Shopware

Shopware Community Edition is a fully self‑hosted, headless e‑commerce platform that combines the robustness of Symfony 7 on the backend with a modern Vue 3 SPA for the administration and storefront. From a developer’s perspective, it presents itself as a modular, API‑first system that can be extended through both PHP‑based plugins and JavaScript apps. The platform exposes a rich GraphQL API for storefront interactions, while the REST‑compatible Admin SDK gives deep access to shop data and workflow automation. This duality allows teams to build custom storefronts, integrations, or micro‑services while still leveraging the core commerce logic.

Architecture

• Backend – PHP 8.x powered by Symfony 7, using Doctrine ORM for relational data and a MySQL/MariaDB database. The application follows Symfony’s best practices: service containers, event dispatching, and a clear separation of concerns. Core modules (products, orders, customers) are implemented as Symfony bundles that can be overridden or extended.
• Frontend – Vue 3 with Vite, utilizing a component‑driven approach for the admin UI and optional headless storefronts. The SPA communicates with the backend via JSON‑based GraphQL endpoints, while server‑side rendering can be enabled for SEO.
• Containerization – Official Docker images are available (single‑service and multi‑container setups). The platform can run on any LAMP/LEMP stack, Kubernetes clusters, or serverless environments with minimal adjustments.
• Data Layer – MySQL/MariaDB is the default, but PostgreSQL support is available through community extensions. The schema is fully introspectable via Doctrine and can be migrated with Symfony’s migration tool.

Core Capabilities

• Extensibility – PHP plugins (bundles) and JavaScript apps can hook into events, override templates, or add new services. The App Store hosts 3 000+ extensions covering payment gateways, shipping providers, and marketing tools.
• APIs – GraphQL storefront API for product listing, cart manipulation, and checkout; Admin SDK exposes CRUD operations on entities, rule builders, workflow triggers, and more.
• Workflow & Automation – Rule Builder and Flow Builder let developers create complex business logic without code, yet they can be combined with custom PHP services for advanced scenarios.
• Custom Entities & Fields – Developers can define new database tables and fields through the admin UI, which are then automatically exposed via the APIs.
• Webhooks & Events – Out‑of‑the‑box webhook support for order status changes, product updates, and more. Custom events can be dispatched from plugins.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Shopware is designed for self‑hosting, giving full control over the environment. The official Docker stack simplifies deployment and scales horizontally via Docker Compose or Kubernetes deployments. For high‑traffic stores, the platform supports read replicas, caching layers (Redis, Varnish), and a CDN‑friendly asset pipeline. Continuous integration is encouraged through GitHub Actions, with nightly builds and automated code quality checks.

Integration & Extensibility

• Plugin System – Symfony bundles can register services, listeners, and templates.
• Admin SDK – Offers typed PHP clients for CRUD operations on core entities, making integration with external ERP or CRM systems straightforward.
• Headless Mode – By disabling the default storefront, developers can build fully custom frontends (React, Angular, Next.js) that consume the GraphQL API.
• Webhooks & Callbacks – External systems can subscribe to events such as order creation or product update, enabling real‑time synchronization.

Developer Experience

The documentation is extensive and modular, covering everything from core concepts to advanced plugin development. The community hub, Discord channel, and Stack Overflow tag provide rapid support. Licensing is MIT‑style open source (Community Edition), allowing unrestricted use and modification. The platform’s emphasis on modern PHP standards, dependency injection, and testability ensures a pleasant development workflow.

Use Cases

• Custom Storefronts – Build a progressive web app that consumes the GraphQL API while leveraging Shopware’s order and inventory logic.
• Enterprise Integrations – Connect to ERP, WMS, or accounting systems via the Admin SDK and custom events.
• Multi‑Channel Commerce – Use Shopware as a central product catalog, exposing data to marketplaces or POS systems.
• Rapid MVPs – Leverage the plugin ecosystem and headless mode to launch a new e‑commerce brand with minimal backend coding.

Advantages

• Performance & Flexibility – Symfony’s optimized HTTP kernel and Doctrine’s efficient ORM provide fast request handling, while the plugin architecture allows granular customization.
• Open‑Source Core – No licensing fees, full source code access, and the ability to self‑host or run in a private cloud.
• Modern Tooling – Built with PHP 8, Symfony 7, Vue 3, and Docker, aligning with current developer stacks.
• Community & Ecosystem – Thousands of extensions and a vibrant community reduce the need for reinventing common commerce features.

Shopware Community Edition offers developers a powerful, extensible foundation to build scalable, modern e‑commerce solutions while maintaining full control over the hosting environment.