Shopify vs Magento: Shopify Fits Most, Magento Suits Big

If you’re opening or upgrading your eCommerce store, the big question is: Shopify or Magento? It’s a crucial choice, especially for growing brands torn between deep customization and effortless ease of use.

In this article, we’ll unpack the real differences between Shopify vs Magento - from pricing and scalability to ecosystem and support. And here’s a quiet spoiler: Shopify is gaining momentum. With the no-code movement on the rise, more merchants (yes, even Magento users) are making the switch.

Want to see how Shopify compares with other platforms, too? Explore our full breakdown of Shopify competitors to get the bigger picture.

Now, let’s dive in and see whether Magento or Shopify fits your growth goals!

Shopify vs Magento: Platform Overview

Shopify overview

When it comes to building a modern eCommerce store, Shopify continues to lead the pack, especially in the Shopify vs Magento debate. As a fully hosted SaaS platform, Shopify simplifies everything from setup to scaling, making it a go-to solution for businesses that value speed, ease of use, and dependable performance.

Shopify website

Launched in 2006, Shopify was created to solve real merchant problems — and it shows. It takes care of the technical heavy lifting like hosting, security, and platform updates, so you can focus on growing your business, not managing infrastructure.

What makes Shopify stand out? For starters, it offers:

• A user-friendly interface that even beginners can master, with drag-and-drop design tools and a clean, intuitive dashboard
  
• A vast ecosystem of apps for marketing, upselling, subscriptions, analytics, and more
  
• Scalability with Shopify Plus, giving high-growth brands access to automation tools, multi-storefront support, and enterprise-level performance
  

So, why is Shopify better than others? Because it helps you launch faster, manage easier, and grow without complexity — all backed by a strong ecosystem of tools, apps, and experts.

📌 Want to dig deeper? Read our full Shopify review here.

Magento overview

Magento (or Adobe Commerce) is a platform I’ve seen favored by brands needing deep customization, multiple storefronts, or complex product logic. Originally launched in 2007 by Varien and acquired by Adobe in 2018, it now comes in two forms: Magento Open Source (self-hosted) and Adobe Commerce (a fully managed cloud solution). 

Magento (now Adobe Commerce) website

The current version, Magento 2, introduced a complete overhaul of the original platform, offering improved performance, a more modern admin interface, and a modular architecture that makes customization more scalable and efficient. 

Throughout this blog, I’ll use "Magento" or "Magento 2" interchangeably to refer to the overall platform. When referring specifically to the fully hosted, enterprise-grade solution, I’ll use Adobe Commerce. 

You’ll often hear the question: Do people still use Magento? The answer is yes, but mostly among businesses that have the technical team or budget to manage and maintain it. It’s not a plug-and-play solution like Shopify. It’s powerful, but it demands more from the merchant side.

Shopify vs Magento: 10 Key Differences Explained from Experts’ POV

Now, let’s dive deeper into the difference between Magento and Shopify to help you decide which platform is the best fit for your business.

Pricing: A strategic tie – depends on business size and resources

Comparing Magento vs Shopify in terms of pricing is far from black and white. As someone who has helped brands scale on both platforms - including migrations and new builds - I can confidently say that pricing depends heavily on your business size, internal resources, and long-term goals.

Total cost of ownership (TCO)

All the things I mentioned above are part of the total cost of ownership, and the contrast is clear.

While Magento Open Source is free to license, the reality of building and maintaining a Magento store is far from inexpensive:

• Custom builds typically start at $10K–$50K, with complex projects exceeding $100K
  
• Add another $2K–$10K/month for developer retainers, maintenance, and security
  
• Without an in-house dev team or agency support, managing Magento becomes a long-term, high-cost commitment
  

On the other hand, Shopify is far more cost-effective and predictable:

• Many D2C brands launch high-quality Shopify stores for under $5K using prebuilt themes and limited dev hours
  
• Even Shopify Plus builds often fall between $20K–$50K
  
• Hosting, security, and platform updates are included in the monthly fee, keeping overhead low and transparent
  

📝 My takeaways:

Shopify or Magento for pricing? I’d say this one’s a strategic tie. 

For lean teams and growth-stage brands, Shopify wins with predictable, scalable costs and fast time to market. For enterprises needing deep customization and the budget to support ongoing technical work, Magento can be a powerful long-term play.

Verdict: Shopify 50 - Magento 50. It depends on your business maturity, team structure, and growth goals.

