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Medusa Plans: Seats, Hubs, and Qualifying Tiers

Choose your Medusa plan by mapping must-haves to qualifying tiers — seats, hubs, pools, and add-ons — not homepage “from” tiles.

By Lee M.Updated Aug 18, 20268 min readFact-checked

Quick answer

Choose a Medusa plan by listing day-one must-haves for headless JS open-source commerce, mapping them to a qualifying tier — subscription, processing, apps, GMV, or quote packaging included — then proving the loop on that package before you buy. Confirm marketplace channels (Open Source (self-host)+) and b2b wholesale (Open Source (self-host)+) are on the package you will actually buy. Homepage “from” tiles are not a bill of materials. Never invent list prices here — confirm plans, processing, and quote terms on /pricing/medusa/.

  • List day-one must-haves
  • Map to a researched qualifying plan
  • Price processing, apps, and GMV you will actually use
  • Prove the loop on the package you will buy
  • Get the qualifying configuration in writing
  • Never invent a spreadsheet total in this guide

Medusa packaging rules

  • Tiles are the bottom layer — Researched plans: Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise.
  • Gates change the bill — Plan-gated in research: marketplace channels (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); b2b wholesale (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); marketing automation (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); dropshipping sourcing (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise).
  • Prove on the package you will buy — Our snapshot records no trial length for Medusa, so Open Source (self-host) is your proving ground.
  • Job cluster first — Must-haves should match run OSS or Cloud Launch, add a product module, and complete a test checkout on your storefront. Do not pay for hubs that serve a WordPress plugin cart or a Square POS bundle.

Medusa plan path

  1. 1Day one
  2. 2Qualifying tier
  3. 3Same package
  4. 4In writing

Medusa plan anatomy

Medusa plan anatomy: subscription, processing, gates, apps.
Read Medusa pricing from must-have gates upward; confirm numbers on the pricing page.

What actually shapes a Medusa bill

We do not invent list prices here. Use this anatomy, then confirm live numbers on the Medusa pricing page.

  • Seats61%
  • Add-ons18%
  • Implementation12%
  • Training5%
  • Other4%

  • Subscription / hub

    The researched plan that unlocks checkout, imports, or sales channels — not the homepage starter tile.

  • Processing / GMV

    Transaction fees, payment plans, and any GMV bands. Confirm whether the vendor’s processor is cheaper than yours.

  • Apps, modules, themes

    Plan-gated in research: marketplace channels (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); b2b wholesale (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); marketing automation (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); dropshipping sourcing (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise).

  • Hosting / implementation

    Open-source and enterprise paths add hosting or integrator hours — get fees in writing; do not invent them.

  • AI / extras

    Research lists AI assistant, AI summaries, AI automation, and AI recommendations for Medusa. Research places AI assistance on Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, and Cloud Scale.

Open Medusa pricing →

Who Medusa packaging usually fits

  1. 01

    Early catalog / one channel

    Fits when headless JS open-source commerce is the job and you can live without enterprise multi-storefront or composable programmes.

    • One store or connected storefront
    • Named merchandiser
    • Payments you will actually use
  2. 02

    Growing catalog / omnichannel

    Fits when inventory, channels, or GMV gates matter and someone will admin the store weekly.

    • Named store owner hours
    • Must-haves mapped to a qualifying hub
    • Stop shadow spreadsheets for stock
  3. 03

    Quote-led / multi-store

    Fits only if Medusa is still headless JS open-source commerce at that scale — not if you actually needed a WordPress plugin cart or a Square POS bundle.

    • Written qualifying configuration
    • GMV / processing rules
    • Adoption review before more apps

Medusa must vs nice

Must-have
  • Core loop on the qualifying plan
  • Payments / shipping / channels for day one
  • online storefront, product catalog, checkout payments, and order management
Nice-to-have
  • AI / extra apps

1. List day-one must-haves for this job cluster

Medusa plans diagram 1.
Start Medusa packaging from the headless JS open-source commerce loop — not from a “from” tile.

  • Honest musts

    Five jobs, all used weekly — catalog, checkout, and the channel you sell on.

  • Wishlist

    Twelve musts including unused AI and marketplace apps — cut to five.

  • Wrong job

    If musts describe a WordPress plugin cart or a Square POS bundle, this product’s packaging will not save you.

Must-haves should match run OSS or Cloud Launch, add a product module, and complete a test checkout on your storefront. Research-supported features include online storefront, product catalog, checkout payments, and order management. 1. Write five things the store must do in week one.

  1. Mark each must vs nice.
  2. Drop anything that is actually a WordPress plugin cart or a Square POS bundle. Worked example: Harbor Labs (JS headless storefront) drops a cheaper tile when the must-have workflow unlocks only on a higher hub.

