Two different models
Magento comes in two versions: Magento Open Source, free and self-hosted, and Adobe Commerce, the commercial edition licensed by Adobe that can run on Adobe's cloud. In both cases you have access to the platform's full code and can change almost anything. That freedom comes with responsibility: hosting, performance, security and updates are up to you or your team.
Shopify is a hosted service. You do not install anything or manage servers; you pay a subscription and Shopify takes care of the infrastructure, checkout, security and updates. You customize the theme, add apps and extend the logic with the tools Shopify provides, but the platform core is shared by every store.
Maintenance and technical team
A Magento store needs developers with platform experience on an ongoing basis: security patches, version upgrades, compatibility between extensions, caching and server tuning. It is a specialized profile and not always easy to find.
On Shopify, technical work is concentrated in the theme, integrations and custom logic. Your marketing and content team can work in the theme editor without depending on developers for every change. For many companies that day-to-day difference matters more than any feature comparison.
Total cost, not just the license
Comparing only Shopify's monthly fee with the Magento license leads to the wrong conclusions. Magento Open Source has no license fee, but it does have servers, ongoing development, upgrades and paid extensions. Adobe Commerce adds a license whose price Adobe negotiates based on the business.
On Shopify you add up the plan, transaction fees if you do not use Shopify Payments, apps, and initial and ongoing development. Plan prices change, so check them at shopify.com/pricing. The sensible approach is to compare the three-year cost on each platform, including your technical team's hours.
Catalog, B2B and multi-store
Magento is very strong with complex catalogs: attribute sets, varied product types, several websites and store views in one installation, and customer groups with their own prices. If your model depends on that structure, it counts in its favor.
Shopify covers most of those cases with different pieces. Variants and metafields structure the catalog; Shopify Markets and Translate & Adapt handle languages, currencies and domains per country; and Shopify includes native B2B with companies, catalogs, price lists and payment terms (up to 3 catalogs outside Plus and unlimited on Plus), plus, on Plus, the ability to manage several stores from one organization.
Customization and checkout
In Magento you can change any part, including the checkout. That allows very specific flows, but every deep customization is a risk at the next upgrade.
Shopify limits where you can intervene in exchange for stability. Platform updates arrive automatically and do not force you to redo your customizations, because those live in the theme, in apps and in extensions that use versioned APIs. The checkout is customized with Checkout Extensibility on Plus, discount, shipping and payment logic is coded with Shopify Functions, and integrations go through the API. If you need a completely custom frontend, there is the headless route with Hydrogen. For the vast majority of stores, these tools cover what is needed without the burden of maintaining the core.
Performance, security and traffic spikes
A Magento store's speed depends on how the server is set up: full-page cache, Varnish, Redis, CDN and a well-tuned database. Configured well, it can be very fast, but it takes work and monitoring, especially during campaigns like Black Friday, when you have to plan capacity for peaks.
On Shopify, the infrastructure and CDN are managed by Shopify, and the platform absorbs traffic spikes without you having to scale servers. The speed that depends on you lies in the theme and the apps: images, scripts and well-written code. Checkout security and PCI DSS compliance are also handled by Shopify, while on Magento they fall on whoever runs the store.
When each one fits
Magento can still make sense if you already have a strong in-house technical team, a large investment in custom development that works well, or hosting requirements that demand full control of the server.
Shopify is a better fit when you want to spend your budget on selling rather than maintaining the platform, when your business team needs autonomy and when the store has to scale without rebuilding infrastructure. Weblineo works only with Shopify, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison, and if you are on Magento we can help you assess the migration.
- In-house technical team with Magento experience: point for Magento
- Business team that wants to edit without depending on developers: point for Shopify
- Full server control due to internal requirements: point for Magento
- Less time and money spent on maintenance: point for Shopify
Frequently asked questions
Is Magento better for large stores?
It has that reputation, but many high-volume stores run on Shopify Plus. What decides it is the complexity of your logic and the team you have, not just catalog size or revenue.
Is Magento Open Source free?
The software has no license fee, but you need hosting, development, maintenance and often paid extensions. The real cost of running the store lies in those items.
Does Shopify support B2B like Magento?
Yes. Shopify includes native B2B with companies, catalogs, price lists, payment terms and minimum order quantities. On Basic, Grow and Advanced the limit is 3 catalogs; Plus offers unlimited catalogs that can be assigned to each customer.
Can I move from Magento to Shopify without losing SEO?
Yes, with a complete 301 redirect map, by migrating metadata and content, and by monitoring Search Console after the switch. It is the part of the migration that needs the most care.
Can I connect my ERP to Shopify the same way as with Magento?
Yes. Shopify has APIs for products, inventory, orders and customers, and many ERPs have ready-made connectors. If yours does not, the integration is built as a custom app.