Saleor vs Thelia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Saleor | Thelia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | LGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,369 | ★ 879 |
| First released | 2016 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Shopify, commercetools | Shopify, PrestaShop |
What are Saleor and Thelia?
Saleor
Saleor is a high-performance, GraphQL-first e-commerce platform built with Python and Django. It is designed for headless storefronts and offers a comprehensive dashboard, multichannel support, and a powerful API.
- GraphQL API throughout
- Multichannel commerce
- React-based dashboard
- Strong B2B and B2C support
Thelia
Thelia is a free, open-source e-commerce and content management solution built on Symfony components. It is popular in France and offers a template-based theming system and module marketplace.
- Symfony-based core
- Smarty template engine
- Module marketplace
- Multi-domain support
Saleor vs Thelia: key differences
Saleor is written in Python, while Thelia is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Saleor versus LGPL-3.0 for Thelia. Thelia is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Saleor. Thelia is the more established project (first released 2013), while Saleor arrived in 2016. Saleor has the considerably larger community, at 23,369 GitHub stars versus 879. Saleor lists first-class Docker deployment; Thelia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Saleor if…
- Modern API-driven architecture
- Scalable for large catalogs
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Requires significant infrastructure
Choose Thelia if…
- Good documentation in French
- Flexible theming
Watch out for
- Limited adoption outside France
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Saleor or Thelia better?
Neither is universally better. Saleor has the larger community, while Thelia is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Saleor and Thelia free and open-source?
Yes. Saleor is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Thelia under LGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Saleor and Thelia with Docker?
Saleor: yes. Thelia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Saleor or Thelia?
Thelia has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Saleor. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.