Shopify vs Medusa
Side-by-side feature comparison and pricing breakdown.
Headless Architecture Medusa is headless-first; Shopify headless is an add-on
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Visual Store Builder Shopify has themes and drag-and-drop; Medusa requires code
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Platform Fees Medusa has no monthly platform fee
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Modular Architecture Medusa's modular design allows custom commerce flows
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App Ecosystem Shopify has thousands of apps; Medusa's plugin system is growing
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Developer Experience Medusa is built for developers with modern tooling
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Pricing
$39/mo
Free Open Source
Save 100% — Save $39/mo in platform fees (100% savings on license)
Verdict
Medusa is a developer-first headless commerce engine that gives engineering teams complete control over the stack. Shopify is far easier for non-technical merchants, but Medusa eliminates platform fees and vendor lock-in.
Best for: Developer teams building custom storefronts who want full control over the commerce backend
Last updated: 2026-03-01