Medusa vs Saleor
Medusa wins on lighter TypeScript ops and affordable $29–$299 Cloud hosting; Saleor wins if you must avoid any Enterprise RBAC/SSO license wall on self-hosting.
Medusa
TypeScript + Next.js starter · MIT core + Enterprise RBAC/SSO
Reference link · Verified against ENTERPRISE-LICENSE.md & medusajs.com/pricing.
Saleor
Python GraphQL-only · BSD-3-Clause single edition
Reference link · Verified against saleor/saleor README & docs.saleor.io.
Hidden Trade-Off: Medusa’s Enterprise RBAC Lock vs Saleor’s 6-Service Ops & $1,599 Cloud Floor
Medusa Ent LicenseMonthly Store Volume & Hosting TCO Estimator
Compare official Cloud vs self-hosting across GMV volume (testing Saleor Cloud’s $200k threshold) and Staff RBAC needs.
Live stores run Launch ($99) or Scale ($299) with 0% GMV fee ($29 Develop is for staging).
Commercial Cloud starts at $1,599/mo covering $200k monthly sales + 0.8% on overage.
6-Dimension Audit Matrix
Hover any source pill to inspect exact primary quotes & verification URLs.
| Dimension | Medusa | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
License & Enterprise Walls | MIT core + Enterprise RBAC / SSO Enabling Enterprise feature flags in Medusa constitutes claiming a paid agreement for RBAC and SSO. | BSD-3-Clause (Single edition) Zero enterprise edition split; full permissions and core commerce features ship in one codebase. |
Tech Stack & Extensibility | TypeScript + REST/Admin + Next.js starter create-medusa-app scaffolds backend, admin UI and Next.js storefront starter in one TS ecosystem. | Python + GraphQL-only + Webhook apps Extensions are built as separate HTTP/webhook microservices; dashboard and storefront live in separate repos. |
Self-Hosting Footprint | Moderate: 4 services (2 GB+ RAM) Server mode + worker mode + PostgreSQL + Redis with explicit 2 GB RAM minimum guideline. | Hard: 6 services (5 GB+ local Docker) API, background worker, task scheduler, Postgres, Redis & object storage assembled manually + separate dashboard. |
Managed Official Cloud Price | $29 / $99 / $299/mo (0% GMV fee) Approachable startup pricing on Medusa Cloud without percentage cuts on monthly sales. | $1,599/mo ($200k cap + 0.8% overage) Free sandbox is non-commercial only; lowest commercial tier jumps straight to $1,599/mo or $3,999/mo. |
Telemetry & Operational Control | Self-contained TS runtime Clear separation between MIT codebase and documented Enterprise license flags. | Opt-out telemetry via env flag Set SEND_USAGE_TELEMETRY=false in production if strict outbound silence is required. |
Small-Team Viability (1–2 Devs) | Practical with 1–2 TypeScript engineers Still heavier than WooCommerce, yet manageable cleanly for custom headless storefronts. | Overbuilt for 1–2 person low-traffic stores Best reserved for multi-engineer Python orgs running dedicated DevOps pipelines. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Verified against primary license texts, docs, and current pricing tables.
Which has the more permissive open-source license: Medusa or Saleor?
Saleor has fewer licensing walls: its entire codebase ships as a single BSD-3-Clause edition with no locked Enterprise features. Medusa uses MIT for its core, but reserves staff RBAC and SSO under a commercial Enterprise license.
Why is Saleor Cloud $1,599/month when Medusa Cloud starts at $29?
Medusa Cloud targets small and mid-market developer teams with $29, $99 and $299 monthly plans and 0% GMV commission. Saleor Cloud targets mid-to-enterprise merchants at $1,599/mo covering $200,000 in monthly sales plus 0.8% overage.
Can a solo developer self-host either platform easily?
Medusa is much lighter (4 services on 2 GB+ RAM in TypeScript). Even Saleor’s own README warns single developers running smaller shops that its 6-service GraphQL stack is heavier than WooCommerce or monolith stores.
Does either Medusa or Saleor include a plug-and-play storefront?
No. Both are headless commerce back ends requiring developers to build and deploy the customer-facing storefront (though Medusa provides an official Next.js starter template).
Other verified head-to-head comparisons
All comparisons$0 solo · $12 vs $16 Teams · $15k Calendly SSO floor
SUL (€667/mo Biz) vs MIT ($200/mo 25-seat Team)
€24–€99/mo vs DocSend $45–$180+/mo
$0 CE self-host (8 GB RAM) vs $5–$15/user Retool
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