Commerce Layer vs Vendure (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Commerce Layer if

• Fits if you are a developer who wants checkout and order APIs behind your own front end
• Works for prototypes and small live stores under 100 orders a month

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a ready-made storefront, as there isn't one
• Tight if you outgrow 2 users, 2 markets or 1,000 SKUs, since the next step is a sales quote
• Not for you if you want a published price above the free plan
• Watch out: payment gateway fees are not included in Commerce Layer's per-order cost, and there is no on-premise version

Pick Vendure if

• Fits if you have TypeScript developers building B2B commerce
• Makes sense if you start on the free framework and add B2B plans later

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you want paid plans, as Starter is EUR 199 a month on a 12-month term
• Skip it if you want hosting included, because plans exclude it and Vendure Cloud is a closed beta
• Watch out: prices exclude VAT, and the no-commitment monthly rate is higher than the term price
• Not for you if you have no developers, as it is a code framework
• Watch out: self-serve signup is not available in some countries, including Switzerland and Ukraine

Commerce Layer

• It is an API platform with no built-in storefront, so a front end has to be built or bought separately.
• The Developer plan is capped at 2 users, 2 markets and 1,000 SKUs; above that, pricing is custom through sales.
• Payment gateway fees are not included in Commerce Layer's per-order cost.
• There is no on-premise version, and no trial period outside the free Developer plan.

Vendure

• Plans do not include hosting yet; Vendure Cloud is a closed beta and usage above included resources will be billed separately.
• Prices exclude VAT. A no-commitment monthly rate is higher than the 12-month-term price shown, and its amount was not readable.
• Self-serve signup is not available in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Ukraine or sanctioned countries.
• The prices were read in euros; the page offers a USD view that could not be read.

Commerce Layer

Universal checkout API

A stateless checkout that handles multiple markets and currencies and connects to the payment gateway and tax calculator a team picks.

Distributed order management

Tracks inventory across locations and covers the order lifecycle from reservation to shipment. Sold as an add-on to the Enterprise plan.

Promotion engine

Market-specific promotion rules set in a visual editor or a JSON-based rule language. Also an Enterprise add-on.

Markets and price lists

A market ties together a merchant, an inventory model and a price list, so one organization can sell in several regions or business models.

Shoppable links

Links turn a SKU or set of SKUs into a small storefront that can be shared by email, SMS or messaging apps without building a full site.

Metrics and provisioning APIs

The Metrics API pulls order, return and cart history for custom reports; the Provisioning API automates account and credential setup.

Vendure

Company accounts

One account per customer business with tax ID validation, and on Growth and above an organization hierarchy of branches and departments.

Quotes and reordering

Buyers can request quotes, paste SKUs into quick order, reorder, and keep personal or shared shopping lists and shared carts.

Contract pricing

Scale adds prices set per customer, with volume breaks, so each company sees its own negotiated price instead of the list price.

Approvals and audit log

Orders over a buyer's limit go to an approver before they are placed, and an audit log records changes. Both are on the Scale plan.

No revenue-based fees

Each plan is a flat monthly price with no fee on revenue, orders or users, and a commercial licence is included.

Self-host or Vendure Cloud

You can run Vendure on any cloud or your own hardware. Vendure Cloud is in closed beta, with general availability planned for Q1 2027.

Commerce Layer

• Developer$0

  1 organization, 2 users, 2 markets, 1,000 SKUs, unlimited test orders, 100 free live orders a month, core API and MCP access.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited organizations, users, markets and SKUs, a custom yearly order volume, dedicated support and SLAs. Quoted through sales.

Vendure

• Vendure Framework$0

  The open-source GPLv3 framework every plan builds on. You host it yourself and your engineers build the store.

• Starter€199

  per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT

  Company accounts with tax ID validation, quotes, quick order and reorder, and catalog search. Community support.

• Growth€599

  per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT

  Adds company branches and departments, selling by unit, box or pallet, and shared shopping lists. Direct support from Vendure.

• Scale€2,499

  per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT

  Adds order approvals, an audit log, contract prices per customer and a ready-made B2B storefront. Priority support.

• Enterprise€60,000

  per year and up, on contract, excl. VAT

  All 32 capabilities, including PunchOut, quote negotiation and the product configurator, plus custom-built features. Sold through sales.

Commerce Layer

• Nonprofit

  Pro bono plan for nonprofits

  Commerce Layer says it offers pro bono plans to nonprofit organizations that apply and tell their story.

Vendure

No public discounts listed.