The Saleor Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Saleor in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Saleor
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source headless commerce with managed Cloud hosting
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among online store builders, read from Saleor’s own pages.
Made by Saleor Commerce · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Saleor’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Saleor’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.6
GPA, above 0 of the 26 other online store builders we grade
Saleor is an open-source, GraphQL-based commerce platform for retail, B2B and marketplace stores. It can be self-hosted, or run on Saleor Cloud, where plans bundle hosting, migration and an engineering team and are priced against a store's monthly sales. A free sandbox is limited to non-commercial use.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Saleor, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Customising means building apps over GraphQL, so it needs developers.
- 1
Best for API-first stores for high-volume sellers
Saleor is a headless, GraphQL-based commerce platform you can self-host or run on its Cloud.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1,599 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $1599 per month (Cloud Select, up to $200,000 monthly GMV).
- 3
There is a free plan
Sandboxes: free forever for non-commercial use such as prototyping and trying new features.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Headless GraphQL core
Customization is done by building Saleor Apps that connect through GraphQL, webhooks and pub/sub, which keeps the core files untouched.
- 6
Saleor Engine
A beta feature that runs your storefront, apps and ERP sync alongside Saleor, with deployment, variables and logs managed from the Dashboard.
- 7
Essential Apps
Cloud-only apps cover multilingual customer emails, Adyen payments, Google Merchant Center feeds, MCP, ACP/UCP and Ink AI Search.
- 8
A 1.6 GPA, above 0 of 26
That is against the other online store builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Saleor you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Saleor at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $1599 per month (Cloud Select, up to $200,000 monthly GMV)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Saleor Commerce
- Category
- Online Store Builders
- Our grade
- 1.6 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for API-first stores for high-volume sellers
Saleor is a headless, GraphQL-based commerce platform you can self-host or run on its Cloud. Cloud plans start at $1,599 a month, the free Sandboxes plan is for non-commercial use only, and the dearer add-ons run to $6,000 and $12,000.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Select is $1,599 a month for up to $200,000 in monthly sales, with 0.8% on orders above that. The category's dearest tenth starts at $89. Migration help and 24/7 support are included. |
| Free plan and trial | D | Sandboxes are free forever but for non-commercial use only, so you can't run a real shop on them. No trial is listed. |
| Features | C | GraphQL core, Saleor Apps, a dashboard and Cloud-only Essential Apps. Saleor Engine is labeled beta, and a storefront has to be built. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. Customising means building apps over GraphQL, so it needs developers. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with GraphQL, webhooks and pub/sub, and a Cloud or self-hosted option. No phone or desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Saleor is for
- Fits if you're a high-volume merchant with engineers and want a custom headless build
- Works for teams that want the option to self-host and keep their data
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're small: Cloud starts at $1,599 a month, and Volume is $3,999
- Not for you if you want to try it on a real shop free, since Sandboxes are non-commercial
- Watch out: Accelerator is $6,000 and Forward Deployed Engineering $12,000, credited back over 12 months after go-live
- Skip it if you want a finished store, as Saleor Engine is beta and the storefront is yours to build
Good to know
Good for
- Growing or high-volume merchants that want a custom headless build
- Teams that want to keep code and data with an option to self-host
- B2B and marketplace sellers who need a flexible API-first core
Worth knowing
- Cloud pricing is tied to monthly GMV, and orders above the plan's limit add a percentage fee (0.8% on Select, 0.4% on Volume).
- The free Sandboxes plan is for non-commercial use only.
- Optional add-ons: the Accelerator Plan costs $6,000 and Forward Deployed Engineering $12,000, credited back over 12 months after go-live.
- Saleor Engine is labeled beta, and the Essential Apps run only on Saleor Cloud.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1,599
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Saleor has a free plan. Paid plans start at $1599 per month (Cloud Select, up to $200,000 monthly GMV).
Sandboxes are free forever but for non-commercial use only, so you can't run a real shop on them.
Sandboxes
$0
Free forever, for non-commercial use only: prototyping, side projects and trying new features.
Select
$1599
per month, up to $200,000 monthly GMV
For new projects and smaller companies; 0.8% charged on orders above the GMV limit, with a fair API usage policy.
