Solidus: Open Source Alternative to Shopify

Solidus is a flexible open-source e-commerce framework with 5.3k+ GitHub stars — a Ruby on Rails alternative to Shopify and Spree. Forked from Spree in 2015 for stability and backwards compatibility, built for brands that need full storefront control.

Compare Solidus with Spree and Magento before you choose your stack.

Key features

E-commerce core

• Complete catalog, cart, checkout, and order management
• Promotions, inventory, and multi-currency support
• Admin backend (solidus_backend) with powerful order tools
• REST API (solidus_api) for headless and custom frontends

Architecture

• Modular gems — use solidus_core alone or the full stack
• Storefront-agnostic — solidus_starter_frontend or build your own
• Ruby on Rails engine — override via standard Rails conventions
• Payment integrations: Stripe, PayPal, Braintree out of the box

Philosophy

• Stability and ease of upgrade over feature bloat
• No licensing fees — BSD-3-Clause, fully free
• Active community since 2015 (Stembolt / Nebulab ecosystem)
• Enterprise-ready: used by high-volume DTC and B2B brands

Solidus vs Shopify

	Solidus	Shopify
License	BSD-3-Clause (open source)	Proprietary
Store ownership	Full code and data control	Platform-hosted
Customization	Unlimited themes and extensions	Theme marketplace limits
Payments	Bring your own PSP	Built-in payment stack
Cost	Free software + hosting	Monthly SaaS fees

Choose Solidus if you want open-source code, self-hosting options, and full control over your data and deployment.

Choose Shopify if you prefer a managed proprietary product with vendor support and minimal setup.

Browse more open-source alternatives to Shopify, or explore other tools in eCommerce.

At a glance

License	BSD-3-Clause
Stack	Ruby, Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL
Self-hosted	Yes — Rails app
Cloud	Managed hosting via partners
Origin	Fork of Spree Commerce

Getting started

gem 'solidus'

bin/rails generate solidus:install

Docs at guides.solidus.io.

FAQ

Is Solidus a free alternative to Shopify?

Yes. Solidus is open source under BSD-3-Clause. You can self-host it at no software cost — you only pay for infrastructure or optional managed services.

How does Solidus compare to Shopify?

Solidus gives you source code access, self-hosting, and data ownership. Shopify is a proprietary product focused on managed convenience. See the comparison table above for a side-by-side breakdown.

Can I self-host Solidus?

Yes. Solidus supports self-hosted deployment, which is a core reason teams choose it over Shopify. Check the Getting started or Self-hosting section for install commands.

Is Solidus suitable for production?

Solidus is actively maintained with a strong open-source community. Many teams run it in production as a eCommerce alternative to Shopify. Review the At a glance table for license and stack details.

What are alternatives to Solidus and Shopify?

Browse alternatives to Shopify for more open-source options, including tools compared to Spree. Explore the full eCommerce category for related projects.