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Medusa.js agency
Medusa.js agency: audit, redesign, build and managed services for headless B2B and B2C e-commerce.
Smotly is a French web agency specialized in business-critical e-commerce projects. We design, build and maintain Medusa.js platforms for B2B, DTC and hybrid models, complex catalogs, negotiated pricing, ERP/PIM integration, no functional ceiling and zero vendor lock-in.
Who is Medusa for?
Medusa.js is built for four profiles.
Medusa is an open-source e-commerce engine written in TypeScript and Node.js. It targets brands and distributors that have hit the ceiling of SaaS solutions (Shopify, BigCommerce) or that start with requirements too specific for a standard model.
01
B2B merchants and distributors
Catalogs of 50,000+ SKUs, negotiated pricing per account, online quotes, hierarchical accounts, deferred payment, mandatory ERP integration. Medusa absorbs these business rules without working around them, that's its purpose.
02
Hyper-growth DTC brands
When the Shopify template becomes a ceiling, custom checkout, complex subscriptions, marketplaces, multi-country with different tax rules, native mobile app. Medusa unlocks what Shopify Plus charges as limitations or variable fees.
03
E-commerce leaders in mid-market and enterprise
You have a legacy IT system (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage X3), an Akeneo PIM, an OMS, a WMS, and you refuse to rebuild everything around a SaaS that imposes its data model. Medusa aligns to your IT system, not the other way around.
04
Editors and hybrid models
Marketplaces, subscriptions, rentals, services, ticketing, phygital models. Everything SaaS e-commerce handles poorly. Medusa is modular: activate the bricks you need, build the others, never fight the tool.
Use cases
When Medusa is the right answer.
Four typical situations where Medusa becomes the natural path rather than a standard SaaS.
01
Replatforming a saturated Shopify Plus
API limits, exploding variable fees, checkout restrictions, dependency on paid apps. Medusa offers a credible exit path.
02
B2B platform built from scratch
Hierarchical accounts, negotiated price lists, online quoting, native ERP/PIM/OMS connectivity. Our specialty.
03
Full headless architecture
Strapi (content + SEO) + Medusa (commerce) + Next.js (front) + n8n (orchestration). The most performant stack in 2026.
04
Marketplace or hybrid model
Subscriptions, rentals, services that no standard SaaS covers cleanly. Modular Medusa absorbs these rules natively.
Why Medusa
Why Medusa is the right choice for a high-stakes e-commerce project.
Medusa.js is an open-source e-commerce engine in Node.js / TypeScript, launched in 2021 and switched to a modular architecture with v2 in late 2024. 25,000+ stars on GitHub, used by brands like Tekla, backed by an active community.
01
Open source, fully self-hostable
No editor licensing, no variable fees on revenue, no unilateral service cut-off. Your code, your data, your infrastructure. Zero vendor lock-in.
02
Modular architecture (Medusa v2)
Cart, Order, Pricing, Inventory, Customer, Tax, Promotion, Auth. Each domain is an independent module that can be extended, replaced or disabled. That's what lets it absorb complex business rules.
03
API-first (REST + JS SDK + Admin API)
Everything goes through the API: Next.js front-end, mobile app, ERP, OMS, marketplace, AI agents. A single source of truth, cleanly exposed and versioned.
04
B2B and complex models, natively
Per-account price lists, negotiated pricing, hierarchical accounts, quotes, deferred payment, multi-warehouse, multi-currency, local tax rules, without workarounds, without paid third-party plugins.
05
Coexists with your IT system
ERP connectors (SAP, Dynamics, Sage X3, Odoo), PIM (Akeneo, Pimcore), search (Algolia, Meilisearch), payment (Stripe, Adyen, Mollie, Mangopay), OMS, WMS. Medusa connects rather than reinvents.
06
06
Modern, productive stack
Full TypeScript, clear conventions, tests, observability, native CI/CD. Your teams aren't captive to an editor: a public framework you can hire, train and grow. TCO drops mechanically over 3-5 years.
Medusa vs Shopify Plus vs commercetools vs Sylius
Medusa vs Shopify Plus vs commercetools vs Sylius: when to choose what?
Choose Medusa for an open-source, modular, self-hosted commerce engine that absorbs complex B2B or DTC rules with no functional ceiling. Choose Shopify Plus for high-volume standard B2C, where you accept a SaaS model in exchange for fast time-to-market. Choose commercetools for enterprise accounts willing to pay for a premium MACH SaaS. Choose Sylius for a team already grounded in PHP / Symfony.
