Magento vs Shopify: The Complete Comparison guide
Magento vs Shopify: The Complete Comparison guide
Magento vs Shopify: Every owner of an e-commerce site juggles around making an important decision- choosing the right platform for the online store. Picking one from a large number of platforms is a daunting task. This, however, directly affects the success of the eCommerce site.
Magento vs Shopify
At the time of writing this article, 742,629 eCommerce websites are Magento customers. At the same time, 5,483,209 eCommerce websites are of Shopify customers. The major difference among these platforms are:
- Magento is a free and open-source platform.
- And to leverage the benefits of the Shopify platform, pay at least $29 every month.
- Shopify provides users with a complete solution with site hosting as well.
- Magento users have to purchase hosting for the website themselves and complete settings before the starting of the online store.
- And these settings usually need minimal knowledge of coding skills. For this reason, the users often turn to Magento development company to carry out the initial settings of the online store.
This was the basic difference between the platforms. But let’s dig deeper and see the pros and cons of each platform.
Pros and Cons of Magento And Shopify eCommerce Platforms
Shopify Pros and Cons
Let’s start this comparison with the Shopify platform. These days, this hosting solution is one of the industry leaders. IT means that the company is responsible for the operation of the code. Also, the users can migrate to the HTML website and CSS.
The platform is one of the most secure platforms and is used by approximately 2.1 million active users. It is the ideal choice for those who are looking for an easy to use yet comprehensive solution. Thanks to the user-friendly admin panel, you do not need any special technical knowledge to create an online store.
In addition, Shopify is regularly updating its features. For example, one of the latest was the Shopify and Amazon integration. With this advancement, users can sell goods on Amazon right from the Shopify admin panel. Want to know more regarding its advantages and disadvantages? We’ll tell you more next!
● Ease of use
Shopify is known for its simple and clean interface. It is equipped with simple tools, a drag-and-drop interface and the ability to edit themes. If this is your first experience in creating an online store on your own, then you will not be confused by complex technical documentation. At the same time, an online store on the Shopify platform will give your customers a simple checkout experience.
● Costing
When comparing the Shopify and Magento platforms, it is worth considering that Shopify gives users a 14 days trial period to give the time to monitor the functionality of the store. When you are satisfied, you have to pay $29 each month (basic plan) going forward. Also, it charges 2.9% + 30 cents for funds transfer with third-party payment modules.
You can also use the standard withdrawal method through the platform. This method is free. But for the use of third-party payment systems, you will have to pay at least 2%. If you plan to expand your business in the future, the cost of transferring funds may increase.
● Design and templates
If you are in the middle of choosing a platform and don’t know what will be best for you, then you will pay attention that Shopify provides users with a choice of paid and free themes and templates for an online store. But since Shopify is a hosted solution, the possibilities for further customization are limited. You can choose from 10 free templates or from paid themes that start at $100.
● User support
This is the most important benefit of Shopify. Users are provided with 24X7 support. There are several ways to contact support representatives; chat, email, or phone. Therefore, in case of any problems, there is a team of technical specialists ready to help.
Moreover, Shopify cares about its users. There are many tutorials and guides to help users keep their eCommerce site in top shape.
Pros and cons of Magento
Now let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this platform.
This online store solution is open source and quite flexible. However, to enjoy all the benefits of Magento, you need to have some technical knowledge and programming skills. You can also contact a Magento development company so that the developers can make all the necessary changes.
This open-source online trading solution has an advanced plugin architecture. If you have enough skills, you can add any custom feature to your online store.
● Ease of use
Compared to Shopify, Magento is not such a simple platform. It is not suitable for users without technical knowledge who want a simple online store with basic features. To get started, you will have to study the technical documentation about the platform or hire a company that develops online stores so that specialists perform all the modifications and settings.
● Costing
Users can choose from Magento different pricing plans. The first one is the Community Edition. It is a free platform with no monthly subscription. This is ideal for small and medium businesses.
If you are planning to create a large online store, then your option is Magento Enterprise Edition. You can use Magento for free. But if you need personal features, you can buy them in the extension store or pay to create a plugin or extension from scratch.
Do not forget that users pay the cost of hosting separately. Since the Magento platform needs a lot of resources, it will be quite expensive.
