Shopware vs Shuup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Shopware
Flexible open-source commerce for growing brands
VS
Shuup
Django-based multi-vendor commerce platform
| Feature | Shopware | Shuup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 18 · At risk |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,430 | ★ 2,401 |
| First released | 2010 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Magento | Shopify, Magento |
What are Shopware and Shuup?
Shopware
Shopware is an open-source e-commerce platform from Germany built with Symfony and Vue.js. The community edition offers a modern admin, headless API, and a rich extension ecosystem.
- Modern Vue.js admin
- Headless API capabilities
- Rule-based merchandising
- Strong extension store
Shuup
Shuup is an open-source e-commerce platform built with Python and Django. It supports single and multi-vendor marketplaces with a modular addon system.
- Single and multi-vendor modes
- Django-based architecture
- Addon system
- Theming support
Shopware vs Shuup: key differences
Shopware is written in PHP, while Shuup is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Shopware versus AGPL-3.0 for Shuup. Shuup is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Shopware. Shopware is the more established project (first released 2010), while Shuup arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Shopware if…
- Polished merchant experience
- Powerful B2B suite available
Watch out for
- Heavy resource needs
- Complex for small shops
Choose Shuup if…
- Good for marketplace builds
- Pythonic codebase
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Less active development
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopware or Shuup better?
Neither is universally better. Shopware has the larger community, while Shuup is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Shopware and Shuup free and open-source?
Yes. Shopware is licensed under MIT and Shuup under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shopware and Shuup with Docker?
Shopware: yes. Shuup: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Shopware or Shuup?
Shuup has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Shopware. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.