Smartstore vs Thelia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Smartstore | Thelia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | LGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,521 | ★ 879 |
| First released | 2010 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Shopify, Magento | Shopify, PrestaShop |
What are Smartstore and Thelia?
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
Thelia
Thelia is a free, open-source e-commerce and content management solution built on Symfony components. It is popular in France and offers a template-based theming system and module marketplace.
- Symfony-based core
- Smarty template engine
- Module marketplace
- Multi-domain support
Smartstore vs Thelia: key differences
Smartstore is written in C#, while Thelia is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Smartstore versus LGPL-3.0 for Thelia. Thelia is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Smartstore. Smartstore is the more established project (first released 2010), while Thelia arrived in 2013. Smartstore lists first-class Docker deployment; Thelia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Smartstore if…
- Polished modern UI
- Good plugin model
Watch out for
- Requires .NET hosting
- Smaller community than competitors
Choose Thelia if…
- Good documentation in French
- Flexible theming
Watch out for
- Limited adoption outside France
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Smartstore or Thelia better?
Neither is universally better. Smartstore has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Smartstore and Thelia free and open-source?
Yes. Smartstore is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Thelia under LGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Smartstore and Thelia with Docker?
Smartstore: yes. Thelia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Smartstore or Thelia?
Thelia has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Smartstore. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.