ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your priorities are self-hosting, full source-code access, and deep customization, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, Vendure, and WooCommerce. The biggest decision is whether you want a traditional store you can customize, or a headless commerce engine where you build the storefront yourself. OpenReplay Blog Toolradar

My shortlist

If I were building a new custom store

I'd look at Medusa first.

It gives you a commerce backend rather than forcing your storefront into a particular theme/CMS. You can build the customer-facing site with Next.js/React, while Medusa handles products, carts, orders, payments, fulfillment, regions, etc. Its Node/TypeScript architecture is particularly attractive if you want to write your own business logic. OpenReplay Blog OpenSourceProjects.cc

A typical architecture would be:

                 ┌─────────────────────┐
                 │   Next.js Storefront│
                 │   Your design/UI    │
                 └──────────┬──────────┘
                            │
                         API/SDK
                            │
                 ┌──────────▼──────────┐
                 │       Medusa        │
                 │                     │
                 │ Products            │
                 │ Cart                 │
                 │ Orders               │
                 │ Customers            │
                 │ Pricing              │
                 │ Promotions           │
                 │ Payments             │
                 │ Fulfillment          │
                 └──────────┬──────────┘
                            │
                    ┌───────▼───────┐
                    │  PostgreSQL   │
                    └───────────────┘

That gives you much more architectural freedom than something like Shopify.

When I'd choose the others

Saleor — I'd investigate this if you have a Python team or need sophisticated multi-channel, multi-region, B2B, or GraphQL-driven commerce. Its documentation specifically covers multi-region commerce, marketplaces, custom shipping, digital products, and dashboard extensions. Saleor Documentation

Vendure — particularly interesting if you're already a TypeScript developer and want a strongly structured plugin architecture with GraphQL. Kryeo

WooCommerce — choose this if you want to get a conventional store running quickly and benefit from the enormous WordPress ecosystem. It's explicitly open-source and customizable, with a large extension ecosystem. WooCommerce The tradeoff is that you're building on WordPress/PHP rather than a clean, modern headless commerce architecture.

The important distinction

I'd divide your options like this:

"I want a store I can install and customize."

→ WooCommerce / PrestaShop

"I want to build my own ecommerce product and control essentially everything."

→ Medusa / Vendure / Saleor

If by "customize fully" you mean things like custom checkout logic, unusual product configurations, subscriptions, custom pricing rules, multiple storefronts, custom customer accounts, integrations with your own backend, mobile apps, etc., I'd lean toward the headless group rather than WooCommerce.

If you tell me what you're selling, your expected scale, and what tech stack you prefer (Node/TypeScript, Python, PHP, etc.), I can narrow this down to 1–2 options and give you a recommended architecture and hosting setup.

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, Vendure, and WooCommerce. The big choice is whether you want a traditional store or a developer-built/headless system. Open Source Groups Toolradar

My recommendation: Medusa

If you're comfortable developing the store yourself, Medusa is the one I'd investigate first.

It's a headless commerce engine, so you aren't locked into its storefront design. You can build the frontend however you want—Next.js, React, mobile apps, etc.—while Medusa handles products, carts, orders, pricing, customers, payments, fulfillment, and commerce logic. Current comparisons describe its core as MIT-licensed and TypeScript/Node-based, with self-hosting available. ShipGarden Pawel Owerczuk

That makes this kind of architecture possible:

                    ┌── Next.js website
                    │
                    ├── iOS / Android app
                    │
Customer ───────────┼── Custom storefront
                    │
                    └── Admin tools
                           │
                           ▼
                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │   Medusa    │
                    │             │
                    │ Products    │
                    │ Cart        │
                    │ Checkout    │
                    │ Orders      │
                    │ Customers   │
                    │ Pricing     │
                    │ Inventory   │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
                       PostgreSQL

So if by "customize fully" you mean I want to be able to change essentially every part of the customer experience and business logic, headless is particularly attractive.

When I'd choose something else

WooCommerce — Choose this if you want to get a conventional store running quickly and don't want to build the entire frontend yourself. Its enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem is its major advantage. Toolradar

Saleor — Worth serious consideration if your team is comfortable with Python/Django and GraphQL, particularly if you're building a more sophisticated multi-channel or B2B system. Its core uses the BSD-3-Clause license. ShipGarden Pawel Owerczuk

Vendure — Interesting if you're a TypeScript/Node shop but specifically want a GraphQL-based, plugin-oriented architecture. One important distinction is its GPLv3 licensing, so I'd review the license implications before committing if you intend to modify/distribute the core. ShipGarden Pawel Owerczuk

What I'd pick based on your situation

• "I can code and want maximum freedom" → Medusa
• "I want a normal store I can launch quickly" → WooCommerce
• "I'm building sophisticated commerce with Python/GraphQL" → Saleor
• "I'm a TypeScript/GraphQL developer and like plugin architecture" → Vendure

One important caveat: self-hosted doesn't mean zero cost. You'll still be responsible for hosting, backups, security updates, monitoring, email, payment-provider fees, and maintenance. OpenSourceProjects.cc

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and whether you're comfortable with coding, I can narrow this down to a specific stack (e.g. Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + Stripe) and explain exactly how I'd deploy it.

That makes this kind of architecture possible:

                    ┌── Next.js website
                    │
                    ├── iOS / Android app
                    │
Customer ───────────┼── Custom storefront
                    │
                    └── Admin tools
                           │
                           ▼
                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │   Medusa    │
                    │             │
                    │ Products    │
                    │ Cart        │
                    │ Checkout    │
                    │ Orders      │
                    │ Customers   │
                    │ Pricing     │
                    │ Inventory   │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
                       PostgreSQL

So if by "customize fully" you mean I want to be able to change essentially every part of the customer experience and business logic, headless is particularly attractive.

When I'd choose something else

WooCommerce — Choose this if you want to get a conventional store running quickly and don't want to build the entire frontend yourself. Its enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem is its major advantage.

Saleor — Worth serious consideration if your team is comfortable with Python/Django and GraphQL, particularly if you're building a more sophisticated multi-channel or B2B system. Its core uses the BSD-3-Clause license.

If your priorities are self-hosting, full source-code access, and the ability to customize essentially everything, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, and WooCommerce. The right choice depends mostly on whether you want a traditional store or a developer-built/headless architecture. Open Source Groups Toolradar

My shortlist

1. Medusa — my pick for a custom build

If by "customize fully" you mean "I want to build my own storefront and potentially change the underlying commerce behavior", I'd seriously consider Medusa.

It's a headless commerce engine built around a modern Node.js/TypeScript stack. You can build your frontend separately—e.g. Next.js—and use Medusa for products, carts, orders, payments, customers, etc. Current comparisons specifically identify it as a strong choice for developer-built custom stores. OSSAlt OpenReplay Blog

Choose Medusa if:

• You are comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript.
• You want a completely custom UI.
• You don't want WordPress.
• You expect to modify business logic substantially.
• You may eventually have web + mobile + other sales channels.

2. Saleor — excellent for a sophisticated system

Saleor takes the headless approach even further. It's GraphQL-first and provides a commerce API plus an admin dashboard, with extensibility through apps and webhooks. Its official documentation explicitly supports running the platform yourself with Docker. Saleor Commerce Saleor Commerce

I'd look at Saleor particularly if you're building something like:

• Multiple countries/currencies
• Multiple sales channels
• Complex product models
• B2B + B2C
• Custom frontend
• Mobile applications
• A larger engineering team

The tradeoff is that you're building a commerce system, rather than installing a ready-made website.

3. WooCommerce — easiest route to a complete store

If you want to install something, customize the theme, add plugins, and start selling, WooCommerce is considerably easier.

It's open source and self-hostable on WordPress, with an enormous ecosystem of extensions and themes. WooCommerce itself describes the platform as giving you control over checkout, data, hosting, payments and features. WooCommerce WooCommerce

The downside is architectural: you're fundamentally working inside the WordPress/PHP ecosystem. That's fantastic for a conventional ecommerce site, but I'd choose Medusa/Saleor instead if you're envisioning a highly bespoke application.

What I'd choose

For a developer building a store from scratch:
Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL

Something like:

                    ┌───────────────┐
                    │   Next.js     │
                    │   storefront  │
                    └───────┬───────┘
                            │
                         API
                            │
                    ┌───────▼───────┐
                    │    Medusa     │
                    │ commerce core │
                    └───────┬───────┘
                            │
                    ┌───────▼───────┐
                    │  PostgreSQL   │
                    └───────────────┘

       Payments ─────── Stripe/etc.
       Email ────────── your provider
       Search ───────── optional
       Storage ──────── S3-compatible storage

That gives you a real self-hosted commerce backend while keeping the customer-facing website entirely yours.

For a less technical owner: WooCommerce.

For a large, sophisticated custom commerce application: Saleor.

One important distinction: "open source" doesn't mean zero operating cost. You'll still have hosting, backups, security updates, payment processing, email, monitoring, and potentially paid extensions. ossium iTechGuides

If you tell me what you're selling, approximate number of products, whether you need subscriptions/B2B/multiple currencies, and your preferred tech stack (or whether you don't care), I can narrow this down to one architecture and give you a concrete self-hosted stack.

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + full control over the code + deep customization, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Medusa

Medusa would be my first choice if you're comfortable developing the store yourself.

It's built specifically as a customizable commerce engine rather than a rigid "store builder." Its core commerce modules are open source under the MIT license, and you can self-host them. GitHub GitHub

You can build something like:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Stripe/payment provider

and customize essentially every layer:

• Product/catalog model
• Pricing and promotions
• Cart and checkout
• Customer accounts
• Orders
• Inventory
• Shipping
• Payments
• Admin functionality
• Custom APIs
• Marketplace functionality
• B2B functionality
• Integrations with your own systems

The big advantage is that you're not fighting against WordPress or a prebuilt theme architecture. Medusa gives you commerce primitives and lets you build the experience you actually want.

medusajs.com · github.com

When I'd choose something else

Saleor is probably my #2. It's particularly attractive if you want a headless, API-first architecture and like GraphQL. Saleor provides the commerce API, dashboard, and an open-source Next.js/React storefront, and can be run locally/self-hosted. Saleor GitHub

saleor.io · github.com

Bagisto is a great choice if you're a Laravel/PHP developer. It's MIT-licensed, self-hostable, has a conventional admin/store setup, and supports headless storefronts with Vue/React/Next.js. GitHub GitHub

bagisto.com · github.com

Sylius is the one I'd investigate for a highly specialized business where the commerce rules themselves are unusual. It's a Symfony-based framework rather than merely a finished store, and is MIT licensed. GitHub

sylius.com · github.com

WooCommerce is still the pragmatic option if you want to get a normal store running quickly and take advantage of the enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem. But if by "customize fully" you mean I want to fundamentally control the architecture, I'd prefer Medusa/Saleor/Sylius.

What I'd pick

If I were starting a new project today:

• Custom React/Next.js store: Medusa
• GraphQL/API-first architecture: Saleor
• Laravel developer: Bagisto
• Complex/unique business rules: Sylius
• Normal store, minimal development: WooCommerce

For your wording specifically — "host myself and customize fully" — I'd start with Medusa.

If you tell me what you're selling, expected number of products/orders, and your preferred tech stack (or whether you're non-technical), I can narrow this down to one and give you a recommended architecture/hosting setup.

Bagisto is a great choice if you're a Laravel/PHP developer. It's MIT-licensed, self-hostable, has a conventional admin/store setup, and supports headless storefronts with Vue/React/Next.js. GitHub GitHub

bagisto.com · github.com

Sylius is the one I'd investigate for a highly specialized business where the commerce rules themselves are unusual. It's a Symfony-based framework rather than merely a finished store, and is MIT licensed.

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, WooCommerce, and Bagisto. The right choice depends heavily on whether you want a traditional store or a custom/headless architecture. Open Source Groups OpenSourceProjects.cc

My recommendation: Medusa

I’d pick Medusa for a new, highly customized store.

Why:

• Open source and self-hostable
• Modern Node.js/TypeScript architecture
• Headless/API-first, so you can build the storefront however you want
• Excellent fit with Next.js/React
• Modular architecture makes it easier to replace/customize commerce functionality
• You aren't locked into a particular frontend
• Much cleaner foundation for a custom product/catalog/checkout experience than trying to bend a traditional platform into something it wasn't designed to be

Current comparisons also consistently put Medusa among the strongest choices for developer-built, headless stores. OSSAlt OpenSourceProjects.cc

The catch

Medusa isn't really "install it and start selling in an afternoon" software. It's primarily a commerce engine, meaning you'll likely build or customize the frontend and some integrations yourself.

If you're comfortable with TypeScript/Node/React, that's actually a major advantage.

How I'd rank the options

Saleor

Saleor would be my #2.

It's particularly compelling if you like Python + GraphQL and expect things like multiple storefronts, markets, currencies, channels, complex catalog structures, etc. Saleor's current architecture is explicitly headless/composable, and its open-source version can be self-hosted. Saleor Commerce Saleor Commerce

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa if your project is more enterprise/complex and your team prefers Python/GraphQL.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the opposite approach.

If you want:

"Give me a complete store with an admin panel, themes, plugins, payments, shipping, SEO, blogging, etc., and let me customize it."

then WooCommerce is incredibly hard to beat. Its enormous WordPress ecosystem is its biggest advantage. WP Bundle Toolradar

But if you're saying:

"I want to build my own ecommerce experience and control the architecture."

I'd choose Medusa instead.

Bagisto

Bagisto is worth serious consideration if you're a Laravel/PHP developer. It's MIT-licensed, built on Laravel, and provides a conventional ecommerce application with catalog, inventory, orders, customers, marketing, etc. Bagisto Documentation

It's probably the option I'd investigate first if your existing stack is Laravel.

What I'd personally build

For a greenfield project where you want maximum control, I'd go:

Next.js
→ storefront

Medusa
→ ecommerce/business logic

PostgreSQL
→ database

Redis
→ caching/background jobs where needed

S3-compatible storage
→ product images/files

Stripe
→ payments

Meilisearch/Typesense
→ product search

Docker
→ deployment

That gives you a very different architecture from Shopify/WooCommerce: the ecommerce engine is essentially a service that you own, while your storefront is completely yours.

