Magento vs Shopify: Which eCommerce Platform is Right for Business?

In recent years the society has changed a lot, there has been a rush of more and more people onto the internet. Online has become the new normal, be it for entertainment, education, or business.  Online Stores and eCommerce websites were available before but with the change of dynamics of the society in recent years, businesses of all kinds are trying to be available on an eCommerce platform.  

This change significantly increased the importance of eCommerce Website Development and raised the question for the best eCommerce Web Development Services. It pits the two titans of eCommerce development against each other: Magento vs Shopify eCommerce Platform.

Magento & Shopify: a basic rundown

Before one can compare Magento vs Shopify and choose the right eCommerce platform for their business, one would need to understand the basics of these two eCommerce solutions. 

  • Magento is open-source software, as an e-commerce platform & content management system written in PHP. It was released on 31st March 2008 and powers over a hundred thousand eCommerce websites and online stores. It has been developed and customized to cater to the needs of eCommerce websites. Top Magento features include ease of use, enhanced user experience, payment processor, sales tools, tracking analytics, Magento themes, and more.
  • Shopify is an e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. It was launched in 2006 and is considered a great choice to build eCommerce websites and online stores. Shopify features include a payment processor, marketing & sales tools, shipping tracking, customer engagement tools, advanced Shopify themes, and more.

There are plenty of eCommerce Development Services available in the market and each of them is unique and has its own characteristics, but none come even close to the popularity and trust Magento & Shopify has in the industry. These two eCommerce platforms are two behemoths in eCommerce Website Development and are the first choices for an eCommerce Development Company because of the array of features and benefits they offer.

Magento Vs Shopify: a detailed analysis

With so many features, tools & advantages provided by these two eCommerce development platforms, it becomes quite complicated to choose the right one. In order to find the right eCommerce platform for a particular business one needs to have a detailed understanding of the tools & features, advantages & challenges of both Magento & Shopify eCommerce Web Development Service.

Given below are few basic standards on which eCommerce Development Services can be compared:

Convenience 

Convenience is one of the first factors, on which one can decide the usability of an eCommerce platform for their business. Simple & easy to use eCommerce platform will help to build eCommerce website fast, easily, with much more details, it will also simplify the website handling process.

In this field, Shopify easily takes the lead because it uses a drag-and-drop interface to build eCommerce website or online store.

Whereas, Magento uses jargon & codes to build eCommerce websites and is tough to handle for a beginner.

Basic Functionalities 

To build any kind of eCommerce website there are few general functionalities that are a must in an eCommerce development platform. These functionalities include shopping carts, checkout modules, collections, product pages, and more.

Here, Magento takes the lead with far more intermediate and advanced features built into the system.

While Shopify falls short here and needs apps for extended functionalities.

Sales Tools 

A good eCommerce website or online store needs tools dedicated to sales. These tools make the sale easy, simple, and give the business more exposure over the internet. It includes abandoned cart recovery, options to sell on multiple channels, and more.

Shopify is ahead with a huge catalog of in-built sales tools.

Magento on the other hand does provide a good number of sales tools but many of these tools have to be purchased as extensions.

Marketing Features 

Marketing is a huge part of business, (be online or offline) as it helps businesses to reach more people and grow. Marketing tools offer features like email campaigning and more and are an important factor to consider while choosing the right eCommerce platform to build eCommerce website.

Here again, Shopify wins with built-in features to advertise & sell on various channels.

While Magento lags to provide this feature, moreover the effectiveness of Magento Marketing Tools depends upon the skills of the web developer.

Payment Processor 

A payment processor is another key element for eCommerce, it allows the transaction of money via the internet and helps to complete a sale. It is a basic need for eCommerce development and is available on all good eCommerce platforms. It becomes important for a business looking to build online store or eCommerce website to choose a platform with a larger and more flexible payment processor.

In this case, Magento shines, it offers over 150 payment processors and gives options to businesses to integrate with common payment processors quite easily.

Whereas, Shopify offers only 100 payment processors and imposes its own transaction fees unless one uses Shopify’s payment processor.

Website Customization 

Website is essentially a representation of a business over the internet, and the design and interface are what makes the first impression on the user. Themes & Templates become an important part to take care of especially for eCommerce websites. The pleasant design and seamless navigation of a website create a positive impression on users and make it more likely to be used for online shopping.

Shopify themes include lesser in number but more usable free themes and a range of premium themes on an average of $150/theme.

Magento themes include a wide range of free themes as well as paid themes on an average of $100/theme.

Additional Features 

Each business is unique, and for that matter, a business can need functionality that isn’t available in the eCommerce Development Platform, in such cases one can use extensions, add-on, and plug-ins to increase functionality and enhance user experience. Availability of good extensions is also important when selecting an eCommerce platform.

Here also, Magento takes the win with over 5000+ apps and add-ons because of being an open-source software.

While Shopify offers over only 1000+ apps and add-ons the app store is well moderated and only authentic and usable extensions are available.

Help & Assistance 

Running into issues is inevitable when one is working with technology and eCommerce websites too will go through some trouble and the faster the issues are fixed the sooner can a business start running smoothly. For resolving unprecedented issues and tackling new challenges. It is important for businesses to choose a platform for eCommerce development with robust support, from customer care as well as the community.

This again is won by Magento which provides access to SiteGround’s expert and robust support.

On the other hand, Shopify also offers strong customer support options but it falls far behind compared to the former.

Pricing 

Pricing is one of the most important elements which ultimately affect the decision of any investment or purchase. It is the ultimate USP (unique selling point) of a service. The pricing of these two eCommerce Development Services is the final factor to consider before choosing one. 

The Shopify pricing falls under three fixed categories that might seem cheaper but one needs to pay extra for apps and themes.

Whereas, the Magento pricing isn’t fixed and depends upon the requirements of the business and one needs to pay according to what’s being used.

Read more: 5 Most Common Ecommerce Development Myths Busted

Conclusion:

Magento eCommerce Development and Shopify eCommerce Development are both amazing choices for eCommerce Development Services and just like Magento & Shopify, there are many options available to a business for eCommerce Development Services. Choosing the right eCommerce Platform for a business needs meticulous research about the needs & requirements of the business as well as careful analysis of the pros & cons of each eCommerce platform.

Mindpool Tech is an expert eCommerce Solutions Provider and a leading eCommerce Development Company in USA, India & other parts of the world. Mindpool has been providing top-notch eCommerce Development Services globally for over a decade.