Shopware vs Vendure (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Shopware grades higher than Vendure: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shopware grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
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
Vendure
Open-source B2B commerce framework with paid plans
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 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
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAShopwareFair | 1.8GPAVendureWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DStarter is EUR 199 a month on a 12-month term, against $29 in the middle of the category. Growth is EUR 599 and Scale EUR 2,499. |
| 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. | BThe framework is free under GPLv3 to self-host, and Starter and Growth have a 30-day trial with no card. |
| Features | BPage builder, B2B tools, an extensions marketplace, AI content tools, multi-language and SEO. Multi-location inventory sits on the custom Beyond plan. | CCompany accounts, quotes, contract pricing, approvals and audit log are on the plans. Hosting is not included, and Vendure Cloud is a closed beta. |
| 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 rating on record. It is a framework needing developers and self-hosting. |
| 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. | CWeb only, with a plugin model and one named integration, Typesense. |
| Best for | B2B and B2C stores run on open-source Shopware | B2B commerce on an open-source TypeScript framework |
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 Vendure. How we grade
Price against what you get
Shopware starts at about $670.32 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Vendure starts at about $222.32 a month and scores 1.7.
Shopware scores higher, and starts $448 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other online store builders on the chart, 4 score higher than Shopware for less, and 17 score higher than Vendure for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Vendure also covers quotes and estimates.
At a glance
| Shopware | Vendure | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €600 per month, excl. VAT (Rise plan) | €199 per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT (Starter) |
| Free plan | Community Edition: no platform license fee, with a visual page builder, product and order management and community support. | Vendure Framework: open source under GPLv3, free to self-host, with catalog, orders, customers, payments and a plugin model. |
| Free trial | Rise plan: first 30 days free. | 30-day free trial of Starter and Growth, no card required. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Shopware | Elevantiq GmbH |
| Price read from | shopware.com | vendure.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shopware or Vendure?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Vendure is cheaper to start with: about $222.32 a month, against about $670.32 a month for Shopware. Shopware starts at €600 per month, excl. VAT (Rise plan), and Vendure starts at €199 per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT (Starter).
Which has a free plan, Shopware or Vendure?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Shopware and Vendure 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.