And you can replace virtually any individual component later.

One important distinction

There's a huge difference between "open source" and "fully customizable."

For example, if you want to change:

• checkout logic
• pricing calculations
• product data model
• customer accounts
• promotions
• shipping rules
• tax logic
• inventory behavior
• order workflow
• subscription logic
• storefront UI
• admin UI
• integrations
• database structure

then I'd strongly favor Medusa/Saleor/Sylius/Vendure over something like WooCommerce.

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and what programming stack you're comfortable with (or whether you're nontechnical), I can narrow this down to one platform and recommend the exact architecture I'd use.

How I'd rank the options

Saleor

Saleor would be my #2.

It's particularly compelling if you like Python + GraphQL and expect things like multiple storefronts, markets, currencies, channels, complex catalog structures, etc. Saleor's current architecture is explicitly headless/composable, and its open-source version can be self-hosted. saleor.io saleor.io

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa if your project is more enterprise/complex and your team prefers Python/GraphQL.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the opposite approach.

If you want:

"Give me a complete store with an admin panel, themes, plugins, payments, shipping, SEO, blogging, etc., and let me customize it."

then WooCommerce is incredibly hard to beat. Its enormous WordPress ecosystem is its biggest advantage.

But if you're saying:

"I want to build my own ecommerce experience and control the architecture."

I'd choose Medusa instead.

Bagisto

Bagisto is worth serious consideration if you're a Laravel/PHP developer. It's MIT-licensed, built on Laravel, and provides a conventional ecommerce application with catalog, inventory, orders, customers, marketing, etc.

It's probably the option I'd investigate first if your existing stack is Laravel.

What I'd personally build

For a greenfield project where you want maximum control, I'd go:

Next.js
→ storefront

Medusa
→ ecommerce/business logic

PostgreSQL
→ database

Redis
→ caching/background jobs where needed

S3-compatible storage
→ product images/files

Stripe
→ payments

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d shortlist these:

Current comparisons similarly put Medusa, Saleor, and Vendure at the top for developer-led/headless stores, while WooCommerce remains the practical choice when you want an all-in-one store and enormous extension ecosystem. OSSAlt Toolradar

My recommendation: Medusa

If by "customize fully" you mean "I want to be able to change the architecture, checkout, product model, pricing logic, APIs, frontend, and basically anything else", I'd choose Medusa.

It's a headless commerce engine, so you aren't locked into a particular storefront. You can build the frontend yourself with Next.js, React, Vue, etc., while Medusa handles products, carts, orders, customers, payments, promotions, inventory, and so on. Its core is MIT-licensed and uses TypeScript/Node.js. Pawel Owerczuk Vendure

A typical architecture could be:

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │   Next.js       │
                    │   Storefront    │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │     Medusa      │
                    │  Commerce API   │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
              ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
              ▼              ▼              ▼
        PostgreSQL       Payment        Your custom
                         provider        services

That gives you considerably more freedom than something like Shopify.

When I'd choose something else

Choose WooCommerce if you want to get a store running quickly and don't want to build the storefront yourself. Its huge WordPress/plugin ecosystem is its biggest advantage. WPBundle

Choose Saleor if you're comfortable with Python/GraphQL and are building something more enterprise-oriented, particularly with multiple channels, currencies, warehouses, or B2B requirements. Vendure

Choose Vendure if you're a TypeScript/NestJS team and want a more batteries-included commerce backend. One important distinction: Vendure's core is GPLv3/open-source, while some advanced enterprise functionality is commercial. Vendure

Choose Bagisto if your team is already heavily invested in Laravel/PHP. Open Source Projects

What I'd pick for different scenarios

• "I want maximum freedom and I'm a developer" → Medusa
• "I want a React/Next.js custom storefront" → Medusa
• "I want enterprise/B2B capabilities and use Python" → Saleor
• "I want TypeScript + GraphQL + lots of built-in commerce functionality" → Vendure
• "I want to launch a conventional store quickly" → WooCommerce
• "I'm a Laravel shop" → Bagisto
• "I want to build a truly bespoke ecommerce application rather than customize a traditional store" → Medusa/Saleor/Vendure

One important caveat: self-hosted doesn't mean zero maintenance. You become responsible for servers, backups, updates, security, monitoring, and parts of your payment/PCI setup. Resources Rework

If you tell me your tech stack (e.g. React/Next.js, Laravel, Django, PHP, etc.), approximate number of products, and whether you need subscriptions/B2B/multi-vendor, I can narrow this down to one platform and a recommended self-hosted architecture.

It's a headless commerce engine, so you aren't locked into a particular storefront. You can build the frontend yourself with Next.js, React, Vue, etc., while Medusa handles products, carts, orders, customers, payments, promotions, inventory, and so on. Its core is MIT-licensed and uses TypeScript/Node.js. Pawel Owerczuk Vendure

A typical architecture could be:

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │   Next.js       │
                    │   Storefront    │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
                             ▼
                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │     Medusa      │
                    │  Commerce API   │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
              ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
              ▼              ▼              ▼
        PostgreSQL       Payment        Your custom
                         provider        services

That gives you considerably more freedom than something like Shopify.

When I'd choose something else

Choose WooCommerce if you want to get a store running quickly and don't want to build the storefront yourself. Its huge WordPress/plugin ecosystem is its biggest advantage. wpbundle.com

Choose Saleor if you're comfortable with Python/GraphQL and are building something more enterprise-oriented, particularly with multiple channels, currencies, warehouses, or B2B requirements. Vendure

Choose Vendure if you're a TypeScript/NestJS team and want a more batteries-included commerce backend. One important distinction: Vendure's core is GPLv3/open-source, while some advanced enterprise functionality is commercial.

Choose Bagisto if your team is already heavily invested in Laravel/PHP.

What I'd pick for different scenarios

If your priority is self-hosting + full customization, I would avoid SaaS-like clones and choose based on how much you want to build yourself. The best choice depends heavily on your technical stack and whether you want a ready-made store or a commerce engine. WP Bundle Toolradar

My shortlist:

Open Source Groups Velocity## My recommendations

1. Best overall for a fully custom modern store: Medusa

I would pick Medusa if you are comfortable coding.

Why:

• Built API-first/headless
• TypeScript/Node.js stack
• You can create your own frontend with Next.js, React, Vue, mobile apps, etc.
• Clean architecture for custom checkout logic, pricing rules, fulfillment, integrations
• You own the backend and database

Trade-offs:

• You build more yourself
• Smaller plugin ecosystem than WooCommerce
• Requires developer skills

Good fit:

• Custom brand experience
• Marketplace-like features
• Subscription products
• Unique checkout flows
• Mobile apps

OSSAlt Eryx Innovations Lab

2. Best if you want maximum control and enterprise features: Saleor

Choose Saleor if you want a serious commerce backend.

Strengths:

• GraphQL-first
• Python/Django
• Strong multi-channel and inventory capabilities
• Good for international commerce

Trade-offs:

• More infrastructure complexity
• Requires stronger backend/DevOps skills

Good fit:

• Multiple warehouses
• B2B commerce
• Multiple regions/currencies
• Large teams

WP Bundle

3. Best practical choice: WooCommerce

If you want to launch quickly, WooCommerce is hard to beat.

Strengths:

• Massive ecosystem
• WordPress CMS included
• Thousands of extensions
• Easier hiring because many developers know it
• Easy self-hosting

Trade-offs:

• More plugin dependency
• Deep customization can become messy
• Scaling requires careful architecture

Good fit:

• Small to medium stores
• Content-heavy businesses
• Stores needing lots of existing integrations

WP Bundle ossium

What I would choose by scenario

• "I am a developer and want to build something unique" → Medusa
• "I want a Shopify replacement but fully under my control" → Medusa or WooCommerce
• "I need enterprise/B2B capabilities" → Saleor
• "I want to sell products next month without reinventing everything" → WooCommerce
• "I want a huge catalog with complicated rules" → Magento Open Source

For a new custom-built store today, my default recommendation would be:

Medusa backend + Next.js frontend + PostgreSQL + Stripe + a headless CMS (such as Strapi/Sanity)

That gives you a fully owned commerce stack without being locked into a theme/plugin system. OSSAlt

If you tell me your stack (PHP/WordPress, Node, Python, Laravel, etc.), expected product count, and whether you need subscriptions, marketplace features, or B2B pricing, I can narrow it down further.

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + deep customization, I’d focus on headless commerce platforms rather than Shopify-like systems.

My shortlist

🥇 I'd probably choose Medusa

Medusa is particularly attractive if you're comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript.

It's designed as a commerce engine rather than a rigid storefront, so you can build your frontend however you want—Next.js, React, mobile apps, etc. Its architecture is explicitly intended for customizing commerce logic rather than merely configuring an existing theme. GitHub WP Bundle

A typical stack could be:

                    Your infrastructure
                           │
             ┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
             │                           │
        Next.js frontend             Medusa
             │                           │
             │                    PostgreSQL
             │                           │
             └──────────────┬────────────┘
                            │
                  Stripe / PayPal / etc.

That gives you control over essentially everything:

• Storefront UI
• Product/catalog model
• Pricing
• Promotions
• Checkout
• Customer accounts
• Orders
• Shipping
• Payments
• Inventory
• Custom business logic
• APIs/integrations
• Database
• Hosting

When I'd pick the others

Vendure is probably my #2 choice if you're building something more complicated than a normal DTC store. It's TypeScript/Node/GraphQL, has a plugin architecture, and is specifically aimed at complex B2B, multi-channel and custom commerce applications. Vendure GitHub

Saleor is compelling if you like Python and GraphQL or expect a fairly large/enterprise-grade system. It's open source, headless and highly composable, and you can run the platform yourself rather than using Saleor Cloud. Saleor Commerce Saleor Commerce

Sylius is excellent if you're a PHP/Symfony developer. It's deliberately a framework for building highly customized commerce rather than an inflexible "install a theme and go" system. GitHub Sylius eCommerce Framework

WooCommerce is the one I'd choose if you want to get a conventional store running quickly and take advantage of an enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem. It's less architecturally clean for a completely custom application, though.

One important distinction

If by "customize fully" you mean "I want to be able to modify the source code and run the whole thing on my own server", I'd lean:

Medusa → Vendure → Saleor → Sylius

If instead you mean "I want something I can install tonight, choose a theme, add products, and start selling without building a frontend", I'd lean:

WooCommerce → PrestaShop → Magento Open Source

For a new project in 2026, I'd personally start with Medusa unless you have a specific reason to choose another stack. It gives you a modern TypeScript foundation without forcing your storefront or business logic into somebody else's SaaS model. GitHub

If you tell me what you're selling, expected traffic/order volume, and whether you prefer Node/Python/PHP, I can narrow this down to one platform and suggest a complete self-hosted architecture (Docker, database, payments, search, storage, CDN, backups, etc.).

If your priority is “I want to host it myself and customize absolutely everything”, I would not start with the biggest plugin ecosystem alone — I’d choose based on how much control you want over the architecture.

My shortlist:

WP Bundle Open Source Groups## My recommendation

1. Best overall for a fully custom store: Medusa

Medusa would be my pick for a new build.

Why:

• Built API-first from the start
• Node.js + TypeScript (great if you want React/Next.js)
• You control the frontend completely
• Modular backend (payments, shipping, inventory, pricing can be replaced)
• Feels more like building your own commerce system than modifying someone else's theme

Good stack:

• Backend: Medusa
• Frontend: Next.js
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Hosting: Docker on your own VPS/cloud
• CMS: Strapi, Directus, Sanity, or similar

The downside: you will build more yourself. The plugin ecosystem is nowhere near WooCommerce's. WP Bundle

2. If you want maximum control and enterprise features: Saleor

Saleor is excellent if you are comfortable with Python and GraphQL.

Strengths:

• GraphQL-first
• Multi-channel selling
• Multi-warehouse inventory
• Strong permissions model
• Good for complex businesses

Weakness:

• More infrastructure work
• Steeper learning curve

I would choose Saleor for a serious commerce platform with a development team, not a small side project. WP Bundle

3. If you want to sell quickly: WooCommerce

WooCommerce is still the practical choice for many businesses.

Pros:

• Massive ecosystem
• Thousands of extensions
• Easy hosting
• WordPress CMS included
• Lots of developers available

Cons:

• You customize by working within WordPress/PHP conventions
• Plugin conflicts can become a maintenance issue
• Less elegant if you want a completely custom application

It is ideal if your store is content-heavy (blog + products + SEO). WP Bundle

4. If you are building something like Amazon: Magento Open Source

Magento Open Source is powerful but heavy.

Choose it if you need:

• Thousands of SKUs
• Complex product rules
• B2B pricing
• Multiple stores
• Enterprise workflows

Avoid it if you are a small team. Hosting and development are significantly more involved. Velocity

What I would pick by scenario

• Solo developer building a unique brand/store: Medusa
• Startup building a custom ecommerce product: Medusa or Saleor
• Small business wanting to launch quickly: WooCommerce
• Large catalog / B2B: Magento Open Source or Saleor
• Want Shopify-like freedom but your own code: Medusa + Next.js

If I were starting a new store today and the goal was “I own the entire stack and can rewrite anything later”, I would choose:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + Docker + a headless CMS.

That gives you a store that behaves more like a custom software product than a themed ecommerce website. opensourceprojects.cc

If you tell me your expected scale (number of products, monthly orders, B2C vs B2B, and your preferred programming language), I can narrow it down further.

Yes. If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + complete control over the code + deep customization, I would not default to Shopify, BigCommerce, or other SaaS platforms.

My shortlist for 2026 would be:

🥇 My recommendation: Medusa

medusajs.com

If you're comfortable having a developer build/customize the site, I'd choose Medusa.

It's a modern, open-source commerce engine built around TypeScript/Node.js. Rather than forcing you into a particular storefront, it gives you the commerce backend and building blocks, allowing you to build the frontend essentially however you want. GitHub OpenReplay Blog

A typical setup could be:

                    Your Store
                       │
                Next.js / React
                       │
                       ▼
                  Medusa API
                       │
        ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
        ▼              ▼              ▼
     Products        Orders        Customers
        │              │              │
        └──────────────┼──────────────┘
                       ▼
                   PostgreSQL

That means you can completely control:

• The storefront design
• Checkout
• Product pages
• Customer accounts
• Pricing logic
• Discounts
• Shipping
• Taxes
• Order workflows
• Custom product types
• Integrations
• Admin functionality
• APIs
• Mobile apps
• AI/automation integrations

It's particularly attractive if you want to build something that doesn't look like a generic ecommerce template.

