Why would a business choose a self-hosted open-core platform over a SaaS platform?

Four reasons. Cost structure: no per-transaction or GMV-linked platform fee, which matters more as volume grows. Ownership: the source code and the customer/order database live in your infrastructure — you are not locked into a vendor's roadmap, export limits, or pricing changes. Configurability: you can read, extend, and fork the code (it's a clean, documented architecture) rather…

Four reasons. Cost structure: no per-transaction or GMV-linked platform fee, which matters more as volume grows. Ownership: the source code and the customer/order database live in your infrastructure — you are not locked into a vendor's roadmap, export limits, or pricing changes. Configurability: you can read, extend, and fork the code (it's a clean, documented architecture) rather than being limited to a marketplace of apps. Data residency and compliance: because the database is yours, you decide where it lives and who can touch it — important for regulated industries and certain jurisdictions. The counter-weight is operational responsibility: you provision and maintain the server, database, and updates (or pay a partner to). SaaS trades that responsibility for monthly fees and less control. Open-core self-hosting is the better fit when control, economics at scale, and data ownership outweigh the convenience of fully managed hosting.