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E-Commerce · head to head

SamCart vs Spree Commerce

SamCart logo

SamCart

E-Commerce

The number one checkout platform

From
$79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spree Commerce logo

Spree Commerce

E-Commerce

Complete open source ecommerce solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Spree Commerce has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SamCart no feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only; Spree Commerce multi-vendor marketplace, B2B commerce and multi-tenant white label modules are Enterprise Edition only and licensed separately from the open source core
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SamCart and Spree Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where SamCart and Spree Commerce differ
AttributeSamCartSpree Commerce
Starting price$79/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2007

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 SamCart

Nothing recorded that Spree Commerce does not also cover.

Only in Spree Commerce

  • Multi-store support
  • Multi-currency
  • Multi-language
  • REST API
  • GraphQL support
  • Mobile-ready
  • SEO optimization
  • Flexible taxonomy

What people use each for

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

SamCart

  • Increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsellsnot Spree Commerce
  • Recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning managementnot Spree Commerce
  • Generating sales pages, emails, and ads with AI from product descriptionsnot Spree Commerce
  • Sending cart abandonment recovery emails without customer re-entrynot Spree Commerce
  • Migrating existing customer bases from competing platforms without data lossnot Spree Commerce

Spree Commerce

  • E-commerce platforms with zero platform fees and no vendor lock-innot SamCart
  • Self-hosted shopping experiences on AWS, GCP, Azure, or on-premise infrastructurenot SamCart
  • Deployments requiring predictable costs that don't scale with revenuenot SamCart

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

SamCart

  • No feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only
  • Transaction fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 apply to all plans

Spree Commerce

  • Multi-vendor marketplace, B2B commerce and multi-tenant white label modules are Enterprise Edition only and licensed separately from the open source core
  • Enterprise Edition pricing is quoted per customer depending on modules and scale, with no published rate
  • Support with guaranteed response times and a success manager comes only with Enterprise Edition
  • The free Community Edition is self hosted, so hosting, upgrades and Ruby on Rails maintenance are the operator's responsibility

Pricing, plan by plan

SamCart

$79/month
  • CORE$79/month
    • All features included
  • PRO$199/month
    • All features included

Spree Commerce

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full platform access
    • Community support
    • All core features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Premium support
    • Custom development
    • SLA guarantees

Which should you pick?

Choose SamCart if

Nothing in the data separates SamCart from Spree Commerce on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SamCart review

Choose Spree Commerce if

  • You need multi-store support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multi-currency.
Spree Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is SamCart or Spree Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. SamCart starts at $79/month and Spree Commerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SamCart or Spree Commerce?
Spree Commerce has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $79/month for SamCart and Free for Spree Commerce.
Does SamCart or Spree Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Spree Commerce for free?
Yes. Spree Commerce has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SamCart starts at $79/month.
What is SamCart best used for?
SamCart is most often used for increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsells, recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning management, generating sales pages, emails, and ads with ai from product descriptions, sending cart abandonment recovery emails without customer re-entry. Of those, increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsells and recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning management are not what Spree Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can SamCart do that Spree Commerce cannot?
Spree Commerce covers Multi-store support, Multi-currency, Multi-language, REST API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SamCart: How much does SamCart cost?

SamCart offers two subscription tiers: CORE at $79/month and PRO at $199/month. Both plans include all features with no restrictions between tiers.

Source
Spree Commerce: Is Spree Commerce free?

Yes, Spree Commerce is free and open source under a BSD 3-Clause license. The core platform has zero platform fees and no GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) cuts or transaction fees, and sandbox access is free without requiring a credit card.

Source
SamCart: What are SamCart's transaction fees?

SamCart charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction on all payments processed through the platform.

Source
Spree Commerce: What is Spree Commerce's pricing model?

Spree Commerce operates as free open-source software. Users self-host on their choice of infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure, or on-premise), so costs are based on the hosting infrastructure selected rather than platform subscription fees. An Enterprise Edition is available with optional dedicated support, but specific pricing is not published.

Source
SamCart: Does SamCart offer a free trial?

Yes, SamCart offers a 7-day free trial available for both the CORE and PRO plans, allowing customers to test the platform before committing to a subscription.

Source
Spree Commerce: Are there transaction fees with Spree Commerce?

No, Spree Commerce charges zero transaction fees. Unlike SaaS e-commerce platforms that take a percentage of sales, Spree offers predictable costs that don't scale with revenue, giving merchants full control over their margins.

Source
SamCart: Does SamCart offer migration services from other platforms?

Yes, SamCart offers done-for-you migration services for customers switching from Kajabi, ThriveCart, ClickFunnels, Shopify, and Teachable. Specific pricing for migration services is not listed on the main page.

Source
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