On-premise open-source eCommerce: Spree licensing options
If you’d like to self-host your open-source eCommerce project, so keep it on-premise for business, contractual or regulatory reasons, you may do so with Spree Commerce under one of three available licenses: open-source AGPLv3, a commercial or an enterprise license. Here’s a guide to help you select the one that fits your project best.
The free open-source AGPLv3 license covers 99% of use cases but there is a small portion of project requiring either a Commercial License or an Enterprise License. Here’s what sets them apart:
Community Edition for Most Use Cases
The free open-source Community Edition provides a perfect solution for most eCommerce projects requiring self-hosted, customizable platform with full code ownership.
Whether you’re building a complex B2C store, a B2B platform, or a marketplace, you can freely customize and extend Spree to meet your specific needs while maintaining complete control over your infrastructure and data.
- License cost: free
- Hosting: self-hosted, on-premise
- Use cases: complex & custom projects
- Customizations: delivered in-house by your team
- Payments: Stripe by default, others available
- Integrations: eCommerce API available
- Support: community support only
Join Spree Slack channels to get community support – 6,570 others have already joined.
It’s important to note that if you’re planning on building a SaaS platform, you could do it for free but the AGPLv3 license requires you to either open-source your entire code base or purchase a Commercial License, should you wish to keep it private.
Community Edition Redistribution as a SaaS
For businesses planning to offer their own white-label, multi-tenant eCommerce platform, either as a standalone service or integrated into an existing SaaS offering, a Commercial License is required. This license is also suitable for other forms or redistribution such as OEM or internal corporate use.
The Commercial License allows you to keep your code private while building on Spree’s robust foundation.
- License cost: annual fees dependent on usage volume
- Hosting: self-hosted, on-premise
- Use cases: multi-tenant, SaaS, white-label, OEM redistribution
- Customizations: delivered in-house by your team
- Payments: Stripe by default, others available
- Integrations: eCommerce API available
- Support: community support or enterprise support available
Enterprise License for Complex Projects
The Enterprise License is designed for organizations building for such use cases as a multi-vendor marketplace, multi-tenant or B2B eCommerce, requiring additional support, custom development, and specialized integrations. This option provides the highest level of support and services, making it ideal for complex implementations requiring expert assistance.
- License cost: annual fees dependent on use case complexity and usage volume
- Hosting: self-hosted, on-premise or in a private cloud
- Use cases: marketplace eCommerce, multi-tenant eCommerce or B2B eCommerce
- Customizations: delivered by Spree team or your in-house team
- Payments: Stripe by default, others available
- Integrations: eCommerce API available, out-of-the-box integrations also available
- Support: enterprise support available
The Benefits of Self-Hosted eCommerce
Regardless of the license type, Spree Commerce provides significant advantages as a self-hosted, on-premise solution:
Full Ownership and Control:
- Complete code access and control
- Infrastructure flexibility
- Data sovereignty
- Custom security measures
- Performance optimization
- Resource allocation control
Customization Freedom:
- Unlimited customization options
- Custom feature development
- Unique workflow creation
- Integration flexibility
- Brand differentiation
- Innovation potential
Compliance and Privacy:
- Data location control
- Privacy regulation compliance
- Security customization
- Audit capabilities
- Risk management
- Industry certification support
Scalability:
- Infrastructure control
- Performance optimization
- Resource management
- Growth flexibility
- Cost control
- Technical independence
Conclusion
Whether you choose the free Community Edition, Commercial License for SaaS redistribution, or Enterprise License for complex projects, Spree Commerce provides the flexibility, control, and scalability needed for successful eCommerce operations.
Each license option maintains the core benefits of self-hosted, on-premise deployment while catering to different business needs and use cases.
Contact us today to discuss which licensing option best fits your eCommerce project needs and how Spree Commerce can help you achieve your business goals with full platform control and ownership.
