Cartridge vs EverShop
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 | EverShop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 12 · At risk | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 710 | ★ 10,490 |
| First released | 2010 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, WooCommerce |
What are Cartridge and EverShop?
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
EverShop
EverShop is an open-source e-commerce platform built with Node.js, React, and GraphQL. It offers a modular architecture with a clean admin panel for building modern online stores.
- React-based storefront and admin
- GraphQL API
- Module-based extensibility
- PostgreSQL backed
Cartridge vs EverShop: key differences
Cartridge is written in Python, while EverShop is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Cartridge versus GPL-3.0 for EverShop. Cartridge is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for EverShop. Cartridge is the more established project (first released 2010), while EverShop arrived in 2022. EverShop has the considerably larger community, at 10,490 GitHub stars versus 710. EverShop 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 EverShop if…
- Modern JavaScript stack
- Clean codebase
Watch out for
- Young project
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Cartridge or EverShop better?
Neither is universally better. EverShop has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cartridge and EverShop free and open-source?
Yes. Cartridge is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and EverShop under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cartridge and EverShop with Docker?
Cartridge: check the project docs for container support. EverShop: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cartridge or EverShop?
Cartridge has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for EverShop. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.