Software · head to head
Medusa vs Squarespace Commerce
Squarespace Commerce
Software
All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform
- From
- $14/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Medusa has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Medusa the managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
- They diverge on capability: Medusa covers Open source, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Medusa and Squarespace Commerce actually diverge.
| Attribute | Medusa | Squarespace Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $14/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2020 | 2003 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Squarespace Commerce
- Website builder
- Ecommerce platform
- Mobile optimization
- Email marketing
- Analytics
- Domain registration
- SSL certificate
- Customer accounts
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 Squarespace Commerce
- Running a self hosted or managed commerce API with a custom storefrontnot Squarespace Commerce
Squarespace Commerce
- Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Medusa
- Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot 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
Squarespace Commerce
- The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
- Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
- The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
- Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan
Pricing, plan by plan
Medusa
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full source code
- Self-hosted
- Community support
- Cloud$50/month
- Managed hosting
- Automatic updates
- Priority support
Squarespace Commerce
$14/month- Personal$14/month
- Website builder
- Free domain
- Analytics
- Business$23/month
- All Personal features
- Ecommerce functionality
- Inventory management
Which should you pick?
Choose Medusa if
- You need open source.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want modular architecture.
Choose Squarespace Commerce if
- You need website builder.
- You also want ecommerce platform.
Questions people ask
- Is Medusa or Squarespace Commerce better?
- Neither clearly leads. Medusa starts at Free and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Medusa or Squarespace Commerce?
- Medusa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Medusa and $14/month for Squarespace Commerce.
- Does Medusa or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Medusa for free?
- Yes. Medusa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Squarespace Commerce starts at $14/month.
- 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 Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
- What can Medusa do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
- Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.
Related pages
More on Squarespace Commerce
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