🥈 Saleor — if you're building something bigger

saleor.io

I'd seriously consider Saleor if you're building a sophisticated commerce operation.

It's open source, API-first and GraphQL-native, with a headless architecture and strong support for multi-channel commerce. You can also run the platform yourself rather than using Saleor Cloud. Saleor Commerce GitHub

The downside is complexity. Saleor explicitly targets teams that are comfortable working with engineers rather than people looking for an out-of-the-box store. Saleor Commerce

I'd pick Saleor over Medusa if: you're expecting multiple storefronts, countries, currencies, B2B functionality, complex catalog structures, or significant scale.

🥉 Bagisto — excellent if you like PHP/Laravel

bagisto.com

Bagisto is an interesting middle ground. It's MIT-licensed, built on Laravel, and designed to be extensively customized. It includes much more of the traditional ecommerce application out of the box than a headless engine. Bagisto Documentation GitHub

I'd choose it if your preferred stack is:

PHP + Laravel + Vue

rather than:

TypeScript + Node + React/Next.js

WooCommerce — the pragmatic choice

woocommerce.com

Don't overlook WooCommerce. It isn't as architecturally elegant as Medusa/Saleor, but its enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem makes it incredibly practical. Current comparisons still put it at the top for ecosystem breadth and ease of getting a conventional store running. WP Bundle Toolradar

I'd use it if you want:

"I want a store running quickly and I want thousands of existing integrations."

I wouldn't choose it if your primary goal is "I want to engineer my own commerce platform from the ground up."

What I'd choose for you

If you mean:

"I want to own the server, own the source code, customize basically everything, and I'm willing to do some development."

Then my ranking is:

1. Medusa → best overall
2. Saleor → best for sophisticated/large-scale commerce
3. Bagisto → best Laravel/PHP option
4. WooCommerce → best if convenience/ecosystem matters
5. PrestaShop → good traditional standalone store

The important distinction is headless vs. traditional.

With Medusa/Saleor, you're essentially building your own ecommerce application on top of a commerce engine. That's considerably more work, but gives you enormous freedom. OpenReplay Blog

With WooCommerce/Bagisto/PrestaShop, you get much more of the actual store out of the box.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical products, digital products, subscriptions, marketplace, etc.), your preferred programming language, and roughly how big you expect the store to get, I can narrow this down to one platform and recommend the exact hosting/stack I'd use.

If your priorities are self-hosting, full source-code access, and the ability to customize essentially everything, I’d shortlist Medusa, Saleor, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop. The right one depends heavily on whether you want to build the storefront or mostly configure one.

My recommendation

🥇 Medusa — best for a highly custom modern store

medusajs.com is my first choice if you're comfortable with development.

It is a headless, Node.js/TypeScript commerce platform, so the ecommerce engine is separated from the storefront. You can build the frontend however you want—Next.js, React, mobile apps, etc.—while Medusa handles products, carts, orders, customers, payments, inventory, promotions, and so on. GitHub OSSAlt

Why I'd pick it:

• Self-hostable
• Open source
• Modern TypeScript/Node stack
• Very customizable
• Headless architecture
• Good fit for Next.js/React
• You aren't forced into a particular visual theme
• Easier to make unusual/custom commerce workflows

Downside: You're building more yourself. It's not the choice I'd make if you want to install it tonight and have a polished store with 500 plugins available.

🥈 WooCommerce — best if you want the easiest ecosystem

woocommerce.com is the practical choice if you want maximum availability of plugins, themes, integrations, tutorials, and developers.

It's built on WordPress, so you get a gigantic ecosystem around it. It's also extremely customizable—you can modify PHP, templates, plugins, database structures, APIs, and the frontend.

I'd choose it if your store is relatively conventional and you want to spend more time running the business than engineering the ecommerce platform.

Best for:

• Small/medium stores
• Content-heavy sites
• SEO/blog + ecommerce
• Lots of third-party integrations
• Non-developer administration
• Getting something running quickly

The tradeoff is that WordPress + WooCommerce + plugins can become considerably more complicated to maintain as customization grows.

🥉 Saleor — best for serious/headless custom commerce

saleor.io is probably the one I'd investigate if you're building something large or architecturally sophisticated.

It's open source, headless, GraphQL-first, and designed to be highly composable. You can self-host the API, dashboard, and storefront, and its architecture is specifically designed for developers to extend rather than being a monolithic theme/plugin system. Saleor Commerce GitHub

I'd consider Saleor over Medusa if you need things like:

• Multiple sales channels
• Multiple currencies
• Complex catalogs
• B2B
• Multiple warehouses
• International commerce
• A heavily customized frontend
• A more enterprise-oriented architecture

The downside is complexity. Saleor itself says it's not really aimed at people who want an out-of-the-box, no-engineering-needed store. Saleor Commerce

PrestaShop — best traditional standalone store

prestashop.com is another very solid option.

It's a conventional, self-hosted ecommerce application rather than a headless framework. You get catalog, orders, inventory, shipping, payments, administration, themes, modules, etc. directly in the platform. The current PrestaShop 9 generation has moved to Symfony 6.4 and PHP 8.1+, with a newer Admin API and frontend foundation. PrestaShop PrestaShop

I'd choose it if you want:

"Give me a complete ecommerce application that I can put on my VPS and modify."

rather than:

"Give me a commerce engine and I'll build my own application around it."

Quick comparison

What I'd personally choose

If you told me:

"I want to own the server, own the code, customize the frontend completely, customize checkout/business logic, and avoid being locked into Shopify."

I'd go:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL

That gives you a modern architecture where you control essentially the entire application.

If you said:

"I want a complete store I can customize without having to build half the ecommerce system myself."

I'd go:

WooCommerce or PrestaShop.

And if you're building something more ambitious—B2B, marketplace, multiple countries/channels, complicated pricing/catalogs, etc.—I'd seriously consider Saleor.

One important distinction: "open source" doesn't mean zero operating cost. With self-hosting, you're responsible for hosting, backups, updates, security, email, payment integrations, monitoring, and PCI/payment architecture. opensourceprojects.cc

If you tell me what you're selling, approximate number of products, expected traffic, and whether you're comfortable with Node/PHP, I can narrow this down to one platform and give you a recommended self-hosted architecture.

Yes. If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + deep customization, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, WooCommerce, and Bagisto.

My recommendation

For a new, highly customized store, I’d pick Medusa.

Medusa is a modern, API-first commerce engine built around TypeScript/Node.js. Its core is open source, and it is specifically designed so you can build your own storefront and customize the commerce logic rather than fighting against a monolithic platform. GitHub

medusajs.com

1. 🥇 Medusa — my pick

If you're comfortable developing the site yourself, I'd seriously consider:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + your own hosting

You get a commerce backend handling things like products, carts, orders, customers, payments and fulfillment, while you control the entire frontend.

That's particularly attractive if you want something that looks nothing like a conventional ecommerce template.

The core is MIT-licensed/open source, although Medusa does use an open-core model, so some enterprise functionality isn't part of the free core. GitHub

Choose Medusa if:

• You want a completely custom UI/UX.
• You like TypeScript/React/Node.
• You want a headless architecture.
• You expect to add custom business logic.
• You might eventually have mobile apps or multiple storefronts.

2. 🥈 Saleor — if you want serious scale

Saleor is probably my second choice.

It's a GraphQL-first, headless commerce platform with an open-source core, dashboard, and storefront ecosystem. It is particularly strong if you're building something more sophisticated than a normal online shop. GitHub Saleor

saleor.io

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa if you anticipate things like:

• Multiple countries/currencies
• Multiple sales channels
• Complex product catalogs
• B2B
• Large-scale traffic
• A larger engineering team

The downside is that it's more infrastructure-heavy and has a steeper learning curve.

3. 🥉 WooCommerce — if you want to get selling quickly

WooCommerce is the practical choice.

You get WordPress + WooCommerce + an enormous plugin/theme ecosystem. It's much easier to get a conventional store running than with Medusa or Saleor. WP Bundle Toolradar

woocommerce.com

I'd choose it if your priority is:

"I want complete ownership, but I don't want to build the entire ecommerce infrastructure myself."

The tradeoff is that deeply customizing WooCommerce can eventually mean dealing with WordPress/plugin architecture, which isn't as clean as starting with a headless commerce engine.

4. Bagisto — underrated option

Bagisto is worth serious consideration if you prefer PHP/Laravel.

It's MIT licensed, built on Laravel, and provides a much more complete traditional ecommerce application than something like Medusa. Bagisto Documentation GitHub

bagisto.com

It's particularly attractive if you're already a Laravel developer.

What I'd personally build

If you told me:

"I want to own the server, own the source code, customize absolutely everything, and I'm willing to develop it."

I'd go with:

                    Your Store
                       │
                 Next.js / React
                       │
                  Medusa API
                       │
              ┌────────┴────────┐
              │                 │
          PostgreSQL          Redis
              │
        Your infrastructure

Then add your own:

• Payment provider
• Shipping provider
• Email
• Search
• Analytics
• CDN/object storage
• Tax service if necessary

That gives you a real ecommerce engine without making the ecommerce platform dictate what your website has to look like.

The important distinction

There are really two types of "fully customizable":

A. "I want to customize the store."
→ WooCommerce / Bagisto / PrestaShop

B. "I want to build my own ecommerce application using an ecommerce engine."
→ Medusa / Saleor

For what you described — "host myself and customize fully" — I suspect B is what you're actually looking for.

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/SKUs you expect, what programming stack you prefer (or whether you're nontechnical), and whether you need subscriptions/B2B/multiple vendors, I can narrow it down to one platform and suggest the exact stack/hosting setup.

It's MIT licensed, built on Laravel, and provides a much more complete traditional ecommerce application than something like Medusa. docs.bagisto.com GitHub

bagisto.com

It's particularly attractive if you're already a Laravel developer.

What I'd personally build

If you told me:

"I want to own the server, own the source code, customize absolutely everything, and I'm willing to develop it."

I'd go with:

If your priorities are self-hosting, open source, and being able to customize essentially everything, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, Saleor, and WooCommerce.

My recommendation: Medusa

medusajs.com is probably the best fit if you're comfortable with development.

It is a modern, headless commerce platform built around Node.js/TypeScript, with a modular architecture that lets you replace or extend commerce functionality rather than fighting a monolithic platform. Its core is MIT-licensed and self-hostable. GitHub

Why I'd pick it:

• Full control over the frontend — pair it with Next.js, React, etc.
• TypeScript/Node.js ecosystem
• Products, carts, orders, payments, shipping, customers, etc. handled by the commerce backend
• Highly customizable business logic
• Good foundation for unusual/custom stores
• Can be self-hosted
• No Shopify-style requirement to host your storefront with the vendor

The main downside is that you are building more of the storefront yourself. That's actually an advantage if "customize fully" is your priority, but it's more work than WooCommerce.

The other two I'd seriously consider

saleor.io is particularly interesting if you're building something more enterprise-oriented. It's Python/Django + GraphQL, headless, and designed around composable commerce. You can clone and run the open-source platform yourself, including its dashboard. Saleor Commerce Saleor Commerce

woocommerce.com is the opposite approach: WordPress + WooCommerce gives you an enormous existing ecosystem and a working storefront/admin experience. It's my recommendation if you want to get a conventional store running quickly rather than build a custom commerce application. Open Source Groups Toolradar

vendure.io is another excellent option if you're a TypeScript developer. It provides a headless ecommerce framework, APIs, dashboard, and plugin system, with a strong emphasis on customization. Vendure Developer Hub Vendure Developer Hub

What I'd choose in your situation

If you tell me "I want to own the server, database, source code, frontend, checkout experience, and business logic, and I don't mind programming", I'd choose:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL

Something like:

                    Your infrastructure
                           │
                    ┌──────▼──────┐
                    │   Next.js   │
                    │  Storefront │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
                         API
                           │
                    ┌──────▼──────┐
                    │    Medusa   │
                    │    Engine   │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
              ┌────────────┼────────────┐
              ▼            ▼            ▼
          PostgreSQL     Payments     Shipping

That gives you an architecture where the storefront is yours and the commerce engine is yours rather than trying to bend a SaaS platform into something it wasn't designed to do.

If, however, you want "install it on my VPS tonight, choose a theme, add products, and start selling", I'd go WooCommerce instead.

And if you're building something unusual—marketplace, subscriptions, B2B pricing, multiple storefronts, complex checkout, custom product configuration, etc.—I'd lean even more strongly toward Medusa or Saleor. GitHub Saleor Commerce

If you tell me what you're selling and what tech stack you're comfortable with (or whether you want no-code/low-code), I can recommend one specifically and lay out the exact self-hosted stack I'd use.

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + deep customization, I’d focus on Medusa, Saleor, and Vendure rather than Shopify-like platforms.

My recommendation: Medusa

medusajs.com is probably the best fit if you want to build a store that feels completely yours.

• MIT-licensed open-source core — very permissive for commercial projects. GitHub
• Built with TypeScript/Node.js, making it particularly nice if you're comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Headless architecture: the commerce backend is separate from your storefront.
• You can build the frontend however you want — Next.js, React, mobile app, etc.
• Its architecture is explicitly designed around customization rather than forcing you into a fixed storefront. GitHub
• You can self-host the entire thing rather than relying on Medusa Cloud.

For example, I'd consider a stack like:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Stripe → S3-compatible storage

That gives you control over essentially every part of the experience.

The other two I'd seriously consider

Saleor

saleor.io is the one I'd pick over Medusa if you're particularly interested in GraphQL, Python, sophisticated multi-channel commerce, or enterprise-scale architecture.

It's genuinely headless: the API is GraphQL-only, and the project provides an open-source dashboard and Next.js/React storefront. GitHub GitHub

It's also very friendly to self-hosting; Saleor explicitly documents running the API, dashboard, and storefront yourself. Saleor Commerce

Vendure

vendure.io is particularly interesting if you like TypeScript but want a more structured, enterprise-oriented commerce framework.

