Adobe Commerce
Enterprise e-commerce platform (formerly Magento Commerce) for building customizable online storefronts with rich features
Medusa
Composable commerce platform with customizable building blocks
Open-source commerce platform providing foundational modules and a customization framework to build tailored B2B, DTC, marketplace, and PoS solutions without reinventing core logic.
Overview
Building Blocks for Digital Commerce
Medusa is a TypeScript-based commerce platform designed for developers who need flexibility beyond traditional e-commerce solutions. Instead of a monolithic system, Medusa provides foundational commerce primitives—payment processing, inventory management, order fulfillment, and more—as modular, open-source components available on npm.
Built for Customization
The platform includes a built-in framework that lets teams extend and customize commerce logic without starting from scratch. Whether you're building advanced B2B storefronts, direct-to-consumer stores, multi-vendor marketplaces, distributor platforms, point-of-sale systems, or service-based businesses, Medusa's architecture supports complex requirements while maintaining core commerce functionality.
Developer-First Approach
Written primarily in TypeScript with Node.js and React, Medusa targets engineering teams who want control over their commerce stack. The modular design means you can adopt only the components you need, integrate with existing systems, and scale as requirements evolve. With an active community of over 14,000 members and comprehensive documentation, developers have the resources to build production-ready commerce applications tailored to their specific business models.
Highlights
Modular commerce primitives (payments, inventory, orders) available as npm packages
Built-in customization framework for extending core commerce logic
TypeScript/Node.js architecture supporting B2B, DTC, marketplaces, and PoS
Active community with 14,000+ members and comprehensive documentation
Pros
- Highly flexible architecture allows custom commerce solutions without rebuilding fundamentals
- Modular design enables selective adoption of only needed components
- Strong TypeScript foundation provides type safety and developer experience
- MIT license and active community support with transparent development
Considerations
- Requires developer expertise in TypeScript and Node.js ecosystem
- Customization flexibility means more architectural decisions for teams
- May involve steeper learning curve compared to turnkey SaaS platforms
- Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management and maintenance
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When teams consider Medusa, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Engineering teams building custom B2B or enterprise commerce platforms
- Businesses requiring multi-vendor marketplaces or distributor systems
- Companies needing headless commerce with full backend control
- Organizations wanting to own their commerce stack with open-source components
Not ideal when
- Non-technical teams seeking no-code or low-code e-commerce solutions
- Projects requiring immediate deployment without development resources
- Small businesses wanting fully managed SaaS with minimal configuration
- Teams without TypeScript or Node.js development capabilities
How teams use it
B2B Wholesale Platform
Build custom pricing tiers, bulk ordering, and account management for business customers using modular commerce primitives
Multi-Vendor Marketplace
Create a marketplace with vendor onboarding, commission management, and split payments by extending core modules
Omnichannel Retail System
Unify online storefront and point-of-sale operations with shared inventory and order management
Subscription Service Commerce
Implement recurring billing, subscription management, and service delivery workflows on top of commerce foundations
Tech snapshot
TypeScript85%
JavaScript15%
Shell1%
Handlebars1%
CSS1%
HTML1%
Frequently asked questions
What programming languages does Medusa use?
Medusa is built primarily with TypeScript and JavaScript, running on Node.js with React for frontend components.
Is Medusa suitable for non-developers?
Medusa is developer-focused and requires TypeScript/Node.js expertise to customize and deploy. Non-technical teams may find turnkey SaaS platforms more appropriate.
What types of commerce applications can I build?
Medusa supports B2B stores, DTC e-commerce, marketplaces, distributor platforms, point-of-sale systems, and service businesses requiring commerce primitives.
How does the modular architecture work?
Commerce modules (payments, inventory, orders) are distributed as npm packages. You can use only the modules you need and extend them through the customization framework.
What license does Medusa use?
Medusa is released under the MIT license, allowing free use, modification, and distribution for commercial and non-commercial projects.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 31,776
- Watchers
- 31,776
- Forks
- 4,001
LicenseMIT
Repo age6 years old
Last commit23 hours ago
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 23 hours ago