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E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Medusa vs Vendure

Medusa logo

Medusa

E-commerce & Retail

Open source Shopify alternative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vendure logo

Vendure

E-commerce & Retail

Modern headless GraphQL commerce framework

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Vendure pricing is custom-quoted per project with no published tiers or starting price
  • They diverge on capability: Medusa covers Open source, Vendure covers GraphQL API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medusa and Vendure actually diverge.

Attributes where Medusa and Vendure differ
AttributeMedusaVendure
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebSelf-hosted, Vendure Cloud
Founded20202019

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail).

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 Vendure

  • GraphQL API
  • TypeScript native
  • Plugin architecture
  • Admin UI
  • Multi-channel
  • Asset management
  • Order workflow
  • Faceted search

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

Vendure

  • B2B complex commerce workflowsnot Medusa
  • Multi-brand and multi-currency operationsnot Medusa
  • Custom pricing and contract managementnot 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

Vendure

  • Pricing is custom-quoted per project with no published tiers or starting price
  • Requires implementation partner or in-house development; no low-code or no-code option
  • GPLv3 free tier (Vendure Core) has different licensing than commercial product

Pricing, plan by plan

Medusa

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

Vendure

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Vendure review.

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 Vendure if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Vendure Cloud.
  • You also want typescript native.
Vendure review

Questions people ask

Is Medusa or Vendure better?
Neither clearly leads. Medusa starts at Free and Vendure at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medusa or Vendure?
Medusa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Medusa and On request for Vendure.
Does Medusa or Vendure run on more platforms?
Medusa runs on Web. Vendure runs on Self-hosted, Vendure Cloud.
Can I use Medusa for free?
Yes. Medusa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vendure starts at On request.
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 Vendure is typically brought in for.
What can Medusa do that Vendure cannot?
Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system. Vendure covers GraphQL API, TypeScript native, Plugin architecture, Admin UI.
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