It's built with NestJS/GraphQL and has a strong plugin architecture, so you can extend the system without constantly modifying the core. It supports self-hosting with Node, Docker, or Kubernetes. GitHub GitHub

The important caveat is licensing: the community edition is GPLv3, with additional commercial licensing for parts of the broader platform. GitHub

What I'd choose

If you told me:

"I want to own the server, own the database, modify the checkout, completely redesign the frontend, add custom business logic, and not be locked into a vendor."

I'd rank them:

1. Medusa — best overall for a custom modern store
2. Saleor — best if you want Python/GraphQL and sophisticated commerce
3. Vendure — best if you want TypeScript + a very extensible backend
4. WooCommerce — best if you want the enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem

I wouldn't automatically choose WooCommerce just because it's the most famous open-source option. If you're building a new store from scratch and expect significant customization, a headless platform like Medusa can give you a much cleaner foundation.

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and what tech stack you're comfortable with, I can narrow this down to the best choice and suggest a fully self-hosted architecture (server, database, payments, images, search, email, backups, etc.).

If your priority is “I want to host it myself and customize absolutely everything”, I would avoid traditional SaaS clones and choose based on how much you want to build yourself.

My shortlist:

Open Source Groups Velocity AI## My recommendation

1. For a fully custom modern store: Medusa

Medusa would be my first choice if you are comfortable coding.

Why:

• Built API-first (headless)
• Node.js/TypeScript stack
• You design the storefront yourself (React/Next.js, mobile app, custom UI, etc.)
• Clean plugin/module architecture
• You own the backend and database

Great if you want something like:

• Custom product configurators
• Unique checkout flows
• Marketplace features
• Subscriptions
• Custom pricing logic
• Mobile apps using the same backend

Downside:

• You build more yourself
• Smaller plugin ecosystem than WooCommerce

WPBundle Eryx Innovations LabA typical stack:

Next.js storefront
        |
        |
     Medusa API
        |
 PostgreSQL database
        |
 Stripe / payment provider

2. If you want maximum control and enterprise features: Saleor

Saleor is excellent if you have a development team.

Strengths:

• GraphQL-first
• Python/Django backend
• Strong inventory, permissions, channels, multi-region support
• Very customizable frontend

It is closer to building a commerce platform than installing a store.

Use it for:

• Multiple warehouses
• International commerce
• Complex B2B workflows
• Large catalogs

Downside:

• More infrastructure
• More engineering effort

WPBundle

3. The practical choice: WooCommerce

WooCommerce is still probably the best choice if you want to actually start selling quickly.

Advantages:

• Massive ecosystem
• Thousands of themes/plugins
• WordPress CMS included
• Easy hosting
• Many developers know it

You can customize:

• Checkout
• Product types
• Shipping rules
• Payments
• Admin
• Themes
• Database

The downside is architectural: WordPress was not originally designed as a commerce engine, so very large or unusual stores may require careful optimization.

WPBundle Toolradar

4. Magento Open Source (only if you need it)

Magento Open Source is extremely powerful.

Choose it if you need:

• Huge catalogs
• Complex pricing
• B2B accounts
• Multiple stores
• Enterprise workflows

Avoid it if:

• You are a solo developer
• You want a simple store
• You do not want DevOps work

Velocity AI

My ranking for a developer who says “customize fully”

1. 🥇 Medusa — best balance of freedom + modern architecture
2. 🥈 Saleor — best for serious enterprise builds
3. 🥉 WooCommerce (possibly headless) — best ecosystem/value
4. Magento Open Source — best for large enterprises
5. PrestaShop — good traditional store platform

WPBundle Open Source GroupsA few questions would change my recommendation:

• Are you a developer, or do you want a non-technical admin interface?
• How many products/orders do you expect?
• Do you want a normal storefront, or something highly custom (marketplace, subscriptions, configurators, etc.)?
• What stack do you prefer (PHP, Node/TypeScript, Python, something else)?

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + complete control over the code + deep customization, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Medusa

If you're comfortable developing software, I'd pick Medusa.

It's built as a commerce engine rather than a rigid website builder: you can self-host it, build your own frontend, and customize the underlying commerce logic. Its core is open source under MIT, although some enterprise components use a commercial license. GitHub

A typical stack could be:

                    Your Store
                       │
              Next.js / React
                       │
                       ▼
                 Medusa Backend
                       │
          ┌────────────┼────────────┐
          ▼            ▼            ▼
       PostgreSQL    Redis       Your APIs
          │
          ▼
    Payments / Shipping

That gives you control over the UI, checkout, pricing, products, customers, orders, promotions, integrations, and business logic rather than trying to bend a hosted platform into doing something it wasn't designed for.

When I'd choose Saleor instead

I'd choose Saleor if you're building something more ambitious—multiple storefronts/channels, sophisticated catalog structures, B2B, international commerce, or a large engineering project.

Saleor is headless/API-first, uses GraphQL, and provides an open-source API, dashboard, and storefront components. Its documentation explicitly supports running the platform locally/self-hosted. Saleor Commerce GitHub

When I'd choose WooCommerce

If you want to get a normal store running quickly, rather than build a commerce application, WooCommerce is still extremely compelling. Its enormous WordPress ecosystem means there's an extension/theme for almost everything. WPBundle Toolradar

The downside is that heavy customization can eventually turn into a pile of WordPress plugins, hooks, and overrides.

One important distinction

I'd divide your choices like this:

"I want to build my own ecommerce application."
→ Medusa or Saleor

"I want a complete store that I can customize."
→ WooCommerce

"My business has unusual/complex commerce rules and I want maximum control."
→ Sylius

Sylius is particularly interesting if you're a PHP/Symfony developer; it's explicitly designed as a highly customizable ecommerce framework rather than merely a storefront CMS. GitHub sylius.com

If you tell me your tech stack (e.g. Next.js/React, Laravel/PHP, Python, WordPress) and roughly what you're selling, I can narrow this down to one and give you the exact architecture I'd use.

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d focus on modern open-source platforms rather than hosted Shopify-style systems.

My top picks

🥇 I'd choose Medusa

medusajs.com

If you're comfortable with development, Medusa is probably the sweet spot. It's designed as a customizable commerce engine rather than a rigid website builder. Its framework lets you customize the commerce logic itself, and it can support DTC, B2B, marketplaces, POS, distributors, and other models. GitHub OSSAlt

A typical setup would look something like:

                    Your Store
                       │
                 Next.js / React
                       │
                       ▼
                  Medusa API
                       │
        ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
        ▼              ▼              ▼
    PostgreSQL       Redis        Your modules
        │
        ▼
   Your infrastructure

That gives you control over essentially everything:

• Storefront design
• Checkout
• Pricing
• Products and variants
• Promotions
• Customer accounts
• Orders
• Shipping
• Payment integrations
• Custom business rules
• Admin functionality
• APIs
• Database
• Hosting
• Integrations

In other words, you're not fighting the platform to make it do something unusual.

🥈 Saleor if you want something more enterprise-oriented

saleor.io

Saleor is particularly attractive if you're comfortable with Python and GraphQL. It's headless, API-first, and designed around composable commerce. Its open-source stack includes the commerce API and dashboard, and its documentation explicitly supports running the platform yourself. Saleor Commerce GitHub

I'd consider Saleor over Medusa if you anticipate things like:

• Multiple storefronts
• Multiple countries/currencies
• B2B
• Complex catalogs
• Multiple sales channels
• Large-scale traffic
• A dedicated engineering team

🥉 Vendure is worth serious consideration

vendure.io

Vendure is another excellent choice if you're a TypeScript/Node.js developer. It's built with TypeScript, NestJS and GraphQL, and has a plugin architecture intended for substantial customization. GitHub

I'd put it roughly alongside Medusa rather than treating it as a distant third.

What about WooCommerce?

If you want something you can install on a VPS and have a functional store running relatively quickly, WooCommerce is still extremely compelling.

The difference is architectural:

WooCommerce:

WordPress
   +
WooCommerce
   +
Plugins
   +
Theme

Medusa/Saleor/Vendure:

Commerce engine
       +
     API
       +
Your completely custom frontend
       +
Your integrations

The latter gives you considerably more architectural freedom, but requires more development. WooCommerce has an enormous plugin ecosystem and is much easier if you don't want to build everything yourself. Open Source Groups Toolradar

What I'd recommend for you

If by "customize fully" you mean "I want to be able to change the actual behavior of the store and build my own frontend rather than just customize a theme":

1. Medusa — my first choice
2. Vendure — particularly if you're TypeScript/NestJS-oriented
3. Saleor — particularly if you're Python/GraphQL-oriented
4. WooCommerce — if you want the easiest path to a conventional store

One important distinction: Medusa/Saleor/Vendure are headless commerce engines, so you generally build the storefront yourself (often with Next.js). That's a feature, not a limitation, if "fully customizable" is your goal. OpenReplay Blog

If you tell me what you're selling, your preferred programming language, and roughly how many products/orders you expect, I can narrow this down to one platform + a recommended self-hosted architecture (Docker, database, payments, storage, search, CDN, etc.).

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + full customization, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, Saleor, Sylius, and WooCommerce.

My overall pick for a new, highly customized store would be Medusa.

🥇 My recommendation: Medusa

medusajs.com is what I'd choose if you're comfortable developing the store yourself.

It's a headless commerce framework, meaning the commerce engine and storefront are separate. You can build the frontend however you want—Next.js, React, another framework, mobile apps, etc.—while Medusa handles things like products, carts, orders, customers, payments and fulfillment. Its core is open source under the MIT license and is designed specifically around customization. GitHub GitHub

That gives you a setup like:

                    YOUR STORE
                       │
                 Next.js / React
                       │
                       ▼
                 ┌───────────┐
                 │  Medusa   │
                 │ Commerce  │
                 └─────┬─────┘
                       │
        ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
        ▼              ▼              ▼
    PostgreSQL       Stripe       Your own
                                  services

You aren't fighting a prebuilt theme or plugin system. You can essentially make the store behave however you want.

I'd especially choose Medusa if:

• You want a completely custom frontend.
• You're comfortable with TypeScript/JavaScript.
• You want to own the infrastructure.
• You may eventually have custom pricing, subscriptions, B2B, marketplaces, etc.
• You don't want WordPress involved.

🥈 Saleor — excellent alternative

saleor.io is probably the one I'd investigate next.

It's also headless and extremely customizable, but takes a more API-first/GraphQL approach. The backend is Python/Django and the official storefront ecosystem uses React/Next.js. Saleor explicitly supports running the platform yourself, including the API, dashboard and storefront. Saleor Commerce GitHub

I'd favor Saleor over Medusa if you expect things like:

• Multiple storefronts/channels
• Multiple currencies
• Complex product catalogs
• International commerce
• More enterprise-oriented requirements
• A team comfortable with Python + GraphQL

🥉 Sylius — if you want to customize everything

sylius.com is particularly interesting if you're a PHP/Symfony developer.

It's actually an eCommerce framework, rather than simply a ready-made store. The core is MIT licensed, and the project emphasizes flexibility and building commerce applications tailored to your requirements. GitHub

I'd pick Sylius when the attitude is:

"We're building our own commerce application and want the framework to get out of our way."

It's extremely powerful, but I'd expect more development work than WooCommerce.

WooCommerce — don't overlook it

woocommerce.com is the opposite philosophy.

Instead of giving you a blank canvas, it gives you a huge amount of functionality immediately through WordPress and its ecosystem.

I'd choose it if you want:

"I want to customize my store heavily, but I don't want to build an ecommerce system."

I wouldn't choose it if your goal is "I want to build a completely custom commerce application."

What I'd choose for you

If I were starting from scratch today:

Custom modern store → Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL

Large/complex/headless commerce → Saleor + Next.js

PHP/Symfony shop with deep business logic → Sylius

Normal store that needs to launch quickly → WooCommerce

One important distinction: self-hosted doesn't mean maintenance-free. You'll be responsible for servers, database backups, updates, security, email, payment integration, monitoring, etc. The software can be free/open-source while the infrastructure and development work aren't. OSSAlt

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products you expect, your preferred programming language, and whether you want a normal storefront or something highly custom, I can narrow this down to one specific stack and lay out exactly how I'd deploy it.

Yes. If your priorities are self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d avoid SaaS-first platforms like Shopify and look at modern open-source commerce engines.

My recommendation

🥇 Medusa — best overall for a custom store

github.com

I’d pick Medusa if you're comfortable developing the store yourself.

• Built with TypeScript/Node.js, so it's a particularly good fit for a React/Next.js stack.
• Headless architecture means you control the entire customer-facing frontend.
• Commerce functionality is modular rather than forcing you into a giant monolithic application.
• You can self-host the core and modify the code.
• Good foundation for custom checkout, pricing, promotions, products, fulfillment, payments, etc.
• Its core is MIT-licensed, although Medusa uses an open-core model and some Enterprise Edition components are commercial. GitHub

Typical architecture I'd use:

                Your Store
                   │
          Next.js / React
                   │
                   ▼
             ┌──────────┐
             │  Medusa  │
             │ Commerce │
             └────┬─────┘
                  │
       ┌──────────┼───────────┐
       ▼          ▼           ▼
   PostgreSQL   Redis      Your APIs
       │
       ▼
  Your infrastructure

This gives you considerably more freedom than trying to bend WooCommerce into something it wasn't designed to be.

🥈 Saleor — best for a sophisticated/large store

github.com

Saleor is what I'd investigate if you're building something serious and highly customized, particularly if you expect multiple countries, currencies, warehouses, sales channels, or complex catalog requirements.

It's Python/Django + GraphQL, completely headless, and designed around composable commerce. It has native support for things like multi-channel selling, multi-currency, multi-language, multi-warehouse inventory, promotions, payments, and extensive API/app extensions. GitHub

The downside is complexity. You're taking on more infrastructure and engineering responsibility than with something like WooCommerce.

Saleor explicitly supports self-hosting; its current open-source stack includes the API, dashboard, and storefront. Saleor Commerce

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa when: the commerce requirements are complex enough that its more opinionated enterprise-oriented architecture becomes an advantage.

🥉 WooCommerce — best if you want something easier

woocommerce.com

WooCommerce is still an extremely practical choice.

