Medusa vs Vendure vs Saleor: we built the same store on all three

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The scores

Each platform was scored out of 10 on four criteria. These are our scores from building the same store hands-on, not a lab benchmark.

How we tested

To keep it fair, we built the same store for a fictional jewelry brand on each platform and completed the same four tasks:

• Product upload: getting the catalog in, through the admin or a script.
• Sanity CMS sync: products sync to the CMS whenever they're created, updated or deleted.
• Custom feature: a product swatches module, so options can show an image or a color.
• Deploy: a server and a worker on Railway.

A disclosure: 306 Technologies builds on Medusa for clients. We approached each platform as if it were our first time, and the notes below include where Medusa fell short.

Medusa: most flexible, best docs

Installation took a couple of minutes, and the admin has a polished, Shopify-like feel. The Sanity integration has a step-by-step guide in the docs. The custom swatches module took real work: you need to understand Medusa's modules, workflows and links before it clicks. Deploying to Railway took a few minutes.

• Strengths: you can build almost any commerce scenario, the admin looks production-ready, and the docs and community are excellent.
• Gaps: the base project has no product variant images or basic analytics, which most stores need before launch.
• Learning curve: expect weeks, not days, to become fluent.

Vendure: most built in, admin still maturing

We tested Vendure's new React admin, a clear step up from the older Angular one. There's no product import in the admin, but a populate function makes scripted imports simple. The Sanity sync and swatches plugin followed a similar module-and-workflow path to Medusa. Deploying was harder than expected because the React admin's docs were thin, and we found the missing pieces in Discord.

• Strengths: facets for filtering, product variant images and basic analytics come out of the box. The GraphQL-first design makes integrations Vendure's strongest area.
• Gaps: the React admin was a release candidate at the time, and some actions, like adding a product option after publishing, weren't possible yet.

Saleor: easiest start, least control

Saleor works differently. With Medusa and Vendure, your custom logic lives inside the commerce platform and ships with it. With Saleor, you build separate apps and connect them over GraphQL. Extensions are quick to build with tools you already know, but they never become part of the core.

• Strengths: a clean, production-ready dashboard and a gentle learning curve for extensions.
• Gaps: admin extensions are iframe embeds, calls to apps add latency, and you can't change core commerce services without forking. We needed three separate deployments, and the self-hosting docs were thin.

How they're built

Which should you choose?

Choose Medusa: your business logic is the product

Custom checkout, pricing, B2B or marketplace rules that need to live inside the platform, with the best docs behind the team building it.

Choose Vendure: you want more built in

Facets, variant images and analytics without plugins, and a GraphQL-first API. Check the current state of the React admin first.

Choose Saleor: your extensions are light

A clean dashboard and quick extensions in your own framework, when you don't need deep changes to core commerce.

Frequently asked questions

Choosing a platform for a real project?

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