![Shopify Plus vs Magento: Side-by-Side Comparison [2025]](https://www.mageants.com/media/mageants_blog/Shopify_Plus_vs_Magento.webp "Shopify Plus vs Magento: Side-by-Side Comparison [2025]")
Running an online ecommerce business in 2025 is not easy, and choosing the right ecommerce platform is one of the most critical decisions a growing business can make.
Two of the top notch platforms that stand out in the ecommerce market are Magento 2 (also known as Adobe Commerce) vs Shopify Plus.
So, how do you know which one is for you?
In this guide, MageAnts will walk you through a detailed comparison between Shopify Plus vs Magento to help you determine which one wins this battle:
- An overview of Magento vs Shopify Plus
- Pros & Cons
- Detailed comparison of these two ecommerce platforms
Both platforms are best suited for medium to large companies, including B2B and B2C.
They vary especially in how flexible they are, how they scale, what limitations they have, and what the best features they have to offer for your business needs.
Let's get started!
An Overview Of Shopify Plus vs Magento 2
About Shopify Plus
Launched in 2014 as the enterprise version of Shopify, Shopify Plus was built to serve high growth brands and large scale businesses with more robust needs. Brands using Shopify Plus include names like Bentley, CarBahn, and Gymshark.
This is how trusted and scalable the platform has become for merchants looking for speed, simplicity, and support, making your platform decision a little easier to consider.
It offers all the core features of Shopify, like a user friendly dashboard and cloud hosting, but adds enhanced capabilities such as automation workflows (Shopify Flow), advanced APIs, and priority support.
About Magento 2
Magento 2 (now branded as Adobe Commerce) is an open source ecommerce platform renowned for its robust customization and scalability.
Magento comes in two flavors:
- Magento Open Source (Free, self hosted)
- Magento 2 Commerce (Enterprise) (Paid version with advanced features)
Compared to Shopify, Magento is self hosted or cloud hosted, giving businesses total control over their features and model.
It’s ideal for merchants who need custom workflows, unique user experiences.
Magento 2 supports:
- Advanced product catalogs
- Multi store setups
- Custom checkout processes
- Deep third party integrations
- Custom extensions and APIs
When it comes to total control and business level adaptability, Magento 2 stands out as a strong option.
Popular brands using Magento 2 include Panasonic, Accenture.
Shopify Plus vs Magento 2: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Shopify Plus | Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce) |
| Hosting | SaaS (cloud hosted by Shopify) | Self hosted / Cloud |
| Customization | Limited (via apps & APIs) | Full code access |
| Speed to Market | Fast | Medium to slow (due to development) |
| Performance | High (CDN included) | Highly performant if optimized |
| SEO Capabilities | Good | Advanced |
| B2B Features | Limited native support | Extensive native features |
| Cost | $2,000+/month | Varies (license + hosting + dev) |
| Themes | Pre built + custom Liquid | Hyvä, Luma, PWA, custom |
| Integrations | Via APIs & apps | Full API + backend control |
| Support | Priority + success manager | Adobe support or agency partner |
Customization & Flexibility: Who Wins?
One of the main differences in the Shopify Plus vs Magento 2 debate is customization.
Shopify Plus
You can modify Shopify Plus stores using the Liquid templating language and APIs.
Yet, there are limitations:
- You can’t customize backend logic deeply.
- Checkout customizations are restricted (unless using Shopify Functions or new Checkout Extensibility).
- Advanced features often rely on paid third party apps.
Magento 2
Magento 2 is built for developers.
You can:
- Extend and override core functionalities.
- Build unique checkout flows.
- Integrate deeply with ERPs, CRMs, and third party tools.
- Create headless frontends with Hyvä theme development services or PWA Studio.
For businesses needing total control, Magento 2 stands out.
Looking to build something tailor made?
Partner with expert Magento 2 developers who can craft a solution that fits your business like a glove. From custom checkout experiences to PWA and Hyvä integration, we bring your ideas to life.
Performance & Scalability
Shopify Plus handles performance out of the box. It’s built on a robust infrastructure with built in CDN, automatic scaling, and managed security.
Magento 2 requires more effort to optimize performance. Yet, with proper hosting, caching, and development best practices (such as the use of Hyvä themes), Magento 2 may provide lightning fast speed, even for large product catalogs and global audiences.
Magento’s scalability is enterprise grade. Adobe Commerce handles thousands of SKUs, high concurrent traffic, and large transaction volumes with ease when configured correctly.
