Medusa

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Feature	Medusa
STOA Rating	5.5
Description	Free, open-source headless commerce platform. Modular building blocks for products, orders, payments — customize however you need. Works with any frontend. Zero platform fees or GMV cuts. MIT-licensed. Free to use. Self-hosted.
Strengths	•Completely free — no license fees or percentage cuts •Highly customizable and extensible •14,000+ developer community with growing plugin ecosystem •Full code and data ownership
Weaknesses	•Requires developer expertise to set up and maintain •Self-hosting means you handle infrastructure and security •Smaller plugin ecosystem than Shopify or WooCommerce •No built-in storefront — must build or find a frontend
Key Features	•Open-source with no platform fees, GMV charges, or vendor lock-in •Modular architecture — pick only the commerce features you need •Supports B2B, B2C, marketplaces, multi-currency, and regional tax •API-first and headless — use any frontend framework
Pricing	Free tier available Free Tier
Best For	All industries
AI Features	None
Categories	Get Paid & Manage MoneyRun Projects & Operations
STOA Verdict	Medusa is best for small businesses that have a developer on staff and want full control over their online store without paying platform fees or revenue cuts. The biggest win is that it's completely free and you own everything — no surprise charges as you grow. The catch is that it's not plug-and-play; you'll need technical help to set it up and maintain it, which can cost more than just paying for Shopify.
	Visit Medusa View Profile

Medusa

5.5

Free, open-source headless commerce platform. Modular building blocks for products, orders, payments — customize however you need. Works with any frontend. Zero platform fees or GMV cuts. MIT-licensed. Free to use. Self-hosted.

Strengths

•Completely free — no license fees or percentage cuts
•Highly customizable and extensible
•14,000+ developer community with growing plugin ecosystem
•Full code and data ownership

Weaknesses

•Requires developer expertise to set up and maintain
•Self-hosting means you handle infrastructure and security
•Smaller plugin ecosystem than Shopify or WooCommerce
•No built-in storefront — must build or find a frontend

Key Features

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