Shopify is a fully managed SaaS platform ideal for small-to-mid businesses seeking quick setup and ease of use, while Magento is a self-hosted, open-source solution designed for enterprises requiring extensive customization and scalability. Shopify powers ~30% of online stores globally, whereas Magento dominates the enterprise segment with superior customization capabilities.
Magento vs Shopify — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise-grade open-source e-commerce platform with advanced features and unlimited scalability
Fully managed cloud-based e-commerce platform with integrated payments and hosting.
Hosting & Infrastructure. Setup Time. Customization Flexibility. Monthly Base Cost (Small Business). Enterprise Pricing. Developer Cost (2026). Multi-Store Management. Learning Curve
Shopify dominates for entrepreneurs and SMBs seeking affordability, speed-to-market, and simplicity, making it the best choice for most modern e-commerce businesses. Magento excels for large enterprises needing unlimited customization, multi-store management, and complex B2B workflows where development investment is justified. Choose based on your business size, technical resources, and customization requirements rather than features alone.
Magento: $125-200 (required) | Shopify: $100-150 (optional)
Magento: Enterprise segment leader (~5-10%) | Shopify: ~30% of all online stores
Magento: 0% (none) | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Magento: $10-80 (hosting only) | Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive)
Magento: Custom quote (est. $833-4,166/mo) | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
Magento: 2-8 weeks | Shopify: Hours to 1 day
Magento: $1,500-$3,000+ (with hosting/dev) | Shopify: N/A
Magento: Core + 5,000+ extensions | Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included
Magento: Unlimited (1M+ in production) | Shopify: N/A
Magento: Unlimited (full source code access) | Shopify: N/A
Magento: 47,000+ Certified Developers | Shopify: N/A
Magento: Self-managed or Adobe Commerce (managed) | Shopify: N/A
Magento: Expert (PHP/MySQL/Linux required) | Shopify: N/A
Magento: 100,000+ (tested) | Shopify: N/A
Magento: 1,000+ native | Shopify: Separate subscriptions required
Magento: 600+ (official marketplace) | Shopify: N/A
Developer Resources (Stack Overflow Tags)
Magento: 28,000+ questions | Shopify: N/A
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month)
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales)
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Included in subscription
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Self-driven traffic
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 30-90 days (with marketing)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Complete (10/10)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited products
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Extensive (9/10)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: All product types
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Ongoing regular updates
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: None (paid plans only)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: $39/month (Basic plan)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 6,800 verified apps
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 100+ official integrations
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: No (requires apps)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Limited (basic automation)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.)
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Included in all plans
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 99.99% guaranteed
Magento: N/A | Shopify: 24/7 dedicated support team
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access
Magento: N/A | Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist
How to choose between Magento and Shopify
Magento vs Shopify — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Magento vs Shopify. Contains 132 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Magento vs Shopify — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Magento vs Shopify.
Which platform is cheaper for a small business?
Shopify is significantly cheaper for small businesses. A Shopify Starter plan costs $5/month with all hosting, SSL, and support included. Magento requires hosting ($10-80/month), domain, SSL certificate, and developer time, making total costs much higher. However, as sales grow, Shopify's 1.5-2% transaction fees may offset the savings compared to Magento's 0% transaction fees.
Can I migrate from Shopify to Magento or vice versa?
Yes, migration is possible but complex. Moving from Shopify to Magento requires custom development work ($5k-50k+) to transfer products, customers, orders, and settings. The reverse migration is equally challenging. Most businesses choose their platform strategically upfront to avoid expensive migrations. Migration tools and agencies like Fiverr and specialized migration companies can assist.
What's the real total cost of Shopify Plus in 2026?
Shopify Plus base starts at $2,300/month on a 3-year commitment, but real total costs range $4,000-10,000+/month when including essential apps (analytics, email marketing, inventory sync), premium themes, and professional services. Hidden costs include app subscriptions ($500-2,000/month), custom development, and integration fees. Calculate your exact needs before committing.
Is Magento still relevant for mid-size businesses in 2026?
Magento is best suited for enterprises with 10,000+ products, complex B2B workflows, or multi-store needs. Mid-size businesses (SMBs with $1M-10M revenue) increasingly choose Shopify Plus because the developer costs for Magento ($125-200/hour) often outweigh customization benefits. However, if you need unlimited catalog management or multi-store unification, Magento remains valuable despite higher operating costs.
Which platform scales better for enterprise growth?
Both scale, but differently. Shopify Plus scales with managed infrastructure and automatic performance optimization—ideal for high-traffic stores (1M+ monthly visitors). Magento scales through custom server architecture and optimization—better for complex enterprise workflows. Shopify can handle enterprise volumes reliably; Magento requires expert DevOps management. For most enterprises, Shopify Plus now offers better ROI due to managed scaling benefits.
How to Choose Between Magento and Shopify
Hosting & Infrastructure: Magento has Self-hosted (requires own server management), while Shopify has Fully managed cloud hosting included.
Setup Time: Magento has 2-8 weeks (requires developers), while Shopify has Minutes to hours (no-code setup).
Customization Flexibility: Magento has Unlimited customization (open-source), while Shopify has Limited to app ecosystem and templates.
Consider: Monthly Base Cost (Small Business)
Monthly Base Cost (Small Business): Magento has $10-80/month hosting + domain + SSL, while Shopify has $5-39/month all-inclusive.
Enterprise Pricing: Magento has Custom quotes (typically $10k-50k+/year), while Shopify has Shopify Plus: $2,300-10,000+/month.
Developer Cost (2026): Magento has $125-200/hour required for modifications, while Shopify has Minimal developer dependency.
Multi-Store Management: Magento has Native multi-store capabilities, while Shopify has Requires separate subscriptions per store.
Learning Curve: Magento has Steep (requires technical knowledge), while Shopify has Shallow (beginner-friendly interface).