Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Shopware vs Swell Commerce

Shopware logo

Shopware

E-Commerce

Explore the open-source commerce platform, backed by our global community

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

E-Commerce

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shopware has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shopware rise tier starts at 600 euro per month and Evolve at 2,400 euro per month, both excluding VAT, so pricing is published in euros only and not converted for other regions; Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopware and Swell Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopware and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeShopwareSwell Commerce
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
FoundedUnknown2019

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 Shopware

Nothing recorded that Swell Commerce does not also cover.

Only in Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Inventory management
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

What people use each for

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

Shopware

  • Managing unlimited sales channels across online, POS, marketplacesnot Swell Commerce
  • Setting customer-specific pricing for B2B customersnot Swell Commerce
  • Automating complex workflows with Flow Builder without codingnot Swell Commerce
  • Segmenting customers automatically with behavioral tagsnot Swell Commerce
  • Managing multi-language, multi-currency, multi-tax for global expansionnot Swell Commerce

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Shopware
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Shopware
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot Shopware

Where each one falls short

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

Shopware

  • Rise tier starts at 600 euro per month and Evolve at 2,400 euro per month, both excluding VAT, so pricing is published in euros only and not converted for other regions
  • Beyond, the top tier with digital sales rooms, multi-inventory and customer-specific pricing, is custom priced and requires contacting sales
  • The Shopware Intelligence+ AI add-on is billed separately at 29 euro per month on Community Edition or 19 euro per month on paid tiers, on top of the plan price

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Pricing, plan by plan

Shopware

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • free open-source platform
    • global developer community access
    • Shopware Intelligence+ add-on at 29/month
  • Rise$600/month
    • subscription model
    • Shopware Intelligence+ add-on at 19/month
  • Evolve$2400/month
    • subscription model
    • Shopware Intelligence+ add-on at 19/month
  • Beyond$null/custom
    • custom pricing
    • contact sales required

Swell Commerce

$29/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • Up to $50K annual revenue
    • Basic reports
    • Up to 5 admin users
  • Basic$79/month
    • Up to $250K annual revenue
    • Most popular plan
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$299/month
    • Up to $1M annual revenue
    • Advanced reports
    • Up to 15 admin users
  • Unlimited$2250/month
    • Up to $5M annual revenue
    • Unlimited scalability and granular control
    • Unlimited admin users

Which should you pick?

Choose Shopware if

  • You want to start without paying.
Shopware review

Choose Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Shopware or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Shopware starts at Free and Swell Commerce at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shopware or Swell Commerce?
Shopware has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Shopware and $29/month for Swell Commerce.
Does Shopware or Swell Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Shopware for free?
Yes. Shopware has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Swell Commerce starts at $29/month.
What is Shopware best used for?
Shopware is most often used for managing unlimited sales channels across online, pos, marketplaces, setting customer-specific pricing for b2b customers, automating complex workflows with flow builder without coding, segmenting customers automatically with behavioral tags. Of those, managing unlimited sales channels across online, pos, marketplaces and setting customer-specific pricing for b2b customers are not what Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Shopware do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shopware: How much does Shopware cost?

Shopware offers Community Edition free (open-source), Rise at 600/month, Evolve at 2,400/month (all in EUR), and Beyond at custom pricing requiring sales contact.

Source
Swell Commerce: How much does Swell Commerce cost?

Swell offers four tiers starting at $29 per month for Starter and going up to $2,250 per month for Unlimited. Annual billing provides a 25% discount compared to monthly billing. All prices are in USD.

Source
Shopware: What is the difference between Shopware Community and Rise editions?

Shopware Community Edition is a free open-source platform with global developer community access. Rise is a subscription tier starting at 600/month (EUR) with included features and support.

Source
Swell Commerce: What are Swell's revenue tier overages?

Each plan includes a revenue ceiling based on 12-month trailing sales. Starter allows up to $50K with 2% overage, Basic allows $250K with 1.5% overage, Standard allows $1M with 1% overage, and Unlimited allows $5M with 0.4% overage. Custom plans are available for merchants exceeding $10M annually.

Source
Shopware: What add-on services does Shopware offer?

Shopware offers Shopware Intelligence+ at 29/month (Community Edition) or 19/month (Rise, Evolve, and Beyond tiers). Shopware Nexus is in a free introductory phase through September 1, 2026.

Source
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