8 Best Salesforce Commerce Cloud Alternatives

Salesforce Commerce Cloud has long dominated enterprise ecommerce, but its GMV-based pricing, lengthy implementation cycles, and proprietary architecture push growing brands toward modern alternatives. From API-first headless commerce platforms like Swell to established enterprise solutions like Adobe Commerce, these eight alternatives address the flexibility, cost, and speed limitations that drive businesses away from SFCC. This guide examines each platform's strengths, pricing structures, and ideal use cases to help mid-market and enterprise merchants select the right foundation for scalable growth.

Key Takeaways

• Predictable pricing beats GMV-based models: Salesforce Commerce Cloud charges 1% of gross merchandise volume, creating unpredictable costs that scale with success—alternatives like Swell offer transparent monthly tiers starting at $39/month
• Implementation speed varies dramatically: SFCC deployments typically require 3-6 months, while modern headless platforms like Swell average 3-8 weeks from kickoff to launch
• Native features eliminate third-party dependencies: Swell includes subscription billing, B2B capabilities, and marketplace functionality built-in, saving $600-2,400+ annually on apps required by Shopify Plus and other platforms
• Product flexibility determines catalog scalability: Shopify Plus caps variants at 100 per product, BigCommerce at 600—Swell offers unlimited variants for complex product catalogs, while Adobe Commerce provides high flexibility for variants but advises architectural best practices to avoid performance degradation with extremely large variant sets
• Total cost of ownership favors modern platforms: First-year TCO for SFCC ranges from $200,000-700,000, while Swell implementations run $23,000-67,000 for comparable functionality
• API-first architecture enables customization: Modern platforms provide full GraphQL and REST API access across all pricing tiers, eliminating the proprietary constraints and custom development overhead required by legacy enterprise systems

1. Swell — API-First Headless Commerce with Native Subscriptions

Swell stands as the most compelling SFCC alternative for brands seeking modern architecture without enterprise complexity. Built from the ground up as an API-first platform, Swell eliminates the retrofitted headless approach that hampers legacy systems.

Key Features:

• Native subscription billing with flexible intervals, mixed carts, and customer self-service portal
• Unlimited product variants and custom attributes (versus SFCC's limitations requiring custom development)
• Built-in marketplace capabilities with multi-vendor support and split payouts
• Full GraphQL and REST API access across all pricing tiers
• 230 currencies and 170 languages for global commerce
• 99.963% platform uptime with 100% uptime on Frontend API over 90 days

Pricing Structure:

• Starter: $29/month (up to $50K annual sales, 2 admin users)
• Basic: $79/month (up to $250K annual sales, 5 admin users)
• Standard: $299/month (up to $1M annual sales, priority support)
• Unlimited: $2,250/month ($5M+ annual sales, developer support, 100% SLA)

The platform's greatest strength lies in its native subscription engine, which works with any payment gateway through Swell's encrypted card vault. Unlike SFCC, which requires custom development for recurring billing, Swell handles flexible billing intervals, separate invoicing from fulfillment schedules, and automatic payment retry with dunning rules out of the box.

Brands like Spinn Coffee, Velobici, and Smashing Magazine leverage Swell for complex use cases spanning bundled products, multi-currency pricing across 17 currencies, and membership management. Implementation timelines average 3-8 weeks—a fraction of SFCC's typical deployment.

For B2B and wholesale operations, Swell delivers customer-group-based pricing, flexible fulfillment with split payments, and order editing post-purchase without the custom development SFCC demands.

2. Shopify Plus — Enterprise DTC with Massive App Ecosystem

Shopify Plus maintains its position as the default enterprise choice for direct-to-consumer brands prioritizing speed and ecosystem breadth over deep customization.

Standout Capabilities:

• 8,000+ apps providing virtually any functionality imaginable
• 36% higher conversion rates than Salesforce Commerce Cloud
• Average page load times of 0.51 seconds
• Hydrogen framework for headless React storefronts
• Native B2B functionality and wholesale channels
• Shop Pay accelerated checkout with proven conversion lift

Pricing:

• Platform fee: approximately from $2,300–2,500 per month minimum
• Transaction fees: 0.5-2% per sale on external payment gateways
• Subscription apps (ReCharge, etc.): $600-2,400/year additional
• Implementation: $25,000-75,000 typical

Shopify Plus excels for brands with straightforward product catalogs requiring rapid deployment and extensive marketing integrations. However, the 100-variant limit per product constrains businesses with complex configurations, and checkout customization remains restricted compared to API-first alternatives.

The platform's significantly lower TCO compared to SFCC makes it attractive for brands prioritizing user-friendly administration over technical flexibility. Organizations deeply invested in the Shopify ecosystem benefit from mature partner networks and extensive documentation.

