Unchained Engine is a free, open-source e-commerce platform built with Node.js and GraphQL. It separates the storefront from the backend, allowing one backend to serve web, mobile, IoT, and social commerce. Its listed commerce modules cover product catalogs, orders, payments, delivery, warehousing, and user authentication with role-based access control. Developers have a GraphQL API, TypeScript support, a built-in playground, hot module reloading, and a plugin system. Integrations include Stripe, PayPal, Datatrans, SendGrid, Mailchimp, Twilio, DHL, UPS, AWS S3, Google Cloud, and Cloudinary. Security features listed by the maker include WebAuthn/passkeys, encrypted sessions, access controls, and payment tokenization that keeps card data off platform servers. It can be self-hosted and is Docker-ready for Docker or Kubernetes. The software is free under EUPL terms, with no licensing or per-transaction fees, but hosting infrastructure is paid by the user. Distributed modifications must use compatible open-source terms.
Who it is for
It suits teams building anything from a simple store to a complex B2B marketplace, particularly those that want to manage their own deployment. Developers can use its GraphQL and TypeScript support and plugin system to build around its commerce modules.
What is good
- Free under EUPL, with no licensing or per-transaction fees.
- One backend can serve web, mobile, IoT, and social commerce.
- Includes product, order, payment, delivery, and warehousing modules.
- Docker-ready for Docker or Kubernetes environments.
- Payment tokenization keeps card data off platform servers.
What to know first
- Users pay for hosting infrastructure.
- Distributed modifications must use compatible open-source terms.
- Self-hosting requires users to manage deployment.
Verdict
Unchained Engine offers a free, self-hosted foundation with a broad set of commerce modules and a GraphQL development stack. Account for hosting costs and open-source obligations when planning a deployment.
Unchained Engine plans and pricing
All plansCompared on headless ecommerce platforms
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment options
- both
- API protocols
- rest_and_graphql
- B2B commerce
- Yes
- Subscription products
- Yes
- Marketplace support
- Yes
- Inventory management
- Yes
