Django Shop 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 | Django Shop | Solidus |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 23 · At risk | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Python | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,317 | ★ 5,333 |
| First released | 2011 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, Magento |
What are Django Shop and Solidus?
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
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
Django Shop vs Solidus: key differences
Django Shop is written in Python, while Solidus is built with Ruby. Django Shop is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Solidus. Django Shop is the more established project (first released 2011), while Solidus arrived in 2015.
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 Solidus if…
- Reliable for high-volume stores
- Good security focus
Watch out for
- Rails knowledge required
- No managed hosting option
Frequently asked questions
Is Django Shop 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 Django Shop and Solidus free and open-source?
Yes. Django Shop is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Solidus under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django Shop and Solidus with Docker?
Django Shop: yes. Solidus: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Django Shop or Solidus?
Django Shop has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Solidus. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.