Should I use Shopify or Magento for my eCommerce store?

Use Shopify if you want fast launch, lower ongoing management cost, and a platform that handles hosting, security, and updates for you. Shopify is the right choice for most SMBs, DTC brands, and businesses with standard product catalogues. Use Magento (Adobe Commerce) if you have complex B2B requirements, a very large product catalogue with complex attributes, multi-store requirements across different brands or regions, or deeply custom checkout and pricing workflows that Shopify apps cannot accommodate. For most businesses, Shopify is the correct starting point and Magento is the correct answer when Shopify's boundaries become a genuine constraint.

Adobe Commerce Open Source (the community edition of Magento 2) is free to download and use. However, running Magento requires paid dedicated hosting ($50 to $500 per month depending on traffic), a developer for installation and configuration, ongoing developer maintenance for updates and security patches, and often paid extensions. The software is free; the total cost of ownership is significantly higher than Shopify due to hosting and development requirements. Adobe Commerce (the enterprise edition) starts at approximately $22,000 per year.

How much does Shopify cost compared to Magento?

Shopify Basic costs $39/month, Shopify costs $105/month, and Advanced costs $399/month. Shopify Plus (enterprise) starts at $2,300/month. Shopify includes hosting, SSL, and PCI compliance. Adobe Commerce Open Source is free software but requires $50-$500/month for hosting plus ongoing developer costs. Adobe Commerce enterprise starts at approximately $22,000/year. The development cost to build on Shopify is also typically 20-40% lower than an equivalent Magento build because Magento requires more server configuration and custom development to achieve the same result.

Is Magento better than Shopify for B2B?

For complex B2B eCommerce — custom pricing by customer segment, purchase order workflows, credit line management, company accounts with multiple buyers, and complex quote-to-order processes — Magento (Adobe Commerce) has a stronger native capability set than Shopify. Shopify has added significant B2B functionality in recent years (Shopify B2B, available on Shopify Plus), which covers many standard B2B requirements. If your B2B requirements are straightforward (custom pricing, bulk discounts, net payment terms), Shopify Plus B2B is often sufficient. If you need complex approval workflows, EDI integration, or deep ERP connection, Magento is more likely to be the right fit.

Can I migrate from Magento to Shopify?

Yes. Migrating from Magento to Shopify involves transferring your product catalogue, customer data, order history, and CMS content; rebuilding the store design in Shopify's theme system; setting up redirects for changed URLs to preserve search rankings; and configuring Shopify apps to replace Magento extensions. CV Infotech handles Magento to Shopify migrations as a specialist service. Migration typically takes 4 to 10 weeks depending on catalogue size and design complexity. As a Shopify Verified Partner, we have direct access to Shopify's technical resources during migrations.

Is Magento 1 still safe to use?

No. Magento 1.x reached end of life in June 2020. Adobe stopped releasing security patches for Magento 1 at that point. Any business still running Magento 1 is running software with known unpatched vulnerabilities. This is a significant security and compliance risk, particularly for stores handling payment card data. If you are on Magento 1, migration is urgent — either to Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce) or to Shopify.

Does Shopify charge transaction fees?

Yes, unless you use Shopify Payments. On the Basic plan, transaction fees are 2% per transaction when using a third-party payment gateway. On the Shopify plan, 1%. On Advanced, 0.5%. These fees are eliminated entirely if you use Shopify Payments (available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and other countries). Magento has no platform transaction fees, but you pay payment gateway fees directly. For high-volume merchants, Shopify's transaction fees versus platform management costs are a meaningful comparison point.

Which is easier to manage — Shopify or Magento?

Shopify is significantly easier to manage for non-technical business owners. The Shopify admin is designed for merchants, not developers. Adding products, processing orders, managing discounts, and running reports require no technical knowledge. Magento's admin is more powerful but more complex. Routine tasks like cache clearing after changes, server updates, and extension management require either technical knowledge or an ongoing developer relationship. For a business without a dedicated technical team, Magento's management overhead is a meaningful ongoing cost.

What is the difference between Magento and Adobe Commerce?

Adobe rebranded Magento in 2021. Adobe Commerce Open Source is the free community edition (previously Magento Community Edition or Magento CE). Adobe Commerce is the paid enterprise edition (previously Magento Enterprise Edition or Magento EE), which adds B2B modules, advanced segmentation, content staging, and cloud hosting options. When developers refer to 'Magento' without qualification, they typically mean Adobe Commerce Open Source. When they refer to 'Adobe Commerce,' they usually mean the paid enterprise version.

How long does it take to build a Shopify store vs a Magento store?

A standard Shopify store takes 4 to 7 weeks to build. A custom Shopify theme with a full product catalogue, payment setup, and app integrations typically falls in this range. A comparable Magento store takes 8 to 16 weeks because of the additional server setup, Magento configuration, and the higher development effort required for equivalent functionality. At CV Infotech's rate of $30/hour, a $6,000 Shopify build might take 200 hours. An equivalent Magento build would likely take 280 to 320 hours — a meaningful cost difference.

