SHSelfHostIndex

Shuup vs Smartstore

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?
SH Shuup Django-based multi-vendor commerce platform VS SM Smartstore Modern open-source .NET commerce platform
FeatureShuupSmartstore
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score18 · At risk83 · Excellent
CategoryE-commerce PlatformsE-commerce Platforms
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguagePythonC#
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 2,401★ 1,521
First released20162010
ReplacesShopify, MagentoShopify, Magento

What are Shuup and Smartstore?

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

Read the full Shuup guide →

Smartstore

Smartstore is a free, open-source e-commerce platform built on ASP.NET Core. It provides a modern responsive storefront, modular plugin system, and a powerful admin for managing stores.

  • Modern ASP.NET Core stack
  • Modular architecture
  • Responsive Bootstrap theme
  • Built-in CMS pages

Read the full Smartstore guide →

Shuup vs Smartstore: key differences

Shuup is written in Python, while Smartstore is built with C#. Smartstore is the more established project (first released 2010), while Shuup arrived in 2016.

Why pick each one

Choose Shuup if…

  • Good for marketplace builds
  • Pythonic codebase

Watch out for

  • Smaller community
  • Less active development
Shuup details

Choose Smartstore if…

  • Polished modern UI
  • Good plugin model

Watch out for

  • Requires .NET hosting
  • Smaller community than competitors
Smartstore details

Frequently asked questions

Is Shuup or Smartstore better?

Neither is universally better. Shuup has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Shuup and Smartstore free and open-source?

Yes. Shuup is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Smartstore under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Shuup and Smartstore with Docker?

Shuup: yes. Smartstore: yes.

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