Cartwright vs Vercel Commerce
Vercel Commerce is an excellent Next.js storefront starter — but it is a frontend that connects to a separate commerce backend (Shopify, BigCommerce, etc.) for the catalogue, cart, and checkout. Cartwright is the whole thing: storefront and the backend (catalogue, cart, Stripe checkout, admin, AI) in one app you own, with no third-party commerce SaaS underneath. Pick Vercel Commerce if you already run a commerce SaaS and just want a fast storefront; pick Cartwright if you want to own the entire stack without renting a backend.
| Dimension | Cartwright | Vercel Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Full commerce engine: storefront + backend + admin + AI. | Storefront starter; needs a separate commerce backend. |
| Backend | Owned — Prisma + Turso, Stripe checkout, your data. | A third-party SaaS (Shopify/BigCommerce/…) you still pay for. |
| Admin | AI-native admin included. | You use the backend SaaS’s admin. |
| AI / agents | MCP + ACP/A2A + AI assistant by default. | Not included; depends on the backend. |
| Ongoing cost | Your infra only. | Your infra + the commerce backend subscription/fees. |
| Best for | Owning the full stack end-to-end. | A premium storefront over an existing SaaS backend. |
Frequently asked
- Does Cartwright need a backend like Shopify behind it?
- No. Unlike a storefront starter, Cartwright includes its own backend — catalogue, cart, Stripe checkout, and admin — so there is no commerce SaaS to subscribe to underneath it.
- Is Cartwright also deployable on Vercel?
- Yes — Cartwright is a Next.js app designed for Vercel + Turso, with one-command scaffolding and a go-live wizard.
- When is Vercel Commerce the better choice?
- If you already run Shopify or BigCommerce and only want a faster, custom storefront on top, Vercel Commerce is a great fit. Cartwright is for owning the backend too.
Try it in one command
npx create-cartwright@latest my-shopMIT-licensed. Read the docs or see the full comparison hub.