# Medusa

The leading open-source headless commerce framework, with a paid managed cloud option

https://topboilerplates.com/medusa

Framework: Express / Node | Pricing: Freemium, from $0 | GitHub stars: 36152

## Verdict

Best for: Developers building a fully custom commerce backend/storefront who want an open-source, self-hostable alternative to Shopify with multi-warehouse and multi-region support.

Skip if: You want a simple themed store rather than a headless build-your-own-frontend commerce framework.

## Description

Medusa is an open-source, TypeScript/Node.js headless commerce framework for building custom storefronts and commerce backends. It supports multi-warehouse inventory, multiple sales channels, multi-region pricing/tax/currency, a promotion engine, and a customizable admin dashboard, plus MCP integration for AI agents. The core framework is free and self-hostable on GitHub; Medusa also offers a managed cloud starting at $29/month for teams that don't want to run their own infrastructure.

## Pros and cons

+ Free, open source, and self-hostable with no GMV tax if you run it yourself

+ One of the most active open-source commerce projects on GitHub with real enterprise adopters (Eight Sleep, Heineken)

+ Handles complex commerce needs (multi-warehouse, multi-region, promotions) that simpler starters skip

- Headless architecture means you still have to build or wire up your own storefront frontend

- More setup and infrastructure decisions than a hosted platform like Shopify

- Managed cloud pricing adds up for higher-traffic stores beyond the base $29/month tier

## Features

- admin-dashboard
- i18n
- mcp-server
- open-source

## Stack

- TypeScript

## Links

- Website: https://topboilerplates.com/go/medusa
- GitHub: https://github.com/medusajs/medusa

## Alternatives

- [Spartacus](https://topboilerplates.com/spartacus)
- [Botiga](https://topboilerplates.com/botiga)
- [Aimeos](https://topboilerplates.com/aimeos)