Saleor vs WooCommerce
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
WooCommerce
Open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress
| Feature | Saleor | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,369 | ★ 10,533 |
| First released | 2016 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Shopify, commercetools | Shopify, BigCommerce |
What are Saleor and WooCommerce?
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
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a customizable, open-source e-commerce platform built on WordPress. It powers millions of online stores worldwide with support for physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, and extensive third-party extensions.
- Built on WordPress
- Huge extension ecosystem
- Supports digital and physical goods
- REST API for integrations
Saleor vs WooCommerce: key differences
Saleor is written in Python, while WooCommerce is built with PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Saleor versus GPL-3.0 for WooCommerce. WooCommerce is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Saleor. WooCommerce is the more established project (first released 2011), while Saleor arrived in 2016. Saleor has the considerably larger community, at 23,369 GitHub stars versus 10,533.
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 WooCommerce if…
- Massive plugin and theme library
- Large community and documentation
Watch out for
- Requires WordPress maintenance
- Can get costly with paid extensions
Frequently asked questions
Is Saleor or WooCommerce better?
Neither is universally better. Saleor has the larger community, while WooCommerce is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Saleor and WooCommerce free and open-source?
Yes. Saleor is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and WooCommerce under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Saleor and WooCommerce with Docker?
Saleor: yes. WooCommerce: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Saleor or WooCommerce?
WooCommerce 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.