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E-Commerce · head to head

Medusa vs Mollie

Medusa logo

Medusa

E-Commerce

Open source Shopify alternative

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mollie logo

Mollie

E-Commerce

European payment service provider with published per-transaction rates and no monthly fee on the online plan

From
£0.3/transaction
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Medusa the managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage; Mollie non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.
  • They diverge on capability: Medusa covers Open source, Mollie covers Local payment methods.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medusa and Mollie actually diverge.

Attributes where Medusa and Mollie differ
AttributeMedusaMollie
Starting price$29/month£0.3/transaction
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer transaction by payment method
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, API
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Medusa

  • Open source
  • Modular architecture
  • Multi-region support
  • Plugin system
  • Admin dashboard
  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Payment integrations

Only in Mollie

  • Local payment methods
  • Published rate card
  • Hosted checkout and payment links
  • Subscriptions API
  • Point of sale terminals
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Multicurrency settlement

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Medusa

  • Building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platformnot Mollie
  • Running a self hosted or managed commerce API with a custom storefrontnot Mollie

Mollie

  • A Dutch or Belgian shop where most customers pay by iDEAL or Bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value basketsnot Medusa
  • A small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costsnot Medusa
  • A subscription business in the EEA collecting by SEPA Direct Debit mandate instead of cardnot Medusa
  • A marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main European local methodsnot Medusa

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Medusa

  • The managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage
  • The Develop plan at $29 a month applies a hard limit of 1,000 emails, so it stops rather than bills
  • Compute hours are capped at 600 on Develop and 800 on Launch
  • Edge request overage is $0.3 per million and storage $0.5 per GB month above the plan allowance
  • Background workers and priority support require the Scale plan at $299 a month

Mollie

  • Non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.
  • Coverage is built around European methods, so if you expand into Latin America or Southeast Asia you will need a second processor and a second reconciliation process rather than extending Mollie.
  • The in-person Pro plan requires a one-year contract and charges 20 pounds a month per additional terminal, so a shop with four tills pays 80 pounds a month in terminal fees before any transaction cost.
  • Mollie offers no interchange-plus option publicly, so large merchants cannot see or benefit from falling interchange the way they could on a cost-plus contract with an acquirer.
  • The developer tooling and reporting are lighter than the largest processors, so finance teams that want detailed fee breakdowns or granular reconciliation exports often end up building that layer themselves.

Pricing, plan by plan

Medusa

$29/month
  • Develop$29/month
    • Base cloud hosting
    • Commerce features included
    • No GMV-tax
  • Launch$99/month
    • Enhanced features
    • No GMV-tax
  • Scale$299/month
    • Advanced features
    • No GMV-tax
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom configuration

Mollie

£0.3/transaction
  • Online paymentsFree
    • No monthly fee
    • UK domestic consumer cards 1.20% + 20p
    • European and commercial cards 2.90% + 20p
  • In person, pay as you goFree
    • No monthly commitment
    • Per-transaction terminal rates
    • One terminal
  • In person, Pro$20/month
    • Lower per-transaction terminal rates
    • One-year contract required
    • Each additional terminal 20 pounds per month

Which should you pick?

Choose Medusa if

  • You need open source.
  • You also want modular architecture.
Medusa review

Choose Mollie if

  • You need local payment methods.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want published rate card.
Mollie review

Questions people ask

Is Medusa or Mollie better?
Neither clearly leads. Medusa starts at $29/month and Mollie at £0.3/transaction, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medusa or Mollie?
Medusa starts at $29/month and Mollie at £0.3/transaction.
Does Medusa or Mollie run on more platforms?
Medusa runs on Web. Mollie runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
What is Medusa best used for?
Medusa is most often used for building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platform, running a self hosted or managed commerce api with a custom storefront. Of those, building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platform and running a self hosted or managed commerce api with a custom storefront are not what Mollie is typically brought in for.
What can Medusa do that Mollie cannot?
Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system. Mollie covers Local payment methods, Published rate card, Hosted checkout and payment links, Subscriptions API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Medusa: What does Medusa charge for additional team members?

Additional seats on the Medusa Cloud development platform cost $30 per seat per month. Unlimited users can access the Medusa Admin Dashboard at no additional cost for commerce operations.

Source
Mollie: Does Mollie charge a monthly fee?

Not on the online payments plan. You pay only per successful transaction. In-person Pro is 20 pounds a month.

Medusa: Are there usage-based charges beyond the base Medusa plan price?

Yes. Beyond base plan costs, Medusa charges for edge request overages at $0.30 per 1M requests, email overages at $0.70 per 1,000 emails, data transfer at $0.125 per GB, and database storage at $0.50 per GB-month.

Source
Mollie: Is iDEAL really a flat fee?

Yes, 30p per transaction regardless of the amount, which is why it is cheaper than cards on high-value baskets.

Medusa: Can I cancel my Medusa subscription at any time?

Yes, users can cancel their Medusa subscription anytime. Plans are billed monthly in advance, with flex usage charges from the previous month added to the next invoice.

Source
Mollie: Can I use Mollie outside Europe?

You can accept non-European cards but at 3.25% plus 20p, and merchant accounts are aimed at European businesses. It is not a global processor.

Mollie: Does Mollie do interchange plus?

Not publicly. The published rates are blended, so falling interchange does not flow through to you automatically.

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