Ease of use: Shopify wins with an intuitive, user-friendly design

When comparing Shopify vs Magento 2 for usability, the difference is immediately clear, even at first login.

Shopify is built for non-technical users, with drag-and-drop builders, a clean dashboard, and smooth onboarding. 

Magento 2, on the other hand, offers powerful customization, but at a cost. Its admin interface takes time to learn, and most store changes require developer support. From initial setup to managing extensions or updates, non-technical users will likely need an agency or a dedicated dev team. 

Let’s break it down even further:

📝 My takeaways:

In Shopify vs Magento comparison for usability,  my experience leans heavily toward Shopify. Going from zero to launch in just a few days was a game-changer. Magento’s flexibility is powerful, but the time investment and technical overhead make it less appealing unless you have a full development team on board.

Verdict: 90 Shopify – 10 Magento – Shopify wins for ease of use.

And if ease of use is what draws you to Shopify,  there’s one more layer that makes the experience even better: custom storefront design. While Shopify gives you a solid starting point, it can feel limiting if you want full creative control, especially without coding. Consider Foxify - Shopify landing page builder. 

Foxify is the ultimate smart drag-and-drop page builder for Shopify. Now you can design your pages in Figma, then import them seamlessly into Foxify.

• Ship responsive and optimized pixel-perfect Shopify pages and sections in seconds with Figma to Shopify.
  
• Copy any Figma design, paste it into the Foxify page builder, and publish it live with 1 click. No code needed.

Try Figma to Foxify now 

Customization: Magento leads with limitless control

About deep customization, Magento 2 clearly leads. You can modify every layer of the storefront — from layout and checkout flow to pricing logic and backend workflows. I’ve seen enterprise teams stretch Magento to fit highly complex business models that no SaaS platform could easily support.

But that unlimited flexibility comes at a cost:

• Longer development timelines
  
• Higher budgets
  
• A constant need for technical support and maintenance
  

Shopify, on the other hand, takes a different approach: structured customization. While not as boundless as Magento, Shopify gives you powerful tools like:

• Liquid and theme files for design control
  
• Shopify functions for backend logic
  
• Checkout extensibility for custom discounts, delivery rules, and more — all without editing core code
  

Key takeaways:

For Magento 2 vs Shopify customization:

• Magento is ideal for businesses needing full code control and tailored functionality.
  
• Shopify is better for brands that prioritize speed, simplicity, and smart customization with fewer development dependencies.
  

Verdict: Magento 60 - Shopify 40. If you need absolute control and have a dev team on standby, Magento is hard to beat. But for fast-moving brands that want flexible customization without the drag of technical overhead, Shopify is the smarter, faster choice.

Themes, Extensions & Integrations: Both platforms offer rich ecosystems, but Shopify moves faster

Themes

Shopify and Magento take very different approaches to theme design and setup.

With Shopify:

• You get access to 265+ professionally designed themes in the official Theme Store, including 23 free themes — all mobile-optimized and performance-tested.
  
• Most merchants prefer to launch with third-party or customized themes from platforms like ThemeForest or TemplateMonster.
  
• Thanks to Online Store 2.0, customizing layouts is easier than ever — most changes can be made using the built-in drag-and-drop editor. 

Shopify themes store

With the rise of AI in eCommerce, designing your Shopify storefront just got smarter. Thanks to the new free Shopify theme Horizon, merchants can now build beautiful, high-performing stores faster than ever — no design background required.

• AI Theme Generator: Instantly builds entire page layouts from simple prompts or brand guidelines. 
  
• AI Block Generator: Intelligently suggests and assembles individual content sections based on your page goals, saving hours of manual work.
  

Magento, while flexible, moves more slowly:

• Only 12 official themes are available through Adobe Commerce.
  
• Most Magento stores rely on third-party themes that require setup and modification by developers.
  
• Even simple layout changes often involve code, leading to longer timelines and higher costs.
  
• Over 60% of Magento merchants need ongoing dev support for theme maintenance and customization.

Only 12 themes are available for Adobe Commerce

Building a powerful B2B or wholesale store? Try Hyper theme, a fast, fully customizable Shopify theme with built-in features like advanced pricing, bulk orders, and multi-currency support.

👉 Upgrade your storefront with Hyper 

Extensions & Apps

Shopify and Magento offer powerful ecosystems, but when it comes to ease of use, Shopify leads. Its App Store features 13,000+ apps, most of which install in minutes - no code needed. Over 80% of merchants use them to boost SEO, upsell & cross-sell, marketing, subscriptions, and more. I’ve seen teams install, test, and uninstall 3–5 apps in a single day while fine-tuning conversion flows - something that’s nearly impossible on Magento.

