Medusa

Medusa has become since 2022 the most serious open source alternative to Shopify. Unlike WooCommerce which inherits WordPress's heaviness, or Shopify which dictates its platform, Medusa offers a modern, modular, self-hostable e-commerce backend, consumable by any frontend (Next.js, mobile, Astro). For SMB e-commerce that want to leave Shopify or avoid getting in, it has become a credible and mature option.

• →ShopifyIf simplicity and time-to-market matter more than controlView page
• →Next.js + StripeFor very simple e-commerce without need for a full platform
• →WooCommerceIf you already have WordPress and a small catalog: legacy but operational solutionView page
• →SaleorAnother open source headless commerce: more GraphQL API oriented, younger ecosystem

1. 01

   Medusa backend deployed on Node runtime (Docker, VPS) with PostgreSQL and Redis

2. 02

   Custom frontend in Next.js or Astro consuming the Medusa API: strict separation

3. 03

   Stripe (or others) integrated as payment processor: Medusa orchestrates

4. 04

   Business modules added based on needs (B2B, subscriptions, gift cards)

5. 05

   Medusa admin deployed separately for the team: 1-2 days initial training

• Medusa or Shopify: how to choose?

  Shopify if you want to be online in 2 weeks, your catalog is standard, and commissions aren't a problem. Medusa if you want complete control (data, integrations, long-term costs), you have a technical team, and your project justifies the upfront investment. Typical threshold: €500k-1M annual revenue from which Medusa becomes economically interesting.
• How much does a Medusa e-commerce cost?

  For a medium e-commerce (200-500 product catalog, standard B2C features), expect €5,000 to €15,000 to build (Medusa backend + Next.js front + payment and shipping integration). Hosting: €30-100/month depending on traffic. Compared to Shopify's €50-150/month + commissions, the upfront investment pays back in 1-2 years depending on revenue.
• Is Medusa really open source?

  Yes, under MIT license. The code is entirely accessible and usable without commercial restriction. Medusa Inc. (the company behind) offers a paid cloud offering (Medusa Cloud), but the self-hosted version remains 100% open source and functional. It's a healthy economic model (light open-core) that reassures on sustainability.
• What about migrating from Shopify?

  It's feasible and now well documented. Complete export from Shopify (catalog, orders, customers) via their API, data transformation to the Medusa model, progressive import. For a medium catalog, expect 3-6 days of technical migration, plus frontend reconstruction. Transitional sync possible during the validation phase.
• Is the Medusa ecosystem mature enough?

  Mature for standard cases, growing for specific cases. Common integrations (Stripe, PayPal, shipping) are available and stable. Very pointed needs (business ERP, marketplace) still sometimes require custom work. For 90% of SMB cases, the ecosystem is sufficient. For the remaining 10%, that's precisely the value of open source: you can adapt.