2. Map must-haves to a researched qualifying plan

Medusa plans diagram 2.
Map Medusa must-haves upward until every day-one job unlocks.

  • Mapped

    Every must-have has a researched plan name.

  • Tile shopping

    You compared “from” prices across vendors — restart from must-haves.

  • Quote-only

    If there is no public matrix, get the configuration in writing before you call it cheap.

Researched plans: Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise. 1. For each must-have, write the lowest researched Medusa plan that includes it. Plan-gated in research: marketplace channels (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); b2b wholesale (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); marketing automation (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise); dropshipping sourcing (Open Source (self-host), Cloud Develop, Cloud Launch, Cloud Scale, Cloud Enterprise).

  1. The highest plan on that list is the qualifying tier — not the homepage starter tile.
  2. Check processing, GMV bands, and extra storefronts separately. Never invent list prices here — confirm plans, processing, and quote terms on /pricing/medusa/. Worked example: Harbor Labs (JS headless storefront) discovers checkout, imports, or a sales channel force a higher hub than the tile they screenshotted, so they re-qualify before a trial.

3. Prove the loop on the package you will buy

Medusa plans diagram 3.
Trial Medusa on the qualifying package — not the demo’s extra hubs.

  • Honest trial

    Loop works on the hub you will pay for.

  • Inflated trial

    Ask the vendor which package the tenant is on, in writing.

  • Free-plan trap

    Free is a proving ground only if must-haves actually live there.

Our snapshot records no trial length for Medusa, so Open Source (self-host) is your proving ground. 1. Run a developer can publish a SKU and a test buyer can check out without leaving your front-end on the qualifying hub — not a demo enterprise workspace.

  1. Confirm processing and app behaviour if they change the bill.
  2. Write the configuration: plan, processing, apps, billing term. Worked example: Harbor Labs (JS headless storefront) fails the gate when the trial ran Plus features they will not purchase. They restart the trial on the written package.

4. Get the qualifying configuration in writing

Medusa plans diagram 4.
Buy Medusa from a written configuration — never from a homepage tile.

  • Written

    Plan, processing, apps, term — attached to the decision.

  • Verbal extra

    If a feature was “included in the demo,” it is not included until it is written.

  • Walk

    If packaging stays vague, keep looking via how to choose ecommerce software.

  1. Plan / hub (weekly operators only).
  2. Processing and GMV rules.
  3. Apps and add-ons the trial proved.
  4. Implementation, hosting, or onboarding fees if any — do not invent them.
  5. Annual vs monthly only after the configuration is frozen. Worked example: Harbor Labs (JS headless storefront) will not sign until the qualifying hub and processing rules are in an email they can attach to the buy decision. If packaging stays vague, they also keep Saleor, Shopify, and WooCommerce on the same must-have sheet.

Compare qualifying configurations inside the same cluster

Do not rank Medusa (headless JS open-source commerce) against a WordPress plugin cart or a Square POS bundle on a single price tile.

  • Saleor logo
    Saleor

    Headless GraphQL commerce — OSS self-host free; Cloud Select $1599/mo, Volume $3999/mo, Enterprise quote. Forever Free is non-commercial only.

    View CRM profile
  • Shopify logo
    Shopify

    Hosted SaaS ecommerce platform with themes, checkout, channels, and POS — Basic from $39/mo ($29 annual), Grow $105 ($79 annual), Advanced $399 ($299 annual), Plus from $2,300/mo.

    View CRM profile
  • WooCommerce logo
    WooCommerce

    Open-source WordPress commerce plugin — free core; paid extensions, hosting, and WooPayments processing are separate TCO lines.

    View CRM profile

Shortlist is cluster-matched from the catalogue — not an affiliate-ordered ranking and not a score.

Medusa checklist

Bring these questions to every demo

Ask vendors to show the workflow live, not just describe it.

  • 1List day-one must-havesFeatures that must ship without an unused enterprise tier.
  • 2Map to a qualifying planUse researched plan names — not marketing starting tiles.
  • 3Prove the loop on that packageTrial the hub you will buy, before you buy.
  • 4Get the qualifying quote in writingPlans, processing, apps, and implementation fees.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does a free Medusa plan count?

    Our snapshot records no trial length for Medusa, so Open Source (self-host) is your proving ground.

  • Should we pay annually?

    Only after the qualifying configuration is written. Annual discounts do not fix the wrong hub.

  • How do we treat processing and GMV?

    Model the constraint you will hit first — subscription, transaction fees, or a GMV band. Confirm both on the pricing page; do not invent a blended rate here.

  • Can we compare “from” prices across tools?

    Not usefully. Compare qualifying configurations for the same must-haves. Tiles omit gates.

  • Where are the actual numbers?

    Never invent list prices here — confirm plans, processing, and quote terms on /pricing/medusa/.

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