The Vendure Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Vendure 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.
Vendure
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source B2B commerce framework with paid plans
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among online store builders, read from Vendure’s own pages.
Made by Elevantiq GmbH · 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 Vendure’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Vendure’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
1.8
GPA, above 2 of the 26 other online store builders we grade
Vendure is an open-source ecommerce framework, free under GPLv3, aimed at B2B sellers. Four paid plans add company accounts, quotes, contract pricing, approvals and a ready-made B2B storefront on top of it. Plans cost the same whether you self-host or later run on Vendure Cloud, which is in closed beta.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Vendure, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is a framework needing developers and self-hosting.
- 1
Best for B2B commerce on an open-source TypeScript framework
The plans do not include hosting yet, and the price is many times what hosted store builders charge.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $222.32 a month
As its pricing page puts it: €199 per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT (Starter).
- 3
There is a free plan
Vendure Framework: open source under GPLv3, free to self-host, with catalog, orders, customers, payments and a plugin model.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Company accounts
One account per customer business with tax ID validation, and on Growth and above an organization hierarchy of branches and departments.
- 6
Quotes and reordering
Buyers can request quotes, paste SKUs into quick order, reorder, and keep personal or shared shopping lists and shared carts.
- 7
Contract pricing
Scale adds prices set per customer, with volume breaks, so each company sees its own negotiated price instead of the list price.
- 8
A 1.8 GPA, above 2 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 Vendure 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.
Vendure at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from €199 per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT (Starter)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Starter and Growth, no card required.
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Elevantiq GmbH
- Category
- Online Store Builders
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for B2B commerce on an open-source TypeScript framework
Vendure is an open-source commerce framework with paid plans from EUR 199 a month for B2B features such as company accounts and approvals. The plans do not include hosting yet, and the price is many times what hosted store builders charge.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Starter 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 | B | The framework is free under GPLv3 to self-host, and Starter and Growth have a 30-day trial with no card. |
| Features | C | Company 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 | D | No rating on record. It is a framework needing developers and self-hosting. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with a plugin model and one named integration, Typesense. |
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 Vendure is for
- Fits if you have TypeScript developers building B2B commerce
- Makes sense if you start on the free framework and add B2B plans later
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Distributors and manufacturers selling to business customers
- Engineering teams that want an open-source framework with paid B2B modules
- Sellers who need customer-specific prices and order approvals
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$222.32
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Vendure has a free plan. Paid plans start at €199 per month, 12-month term billed monthly, excl. VAT (Starter).
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.
The free plan
Vendure Framework: open source under GPLv3, free to self-host, with catalog, orders, customers, payments and a plugin model.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of Starter and Growth, no card required.
Read from vendure.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 B2B commerce framework with paid plans. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, quotes and estimates, online store.
Company accounts, quotes, contract pricing, approvals and audit log are on the plans.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Typesense
Vendure is made by Elevantiq GmbH.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/26
Other online store builders it is graded above
Vendure's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 2 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 14 of 26) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $222.32 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 16 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. 17 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. Vendure’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 26
- BFree plan and trialAbove 14 of 26
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 26
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 26
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 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. Vendure 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 Vendure 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: 23 of the 26 other online store builders grade higher. It costs $2,667.87 a year. Vendure is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Quotes and estimates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- It plugs into other products, Typesense among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: audit logs.
What this rests on. Vendure’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, Saleor, commercetools, Shopware and BigCommerce
The 5 tools Vendure is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Medusa
Free plan · from $29/mo
Open-source commerce framework for developers.
- Vendure also covers quotes and estimates.
- 1.6GPA
Saleor
Free plan · from $1599/mo
Open-source headless commerce with managed Cloud hosting.
- Vendure also covers quotes and estimates.
- 2.0GPA
commercetools
Free trial
API-first headless commerce platform for large retailers.
- Vendure has a free plan. commercetools does not, though it has a free trial.
- Vendure is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Vendure also covers quotes and estimates.
- 2.4GPA
Shopware
Free plan · from €600/mo
Open-source commerce platform for B2B and B2C stores.
- Vendure also covers quotes and estimates.
- 2.6GPA
BigCommerce
Free trial · from $29/mo
Hosted ecommerce platform with plans set by yearly sales.
- Vendure has a free plan. BigCommerce does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only BigCommerce lists iOS and Android apps.
- Vendure 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
14
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 Vendure free?
Vendure has a free plan. Vendure Framework: open source under GPLv3, free to self-host, with catalog, orders, customers, payments and a plugin model.
How much does Vendure cost?
Vendure lists 5 plans. Vendure Framework: $0.
What platforms does Vendure work on?
Vendure is available on Web.
Does Vendure have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Vendure is listed for Web.
Does Vendure have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Vendure is listed for Web.
Is Vendure open source?
Yes. Vendure is open source, according to its own site.
Does Vendure have an API?
Yes. Vendure offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Vendure integrate with?
Vendure's listing names Typesense. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Vendure have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of Starter and Growth, no card required.
Who makes Vendure?
Vendure is made by Elevantiq GmbH.
What are the alternatives to Vendure?
The closest alternatives to Vendure in our directory are Medusa, Saleor, commercetools, Shopware and BigCommerce.
How does Vendure compare with other online store builders?
Vendure's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 2 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
Is Vendure good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Vendure D for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $222.32 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 16 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Vendure?
To replace Vendure 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 Vendure’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 Vendure'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 Elevantiq GmbH. Prices change, so check vendure.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
- Vendure, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/vendure
- 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, "Vendure: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/vendure
Know someone choosing between online store builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/vendure/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded online store builders after Vendure, 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 Vendure’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. Vendure is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Elevantiq GmbH. Prices and plans change: check vendure.io before you buy.