Magento vs. Shopify – Which Platform Should You Choose for Your Store?

Magento or Shopify – which platform should you choose when building an online store? This is one of the most common questions that e-Commerce business owners around the world ask themselves. In this article, we will discuss the key differences, strengths, and weaknesses of both solutions and help you decide which is best for you.

Magento vs. Shopify – Introduction

Shopify and Magento are two of the most popular e-Commerce platforms, each targeting different business profiles.

Shopify is a fully hosted, user-friendly SaaS (Software as a Service) solution. It is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses that prioritize ease of use and quick setup. It offers a simple subscription model with a robust app ecosystem and 24/7 customer support, making it accessible even to those with no technical knowledge. 1.7 million businesses worldwide have built their stores on Shopify, including brands like Your Kaya, The Oakwood, Gymshark, and BIZUU.

Magento is an open-source platform known for its high level of customization and scalability, making it a great choice for larger enterprises that need more advanced functionality or are selling internationally. Although Magento provides unmatched flexibility and control, it requires substantial technical expertise and resources, as well as self-management of the hosting environment. Among the 250,000 stores built on Magento are brands like Briju, Lancerto, Drogeria Natura, Castorama, and 4F.

Magento vs. Shopify – Which Platform Should You Choose?

Cost of Implementation and Maintenance

Shopify is available on a subscription basis, with prices varying depending on the chosen plan. The cheapest, Shopify Basic, costs $24 per month, while the more advanced Shopify Plus, aimed at larger players and B2B businesses, starts at $2,000 per month. The price includes hosting and customer support, but additional apps must be paid for separately. For Shopify, the subscription fee is not all you have to pay. Customers of the platform are also required to pay a recurring commission on sales, which can be quite high and even unprofitable for larger businesses.

Magento, in its basic version, is available under a free license. However, setting up a store on this engine requires a significant investment. Apart from paying for the work of developers, designers, and the rest of the implementation team, you will also pay for hosting, additional modules, and integrations. While hosting, a registered domain, and an SSL certificate cost a few dozen Euros a year, building and maintaining an e-Commerce platform on Magento usually requires support from a team of experienced developers. The price of a good store starts at 25,000 EUR, and the cost of large, complex platforms can exceed even a half a million EUR.

Ease of Use

Shopify, as a SaaS solution, was created for users without advanced technological knowledge. The simple drag-and-drop interface and intuitive installation and operation make Shopify understandable even for beginner sellers. Building a simple store on this platform does not require specialist help, and sales can begin within a few days. Of course, Shopify also allows for more complex stores to be set up and integrated with thousands of extensions and plugins available on the market. However, in such cases, assistance from a software house may be necessary.

Hosting and all technical aspects, such as server maintenance and updates, are handled by Shopify, resulting in less work on your side.

Magento, on the other hand, is an open-source solution, and building, launching, and maintaining an online store on this technology usually requires the involvement of a Magento developer (or developers). Setting up and managing the system requires experience and technical knowledge, so most companies that decide to build their store on this technology usually use a specialized e-Commerce agency. The platform is an advanced solution, and although non-technical people can easily manage sales and store administration, designing and developing the store itself requires programming knowledge.

In terms of hosting, Magento offers two options:

– you choose and pay for the external server

– you use Magento Cloud infrastructure (which, of course, is an additional cost).

Customization Capabilities

So far, it may seem that Shopify, as a cheaper and easier-to-use solution, knocks out Magento in this comparison. However, it is in the area of customization capabilities that Magento shows its greatest advantage.

The simplicity of Shopify has its consequences in the form of limited customization capabilities. Although the system offers many advanced sales, marketing, and SEO features, the architecture, design, and business logic are dictated by Shopify’s built-in templates. These templates can be customized to meet your needs, but it will not be a “tailor-made” store.

Access to platform features or modules depends on the selected subscription plan. For example, B2B sales are only available in the Shopify Plus variant, which costs $2,000+ per month.

Another limitation is the hosting provided by Shopify. Such a solution is convenient – after all, we pay for the subscription and hosting only once and do not have to worry about technical issues – but it is also restrictive because we cannot freely change the server or use certain providers’ services.

In terms of customization capabilities, Magento is virtually unparalleled. The level of modification and customization it offers is close to that of dedicated software. Magento is designed to serve as a framework, skeleton, and engine on which the architect can freely build a custom sales platform without the limitations imposed by built-in templates. A Magento store can be modified in any way: adding and removing modules, writing custom functionalities, adding integrations, and APIs. However, such advanced changes must be made wisely to ensure platform maintainability and avoid accumulating technical debt.

Magento offers its users nearly 6,000 extensions and apps and allows them to implement their own, even the most unusual functionalities. With such extensive customization options, Magento allows brands to realize their vision with practically no limitations.

Additionally, independence from Magento in terms of hosting leaves the client with great freedom in choosing the right server and infrastructure.

Scalability

Magento is a system designed with business growth and scaling in mind. Flexible architecture, open-source nature, and freedom in choosing the server allow for virtually unlimited growth. Magento is a platform designed for large businesses, ready to handle a multi-million product range and traffic, even during peak periods such as Christmas or Black Friday. Moreover, thanks to a range of cross-border sales functionalities, Magento supports its customers’ expansion into foreign markets. The Magento Multistore module allows users to manage multiple store versions in one admin panel and handle different languages and currencies, even customizing the assortment for different markets.

