Sellfy alternatives: 4 open-source picks
Sellfy costs $29/mo — $348 a year. These 4 alternatives replace it for $0, led by CourseLit, Vvveb and Ghost. All 4 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
A self-hosted storefront for downloads and memberships; commerce is simpler than Sellfy and operations are not.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installDocker Compose, with SUPER_ADMIN_EMAIL set before first start
dataApplication records in MongoDB; production media uploads use MediaLit plus S3-compatible object storage
the catch vs SellfyCourseLit is course-and-community oriented rather than a polished digital-file storefront, and the seller must operate Docker, mail and media storage.
setupDocker starts the app, but a production setup also needs SMTP for email login and MediaLit/S3-compatible storage for uploads
facts verified 2026-08-10
Digital delivery and subscriptions share one storefront; you also inherit PHP updates.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour server
installDownload and upload the PHP release, open the site URL, and complete the browser installer
dataContent, products, orders and settings in MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite or PostgreSQL; media and downloadable files on the server filesystem
the catch vs SellfyVvveb is a general self-hosted shop rather than a creator storefront, so file sales require server, mail, payment and update administration.
setupPHP hosting, a database, writable files, mail and payment configuration, plus ongoing server updates
facts verified 2026-08-10
Publishing platform with memberships and paid newsletters built in. The self-hosted answer to Substack taking 10% of your revenue.
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Headless commerce framework in Node.js — carts, orders, payments, fully customizable.
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Ghost · Medusa
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
Easy Digital DownloadsThe free core handles files, but recurring subscriptions live in paid extensions.
FOSSBillingSubscriptions and downloads fit, but the project still calls itself beta and warns of rough edges.
MedusaA headless commerce toolkit is not a user-owned digital storefront for non-builders.
how to choose a Sellfy alternative
Most proven
Ghost, with 49,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 4, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Vvveb is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Sellfy
- payments, hosted delivery, email, print-on-demand, upsells, and support
- marketplace discovery
- tax remittance
- fraud operations
- advanced course and community tooling
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Sellfy alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CourseLit | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 1,200 | 2026-07 |
| Vvveb | AGPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 1,200 | 2026-08 |
| Ghost | MIT | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 49,000 | 2026-08 |
| Medusa | MIT | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 30,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Sellfy
People still pay for Sellfy because creators pay to outsource the dangerous and tedious parts around money, delivery, tax, and customer access. The recurring cost buys checkout, webhooks, tax, refunds, fraud, entitlements, storage, email, accessibility, backups, and customer support, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $348 a year.
questions about switching from Sellfy
Is there an open-source alternative to Sellfy?
Yes: CourseLit, Vvveb, Ghost and 1 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Sellfy?
Our verdict is YES. Ghost (49k stars), Medusa (30k stars), CourseLit (1k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Sellfy — self-host with docker and stop paying $29/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/sellfy.
What is the most popular open-source Sellfy alternative?
By GitHub stars, Ghost (49,000). Medusa is next with 30,000.
