Table of contents
When looking for a new eCommerce platform, Shopify and Magento are the two platforms on most companies’ shortlists. One thing is certain in the battle between Magento vs Shopify: these two eCommerce platforms are pro-level to the max.
Both platforms have been designed for successful stores, but with their added functionality comes added costs. You should upgrade to either enterprise plan if you’re doing over half a million dollars in revenue a year. Moreover, you should spend the budget on hiring experts, say using a hiring software, to increase markets or channels
Here’s a short description of each.
Shopify Overview
Shopify is a Canadian SaaS (Software as a Service) eCommerce platform that was founded in 2004. The founders, Tobias Lutke, Daniel Weinland, and Scott Lake, created Shopify after they realized that the available eCommerce platforms at the time did not meet their requirements. Since then, Shopify has made its eCommerce platform available to the public and has seen substantial growth.
Unlike Magento, Shopify caters to a wide range of businesses, from startups to established companies like Beyoncé’s Cécred haircare brand. Its intuitive design makes it easy for anyone to set up and manage an online store, even without technical expertise. Larger businesses can also benefit from Shopify’s capabilities, especially with Shopify Plus, which offers advanced features and greater flexibility to support growing operations.
Magento Overview
Magento is a self-hosted, open-source e-commerce platform that was first launched in 2008. It is now part of Adobe, with the enterprise edition officially called Adobe Commerce. Magento is known for its flexibility and extensive customization options, making it a popular choice for businesses that want a high degree of control over their online store.
Magento is a popular choice for large and enterprise-level companies that need advanced features and custom solutions for their websites. It’s especially well-suited for businesses with a global reach, extensive product catalogs, and vast customer databases. Thanks to its flexibility and scalability, Magento is also a great fit for B2B businesses that require specialized functionalities to meet their unique needs.
Brands like Nike, Christian Louboutin, Hermès, Samsung, Harvey Nichols, Olympus, and Liverpool FC are among those that have expanded their online presence using Magento.
Shopify vs Magento: Overview
| Feature | Shopify | Magento (Adobe Commerce) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | Hosted, subscription-based platform, all-in-one solution | Self-hosted, open-source platform, with paid enterprise options |
| Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly, intuitive drag-and-drop interface, easy to set up | Steeper learning curve, requires technical skills, more complex to set up |
| Pricing | Subscription-based with monthly fees, various plans available, additional costs for apps and themes , transaction fees | Free open-source version, but costs for hosting, security, and development ; expensive paid plans, extensions add to costs |
| Themes & Templates | Wide range of free and paid themes, easy customization with drag-and-drop editor | Fewer free themes, more flexible customization , may require coding |
| Apps & Extensions | Large app store, easy to install, but many apps are subscription-based | Wide range of extensions, requires technical background to install, can be more costly |
| Sales Features | Multi-channel selling, built-in payment processors, abandoned cart recovery, integration with shipping carriers | Multiple websites and inventory management, various payment gateways, automated order processing workflow |
| Marketing Features | Built-in marketing tools, social media integrations, email marketing tools | Customizable email templates and newsletter subscribers, customer segmentation, advanced promotional tools |
| SEO | Basic SEO options, relies on apps for advanced options | Strong built-in SEO features, more control over SEO |
| Payment Processing | Built-in payment gateway (Shopify Payments), third-party options with transaction fees | Many payment gateways, some require developer integration, no transaction fees from platform, but processor fees vary |
| Shipping | Integrations with major carriers, built-in shipping tools | Integrations with major carriers, more default shipping options, more complex inventory management |
| Reporting & Analytics | Basic analytics in all plans, more advanced analytics in higher plans | Extensive reports in free plan, advanced reports in paid plans, more flexible and specific reports |
| Security | Handles security in the cloud, SSL, PCI compliance, fraud analysis | Offers security tools, but developers have more control over implementation, requires managing servers and SSL certificates |
| Help & Support | 24/7 customer support via email, chat, phone and help center | Limited support for Open Source users, support for Commerce users only, community support |
| Customization | Limited access to core code, customization within Shopify’s ecosystem | Extensive customization options due to open-source nature, control over backend and frontend |
| Scalability | Suitable for both small and large businesses, can scale with Shopify Plus | Highly scalable, suitable for large and complex operations, can handle high traffic |
| Multilingual Capabilities | Requires third-party apps | Supports multiple languages natively |
| B2B Features | Offers B2B features, but not as robust as Magento | Strong B2B capabilities, advanced B2B functionality |
| Performance | High uptime, handles high traffic well, faster loading times | Requires optimization for high traffic, can be tailored to handle complex environments |
| Dropshipping | 100+ apps for dropshipping | Limited dropshipping extensions |
| Content Management System (CMS) | User-friendly, drag-and-drop CMS, visually appealing | Powerful CMS with page builder capability, may be more complex to use |
Let’s dive into detail comparisons!
