Cartridge vs Drupal Commerce
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cartridge | Drupal Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 12 · At risk | 11 · At risk |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 710 | ★ 353 |
| First released | 2010 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, WooCommerce |
What are Cartridge and Drupal Commerce?
Cartridge
Cartridge is a lightweight, open-source shopping cart application built on the Mezzanine CMS for Django. It adds e-commerce capabilities such as products, orders, and discounts to a content site.
- Integrates with Mezzanine CMS
- Product variations and discounts
- Lightweight footprint
- Django admin management
Drupal Commerce
Drupal Commerce is an open-source e-commerce framework that integrates deeply with the Drupal content management system. It is well-suited to content-rich stores that combine editorial and shopping experiences.
- Deep Drupal integration
- Flexible product modeling
- Content-driven commerce
- Strong taxonomy support
Cartridge vs Drupal Commerce: key differences
Cartridge is written in Python, while Drupal Commerce is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Cartridge versus GPL-2.0 for Drupal Commerce. Cartridge is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Drupal Commerce. Cartridge has the considerably larger community, at 710 GitHub stars versus 353. Drupal Commerce lists first-class Docker deployment; Cartridge does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Cartridge if…
- Simple and minimal
- Good for content-driven shops
Watch out for
- Limited active maintenance
- Niche ecosystem
Choose Drupal Commerce if…
- Great for content-heavy stores
- Powerful field system
Watch out for
- Requires Drupal knowledge
- Complex setup
Frequently asked questions
Is Cartridge or Drupal Commerce better?
Cartridge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Drupal Commerce if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cartridge and Drupal Commerce free and open-source?
Yes. Cartridge is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and Drupal Commerce under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cartridge and Drupal Commerce with Docker?
Cartridge: check the project docs for container support. Drupal Commerce: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cartridge or Drupal Commerce?
Cartridge has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Drupal Commerce. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.