3. BigCommerce — Mid-Market SaaS with Zero Transaction Fees

BigCommerce positions itself as the open SaaS alternative, combining enterprise features with transparent pricing and no platform transaction fees.

Core Strengths:

• Zero transaction fees regardless of payment gateway
• 600 SKUs per product limit (6x Shopify's cap)
• Native B2B functionality with customer groups and quote management
• Headless capabilities via GraphQL Storefront API
• Multi-storefront management from single backend
• Built-in international selling with 100+ currencies

Pricing Tiers:

• Standard: $39/month
• Pro: $399/month (advanced features and segmentation)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with dedicated support

BigCommerce serves brands seeking enterprise capabilities without enterprise complexity. The platform's higher variant limits accommodate product catalogs that would require workarounds on Shopify Plus, though businesses with truly unlimited variant requirements still need platforms like Swell or Adobe Commerce.

Implementation typically runs faster than SFCC, though the platform requires third-party apps for subscription billing and advanced marketplace functionality—costs that add up for recurring-revenue businesses.

4. Adobe Commerce — Open-Source Flexibility for Large Enterprises

Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) offers unmatched customization potential for enterprises with dedicated development resources and complex integration requirements.

Advanced Capabilities:

• Open-source foundation enabling unlimited customization
• 150,000+ merchants globally including Nike, Ford, and Nestlé
• Advanced B2B features with company accounts, requisition lists, and negotiated pricing
• Adobe Experience Cloud integration for enterprise marketing
• Page Builder for content management without code
• Extensive extension marketplace for added functionality

Enterprise Pricing:

• Adobe Commerce Pro: $22,000-125,000+/year
• Managed Services: Additional fees for hosting and support
• Implementation: $100,000-500,000+ typical for enterprise deployments
• Ongoing development: Requires dedicated technical team

Adobe Commerce suits enterprises requiring deep customization and willing to invest in specialized development talent. The platform's 29% higher TCO compared to Shopify Plus reflects the technical complexity and ongoing development requirements.

For organizations already embedded in Adobe's ecosystem (Analytics, Target, Experience Manager), Commerce provides seamless integration. However, smaller teams often find the platform's complexity and cost prohibitive compared to modern API-first alternatives.

5. Commercetools — Composable Commerce for Enterprise Customization

Commercetools pioneered the MACH architecture approach (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless), serving enterprises that demand complete flexibility in building custom commerce experiences.

Key Differentiators:

• True microservices architecture with independent scaling
• GraphQL and REST APIs for all commerce functionality
• Cloud-native infrastructure with global deployment options
• Marketplace extension model for additional capabilities
• Enterprise-grade security and compliance certifications
• Proven at massive scale with Fortune 500 implementations

Pricing Model:

• Custom enterprise pricing based on GMV and API calls
• Typically targets merchants with $5–10M+ annual revenue segment
• Implementation costs rival or exceed SFCC investments

Commercetools serves enterprises building entirely custom commerce experiences from modular components. The platform's flexibility comes with significant complexity—organizations need substantial technical resources to realize its potential.

For brands seeking headless architecture without enterprise-level investment, Swell delivers comparable API flexibility at 30-50% lower cost with faster implementation timelines.

6. Shopware — European Open Commerce Platform

Shopware has emerged as a compelling SFCC alternative particularly for European merchants prioritizing open-source flexibility and GDPR compliance.

Platform Highlights:

• Open-source foundation with commercial cloud offerings
• Strong European market presence and compliance focus
• Visual shopping experiences with storytelling tools
• B2B suite for complex wholesale operations
• API-first headless capabilities
• Active community with extensive plugin ecosystem

Pricing Options:

• Community Edition: Free (self-hosted, open-source)
• Rise: €600/month (cloud-hosted with support)
• Evolve and Beyond: Custom enterprise pricing

Shopware appeals to brands seeking open-source control with optional managed services. The platform's European heritage makes it particularly attractive for merchants prioritizing data sovereignty and regional compliance requirements.

7. Saleor — GraphQL-First Open-Source Commerce

Saleor represents the modern open-source approach, built entirely on GraphQL with Python/Django foundations that appeal to technical teams.

Technical Strengths:

• 100% GraphQL API architecture
• Open-source with commercial cloud option
• Dashboard built on React for modern administration
• Multichannel and multi-warehouse support
• Extensible through webhooks and custom applications
• Active developer community and documentation

Pricing:

• Self-hosted: Free (open-source)
• Saleor Cloud: Usage-based pricing starting at from $2,000/month

Saleor suits engineering-led organizations comfortable managing their own infrastructure. The platform's GraphQL-first approach provides elegant developer experiences, though businesses without dedicated technical teams find managed alternatives like Swell more practical.