Shopify vs Magento: Costs
Both platforms are built to assist businesses in growing, and their pricing plans vary depending on the business size.
For Magento, you have the options between Magento Open Source and Magento Commerce. The Open Source edition is free to download and install. On the other hand, with the Commerce edition, the costs depend on your business’s revenue, starting from $22,000 per year.
Shopify offers several packages – Basic Shopify, Shopify, Advanced Shopify and Shopify Plus to suit start-ups, new businesses and large brands.
| Magento | Shopify | |
| License cost | – Open Source: $0 – Commerce: from $22,000/year | – Basic: $19/month – Shopify: $49/month – Advanced Shopify: $299/month – Shopify Plus: $2300/month |
| Hosting | $10-25 (shared hosting) $2000-4000/month (dedicated & cloud hosting) | Included in the monthly plan |
| Developer cost | – Agency: $25+/hour – Freelancer: $10+/hour – In-house team: $60,000/year | Freelancer: $15+/hour |
| Theme cost | $29-$499 (one time) | $0-$400 (one time) |
| Extension cost | $0-$299+ | $0-$15/month |
| Transaction fees | – Basic Shopify: 2% – Shopify: 1% – Advanced Shopify: 0.5% – Shopify Plus: 0.15% – Shopify payment: free of transaction charge |
Shopify vs Magento: Ease of use
If we’re talking about ease of use, Shopify is the go-to choice for beginners—it’s simple, intuitive, and quick to set up. Magento, on the other hand, comes with a steeper learning curve and usually requires some technical know-how.
Shopify makes life easier with its user-friendly page builder and drag-and-drop functionality, so you can create your store without touching a single line of code. Think of it like moving into a fully furnished apartment—everything’s ready, and you can start right away. Plus, Shopify takes care of hosting, security, and server management, so you can focus on growing your business. However, if you’re looking for deep customizations, you might find Shopify’s built-in features a bit limiting.
Magento, in contrast, is more like building your dream home from the ground up. It gives you total flexibility and control, but you’ll need technical skills—or a developer—to get things running smoothly. Since it’s a self-hosted platform, you’re in charge of hosting and security, which adds complexity but also offers endless customization possibilities.
Shopify vs Magento: Speed & Performance
Website speed is a pivotal factor in an e-commerce store. Many surveys indicated that even a 1-second delay could lead to a 7% decrease in the conversion rate. There is a high possibility that the customers will leave your site if they experience a slow page load.
Since Shopify is a hosted solution, the company guarantees its website performance. Shopify websites are usually stable and reliable.
Magento websites’ speed majorly depends on the selected hosting services. If you choose a strong host with proper website optimization (codes and images throughout the site), you don’t need to worry about the site’s performance.
>> See more: 12+ Ways To Improve eCommerce Site Performance
Shopify vs Magento: Design and Customization
Website design is the first factor that catches the eyes of a customer, and one of the most crucial things that determine a store’s success. There are numerous Magento and Shopify themes for you to choose from, both free and paid.
In general, most of the templates are responsive and mobile-friendly, which therefore will be presented nicely regardless of the devices customers use.
Shopify scores in this aspect for offering a simpler method that lets you adjust the basic attributes such as fonts, colors, etc and design the website with a drag-and-drop feature. You don’t need to be a coder to build your online store as you wish.
The customization capability of Magento is as high as it can get. Since it’s an open-source platform, you can modify the codes and add more attributes as you like. The only note is that you need to be experienced in coding to do this.
You can access the drag-and-drop feature to adjust the website content if you’re using Magento Commerce.
