Compare / Medusa vs Saleor
Medusa vs Saleor
Pick Medusa if you want a Node API and a React storefront (the published Shopify stack). Pick Saleor if the team is Python/GraphQL.
Facts checked 17 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Medusa in the catalog Saleor in the catalogStart on Railway
How they compare
| Medusa | Saleor | |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT (medusajs/medusa LICENSE). Skip Enterprise Edition materials if you want OSS-only. source | BSD-3-Clause (catalog) source |
| Language | TypeScript (medusajs/medusa) source | Python (catalog) source |
| GitHub activity | 36,778 stars, pushed 17 Oct 2026 (not in the catalog row) source | 23,446 stars in the catalog source |
| Self-host | Headless Node API + React storefront. Wire Stripe yourself. | Composable GraphQL commerce API. |
| Best for | A Node API and a React storefront. | A Python/GraphQL team, not a WordPress shop. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
Medusa is /stacks/medusa-commerce. LICENSE in medusajs/medusa (read 17 Oct 2026) is MIT; Enterprise Edition materials are separate. Saleor is BSD-3-Clause in the catalog. Neither clones Shopify checkout or the app store.
FAQ
- Medusa or Saleor?
- Medusa if you want Node/React. Saleor if the team is Python/GraphQL. WooCommerce if the site is already WordPress.
- Will this clone Shopify checkout?
- No. You get products, cart, and a checkout you build or take from the starter. Themes, the app store, and Shopify Payments stay behind.
- Are these free?
- Medusa core is MIT; Saleor is BSD-3-Clause. You still pay Stripe or PayPal and hosting.
- How do I deploy Medusa?
- Open /stacks/medusa-commerce. Complete one test checkout.
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