Thelia Review, Pricing & Features

Thelia is a free, open-source French ecommerce platform built on Symfony. See its B2B, omnichannel and marketplace features plus how pricing works.

Category
Ecommerce
Pricing
open-source, from Free (self-hosted)
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2005
Headquarters
Clermont-Ferrand, France
Web AppAPIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted

What Is Thelia

Thelia is a free, open-source e-commerce platform that has been in continuous development since 2005, created by Cedric Sibaud and Yoan de Macedo and now maintained by the French web agency OpenStudio. Its current major version, Thelia 2, is built on the Symfony PHP framework and released under the LGPL license, meaning merchants and developers can self-host, inspect and modify the full source code without paying licensing fees.

Thelia is aimed at businesses and agencies that need more customization and code ownership than closed hosted platforms typically allow, and it has powered thousands of online stores in France and other French-speaking markets over nearly two decades.

Key Features

Thelia exposes a REST API and flexible templating system that support a wide range of commerce models, including B2B storefronts with client-specific pricing and payment terms, multisite management from a single back office, and product information management for large catalogs.

Omnichannel retailers can use Thelia for click-and-collect and drive or curbside pickup, along with a dedicated order-picking interface featuring barcode scanning, label generation and order verification for in-store fulfillment. A module marketplace of roughly 300 extensions adds payment gateways, shipping carriers, marketplace connections and marketing tools on top of the core platform.

Pricing

Thelia itself is free to download, install and use, since it is open-source software released under the LGPL license. There is no subscription fee or per-transaction charge from Thelia for running the core platform.

Real-world costs come from hosting infrastructure, developer time to build and maintain the store, premium modules or themes purchased from the marketplace, and optional professional services or support contracts from OpenStudio or partner agencies, which is how the maintaining company monetizes the ecosystem around the free software.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Free and open source with full source-code ownership
  • Built on the well-established Symfony PHP framework
  • Strong B2B and omnichannel feature set out of the box
  • Around 300 community and commercial modules available
  • Nearly two decades of active development and maintenance

Cons

  • Smaller ecosystem and community than PrestaShop or WooCommerce internationally
  • Requires PHP and Symfony development skills to customize and maintain
  • Hosting, premium modules and support are separate costs
  • Documentation and community resources are stronger in French than English
  • Not a fully managed SaaS, so merchants own infrastructure and updates

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Thelia used for?

Thelia is an open-source platform for building and running online stores, including B2B, omnichannel and multisite setups.

Is Thelia free to use?

Yes, Thelia is free open-source software; costs come from hosting, developer time, premium modules and optional support.

What license is Thelia released under?

Thelia 2 is released under the LGPL license, after starting under GPL in 2006.

Who maintains Thelia?

Thelia is maintained by OpenStudio, a French web agency founded in 2005 and headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand.

What framework is Thelia built on?

Thelia 2 is built on the Symfony PHP framework.

Does Thelia support B2B selling?

Yes, Thelia supports B2B storefronts with client-specific pricing, payment modes and delivery terms.

How many websites use Thelia?

Thelia reports more than 7,000 live websites running on the platform, mostly in French-speaking markets.

What is the difference between Thelia and PrestaShop?

Both are open-source, French-built e-commerce platforms; Thelia is built on Symfony with a strong B2B and omnichannel feature set, while PrestaShop has a larger international community.

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