Shopware 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.
Not the right match-up?
Shopware
Flexible open-source commerce for growing brands
VS
Spree Commerce
Open-source Rails e-commerce platform
| Feature | Shopware | Spree Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,400 | ★ 15,607 |
| First released | 2010 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Magento | Shopify, BigCommerce |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopware or Spree Commerce better?
Spree Commerce is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Shopware if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Shopware and Spree Commerce free and open-source?
Yes. Shopware is licensed under MIT and Spree Commerce under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shopware and Spree Commerce with Docker?
Shopware: yes. Spree Commerce: yes.