Shopify app store

Magento, with 4,000+ extensions, offers deep functionality, especially for B2B, but setup is far more technical. Over 70% of Magento users rely on developers for installation and customization. Version conflicts and code-level tweaks slow things down, making every update more resource-intensive than on Shopify.

Extensions for Adobe Commerce

Integrations

Shopify seamlessly connects with hundreds of SaaS tools - CRMs like HubSpot, ERPs like NetSuite, fulfillment tools like ShipStation, and even AI personalization platforms like Rebuy or Nosto. With ready-made integrations and APIs, many tools are install-and-go.

Magento is flexible enough to integrate with virtually anything, but these integrations usually require middleware, API development, or custom development work. Great for enterprise IT teams, but not ideal for lean startups or fast-scaling D2C brands.

📝 My takeaways:

Shopify enables faster storefront design, easier app installs, and seamless integrations with minimal dev work. Magento offers more flexibility but demands time and technical support. For most brands, Shopify’s ecosystem delivers quicker results with less complexity.

Verdict: Shopify 55 - Magento 45. Shopify wins for themes, extensions & integrations.

Marketing & SEO: Shopify excels with built-in tools

In the Shopify vs Magento battle for marketing and SEO, Shopify makes things easier.

It comes with built-in SEO features like clean URLs, editable meta tags, mobile-friendly themes, and automatic sitemaps. Shopify also auto-generates structured data (JSON-LD), which helps your products show up with rich snippets in Google. You can connect your store to Google Search Console, Analytics, and Google Shopping in just a few clicks.

Shopify enables editing the Search engine listing for products

Shopify also includes built-in email marketing. Shopify Email users have seen up to 4x higher click-through rates compared to typical email platforms. You can also add advanced tools like Klaviyo or Omnisend instantly.

Magento also supports strong SEO, but most features need developer setup or extra plugins. For example, structured data and email campaigns typically require custom work or third-party modules.

📝 My takeaways:

Magento or Shopify? For fast, effective marketing, especially without a dev team, Shopify is the clear choice. Please note that both platforms depend on apps, but Shopify is quicker to set up and run.

Verdict: Shopify 70 - Magento 30. Shopify wins for built-in marketing tools and simpler SEO setup.

Sales Channels: Shopify dominates with omnichannel capabilities

As a store owner, you need to meet customers where they shop, and that means being on every relevant channel. Shopify makes this incredibly simple. You can connect your products to Facebook, Instagram, Google Shopping, TikTok, and even Amazon using official apps like Shopify Marketplace Connect, LitCommerce, all within minutes. There’s no need to hire a developer or write a single line of code. Shopify’s admin panel guides you through each setup with step-by-step flows.

More than 2000 apps support sales channels on the Shopify App Store

Shopify POS also turns any physical store, event booth, or pop-up into a synchronized retail experience. Inventory syncs in real-time between your online store and offline locations, which is a huge plus for hybrid businesses. And with Shopify Markets, international selling is easier than ever, with tools for currency conversion, local domains, language translation, and duties/taxes built right in.

In contrast, Magento supports multichannel selling but requires third-party extensions or custom integrations for major marketplaces and social platforms. While flexible, it often needs developers or system integrators. Features like POS and global commerce demand separate tools, increasing setup time and costs.

📝 My takeaways:

Shopify vs Magento for Omnichannel? Shopify just gets it right. Magento can handle it too, but be prepared to budget time and dev resources. Unless you’re a large enterprise with a dedicated IT crew, Shopify’s out-of-the-box tools are hard to beat.

Verdict: Shopify 65 - Magento 35. Shopify leads the way in omnichannel sales. Magento has the capability, but Shopify brings the accessibility.

Payments & Transactions: Shopify simplifies with integrated options

The biggest difference between Shopify and Magento lies in how payments are integrated and managed.

Shopify:

• Offers a native, fully integrated solution called Shopify Payments (available in select countries)
  
• Supports major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay — enabled in just a few clicks
  
• No third-party setup required, making onboarding fast and beginner-friendly
  
• Eliminates additional transaction fees, helping merchants avoid the typical 1–2% surcharge from external gateways
  
• Delivers one of the highest-converting checkout experiences in the industry
• Shopify Plus merchants gain access to advanced checkout customization options for greater control and flexibility

Shopify Payments

Learn more about Shopify payment methods. 

