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Software · head to head

Saleor vs Transistor

Saleor logo

Saleor

Software

Open-source, headless e-commerce platform with a GraphQL API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Saleor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: Saleor covers GraphQL API, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Saleor and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Saleor and Transistor differ
AttributeSaleorTransistor
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiWeb
Founded20192018

Identical on both: 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 Saleor

  • GraphQL API
  • Admin dashboard
  • Webhooks and apps
  • Omnichannel order processing
  • Configurator CLI
  • OpenTelemetry tracing
  • OpenID Connect support

Only in Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Team collaboration
  • Custom branding
  • API access
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Saleor

  • Custom headless storefrontsnot Transistor
  • Composable commerce architecturesnot Transistor
  • Omnichannel retail and B2B commercenot Transistor
  • Developer-built e-commerce requiring deep API accessnot Transistor

Transistor

  • Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Saleor
  • Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Saleor
  • Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot 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.

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

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

Transistor

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 10,000 downloads/month
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$49/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 50,000 downloads/month
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$99/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 150,000 downloads/month
    • Full analytics
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • 300,000+ downloads
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Saleor if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want admin dashboard.
Saleor review

Choose Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Saleor or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Saleor starts at Free and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Saleor or Transistor?
Saleor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Saleor and $19/month for Transistor.
Does Saleor or Transistor run on more platforms?
Saleor runs on web, api. Transistor runs on Web.
Can I use Saleor for free?
Yes. Saleor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Transistor starts at $19/month.
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 Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Saleor do that Transistor cannot?
Saleor covers GraphQL API, Admin dashboard, Webhooks and apps, Omnichannel order processing. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration.

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.

Source
Saleor: 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.

Source
Saleor: 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.

Source
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