Our Magento versus Shopify comparison isn’t intended as a head-to-head to decide which is the better platform. We’re going to look at the similarities and differences, to facilitate the selection of the right platform for your eCommerce.
The platform you choose for your online business will accompany you for a long time. When deciding on the engine for your eCommerce, you should bear in mind that the technology you choose will have a massive impact on your company’s success so choose wisely ;)
Both platforms in numbers
Magento has on offer three versions: Magento Open Source, which is an entirely free option (remember to add hosting cost), Magento Commerce, and Adobe Commerce Cloud, which are paid versions with advanced features, addressed to medium and large businesses.
Meanwhile, Shopify lets us pick from four options. The cheapest version is Basic Shopify. Online store, including a blog and functions like 24h support, unlimited products, SSL certificate, will be ideal for starting a new business. The second option is standard Shopify, which is a Basic set extended with several functions. The most expensive option is Advanced Shopify, and as the name suggests, it has the most advanced plan, which includes add-ons to the report builder and real-time carrier shipping. Last but not least, the Shopify Plus option which is addressed to large enterprise businesses that don’t want to bother with order management.
We know a little bit more about Magento and Shopify versions. Let’s take a look at the numbers. Below you will find a comparison between Magento and Shopify, taking all of the essential criteria into account.
Magento | Shopify | |
Years on the market |
15 (since 2004) | 11 (since 2008) |
Number of free themes delivered by the platform |
100+* |
12* |
Price of additional paid themes |
Up to $180 | Up to $499 |
Price |
Basic Shopify $29 per month Shopify $79 per month Advanced Shopify $299 per month Shopify plus $2K per month |
Magento Open Source $0 Magento Enterprise Edition $22K per year Adobe Commerce Cloud $2K per month – |
Stores based on Shopify and Magento |
1M+ | +250K |
*Both platforms allow you to buy themes from the outside
Advantages and disadvantages of Magento platform
Magento is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the world. The diversity of Magento customers is enormous, from individual retailers up to big stores and popular, global brands. Companies decide on Magento for many reasons, like good SEO optimization, a wide range of marketplace extensions, optimal scalability, or a supportive community.
Depending on the version you are using, the editor may be slightly different. In Open Source version, you work with the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) with widgets and blocks. You also have access to media storage, which helps you organize media files. Nothing stands in the way to work directly with the underlying HTML code. Higher version users can use Page Builder, which is the equivalent of the editor available in Shopify. Page Builder is a drag and drop content management tool.
Pros of Magento platform
- Open-Source & Free – There are three different versions of Magento software. You can choose between the free-to-use Magento Open Source, which is dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses, or two paid enterprise-level options. Whatever option you choose, you have access to the code.
- Flexibility – Magento is a scalable platform, and with the access to the code you can take control of many functions, modify them, as well as create your own and share them with the community. This guarantees full control over the appearance and functioning of the site.
- SEO Friendly – Multiple SEO features to help you rank higher in Google and drive organic traffic to your website. It is worth remembering that a significant part of the top players’ traffic, such as Amazon, is the result of organic traffic. Magento SEO features for store owners let you change URLs, meta descriptions, or sitemap.
- Community – Developers, PMs, CEOs, and bloggers form a community of Magento enthusiasts which share knowledge with users. Thanks to this, you can be closer to the latest updates, business innovation, or tips and best practices.
- Marketplace – A broad base of solutions that offers extensions and themes and lets you find a partner to build your eCommerce. However, remember that not all extensions are good, so make sure the extension is not of dubious quality before installing.
- Simple Integrations – Expand your eCommerce with Paypal, Akaneo, DHL, and more.The combination of an online store with third-party services such as shipping, order tracking, and payment gateways will positively affect the company’s development.
Magento has a number of benefits but it also comes with some challenges for users.
Cons of Magento platform
- Code – The open-source platform can be modified at your discretion but it requires coding knowledge to build a good store. You’ll need technical facilities to change code to suit it to your store. But you can turn it into an advantage, and with a little work create a nice-looking store.
- Magento Interface – It can take some time to learn to use the Magento interface and the software can be daunting at first.
- Cost – Magento Community is an open-source and free version of Magento software. However, we should remember the costs of hosting, development, and store extensions can grow as your store develops. Also, the other two versions are paid options.
Advantages and disadvantages of Shopify
Shopify is a cloud-based eCommerce platform, which means that it is a hosted solution. Shopify is a comprehensive platform that enables you to create a pleasant and complete website. How does Shopify work? With a set of tools, and drag and drop method, you can move elements freely around the page. Furthermore, Shopify gives you the possibility of inserting custom images into the theme. So, feel free to personalize your store fully.
Pros of Shopify
- Over 100 themes – Shopify templates allow you to modify your store and adapt it to the industry in which you operate. You can choose between free and paid ones, responsive or mobile-only. Shopify storefronts are well done and pleasing to the user’s eye.
- Easy to use – Shopify is an attractive platform for less technologically advanced people. You can build your store without any coding skills. By choosing Shopify, you get multiple tools that help you create nice looking online store.
- Good website builder – With the App Store, you can easily extend the functionality of your site. Shopify has in its offer, really good plugins. You can select to your store different types of apps: for reporting, for shipping, for inventory, for accounting, and many more.
- Customer Support – 24/7 phone and email support, live chat, and forum.
- Cost – Shopify is an affordable platform. Shopify pricing plans start from $29/month, but choosing a plan based on price alone isn’t a good idea. It’s important to keep in mind other costs that can significantly increase your monthly fees.
We have determined that Shopify is an easy-working platform. Thanks to numerous tools and themes, it provides the ability to create beautiful online stores. But where we have pros, there are also cons. So let’s get to the disadvantages.
Cons of Shopify
- Themes – Only ten available templates are free, the rest of them are paid options. It does not change the fact that they are of good quality, and you should consider to buy them.
- Integrations – Shopify gives you a wide range of apps that can benefit your store but can also complicate the management process.
- Transaction fees – There are transaction fees for orders (besides the processing fee), unless you use Shopify Payments or a manual payment method
- A small amount of functionality – Ease of use can also be a disadvantage. For more advanced users, Shopify functionalities and low flexibility can be a bit frustrating.
Magento vs Shopify summary
Both Magento and Shopify are good platforms. Your choice should be based on your needs. If you can provide technical resources and you have a budget for hosting, go for Magento. It will definitely won’t let you down. The flexibility of the platform, availability of various extensions, the possibility of integrations with multiple third-party services, and many more will provide your store all you need.
If you care about ease of use, without contacting the code, choose Shopify. You won’t have a flexible platform, but you won’t have to worry about hosting. Numerous tools will improve your work, and themes will provide the ability to create excellent websites. Magento or Shopify? Whatever platform you choose, you should always bear in mind the size of your business, period of activity on the market, budget, technical facilities.
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