Medusa vs Saleor: Which E-Commerce to Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
Medusa is the better choice for most self-hosters because it’s lighter on resources, easier to deploy, and offers both REST and GraphQL APIs. Saleor is more powerful for complex multi-channel, multi-warehouse operations but requires 4+ GB RAM and a more involved setup with Celery workers.
Overview
Both Medusa and Saleor are headless e-commerce platforms — they provide the backend (products, orders, payments, inventory) through APIs while you build your own frontend. Neither includes a customer-facing storefront out of the box, though both offer starter templates.
Medusa is built with Node.js (TypeScript) and backed by YC. It ships REST + GraphQL APIs and a modular plugin system. Saleor is built with Python (Django) and uses GraphQL exclusively. Both are open-source and MIT/BSD-licensed.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Medusa | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Node.js (TypeScript) | Python (Django) |
| API | REST + GraphQL | GraphQL only |
| Admin Dashboard | Built-in (Vite SPA) | Built-in (React) |
| Storefront | Next.js starter | React storefront starter |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-warehouse | Plugin/module | Built-in |
| Multi-channel | Module-based | Built-in |
| Payment Integrations | Stripe, PayPal, manual | Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, Adyen, Mollie |
| Docker Image | Build from source | Official images available |
| License | MIT | BSD 3-Clause |
| Minimum RAM | ~2 GB | ~4 GB |
| Database | PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL |
| Cache/Queue | Redis | Redis (Valkey) + Celery |
| Search | Built-in | Built-in + Algolia option |
| GitHub Stars | 27k+ | 21k+ |
| Active Development | Very active (2024-2026) | Active |
Installation Complexity
Medusa requires building a Docker image from your project source (no pre-built images on Docker Hub). The stack is three containers: Medusa + PostgreSQL + Redis. Setup involves npx create-medusa-app, writing a Dockerfile, and running docker compose up. Total time: ~15 minutes.
Saleor provides official Docker images on GitHub Container Registry. The stack is more complex: Saleor API + Saleor Dashboard + PostgreSQL + Redis (Valkey) + Celery worker + Celery beat (scheduler). Total containers: 6+. Setup involves cloning the saleor-platform repo and running docker compose up. Total time: ~20-30 minutes (including initial data seeding).
Winner: Medusa. Fewer moving parts, simpler stack.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Medusa | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| Idle RAM | ~500 MB (full stack) | ~2 GB (full stack) |
| Loaded RAM | ~1-2 GB | ~3-4 GB |
| Minimum viable RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| CPU (idle) | Low | Medium |
| Docker image size | ~200 MB (custom build) | ~800 MB (API image) |
| Cold start time | ~5 seconds | ~15-30 seconds |
Saleor’s Python/Django stack with Celery workers consumes significantly more memory than Medusa’s Node.js backend. On a 4 GB VPS, Medusa runs comfortably with headroom; Saleor will use most available RAM.
Winner: Medusa. Runs on half the hardware.
Community and Support
| Metric | Medusa | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Stars | ~27,000 | ~21,000 |
| Discord Members | 10,000+ | 5,000+ |
| Documentation | Excellent (dedicated docs site) | Good (comprehensive but dense) |
| Release Cadence | Frequent (weekly patches) | Regular (monthly) |
| Commercial Support | Medusa Cloud (hosted) | Saleor Cloud (hosted) |
| Plugin Ecosystem | Growing (npm packages) | Established (apps + webhooks) |
Both have active communities and commercial hosting options. Medusa’s documentation is particularly developer-friendly with copy-paste examples.
Use Cases
Choose Medusa If…
- You’re comfortable with Node.js/TypeScript
- You want the lightest possible e-commerce backend
- You need REST API support (not just GraphQL)
- Your VPS has 2-4 GB RAM
- You’re building a simple-to-medium complexity store
- You want rapid iteration with a modular plugin system
Choose Saleor If…
- You need multi-warehouse inventory management out of the box
- You’re running a multi-channel operation (web, mobile, POS)
- You have Python/Django expertise on your team
- Your server has 4+ GB RAM available
- You need advanced payment gateway support (Adyen, Mollie)
- You want built-in Celery task queues for background processing
Final Verdict
For most self-hosters building an online store, Medusa is the better choice. It’s lighter, faster to deploy, and the Node.js ecosystem is friendlier for frontend developers who are likely also building the storefront. The REST API option is valuable — not every frontend framework plays nicely with GraphQL.
Saleor wins on enterprise features: multi-warehouse, multi-channel, and a mature webhook/app system. If you’re running a complex operation with multiple sales channels and warehouses, Saleor’s heavier stack is justified by its richer built-in capabilities.
Both are legitimate Shopify alternatives. Neither requires monthly fees, vendor lock-in, or percentage-of-sales cuts.
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