Unchained Engine
Open-source headless e-commerce framework with a GraphQL API, built in Zurich.
- Swiss CompanyThe operating company is headquartered and legally incorporated in Switzerland.
- Swiss OwnedThe ultimate controlling owner is Swiss (Swiss persons, companies, foundations or public bodies).
- Swiss DevelopedThe product is primarily developed by a team operating from Switzerland.
- Swiss Data OptionSwiss hosting is available as an option or for part of the service, but is not the default for everything.
- Open SourceThe product’s source code is published under an open-source licence (client and server).
- Self-hostableCan be installed on your own servers or on-premises.
- Free PlanA permanently free plan is available (not just a trial).
unchained.shop
Overview
Unchained Engine is an open-source e-commerce framework developed by Unchained Commerce GmbH in Zurich. It runs on Node.js and MongoDB and exposes products, carts, orders and users through a GraphQL API, so that the shop front end can be built independently; a Next.js storefront template, an admin interface for products and orders and an AI assistant for store management are provided. Unchained Commerce uses the engine for retail, B2B and event-ticketing projects.
The source code is published on GitHub under the EUPL-1.2 licence. The engine can be installed on any infrastructure, and the vendor offers a one-click deployment to Railway. Unchained Commerce also works as an agency: it builds shops, integrates ERP and PIM systems and operates shops for its customers, which it states are hosted in Switzerland rather than on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure.
Setting up a shop requires development work, since the storefront is built separately from the engine. There are no licence or per-transaction fees; implementation and hosting services are offered on request.
Why it may be a Swiss alternative
Unchained Engine is operated by Unchained Commerce GmbH, which is headquartered in Zürich. Swiss-headquartered, Swiss-owned company; product developed (wholly or largely) in Switzerland.
Swiss hosting is available for part of the service or as an option — check the hosting details below before relying on it.
May replace
Foreign products with overlapping functionality. An alternative is not necessarily a one-to-one replacement.
Swiss footprint
Five independent questions. A Swiss company is not automatically Swiss-hosted — and vice versa. How the footprint is assessed
Swiss native. Swiss-headquartered, Swiss-owned company; product developed (wholly or largely) in Switzerland.
- HeadquartersIs the operating company headquartered in Switzerland?
- Zürich, Zurich (ZH), SwitzerlandVerified[1]
- Legal jurisdiction
- OwnershipIs the company ultimately Swiss-owned?
- YesVerified[1]
According to the commercial register publications, the share capital of CHF 60,000 is held in equal parts by the two managing partners, Pascal Kaufmann and Vedran Rudelj, both Swiss citizens (status of the January 2022 entry; no later change of partners has been published).
- DevelopmentIs the product developed in Switzerland?
- YesVendor claim[1]
The engine is developed and maintained by Unchained Commerce GmbH in Zurich, which describes it as Swiss made.
- HostingIs customer data hosted in Switzerland?
- Optional — SwitzerlandVendor claim[2]
As self-hosted software, the engine runs wherever the operator installs it; a one-click deployment to Railway is offered. Unchained Commerce states that it hosts the shops it operates for customers in Switzerland rather than on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure; the data-centre operator is not named.
- InfrastructureIs the hosting infrastructure operated by a Swiss-owned provider?
- Unknown / not verified
Features & platforms
- Platforms
- Deployment
- Made for
- Interface languages
- Unknown / not verified
Privacy & security
- Public API
- Yes
- Not verified
- End-to-end encryption, Encryption at rest, Encryption in transit, Multi-factor authentication, Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC), SCIM provisioning and Data export
- Certifications
- None listed
Pricing
- Pricing model
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Unknown / not verified
- Enterprise plan
- Unknown / not verified
- Billing in CHF
- Unknown / not verified
Open source
- Open source
- YesVerified[4]
- Licence
- EUPL-1.2 · OSI-approved licence
- Source code
- github.com/unchainedshop/unchained
Company
Zurich-based e-commerce and digital agency that develops the open-source Unchained Engine and builds and operates online shops, B2B portals and web applications.
Sources & verification
Every claim on this page is marked as verified, vendor claim or inferred. Unknown means we could not confirm it — not that the answer is “no”.
- Verified Confirmed by an independent or official source such as the commercial register.
- Vendor claim Stated by the vendor in its own documentation, website or legal terms.
- Inferred Derived by the editors from indirect evidence — see the note.
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Unchained Commerce GmbH
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