The big advantage isn't the architecture—it's the ecosystem. There are enormous numbers of plugins, payment integrations, shipping integrations, themes, developers, and WordPress-compatible tools.

I'd choose it if you want:

• A store you can get running quickly
• A conventional admin interface
• Lots of existing integrations
• Content/blogging + ecommerce together
• Less custom backend development

The tradeoff is that you're customizing a WordPress/WooCommerce ecosystem rather than building your own commerce architecture from the ground up. Open Source Groups WPBundle

Other options worth knowing about

Sylius is particularly interesting if you're already a PHP/Symfony developer; it's explicitly designed as a highly customizable ecommerce framework rather than merely a ready-made storefront. Sylius GitHub

What I'd pick for you

If by "customize fully" you mean:

"I want to own the server, database, frontend, backend, checkout logic, UI, and business logic, and I don't want the platform fighting me when I need something unusual."

I'd narrow it to:

Medusa vs Saleor.

I'd lean Medusa for a new project, especially if you're using Next.js/React/TypeScript. Current comparisons also tend to put Medusa in the developer-first JavaScript camp, while Saleor is stronger for complex commerce and GraphQL/Python teams. WPBundle Toolradar

If you tell me what you're selling, approximate number of products, expected traffic, whether you're comfortable coding, and whether you want Next.js/React, I can recommend the specific stack I'd use—including database, hosting, payments, search, images/storage, admin, and deployment architecture.

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code control + deep customization, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, Saleor, and WooCommerce.

My personal recommendation for a new, highly customized store in 2026 is Medusa.

These are all viable self-hosted approaches; the major distinction is whether you want a ready-made storefront or a commerce backend you build your own frontend around. Open Source Groups Open Source Projects

🥇 My pick: Medusa

medusajs.com

If you told me:

"I want to build my own Shopify, but I want to own the code and customize basically everything."

I'd choose Medusa.

It's a headless commerce engine built around Node.js/TypeScript. You can use its commerce functionality—products, carts, orders, customers, payments, promotions, inventory, etc.—while building your own frontend with something like Next.js. Current comparisons consistently put Medusa among the strongest choices for developer-led custom stores. OSSAlt OpenReplay Blog

A typical architecture would be:

                    Your Infrastructure
                           │
              ┌────────────┴────────────┐
              │                         │
        Next.js Storefront         Admin Dashboard
              │                         │
              └────────────┬────────────┘
                           │
                     Medusa API
                           │
              ┌────────────┼────────────┐
              │            │            │
          PostgreSQL     Redis       Storage
              │
        Payment Gateway
        (Stripe/etc.)

The big advantage is that your storefront isn't constrained by the ecommerce platform's theme system. You can make the frontend look and behave however you want.

🥈 Saleor

saleor.io

I'd consider Saleor if you're building something more sophisticated—multiple regions, channels, warehouses, B2B functionality, complicated catalogs, etc.

It's Python/Django on the backend with a GraphQL API. It's powerful, but you'll generally have more infrastructure and engineering complexity than with WooCommerce. WPBundle Open Source Projects

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa if: you already have a strong Python/GraphQL team or you're building a fairly large/complex commerce operation.

🥉 WooCommerce

woocommerce.com

If you want to get a store running quickly, WooCommerce is difficult to beat.

The enormous WordPress ecosystem means there are plugins for practically everything—payments, shipping, subscriptions, taxes, SEO, marketplaces, memberships, etc. WPBundle

The downside is that if your ultimate goal is something like:

"I want to completely redesign the architecture and make ecommerce behave differently from normal WooCommerce."

you'll probably find yourself fighting WordPress/WooCommerce internals more than you would with Medusa.

What I'd choose based on your situation

• I want maximum freedom and I'm comfortable coding → Medusa
• I want maximum freedom + enterprise/B2B complexity → Saleor
• I want to launch quickly and have tons of plugins → WooCommerce
• I'm a Laravel developer → Bagisto
• I'm a Symfony/PHP developer → Sylius
• I want a traditional turnkey ecommerce site → PrestaShop
• I'm building something enormous with complex enterprise requirements → Magento Open Source

For a new custom store, I'd personally go:

Next.js + Medusa + PostgreSQL + Redis + S3-compatible storage + Stripe

That gives you a very flexible stack without locking the business into a SaaS ecommerce provider.

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products you expect, and whether you know JavaScript/PHP/Python, I can narrow this down to one platform and give you a recommended self-hosted architecture + server specs + deployment setup.

"I want to build my own Shopify, but I want to own the code and customize basically everything."

I'd choose Medusa.

It's a headless commerce engine built around Node.js/TypeScript. You can use its commerce functionality—products, carts, orders, customers, payments, promotions, inventory, etc.—while building your own frontend with something like Next.js. Current comparisons consistently put Medusa among the strongest choices for developer-led custom stores. OSSAlt OpenReplay Blog

A typical architecture would be:

                    Your Infrastructure
                           │
              ┌────────────┴────────────┐
              │                         │
        Next.js Storefront         Admin Dashboard
              │                         │
              └────────────┬────────────┘
                           │
                     Medusa API
                           │
              ┌────────────┼────────────┐
              │            │            │
          PostgreSQL     Redis       Storage
              │
        Payment Gateway
        (Stripe/etc.)

The big advantage is that your storefront isn't constrained by the ecommerce platform's theme system. You can make the frontend look and behave however you want.

🥈 Saleor

saleor.io

I'd consider Saleor if you're building something more sophisticated—multiple regions, channels, warehouses, B2B functionality, complicated catalogs, etc.

It's Python/Django on the backend with a GraphQL API. It's powerful, but you'll generally have more infrastructure and engineering complexity than with WooCommerce. WPBundle Open Source Projects

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa if: you already have a strong Python/GraphQL team or you're building a fairly large/complex commerce operation.

🥉 WooCommerce

woocommerce.com

If you want to get a store running quickly, WooCommerce is difficult to beat.

The enormous WordPress ecosystem means there are plugins for practically everything—payments, shipping, subscriptions, taxes, SEO, marketplaces, memberships, etc. WPBundle

The downside is that if your ultimate goal is something like:

"I want to completely redesign the architecture and make ecommerce behave differently from normal WooCommerce."

you'll probably find yourself fighting WordPress/WooCommerce internals more than you would with Medusa.

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + full control + deep customization, I’d shortlist Medusa, Saleor, WooCommerce, and Bagisto. The best choice depends heavily on whether you want to build the storefront or mostly customize an existing one.

My recommendation

🥇 Medusa — best for a highly customized modern store

medusajs.com is my first choice if you're comfortable with development.

It is a headless, Node.js/TypeScript commerce platform designed as a set of customizable commerce building blocks rather than a rigid website builder. You can build your own frontend with Next.js/React, completely change checkout and pricing logic, and integrate your own services. GitHub Open Source Projects

Why I'd pick it:

• Open source and self-hostable
• Excellent for custom React/Next.js storefronts
• TypeScript/Node.js ecosystem
• Very flexible product, cart, order and pricing logic
• Good foundation for unusual business rules
• You aren't locked into a particular frontend
• Can evolve into B2B, marketplace, or other custom commerce applications

Downside: It's more of a developer platform than a turnkey Shopify replacement. You'll have more engineering work.

🥈 Saleor — best if you want serious headless commerce

saleor.io is another excellent option, particularly if you like Python/Django + GraphQL.

It's open source, headless and API-first, with an extensible admin dashboard. Saleor explicitly supports running the platform yourself; its documentation provides a Docker-based setup for the API, dashboard and storefront. Saleor Commerce GitHub

I'd consider Saleor over Medusa if you need things like:

• Complex international/multi-channel commerce
• Sophisticated catalog structures
• Strong GraphQL APIs
• Enterprise-oriented architecture
• A polished commerce backend that you can build a custom frontend around

The tradeoff is complexity. You're building a fairly serious commerce system rather than installing a simple store plugin.

🥉 WooCommerce — best if you want the easiest path

woocommerce.com is still the pragmatic choice.

It runs on WordPress, is self-hostable, and has an enormous ecosystem of themes, plugins and integrations. Current comparisons still put it at the top for ecosystem breadth and ease of getting a conventional store running. Open Source Groups Toolradar

Choose it if you want:

WordPress + WooCommerce + custom theme/plugins

rather than:

commerce backend + custom application/frontend

It's particularly attractive if you want to spend more time running the business and less time engineering the platform.

Bagisto — worth considering if you prefer Laravel/PHP

bagisto.com is an interesting alternative built on Laravel.

It's MIT-licensed and designed to be extensively customized. It already includes things like catalog, inventory, customers, orders, shipments and marketing functionality. Bagisto Documentation GitHub

I'd pick Bagisto if you're already a Laravel/PHP developer.

What I'd choose

One important distinction

If by "customize fully" you mean:

I want to change literally everything — storefront, checkout, pricing, product model, customer flows, backend logic, integrations, etc.

I'd avoid starting with WooCommerce and go with Medusa or Saleor.

If you mean:

I want my own design and functionality, but I don't want to build an ecommerce platform from scratch.

I'd lean WooCommerce.

For a new greenfield project today, my personal pick would be Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL, with everything deployed on your own VPS/cloud infrastructure. That's a very flexible foundation without having to reinvent carts, orders, products, payments, inventory, etc. GitHub

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and what programming stack you're comfortable with, I can narrow this down to one platform and suggest a concrete self-hosted architecture.

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + full control + deep customization, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 I'd choose Medusa for a new project

Medusa is particularly attractive if you're comfortable developing your own frontend. Its commerce functionality is modular, its core is MIT-licensed, and it is designed specifically to be customized rather than forcing you into a particular storefront architecture. GitHub GitHub

A typical architecture would be:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL/Redis → Stripe/payment provider

You can completely control the frontend, checkout experience, product pages, customer experience, APIs, integrations, and business logic.

It also has a substantial TypeScript/Node ecosystem, which I'd consider a big advantage if you're building something modern rather than modifying an existing WordPress site.

🥈 Saleor if you want something more enterprise-oriented

Saleor is another very strong choice. It's API-first and GraphQL-native, with a React/Next.js storefront available, making it particularly good when you want commerce to be a backend service rather than your entire website. GitHub GitHub

I'd lean toward Saleor over Medusa if you expect things like multiple sales channels, internationalization, complex catalogs, B2B, or a larger engineering organization.

🥉 Sylius if you're a PHP/Symfony person

Sylius is arguably the most "build whatever you want" option in the PHP world. It's MIT-licensed and explicitly designed as an ecommerce framework rather than a rigid store builder. GitHub

The downside is that you'll probably want solid Symfony/PHP development skills.

When I'd choose WooCommerce

WooCommerce makes much more sense if you want to get a conventional store running quickly and take advantage of an enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem. It's genuinely open source and highly customizable. GitHub

I wouldn't choose it for a greenfield project where your goal is an extremely custom application and you're already comfortable building software. WordPress becomes part of the architecture whether you want it to or not.

My recommendation

If you told me:

"I can code, I want to own the server, database, and source code, and I don't want Shopify-like restrictions."

I'd rank them:

1. Medusa → best overall for a modern custom build
2. Saleor → best for sophisticated/headless commerce
3. Sylius → best if you prefer PHP/Symfony
4. WooCommerce → best if ecosystem/plugins matter more than architecture

One important distinction: "open source" doesn't necessarily mean every feature from the commercial company is open source. For example, Medusa uses an open-core model, with its core under MIT while certain Enterprise Edition materials require a commercial agreement. GitHub

If you tell me what you're selling (physical products, digital, subscriptions, marketplace, B2B, etc.) and your preferred stack (Node/Python/PHP/etc.), I can narrow this down to one and give you a recommended self-hosted architecture.

If your priority is self-hosting + full customization, I would avoid SaaS-style clones and choose based on how much you want to build yourself. The best choice depends heavily on your tech stack and whether you want a ready-made store or a commerce engine. WPBundle Toolradar

My shortlist:

1. Medusa — my top pick for a fully custom store

medusajs.com

Best if you are a developer and want something like "build my own Shopify."

Pros

• Modern TypeScript/Node.js stack
• Headless by design (build any frontend: Next.js, React Native, mobile apps, etc.)
• Modular architecture: replace payments, shipping, pricing, inventory logic
• Clean codebase compared with older ecommerce systems
• Good fit for custom workflows

Cons

• You build more yourself
• Smaller plugin ecosystem than WooCommerce
• Requires developer skills and DevOps

Choose it if:

"I want complete control and I am comfortable coding."

OSSAlt WPBundle

2. WooCommerce — best practical choice

woocommerce.com

Best if you want to launch quickly but still own the code.

Pros

• Massive ecosystem of themes/plugins
• WordPress CMS included
• Easy hosting
• Lots of payment/shipping integrations
• Huge developer community

Cons

• Older PHP architecture
• Heavy customization can become messy
• Plugin conflicts are common at scale

Choose it if:

"I want a customizable store, but I don't want to build every ecommerce feature myself."

WPBundle Open Source Groups

3. Saleor — best for enterprise-grade custom builds

saleor.io

Best if you are building a serious multi-channel commerce platform.

Pros

• GraphQL-first
• Strong inventory/catalog features
• Multi-region and multi-currency support
• Excellent for custom frontends

Cons

• More complex deployment
• Requires Python/Django knowledge
• More engineering overhead

Choose it if:

"This is a large business system, not just a storefront."

OpenReplay Blog WPBundle

4. PrestaShop — best traditional ecommerce package

prestashop.com

Good middle ground.

Pros

• Complete store out of the box
• Strong international selling features
• Many built-in merchant tools

Cons

• Less developer-friendly than modern headless systems
• Custom architecture is more constrained

5. Magento Open Source — for very complex catalogs

business.adobe.com

Powerful but heavy.

Pros

• Enterprise-level catalog management
• Advanced pricing, inventory, B2B features

Cons

• Expensive to operate even when self-hosted
• Requires experienced developers
• Higher server requirements

My recommendation by scenario

If I were starting a new custom store today, I would usually choose:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + Stripe + a headless CMS

That gives you ownership of the entire stack without fighting a legacy ecommerce system. If you want something more business-user-friendly, I would choose WooCommerce instead. WPBundle Toolradar

A few questions would narrow it down:

1. What language/framework do you prefer (JavaScript, PHP, Python, Laravel, etc.)?
2. Are you building a normal online shop or something more custom (marketplace, subscriptions, B2B, custom checkout)?
3. Roughly how many products/orders do you expect?

