller ecosystem. Fewer pre-built integrations than Shopify. You'll build more from scratch.
• Self-hosted. You manage the infrastructure (or use a managed hosting provider). No one-click deployment.
• Younger project. Medusa v2 is stable and production-ready, but the community and documentation are smaller than Shopify's decade-old ecosystem.

Shopify (Hydrogen + Oxygen)

Architecture: Shopify's hosted backend, Hydrogen (React-based storefront framework), Oxygen (Shopify's edge hosting), Storefront API (GraphQL).

What it is: Shopify's answer to headless commerce. Keep Shopify's powerful backend for inventory, orders, and payments, but build a custom React frontend using their Hydrogen framework. Oxygen hosts it on Shopify's edge network.

Key strengths:

• Proven at scale. Millions of merchants. Battle-tested for Black Friday traffic, international commerce, and every edge case imaginable.
• Massive app ecosystem. 8,000+ apps for reviews, loyalty, email, subscriptions, analytics — most work with headless setups via APIs.
• Managed everything. Hosting, security, PCI compliance, payment processing — Shopify handles the operational burden.
• Best-in-class admin panel. Non-technical teams can manage products, orders, inventory, and customers from a polished interface.
• Shopify Payments. Built-in payment processing with competitive rates. No separate gateway integration needed.

Key weaknesses:

• Platform fees. Shopify Plus starts at ~$2,300/month. Transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments. These costs scale with revenue.
• Vendor lock-in. Your commerce logic lives on Shopify's servers. Migrating away means rebuilding significant portions of your backend.
• API rate limits. Storefront API has rate limits that can constrain high-traffic custom storefronts during peak events.
• Customization ceiling. Deep backend customization (custom checkout logic, non-standard fulfillment workflows, complex B2B pricing) hits Shopify's limits.
• Hydrogen learning curve. Hydrogen uses Remix under the hood, which is a specific framework with its own patterns — not the standard Next.js/React approach most teams already know.

Saleor

Architecture: Python/Django backend, GraphQL API (primary), PostgreSQL database, Celery for async tasks, Redis for caching.

What it is: An open-source headless commerce platform built in Python/Django. Similar philosophy to Medusa — full control, self-hosted, no platform fees — but built on the Python ecosystem.

Key strengths:

• GraphQL-first API. The most complete GraphQL commerce API of the three. If your frontend team prefers GraphQL, Saleor's API is well-designed.
• Dashboard included. A polished React-based admin dashboard for managing products, orders, and customers — similar quality to Shopify's admin.
• Python ecosystem. Access to Python's rich ecosystem for data processing, ML integration, and backend tooling.
• Multi-channel support. Built-in support for multiple storefronts, marketplaces, and sales channels from a single backend.
• Open source. Full source code access, no platform fees, no vendor lock-in.

Key weaknesses:

• Python/Django stack. If your frontend team is JavaScript/TypeScript, maintaining a Python backend means two language ecosystems — two sets of tooling, two deployment pipelines, two mental models.
• Smaller community. Fewer contributors and third-party integrations than Medusa or Shopify.
• Heavier infrastructure. Django + Celery + Redis + PostgreSQL is a more complex deployment than Medusa's Node.js + PostgreSQL setup.
• Slower development velocity. Major feature releases are less frequent than Medusa's rapid development pace.

Head-to-head comparison

Factor	Medusa	Shopify (Hydrogen)	Saleor
Tech stack	Node.js, TypeScript	Shopify backend, React (Hydrogen)	Python, Django
API style	REST + GraphQL	GraphQL (Storefront API)	GraphQL
Hosting	Self-hosted	Managed (Oxygen)	Self-hosted
Platform fees	None	$2,300+/month (Plus)	None
Transaction fees	None (gateway only)	0.15%–2% unless Shopify Payments	None (gateway only)
Customization	Unlimited — full source access	Limited by Shopify's backend	Unlimited — full source access
B2B support	Strong — custom pricing, quotes, roles	Limited — Plus required, still constrained	Strong — multi-channel, custom pricing
Multi-currency	Built-in, flexible	Built-in, Shopify Markets	Built-in, channel-based
Admin dashboard	Included (polished)	Included (best-in-class)	Included (polished)
App/plugin ecosystem	Growing, smaller	Massive (8,000+ apps)	Small
Developer experience	Excellent (if you know TypeScript)	Good (Hydrogen-specific patterns)	Good (if you know Python)
Documentation	Good, improving	Excellent, extensive	Good
Community size	Medium, fast-growing	Massive	Small
Best for	Custom commerce, TypeScript teams	DTC brands, speed to market	Python teams, GraphQL-first projects

Pricing at different scales

This is where the decision gets real. Let's compare total cost of ownership at different revenue levels.

Store doing ₹10L/month revenue

Cost	Medusa	Shopify Plus	Saleor
Platform fees	₹0	~₹1.9L/month	₹0
Hosting	₹3K–₹5K/month	Included	₹5K–₹8K/month
Payment gateway	~₹20K/month (2%)	~₹20K (Shopify Payments)	~₹20K/month (2%)
Development (initial)	₹12L–₹20L	₹3L–₹8L	₹12L–₹20L
Annual (after Year 1)	₹2.8L–₹3L	₹25L+	₹3L–₹3.4L

At ₹10L/month revenue, Shopify Plus fees alone eat ₹23L/year. The open-source options cost a fraction of that in ongoing expenses — the savings fund the initial development investment.