Volume
$3999
per month, up to $1,000,000 monthly GMV
For high-volume businesses; 0.4% charged on orders above the GMV limit, with a fair API usage policy.
Enterprise
Custom
Negotiated pricing with a fair API usage policy. Sold through sales.
The free plan
Sandboxes: free forever for non-commercial use such as prototyping and trying new features.
Read from saleor.io on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source headless commerce with managed Cloud hosting. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, AI features, online store.
GraphQL core, Saleor Apps, a dashboard and Cloud-only Essential Apps.
- Headless GraphQL core
- Customization is done by building Saleor Apps that connect through GraphQL, webhooks and pub/sub, which keeps the core files untouched.
- Saleor Engine
- A beta feature that runs your storefront, apps and ERP sync alongside Saleor, with deployment, variables and logs managed from the Dashboard.
- Essential Apps
- Cloud-only apps cover multilingual customer emails, Adyen payments, Google Merchant Center feeds, MCP, ACP/UCP and Ink AI Search.
- Pulse dashboard
- Dashboard home shows revenue, orders, returns and low stock, and flags anything that looks unusual.
- Migration and engineering support
- Each Cloud plan includes migration from platforms such as Shopify Plus or Magento, a delivery lead, a Slack channel and 24/7 support with SLAs.
- Cloud and self-hosted
- Moving between Saleor Cloud and self-hosted open source is supported, though a data migration or version update may be needed.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Adyen
- Google Merchant Center
Saleor is made by Saleor Commerce.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/26
Other online store builders it is graded above
Saleor's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 5 of 26) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $1,599 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 18 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 27 online store builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Saleor’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 26
- DFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 26
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 26
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 26
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 26
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 21 online store builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Saleor is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Saleor you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 26 other online store builders grade higher. It costs $19,188 a year. Saleor is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- It plugs into other products, Adyen and Google Merchant Center among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Saleor’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Medusa, Vendure, commercetools, Shopware and BigCommerce
The 5 tools Saleor is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Medusa
Free plan · from $29/mo
- 1.8GPA
Vendure
Free plan · from €199/mo
Open-source B2B commerce framework with paid plans.
- Vendure also covers quotes and estimates.
- 2.0GPA
commercetools
Free trial
API-first headless commerce platform for large retailers.
- Saleor has a free plan. commercetools does not, though it has a free trial.
- Saleor is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Shopware
Free plan · from €600/mo
- 2.6GPA
BigCommerce
Free trial · from $29/mo
Hosted ecommerce platform with plans set by yearly sales.
- Saleor has a free plan. BigCommerce does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only BigCommerce lists iOS and Android apps.
- Saleor is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Saleor free?
Saleor has a free plan. Sandboxes: free forever for non-commercial use such as prototyping and trying new features.
How much does Saleor cost?
Saleor lists 4 plans. Sandboxes: $0.
What platforms does Saleor work on?
Saleor is available on Web.
Does Saleor have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Saleor is listed for Web.
Does Saleor have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Saleor is listed for Web.
Is Saleor open source?
Yes. Saleor is open source, according to its own site.
Does Saleor have an API?
Yes. Saleor offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Saleor integrate with?
Saleor's listing names Adyen and Google Merchant Center. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Saleor?
Saleor is made by Saleor Commerce.
What are the alternatives to Saleor?
The closest alternatives to Saleor in our directory are Medusa, Vendure, commercetools, Shopware and BigCommerce.
How does Saleor compare with other online store builders?
Saleor's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
Is Saleor good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Saleor D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1,599 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 18 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Saleor?
To replace Saleor you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Saleor’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Saleor's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Saleor Commerce. Prices change, so check saleor.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Saleor, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/saleor
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Saleor: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/saleor
Know someone choosing between online store builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/saleor/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded online store builders after Saleor, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Online Store Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 30 online store builders we grade, compared
- Big Cartel Insider's GuideSimple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers2.8 GPA
- Shopify Insider's GuideHosted commerce platform for online, in-person and social selling2.8 GPA
- BigCommerce Insider's GuideHosted ecommerce platform with plans set by yearly sales2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Saleor’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Saleor is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Saleor Commerce. Prices and plans change: check saleor.io before you buy.