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + Stripe + a headless CMS

That gives you ownership of the entire stack without fighting a legacy ecommerce system. If you want something more business-user-friendly, I would choose WooCommerce instead.

A few questions would narrow it down:

If your priority is “I want to host it myself and customize absolutely everything”, I would avoid most traditional hosted-style solutions and focus on platforms with clean codebases and APIs. The best choice depends on how much you want to build yourself. Open Source Projects WPBundle

My recommendations:

1. Medusa — Best overall for a fully custom store

Best for: developers who want a Shopify-like backend but complete frontend freedom.

Stack:

• Backend: Node.js + TypeScript
• Frontend: usually Next.js/React (but can be anything)
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Deployment: Docker-friendly

Why I like it:

• Modern architecture
• Very customizable checkout, pricing, inventory, fulfillment logic
• No forced theme system
• Great if you want a unique shopping experience
• Easier for modern web developers than older PHP platforms

Downsides:

• You build more yourself
• Smaller plugin ecosystem than WooCommerce
• Requires development skills

Choose Medusa if your vision is something like:

“I want my store to work exactly how I imagine, not how a template expects.”

Open Source Projects WPBundle

2. WooCommerce — Best if you want the biggest ecosystem

Best for: getting a powerful store running quickly while still owning the code.

Advantages:

• Huge plugin ecosystem
• Tons of payment/shipping integrations
• Easy admin experience
• WordPress gives you blogging, SEO, landing pages, and content tools

Downsides:

• WordPress architecture can become messy with many plugins
• Deep customization often means working around existing conventions
• Less elegant for highly custom commerce logic

A good setup is:

• WooCommerce backend
• Custom React/Next.js frontend (“headless WooCommerce”)

That gives you WordPress’s ecosystem with a custom storefront. WPBundle

3. Saleor — Best for serious/enterprise builds

Best for: complex catalogs, multiple warehouses, international commerce.

Strengths:

• GraphQL-first
• Excellent API design
• Strong inventory and multi-channel features
• Built for large custom applications

Downsides:

• More complicated to operate
• Requires stronger engineering skills
• Probably overkill for a small store

WPBundle

4. Sylius — Best if you are a PHP/Symfony developer

Very flexible and clean, but more of a framework than a ready-made store.

Good for:

• Custom B2B commerce
• Complex workflows
• Developers who already use Symfony

OpenReplay Blog

5. PrestaShop — Best traditional self-hosted store

Good if you want:

• A complete store out of the box
• Product management
• Tax/shipping tools
• Less custom development

Less appealing if your goal is a completely unique experience.

Open Source Groups

My ranking for your stated goal

For a new project today, I would personally shortlist:

1. Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL → if you are building something unique
2. Headless WooCommerce + Next.js → if you need lots of existing integrations
3. Saleor + React → if you expect enterprise complexity

If you tell me your stack (Node/Python/PHP), expected product count, and whether you need subscriptions, marketplace features, or B2B pricing, I can narrow it down further.

For a new project today, I would personally shortlist:

1. Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL → if you are building something unique
2. Headless WooCommerce + Next.js → if you need lots of existing integrations
3. Saleor + React → if you expect enterprise complexity

If you tell me your stack (Node/Python/PHP), expected product count, and whether you need subscriptions, marketplace features, or B2B pricing, I can narrow it down further.

If your priority is self-hosting + full customization + owning the code/data, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, WooCommerce, and Bagisto. The right choice depends heavily on whether you want a ready-made store or a developer-oriented commerce backend. www.opensourcegroups.com

My recommendation: Medusa

I’d pick Medusa if you’re comfortable developing the storefront yourself.

Medusa

It is a modern, TypeScript/Node.js, headless commerce platform designed to be customized rather than fought against. You can self-host the backend, build the storefront however you want (Next.js, React, etc.), and replace/customize major parts of the commerce logic. Its modular architecture is particularly attractive if you expect unusual business rules. www.wpbundle.com

Why I'd choose it:

• Full control over frontend and backend
• TypeScript/Node.js
• Headless/API-first architecture
• Good fit for Next.js
• Modular payments, fulfillment, inventory, etc.
• Self-hostable
• No platform transaction fee
• Much less legacy baggage than WooCommerce/Magento

Downside: you're taking on more development work. The extension ecosystem is nowhere near WooCommerce's. www.wpbundle.com

The alternatives

When I'd pick something else

WooCommerce — probably the best choice if you want to get a store running quickly and customize it through an enormous ecosystem of plugins. It's much more "complete store out of the box" than Medusa. www.wpbundle.com

WooCommerce

Saleor — excellent if you're building something substantial and have Python/Django + GraphQL expertise. It has strong multi-channel, multi-warehouse and multi-currency capabilities, but the infrastructure is considerably more involved. ossalt.com

Saleor

Bagisto — I'd seriously consider this if you already like Laravel. It's a surprisingly capable option, particularly if you're building a marketplace/multi-vendor system. ossalt.com

Bagisto

Sylius — great if your team is Symfony/PHP-oriented and you essentially want an ecommerce framework that you can mold into your own application rather than a traditional "store builder."

Sylius

What I would personally do

If you're starting a new project today:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Redis → Stripe → your own hosting

That gives you a genuinely custom store rather than a heavily modified Shopify/WooCommerce-style site.

If, however, your goal is "I want to install this tonight, add products, install a payment plugin, and start selling", I'd go WooCommerce instead.

The biggest question is whether you want an ecommerce application you can program or an ecommerce store you can configure. For the former, Medusa is my first choice.

If your priority is self-hosting + complete customization + owning the code/data, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, WooCommerce, Saleor, and Bagisto. The right choice depends mostly on whether you want a traditional store or a custom-built/headless one. Open Source Projects OpenReplay Blog

My recommendation: Medusa

I’d pick medusajs.com for a new, highly customized store.

Why:

• Open source and self-hostable
• Built with TypeScript/Node.js, which makes it particularly nice if you're comfortable with modern JavaScript.
• Headless by design — your storefront is completely separate from the commerce backend.
• You can build the frontend however you want, e.g. Next.js, React, Vue, mobile apps, etc.
• Modular architecture means you can replace/customize things like payments, fulfillment, pricing, inventory, and business logic.
• No need to fight a prebuilt theme when you want a completely custom experience.
• It has become one of the leading open-source options for developer-built stores. Open Source Projects OSSAlt

The architecture would look roughly like:

                    ┌──────────────────┐
                    │   Your Store     │
                    │ Next.js / React  │
                    └────────┬─────────┘
                             │
                           API
                             │
                    ┌────────▼─────────┐
                    │     Medusa       │
                    │ Commerce Engine  │
                    └────────┬─────────┘
                             │
              ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
              │              │              │
          PostgreSQL      Payments      Fulfillment

That gives you a lot more freedom than Shopify/WooCommerce if you're willing to develop the store yourself.

The alternatives

WooCommerce

woocommerce.com is probably the practical choice if you don't want to build much yourself.

Its enormous WordPress ecosystem is its killer feature: payments, shipping, subscriptions, SEO, marketing, product types, memberships, etc. are already available as plugins. OSSAlt WPBundle

The downside is that you're customizing WordPress/WooCommerce, rather than starting with a clean commerce application.

I'd choose WooCommerce if your goal is:

"I want to get a store running quickly and customize it extensively."

I'd choose Medusa if your goal is:

"I want to build my own ecommerce platform around my business."

Saleor

saleor.io is the other one I'd seriously consider.

It's Python/Django + GraphQL, and is particularly strong for more sophisticated multi-channel, multi-warehouse and enterprise-style commerce. The tradeoff is greater infrastructure complexity compared with Medusa. OpenReplay Blog OSSAlt

Bagisto

bagisto.com is excellent if you like PHP/Laravel.

It's more of a traditional full ecommerce application than Medusa, with things like catalog, inventory, admin, multi-store and multi-currency functionality already built in. Open Source Projects

What I'd personally do

If you're starting from scratch in 2026:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + your payment provider

I'd use Medusa for the commerce/business logic and build the storefront myself.

That gives you essentially:

Your infrastructure → your database → your backend → your frontend → your code

rather than:

Shopify → their platform → their limitations → apps for anything unusual

The important catch is that self-hosted doesn't mean maintenance-free. You'll be responsible for hosting, updates, backups, security, monitoring, and integrating payment/shipping/tax services. Open Source Projects

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products you expect, and whether you know JavaScript/TypeScript, PHP, or Python, I can tell you which one I'd choose for your specific store and what the recommended stack would look like.

If your priorities are self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, Saleor, Vendure, and WooCommerce. The right choice depends heavily on whether you want a modern developer-built store or a more traditional turnkey ecommerce system. Open Source Groups OpenReplay Blog

My recommendation: Medusa

I’d pick medusajs.com for a new custom store.

It is particularly good if you want to build your own frontend and essentially treat ecommerce as an API/backend rather than being locked into a predefined storefront. It uses a modern Node.js/TypeScript stack, is modular, and is designed for headless commerce. OSSAlt pkgpulse

A typical setup would be:

                 Your Store
                     │
          ┌──────────┴──────────┐
          │                     │
     Next.js/React          Mobile App
          │                     │
          └──────────┬──────────┘
                     │
                Medusa API
                     │
        ┌────────────┼────────────┐
        │            │            │
     Products      Orders      Customers
        │            │            │
        └────────────┼────────────┘
                     │
              PostgreSQL/Redis

That gives you enormous freedom over the customer-facing experience.

How I'd rank them

Medusa vs. Saleor

The two I'd seriously consider are Medusa and Saleor.

Medusa

• TypeScript/Node.js
• Very developer-friendly
• Headless from the ground up
• Excellent if you're building a custom React/Next.js frontend
• Modular architecture
• Good choice if you want to modify the actual commerce logic

Saleor

• Python/Django backend
• GraphQL-first
• Extremely powerful multi-channel architecture
• Strong choice for sophisticated catalogs, international commerce, B2B, multiple warehouses, etc.
• Its official project describes it as API-only/headless and emphasizes extensibility through apps, webhooks, metadata and API extensions. GitHub GitHub

One licensing detail is worth paying attention to: Saleor's core repository is BSD-3-Clause, but some newer Saleor components have different licensing terms, so I'd inspect the license of the particular components you intend to modify/distribute. GitHub GitHub

When I'd choose WooCommerce instead

If you want:

"I want to get a store running quickly, install plugins, and have an admin interface that my non-developer can use."

then woocommerce.com is hard to beat.

Its huge WordPress ecosystem is its biggest advantage. You can find integrations for payments, shipping, taxes, email marketing, SEO, subscriptions, memberships, etc. WPBundle OSSAlt

The downside is that if your vision is something like "I want to completely redesign how ecommerce works", I'd rather start with Medusa/Vendure/Saleor than bend WordPress/WooCommerce into something it wasn't designed to be.

What I'd choose for different projects

• Custom startup / modern ecommerce: Medusa
• Next.js + TypeScript: Medusa or Vendure
• Large catalog / B2B / multiple countries: Saleor
• Python/Django team: Saleor
• WordPress site that needs ecommerce: WooCommerce
• Want the easiest traditional self-hosted store: WooCommerce
• Enterprise-scale traditional ecommerce: Magento Open Source
• Want maximum control over the frontend: Medusa or Saleor

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products you'll have, and what stack you want to use (e.g. Next.js, Laravel, plain PHP, etc.), I can recommend one specifically and give you a self-hosted architecture—including server, database, payments, storage, search, email, and deployment.

"I want to get a store running quickly, install plugins, and have an admin interface that my non-developer can use."

then woocommerce.com is hard to beat.

Its huge WordPress ecosystem is its biggest advantage. You can find integrations for payments, shipping, taxes, email marketing, SEO, subscriptions, memberships, etc.

The two I'd seriously consider are Medusa and Saleor.

Medusa

• TypeScript/Node.js
• Very developer-friendly
• Headless from the ground up
• Excellent if you're building a custom React/Next.js frontend
• Modular architecture
• Good choice if you want to modify the actual commerce logic

Saleor

If your priorities are self-hosting + full source-code access + deep customization, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, and WooCommerce.

My recommendation: Medusa

medusajs.com would be my first choice if you’re comfortable developing the store yourself.

Why:

• Open source and self-hostable
• Built with TypeScript/Node.js
• Headless by design, so you can build the storefront however you want
• Modular architecture—you can replace/customize payments, shipping, pricing, inventory, etc.
• Excellent fit with Next.js/React
• You aren't fighting against a prebuilt storefront when you want something unusual
• Good choice for a completely bespoke shopping experience

The main downside is that its ecosystem is much smaller than WooCommerce's, so you'll sometimes have to build integrations yourself. OSSAlt WPBundle

The alternatives

When I'd pick each

Medusa → Best overall for a developer-built store.
If you're thinking "I want to own the entire stack and make the store behave exactly how I want," this is probably the one.

saleor.io → Best if you're building something more enterprise-oriented. It's GraphQL-first, headless, and has strong multi-channel/multi-warehouse capabilities. It is also considerably heavier to operate. Saleor's own documentation supports running the entire stack locally with Docker. Saleor Commerce Saleor Commerce

woocommerce.com → Best if you want to get a store running quickly and take advantage of a gigantic WordPress/plugin ecosystem. It's much less "clean slate" than Medusa, but the ecosystem is a massive advantage. OSSAlt Shopify

bagisto.com → Very interesting if you're a Laravel developer. It's more of a complete traditional ecommerce application than Medusa.

Sylius → Excellent if you're a Symfony/PHP developer and want ecommerce functionality integrated deeply into your own application rather than adopting a conventional store platform.

What I'd personally build

For a new, highly customized store in 2026:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Redis → Stripe/payment provider

with everything deployed on your own VPS/cloud infrastructure.

That gives you roughly:

Customer
   ↓
Next.js / React storefront
   ↓
Medusa API
   ├── Products
   ├── Cart
   ├── Checkout
   ├── Orders
   ├── Customers
   ├── Pricing
   ├── Inventory
   └── Promotions
          ↓
     PostgreSQL

You can then add your own services around it without having to bend the ecommerce platform into doing things it wasn't designed for.

