Medusa Next.js Starter vs Saleor
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?
Medusa Next.js Starter
Production-ready storefront template for Medusa
VS
Saleor
GraphQL-first headless commerce platform
| Feature | Medusa Next.js Starter | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, kubernetes, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,796 | ★ 23,190 |
| First released | 2022 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Shopify themes, Saleor Storefront | Shopify, commercetools |
Why pick each one
Choose Medusa Next.js Starter if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Medusa Next.js Starter or Saleor better?
Neither is universally better. Saleor has the larger community, while Medusa Next.js Starter is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Medusa Next.js Starter and Saleor free and open-source?
Yes. Medusa Next.js Starter is licensed under MIT and Saleor under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Medusa Next.js Starter and Saleor with Docker?
Medusa Next.js Starter: yes. Saleor: yes.