Django Shop vs Shuup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Django Shop | Shuup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 23 · At risk | 18 · At risk |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,317 | ★ 2,401 |
| First released | 2011 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, Magento |
What are Django Shop and Shuup?
Django Shop
django SHOP is an open-source e-commerce framework for building online stores on top of Django. It provides a flexible product model, cart, and checkout that developers extend for custom shops.
- Django e-commerce framework
- Flexible product model
- Cart and checkout
- Highly extensible
Shuup
Shuup is an open-source e-commerce platform built with Python and Django. It supports single and multi-vendor marketplaces with a modular addon system.
- Single and multi-vendor modes
- Django-based architecture
- Addon system
- Theming support
Django Shop vs Shuup: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Django Shop versus AGPL-3.0 for Shuup. Django Shop is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Shuup. Django Shop is the more established project (first released 2011), while Shuup arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Django Shop if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose Shuup if…
- Good for marketplace builds
- Pythonic codebase
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Less active development
Frequently asked questions
Is Django Shop or Shuup better?
Neither is universally better. Django Shop has the larger community, while Shuup is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Django Shop and Shuup free and open-source?
Yes. Django Shop is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Shuup under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django Shop and Shuup with Docker?
Django Shop: yes. Shuup: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Django Shop or Shuup?
Django Shop has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Shuup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.