| Criterion | RecommendedMedusa | Shopify Plus | commercetools | Sylius |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Open source self-hosted | Proprietary SaaS | MACH SaaS | Open source self-hosted |
| Language | Node.js / TypeScript | Liquid + Ruby | Java | PHP / Symfony |
| Architecture | Modular (v2) | Monolithic + apps | MACH microservices | Modular monolith |
| Front-end | Free (Next.js) | Liquid or Hydrogen | Free (native headless) | Free (Twig or headless) |
| Native B2B | Yes, first-class | Paid B2B Plus module | Yes but heavy | Yes (extensions) |
| Business logic customization | Total (custom TS modules) | Limited (apps + Functions) | High but rigid | High (Symfony) |
| License cost | None | ~24 k$/year + variable fees | ~30-100 k€+/year | None |
| 3-5 year TCO | Low to medium | Medium to high | High | Medium |
| Vendor lock-in | Zero | High | High | Zero |
| Hosting | Free | Imposed Shopify | Imposed commercetools | Free |
| Time-to-market | Fast (custom build) | Fast | Slow | Medium |
| Ideal use case | Complex B2B, growing DTC, hybrid | High-volume B2C, fast launch | Enterprise accounts on premium SaaS | Existing PHP team |
Notre recommandation par défaut sur ce périmètre
In summary: Medusa is the answer when you want the freedom of modern open source with real native B2B capability, not when you want a theme to activate in 2 weeks. If the step is too steep, Shopify Plus remains relevant, and we deliver it when it's the right answer.
Our Medusa services
From framing to run-time evolutions.
Smotly covers the full lifecycle of a Medusa project: existing audit, redesign / replatforming, greenfield build, managed services, hosting and migration from Shopify or BigCommerce. Each service is scoped, priced and documented.
- 01
Medusa audit
6 axes · 5 to 10 days
Audit of your existing Medusa instance across 6 axes: modular architecture, commerce data model, IT integrations, performance, security, maintainability.
- Duration5 to 10 days
- DeliverablePDF report + video readout + prioritized backlog
- 02
Redesign & replatforming to Medusa
Migration from Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce…
Migration from Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Reuse of products/customers/orders/B2B accounts, SEO preservation, Next.js front-end rebuild.
- SEO301 redirect plan, before/after rankings audit, post-cutover monitoring
- 03
Greenfield Medusa build
Custom platform
Design and development of a custom Medusa platform: commerce modeling, custom modules (B2B, marketplace, subscriptions, rental), IT system connectivity (ERP, PIM, OMS, WMS, payment), Next.js front, go-live.
- SpecialtyHierarchical B2B accounts, negotiated price lists, online quotes
- 04
Medusa managed services
Application maintenance
Medusa managed services: corrective, evolutive, monitoring, on-call. SLAs tailored to project criticality.
- IncludedMonitoring, backups, patches, v1 → v2 upgrade, hotline
- PricingMonthly retainer or pay-per-ticket
- 05
Managed Medusa hosting
AWS · OVH · Scaleway · Render
Medusa hosting on managed infrastructure. Automated deployment, high availability, scalability, observability, backups, disaster recovery plan.
- OptionsSingle or multi-environment (dev/staging/prod), DR
- 06
Shopify → Medusa migration
Our most requested service
Migration plan in 8 steps: functional audit, Medusa modeling, reuse of products/customers/orders via Shopify Admin API, checkout rebuild, 301 redirects, parallel QA, DNS cutover, monitoring.
- DowntimeTargeted at 0 or under 1 hour
- Typical caseDTC brand hitting Shopify Plus ceiling (fees, checkout, API)
E-commerce case studies
E-commerce projects delivered by Smotly.
Excerpts of recent e-commerce projects. For a detailed case in your sector, ask us for a personalized presentation.
GCR Renault
Automotive · Aftersales
SAAJ
Fashion · Ready-to-wear
Styley
B2B · Fashion
SmotFlow method
Our Medusa method: AI-augmented, driven by your stakes.
Every Medusa project benefits from an AI-augmented method, with internalized agents on every phase: framing, design, commerce modeling, build, QA, managed services. Faster data model generation and validation, parallel migration scenarios, end-to-end instrumented and documented code, observability ready at go-live. No deliverable ships without senior review.
01Scoping
02Design
03Build
04Acceptance
05Run
06Evolution
Stack & integrations
Medusa never works alone: our full stack.
Medusa is the commerce engine. Around it, we assemble the bricks that drive performance, conversion, measurement and IT integration.
Native Medusa + Strapi pairing recommended on the majority of projects.
SSR/SSG, native SEO, Vercel or self-hosted deployment.
Medusa ↔ ERP, PIM, CRM, marketing automation, marketplaces synchronization.
Algolia
Product search and autocompleteMerchandising, AI-augmented conversational search.
PIM (Akeneo, Pimcore), ERP/OMS/WMS (SAP, Dynamics, Sage X3, Odoo), payment (Stripe, Adyen, Mollie, Mangopay, B2B 30/60-day terms), free hosting (AWS, OVH, Scaleway, Render).
FAQ
Medusa.js agency FAQ.
A Medusa agency is a web agency specialized in the design, development and maintenance of e-commerce platforms using Medusa.js, the open-source e-commerce engine. Smotly has been working with Medusa since v1 and covers the full lifecycle: audit, redesign, build, managed services, hosting, migration from Shopify.
Let's talk
A Medusa project? Let's talk.
Audit of your instance, replatforming scoping, custom B2B platform build: we call you back within 24 working hours with a senior contact who knows your context.