Store doing ₹50L/month revenue

At this scale, Shopify Plus fees exceed ₹25L/year (and potentially more with revenue-based pricing tiers). Medusa or Saleor hosting costs barely increase — maybe ₹8K–₹15K/month for higher-traffic infrastructure. The economics overwhelmingly favor open-source for high-revenue stores.

When to choose each

Choose Medusa when

• Your team writes TypeScript. Same language as your Next.js frontend — one stack, one team, faster development.
• You need deep customization. Complex B2B pricing, custom checkout logic, non-standard fulfillment workflows, multi-vendor marketplaces.
• You want to own everything. Code, data, infrastructure, deployment — no vendor dependencies.
• You're building for the long term. No platform fees means costs stay flat as revenue grows.
• You need custom integrations. ERP connections, custom warehouse management, proprietary business logic.

This is the option we recommend and build with most often. Not because we're biased toward it — but because our clients typically come to us precisely because they need the customization that off-the-shelf platforms can't provide. For more on why, read our guide on why we build headless commerce.

Choose Shopify (Hydrogen) when

• Speed to market is critical. You need a store live in days or weeks, not months.
• You already run on Shopify. Your team knows the admin, your apps are configured, your operations are built around Shopify. Going headless with Hydrogen lets you upgrade the frontend without rebuilding the backend.
• You're a DTC brand with standard commerce needs. Standard products, standard checkout, standard shipping — Shopify handles this better than anyone.
• You don't want to manage infrastructure. Hosting, security, scaling, PCI compliance — Shopify handles it all.
• Your operations team relies on Shopify's ecosystem. Specific apps for reviews, loyalty, email, subscriptions — your team depends on these daily.

For a deeper comparison of Shopify versus fully custom development, see our guide on Shopify vs custom development.

Choose Saleor when

• Your backend team is Python/Django. If your existing infrastructure and expertise is in Python, Saleor fits naturally.
• You want a GraphQL-first API. Saleor's GraphQL API is the most comprehensive of the three.
• You need multi-channel from day one. Saleor's channel system is well-designed for businesses selling across multiple storefronts, marketplaces, and regions.
• You have Python-based data pipelines or ML models that need to integrate directly with the commerce layer.

Development experience compared

Building a product page

With Medusa, you fetch product data via REST or GraphQL from your Node.js backend, render it in your Next.js frontend, and deploy both with familiar JavaScript tooling. If you need custom logic — say, dynamic pricing based on the customer's organization — you write a TypeScript module in the same codebase.

With Shopify Hydrogen, you use their Storefront API (GraphQL) with Hydrogen's React components and Remix-based routing. It works, but Hydrogen has its own patterns — loader functions, Shopify-specific hooks, Oxygen deployment. Your Next.js experience doesn't directly transfer.

With Saleor, you query the GraphQL API from your frontend (which can be Next.js, since Saleor is frontend-agnostic). Backend customization requires Python/Django knowledge. If your frontend is JavaScript and your backend is Python, you're context-switching between ecosystems.

Migration considerations

Moving between these platforms is non-trivial. The key data to migrate:

• Products and variants — generally exportable/importable via CSV or API
• Customer accounts — passwords can't be migrated (customers must reset)
• Order history — can be migrated but requires careful mapping
• URL structure — critical for SEO; redirects must be set up meticulously
• Integrations — payment gateways, shipping providers, email tools all need reconfiguration

If you're considering migrating from a legacy platform, our guide on B2B e-commerce platforms covers the broader landscape, and our e-commerce development services page explains how we approach these projects.

Our experience and honest recommendation

We build with Medusa for most custom commerce projects. Here's why, bluntly:

1. Same stack as everything else we build. Next.js frontend, TypeScript backend, PostgreSQL database. One stack, one team, one deployment pipeline. No context-switching.
2. Our clients need custom logic. They come to us because Shopify can't do what they need. Medusa's extensibility is the whole point.
3. No fees conversation. We never have to tell a client they'll pay ₹20L+/year in platform fees on top of development costs.
4. Long-term relationship. When clients own their infrastructure, we build a maintenance relationship that's about improving their business — not fighting their platform.

But we're not dogmatic. If a client has an existing Shopify operation with trained staff and dozens of configured apps, and they just want a faster storefront — Hydrogen is the right call. We've built those too.

And if a client's team is Python-native with existing Django infrastructure, Saleor deserves serious consideration over Medusa. We've recommended it in that exact scenario.

The worst choice is the one made based on hype instead of your actual team, your actual requirements, and your actual budget.

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Evaluating headless commerce platforms for your business? Get started — we'll assess your requirements, your team's technical capabilities, and your budget, and recommend the platform that genuinely fits. We've built on all three, and we'll tell you honestly which one makes sense for you.