Saleor
E-commerceA GraphQL-only, API-first commerce platform written in Python and Django for building headless online stores.
Open-source alternative to:
What the free edition leaves out
We have not been able to confirm enough from official sources to give a verdict. “Not confirmed” means the official pages we read did not say, so we do not guess.
| Feature | Free edition | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO / SAML | Not confirmed | The permissions docs mention SSO only in passing; no setup or edition information was found. | Source ↗ |
| Role-based access control | Free | The docs describe permission groups with data permissions and channel restrictions, managed in the dashboard or via GraphQL. The docs do not say it is limited to a paid edition. | Source ↗ |
| Audit logs | Not confirmed | Not mentioned in the permissions docs; not checked elsewhere. | Source ↗ |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | The docs describe staff users who can be placed in permission groups. | Source ↗ |
| Backups and restore | Not confirmed | The pricing page does not mention backups. | Source ↗ |
| API access | Free | The README describes Saleor as a GraphQL-only, API-only platform. | Source ↗ |
| Support SLA | Paid | The open-source page lists community support on Discord and a 99.99% uptime SLA as a Saleor Cloud benefit; Cloud plans start at $1,599/mo and include direct support. | Source ↗ |
Best for
Teams with developers who want a headless, GraphQL-first commerce backend they can host themselves and pair with a custom storefront.
Why choose it over Shopify
The core is BSD-3-Clause licensed, the whole API is GraphQL, and you can run it on your own infrastructure or move between self-hosting and Saleor Cloud. Staff accounts and permission groups with channel restrictions are documented.
Where it falls short
It is a backend, not a ready-to-use store: you need to build or adapt a storefront and run the dashboard and API yourself. Saleor Cloud pricing is high and based on sales volume (from $1,599/mo), and the pricing page gives no price for smaller shops. The pages read do not say which features differ between self-hosted and Cloud. A feature comparison with Shopify has not been done.
Open-source alternative to
- Shopify — Saleor is a headless commerce backend with a dashboard that you can host yourself or run on Saleor Cloud, so it can replace Shopify for teams that want to build their own storefront.
Category
E-commerceTopics
Tech stack
Python
DockerLanguages as reported by GitHub for the repository.
