The e-commerce industry continues to grow rapidly, and systems that once worked well for various merchants may no longer be the best option for expanding audiences, increasing transactions, and enhancing engagement.
In this context, migration might be the solution. Magento, for example, powers nearly 200,000 e-commerce stores globally, but it’s not always the best fit—especially for growing businesses.
Many businesses are turning to competitors like Shopify, precisely its premium solution, Shopify Plus. Let’s explore the differences between Magento and Shopify Plus and the reasons driving this migration.
Magento vs. Shopify Plus: A Quick Comparison
Magento is rooted in the open-source movement, offering a platform that is free and entirely customizable. Merchants can build their online store from scratch, tailoring it to their unique niche and audience—if they have the necessary coding and development expertise.
Shopify Plus, on the other hand, is a full-service e-commerce solution that comes prebuilt with its hosting, along with thousands of apps and extensions that allow for user-friendly customization. While Magento offers an e-commerce sandbox for those who crave customizability, Shopify Plus emphasizes scalability and ease of use.
Why Do Brands Move from Magento to Shopify Plus? Here Are 4 Key Reasons:
Reason #1: Building and Maintenance Costs
At first glance, Magento’s open-source nature and lack of initial costs might seem appealing. However, the true cost of ownership can be deceiving. Shopify Plus starts at $2,000 per month, but this price includes comprehensive services such as hosting, advanced support, and a dedicated launch engineer.
With Shopify Plus, security, platform updates, and necessary coding and UX adjustments are all included in the subscription cost. Additionally, POS platforms for physical stores are part of the package without extra fees.
In contrast, while Magento’s core code is free, additional costs quickly add up. Magento users need to find and pay for their hosting, and due to the lack of built-in support, they must hire developers for any required adjustments. This leads to unpredictable and often rising costs over time, particularly when scaling operations.
In short, while Shopify Plus might seem expensive initially, its fixed costs are easier to predict and manage compared to the variable costs of a Magento-based store. This predictability makes Shopify Plus a more cost-effective solution over time, especially for growing businesses.
Reason #2: App Extensions and Availability
For businesses that need more than a basic online shop, both Magento and Shopify Plus offer extensive marketplaces for apps and extensions. However, the nature of these marketplaces differs significantly.
Magento’s marketplace, similar to the WordPress plugin library, consists of nearly 500 community-created extensions, ranging from free solutions to integrations by major SaaS vendors. The quality of these extensions varies, making it challenging to determine which ones are reliable and regularly updated.
Shopify’s marketplace, on the other hand, is carefully curated, with every app vetted by the platform to ensure reliability and quality. The Shopify Plus Certified App Program includes 49 high-quality applications that address advanced and complex business needs, from automated store backups to personalized recommendations and affiliate marketing.
While not all apps are free on either platform, Shopify’s apps tend to be more cost-effective due to lower development requirements. Estimating your current and future business needs and exploring both marketplaces can help you determine if Shopify Plus’s curated and reliable app ecosystem is a better fit for your business.
Reason #3: Ease of Use
Shopify Plus is designed for user-friendliness, allowing merchants to manage their stores without extensive technical knowledge. Its intuitive backend, with drag-and-drop features and easy-to-navigate menus, simplifies store management and customization.
In contrast, Magento’s complexity requires significant coding expertise, making it difficult for merchants without a dedicated development team to manage and customize their stores. Shopify Plus also offers robust support, including a team of experts to assist with adjustments and improvements beyond simple tweaks.
If your business lacks in-house web development expertise, migrating to Shopify Plus provides a straightforward solution that allows you to manage your store quickly and efficiently.
Reason #4: Website Security
In the modern world of e-commerce, security is essential for any merchant. Protecting your business, website, and customer information against online attacks is not optional.
While high-profile attacks often target big corporations like Target and Amazon, nearly half of all cyberattacks target small and medium-sized businesses, with one-third focusing on e-commerce stores. Website security is a natural priority for any sustainable, growing merchant.
Magento, as an open-source solution, requires brands to fend for themselves. Website owners are responsible for monitoring security patches and extensions and implementing updates. This can be challenging and risky, as evidenced by the 2018 card-skimming hack on a Magento site that affected more than 7,000 websites.
Shopify Plus, however, integrates security tightly into its system. All Shopify-based sites have SSL certificates, and the platform’s security level covers all six PCI standard categories. This means your store and customer information are protected at the highest levels.
In summary, Shopify Plus offers stronger security than Magento, making it a core reason for migration. For any merchant prioritizing security, Shopify Plus is a safer and more reliable option.
Conclusion
Migrating from Magento to Shopify Plus can be transformative for businesses, streamlining operations, reducing costs, and enhancing customer experiences. If you’re considering this migration, Workouse specializes in making the process seamless and stress-free. With our expertise, we can help you take your store to the next level with Shopify Plus.