One important distinction: if by "customize fully" you mean "I want to be able to change essentially every part of the application and I'm happy writing code," I'd strongly favor Medusa/Saleor/Sylius over WooCommerce. If you mean "I want thousands of existing plugins so I don't have to code everything," choose WooCommerce. WPBundle opensourceprojects.cc

If you tell me what you're selling, expected number of products/orders, your preferred programming language, and whether you want to build the frontend yourself, I can narrow this down to one and give you a recommended architecture/deployment setup.

If your priorities are self-hosting + open source + total control + deep customization, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, Saleor, WooCommerce, and Bagisto. The right choice depends heavily on whether you want to build the store or mainly configure one.

My recommendation: Medusa

Medusa would be my first choice if you're comfortable developing.

Why:

• Open source and self-hostable
• Built with TypeScript/Node.js
• Headless by design, so you can build the frontend however you want
• Very modular — payments, fulfillment, promotions, inventory, etc. can be customized/replaced
• Excellent fit with Next.js/React
• You aren't fighting a pre-built storefront architecture
• No platform transaction fee
• Good choice if you expect unusual business logic or want complete control

The main downside is that you're building more yourself. Its extension ecosystem is nowhere near WooCommerce's, so things that WooCommerce has as a plugin may require development with Medusa. www.wpbundle.com

How I'd rank them

Medusa vs. Saleor

This is probably the most interesting comparison if you want a seriously custom store.

Medusa

• TypeScript
• Node.js
• REST-oriented
• Very developer-friendly
• Excellent for Next.js
• More modular/"build it your way"

Saleor

• Python/Django
• GraphQL-first
• Particularly strong for multi-channel, multi-currency, multi-warehouse and more enterprise-oriented commerce
• More infrastructure/DevOps complexity

Saleor is extremely capable, but I'd choose it over Medusa mainly if you specifically want GraphQL/Python or enterprise-grade commerce capabilities. www.wpbundle.com

Don't dismiss WooCommerce

If by "customize fully" you mean "I want lots of existing integrations and don't necessarily want to code everything myself," then WooCommerce is arguably the better choice.

You get WordPress + WooCommerce, an enormous ecosystem of extensions, payment gateways, shipping integrations, tax tools, subscriptions, memberships, etc. You can still modify the PHP code and create a completely custom frontend. www.wpbundle.com

The downside is architectural: you're building on WordPress/WooCommerce rather than starting with a clean commerce API.

What I'd choose for different scenarios

"I'm a developer and want to build something really custom."
→ Medusa

"I'm building a large enterprise store with complex inventory/multiple warehouses."
→ Saleor

"I want to get a store online quickly and have an enormous plugin ecosystem."
→ WooCommerce

"I'm a Laravel developer."
→ Bagisto

"I want maximum control and I'm happy to build a lot of the application myself."
→ Medusa or Sylius

"I want something like Shopify, but the entire stack belongs to me."
→ Medusa + Next.js is probably the architecture I'd investigate first.

One important distinction: self-hosted doesn't mean maintenance-free. You'll be responsible for hosting, updates, backups, security, and payment integration. The payment processor can still handle the sensitive card-processing side, so you don't necessarily need to handle raw card data yourself. opensourceprojects.cc

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and what tech stack you prefer (Node/Python/PHP/etc.), I can narrow this down to one platform and a recommended self-hosted architecture.

Yes. If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code control + deep customization, I’d look at modern headless/open-source platforms rather than Shopify-style systems.

My shortlist

🥇 I'd probably choose Medusa

Medusa on GitHub

Medusa is particularly attractive if you're comfortable with TypeScript/Node.js. It's designed as a customizable commerce framework rather than a rigid website builder, and its commerce modules are open source. You can build your own frontend, modify the backend, add custom business logic, and self-host the whole thing. github.com

A typical setup could be:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Redis

with things like Stripe, PayPal, shipping providers, search, email, CMS, etc. plugged in around it.

The big advantage is that you're not fighting the platform when you want to do something unusual.

🥈 Vendure if you want TypeScript + a serious plugin architecture

Vendure

I'd seriously consider Vendure alongside Medusa. It's built with TypeScript, Node/NestJS, React and GraphQL, and its plugin architecture is a major part of the design. It's particularly compelling if you're expecting B2B, multiple channels, complicated pricing, marketplaces, or unusual commerce workflows. vendure.iogithub.com

One thing to pay attention to is licensing: Vendure Core is GPLv3, and Vendure also has commercial Platform functionality. vendure.iogithub.com

🥉 Saleor if you're building something bigger

Saleor

Saleor is another excellent choice, especially if you're comfortable with Python + GraphQL. It's genuinely self-hostable—the project documents running the API, dashboard and other components yourself—and it's built around a headless/composable architecture. saleor.io

I'd lean toward Saleor for something like:

• multiple storefronts
• multiple countries/currencies
• complex catalogs
• B2B
• high-volume commerce
• custom mobile/web clients

For a smaller store, though, it can be more infrastructure than you need.

What about WooCommerce?

WooCommerce

Don't dismiss it. If you want "I want a store running quickly and there are plugins for practically everything", WooCommerce remains extremely difficult to beat. Its enormous WordPress ecosystem is its killer feature. www.wpbundle.com

But if by "customize fully" you mean I want to fundamentally alter how products, carts, pricing, checkout, customers, fulfillment, APIs, etc. work, I'd rather start with Medusa/Vendure/Saleor.

What I'd pick for different projects

Small/medium store, developer-built:
→ Medusa

Custom marketplace / B2B / complicated business logic:
→ Vendure

Large enterprise/headless operation:
→ Saleor

PHP/Symfony developer:
→ Sylius — it's explicitly designed as a highly customizable open-source ecommerce framework. github.com

Non-developer or conventional WordPress store:
→ WooCommerce

One important distinction

I'd decide between Medusa, Vendure, and Saleor before worrying about themes.

They're essentially the commerce backend, while you can build the storefront separately with something like Next.js. That means you aren't locked into the platform's visual design or frontend.

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products, whether you need subscriptions/B2B/marketplace functionality, and what tech stack you're comfortable with, I can narrow this down to one platform and give you the exact self-hosted architecture I'd use.

If your priorities are self-hosted + open source + extremely customizable, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 I'd choose Medusa for a new custom build

Medusa is particularly attractive if you want to build the store around your own design and business logic rather than adapt your business to a prebuilt storefront.

It's a headless commerce engine built around Node/TypeScript, and its commerce modules are open source under the MIT license. You can use it as the backend and build essentially whatever frontend you want with Next.js, React, Vue, mobile apps, etc. github.com

A typical architecture would be:

                    ┌── Next.js storefront
                    │
Customers ──────────┼── Mobile app
                    │
                    └── Custom frontend
                           │
                           ▼
                    ┌──────────────┐
                    │    Medusa    │
                    │  Commerce API│
                    └──────────────┘
                       │    │    │
             ┌─────────┘    │    └─────────┐
             ▼              ▼              ▼
          Postgres        Redis       Your services

That gives you control over the frontend, checkout, pricing logic, products, orders, integrations, database, deployment, and APIs rather than being constrained by a hosted platform.

🥈 Saleor if you're building something really sophisticated

Saleor is another excellent option. It's open source, headless, GraphQL-based, and designed around composable commerce. You can self-host the entire stack, including the dashboard. saleor.io

I'd lean toward Saleor over Medusa if you expect things like:

• multiple countries/currencies
• complex product catalogs
• multiple sales channels
• sophisticated B2B requirements
• very large scale
• GraphQL being central to your architecture

The downside is that it's a more substantial engineering project.

🥉 WooCommerce if you don't want to build as much

WooCommerce is still incredibly compelling. It's genuinely open source, self-hostable, and gives you source-level customization. It also has a gigantic WordPress/plugin ecosystem. woocommerce.com

I'd choose WooCommerce if you want:

"I want a complete store that I can customize."

I'd choose Medusa if you want:

"I want a commerce engine that I can turn into whatever store I want."

That's an important distinction.

What I'd pick based on your situation

If you're a developer building from scratch:
→ Medusa

If you're building a highly sophisticated/large-scale commerce system:
→ Saleor

If you're a small business and want to get selling quickly:
→ WooCommerce

If you specifically like Laravel/PHP:
→ Bagisto — it's an MIT-licensed open-source Laravel ecommerce framework with marketplace, PWA, mobile and multi-tenant capabilities. github.com

If you're all-in on TypeScript and want an alternative to Medusa:
→ Vendure

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products you expect, whether you're comfortable with coding, and what stack you prefer (PHP/WordPress vs Node/TypeScript vs Python), I can narrow this down to one recommendation and give you the exact self-hosted stack I'd use (Docker, database, frontend, payments, search, storage, etc.).

If your priorities are open source + self-hosting + deep customization, I’d shortlist Medusa, Saleor, Bagisto, and WooCommerce. My default recommendation for a new, developer-built store would be Medusa.

My picks

1. Medusa — best overall for developers

Medusa

• MIT-licensed and genuinely open source. github.comdocs.medusajs.comgithub.com
• Node.js/TypeScript, so it's particularly nice if you already work with React/Next.js.
• Designed as a commerce engine/framework, rather than a rigid storefront.
• You can replace or customize products, pricing, carts, checkout, promotions, fulfillment, payments, etc.
• Supports self-hosting; its documentation explicitly provides self-hosting deployment guidance. docs.medusajs.com
• Particularly good if you want a completely custom frontend.

I'd choose this if: you want to build something that feels more like your own ecommerce application than a customized off-the-shelf store.

2. Saleor — best for serious/large-scale commerce

Saleor

Saleor is extremely customizable and API-first. It's GraphQL-native, headless, and designed around composable commerce. You can self-host the API, dashboard, and storefront. saleor.io

It's my choice over Medusa when you anticipate things like:

• multiple storefronts/channels
• multiple currencies and countries
• complex catalogs
• sophisticated B2B
• very large scale
• a team comfortable with Python/Django + GraphQL

The downside is that Saleor is more infrastructure-heavy than something like WooCommerce.

3. Bagisto — best if you like Laravel/PHP

Bagisto

Bagisto is MIT-licensed and built on Laravel. It gives you a more traditional ecommerce platform while still allowing substantial customization. It also has headless capabilities and a large extension ecosystem. github.com

I'd seriously consider it if your stack is already PHP/Laravel.

4. WooCommerce — best if you want the easiest ecosystem

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is hard to beat for the sheer number of themes, plugins, integrations, developers, and tutorials available.

But there's an important distinction:

WooCommerce is great for customizing an existing ecommerce system. Medusa/Saleor are better if you want to fundamentally build your own system.

How I'd decide

My recommendation

If you're starting from scratch today, I'd go:

Next.js → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Redis → object storage → your own infrastructure

That gives you a clean separation between the storefront and commerce backend, while keeping the entire system under your control. Medusa specifically describes its architecture as commerce building blocks that can support custom DTC, B2B, marketplace, POS, and other applications. github.comdocs.medusajs.comgithub.com

If you tell me what you're selling and what tech stack you prefer (e.g. Next.js, Laravel, Python, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 choices and explain the architecture I'd use.

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code control + deep customization, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, Sylius, Bagisto, and WooCommerce. The right choice depends mostly on whether you want a traditional store or a headless/custom application.

My recommendation: Medusa

Medusa would be my first choice for a new, highly customized store.

It’s MIT-licensed, open source, built with TypeScript/Node.js, and designed specifically as a customizable commerce engine rather than a giant monolithic storefront. Its modules cover things like products, carts, orders, payments, fulfillment, and promotions, while you build the frontend however you want. github.com

A typical setup could be:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + Stripe

That gives you:

• Full control over the frontend
• Full control over checkout
• Custom product/catalog logic
• Custom customer accounts
• Custom pricing and promotions
• Custom payment/fulfillment integrations
• Self-hosting on your own VPS/cloud
• No Shopify-style platform lock-in
• Ability to modify/fork the underlying code

Medusa is particularly attractive if you're comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript.

Other strong options

Saleor

Saleor is probably the one I'd consider instead of Medusa if you're building something more enterprise-oriented.

It's API-only and GraphQL-native, with a Python/Django backend. It supports multichannel commerce, sophisticated catalog structures, webhooks, dashboard extensions, and a composable architecture. github.comgithub.com

The downside is that you're taking on considerably more architectural complexity.

Sylius

Sylius is excellent if you're a PHP/Symfony developer. It's explicitly designed as an ecommerce framework for building highly customized B2C/B2B experiences rather than forcing you into a predefined storefront. It's MIT licensed. github.com

I'd choose it over Medusa if your team is already very comfortable with Symfony.

Bagisto

Bagisto is worth serious consideration if you like Laravel/PHP. It's MIT licensed and comes with considerably more traditional ecommerce functionality out of the box than something like Medusa. github.com

It's a particularly nice middle ground between "I want to build everything myself" and "I want a complete store immediately."

WooCommerce

If you want to get a store running quickly rather than build an ecommerce application, WooCommerce is still hard to beat. Its enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem means you can find existing solutions for an incredible number of requirements. www.wpbundle.com

But there's an important distinction:

WooCommerce = customize an existing ecommerce system

Medusa/Saleor/Sylius = build your own ecommerce system on top of a commerce engine

Since you specifically said "customize fully," I'd lean toward the latter.

What I'd choose

If I were starting a new project today:

Small/medium custom store:
→ Medusa + Next.js

Very custom/large/enterprise store:
→ Saleor + Next.js

PHP/Laravel team:
→ Bagisto

PHP/Symfony team / extremely bespoke business logic:
→ Sylius

Want the easiest path to a conventional store:
→ WooCommerce

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and what tech stack you're comfortable with (or whether you want no-code/low-code), I can narrow this down to one and recommend a specific self-hosted architecture.

If your priority is “I want to own the whole thing, self-host it, and be able to change essentially anything”, I’d strongly favor a headless open-source platform rather than something like Shopify or even traditional WooCommerce.

My top picks

🥇 I'd choose Medusa

Medusa is probably the best fit for what you're describing.

