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E-Commerce · head to head

Saleor vs Wish

Saleor logo

Saleor

E-Commerce

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wish logo

Wish

E-Commerce

Discount marketplace connecting buyers to low-cost goods from mostly Chinese sellers, now owned by Qoo10

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Wish the US Federal Trade Commission previously took action against Wish over deceptive claims about product origin, shipping times and reference pricing, and the platform operated for years under the practices that prompted that action.
  • They diverge on capability: Saleor covers GraphQL API, Wish covers Discount marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Saleor and Wish actually diverge.

Attributes where Saleor and Wish differ
AttributeSaleorWish
Pricing modelopen-sourceFree to browse and use; pay per order
Platformsweb, apiiOS, Android, Web
Founded2019Unknown

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

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

Only in Wish

  • Discount marketplace
  • Personalised discovery feed
  • Wish Local pickup (select markets)
  • Price-drop and clearance sections
  • Buyer protection programme
  • Seller ratings

What people use each for

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

Saleor

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

Wish

  • A budget shopper who already has a Wish account from its earlier growth period and wants to compare it against Temunot Saleor
  • Someone in a market with Wish Local pickup wanting to avoid a residential delivery waitnot Saleor
  • A buyer purchasing low-value novelty or accessory items where slow shipping and limited recourse are acceptable trade-offsnot Saleor
  • A shopper comparing seller ratings and buyer protection terms across discount marketplaces before orderingnot 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.

Wish

  • The US Federal Trade Commission previously took action against Wish over deceptive claims about product origin, shipping times and reference pricing, and the platform operated for years under the practices that prompted that action.
  • Wish shrank substantially from its mid-2010s peak user base as Temu and Shein captured the same low-cost cross-border shopping demand with more aggressive marketing and larger catalogues.
  • The platform changed ownership in 2024 when ContextLogic sold it to Qoo10, so long-time users are now dealing with a different operating company than the one that built the original reputation, good or bad.
  • As with comparable ultra-low-cost marketplaces, individual sellers vary widely in reliability, and product safety and authenticity cannot be verified by the buyer before an item ships from overseas.
  • Shipping times remain long relative to domestic retailers, commonly one to three weeks, and buyer recourse for delayed or missing orders depends on the buyer protection programme actually being honoured.

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

Wish

Free
  • Pay per orderFree
    • Individual item prices frequently low, similar to Temu and Shein
    • Shipping times commonly one to three weeks
    • Customs duties may apply depending on destination country and order value

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 Wish if

  • You need discount marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want personalised discovery feed.
Wish review

Questions people ask

Is Saleor or Wish better?
Neither clearly leads. Saleor starts at Free and Wish at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Saleor or Wish?
Saleor starts at Free and Wish at Free.
Does Saleor or Wish run on more platforms?
Saleor runs on web, api. Wish runs on iOS, Android, Web.
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 Wish is typically brought in for.
What can Saleor do that Wish cannot?
Saleor covers GraphQL API, Admin dashboard, Webhooks and apps, Omnichannel order processing. Wish covers Discount marketplace, Personalised discovery feed, Wish Local pickup (select markets), Price-drop and clearance sections.

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
Wish: Is Wish still owned by the company that built it?

No. ContextLogic sold the Wish platform and brand to Qoo10, a Singapore and Korea-based e-commerce group, in a deal completed in 2024.

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
Wish: Did Wish face regulatory action over its practices?

Yes, the US FTC previously took action against Wish over misleading claims regarding shipping times, product origin and pricing, requiring clearer disclosures.

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
Wish: How does Wish compare to Temu today?

Wish is considerably smaller in scale and marketing spend than Temu, though both offer a similar low-cost, long-shipping-time cross-border model.

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