Magento vs. Shopify - We compare both store systems

E-commerce in Germany remains an important growth driver: the HDE estimates that sales will reach around €92.4 billion by 2025. At the same time, consumer willingness to buy remains high: in the last quarter of 2025, it stood at around 11.3%, underscoring the continuing importance of online retail.

Store software comparison: which store system suits your project

The right shop system is a cornerstone for your success

These figures speak for themselves. Online stores are a real success factor in business. In any case, if they are suitably structured, sustainably built up and permanently maintained. Because the competition in this online business sector is eminently high. Everyday competition is omnipresent in every sector. If you want to hold your own on the market with your online store, you have to make the right decisions. The store system is of particular importance in this respect.

Shopify Agency Latori GmbH - Your specialists for store systems and online stores

Online stores for solutions are now available on the market by the dozen. As an online store owner, you are spoiled for choice. If you make the wrong choice, this can have fatal consequences: you will not be successful. As a specialist for store systems and online stores, we at Shopify Agentur Latori GmbH know exactly what is important in a store system. In addition to a target group-specific appearance and an individual character, the focus is always on the cost-benefit factor. However, the decisive factor for the choice of a store system is always your goals and the associated requirements for your online store. In this regard, there are plenty of questions that you need to ask yourself as a store owner.

Typical examples of questions of this type are, for example:

• How extensive and complex is the range of goods offered online?

• How many variations do you offer within a product range?

• What are the requirements for the technical connection?

• Do you sell only in Germany, in the entire German-speaking area or worldwide?

• Which payment options can be offered to customers?

Adobe Commerce (Magento) vs. Shopify - the crucial question

Two of the most popular and widely used e-commerce platforms are undoubtedly Magento and Shopify. As an open source solution, Magento was far ahead in favor for quite a long time. However, for some time now, more and more online owners have been opting for Shopify. Even though the two systems differ massively in many ways, it is still not easy as a rule to make a clear decision for or against one of the shop systems. The problem with this is that once you've made the wrong decision, it's not only marked by frustration and a lack of success, but also usually involves financial losses and a considerable amount of time.

Our goal: we offer you a multi-value decision-making aid

As your competent partner when it comes to online stores, we will introduce you to the character, structure and possibilities of the two store systems Magento and Shopify below. This - of course objective - comparison reveals the respective advantages and disadvantages, introduces you to the individual options and highlights the most important distinguishing features. Our aim is to offer you a real decision-making aid as to whether Adobe Commerce (Magento) or Shopify is the right e-commerce platform for your online business.

Brief portrait: Magento (Adobe Commerce)

Open source solution with a large community

The Magento shop system is designed as an open source platform for e-commerce. The platform has more than 200 solution partners and more than 250,000 brands and retailers. Magento also works closely with a large number of industry partners. These partners develop extensions and applications for the Magento platform. Magento is used in both B2B and B2C environments. The focus is on medium-sized users with a sustainable online strategy. Since the introduction of Magento 2, however, Magento has also established itself as one of the leading shop solutions in the enterprise segment. The Magento software base is correspondingly flexible and functionally balanced. Thousands of features and modules are available in the Magento Connect module marketplace for supplementary or additional functions. As a Magento user, however, you must have programming skills. You are also responsible for hosting yourself.

Brief portrait: Shopify

Extensive technical skills or prior knowledge are not required at any time

In contrast to the open source solution Magento, Shopify is an externally hosted application service provider (ASP). Shopify is structured as an all-in-one solution that includes all the necessary features, from web hosting and front-end design to handling payment processes. With the help of automated processes, your online store can be launched via the system. The functionally oriented and comparatively easy to control shop system offers attractive features and tools around analyses, reports, SEO assistants or even marketing instruments, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. With tools such as Facebook Ads, social media integration and Google Ads, you receive valuable support both in the care of existing customers and in the acquisition of new customers. The basic management of your online store via Shopify does not require extensive technical skills or prior knowledge at any time.

Shopify vs. Magento - These are the differences

The two store systems are similar in some ways, but they also have some key differences, which we'll explain in more detail below. Weigh the differences and features to decide which store solution is right for you.

Important properties and features

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Adobe Commerce focuses on the product.

• Magento is designed as an open source solution.

• You can choose between the free community version and the paid version.

• A modular software technology is used

• Layout and functionality are strictly separated from each other.

• A large, worldwide community provides optimal support.

• The main focus of Magento is on the product or on different types of products.

• Magento already offers many functions and features in the free community version.

• The program structure is SEO-friendly.

Shopify

Functionality, operation and support convince all along the line

• Shopify is an e-commerce website builder with comprehensive functionality.

• A large app store can be used to extend the functionality of your online store.

