SmartStore

E-commerce Platform Softwaresmartstore.com

SmartStore AG is a Dortmund-based, open-source ASP.NET e-commerce platform vendor founded in 1999, serving B2B, B2C, and marketplace merchants across the EU with a free Community Edition and commercial Premium and Enterprise subscriptions emphasizing GDPR compliance and digital sovereignty.

Company typePrivate
Founded1999
HeadquartersDortmund, Germany
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingSoftware

What SmartStore does

SmartStore AG is a German e-commerce software company headquartered in Dortmund, founded in 1999, that develops an open-source ASP.NET-based commerce platform supporting B2B, B2C, and marketplace business models. The platform is built on .NET Framework/MVC architecture with support for both Windows and Linux servers and MS SQL Server or PostgreSQL databases, and ships with a modular plugin architecture, full source code on GitHub, and integrated CMS capabilities including a drag-and-drop Page Builder, multilingual content management, multi-shop capability, and built-in GDPR-compliant analytics via Umami. The company distributes the platform in three editions — Community (free, open-source), Premium (commercial subscription), and Enterprise (full-featured commercial subscription) — with quote-based pricing for paid tiers.

The company monetizes through commercial license subscriptions for Premium and Enterprise editions, recurring maintenance and support contracts, professional services (installation, configuration, server setup, customization, training), and a Community Marketplace that hosts both free and paid third-party plugins and themes. Its go-to-market combines product-led growth via free Community Edition downloads with a partner-led field sales motion for enterprise deployments, supported by certified hosting, payment, and platform implementation partners, as well as an in-house Academy and live demo channel. Customers span B2B enterprises, B2C retailers, marketplace operators, and developer/agency builders, primarily across the DACH and broader EU markets, with the company's German domicile and explicit focus on digital sovereignty, GDPR compliance, and EU regulatory adherence (including the GPSR module) serving as the primary differentiation against closed-cloud e-commerce competitors.

SmartStore firmographics

Firmographics

Name: SmartStore
Legal name: SmartStore AG
Website: https://smartstore.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1999
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: SmartStore AG is a Dortmund-based, open-source ASP.NET e-commerce platform vendor founded in 1999, serving B2B, B2C, and marketplace merchants across the EU with a free Community Edition and commercial Premium and Enterprise subscriptions emphasizing GDPR compliance and digital sovereignty.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where SmartStore is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Dortmund
HQ country: Germany
HQ region: Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

SmartStore business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Software
Cost components: Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

Enterprise Software Licenses: Premium and Enterprise editions sold as commercial licenses with tiered pricing based on features and scale. Community Edition is free and open-source.
Professional Services: Installation, configuration, server setup, training, design, and customization services offered by the manufacturer with competency-based delivery.
Maintenance Contracts: Ongoing maintenance and support contracts including auto-backup services, updates, and technical support.
Plugin/Marketplace Extensions: Community Marketplace for plugins, themes, and extensions with both free and paid offerings from third-party developers.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Others	Community Edition - Free open-source version
Subscription	Annual	Premium Edition - Commercial license
Subscription	Annual	Enterprise Edition - Full-featured commercial license

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

SmartStore product offering

Product offering

Core offering

SmartStore develops and sells an open-source ASP.NET-based e-commerce platform that enables businesses and developers to build and operate online stores. The software is offered in a free Community Edition and paid Premium and Enterprise Editions, complemented by professional services covering installation, configuration, server setup, customization, training, and ongoing maintenance.

Product overview

SmartStore is an open-source ASP.NET-based e-commerce enterprise platform providing B2B, B2C, and Marketplace commerce capabilities. The platform is available in three editions: Community Edition (free), Premium Edition, and Enterprise Edition. The core Smartstore 6 platform includes integrated CMS functionality via Page Builder, Media Manager with Pixlr integration, Smartstore Analytics with Umami for GDPR compliance, multilingual content management, multishop capabilities, and comprehensive marketing tools (SEO, blog, forum, newsletter). The ecosystem is extended through the SmartStore Community Marketplace (SCM) offering plugins like Botsonic AI Chatbot, Klarna, payever, and GiroCode. Professional services include installation, basic configuration, server setup, auto backup, custom development, expert training, and maintenance contracts. The platform supports Windows and Linux servers, with source code available on GitHub and comprehensive developer documentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Smartstore 6: Latest version of the SmartStore e-commerce platform featuring AI content creation, integrated Pixlr Photo Editor, conditional attributes, and GPSR compliance.
SmartStore Page Builder
Community Edition
Premium Edition
Enterprise Edition

Products and services

SmartStore 6 E-commerce Platform
Installation Service
Basic Configuration Service
Server Setup Service
Auto Backup Service
Customizing Service
Training and Webinars
Maintenance Contracts

