Best Boilerplates for E-Commerce Stores in 2026

E-Commerce Is a Different Category

E-commerce and SaaS share authentication and payments — but the similarities end there. E-commerce needs product catalogs, inventory management, shopping cart, shipping calculation, tax handling, order management, and returns. Standard SaaS boilerplates don't cover any of this.

Quick Comparison

Starter	Price	Headless	Inventory	Admin	Payments	Best For
Medusa.js	Free	✅	✅	✅	Stripe + PayPal	Custom e-commerce
Next.js Commerce	Free	✅	❌	❌	Shopify/BigCommerce	Headless Shopify frontend
Vendure	Free	✅	✅	✅	Stripe	Enterprise e-commerce
WooCommerce	Free	❌	✅	✅	Many	WordPress-based store

The Starters

Medusa.js — Best Custom E-Commerce

Price: Free (MIT) | Creator: Medusa team

The open source Shopify alternative. Backend (Node.js API): product catalog, variants, inventory, orders, customers, shipping providers, payment providers (Stripe, PayPal, Klarna), discounts, gift cards, regions, and tax calculation.

Frontend: bring your own (Next.js, Remix, etc.) or use the Medusa Next.js storefront template.

# Start Medusa backend
npx create-medusa-app@latest my-store

# The backend exposes REST API + admin GraphQL
# Frontend is separate — use Next.js storefront template

Admin dashboard: Medusa includes a full admin UI for product management, order processing, customer management, and fulfillment.

Choose if: You need a complete, self-hosted e-commerce platform with full control.

Next.js Commerce — Best Headless Frontend

Price: Free | Creator: Vercel

A Next.js 14 e-commerce storefront starter. Connects to Shopify, BigCommerce, Saleor, or a custom backend. Product listings, product detail pages, cart, and checkout. Excellent performance (uses Next.js App Router with server components).

Choose if: You're using Shopify as the backend and want a custom Next.js storefront.

Vendure — Best Enterprise

Price: Free | Creator: Michael Bromley

TypeScript-first, plugin-based e-commerce framework. Excellent for complex requirements: B2B pricing, multi-vendor, custom tax rules, and complex fulfillment workflows. Less beginner-friendly than Medusa but more flexible.

E-Commerce vs SaaS Boilerplates

Requirement	SaaS Boilerplate	E-Commerce Boilerplate
Authentication	✅	✅
Subscription billing	✅	❌
Product catalog	❌	✅
Inventory management	❌	✅
Shopping cart	❌	✅
Order management	❌	✅
Shipping integration	❌	✅
Tax calculation	❌	✅

If you're building a subscription SaaS that sells digital products, use a SaaS boilerplate + Stripe. If you're building a store that sells physical products, use Medusa or Shopify.

The Shopify Decision

For most e-commerce businesses:

< $1M/year revenue: Shopify ($29-$299/month) is almost always correct — payment processing, hosting, CDN, admin, and analytics included
$1M-$10M/year revenue: Shopify Plus ($2k/month) or custom
Complex requirements: Custom backend (Medusa, Vendure) with headless frontend

Building custom e-commerce from a boilerplate makes sense when Shopify's limitations (custom checkout, special pricing, B2B features) are blocking your business.

Compare e-commerce and SaaS boilerplates on StarterPick.

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