Is Shopify good for large catalogues?

Shopify handles large product catalogues well up to approximately 100,000 variants (product variant combinations). For catalogues above this size, or catalogues with very complex attribute structures (technical specifications with hundreds of attributes per product, configurable products with many options), Magento's product information management is more capable. Shopify has also introduced improved metafields and product taxonomy in recent versions, which expands its capability for structured product data.

Can CV Infotech build on both Shopify and Magento?

Yes. CV Infotech is a Shopify Verified Partner (Partner ID 2454630) and has an active Magento development practice. We recommend the platform that fits your business requirements, not the one that is simpler for us to build on. We handle custom Shopify theme development, Shopify app integrations, Shopify Plus builds, Magento 2 development, and Magento-to-Shopify migrations. The discovery call is where we ask the questions that determine which platform is genuinely right for your situation.

eCommerce Development

Shopify vs Magento in 2026: An Unbiased Comparison from a Shopify Partner

Shopify Verified Partner (Partner ID: 2454630)

We also build on Magento. This comparison has no platform bias.

Akash Singh, CTO — CV InfotechPublished: July 202611 minute read

Every Shopify vs Magento comparison online is written by someone with a stake in the outcome. Shopify's blog recommends Shopify. Hosting companies recommend WordPress. We are a Shopify Verified Partner that also builds on Magento. Here is the honest answer.

TL;DR:

Shopify: Right for most SMBs, DTC brands, and standard eCommerce. Faster to launch, lower TCO.
Magento: Right for complex B2B, very large catalogues, multi-store, or deep ERP integration.
Shopify Plus: Right for enterprise DTC ($2,300+/mo) when Shopify's standard limits apply.
Adobe Commerce: Right for enterprise with complex B2B workflows ($22,000+/yr).
If you are on Magento 1: Migrate now. End of life was June 2020. It is a security risk.

Platform overview Head-to-head comparison Cost breakdown Which is right for your business Magento 1 end of life Migrating from Magento to Shopify FAQ

What Shopify and Magento Actually Are

Shopify — the hosted SaaS platform

Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform. You pay a monthly subscription, Shopify handles the hosting, security, PCI compliance, CDN, and software updates. You configure your store through an admin interface, install apps from the Shopify App Store (8,900+ available), and customise your theme with Shopify's Liquid templating language or a custom theme built by a developer.

Shopify is used by over 4 million businesses globally. Market share: approximately 10.3% of the top 1 million eCommerce sites. Plans: Basic ($39/mo), Shopify ($105/mo), Advanced ($399/mo), Plus ($2,300+/mo).

Magento (Adobe Commerce) — the open-source platform

Magento is open-source eCommerce software. Adobe Commerce Open Source is free to download. You host it yourself, manage your own server, install and update the software, and maintain extensions. Adobe Commerce (the enterprise edition) adds B2B modules, cloud hosting, and enterprise support for approximately $22,000 per year.

Magento 1.x reached end of life in June 2020. Any business still on Magento 1 is running unpatched software with known security vulnerabilities. Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce) is the current version. Market share: approximately 6.4% of the top 1 million eCommerce sites.

Shopify vs Magento — Feature by Feature

The table below covers the factors that determine which platform fits your business.

Factor	Shopify	Magento (Adobe Commerce Open Source)
Hosting	Included — managed by Shopify	Self-managed — you pay for servers
Monthly cost	$39-$399/mo (Plus: $2,300+/mo)	Hosting $50-$500/mo + dev costs
Setup complexity	Low — configurable, no server setup	High — server, database, full installation
Developer required	Optional for basic stores	Required for installation and maintenance
App/Extension ecosystem	8,900+ Shopify apps	4,000+ Magento extensions
B2B capability	Good (basic) / Strong (Shopify Plus B2B)	Very strong natively
Multi-store management	Limited (via Markets or separate stores)	Strong — single codebase, multiple stores
Catalogue size limit	Up to ~100,000 variants	Unlimited
Transaction fees	0.5-2% (waived with Shopify Payments)	None (pay gateway fees directly)
Ongoing maintenance	Minimal — Shopify manages updates	Significant — you manage all updates

The Real Cost Comparison — Beyond the Monthly Subscription

Comparing Shopify's $39/month to Magento's 'free' price tag misses most of the cost picture. Total cost of ownership (TCO) over 3 years includes development, hosting, extensions, and maintenance. Here is a realistic comparison for a mid-size eCommerce store.

