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Saleor

Scalable GraphQL-native headless commerce API for any stack

E-commerce Platforms

Saleor provides a high‑performance, API‑only GraphQL backend for composable e‑commerce, supporting multichannel, multilingual catalogs, flexible order and payment flows, and extensible apps without vendor lock‑in.

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Overview

Overview

Saleor is a high‑performance, API‑only commerce engine built with Python and exposed exclusively via GraphQL. It targets development teams that need a technology‑agnostic, headless backend capable of powering custom storefronts, mobile apps, or any digital touchpoint.

Capabilities

The platform offers native multichannel support—multiple currencies, languages, and warehouses can be managed from a single catalog. Its rich product model, flexible order handling, promotion engine, and payment orchestration let businesses craft complex checkout experiences. Extensibility is achieved through apps, webhooks, and API schema extensions, allowing independent services to scale and evolve without impacting core stability.

Deployment

Developers can run Saleor locally using Docker or follow the step‑by‑step guides for direct installation. For production, Saleor Cloud provides a managed environment, while the saleor‑platform repository simplifies running the API, dashboard, and storefront together. Comprehensive documentation and an active community support rapid onboarding and continuous improvement.

Highlights

GraphQL‑only API with no legacy REST endpoints
Technology‑agnostic, works with any language or framework
Native multichannel support for currencies, languages, warehouses
Extensible via apps, webhooks, and API extensions

Pros

  • High scalability and performance
  • Clear API‑first architecture simplifies integration
  • Independent app deployment reduces downtime
  • Enterprise‑ready, battle‑tested by global brands

Considerations

  • Requires GraphQL expertise
  • Service‑oriented setup can be more complex for small teams
  • No built‑in monolithic plugins for rapid start
  • Main branch may be unstable; need to track releases

Managed products teams compare with

When teams consider Saleor, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.

Adobe Commerce logo

Adobe Commerce

Enterprise e-commerce platform (formerly Magento Commerce) for building customizable online storefronts with rich features

BigCommerce logo

BigCommerce

Cloud-based SaaS e-commerce platform for creating and scaling online stores across B2C and B2B

commercetools logo

commercetools

Headless commerce platform (MACH) for building custom storefronts

Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.

Fit guide

Great for

  • Mid‑size to enterprise e‑commerce teams needing flexibility
  • Developers building custom storefronts in any stack
  • Businesses requiring multichannel, multilingual catalogs
  • Organizations prioritizing uptime and independent scaling

Not ideal when

  • Solo developers or tiny shops needing quick out‑of‑the‑box UI
  • Teams without GraphQL experience
  • Projects that prefer a monolithic plugin ecosystem
  • Low‑traffic sites where operational overhead outweighs benefits

How teams use it

Launch a global marketplace with localized pricing

Deliver region‑specific prices, currencies, and inventory while managing a single product catalog via Saleor’s multichannel features.

Integrate a custom checkout flow

Use Saleor’s extensible payment orchestration and webhook system to embed third‑party payment providers and custom tax logic.

Build a headless storefront with React

Consume Saleor’s GraphQL API to power a Next.js storefront, enabling fast, SEO‑friendly pages and real‑time cart updates.

Add a marketing app for promotions

Deploy an iframe‑based dashboard app that creates dynamic vouchers and gift‑cards without touching the core code.

Tech snapshot

Python99%
HTML1%
Dockerfile1%
Shell1%
Makefile1%

Tags

e-commerceorder-managementheadlessheadless-commercemultichannelshopomsecommercegraphqlpythonpaymentsstoreshopping-cartcheckoutpimcommercecomposablecart

Frequently asked questions

What language is Saleor written in?

Saleor’s core is implemented in Python, exposing a GraphQL API.

Do I need to run Docker?

Docker is recommended for local development, but you can also install the components directly following the documentation.

Is there a hosted version?

Saleor Cloud offers a managed environment for rapid prototyping and production deployments.

How are extensions added?

Extensions can be added via apps, webhooks, or API schema extensions, each running as independent services.

What license governs Saleor?

Saleor is released under the BSD‑3‑Clause license.

Project at a glance

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LicenseBSD-3-Clause
Repo age12 years old
Last commit15 hours ago
Primary languagePython

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