In terms of scalability, Shopify cannot compete with Magento, but this is not a particular disadvantage of the solution – in this area, Magento has left the competition far behind. Shopify, as a SaaS solution, still performs very well in scalability, especially when choosing a higher-tier plan. In Shopify, you can also sell internationally in multiple languages and currencies, but the solution’s capabilities are more limited in terms of localization for a specific market. So, if scalability and flexibility are your priorities, Magento is an obvious choice.

Community and Support

As part of its subscription fee, Shopify offers comprehensive 24/7 customer support and service. Platform users can contact a consultant via live chat, phone, or email. Shopify also provides training materials collected in the Shopify Academy, tutorials on its YouTube channel, and a Merchant Success Program for Shopify Plus users.

The Shopify community has over 600,000 members, so you can easily seek support from groups and discussion forums when creating your store, including on the official Shopify Community platform.

Magento, like Shopify, is one of the most popular and largest e-Commerce platforms globally, so it also benefits from the support of a massive community. Over 480,000 Magento users, including 11,000 active Reddit members, discuss programming problems and good practices daily. The developers who will implement your store will easily find tutorials and guides on solving specific problems, so you won’t have to worry about the intricacies of this, let’s face it, complex platform.

A well-developed community that knows the answers to the most unusual, specific questions is undoubtedly a significant advantage of Magento. However, in terms of customer support quality and availability, Magento lags behind Shopify because support for users is an additional paid service in this case.

Magento vs. Shopify – Who is it for?

When comparing Magento vs. Shopify, we can consider many variables, such as cost, scalability, ease of use, or community size. Still, the most important factor that determines the choice of one solution or the other will always be the needs of your business and the demands of your customers.

Magento and Shopify are among the most popular solutions for e-Commerce, but due to their diversity, they serve entirely different types of businesses.

Shopify – Ideal for Small and Medium Businesses

Shopify, as a simple-to-configure and use, intuitive SaaS solution, is the perfect choice for small and medium-sized businesses or beginner sellers who need a standard set of sales and marketing functionalities.

Shopify’s clients are usually businesses such as:

– Small clothing brands,

– Craftsmen and artists,

– Local suppliers and manufacturers,

– Local service providers.

Shopify allows you to start selling online quickly and relatively inexpensively. Small businesses with a limited range of products will benefit from the intuitive interface and 24/7 customer service.

With thousands of plugins and advanced subscription packages, Shopify allows for building more complex stores, such as B2B platforms, and introducing modern functionalities. However, Shopify is not intended for enterprise-class businesses. Its customization and scaling capabilities are limited, so companies that handle multi-million traffic, have thousands of products and attributes in their assortment, and need a platform ready for dynamic growth should choose a more flexible solution.

Magento – The Clear Choice for Large, Demanding Businesses

Magento is a solution for those who do not like limitations and value full control in realizing their business vision. It is an ideal choice for large and medium-sized businesses, B2B platforms, or companies that need non-standard, custom functionalities. The open-source nature allows sellers to implement even the most unusual functionalities and experiment with new solutions. The level of customization in Magento is also unparalleled compared to other providers. The flexible architecture allows increasing system performance according to the needs and growth of the company.

Among Magento’s clients are:

– Enterprise-class businesses handling multi-million traffic,

– Companies with a very wide, extensive range of products and many product attributes,

– Brands selling internationally,

– Fast-growing businesses that need flexibility in scaling up.

Magento’s almost limitless possibilities come at a price. Using this platform requires advanced technical knowledge and coding skills, and the process of launching an e-store takes at least a few months. For this reason, Magento is usually chosen by businesses that can afford to hire a specialized e-Commerce agency to handle the project of implementing and maintaining the store.

Magento vs. Shopify – Comparison Table

	Magento	Shopify
Price	✖	✔
Ease of use	✖	✔
Customization Capabilities	✔	✖
Scalability	✔	✖
Community	✔	✔
Ideal for	Large and medium businesses with an extensive range of products that need custom functionalities.	Small and medium businesses with stable traffic and a simple product range that need standard functionalities.

Magento vs. Shopify – Which Platform is Better?

Magento and Shopify are leaders in the e-Commerce platform market. Both companies have a stable position, thousands of documented case studies, and large user communities. Both solutions are therefore a safe choice in terms of business continuity and available support and updates. When deciding between Magento and Shopify, the question should not be “Which platform is better?” but “Which one better meets the needs of my company?”

If you run a small or medium-sized business with stable traffic and have a relatively simple range of products without many attributes and configurations, you will surely appreciate Shopify’s ease of use and affordability.

If your company is a large business that is growing dynamically, sells internationally, serves many customers, and offers a diverse product range, the flexibility, scalability, and customization capabilities of Magento will meet your needs.

If you are still unsure because none of the described profiles match your company, take advantage of a consultation with an experienced e-Commerce agency. It is worth choosing a partner that implements both Shopify and Magento – this way, you can be sure that the recommendations you receive will be objective and best suited to your business’s nature.