● Design and templates
Magento has many online store templates. You can find them in the Magento store repository. Most of the themes are responsive, customizable and easy to use.
There are 56+ free themes in the store, and paid ones start at $20 that have extra extensions. But if you need a custom design and want to surprise customers with unique features, then you should contact Magento development company.
● User support
If you are bold enough to use an open-source platform for an online store yourself, then you are probably aware of the major problems that can arise. Magento has a well-developed developer community where you can find all the answers you need. If you are going to use Magento Community then please note that you will not have access to official technical support. Magento provides a support service for Magento Enterprise users only.
Talking about the pros and cons of this platform, open-source can be either one or the other, depending on your programming skills. The platform also provides paid and free courses to help you better understand how the platform works.
Magento vs Shopify
Both platforms have enough features to create and use an online store. Let’s compare them!
● Product catalog management
If you add too many items to your Magento store, it can slow down your website loading speed and cause some problems. At the same time, online stores on Shopify do not have such problems.
● Shipping cost calculation
When it comes to calculating shipping costs, Magento and Shopify provide powerful and flexible options. Shipping fees are one of the essential aspects of online stores that sell physical goods. Especially if you plan to sell to other countries. Online store owners on Shopify receive discounts from major US logistics companies.
● Discounts and sales
When deciding whether to use Shopify or Magento, please note that this feature is not only included in the Shopify starter plan. But it is still available in more expensive plans. As for Magento, the platform includes such functionality as the creation of promotional codes and other related functions.
● Payment systems
When you ask yourself which is better for an online store: Magento or Shopify, also consider online payments as an important aspect. In terms of online payment options, Shopify provides over 70 payment processing gateways. At the same time, Magento does not have the same variety and supports the mandated options. However, you can always use third-party extensions for your online store.
● Templates and Themes
Both eCommerce platforms have a huge collection of designs and templates. You can use them to make your online store attractive and provide your customers with a great experience. The main difference between Magento and Shopify is that Shopify only provides a few free themes. The Magento community has more free options.
If you want to compare Magneto and Shopify, please note that both platforms have paid themes. Shopify premium themes start at $79, which is a big downside.
Keep in mind that mobile commerce (shopping online through a mobile device) is the current trend in the e-commerce world. For your customers to shop this way, your online store must be responsive. Both Magento and Shopify offer users free and paid responsive templates.
● Applications and Extensions
If you want to extend the functionality of your online store, you can use one of the hundreds of Shopify extensions. If you plan to use Magento, then you will have significantly more options. Now there are many extensions and applications for this platform.
● Personalization
Every modern online store owner wants the online store to be unique and personalized for a specific niche. Both platforms offer different options for personalizing your eCommerce site. You can make changes to the HTML / CSS code, and change the design of the online store.
As we said before, Shopify is more user friendly. Through the admin panel, you can customize colors, themes, and other parts of the design.
Magento vs Shopify: Price Comparison
You can install both platforms for free. Shopify gives users 14 trial days to evaluate the features. Magento is an open-source platform, so you can use the platform for free.
| Features | Magento Pricing | Shopify Pricing |
| Monthly Basis | Lite Plan: $ 9 Basic Plan: $29 Shopify:$79 Advanced Plan: $299 Shopify Plus: $2000 onwards | |
| Hosting | It depends on the chosen hosting provider | Its cost is included in each monthly plan; does not have additional expense |
| Themes | Free to $499 | Free to $180
|
| Applications | Free to $15000 | From $15 per month |
| Domain | $10 to $15 per year | It’s free. To buy a domain, you have to pay $14 per year |
| Developer | As per your requirements | |
| Transactions | Stripe 2.9%+30¢ | Shopify Lite: 2.4% Basic Plan: 2% Shopify: 1% Advanced Plan: 0.5% Shopify Plus: 0.15% Shopify Payment: Does not charge transaction fee |
Magento vs Shopify Comparison: Conclusion
In summary, both Shopify and Magento are powerful platforms. But it’s important to recognize that Shopify is a lot easier, which is important for those new to online trading. Moreover, this platform is a comprehensive solution.
The Magento platform is free, while users need to purchase hosting, as well as set up and install the system themselves, which is quite difficult for users who do not have technical knowledge.
Choosing the one is your call only. Have you used any of the platforms before? If so, share your experience with us!
