Magento Open Source vs Medusa
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Magento Open Source
Enterprise-grade open-source commerce platform
VS
Medusa
Composable commerce engine for developers
| Feature | Magento Open Source | Medusa |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | OSL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,164 | ★ 35,640 |
| First released | 2008 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Shopify Plus, BigCommerce | Shopify, commercetools |
Why pick each one
Choose Magento Open Source if…
- Powerful for large catalogs
- Robust enterprise features
Frequently asked questions
Is Magento Open Source or Medusa better?
Medusa is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Magento Open Source if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Magento Open Source and Medusa free and open-source?
Yes. Magento Open Source is licensed under OSL-3.0 and Medusa under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magento Open Source and Medusa with Docker?
Magento Open Source: yes. Medusa: yes.