Magento (Adobe Commerce) at a Glance
Large enterprises needing unlimited customization and handling millions in annual revenue. Below we compare both platforms feature by feature, including pricing, ease of use, design options, and scalability so you can make the right decision for your business.
Table of Contents
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shopify | Magento (Adobe Commerce) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly pricing | From $39/mo (Basic) | Open Source free (hosting $200-1000/mo), Adobe Commerce from $22,000/year |
| Ease of setup | Ready in under an hour | Varies based on technical skill |
| Payment processing | Built-in (Shopify Payments) | Third-party required or built-in |
| Design templates | 12 free + 100s paid themes | Varies by platform |
| App ecosystem | 8,000+ apps | Smaller marketplace |
| Transaction fees | 0% with Shopify Payments | Varies by plan and processor |
| 24/7 support | Phone, chat, email | Varies by plan |
| Scalability | Starter to enterprise (Plus) | Depends on infrastructure |
Where Shopify Wins Over Magento (Adobe Commerce)
These are the areas where Shopify has a clear advantage:
- Dramatically lower total cost of ownership with no hosting or development required
- Launch in hours instead of months with no developer needed
- 24/7 support included vs expensive Magento developer retainers
Shopify excels as a complete, managed solution. You never worry about hosting, security patches, SSL certificates, or performance optimization. Everything is handled for you, letting you focus entirely on selling.
Where Magento (Adobe Commerce) Has the Edge
To be fair, Magento (Adobe Commerce) does offer some advantages in specific scenarios:
- Unlimited customization for complex business logic and workflows
- Self-hosted option giving complete control over infrastructure
- Better suited for catalogs with 100,000+ SKUs and complex pricing
If any of these factors are critical for your business model, Magento (Adobe Commerce) deserves serious consideration. However, for the majority of e-commerce businesses, Shopify’s all-in-one approach saves more time and money in the long run.
Pricing Breakdown: Shopify vs Magento (Adobe Commerce)
| Plan Level | Shopify | Magento (Adobe Commerce) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $39/mo (Basic) | Open Source free (hosting $200-1000/mo), Adobe Commerce from $22,000/year |
| Mid-tier | $105/mo (Shopify) | Varies |
| Advanced | $399/mo (Advanced) | Varies |
| Enterprise | Shopify Plus from $2,000/mo | Contact for pricing |
Remember to factor in total cost of ownership, not just the subscription price. With some platforms, hosting, security, plugins, and developer costs add up quickly. Shopify bundles all of this into one predictable monthly fee.
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose Shopify if: You want a complete, managed e-commerce solution that works immediately. Ideal for merchants who prefer selling over managing technology, and businesses that plan to scale across multiple sales channels.
Consider Magento (Adobe Commerce) if: Large enterprises needing unlimited customization and handling millions in annual revenue. This is particularly relevant for businesses with very specific technical requirements or existing investments in the Magento (Adobe Commerce) ecosystem.
Switching From Magento (Adobe Commerce) to Shopify
If you are currently on Magento (Adobe Commerce) and considering a move to Shopify, the migration process is straightforward. Complex migration requiring developer assistance. Use LitExtension or hire a Shopify Expert.
Most migrations can be completed within a few days. Shopify offers 24/7 support to help with the transition, and you can run both stores in parallel during the switchover period.
Try Shopify Free - Compare For Yourself
For most users, yes. Shopify is designed for non-technical users and most stores can be set up in under an hour. Magento (Adobe Commerce) may require more technical knowledge depending on the platform.
Yes. You can migrate products, customers, and orders using CSV import or dedicated migration apps like Cart2Cart or LitExtension. Most migrations take 1-3 days.
Yes, Shopify offers a free trial so you can build and test your entire store before committing. No credit card is required to start.