It's an open-source commerce framework built around TypeScript/Node.js, and unlike WooCommerce, it isn't trying to dictate what your storefront looks like. The commerce engine provides things like:

• Products and variants
• Carts
• Customers
• Orders
• Payments
• Promotions
• Shipping
• Inventory
• Regions/currencies
• Sales channels
• APIs
• Extensibility/custom modules

You can then build the frontend yourself—Next.js, React, Vue, Svelte, mobile app, whatever you want. The Medusa repository is MIT-licensed, and its commerce modules are open source. github.com

That makes it particularly attractive if you want something like:

Your frontend → Your API/business logic → Medusa → PostgreSQL

rather than:

WordPress → WooCommerce → 47 plugins → theme → plugin conflicts

🥈 Vendure is extremely compelling

Vendure is the one I'd investigate alongside Medusa.

It's also TypeScript/Node.js, but uses NestJS + GraphQL and has a particularly strong plugin architecture. Vendure explicitly supports self-hosting, and its open-source Core is GPLv3. vendure.io

I'd lean toward Vendure if you need things like:

• B2B pricing
• Multiple channels
• Complex product structures
• Marketplaces
• Subscriptions
• Complicated business rules
• Lots of custom backend logic

The downside is the GPLv3 licensing model, which is something I'd examine carefully if you're building proprietary extensions or distributing the software. github.com

🥉 Saleor

Saleor is another excellent choice, particularly if you're comfortable with Python/Django and GraphQL.

It's BSD-3-Clause licensed and can be self-hosted; their documentation explicitly describes cloning the platform, running migrations, and running the dashboard locally without requiring their cloud service. saleor.io

I'd consider Saleor over Medusa if you're building a large, sophisticated commerce operation where things like multi-channel, complex catalogs, and GraphQL are particularly important.

What I would not automatically choose

WooCommerce is fantastic, but I'd choose it primarily if you want the enormous WordPress ecosystem and want to get a conventional store running quickly.

If your thought is:

"I'm a developer and I want to completely redesign the architecture and build unusual functionality."

I'd rather start with Medusa/Vendure/Saleor.

If your thought is:

"I want a store I can customize, but I don't want to build much."

I'd choose WooCommerce.

My recommendation

For a new project in 2026, I'd rank them:

1. Medusa — best overall for a developer wanting maximum freedom
2. Vendure — best if your commerce/business logic is unusually complex
3. Saleor — best if you prefer Python/GraphQL and expect serious scale
4. WooCommerce — best if ecosystem and simplicity matter more than architecture
5. Sylius — excellent choice if you're already a Symfony/PHP shop

The biggest thing I'd want to know before choosing, though, is what you're selling and what kind of store you're envisioning. If you tell me whether it's, say, physical products, digital products, subscriptions, B2B, marketplace/multi-vendor, etc., plus what programming language you're comfortable with, I can narrow this down to one specific platform and a recommended self-hosted architecture.

If your priority is “I want to host it myself and customize everything”, I would avoid most SaaS-style solutions and focus on platforms where you own the code, database, and deployment. The best choice depends on how much you want to build yourself. www.wpbundle.com

My shortlist:

blog.openreplay.com

My recommendation by scenario

1. You want a completely custom storefront (React/Next.js/etc.)

Pick Medusa.

Why:

• Headless by design (commerce backend separated from your frontend)
• TypeScript ecosystem
• Easy to create custom checkout flows, pricing logic, integrations, and product models
• You can build a unique UX instead of fighting a theme system

Typical stack:

• Medusa backend
• Next.js storefront
• PostgreSQL
• Stripe/payment provider
• Your own CMS (optional)

This is the closest open-source equivalent to building your own Shopify Plus-style system. www.wpbundle.com

2. You want maximum business features out of the box

Pick Saleor.

Good if you need:

• Multiple warehouses
• Multiple currencies
• Complex permissions
• International selling
• GraphQL APIs

The tradeoff is more infrastructure and engineering overhead. blog.openreplay.com

3. You want to launch quickly and customize later

Pick WooCommerce.

Advantages:

• Huge plugin ecosystem
• WordPress CMS included
• Easy hosting
• Lots of developers available

Disadvantages:

• Plugins can become messy
• Deep customizations often mean fighting WordPress conventions
• Large stores need careful optimization

It is still the most practical option for many small-to-medium stores because the ecosystem is enormous. www.wpbundle.com

4. You want to basically build your own commerce engine

Consider:

• Sylius if you like Symfony/PHP
• Vendure if you prefer Node/TypeScript
• Saleor if you prefer Python/GraphQL

These are more “frameworks for commerce” than traditional store builders. blog.openreplay.com

What I would choose today

For a new project where the goal is maximum control and long-term customization:

1. Medusa + Next.js → best overall developer experience
2. Saleor + custom frontend → best for enterprise complexity
3. WooCommerce headless → best if SEO/content marketing is central
4. Magento Open Source → only if you truly need its enterprise feature depth

A useful question is: are you trying to build a store, or are you trying to build a commerce platform?

• Store → WooCommerce
• Custom branded shopping experience → Medusa
• Multi-region/B2B/enterprise → Saleor or Magento
• “I want to rewrite almost everything” → Medusa/Sylius/Vendure

If you tell me your expected scale (number of products/orders), preferred programming language, and whether you want a traditional storefront or a headless setup, I can narrow it down further.

If your priority is self-hosting + full control + deep customization, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 My pick: Medusa

Medusa is what I’d choose for a new, highly customized store, especially if you’re comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript.

• MIT-licensed and open source. github.com
• Built as a headless commerce engine, so you can make the storefront whatever you want.
• TypeScript/Node.js, which makes it particularly nice if you're using React/Next.js.
• Commerce functionality is modular, so you can replace/customize things like payments, fulfillment, pricing, and other business logic.
• You can self-host it on your own VPS/cloud infrastructure.
• It is designed for more than just traditional stores—you can build marketplaces, B2B commerce, custom checkout experiences, etc. github.com

The downside: you're building more yourself. Medusa isn't as plug-and-play as WooCommerce.

🥈 Saleor — if you want serious/custom enterprise architecture

Saleor is another excellent choice.

It's open source, self-hostable, GraphQL-first, and extremely extensible. The official project explicitly supports cloning and running the platform yourself, with the Dashboard, API, and other components available as open-source software. saleor.io

I'd lean toward Saleor if you expect:

• Multiple storefronts/channels
• Internationalization
• Complex product catalogs
• B2B
• Multiple warehouses
• A large development team
• A heavily API-driven architecture

The tradeoff is that it's a more substantial engineering project than WooCommerce.

🥉 WooCommerce — if you want the easiest path

WooCommerce is still extremely compelling if you don't need a sophisticated headless architecture.

You get:

• WordPress + ecommerce in one system
• Huge plugin ecosystem
• Very mature payment/shipping/tax integrations
• Self-hosting
• Full access to the PHP source
• Easy content/blog/CMS functionality

Its biggest advantage is the ecosystem. If you need some obscure integration, there's a good chance someone has already built it. Current comparisons still put WooCommerce ahead on ecosystem breadth, while Medusa is stronger for developer-built custom stores. www.wpbundle.com

How I'd choose

For your wording specifically—"host myself and customize fully"—I'd start with Medusa. Its architecture is much closer to "give me the commerce primitives and let me build my store" than "here's a prebuilt store that you customize." github.com

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products/orders you expect, and what tech stack you're comfortable with, I can narrow it down to Medusa vs Saleor vs WooCommerce and tell you which I'd actually deploy.

If your priority is self-hosting + full source-code control + deep customization, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 My recommendation: Medusa

Medusa would probably be my first choice for what you're describing.

It's MIT-licensed, self-hostable, and designed as a modular commerce framework rather than a rigid "store builder." The backend provides things like products, carts, orders, payments and fulfillment, while you can build the storefront however you want. github.com

The big advantage is that you aren't fighting the platform when you want something unusual.

For example, you could build:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL

and completely control the frontend, backend logic, database, checkout experience, product model, integrations, etc.

I'd choose this if you're comfortable with TypeScript/Node.js.

🥈 Bagisto — if you want more "store out of the box"

Bagisto is particularly interesting if you want something closer to a traditional ecommerce platform.

It's Laravel/PHP + Vue, MIT licensed, self-hostable, and already has a substantial amount of ecommerce functionality. It also supports headless setups with Next.js and has 100+ extensions. github.com

I'd pick Bagisto over Medusa if your goal is:

"I want a complete ecommerce admin/store system that I can modify."

rather than:

"I want a commerce backend that I can build my own application around."

🥉 Saleor — extremely powerful, but heavier

Saleor is excellent if you're building something sophisticated.

It's API-first, headless and GraphQL-native, with a React/Next.js ecosystem and strong support for multichannel commerce. You can self-host the entire stack. saleor.io

The downside is operational complexity: you're dealing with Python/Django, PostgreSQL, Redis and background workers, among other components. blog.openreplay.com

I'd consider it for a serious multi-store, international, B2B, or highly customized operation.

What about WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is still probably the easiest option if you want to get a conventional store online quickly. Its enormous WordPress plugin/theme ecosystem is a major advantage. www.wpbundle.com

But I wouldn't choose it for "I want to customize absolutely everything." WordPress/WooCommerce's plugin architecture can become cumbersome when you're doing something substantially different from a normal ecommerce site.

My ranking for your requirements

If you tell me "I want to own the code, run it on my own VPS, and be able to radically change how the store works", I'd rank them:

1. Medusa — best overall
2. Bagisto — best full-featured traditional platform
3. Saleor — best for sophisticated/headless architecture
4. WooCommerce — easiest, enormous ecosystem
5. Shopware — powerful conventional ecommerce

One important distinction: Medusa/Saleor are commerce engines, whereas Bagisto/WooCommerce are closer to complete store platforms. That distinction matters a lot when choosing.

If you tell me what you're selling, your preferred programming language, and whether you want a normal storefront or something highly custom, I can narrow this down to one platform and give you the recommended architecture/hosting setup.

If your priority is “I own the whole thing, can self-host it, and can modify basically anything”, I’d narrow it to Medusa, Saleor, and WooCommerce.

My recommendation: Medusa

Medusa

Medusa is probably the best fit if you’re comfortable with development. It’s open source, TypeScript/Node-based, headless, and designed around extending and replacing commerce workflows. You can self-host the backend and build whatever storefront you want. medusajs.com

The architecture is roughly:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL/Redis → payment/shipping/etc.

That gives you very little that you can't change.

Other good choices

Saleor — best for a serious/custom enterprise build

Saleor is Python/Django + GraphQL and is extremely composable. Its dashboard itself is extensible, and the platform supports self-hosting from its open-source repository. saleor.io

I'd choose Saleor over Medusa if you particularly like GraphQL/Python or expect complex multi-channel, multi-market, or enterprise requirements.

WooCommerce — best if you want the easiest route

WooCommerce gives you WordPress + ecommerce in one package. Its huge plugin/theme ecosystem makes it dramatically easier to find existing functionality than with newer headless platforms. www.wpbundle.com

The downside is that it's more of a traditional WordPress application. If your goal is to build a highly custom application rather than a conventional online shop, I'd lean toward Medusa.

How I'd choose

The important distinction is headless vs. traditional. Medusa and Saleor give you a commerce engine/API and let you build the storefront yourself; WooCommerce gives you much more of the storefront/CMS experience out of the box. opensourceprojects.cc

For what you described, I'd personally start with Medusa. It hits a particularly nice balance of open source, self-hosting, modern architecture, and “I can completely change how this works.”

If you tell me what you're selling, your preferred programming language, and whether you're building it yourself, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and explain the hosting architecture I'd use.

If your priority is self-hosting + full customization + owning the code/data, I’d narrow it down to Medusa, Vendure, Saleor, and WooCommerce.

My recommendation: Medusa

Medusa would be my first choice if you're comfortable developing the store yourself.

It’s a TypeScript/Node.js, headless commerce framework designed to be extended and self-hosted. Its modular architecture lets you customize things like products, carts, payments, inventory, fulfillment, pricing, and checkout rather than fighting against a monolithic platform. www.wpbundle.comcontracollective.com

A typical stack could be:

Next.js storefront → Medusa → PostgreSQL → Stripe → your own server/VPS

That gives you essentially complete control over the customer-facing site while Medusa handles the underlying commerce logic.

How I'd rank them

Medusa vs Vendure

These are probably the two I'd investigate first.

Choose Medusa if:

• You want a modern headless architecture.
• You're using Next.js/React/TypeScript.
• You want to build unusual/custom checkout and business logic.
• You want the commerce backend to be modular.
• You don't mind doing some development yourself.

Choose Vendure if:

• You particularly like NestJS/TypeScript.
• You want a very mature plugin architecture.
• You're doing B2B, custom pricing, quotes, etc.
• You want GraphQL as a major part of the architecture.

Vendure is also MIT-licensed and self-hostable. www.wpbundle.comcontracollective.com

Saleor

Saleor is the one I'd consider if you're building something substantially more complicated: multiple countries, currencies, warehouses, channels, large catalogs, etc.

It's Python/Django + GraphQL, and its architecture is particularly suited to multi-region and complex catalog scenarios. contracollective.com

The downside is that if you're a JavaScript/TypeScript developer, you're taking on a Python backend ecosystem.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the pragmatic choice.

It's not as architecturally elegant as Medusa/Vendure, but its enormous WordPress/plugin ecosystem means you can often find an existing solution instead of building one yourself. www.wpbundle.com

I'd choose WooCommerce if your priority is:

"I want to get a store running quickly and customize it extensively."

I'd choose Medusa if your priority is:

"I want to build my own ecommerce application and have complete control over the architecture."

What I'd personally pick

If you told me:

"I want to host it on my own VPS, completely customize the frontend and checkout, have access to the source code, and I'm willing to code."

I'd go with:

Medusa + Next.js + PostgreSQL + Stripe

That's a very flexible foundation, and you aren't locked into a particular storefront design or SaaS platform. The main tradeoff is that self-hosting means you're responsible for updates, backups, security, monitoring, and infrastructure. opensourceprojects.cc

If you tell me what you're selling, roughly how many products you expect, and whether you know JavaScript/TypeScript/PHP/Python, I can narrow this down to one platform and suggest a concrete self-hosted architecture.