EverShop vs Reaction 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 | EverShop | Reaction Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 58 · Fair |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,490 | ★ 12,401 |
| First released | 2022 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, commercetools |
What are EverShop and Reaction Commerce?
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
Reaction Commerce
Reaction Commerce (Open Commerce) is an API-first, headless commerce platform built with Node.js and GraphQL. It uses a microservices architecture suited to flexible, custom storefront builds.
- GraphQL-first API
- Microservices architecture
- Real-time inventory
- Plugin-based extensibility
EverShop vs Reaction Commerce: key differences
EverShop is written in TypeScript, while Reaction Commerce is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for EverShop versus Apache-2.0 for Reaction Commerce. EverShop is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Reaction Commerce. Reaction Commerce is the more established project (first released 2013), while EverShop arrived in 2022.
Why pick each one
Choose EverShop if…
- Modern JavaScript stack
- Clean codebase
Watch out for
- Young project
- Smaller ecosystem
Choose Reaction Commerce if…
- Cloud-native design
- Highly scalable
Watch out for
- Complex to operate
- Development paused upstream
Frequently asked questions
Is EverShop or Reaction Commerce better?
Neither is universally better. Reaction Commerce has the larger community, while EverShop is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are EverShop and Reaction Commerce free and open-source?
Yes. EverShop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Reaction Commerce under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EverShop and Reaction Commerce with Docker?
EverShop: yes. Reaction Commerce: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, EverShop or Reaction Commerce?
EverShop has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Reaction Commerce. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.