STOA's verdictFor builders
Medusa is best for small businesses that have a developer on staff and want full control over their online store without paying platform fees or revenue cuts.
The biggest win is that it's completely free and you own everything — no surprise charges as you grow. The catch is that it's not plug-and-play; you'll need technical help to set it up and maintain it, which can cost more than just paying for Shopify.
For builders · not rated for ownersWhy no rating
Medusa needs a developer to set up and use, so we don't give it an owner rating. Here is how each factor looks for a small team that has a developer.
- SMB Fit
Built for teams with a developer; every plan lists unlimited orders and products and a 0.0% platform fee on sales, but you need engineering time to build the store.medusajs.com (source, opens in a new tab)medusajs.com
