Saleor

Open source alternative to commercetools, Shopify and BigCommerce

23.5K stars
BSD-3-Clause
Active this week
Last commit 2 days ago

Last verified Oct 20, 2026

A composable, open-source e-commerce platform using GraphQL-first API for building dynamic shopping experiences.

Visit website GitHub23.5K Deploy on Hostinger

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Saleor is for#

Engineering-led commerce teams

Saleor fits teams building custom storefronts, marketplaces, or multi-channel commerce experiences.

Skip if:

Skip if you need a store online this week with minimal development work.

Retailers replacing app-heavy Shopify setups

Saleor gives teams more backend control when Shopify apps and theme hacks become hard to maintain.

Skip if:

Skip if your current Shopify workflow is standard and the app ecosystem covers your needs.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Hosted commerce platforms are fast to start, but they become restrictive when a team needs custom checkout flows, multi-channel catalogs, unusual pricing, or deep backend integration. Workarounds pile up in apps, scripts, and theme code while the core commerce logic stays locked behind a vendor model.

Engineering-led retailers and marketplaces need commerce primitives they can extend cleanly. They want APIs, webhooks, and deployment control without building every order, payment, and catalog concept from scratch.

how Saleor solves it

How it solves it#

GraphQL commerce API

Saleor exposes commerce operations through GraphQL, which fits custom storefronts, mobile apps, and internal tools.

Headless storefront model

Teams can build frontend experiences separately from backend commerce logic instead of being tied to a hosted theme system.

Product, checkout, and order primitives

Saleor covers core commerce concepts so teams do not have to implement carts, orders, discounts, and channels from nothing.

Cloud and self-managed paths

Teams can evaluate Saleor Cloud or operate the open source platform depending on control, staffing, and compliance needs.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

API-first commerce architectureSaleor is a better fit than theme-first store builders when the product experience needs custom frontend and backend integration.
Permissive BSD-3-Clause licenseThe license is friendly to commercial modification and internal platform work.

Trade-offs

-Requires engineering capacitySaleor is not a no-code storefront builder. Teams need developers to build the frontend, integrations, deployment, and operational workflows.
-Commerce operations still need careful integrationPayments, taxes, fulfillment, and ERP flows require planning even when the core platform provides extension points.

versus alternatives

Saleor vs alternatives#

Saleor vs Shopify

Saleor and Shopify both support online commerce, but they optimize for different teams. Saleor is API-first and developer-led; Shopify is managed and merchant-led.

Criteria	Saleor	Shopify
License	BSD-3-Clause	Proprietary
Self-hosting	Yes	No
Architecture	Headless GraphQL commerce	Hosted commerce SaaS
Best fit	Custom commerce builds	Fast store launch and managed operations

Saleor is better when commerce logic needs to fit a custom product, marketplace, or multi-channel architecture. Shopify is better when speed, managed hosting, and a large app ecosystem matter more than backend control.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: Python
Frameworks: Django
Infrastructure: AWS
Cache: Redis
Tooling: GraphQL

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is Saleor open source?

Yes. Saleor is open source under the BSD-3-Clause license.

Can Saleor replace Shopify?

Saleor can replace Shopify for teams that want API-first headless commerce and have developers to build and operate the stack. Shopify remains easier for no-code store setup.

Is Saleor headless?

Yes. Saleor is designed as a headless commerce platform with a GraphQL API for custom storefronts and integrations.

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by category

Open source tools in these categories#

196

Hostinger

Run Saleor on your own server

Self-host Saleor on a Hostinger VPS.

Deploy on Hostinger

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Who Saleor is for#