Companies that use SmartStore

Customer profile

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

SmartStore technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

AI capability10 records

Feature10 records

SmartStore partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Microsoft (Office 365, Exchange Online, Teams, Bookings)coreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft provides core business infrastructure including Office 365 for email and collaboration, Microsoft Teams for online meetings and webinars, and Microsoft Bookings for appointment scheduling. Microsoft Clarity is used for web analytics with standard contractual clauses for data transfers.
weclapp SEcoreTechnology or IntegrationWeclapp provides ERP, accounting, merchandise management, and CRM functionality. All data is stored on servers in Germany, ensuring full data sovereignty and GDPR compliance for business operations.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)coreTechnology or IntegrationBrevo handles email marketing, newsletter distribution, and direct communication with customers. Used for campaign automation and transactional emails.
GitHubcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen-source code repository on GitHub makes the full SmartStore source code publicly available, enabling community contribution, transparency, and customization.
Smartstore Hosting PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCertified hosting partners provide managed hosting services for SmartStore deployments, supporting both Windows and Linux environments.
Smartstore Payment PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntegrated payment gateway partners including Klarna, PayPal, Amazon Pay, GiroCode, and various other payment methods.
HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationHubSpot CRM, contact management, marketing automation, and analytics platform used for lead management, customer communication, and marketing campaign optimization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

SmartStore competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Shopware: German-headquartered open-source e-commerce platform offering both a free Community Edition and commercial editions. Closely comparable to SmartStore in geography, open-source go-to-market, B2B/B2C focus, and target customer profile across DACH and Europe.
WooCommerce: Open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress powering a large share of SMB online stores globally. Comparable to SmartStore as an open-source commerce alternative for SMB merchants, though delivered through a different host platform.
Spryker: Berlin-headquartered enterprise commerce platform with composable B2B, B2C, and marketplace capabilities. Comparable to SmartStore in target enterprise customers, marketplace support, and German engineering heritage, though with a different technology stack.
PrestaShop: Open-source e-commerce platform with a community edition and marketplace of themes and modules. Comparable to SmartStore in open-source distribution model, SMB focus, and community/marketplace ecosystem.
commercetools: Headless commerce platform serving enterprise B2B and B2C customers with API-first architecture. Comparable to SmartStore in targeting large merchants needing flexible commerce, but differentiated by its SaaS-only delivery model.
OXID eSales: Germany-based open-source e-commerce platform serving B2B and B2C merchants with community and enterprise editions. Directly comparable to SmartStore in DACH focus, open-source distribution, and enterprise feature set.

Broad incumbents

Magento (Adobe Commerce): Adobe-owned open-source e-commerce platform (formerly Magento) that is a leading alternative in the same open-source commerce category. Comparable to SmartStore in offering self-hosted and managed editions for B2B and B2C merchants, but with vastly larger scale.
Shopify: Global market-leading commerce platform serving SMB and enterprise merchants with a closed SaaS model. Comparable to SmartStore in addressing online merchants across B2B and B2C, but at materially greater scale and with proprietary rather than open-source technology.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud: Enterprise commerce suite within the Salesforce platform, serving large global B2B and B2C brands. Comparable to SmartStore in pursuing enterprise commerce deployments with broad feature scope, but bundled inside a much larger enterprise software ecosystem.
BigCommerce: Publicly traded SaaS e-commerce platform serving mid-market and enterprise merchants. Comparable to SmartStore in addressing B2B and B2C segments with multi-channel commerce, but delivered as a closed hosted SaaS rather than self-hosted software.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

SmartStore compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

SmartStore financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

SmartStore leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

SmartStore funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

SmartStore M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SmartStore

What does SmartStore do?

Is SmartStore a public or private company?

SmartStore is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.

When was SmartStore founded?

SmartStore was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is SmartStore based?

SmartStore is headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, in the Europe region.

How does SmartStore make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Enterprise Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are professional Services, maintenance Contracts and plugin/Marketplace Extensions.

Who are SmartStore's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Shopware, WooCommerce, Spryker, PrestaShop, commercetools and OXID eSales. Broad incumbents are Magento (Adobe Commerce), Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and BigCommerce.

Does SmartStore have an API?

Yes. SmartStore is an open-source ASP.NET commerce platform. The source code is publicly available on GitHub (https://github.com/smartstore), enabling developers to read, adapt, and extend the platform. The platform provides a Web API framework for developer integration and customization. Documentation includes a Developer Guide at https://docs.smartstore.com/developer covering topics such as source code organization, architecture overview, dependency injection, data access, domain models, and deployment. Developer documentation is at docs.smartstore.com/developer.