Sylius

A few years ago, we had a problem. Another client wanted a shop that did not fit within the scope of WooCommerce. And the previous project on Magento dragged on for months – every change was a battle with the system.

We were looking for something better. And we found Sylius.

What exactly is Sylius?

Sylius is a Polish e-commerce platform created by Paweł Jędrzejewski in 2011. He built it on Symfony because he was tired of tinkering with existing solutions.

The main difference? Sylius is not a monolithic system like other platforms. It is a set of components that you can combine as you wish. Do you only need payments? Take one piece. Do you want the whole shop? Use everything.

Plus, everything works through API from the very beginning. This means that you can have a shop on your website, a mobile app and a B2B panel – all connected to one backend.

When is it worth using Sylius?

We haven't given up on WooCommerce or Magento entirely. It's just that each platform has its place:

WooCommerce we still use it for simple things. Does the customer want a shop quickly and cheaply? WooCommerce. You set it up in a day, it works, the customer is satisfied.

Magento is sometimes required by enterprise customers, especially when they already have processes and integrations in place.

Sylius we use when a client needs something unusual. Complex processes, unusual integrations, custom functions.

Our projects on Sylius

Khtaria.shop - sklep z hobby horse

One of the most interesting projects was the project  Khtaria.shop store for hobby horse enthusiasts. The client operates in a specific market and required:

• Design that appeals to teenage girls
• BLIK and Przelewy24 payments (young people do not have cards)
• Seasonal product management
• Mobile-first because 95% of traffic comes from mobile phones

It would be difficult in WooCommerce, due to the shop's promotions on social media, as a large number of people visit the shop at the same time. Sylius allowed us to create exactly what we needed. The shop runs smoothly, sales are growing, and the customer is happy.

B2B for electronics distributors

The second project was a wholesaler with 50,000 products. They needed:

• Different prices for different customers
• Automatic invoices
• Connection to SAP
• Approval of orders by managers

In Magento, it would take six months of work. In Sylius, we did it in three months. Today, the system serves hundreds of companies, and the boss is satisfied.

Why Sylius is different

Every platform has the basics – products, shopping cart, payments. But Sylius has a few things that make a difference:

All through the API

From the outset, every function is accessible via API. It is not an add-on that was added later, as in other systems. This allows you to:

• Create a shop on the website and a mobile application using the same data
• Connect a warehouse management system or ERP
• Create a custom frontend in React or Vue

Modular approach

You don't have to take the whole system. Do you only need payments for your existing application? Take the Sylius Payment component. Do you want a complete shop? Take everything.

Symfony underneath

This is a huge advantage for developers. Symfony is a proven framework used by large companies. It means stability, security and predictability.

How does Sylius compare to the competition?

Sylius vs WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a quick start. You install it, choose a theme, and you're ready to go. But when a customer wants something unusual, that's when the problems begin.

We still use WooCommerce, but only for simple shops. If a customer needs custom features, integration with external systems, or performance with a large number of products, Sylius wins.

Sylius vs Magento

Magento is powerful, but heavy. It has many features, but every change takes days to implement. Plus, performance-wise, you need a powerful server for it to work at all.

Sylius is faster in development and more efficient. What takes a week in Magento can be done in 2-3 days in Sylius.

Payments and deliveries in Poland

A big advantage of Sylius is that it was developed in Poland, so Polish things work right away:

Payments:

• Przelewy24 – setup in 5 minutes
• PayU – all options, including instalments
• BLIK – mobile payments
• Dotpay – wide range of methods

Deliveries:

• InPost - Parcel lockers and courier
• DPD - domestic and international shipments
• Poczta Polska - the cheapest option

You don't need to search for plugins or fiddle with documentation. Everything works.

What do you need to know about costs?

We are often asked about costs. Sylius is not WooCommerce – it requires more programming work, but offers more possibilities.

The cost depends mainly on how complex the requirements are. A simple shop with a ready-made design is one thing, an advanced B2B platform with integrations is a completely different story.

It is best to contact us and discuss a specific project. Then we can give you a realistic quote.

Hosting and technical requirements

Sylius requires standard PHP hosting:

• PHP 8.0+ (preferably 8.1)
• MySQL or PostgreSQL
• Minimum 2GB RAM on the server
• Hosting with SSH access

Most Polish hosting companies support this without any problems. Hosting costs depend on the size of the shop and traffic.

When is Sylius a good choice?

Sylius works well when:

• You require unusual features
• You are planning integrations with various systems
• You have a team of developers who know PHP/Symfony
• You want to have control over the code
• Performance is important

Sylius is an exaggeration when:

• You want the shop ready in a week
• A standard template is sufficient
• The development budget is very limited
• The team is not familiar with modern technologies

Mits' experiences with Sylius

We have been working with Sylius for several years. We have completed various projects on it, ranging from simple B2C shops to advanced B2B platforms and marketplaces.

Our team consists of Symfony developers, so Sylius is a natural choice for us when a client needs something more than standard WooCommerce.

Is it worth it or not?

If you have a clear vision, a team of developers, and a budget for a decent job, Sylius is great. It gives you freedom that you won't find in other platforms.

If you're looking for something ready out of the box, WooCommerce is probably better.

We do not regret our choice. After years of working with various platforms, I can say one thing – Sylius allows us to do what we like: solve customer problems instead of fighting with the system.