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E-Commerce · head to head

Medusa vs Retail Pro

Medusa logo

Medusa

E-Commerce

Open source Shopify alternative

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Retail Pro logo

Retail Pro

E-Commerce

Comprehensive retail management software

From
On request
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; Retail Pro pricing details not disclosed; requires sales consultation
  • They diverge on capability: Medusa covers Open source, Retail Pro covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medusa and Retail Pro actually diverge.

Attributes where Medusa and Retail Pro differ
AttributeMedusaRetail Pro
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Windows
Founded20201988

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 Retail Pro

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer database
  • Employee management
  • Sales analytics
  • Promotion management
  • Multi-store support
  • Reporting tools

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 Retail Pro
  • Running a self hosted or managed commerce API with a custom storefrontnot Retail Pro

Retail Pro

  • Multi-location retail POS operations (1 to 250+ stores)not Medusa
  • Inventory management with serialized product trackingnot Medusa
  • Customer loyalty programs via AppCard integrationnot 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

Retail Pro

  • Pricing details not disclosed; requires sales consultation
  • No published technical requirements or system specifications
  • International deployment requires fiscal/tax compliance consultation per region

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

Retail Pro

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Retail Pro review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Medusa if

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

Choose Retail Pro if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want inventory management.
Retail Pro review

Questions people ask

Is Medusa or Retail Pro better?
Neither clearly leads. Medusa starts at $29/month and Retail Pro at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medusa or Retail Pro?
Medusa starts at $29/month and Retail Pro at On request.
Does Medusa or Retail Pro run on more platforms?
Medusa runs on Web. Retail Pro runs on iOS, Android, Windows.
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 Retail Pro is typically brought in for.
What can Medusa do that Retail Pro cannot?
Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system. Retail Pro covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer database, Employee management.

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
Retail Pro: How much does Retail Pro cost?

Retail Pro does not publish specific pricing on its website. The company describes a 'Pay As You Grow' model but directs interested retailers to request a consultation or brochure to obtain actual pricing quotes customized to their business needs.

Source
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
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
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