Ever wish someone would just answer the question of ‘which ecommerce platform is best’? Committing to an ecommerce platform can seem overwhelming, especially with so many options available to choose from. Choosing the right platform plays a critical element in the success of creating, maintaining and managing your online store. In this article we are going to be discussing two of the most popular ecommerce platforms, Shopify Vs Magento.
Granted, the two platforms have some significant differences, but they are both big players in the ecommerce industry which is why we want to pit them against each other to help you decide which is right for you.
Shopify
Shopify is a subscription based ecommerce platform that provides anyone with the opportunity to set up and run an online store. It’s suitable for businesses of all sizes with its flexible payment plans to suit all.
Magento
Magento is an open source ecommerce platform that also provides merchants with the ability to sell online with a flexible online shopping system. Magento allows users to control the design of a site, the content and the functionality.
Shopify VS Magento: Pros and cons
We wanted to jump right into the comparison with a basic rundown of both platforms by sharing an insight into what you can expect from each ecommerce solution. Both Shopify Vs Magento have pros and cons and ultimately the solution that works best for you is down to each individual merchant’s wants and needs for their online store.
Shopify Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Customisable, stunning store themes available
- 24/7 customer support
- Integrated payment processing
- Marketing tools
- Scalable
- Flexible payment plans
- Suitable for beginners
Shopify Cons
- Adding extra apps to your store can be complex
- Some theme templates have an additional cost attached to them
- There is a fee for each transaction
Magento Pros
- Large community with excellent user support
- A decent range of themes to choose form
- Plenty of customisation options
- Coding knowledge not essential for Magento commerce
Magento Cons
- Difficult to use for beginners
- Requires a lot of time to set up
- Additional costs to consider when setting up a store, such as web hosting, security, extensions and domain
Shopify VS Magento: feature comparison
Store functionality- Both platforms offer basic functionality. Shopify is a lot easier to set up in comparison to Magento. Despite this, Magento has a lot of advanced features already built into the system whereas with Shopfify, you often have to get an app for extended functionality.
Payment system- When it comes to payment systems Shopify has the upper hand, it supports over 70 different payment gateways, Magento has nowhere near this amount of gateways available. However, it is possible to add more payment gateways through the addition of third party add ons.
Apps and add ons– Shopify has well over 100 apps and add ons which assist in improving your online store. Some of the ways an app or add on can enhance your store is by improving its functionality and usability. The Shopify app store is always growing with its dedicated Shopify Partner community who are always adding new apps and templates for businesses to make use of. Magento has more apps with over 5000 available. This is mostly due to Magento being a larger open source with a large community.
Customisation- Each platform offers its own customisation with advanced interfaces and features allowing you to directly edit the HTML code. This gives you complete control over the look of your store. However, Shopify performs better by providing a simple method to change attributes of your store theme as well as a variety of customisable themes at hand to try out and apply to your store.
Blogging- Shopify has a great blogging functionality with a built in blog available with your site. A blog is a great addition to any ecommerce website as it is just one of the many ways you can improve your website’s SEO. Magento on the other hand will require a developer in order for you to create a blog, however, the blog will be more customizable than the Shopify blog.
Shopify Vs Magento: Ease of use
When it comes to usability, Shopify beats Magento everytime. Although both platforms are powerful for building your online store and each platform comes with a well designed user interface, Shopify is easier for beginners than Magento.
Shopify VS Magento: Cost
Shopify costs
Shopify offers a 14 day free trial which allows you to test out the functionality and features available and see if they suit the wants and needs of your store. After that you need to select one of the Shopify subscription plans available:
Basic Shopify- $29, best for small businesses and startups
Shopify- $79, this is recommended for growing stores who offer online and in store sales
Advanced Shopify- $299, this plan is best for scaling businesses who require advanced analytic reports
It’s important to note that alongside your Shopify monthly subscription fee, Shopify also takes a cut of each sale that you make.
Magento costs
Magento is an open source meaning no transaction fees are charged on top of the other gateway provider fees. These fees would naturally be applicable to Shopify too. However, there are other costs involved with Magento that you need to consider such as themes, the cost of hosting, domain etc which you do not necessarily have to worry about with Shopify.
Summary of Shopify VS Magento
We hope this article has provided you with a good insight into two of the most popular ecommerce platforms, Shopify VS Magento. To find out more please head over to our blog where we talk more in depth about the different ecommerce platforms available. As an official Shopify Partner we are on hand to give any advice to assist you in enhancing and growing your online store.