Shopify vs. Adobe Commerce – Which platform is suitable for your e-commerce?

What an e-commerce shop system is, the types available, and the functions it requires have already been extensively described in our blog article “Overview of E-commerce Shop Systems“. Now, let’s focus on the two most well-known providers of such shop systems, Shopify and Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento). Which of the two leading e-commerce shop systems is best suited for you and your company?

Shopify

Shopify is perhaps the most well-known and widely used global e-commerce platform. It was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Scott Lake, and Daniel Wienand. Shopify is a Canadian company headquartered in Ottawa. It operates in over 170 countries and covers 10% of all e-commerce in the United States.

Facts

• Shopify is cloud-based.
• It can be used by businesses of any size. Some well-known brands that use Shopify include Babbel and Sennheiser.
• Shopify offers three different pricing plans: Basic (€36/month), Shopify (€105/month), and Advanced (€384/month), each with different features and credit card fees. Prices are slightly reduced for annual payments instead of monthly.

Shopify prices for monthly payments.

Advantages

• Shopify offers a quick setup of your online shop in three steps: 1. Choose and personalize the design: You can select from thousands of designs, and no programming knowledge is required.
  2. Add products: Easily add products to your shop with photos, prices, and descriptions. 3. Start selling: Set up payment and shipping terms, and you can immediately start selling.
• Shopify provides a vast selection of professional templates and designs. The extensive App Store offers numerous extensions to enhance your website’s functionality, although some may come with additional costs.
• With a drag-and-drop website builder, you don’t need any programming skills to create your online shop.
• Automated emails are sent to customers who have items in their shopping carts.
• Shopify collaborates with well-known shipping companies, making the shipping process more convenient.
• Integrated payment methods such as PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Apple Pay are available on Shopify. However, they may incur transaction fees, which can be bypassed by using Shopify’s own payment service, Shopify Payments.
• Shopify offers excellent customer support and has a large community.
• Hosting and maintenance of your online shop are included in the subscription.
• Shopify provides its own POS system, allowing you to sell your products in physical locations.

Disadvantages

• Shopify offers fewer customization options for shop design compared to Adobe Commerce. While there are many layout templates available, they may not provide as good a fit for corporate identity as Adobe Commerce.
• There are additional costs involved, such as transaction fees or add-on extensions.
• Although the inclusion of hosting in Shopify has its advantages, it also brings a certain dependence on Shopify.

Who is Shopify suitable for?

The simple, fast, and intuitive setup of an online shop through Shopify makes it particularly well-suited for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses. Of course, it can also be easily used by large companies as long as there are no complex requirements for the online shop.

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Adobe Commerce is an open-source e-commerce platform that was initially released in 2008 by Magento Inc. under the name Magento. In 2018, Adobe Inc. acquired Magento for $1.68 billion. While the free version continues to be known as “Magento Open Source,” we will focus on the paid premium version, Adobe Commerce.

Facts

• Adobe Commerce can be used by businesses of any size. Some well-known customers include Liebherr and HP.
• Adobe Commerce requires knowledge of PHP and MySQL to fully utilize its capabilities.
• The exact prices are not disclosed but are provided through a personalized quote.

Advantages

• Multiple shops can be managed through a single user interface.
• Your online shops can be integrated with marketplaces like eBay or social media channels.
• Multiple languages and currencies are supported.
• Integrated marketing tools such as coupons or promotion codes simplify advertising for your online shop.
• Payment functions can be integrated with third-party providers like PayPal, Klarna, or Amazon Pay. However, there is no proprietary payment solution from Adobe Commerce.
• Better SEO optimization thanks to SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, and custom titles for your web pages.
• Enhanced personalization capabilities, including the integration of AI and advanced data sharing options.
• Comprehensive tools for product and category management and integration with other Adobe products.
• There is an excellent community and robust support available for any topic.

Disadvantages

• The process of creating a shop is more complicated compared to Shopify, requiring more time and effort.
• Using Adobe Commerce requires some level of experience or technical support to fully utilize all its features.
• Hosting and maintenance are not included, leading to additional costs.

Who is Adobe Commerce (Magento) suitable for?

Adobe Commerce is the right choice for businesses with more complex requirements and a higher need for customization in their online shops. It offers more features than Shopify for creating customized and scalable online shop solutions. Companies with the appropriate budget and technical know-how should take advantage of it, especially to tailor the online shop to their corporate identity.

Conclusion

Overall, both Shopify and Adobe Commerce (Magento) offer excellent e-commerce solutions. Whether you choose one of them or another provider entirely depends on your own requirements for your future online shop. Ask yourself the following questions:

• How much time and money do I want to invest in my online shop?
• Does my company possess the technical know-how?
• Do I want a provider that handles hosting?
• How much importance do I place on customization and scalability?
• How important is SEO to me?
• What payment processing options do I want to have?
• Do I want an integrated POS system?

Once you have answered these questions, it should be easy for you to select the most suitable e-commerce shop system for you and your company.