--- title: "What does headless commerce actually mean?" description: "Headless commerce explained in plain English: how a separate storefront and commerce backend work, what you build, what it costs, and options like Medusa." url: https://medusajs.com/kb/build-vs-buy/what-is-headless-commerce last_updated: 2026-10-29T06:55:50Z topic: "build-vs-buy" type: "concept" applies_to: "Medusa v2.x" related: - "https://medusajs.com/kb/build-vs-buy/shopify-vs-custom-store.md" - "https://medusajs.com/kb/build-vs-buy/shopify-app-costs-vs-owning-stack.md" - "https://medusajs.com/kb/headless-checkout/add-ecommerce-to-nextjs.md" - "https://medusajs.com/kb/agentic-commerce/backend-for-ai-shopping-agents.md" sources: - "https://docs.medusajs.com/learn/introduction/architecture" - "https://docs.medusajs.com/learn/deployment" - "https://medusajs.com/pricing.md" - "https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/headless/hydrogen" - "https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/headless/legacy/hydrogen/fundamentals" - "https://www.shopify.com/pricing" - "https://saleor.io/" - "https://commercetools.com/" - "https://github.com/medusajs/b2b-starter" --- # What does headless commerce actually mean? > Headless commerce means your storefront is a separate app that talks to a commerce backend through an API. The backend handles products, carts, orders, and payments; you build and host the frontend. Medusa is an open source headless platform with a Store API and a Next.js Starter Storefront, so you build the frontend, not commerce itself. ## What headless commerce means in plain English Headless commerce means the part of your store that shoppers see (the frontend, or "head") is a separate application from the part that runs commerce (the backend). The two talk over an API. The backend holds products, prices, carts, orders, and payments. The frontend is any website, app, or other client that calls that API. In a traditional platform such as Shopify with a theme, the storefront and the backend come as one package. You customize the store inside the theme system. In a headless setup, your team builds and hosts its own storefront, often in a framework like Next.js. ```text Traditional: Shopper -> [ Theme + checkout + backend, one platform ] Headless: Shopper -> Your storefront (Next.js, mobile app, kiosk, AI agent) | | API calls (products, cart, checkout) v Commerce backend (Medusa, Shopify, Saleor, commercetools) | Admin dashboard, database, payment and shipping providers ``` ## How headless commerce works in Medusa Medusa is a headless commerce platform. Its docs describe the architecture directly: storefronts, admin dashboards, and other clients use Medusa through its API routes. The Medusa application is a Node.js server plus the Medusa Admin dashboard, and the storefront is deployed separately. Medusa provides a [Store API](https://docs.medusajs.com/api/store) for storefronts and a [Next.js Starter Storefront](https://docs.medusajs.com/resources/nextjs-starter) you can use as-is or build on. You are free to use another frontend stack. Medusa Cloud can host the backend, admin, and [storefront together](https://docs.medusajs.com/cloud/storefront) from one monorepo. ## What you get versus what you build Going headless does not mean building commerce from scratch. The backend gives you the commerce logic. You take on the frontend. | Area | With Medusa | Status | | --- | --- | --- | | Products, variants, categories | Product Module | Native | | Prices, currencies, price lists | Pricing Module | Native | | Cart, checkout logic, orders | Cart and Order Modules | Native | | Admin dashboard | Medusa Admin | Native | | Storefront | Next.js Starter Storefront, installed with create-medusa-app, that you customize | Native | | Product reviews, loyalty points, subscriptions | Official tutorials with example code | Official guide | | B2B company accounts and quotes | B2B Starter | Starter | | Business-specific logic | Custom modules and workflows | Custom | ## What headless commerce costs Headless adds cost in three places compared with a theme-based store: - **Frontend development**: someone builds and maintains the storefront. This is the largest cost and depends on your team. - **Frontend hosting**: Shopify's Oxygen hosting is available at no extra charge on paid Shopify plans other than Agentic plans. Medusa Cloud plans start at $29 per month and include storefront hosting, with a 0% GMV fee ([Medusa Cloud pricing](https://medusajs.com/pricing)). - **Ongoing changes**: content and layout changes that a merchant makes in a theme editor may need a developer or a CMS. The backend licence cost depends on the platform. Medusa and Saleor are open source. commercetools does not list prices on its site. ## Headless commerce options compared | Option | Backend | Frontend | Hosting | Pricing model | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Shopify Hydrogen | Shopify | Hydrogen (framework-agnostic, with a React Router starter) | Oxygen or self-hosted | Shopify plan fees and apps | | Medusa | Open source (MIT core), Node.js and TypeScript | Next.js Starter or any framework | Self-hosted or Medusa Cloud | Free to self-host; Cloud from $29 per month, 0% GMV fee | | Saleor | Open source, GraphQL API | Any framework | Self-hosted or Saleor Cloud | Check vendor docs | | commercetools | Headless, API-first platform for enterprise | Any framework | Vendor cloud | Not public, through sales | Hydrogen is the closest path if you already run Shopify and only want a custom frontend: checkout, plan fees, and apps stay on Shopify. Medusa fits when you also need to change backend logic, such as pricing rules, checkout steps, or order flows. ## When you should not go headless Headless is not the right default for every store. Stay on a theme-based platform if you have no developer, your store fits a theme, and you want merchants to change pages without code. Shopify's own pricing page lists 1 headless storefront on Basic, Grow, and Advanced, and 25 on Plus ([Shopify pricing](https://www.shopify.com/pricing), as of October 2026), so headless is available there when you need it later. Medusa is also not the right choice if you want a hosted SaaS with no code to own. Medusa assumes a developer can work with TypeScript and deploy changes. ## Common questions ### Is headless commerce more expensive than Shopify? Usually at the start, because someone has to build and maintain the storefront. The backend can be cheap: Medusa is free to self-host and Medusa Cloud starts at $29 per month with a 0% GMV fee. ### Do I need a developer for headless commerce? Yes. A headless store needs a developer to build and change the storefront. If you don't have one, a theme-based platform such as Shopify is the better fit. ### What is the difference between Hydrogen and Medusa? Hydrogen is Shopify's toolkit for a custom frontend on Shopify's backend. Medusa is an open source backend you own and can extend with custom modules, used with the Next.js Starter Storefront or any frontend. ### Can a headless backend serve more than a website? Yes. Because Medusa exposes commerce through its API routes, the same backend can serve a website, a mobile app, or an AI agent. ## Documentation - [Medusa architecture](https://docs.medusajs.com/learn/introduction/architecture) - [Next.js Starter Storefront](https://docs.medusajs.com/resources/nextjs-starter) - [Store API reference](https://docs.medusajs.com/api/store) - [Storefront deployment on Cloud](https://docs.medusajs.com/cloud/storefront) ## Related - [Should I use Shopify or build a custom store?](https://medusajs.com/kb/build-vs-buy/shopify-vs-custom-store.md) - [The true cost of Shopify apps vs owning your stack](https://medusajs.com/kb/build-vs-buy/shopify-app-costs-vs-owning-stack.md) - [How to add a cart and checkout to an existing Next.js site](https://medusajs.com/kb/headless-checkout/add-ecommerce-to-nextjs.md) - [Best ecommerce backend for building AI shopping agents](https://medusajs.com/kb/agentic-commerce/backend-for-ai-shopping-agents.md)