GrandNode 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 | GrandNode | Solidus |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 70 · Good | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | C# | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,329 | ★ 5,333 |
| First released | 2017 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Magento | Shopify, Magento |
What are GrandNode and Solidus?
GrandNode
GrandNode is an open-source, multi-store e-commerce platform built with ASP.NET Core and MongoDB. It supports B2B and B2C scenarios with a flexible catalog, multi-language and multi-currency, and a plugin architecture.
- ASP.NET Core based
- MongoDB storage
- Multi-store support
- Plugin architecture
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
GrandNode vs Solidus: key differences
GrandNode is written in C#, while Solidus is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for GrandNode versus BSD-3-Clause for Solidus. Solidus is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for GrandNode. Solidus is the more established project (first released 2015), while GrandNode arrived in 2017. Solidus has the considerably larger community, at 5,333 GitHub stars versus 1,329.
Why pick each one
Choose GrandNode if…
- Scalable architecture
- B2B and B2C ready
Watch out for
- .NET hosting knowledge needed
- Heavier resource footprint
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 GrandNode or Solidus better?
Neither is universally better. Solidus has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GrandNode and Solidus free and open-source?
Yes. GrandNode is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Solidus under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GrandNode and Solidus with Docker?
GrandNode: yes. Solidus: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GrandNode or Solidus?
Solidus has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for GrandNode. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.