8. Medusa — Developer-First Open-Source Commerce

Medusa provides a Node.js-based open-source commerce foundation for developers who want complete control over their stack.

Developer Features:

• Modular architecture with plugin system
• Native TypeScript/JavaScript ecosystem
• Headless by design with admin dashboard
• Multi-region and multi-currency support
• Subscription and marketplace capabilities via plugins
• Self-hosted or managed deployment options

Pricing Model:

• Open-source core: Free
• Cloud hosting: Pricing varies by usage
• Implementation: Development team required

Medusa attracts startups and technical teams building custom commerce experiences. Like Saleor, it requires development resources that make platforms like Swell more cost-effective for businesses preferring managed solutions with native features included.

Why Businesses Leave Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Analysis of migration patterns reveals consistent pain points driving organizations away from SFCC despite its enterprise pedigree.

Cost Escalation: GMV-based pricing charging 1-2% of revenue creates unpredictable expenses that grow with success. A business scaling from $1M to $10M annually sees licensing costs balloon from $10,000-20,000 to $100,000-200,000—without proportional feature gains.

Implementation Timelines: Standard deployments requiring 3-6 months delay time-to-market and drain budgets. Modern alternatives deliver comparable functionality in 3-8 weeks.

Developer Constraints: Proprietary tooling and limited customization outside the Salesforce ecosystem make changes "labor intensive" compared to standard JavaScript frameworks.

Subscription Limitations: Native recurring billing requires custom development, forcing businesses toward third-party solutions that add complexity and cost.

Choosing Your Alternative Based on Business Model

By Primary Business Model:

• Subscription-first brands: Swell (native recurring billing) or Shopify Plus + ReCharge (app-based)
• Complex product catalogs: Swell or Adobe Commerce (unlimited variants)
• Multi-vendor marketplaces: Swell (native) or custom builds on Commercetools
• DTC with simple products: Shopify Plus (ecosystem) or BigCommerce (value)
• Enterprise with Salesforce CRM: Evaluate whether ecosystem benefits justify SFCC's costs

By Technical Resources:

• Limited development team: Swell, Shopify Plus, or BigCommerce
• Moderate technical capability: Swell or Shopware
• Strong engineering organization: Commercetools, Saleor, or Medusa

By Budget (Annual, including implementation):

• Under $50K: Swell Starter/Basic or BigCommerce
• $50K-150K: Swell Standard/Unlimited or Shopify Plus
• $150K+: Adobe Commerce or Commercetools

For brands evaluating their options, Swell's transparent pricing and native features eliminate the hidden costs and app dependencies that inflate total ownership costs on competing platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How difficult is migrating from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to an alternative platform?

Migration complexity depends on catalog size, customization depth, and integration requirements. Swell provides dedicated migration support with phased approaches covering data audit, catalog import, customer record transfer, and staged rollout. Typical migrations complete in 8-16 weeks with proper planning, versus 3-6 months for new SFCC implementations. Historical order preservation ensures customer service teams maintain access to purchase history and lifetime value calculations.

What hidden costs should I expect when switching from SFCC?

Beyond platform licensing, budget for data migration services ($2,000-10,000), team training, and integration reconfiguration. SFCC's proprietary architecture often requires rebuilding customizations from scratch. Platforms like Swell include migration assistance and comprehensive documentation, while enterprise alternatives may charge separately for professional services. The key comparison is total cost of ownership: SFCC's first-year TCO of $200,000-700,000 versus Swell's $25,000-75,000 for equivalent capabilities.

Can alternatives handle the same transaction volume as Salesforce Commerce Cloud?

Modern headless platforms like Swell maintain 99.963% uptime with infrastructure designed for traffic spikes and high-volume operations. Shopify Plus processes $235 billion annual GMV (>$1 trillion cumulative) across its merchant base. The question isn't whether alternatives can handle volume—it's whether they provide the specific features your business requires at sustainable costs.

Which alternative works best for subscription-based businesses?

Swell leads for subscription commerce with its native recurring billing engine supporting flexible intervals, mixed carts combining one-time and recurring products, automatic payment retry with dunning, and customer self-service portals. Competing platforms require third-party apps adding $600-2,400+ annually while creating integration complexity.

How do I evaluate headless commerce platforms against traditional solutions?

Headless architecture separates frontend presentation from backend commerce logic, enabling custom storefronts in React, Vue, or any JavaScript framework. Evaluate based on API completeness (does the API expose all functionality?), developer experience (documentation quality, SDK availability), and whether you have technical resources to build custom frontends. Swell offers both hosted storefronts for faster launch and full headless capabilities for custom builds—flexibility that pure headless platforms lack.