Magento:

• Offers greater payment gateway flexibility — supports virtually any provider
  
• No built-in payment system; integrations typically require developer setup and testing
  
• No platform-specific transaction fees, but merchants must still negotiate rates with third-party gateways (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net)
  
• Setup and maintenance often come with higher dev costs and longer timelines
  

Let’s compare:

📝 My takeaways:

I’ve seen brands scale faster with Shopify Payments, especially when paired with Shop Pay, which can boost conversions by up to 18%. Magento offers more flexibility, but it demands more dev work. For fast-growing D2C brands, Shopify wins on ease, speed, and cost.

Verdict: Shopify 70 - Magento 30. Shopify wins for simplicity and lower fees; Magento only makes sense if you need complex payment setups and have the resources.

Scalability: Magento stands out with complex, enterprise-level growth

As businesses scale - adding SKUs, entering new markets, or building out teams, they need infrastructure that can keep up. That’s where the Magento Enterprise vs Shopify Plus debate becomes key. 

Let’s explore how Shopify Plus vs Magento (Adobe Commerce) stacks up for growing brands.

Shopify Plus: Built for fast-growing brands

Shopify Plus helps businesses scale without rebuilding their store. It’s an upgrade from Shopify Advanced that unlocks powerful features without added complexity.

Why scaling brands choose Shopify Plus:

• Fast upgrade path: Keep your store, gain enterprise features.
  
• Expansion-ready: Launch international or B2B storefronts quickly.
  
• Shopify Functions + Flow: Customize logic and automate workflows without developers.
  
• Built-in B2B tools: Manage DTC and B2B from one admin with custom pricing and payment terms.
  
• Optimized checkout: Use Shopify’s fast, high-converting checkout with customization options.
  
• World-class support: Access to Launch Engineers and 24/7 assistance.
  Scalable app ecosystem: Integrate ERP, CDP, WMS, and personalization tools easily.

Magento (Adobe Commerce): Deep control for complex enterprise needs

When backend control and flexibility matter most, Adobe Commerce vs Shopify shows Magento’s strengths.

Why Magento appeals to enterprises:

• Total control over backend logic and infrastructure.
  
• Multi-storefront architecture tailored to regions or brands.
  
• Robust native B2B capabilities.
  
• Choose between open-source or hosted Adobe Commerce.
  
• Seamless integration with ERP, PIM, WMS, and custom stacks.
  

Verdict: Shopify Plus 45 – Magento 55. Shopify Plus wins for speed, automation, and support. Magento wins when deep customization and tech resources are non-negotiable.

Security: Shopify offers robust, out-of-the-box protection

Shopify: Security as a service

With Shopify, security is built-in. It’s PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant, includes automatic SSL certificates, fraud analysis, and 24/7 threat monitoring. I’ve launched multiple Shopify stores and never had to patch updates, install SSLs, or worry about DDoS protection - it’s all handled. Even on Shopify Plus, you get enterprise-grade security and SOC 2 compliance without lifting a finger.

Magento: You manage it all

Magento (especially Open Source) puts you in full control - but also full responsibility. Hosting, security patches, and hardening are all on you. It can be just as secure as Shopify, but only with the right setup and constant maintenance. I’ve seen Magento stores suffer breaches due to outdated plugins or missed patches. Adobe Commerce does offer more protections, but it still demands serious technical oversight.

📝 My takeaways:

If you want security without the stress, Shopify wins. You don’t need a security team - just focus on growing your business. Magento can work for security-heavy industries, but it requires real investment in infrastructure and expertise.

Verdict: Shopify 70 – Magento 30. For most D2C brands, Shopify’s managed security is the safer, smarter choice.

Support, Community & AI features: Shopify brings a stronger ecosystem for growth

Support: Shopify gives you people. Magento gives you a ticket system

From my experience, Shopify’s support is unmatched. Live chat responds within minutes, and in APAC, our local Shopify Partner Manager once helped a merchant launch a loyalty program in just a week, thanks to trusted app recommendations. Magento vs Shopify here? Magento Open Source offers no real-time support at all. Adobe Commerce has a support system, but it’s mostly technical ticketing with slow replies and no business-side guidance.

Community & Ecosystem: Shopify is a network. Magento is a toolkit.