• The store system is extremely easy and fast to use and control.

• Guaranteed support around the clock.

• Excellent for small and medium-sized businesses.

• No programming knowledge is required.

• You can choose between different cost models.

Costs and tariffs

Both store systems offer different plans:

The operating costs for 5 years for a Magento store (Adobe Commerce) are significantly higher compared to Shopify Plus. Here you have to reckon with about 700,000 euros over the entire period. In comparison: With Shopify Plus, under 400,000 euros are realistic.

Setup and support

Magento (Adobe Commerce)

Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is a powerful and highly flexible e-commerce platform, but its setup is significantly more technical than that of hosted shop systems. Magento 1 has not been supported for several years – modern projects are based exclusively on Magento 2 / Adobe Commerce.

In practice, installation is usually carried out via the command line (CLI) and modern developer tools such as Composer. A classic click installer, as known from many modular systems, is not provided. In addition, server configurations, database connections, PHP settings, and security parameters must be set up correctly. Hosting is also entirely the responsibility of the shop operator.

Typical steps during installation and setup include:

• Provision of a powerful server or cloud hosting

• Installation of the necessary system environment (PHP, database, web server, search technology)

• Setup via command line commands and configuration files

• Integration of payment methods, shipping modules, and extensions

• Customization of design, templates, and individual functions

The actual setup and subsequent customization require in-depth knowledge of web development, server administration, and system architecture. Without the relevant experience, implementation can be time-consuming and prone to errors. For this reason, Adobe itself recommends working with specialized agencies or experienced developers, especially for smaller companies and newcomers.

During ongoing operations, many administrative tasks such as product maintenance, orders, or content management can be easily controlled via the backend, but maintenance, updates, security measures, and enhancements remain technically demanding. In return, Adobe Commerce offers a high degree of scalability, customization, and control over the entire system architecture.

When it comes to support, a clear distinction must be made between the different editions of Magento. Users of the free Magento Open Source version do not receive official technical support from Adobe. Support is primarily provided by the large developer community, forums, documentation, and external service providers and agencies.

The situation is different with the paid Adobe Commerce version. Customers with a valid license get access to official Adobe support, including a support portal for creating tickets, technical assistance, and regular security and software updates. Depending on the contract and service level, advanced support services are also available, such as faster response times or extended incident support.

Shopify

In just a few minutes, you can set up your online store via Shopify. For the uncomplicated registration you only need a store name, a valid email address and a password. The first orders can then already be accepted as soon as you have accepted the tariff you want and at least one payment method is activated by you. The extent to which the respective setup steps actually work properly in practice is shown to you in detail by means of error and success messages. A special button (view store) allows you to take another look at your store at any time before it is published.

Shopify offers high-quality service and expert advice. The Shopify store system also provides user-friendly features for migrating from another platform. You can also use a CSV table to export your product data. Whether you are setting up a new store or migrating from another platform, Shopify experts are always available to provide expert help with any questions or uncertainties as part of their comprehensive customer service. You can reach the support team by phone, email, or live chat. In addition to this dedicated support team, you also have access to a help center with relevant information, 24/7 customer service, free webinars, and various video tutorials. You can receive additional and, above all, up-to-date information via an email newsletter.

Operation and control

The two store systems also differ in terms of operation and control:

Themes und Templates

Magento and Shopify also differ when it comes to themes and ready-made templates. These are the most important features of the themes and templates at a glance:

Hosting

Magento

Magento proves to be immensely flexible and can be used free of charge as an open source variant, but you have to take care of the hosting yourself. In addition to the resulting costs, you have to pay particular attention to the fulfillment of certain requirements. For updates and extensions of Magento alone, a server sometimes requires up to almost two gigabytes of RAM. The requirements with regard to the PHP memory limit are also eminently high. The selection of a suitable hoster is therefore an essential building block for successful work with Magento.

Shopify

Hosting is always included in your Shopify subscription and is provided via a subdomain (here: myshopify). In this regard, you generally have unlimited bandwidth at your disposal. You can either purchase a new domain or use an address that is already in your portfolio. The hosting itself focuses on forwarding email addresses; Shopify does not offer actual email hosting. Anyone who is familiar with the subject knows that hosting is primarily about the constant availability of the respective website, fast loading times, and, last but not least, functioning data backup. Shopify ensures this through the use of an integrated content delivery network.

Shopify's hosting infrastructure is designed for high reliability and scalability. For enterprise customers, especially those using Shopify Plus, contractually defined service level agreements (SLAs) apply to availability. The standard plans do not include individually guaranteed uptime values, but Shopify operates the platform as a fully managed cloud solution with a global infrastructure and, based on experience, very high availability.

