Smartstore 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?
Smartstore
Modern open-source .NET commerce platform
VS
Spree Commerce
Open-source Rails e-commerce platform
| Feature | Smartstore | Spree Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | C# | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,508 | ★ 15,607 |
| First released | 2010 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Magento | Shopify, BigCommerce |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Smartstore or Spree Commerce better?
Neither is universally better. Spree Commerce has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Smartstore and Spree Commerce free and open-source?
Yes. Smartstore is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Spree Commerce under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Smartstore and Spree Commerce with Docker?
Smartstore: yes. Spree Commerce: yes.