Cost item (3 years, mid-size store)	Shopify Advanced	Magento Open Source
Platform licence	$399/mo x 36 = $14,364	Free
Hosting	Included	$100/mo x 36 = $3,600
Initial development	$4,000-$8,000	$8,000-$20,000
Theme/design	$500-$3,000	$3,000-$8,000
App/extension costs	$1,000-$3,000/yr x 3 = $3,000-$9,000	$1,500-$4,000/yr x 3 = $4,500-$12,000
Ongoing dev maintenance	Minimal (Shopify updates itself)	$150-$400/mo x 36 = $5,400-$14,400
Transaction fees	0 (with Shopify Payments)	0
3-YEAR TOTAL	$21,864-$44,364	$24,600-$58,000

For a mid-size standard eCommerce store, Shopify's 3-year TCO is comparable to or lower than Magento's — despite Magento's free software licence. The difference is Magento's ongoing server and developer maintenance cost, which Shopify eliminates by handling infrastructure itself. Magento's TCO advantage only appears at enterprise scale, where Adobe Commerce Open Source's unlimited customisability reduces third-party app spend and the lack of transaction fees becomes significant.

The Honest Recommendation — By Business Type

We build on both platforms. Here is what we recommend based on 14 years of eCommerce development and the projects we have delivered.

Choose Shopify if:

You are launching a new DTC brand or SMB store.
Your catalogue is standard (under 50,000 variants, no complex configuration).
You want to launch within 4 to 7 weeks without server management overhead.
You or your team need to manage the store day-to-day without developer involvement.
You are doing under $5 million in annual revenue and growing.

Choose Shopify Plus if:

You are over $1 million in annual revenue and Shopify's standard limits are affecting you.
You need B2B functionality (company accounts, custom pricing, net payment terms).
You want advanced automation through Shopify Flow.
You need dedicated support and higher API rate limits for integrations.
You are running promotional events at scale (flash sales, product drops).

Choose Magento (Adobe Commerce Open Source) if:

Your product catalogue has genuinely complex attributes — hundreds of options per product, configurable products across multiple dimensions, or technical specification sheets.
You have B2B requirements that Shopify Plus B2B cannot accommodate.
You need multi-store management across different brands, languages, or currencies from a single codebase.
You have a development team capable of managing ongoing Magento maintenance.
You are integrating with a complex ERP or PIM system that requires deep API control.

Choose Adobe Commerce (Enterprise) if:

You need Magento's capability plus enterprise SLAs, cloud hosting managed by Adobe, and dedicated support. At $22,000+/year, this tier is for businesses that have genuinely outgrown everything else and have the operational budget to support it.

Migrate from Magento 1 immediately if:

Your store is running on Magento 1.x. End of life was June 2020. You have no choice — this is a security emergency, not a strategic decision. The question is not whether to migrate but where to go: Shopify if your requirements are standard. Magento 2 if your requirements demand it. See our Magento development service and Shopify development agency pages.

When neither is right:

If you need an online store with very specific custom logic that no platform can handle, a headless eCommerce architecture using a commerce API (Medusa, Solidus, or custom-built) with a Next.js or React frontend may be the right answer. This is not common — most eCommerce requirements fit Shopify or Magento. But it exists and we handle it. See our eCommerce services.

Magento 1 — End of Life Since June 2020

Magento 1.x reached end of life on June 30, 2020. Adobe stopped releasing security patches at this point. If your store is running Magento 1, you are running unpatched software with known vulnerabilities. Payment card data, customer accounts, and your business data are at risk. This is not a future consideration — it is current.

Audit your platform version immediately. If you are on Magento 1, contact us for a migration assessment. The destination — Shopify or Magento 2 — depends on your requirements. The urgency applies regardless.

Migrating from Magento to Shopify — What It Involves

The most common reason businesses migrate from Magento to Shopify is ongoing maintenance cost. A Magento site requires a developer relationship for every update cycle, every extension compatibility check, and every server configuration change. Shopify handles all of this. For businesses that do not have a complex product catalogue or B2B requirements justifying Magento's complexity, Shopify delivers the same commercial outcome with significantly less operational overhead.

Step 1 — Catalogue migration

Products, variants, images, metafields, and collections transferred from Magento's database to Shopify's data model. Tools like Matrixify handle bulk product import. Custom attributes require mapping.

Step 2 — Customer and order data

Customer accounts and order history transferred for continuity. Payment data is never migrated — customers re-enter payment methods.

Step 3 — Design

Magento themes do not transfer to Shopify. The store design is rebuilt in Shopify's theme system — either a customised premium theme or a custom theme.

Step 4 — URL redirects

Every Magento URL that changes must have a 301 redirect to the new Shopify URL. Missing redirects cause immediate search ranking drops for any pages that were previously indexed.

Step 5 — App configuration

Magento extensions are replaced with Shopify apps. Most common requirements (reviews, loyalty, email marketing) have direct Shopify equivalents.

Timeline: 4 to 10 weeks depending on catalogue size and design complexity.

Cost at CV Infotech ($30/hour): $5,000 to $18,000 depending on scope.

See our Shopify development services

Shopify vs Magento — Frequently Asked Questions

Not Sure Which Platform Fits Your Store?

We build on both. The discovery call is 30 minutes and free. Tell us what your store needs and we will give you a straight recommendation — Shopify, Shopify Plus, Magento, or something else entirely.

See Our Shopify Services