Shopify’s strength is how aligned the agency, tech, and app partners are. They build tools with merchants in mind. You get clean UIs, plug-and-play apps, strong documentation, and real business value. Magento’s marketplace leans developer-first. Many extensions are outdated or buggy. Our team personally had to debug Magento plugins that crashed the checkout after an update. The community is strong, especially among developers, but less accessible to business users.

AI features: Shopify is making AI useful. Magento makes it complex.

Shopify is actively making AI tools practical and merchant-facing. The rising star is now Sidekick - a 24/7 AI-powered Shopify expert

Sidekick combines deep commerce knowledge with advanced reasoning and creative problem-solving — all tailored to your store’s unique data. It connects the dots across your sales, customers, and operations to uncover hidden opportunities and deliver actionable insights.

Whether you need to craft compelling product descriptions, answer customer FAQs, or analyze your store’s performance, Sidekick handles it quickly and intelligently. Plus, with voice chat and screen sharing, you can literally talk through challenges in real time. Supporting 20 languages, Sidekick speaks your language.

The ongoing ChatGPT collaboration proves Shopify’s commitment to making AI part of the daily merchant workflow.

Shopify AI 

Magento, through Adobe Sensei, offers powerful AI — but it’s rarely used out of the box. Implementation requires advanced setup, extra licensing, and developer resources. It’s powerful, but not intuitive or ready-made for most merchants.

📝 My takeaways:

In the Shopify and Magento debate, Shopify wins when it comes to support and innovation. Magento has its place, but for most modern merchants, Shopify simply delivers faster wins with less friction.

Verdict: Shopify 65 - Magento 35. Shopify clearly leads with a more modern, merchant-centric approach.

Enterprise Cloud Solutions: Adobe Commerce vs Shopify

We’ve talked a lot about Magento vs Shopify — but when discussing enterprise-level eCommerce, the real comparison lies between Adobe Commerce Cloud vs Shopify Plus.

Adobe Commerce Cloud is the enterprise-grade, cloud-hosted version of Magento, fully managed by Adobe. It builds on the Magento Open Source foundation, adding powerful features like advanced B2B capabilities, AI-driven product recommendations, and scalable cloud infrastructure — all with enterprise-level support.

Now let’s break down their differences, then find out their key strengths: 

Adobe Commerce wins for:

• Complex B2B & global enterprises needing deep customization.
  
• High scalability with full control over infrastructure.
  
• Multi-brand/multi-store setups with shared backend.
  

Shopify Plus wins for:

• Fast deployment with minimal IT overhead.
  
• DTC brands need a simple, scalable SaaS solution.
  
• Lower initial cost (no dev team required).
  

Verdict: Shopify vs Adobe Commerce: 50-50

• Enterprise B2B/Complex Needs? → Adobe Commerce Cloud
  
• Enterprise DTC/Simplicity? → Shopify Plus
  

Shopify vs Magento Comparisons: Making Your Right Choice

At the end of the day, the best platform depends on your business stage, team resources, and growth ambitions. Magento (Adobe Commerce) is ideal for enterprise-level brands with complex needs, a strong dev team, and a desire for full backend control. Shopify, on the other hand, is perfect for merchants who value speed, simplicity, and scalability, without needing to manage the tech.

If you're leaning toward flexibility and want to launch and scale fast, Shopify is your go-to. If you're managing multiple brands, handling large B2B catalogs, and need deep customization, Magento might be worth the investment.

Still unsure? If Magento feels too complex or costly, but you want something with a balance of flexibility and ease of use, check out our comparison of Shopify vs Squarespace — both are popular options for modern online stores.

And for more eCommerce strategies, insights, and how-tos, don’t miss our eCommerce blogs.

Shopify vs Magento FAQs

Which is better, Magento or Shopify?

Shopify is better for ease of use and speed. Magento offers more flexibility but requires technical expertise. The best depends on your business needs.

Does Magento work with Shopify?

Not directly — they are two separate platforms. But you can migrate data between them or integrate certain tools via APIs or third-party apps.

Which platform is better than Shopify?

It depends. For full control and customization, Magento or BigCommerce might be better. For simplicity and fast setup, Shopify stands out.

Why migrate from Magento to Shopify?

Businesses often migrate for ease of management, lower maintenance, faster setup, and access to Shopify’s robust ecosystem and support.

Is Magento good for dropshipping?

Magento can handle dropshipping with extensions, but it requires setup and management. Shopify offers easier plug-and-play dropshipping tools.

Does Magento have a future?

Yes, especially Adobe Commerce. It continues to serve enterprise brands needing scalable, flexible solutions, but it’s more niche than Shopify.