Shopware vs Smartstore (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shopware grades higher than Smartstore: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shopware grades higher on features and ease of use. Smartstore grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Shopware
Open-source commerce platform for B2B and B2C stores
Smartstore
Open-source ASP.NET Core commerce platform for B2C and B2B shops
Which one is for you
Pick Shopware if
- Fits if you have developers or an agency and want to own the code for a B2B or B2C store
- Works for sellers who start on the free Community Edition and move to a paid plan later
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want hosted support, because Rise starts at EUR 600 a month
- Skip it if you have no developer or partner, as self-hosted stores pay for hosting and implementation separately
- Watch out: plan prices depend on sales volume, so the listed euro figures are only a starting point
- Watch out: linked shops past EUR 1 million in gross sales over 365 days need a paid plan for the Shopware Account
- Watch out: SaaS and PaaS plans go through sales; instant booking is for self-hosted stores only
Pick Smartstore if
- Fits if you have a developer and want an open-source shop on .NET
- Works for German-market sellers who want German-first documentation
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you cannot run a server, as the free edition is self-hosted
- Not for you if you need AI tools or search out of the box, as they are paid
- Watch out: paid editions are quoted by sales and show no price
- Watch out: the English site is a translation of a German-first one
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAShopwareFair | 2.2GPASmartstoreFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DRise, the first paid plan with support and AI content tools, starts at EUR 600 a month, against $29 in the middle of online-store builders. Evolve, with B2B quotes and approvals, is EUR 2,400. | CThe Community Edition is free but needs a server, which makes it a C. Paid editions show no price. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Community Edition has no platform licence fee and includes the page builder and order management. You host it yourself, and Rise has a 30-day free trial. | BOpen source with unlimited products, multishop and multilanguage, if you can host it. A trial of the paid editions is offered, with no length stated. |
| Features | BPage builder, B2B tools, an extensions marketplace, AI content tools, multi-language and SEO. Multi-location inventory sits on the custom Beyond plan. | CA full shop core, page builder and B2B tools, but AI tools, Mega Search and CSV or XML export are in the paid editions. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Choosing hosting, partners and extensions is part of the work, and self-hosted stores need developers. | DNo store rating on record. You install and host it yourself, so someone must run the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but with an extensions marketplace and integrations such as Nosto and Shopware Payments, and SaaS, PaaS or self-hosted options. | BWeb, with seven listed integrations and an API. |
| Best for | B2B and B2C stores run on open-source Shopware | a self-hosted .NET shop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Shopware and Smartstore. How we grade
Where they differ
- Smartstore also covers inventory.
At a glance
| Shopware | Smartstore | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €600 per month, excl. VAT (Rise plan) | Not published |
| Free plan | Community Edition: no platform license fee, with a visual page builder, product and order management and community support. | Community Edition: open source, unlimited products, multishop, multilanguage, responsive Flex theme and SEO features. |
| Free trial | Rise plan: first 30 days free. | Free trial offered; the page does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Shopware | SmartStore AG |
| Price read from | shopware.com | smartstore.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Shopware
- Plan prices are set by sales volume (GMV) and other factors; the listed euro prices are the starting point.
- Shopware Account and Store access needs a paid plan once linked shops pass €1 million in gross sales over 365 days.
- Self-hosted stores pay for hosting and implementation separately; PaaS pricing depends on infrastructure needs.
- Instant Rise booking in the account is for self-hosted stores only; SaaS and PaaS go through sales.
Smartstore
- Paid editions show no prices; each one is quoted by sales.
- You install and host it yourself unless you take the rental option, so someone must run the server.
- AI tools, Mega Search and export features sit in the paid editions, not the free one.
- The website and much of its documentation lead with German; the English site is a translation.
Key features
Shopware
- Visual page builder
- Drag-and-drop Shopping Experiences let non-developers build and change store layouts. The page builder is included in the free Community Edition.
- Choice of hosting
- A store can run on Shopware SaaS (hosting and updates included), on Shopware PaaS with more room for custom code, or be self-hosted.
- B2B tools
- Quotes and purchasing approvals arrive with Evolve; customer-specific pricing from external systems and Digital Sales Rooms with Beyond.
- Extensions and Nexus
- Apps and plugins come from the Shopware Store. Nexus connects other systems and runs workflows, with a free monthly execution allowance per shop.
- AI tools
- Rise adds AI-assisted product content and translation. Shopware Intelligence+ includes a Copilot that carries out multi-step tasks in the store.
- Multi-language and SEO
- Storefronts can be offered in several languages, with built-in management of meta tags, canonical URLs, breadcrumbs and structured data.
Smartstore
- Open-source core
- The source code is on GitHub, and the free Community Edition has no product limit.
- Multishop and multilanguage
- Run several shops, brands and languages from one installation, with currencies and taxes managed centrally.
- Page Builder
- Pages, menus and shopping experiences are laid out visually with drag and drop, through a Page Builder plugin and a Menu Builder.
- B2B tools
- The Enterprise B2B Edition lists cart approval, budget limits, sales representative support and PunchOut via OCI and cXML.
- Data exchange
- A REST API plus OCI, cXML, BMEcat and OpenTrans connect the shop to other systems; import and export are built in.
- Built-in AI
- AI features for texts, images and translations are listed from the Premium Edition up.
Plans
Shopware
Community Edition€0
Open-source core with source access. You choose hosting and implementation partners; community support only.
Rise€600
per month and up, excl. VAT
Adds AI-assisted content creation, product customization, returns management and direct Shopware support. First 30 days free.
Evolve€2,400
per month and up, excl. VAT
Adds B2B quotes and purchasing approvals, advanced product search, customer-group content and phone support.
BeyondCustom
Adds customer-specific pricing, multi-location inventory, Digital Sales Rooms and 24/7 priority support. Sold through sales.
Smartstore
Community Edition$0
Open-source download that you host yourself, with unlimited products, multishop and multilanguage.
Premium EditionCustom
Adds AI tools, Mega Search, media manager, CSV/XML export, OpenTrans and BMEcat; no price shown, also offered as a rental.
Enterprise B2C EditionCustom
Adds webfarm support, Redis, Lucene-based search, customer-specific prices and 24/7 support. Price on request.
Enterprise B2B EditionCustom
Adds direct order, cart approval, budget limits, PunchOut via OCI and cXML, and order management. Price on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shopware or Smartstore?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shopware starts at €600 per month, excl. VAT (Rise plan), and Smartstore publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Shopware or Smartstore?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Shopware and Smartstore have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.