SHSelfHostIndex

Solidus 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?
SO Solidus Free open-source Rails commerce platform VS SP Spree Commerce Open-source Rails e-commerce platform
FeatureSolidusSpree Commerce
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score90 · Excellent95 · Excellent
CategoryE-commerce PlatformsE-commerce Platforms
LicenseBSD-3-ClauseBSD-3-Clause
LanguageRubyRuby
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 5,333★ 15,718
First released20152008
ReplacesShopify, MagentoShopify, BigCommerce

What are Solidus and Spree Commerce?

Solidus

Solidus is a free, open-source e-commerce platform built with Ruby on Rails. It is a community-maintained fork of Spree focused on stability, security, and customization for high-volume stores.

  • Stable Rails engine architecture
  • Strong upgrade path
  • Highly customizable
  • Active community governance

Read the full Solidus guide →

Spree Commerce

Spree Commerce is a complete open-source e-commerce platform built with Ruby on Rails. It supports multi-vendor marketplaces, multi-store, and headless API-driven storefronts.

  • Modular Rails engine architecture
  • Multi-store and multi-vendor
  • Headless storefront API
  • Admin dashboard included

Read the full Spree Commerce guide →

Solidus vs Spree Commerce: key differences

Both projects are written in Ruby. Spree Commerce is the more established project (first released 2008), while Solidus arrived in 2015. Spree Commerce has the considerably larger community, at 15,718 GitHub stars versus 5,333.

Why pick each one

Choose Solidus if…

  • Reliable for high-volume stores
  • Good security focus

Watch out for

  • Rails knowledge required
  • No managed hosting option
Solidus details

Choose Spree Commerce if…

  • Mature and battle-tested
  • Flexible Rails ecosystem

Watch out for

  • Ruby expertise needed for customization
  • Setup can be involved
Spree Commerce details

Frequently asked questions

Is Solidus or Spree Commerce better?

Spree Commerce is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Solidus if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Solidus and Spree Commerce free and open-source?

Yes. Solidus is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Spree Commerce under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Solidus and Spree Commerce with Docker?

Solidus: yes. Spree Commerce: yes.

Related comparisons