E-commerce · head to head
Saleor vs Contentful
Saleor
E-commerce
Open-source, headless e-commerce platform with a GraphQL API
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Saleor saleor requires development resources to build a storefront, since it ships as an API-only backend without a front-end store out of the box.; Contentful pricing model with content type limits (48) forces full tier upgrades
- They diverge on capability: Saleor covers Admin dashboard, Contentful covers Content modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Saleor and Contentful actually diverge.
| Attribute | Saleor | Contentful |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | Unknown |
| Founded | 2019 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (web, api), 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 Saleor
- Admin dashboard
- Webhooks and apps
- Omnichannel order processing
- Configurator CLI
- OpenTelemetry tracing
- OpenID Connect support
Only in Contentful
- Content modeling
- RESTful APIs
- Webhooks
- Rich text editor
- Asset management
- Multi-language support
- Version control
- Gatsby
Both cover
- GraphQL API
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Saleor
- Custom headless storefrontsnot Contentful
- Composable commerce architecturesnot Contentful
- Omnichannel retail and B2B commercenot Contentful
- Developer-built e-commerce requiring deep API accessnot Contentful
Contentful
- Website content managementnot Saleor
- Mobile app contentnot Saleor
- E-commerce catalogsnot Saleor
- Multi-channel publishingnot Saleor
- Digital experiencesnot Saleor
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Saleor
- Saleor requires development resources to build a storefront, since it ships as an API-only backend without a front-end store out of the box.
- Self-hosting requires managing infrastructure, scaling, and updates, which adds operational overhead compared to fully managed platforms.
- Saleor Cloud's paid tiers start at $1,599/month, making the managed offering costly for small merchants compared to typical SaaS store builders.
- The GraphQL-first, code-driven approach has a steeper learning curve for non-technical users than drag-and-drop e-commerce builders.
Contentful
- Pricing model with content type limits (48) forces full tier upgrades
- Limited GraphQL mutations for content management complexity
- Requires significant technical expertise and developer dependency
- Uncertainty following Salesforce acquisition announcement in June 2026
Pricing, plan by plan
Saleor
Free- Sandboxes (Cloud)Free
- Free forever tier for prototyping and development
- Select (Cloud)$1599/month
- Up to $200,000 GMV monthly
- 0.8% fee on orders exceeding GMV limit
- Dedicated Slack channel
- Volume (Cloud)$3999/month
- Up to $1,000,000 GMV monthly
- 0.4% fee on orders exceeding GMV limit
- Dedicated Slack channel
- Enterprise (Cloud)$undefined/mo
- Custom GMV limits
- Fees negotiable as low as 0.2%
- Project delivery lead
Contentful
Free- FreeFree
- 10 users
- 100K API calls per month
- 1 Space
- Team$489/month
- Higher usage limits
- Additional collaboration features
- Professional support
Which should you pick?
Choose Saleor if
- You need admin dashboard.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want webhooks and apps.
Choose Contentful if
- You need content modeling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want restful apis.
Questions people ask
- Is Saleor or Contentful better?
- Neither clearly leads. Saleor starts at Free and Contentful at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Saleor or Contentful?
- Saleor starts at Free and Contentful at Free.
- Does Saleor or Contentful run on more platforms?
- Saleor runs on web, api. Contentful runs on Web, API.
- Can I use Saleor for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Saleor best used for?
- Saleor is most often used for custom headless storefronts, composable commerce architectures, omnichannel retail and b2b commerce, developer-built e-commerce requiring deep api access. Of those, custom headless storefronts and composable commerce architectures are not what Contentful is typically brought in for.
- What can Saleor do that Contentful cannot?
- Saleor covers Admin dashboard, Webhooks and apps, Omnichannel order processing, Configurator CLI. Contentful covers Content modeling, RESTful APIs, Webhooks, Rich text editor. Both handle GraphQL API.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Saleor: Is Saleor free to use?
Yes. Saleor is open source under the BSD-3-Clause license and can be self-hosted for free. Saleor Cloud also offers a free Sandboxes tier for prototyping and development.
SourceContentful: Does Contentful offer a free tier?
Yes, Contentful has a Free tier with 10 users, 100K API calls per month, and support for 1 Space. This is suitable for small projects and proof-of-concept work.
SourceSaleor: How much does Saleor Cloud cost?
Saleor Cloud paid plans start at $1,599/month for the Select plan (up to $200,000 monthly GMV), with Volume at $3,999/month and custom Enterprise pricing for larger merchants.
SourceContentful: What is the difference between Contentful and traditional CMS platforms?
Contentful is a headless CMS that decouples content from presentation, allowing you to deliver the same content across websites, mobile apps, IoT devices, and voice assistants without duplication.
SourceSaleor: Does Saleor provide a storefront out of the box?
No. Saleor is an API-only, headless commerce backend built on GraphQL; storefronts must be built separately using the API and are not bundled with the platform.
SourceContentful: How does Contentful handle multi-locale content?
Contentful supports multi-locale content, though multi-locale costs must be negotiated upfront depending on your pricing tier and requirements.
SourceContentful: Does Contentful integrate with e-commerce platforms?
Yes, Contentful partners with Commerce Layer, an API-first commerce platform, to enable enterprise-grade e-commerce experiences alongside headless CMS capabilities.
SourceRelated pages
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