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Medusa vs Swell Commerce

Medusa logo

Medusa

Software

Open source Shopify alternative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

Software

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
Free
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; Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • They diverge on capability: Medusa covers Open source, Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medusa and Swell Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Medusa and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeMedusaSwell Commerce
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Founded20202019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Inventory management
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

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 Swell Commerce
  • Running a self hosted or managed commerce API with a custom storefrontnot Swell Commerce

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Medusa
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Medusa
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot 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

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Pricing, plan by plan

Medusa

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full source code
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • Cloud$50/month
    • Managed hosting
    • Automatic updates
    • Priority support

Swell Commerce

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Unlimited products
    • API access
    • Basic support
  • Standard$299/month
    • Everything in Community
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Dedicated support
    • SLA guarantees

Which should you pick?

Choose Medusa if

  • You need open source.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want modular architecture.
Medusa review

Choose Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Medusa or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Medusa starts at Free and Swell Commerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medusa or Swell Commerce?
Medusa starts at Free and Swell Commerce at Free.
Does Medusa or Swell 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?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Medusa do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system. Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support.
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