Aimeos vs Solidus
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Aimeos | Solidus |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,702 | ★ 5,333 |
| First released | 2015 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Magento | Shopify, Magento |
What are Aimeos and Solidus?
Aimeos
Aimeos is an open-source e-commerce package that runs as a Laravel application or extension for TYPO3. It is known for handling very large catalogs and high request volumes efficiently.
- Handles millions of products
- Laravel and TYPO3 integration
- High-performance architecture
- Headless JSON:API
Solidus
Solidus is a free, open-source e-commerce platform built with Ruby on Rails. It is a community-maintained fork of Spree focused on stability, security, and customization for high-volume stores.
- Stable Rails engine architecture
- Strong upgrade path
- Highly customizable
- Active community governance
Aimeos vs Solidus: key differences
Aimeos is written in PHP, while Solidus is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — LGPL-3.0 for Aimeos versus BSD-3-Clause for Solidus. Aimeos is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Solidus.
Why pick each one
Choose Aimeos if…
- Excellent performance at scale
- Flexible deployment
Watch out for
- Documentation can be sparse
- Requires PHP expertise
Choose Solidus if…
- Reliable for high-volume stores
- Good security focus
Watch out for
- Rails knowledge required
- No managed hosting option
Frequently asked questions
Is Aimeos or Solidus better?
Aimeos is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Solidus if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Aimeos and Solidus free and open-source?
Yes. Aimeos is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and Solidus under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Aimeos and Solidus with Docker?
Aimeos: yes. Solidus: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Aimeos or Solidus?
Aimeos has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Solidus. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.