Open-Source Saleor Commerce Alternative for AI
An API-first core or one store project
Notice
86d is under active development and not yet recommended for production commerce. Check versioning and maturity and each capability you enable before relying on it.
What each option offers
Saleor Core is open-source software under the BSD-3-Clause license. It provides commerce features through a GraphQL API and uses Python on the server.
Saleor maintains a separate dashboard and a separate Next.js storefront project. A self-hosting team sets up and operates the parts it chooses, or it can use Saleor Cloud.
Saleor's current cloud plans combine monthly prices with sales-volume allowances and possible overage charges. Check Saleor's pricing page for current amounts and terms.
86d is MIT-licensed and keeps its storefront, administration tools, and store code in the same repository. A self-hosted copy does not require an 86d account.
The architectural choice is clear: Saleor starts with an API and separate apps. 86d keeps the storefront, admin, and store code in one project.
At a glance
| Dimension | 86d | Saleor Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| License | 86d is MIT-licensed; 86d.app is proprietary | Saleor Core BSD-3-Clause |
| What you set up | Storefront, administration tools, and store code are kept together | Core API, dashboard, and official storefront are separate projects |
| Main technology | TypeScript and Next.js | Python server with a GraphQL API |
| Managed service | Launch pricing is published; paid signup has not opened | Free sandboxes and paid cloud plans are available |
| Self-hosting | Available for early evaluation | Available; your team runs and updates the chosen parts |
| Payments | At launch, bring a supported provider with no added 86d checkout fee | Payment methods are connected through Saleor's APIs and integrations |
| Cloud pricing basis | Planned store-based management fee without a sales allowance | Paid plans include sales-volume allowances and possible overage charges |
| Automated store changes | In development, with review before changes go live | Not assessed in this comparison |
| Current readiness | Available for early evaluation | Saleor directs production users to its stable 3.x releases |
Pricing figures as of August 2026. Confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before you buy.
Where the money goes
This example uses $10,000 in monthly sales across 200 orders at a $50 average order value. It uses the same card-processing assumption for both options.
Saleor Commerce
Saleor Core self-hosted; Saleor Cloud starts at $1,599/mo
$9,550
minus costs shown
- Sales minus costs shown$9,550
- Card processing$350
- Platform and tooling$100
- Card processing assumption (2.9% + 30¢ per order)$350
- Hosting and operations (modeled estimate)$100
86d
86d Cloud Premium, using your own payment service
$9,605
minus costs shown
- Sales minus costs shown$9,605
- Card processing$350
- Platform and tooling$45
- Card processing assumption (2.9% + 30¢ per order)$350
- 86d Cloud management fee (planned)$20
- Infrastructure and managed usage (modeled estimate)$25
In this example, the listed monthly costs for Saleor Commerce are $55 higher. Card processing is the same on both sides, so the difference comes from the other costs listed below each chart.
This is an estimate, not a quote or profit calculation. It does not include product costs, tax, shipping, labor, refunds, chargebacks, or other business expenses. Published plan and percentage fees come from each company's pricing page. Hosting, app, and extension amounts are assumptions. 86d Cloud is not open for paid signup, so its management fee is also a planned price.
Where Saleor shines
- Saleor Core is open source under the BSD-3-Clause license.
- The core is designed to be used through one GraphQL API.
- Saleor publishes separate dashboard and storefront projects.
- The official storefront uses Next.js and TypeScript.
- Saleor publishes stable 3.x releases for production use.
- A managed cloud service and free evaluation sandboxes are available.
What to weigh with Saleor
- Saleor Core is an API, so a shopper-facing site is a separate part of the setup.
- The dashboard and official storefront are maintained as separate projects.
- Paid cloud plans use monthly prices, sales-volume allowances, and possible overage charges.
- Self-hosting leaves deployment, monitoring, backups, and updates to your team.
- Custom storefronts and integrations require GraphQL development work.
- Cloud prices and terms can change, so confirm them on Saleor's current pricing page.
Where 86d feels different
- 86d is available under the MIT license.
- A self-hosted copy does not require an 86d account.
- The storefront, administration tools, and store code use TypeScript.
- The storefront, admin, and store code are kept in one repository and released together.
- The source can be inspected, changed, and run on infrastructure you choose.
- Managed launch pricing is published before signup opens.
- At launch, bringing your own payment service adds no 86d checkout fee.
What to weigh with 86d
- Migration is manual today. An automated importer is not yet available.
- The first release is planned for PostgreSQL, US stores, and US dollars.
- There is no public app marketplace. Outside code requires an extra opt-in.
- Agent-assisted store changes are still in development.
- 86d does not provide a public GraphQL API comparable to Saleor's.
Who each option fits
Choose Saleor when you need production commerce now, want GraphQL at the center, or prefer an available managed cloud service.
Choose 86d when keeping the storefront, admin, and store code together fits the way your team wants to build and operate the store.
Summary
Saleor centers its store software on a GraphQL API, with separate official dashboard and storefront projects.
86d makes a different bet: one open-source TypeScript project for the storefront, admin, and store code.
If you prefer that unified shape to an API-first system assembled from separate apps, 86d is worth evaluating early.
FAQ
Both are open source, so what is the difference?
Saleor centers its core on a GraphQL API and publishes the dashboard and storefront separately. 86d keeps its storefront, admin, and store code in one repository. The choice is API-first composition versus a store project kept together.
How 86d is organizedHow does Saleor Cloud pricing compare?
Saleor currently offers free sandboxes and paid cloud plans. Its paid plans use monthly prices, sales-volume allowances, and possible overage charges. 86d has published launch pricing based on active stores, with hosting usage billed separately.
Current Saleor Cloud pricingIs self-hosting Saleor a fair comparison?
Yes. Saleor Core is open source under BSD-3-Clause, while your team pays for and manages hosting, updates, monitoring, and backups. The same operating responsibilities apply when you self-host 86d.
Can automated tools make store changes in 86d?
86d is being built so you can describe a store change, review the proposed work, and approve it before it goes live. That experience is still in development. Saleor provides a public GraphQL API, while any automation connected to it needs its own permissions, testing, and review process.