Security

Magento

Adobe Commerce fully supports secure connections via HTTPS and modern TLS encryption. To securely process PayPal, credit card, or other online payments, you must use a valid SSL/TLS certificate and rely on PCI DSS-compliant payment service providers or verified payment integrations. Adobe regularly releases security updates and patches that you should install to close known vulnerabilities and ensure the security of your store.

Shopify

Shopify offers comprehensive security standards that are automatically included in every store. All stores are PCI DSS certified, meaning credit card details are protected in accordance with international standards. Shopify also provides a free SSL certificate (HTTPS) that encrypts the transmission of customer and payment data.

To continuously improve security, Shopify runs a bug bounty program with HackerOne, which allows security vulnerabilities to be quickly reported and fixed. Daily backups are also created on protected servers to prevent data loss.

When it comes to data protection, Shopify complies with applicable legal requirements, including the GDPR, and continuously adapts its processes to international data protection requirements.

In short, Shopify takes care of most of the technical security and compliance tasks so that merchants can focus on their business.

SEO Optimization and Online Marketing

Magento

Equipped with a good SEO functionality out of the box. A good position on Google and Co. are essential for success on the web, especially for online stores. The store solution Magento offers you a cleanly structured technological basis in this regard, in which all essential components and the most important parameters with regard to onpage optimization are automatically taken into account from the outset. For example, Magento provides directly by default, maintainable metatags, speaking URLs, automatic rewrites individual page titles as well as an integrated XML and HTML sitemap. Furthermore, Magento supports the integration of Google Analytics as an effective tracking tool. In addition, the system already has good SEO functionality from the basic concept. The crucial means for an effective search engine optimization can be found in the template settings as well as in the basic configurations. Moreover, you can increase the SEO performance with additional measures respectively modules and measures.

Magento also offers its users valuable tools and functions in the online marketing area. For example, the "Featured Categories" extension displays certain items as sample products in a selected subcategory. In addition, extensions are optionally available, which ensure that Magento is also well prepared for future developments in e-commerce. The connection to Facebook via the "Facebook Connect Social Shopping" function is also possible at any time. Modules such as "PSMext", on the other hand, ensure reliable connections to price search engines.

Important Magento features in the area of online marketing

• Vouchers: you can create flexible voucher codes and use them for targeted offline sending.

• Customer groups: group and promote your customers by demographic values and location.

• Targeted display of recently compared and viewed items: this will show your online store visitors that other users are also shopping with you.

• Display of related products, cross-sells and up-sells: this provides inspiration for more purchases.

• Send wish lists via email: this allows your customers to share the items they want with other users.

• Permanent shopping cart: when customers leave your online store, the shopping cart is automatically saved.

Shopify

In the digital world, both efficient and effective online marketing must be an indispensable part of the business concept. After all, every online store is always dependent on potential customers noticing and finding its own store in the first place. First and foremost, search engine optimization (SEO) is an elementarily important marketing measure. Shopify provides online store owners and website operators with an easy-to-implement SEO optimization. This optimization includes the areas of online store, categories and products. You can adjust the URL, title tag, alt tag and meta description. As part of this SEO procedure, Shopify automatically creates an XML sitemap. This makes your online store or your products and services better indexed by search engines. It is also possible to optimize a possibly integrated blog accordingly for search engines. After all, high-quality SEO optimization also ensures indirect customer acquisition for the blog.

Shopify also focuses on social media. For example, Shopify allows you to implement or create a social media network with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Google easily and at any time. Using the "buyable pins" function or the Facebook Shop, visitors from Pinterest are redirected directly to your online store to purchase the respective products. Depending on the chosen tariff, you as an online store operator have the option to send gift cards and discount codes to customers as well.

These are the most important links of Shopify at a glance:

1. Shopify and social media platforms
   The focus here is primarily on the two interfaces Facebook and Pinterest. Shopify uses the comparatively new "buyable pins". These enable you to buy desired products via Pinterest as well. The pins lead visitors directly to your online store. If you want, you can also synchronize Shopify with the Facebook store.

2. Shopify and Amazon
   Shopify has also created an interface with Amazon. This makes it easy to connect your online store with Amazon. Adding such a widely used and popular sales channel to your store usually gives you increased visibility for your products and services. The administration of the interface or the new sales channel is designed to be extremely simple. All you need to do is enter all the important data about your products into Shopify. You can then easily synchronize this with your Amazon account and transfer it to the products listed there. This saves a lot of time. Otherwise, you would have to manually copy the respective data there or even laboriously type it in on Amazon. More features of Shopify in conjunction with Amazon:

   • synchronization of your inventory across all sales channels involved. This means that you always receive the correct remaining quantity on Amazon as well as on other sales platforms used.

