Django Shop vs Spree Commerce
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 | Spree Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 23 · At risk | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Python | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,317 | ★ 15,718 |
| First released | 2011 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Shopify, WooCommerce | Shopify, BigCommerce |
What are Django Shop and Spree Commerce?
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
Spree Commerce
Spree Commerce is a complete open-source e-commerce platform built with Ruby on Rails. It supports multi-vendor marketplaces, multi-store, and headless API-driven storefronts.
- Modular Rails engine architecture
- Multi-store and multi-vendor
- Headless storefront API
- Admin dashboard included
Django Shop vs Spree Commerce: key differences
Django Shop is written in Python, while Spree Commerce is built with Ruby. Django Shop is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Spree Commerce. Spree Commerce is the more established project (first released 2008), while Django Shop arrived in 2011. Spree Commerce has the considerably larger community, at 15,718 GitHub stars versus 3,317.
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 Spree Commerce if…
- Mature and battle-tested
- Flexible Rails ecosystem
Watch out for
- Ruby expertise needed for customization
- Setup can be involved
Frequently asked questions
Is Django Shop or Spree Commerce better?
Spree Commerce is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Django Shop if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Django Shop and Spree Commerce free and open-source?
Yes. Django Shop is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Spree Commerce under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Django Shop and Spree Commerce with Docker?
Django Shop: yes. Spree Commerce: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Django Shop or Spree Commerce?
Django Shop has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Spree Commerce. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.