Reaction Commerce 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 | Reaction Commerce | Spree Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 58 · Fair | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,401 | ★ 15,718 |
| First released | 2013 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Shopify, commercetools | Shopify, BigCommerce |
What are Reaction Commerce and Spree Commerce?
Reaction Commerce
Reaction Commerce (Open Commerce) is an API-first, headless commerce platform built with Node.js and GraphQL. It uses a microservices architecture suited to flexible, custom storefront builds.
- GraphQL-first API
- Microservices architecture
- Real-time inventory
- Plugin-based extensibility
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
Reaction Commerce vs Spree Commerce: key differences
Reaction Commerce is written in JavaScript, while Spree Commerce is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Reaction Commerce versus BSD-3-Clause for Spree Commerce. Spree Commerce is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Reaction Commerce. Spree Commerce is the more established project (first released 2008), while Reaction Commerce arrived in 2013.
Why pick each one
Choose Reaction Commerce if…
- Cloud-native design
- Highly scalable
Watch out for
- Complex to operate
- Development paused upstream
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 Reaction Commerce or Spree Commerce better?
Spree Commerce is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Reaction Commerce if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Reaction Commerce and Spree Commerce free and open-source?
Yes. Reaction Commerce is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Spree Commerce under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Reaction Commerce and Spree Commerce with Docker?
Reaction Commerce: yes. Spree Commerce: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Reaction Commerce or Spree Commerce?
Spree Commerce has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Reaction Commerce. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.