Shopify vs Magento: Sales features
When comparing sales features between Shopify and Magento, both platforms offer powerful tools to help businesses grow, but they cater to different needs and scales.
Shopify
Shopify makes multi-channel selling easy by allowing businesses to sell on Amazon, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest right out of the box. Its built-in Point of Sale (POS) system includes essential hardware like a barcode scanner and card reader, making it perfect for businesses with both online and physical stores.
Shopify also offers abandoned cart recovery emails, built-in email marketing tools, and seamless integration with shipping carriers like DHL Express and UPS, helping businesses streamline operations. With Shopify’s native payment gateway, Shopify Payments, transactions are simplified, and businesses can scale effortlessly with high traffic and sales events.
Magento
Magento, on the other hand, is built for larger businesses with complex needs. It excels in multi-store management, allowing users to oversee multiple websites and inventory sources from a single admin panel. Magento offers advanced B2B features such as company accounts, shared catalogs, and quote requests, making it a strong choice for wholesale operations. It supports over 100 payment gateways, provides powerful customer segmentation tools, and offers AI-driven product recommendations. Magento’s flexibility allows for deeper customization, but it requires more technical expertise to set up and manage.
Shopify vs Magento: Marketing features
Both Shopify and Magento offer robust marketing tools, but they differ in ease of use and customization.
Shopify
Shopify’s built-in tools make marketing straightforward. With Shopify Email, businesses can create professional email campaigns using customizable templates, and abandoned cart recovery helps recapture lost sales. It also integrates seamlessly with social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, enabling easy sharing and targeted ads.
Additionally, Shopify offers integrations with third-party marketing tools like Klaviyo and Constant Contact. While basic SEO features are available, more advanced options require apps.
>> See more: Is Shopify Good for SEO? – The Honest Shopify SEO Review 2025
Magento
Magento excels with advanced SEO tools, including canonical tags and XML sitemaps, making it ideal for businesses focused on organic traffic. Its customer segmentation and personalized content options provide more control over marketing campaigns.
Magento also offers customizable email templates and powerful promotional tools like discounts and coupons. While multi-channel selling requires extensions, Magento integrates with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and eBay.
Key differences:
- SEO: Magento leads with built-in SEO features, while Shopify requires apps for advanced optimization.
- Email Marketing: Shopify’s easy-to-use email tools are built-in, while Magento offers more customization for email templates.
- Customization: Magento shines with its advanced segmentation and personalization features, offering more control over marketing campaigns.
- Social Media: Shopify offers seamless social media integrations, whereas Magento relies on extensions.
- Reporting: Magento’s free plan includes detailed reporting, whereas Shopify offers more basic reporting in its standard plan.
- Multi-Channel Selling: Shopify includes multi-channel selling out of the box, while Magento needs extensions for similar capabilities.
Shopify vs Magento: Support
Regarding customer support, Shopify generally has the edge. They offer more readily available and in-depth assistance, especially for those using their standard plans. On the other hand, if you’re using the open-source version of Magento, you might find their support a bit more limited.
Shopify
Shopify does provide 24/7 support via phone, email, or live chat, but only at the merchant level. The support you receive covers general platform-related queries, simple bug technical issues, and marketing guidance. If you need support at the development level to implement complex changes, you must pay Shopify to cover the development costs. To avoid substantial overhead costs, it is best to have a development retainer in place.
Magento
Magento only provides developer support. Moreover, Magento users do have the option of purchasing the services of a Magento Technical Account Manager, but this comes at an added cost. Magento users can always tap into the support of the community of 500,000 certified partners dotted around the world. There are also official documents to answer your questions.
Shopify vs Magento: Shipping
When it comes to shipping, both Shopify and Magento let you connect with popular carriers, but they take different approaches in terms of built-in features and flexibility.
Shopify
Shopify makes shipping a breeze by integrating with major carriers like USPS, FedEx, DHL, and UPS, plus partnerships with services like DHL Express and Canada Post. With Shopify Shipping, you can easily manage orders, enjoy discounted rates, and set up shipping based on weight, delivery speed, and international destinations. It’s all designed to be super user-friendly, so you don’t need to be a tech whiz to get started. Plus, Shopify offers a variety of dropshipping apps to help businesses expand effortlessly. The only downside? You’re limited to Shopify’s list of supported carriers.
