If you want to run Spryker headless, two modern paths are on the table: Spryker Composable Storefront, Spryker's official Next.js-based headless frontend, or a Frontend Management Platform like Laioutr.

Both work with Spryker. Both use the Glue API and the GraphQL connection. Both are composable commerce first. But they are built for different team setups, and that is why the decision is a strategic one, not a technical one.

This post looks at the two options along six dimensions.

What Spryker Composable Storefront is

Spryker Composable Storefront is an open source Next.js framework specifically for Spryker. It is performance-first, with static generation, edge caching, and a component library for standard e-commerce use cases. Open source, code lives on GitHub, maintenance runs officially through Spryker.

Composable Storefront is the tool for engineering teams that want Spryker-native depth and bring a dedicated frontend team.

What Laioutr is

Laioutr is a Frontend Management Platform, a complete platform with visual page builder (Studio), 70+ pre-built e-commerce components including B2B and marketplace building blocks, themes, app integrations, and EU hosting.

Laioutr is a tool for cross-functional teams in which marketing, design, and engineering work on the storefront together.

Six comparison dimensions

1. Who can work with it?

Composable Storefront requires Next.js and GraphQL knowledge plus Spryker API understanding. Marketing teams are out of the loop, every page change is a code commit. Laioutr targets marketing and design teams as well as engineering, with a visual builder for non-technical users.

2. B2B and marketplace components

Composable Storefront ships a standard component library for e-commerce basics, B2B and marketplace-specific UIs (company hierarchy frontends, quote frontends, multi-seller PDPs, operator tools) must be built yourself. Laioutr ships these as standard components.

3. Spryker API connection

Both use the Spryker Glue API (REST) and the newer GraphQL connection. Composable Storefront is optimized for Spryker-native integration, with roadmap synergies to the backend platform. Laioutr uses the same APIs, with additional multi-backend support.

4. Backend flexibility

Composable Storefront is tailored to Spryker, a later backend switch would require a complete rebuild. Laioutr is backend-agnostic.

5. Performance and compliance

Composable Storefront delivers a Lighthouse 100 capable code base, BFSG and WCAG 3.0 are your responsibility. Laioutr components are out of the box compliant.

6. Total cost of ownership over 5 years

Composable Storefront itself is free, but the engineering investment is significant (six- to nine-month build phase plus permanent maintenance with two to three engineers). Laioutr is SaaS, hosting and components included. TCO calculation: typically 30 to 50 percent below Composable Storefront over 5 years. The full comparison is in the comparison table on the hub page.

Which team fits which solution?

Composable Storefront is the right choice if …

• You have a dedicated Next.js team with Spryker experience (at least three engineers)
• Spryker-native depth is strategically central and you actively use roadmap synergies
• You accept six- to nine-month build phases
• Marketing teams primarily work via tickets, not directly in the frontend
• Maximum code control is more important than time to launch

Classic use case: an enterprise B2B operator with dedicated frontend engineering capability and API-deep integrated architecture.

Laioutr is the right choice if …

• You don't have or want to build a dedicated frontend engineering team
• Marketing should build pages independently, without engineering sprints
• You need B2B and marketplace components without a sprint per workflow
• You need weeks instead of months to go live
• Total cost of ownership over 5 years is relevant
• BFSG compliance must be solved without a separate audit

Classic use case: an enterprise B2B brand on Spryker that follows through on the composable vision without building a frontend engineering team.

When does a switch from Composable Storefront to Laioutr pay off?

We typically see the switch in two constellations:

First: when the engineering team that set up the Composable Storefront build is thinned out. Maintenance gets expensive, updates stagnate, standstill threatens.

Second: when marketing should become strategically more independent. With Composable Storefront, every marketing page is an engineering sprint, with an FMP a configuration.

Conclusion: team setup is the strategy question

The Composable Storefront vs. Laioutr question is a strategy question. Anyone with a mature engineering team and Spryker-native depth should pick Composable Storefront. Anyone wanting marketing velocity, B2B and marketplace components, and predictable TCO is better off with an FMP, more predictable and more affordable.

If you are unsure, we will run the comparison live on your Spryker setup, including a 5-year TCO calculation.

• Request demo
• Headless for Spryker in detail
• When is the switch worth it at all?

Related resources: Composable Digital Experience Platform and Content Management.