   • detailed reporting by Shopify about your revenue and the most profitable sales portals in your portfolio. Thanks to this information, a precise analysis of success is possible.

   • You can create product listings on Amazon directly from the Shopify user interface.

   • items already existing on Amazon can be listed under the seller's name with just a few clicks.

   • via the Shopify interface you can directly manage your Amazon orders and shipments.

   • product photos or defined variants of a product that exist in Shopify can also be synchronized with Amazon without any problems.

   • You can also use Shopify to set exclusive reserve inventory and special pricing that will be exclusive to this commerce platform.

3. Shopify and your own website
   You can use Shopify to connect your online store to any blog or website via a sales button that you set up. Through this button, the visitors of the blog or website can then buy the products directly from you. At a glance: the features and benefits of Shopify

   • numerous options for easy SEO optimization

   • more SEO applications are available in the Shopify store.

   • social media buttons are supported.

   • a wide variety of promotional options (gift cards, discount codes, etc.) can be used.

   • Discount codes can be set up in different variations.

   • with the Shopify Buy Button, you can turn external blogs or websites into a new sales channel.

   • you can also design your own apps and use them as a sales channel.

AI-supported functions and automation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important in e-commerce. Modern shop systems no longer just support retailers with the technical implementation of an online shop, but also actively help to automate processes, optimize content, and personalize the shopping experience for customers. Both Shopify and Adobe Commerce (Magento) now rely on AI-based functions – albeit with different focuses and target groups.

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Adobe Commerce benefits greatly from its integration into the Adobe ecosystem and access to Adobe Sensei AI technologies. These are used particularly in the enterprise environment and enable data-driven optimization of marketing, personalization, and conversion.

The most important AI-supported functions of Adobe Commerce include:

• Personalized product recommendations: Based on user behavior, purchase history, and interests, suitable products are automatically displayed—for example, on product pages, in the shopping cart, or via email marketing.

• Intelligent search functions: AI algorithms improve internal product searches, recognize synonyms, typos, and search intentions, and thus increase the quality of hits for customers.

• Automated segmentation of customer groups: Customers can be dynamically grouped according to behavior, sales, or interests in order to run targeted marketing campaigns.

• Analysis and forecasts: AI supports the evaluation of large amounts of data, for example for sales forecasts, demand development, or the optimization of product range strategies.

• Integration of external AI modules: Extensions can be used to integrate additional AI functions, for example for dynamic pricing, chatbots, or automated content creation.

These options make Adobe Commerce particularly attractive for larger companies with high data volumes, complex requirements, and their own technical infrastructure. However, setting up and using these AI functions usually requires additional development resources and expertise.

Shopify

Shopify takes a highly user-oriented approach and integrates AI features in such a way that they can be used directly without any technical knowledge. The focus here is on Shopify's own AI assistant, Shopify Magic, and the continuous expansion of automated functions in the backend.

The most important AI features at Shopify include:

• Automatic text creation: Product descriptions, meta texts, email content, and advertising texts can be automatically generated and customized using AI. This saves time and makes content maintenance easier, especially for beginners.

• Image editing and optimization: AI supports the optimization of product images, background adjustments, and display for different end devices.

• Intelligent product recommendations: Shopify analyzes user behavior and automatically displays suitable products to increase the average shopping cart value.

• Automated workflows: Shopify Flow can be used to automate processes such as order processing, inventory management, and customer communication.

• AI-based apps in the App Store: Numerous third-party providers offer additional AI solutions—for chatbots, upselling, price optimization, or conversion optimization, for example.

• Agentic Commerce: With Shopify Winter '26 Editions, Shopify is introducing Agentic Storefronts, which make products visible and purchasable directly in AI chats such as ChatGPT, Copilot, or Perplexity without customers having to visit the store first.

The big advantage of Shopify lies in the ease of use of its AI features. Merchants can use many automations without programming knowledge and integrate them directly into their daily work.

Conclusion of the comparison between Magento and Shopify

Magento undoubtedly convinces with its flexibility and versatility. However, the price of the paid Enterprise Edition is comparatively very high. With the open source version, you also get a solid and reliable product with many extensions, themes and individual customization options. But to really use the store system effectively according to your own ideas, you need programming knowledge. For this reason, it is always advisable to entrust a professional agency with the setup.

Shopify, on the other hand, not only offers you an easy and quick start, but also convinces with user-friendly options. This is because you can make individual changes or incorporate data with this "all-in-one" e-commerce solution entirely without programming knowledge. That's why Shopify is also a good solution for small and medium-sized businesses.

Which store system you ultimately choose depends not least on your capacities, resources and individual requirements.