Magento
Magento, on the other hand, offers more flexibility and control. It integrates with the same major carriers but provides additional default shipping methods like flat rates, free shipping, and table rates, which can be customized for different countries. If you need to work with unsupported carriers, Magento makes it possible—but you’ll likely need a developer to set things up. It’s packed with advanced features like multi-website inventory management and automated order processing, making it ideal for businesses with more complex shipping needs.
Shopify vs Magento: Scalability, flexibility, and integration
Another important comparison point between Magento and Shopify is their scalability.
Magento has far more options available as it’s built with a business’s scalability in mind. It lets you manage multiple stores and multiple languages. The platform can cope with large traffic and allows online stores to grow without hassle, making it a better option for big brands.
Shopify, on the other hand, is more user-friendly and apps can be integrated more easily to expand your store. You can also choose to upgrade your Shopify plan to match the business’s growth.
This means having the flexibility to adapt to changing markets, grow with increased traffic, and upgrade functionality. It also means having access to the latest tech and being able to set languages and currencies while growing your global business. In this regard, Magento has far more options available; however, Shopify is generally more user-friendly and can be integrated more easily.
When it comes to flexibility, Magento Commerce is the clear winner. If you have a small or medium size eCommerce business and you don’t wish to reinvent the wheel with your products, Shopify’s feature range will work perfectly for you.
However, if you’re looking to build something unique with a variety of promotions and product options, then Magento will be the option for you. Let’s say you want to start offering products in multiple colors, materials, design options, and finishes; Magento will provide more flexibility in terms of defining different products.
Shopify vs Magento: Modules & Plugins
Although Shopify and Magento already provide almost everything you need to go online, it’s highly recommended that you consider using third-party extensions to enhance the website’s performance and functionalities.
Currently, Shopify offers more than 8.000 apps in its store, fewer than the current number of Magento extensions on the marketplace (over 9000).
Magento provides more plugins in terms of quantity and quality. Its list of extensions covers all aspects of store improvements and enhancements, including accounting and finance, marketing, content and customization, customer support, payment and security, reporting and analytics, and so on.
Which platform is better: Shopify or Magento?
When comparing Shopify and Magento, the better platform depends largely on the specific needs of your business.
Shopify: Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses
Shopify leads in user adoption and market presence, with over 4.36 million live websites and merchants spanning 175 countries. It’s a go-to platform for businesses looking for a simple, easy-to-use solution with a broad global reach. Shopify processes $79.5 billion in transactions annually and powers 24% of the top million e-commerce stores, making it ideal for businesses that value scalability and ease of use. Additionally, its ecosystem of apps and integrations is vast, allowing for quick customizations and third-party integrations.
Why Choose Shopify?
- Larger user base: Shopify is favored by a wide range of businesses, particularly small to medium-sized ones.
- Global reach: Available in 175 countries with a strong presence in the US.
- Ease of use: Simple setup and management, which makes it great for entrepreneurs and businesses with limited technical expertise.
- Scalability: Suitable for growth, from startups to medium enterprises.
Magento: Best for Large Businesses with Complex Needs
Magento shines in transaction volume and is better suited for larger companies with complex operations. It processes $155 billion in transactions annually, signaling its strength in handling high-volume, enterprise-level sales. With 239,000 live websites and a robust ecosystem of 13,000 service providers, Magento is a go-to for businesses that need advanced customization and greater control over their e-commerce platforms.
Why Choose Magento?
- Higher transaction volume: Ideal for larger businesses with more complex needs and higher sales volumes.
- Customization: Offers in-depth control and flexibility in terms of functionality and features.
- Large support network: With a strong network of service providers, Magento can support intricate, tailored solutions.
In conclusion, it’s up to you to make the decision. Whether you’re going with Magento or Shopify, each has pros and cons.
Shopify is more suitable for businesses that:
- Start with a new website and want to have it launched quickly
- Look for an easy e-commerce store builder with all the necessary features
- Want 24/7 support from the provider
Magento would be an excellent option for businesses:
- Have coding skills, or a team of developers to support
- Ready to invest money and time in the e-commerce store
- Sell a wide range of products, in different countries and languages
- Want a website platform that gives limitless opportunities for web customization
