Shopify Plus vs. Magento Commerce 2: Which Is Better in 2021?

Shopify Plus and Magento Commerce 2 are both popular e-commerce platforms that, on the surface, seem to have very similar features and pricing. However, they differ quite a lot in certain ways. In this article on Shopify vs Magento, we will discuss these features as well as the pros and cons of each so that you can decide which is a better platform for your business in 2021.

Shopify vs Magento

As an e-commerce business owner, choosing a platform for doing your business is one of the most important decisions that you have to make. Choose the wrong one and most of your resources and energy will go to waste. Both Shopify and Magento are platforms that handle large-scale retails businesses and are similar in many ways. However, a discussion between Shopify vs Magento will bring out the differences which can make or break your business.

Magento Commerce 2

The original version of Magento was initially released in 2016 and the most recent version that we will discuss here is called Magento Commerce 2. This has been a go-to option for most businesses across the world and what attracts them the most is the customizable nature of Magento along with its support for multiple stores.

Shopify Plus

Launched in 2014, Shopify plus has been a popular name in the business communities especially the small and mid-scale ones that are looking to expand and grow. The reasons why these businesses prefer Shopify plus release of use is its ease-of-use and quick launch time. Another factor worth mentioning is the Shopify app which you can use for easy integration of functions.

So how do we decide which platform is better for your business? There are a lot of factors to consider and we have put down some of these in this article. Let’s have a look!

Shopify vs. Magento: A General Overview

While both platforms have their pros and cons, current trends show that Shopify is attracting more customers than Shopify in a tuff of Shopify vs Magento. Shopify Plus is constantly updating and improving its software and services as less tech-savvy business owners are gradually shifting from Magento to Shopify. For example, in 2019, Shopify Plus introduced different languages and currencies, a lot of business owners shifted from Magento to Shopify as the user experience was better.

In 2020, further improvements were made on the 2019 updates with additional payment options like gift cards and tipping functions. Despite all these developments, we cannot say which one is specifically best for your business.

Magento: Pros and Cons

In this discussion on Magento vs Shopify, we must take a look at the main pros and cons of Magento.

Pros:

• More Customizable- Business owners who use Magento Commerce 2 have the power to change their website’s base code. This gives them more control to customize the look and function of their shops. This makes Magento more customizable.
• Better for multiple shops and B2B- The same inventory catalog can be used across multiple shops on this platform. This is especially useful for people who tend to offer different prices for wholesale products.
• Zero transaction fee- If you use Magento Commerce 2 for your business, you are exempted from paying any transaction fee.

Cons:

• More hidden costs- You pay a particular price for the software but afterwards you will have to find your server to host the website and also spend a price on web developers who will create and maintain the website.
• More maintenance- In a debate between Shopify vs Magento, it is the latter that demands more maintenance with each software update.
• Fewer app integrations- The variety of options for app integration is a lot lesser in Magento in comparison to Shopify Plus.

Shopify Plus: Pros vs Cons

We will now look at the pros and cons of Shopify Plus in this section.

Pros:

• Less-costly- The most appealing factor that attracts businesses, especially the small and mid-scale ones is the fact that Shopify is more affordable. The costs of running a shop on this platform are very low.
• Web hosting included- While doing a comparison between Shopify versus Magento, one factor that makes Shopify stand apart is that it includes web hosting. You do not have to pay extra for hosting the website.
• Easy launch and updates- Launching a website using Shopify is very easy and can be done very swiftly. Some new features and updates have been designed to be “future-proof” so that they are compatible with your shop.

Cons:

• Limited customization- The base code cannot be altered and custom features have to be integrated only using apps.
• One catalog per shop- There are up to 10 different e-commerce websites available on Shopify plus and you can get even more when by paying an extra amount. However, the same catalog cannot be used across all the websites.
• Third-party payment fee- Shopify charges a third-party payment fee which can be inconvenient for many users who can simply use Magento to avoid this hassle.

Shopify vs. Magento: Pricing

In a debate between shopify vs. magento, the last factor we will discuss today is the difference in pricing. The base price for both is the same. However, Shopify Plus users have access to more offers and constant updates like free gift cards that can reduce the price a great deal. There are also fewer external costs in shopify as compared to magento.

Conclusion

We all live in a digital age today where all products and services are now mostly sold and bought on the internet. With the growth of a digital economy, e-commerce web development is increasingly relying on platforms through which they can run their small or large businesses. This brings us to a tuff between shopify vs magento, both giants in the business world. While it can be quite challenging choosing the ideal platform, we have provided you with some of the features, pros and cons, and prices of the two websites. You can conduct further research and then come to a decision that will benefit your business in the long-run.