Cost Breakdown: Magento 2 vs Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus Pricing:
- Starts at $2,000/month
- Additional costs for apps and themes
- Potential transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments
Magento 2 Commerce Pricing:
- Adobe license: Depends on gross merchandise value (GMV), typically starts at $22,000/year
- Hosting costs (unless using Adobe Commerce Cloud)
- Ongoing developer/agency costs for maintenance and customization
Magento Open Source is free, but building and maintaining it can become costly. Shopify Plus may be simpler to budget, but Magento offers more for complex requirements.
Developer Control and Technical Ownership
This is where Magento vs Shopify Plus becomes most evident.
- Shopify Plus offers limited backend control.
- Magento 2 gives developers complete control over the tech stack, server, and platform logic.
This makes Magento a favorite among businesses with in house development teams or those requiring custom Magento 2 development services.
Also, Magento developers can build unique experiences with full access to API layers, themes, admin customizations, and more.
B2B Capabilities: Magento Enterprise vs Shopify Plus
For B2B ecommerce, Magento 2 Commerce (Adobe Commerce) is far superior.
- Custom catalogs & pricing
- Company accounts with multiple buyers
- Purchase orders
- Quote management
- Credit limits
- B2B checkout flows
Shopify Plus B2B Features:
- Customizable B2B storefronts
- Company Profiles
- Payment Terms & shipping options
- Headless B2B
- Custom Pricing
Ecosystem, Apps/Extensions & Community Support
Shopify Plus
With thousands of apps for marketing, inventory, reviews, payments, subscriptions, and more, Shopify Plus is largely dependent on its App Store. Despite their convenience, these apps frequently charge ongoing costs, and some don't offer extensive customization.
Magento 2
Magento 2 boasts one of the most mature and developer friendly ecosystems in the ecommerce world. Through the Magento Marketplace, businesses gain access to thousands of extensions, many open source, for everything from advanced layered navigation to ERP connectors.
Though Magento truly thrives in its developer community. Magento 2 helps businesses to build exactly what they require, thanks to hundreds of thousands of developers worldwide, as well as numerous forums, documentation resources, and third party vendors.
- Need custom shipping logic? Magento supports it.
- Want advanced promotions? Easily configured or coded.
- Require custom Magento 2 development services? There’s no shortage of experts.
This makes Magento the go to for companies who view their online store as a core business asset, not just a storefront.
Mobile Commerce Experience
In today’s mobile first shopping environment, a responsive and fast mobile experience isn’t optional, it’s a requirement.
Shopify Plus Mobile Capabilities
All Shopify themes are responsive and mobile ready by default. Shopify Plus offers accelerated mobile pages (AMP) via apps and supports mobile optimized checkout.
Its Hydrogen + Oxygen stack is also designed to deliver fast mobile experiences in headless setups, giving developers greater control over frontend performance.
Magento 2 Mobile Strengths
Magento 2 supports mobile optimization at a deeper level:
- Developers can create fully custom mobile first UIs.
- Magento PWA Studio enables progressive web app experiences with app-like performance.
- Hyvä Themes dramatically improve mobile load speeds and performance scores.
If mobile performance is core to your strategy and you want to fine tune every pixel, Magento gives more control.
Security & Compliance
Security is paramount for enterprise ecommerce.
Shopify Plus
Shopify is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant by default. All security patches and updates are handled by Shopify. This “hands off” security model appeals to teams without in-house IT.
However, Shopify limits access to backend logs and controls, which can be a drawback for security conscious enterprises needing forensic auditing or in depth monitoring.
Magento 2
Magento offers full backend access, enabling custom security hardening, firewall integration, and logging. Adobe Commerce also offers cloud infrastructure with dedicated SLAs and compliance features.
Magento's open source nature means store owners must proactively manage:
- Patch updates
- Security audits
- Hosting compliance
That said, working with expert Magento 2 developers or certified agencies makes sure your site stays secure and fast.
Need the right tech partner for your Magento journey?
High performance, safe, and scalable Magento 2 development is our team's area of expertise. We can help with backend integration and the development of custom modules.
Internationalization & Multi Store Management
Selling globally? Here’s where Magento vs Shopify Plus diverges further
Shopify Plus:
- Supports multiple stores using Shopify Organizations
- Limited language control without custom setups
- Currency conversion via Shopify Payments
Magento 2:
- Built with multi store and multi language support from day one
- Each store view can have a different language, currency, product lists, and pricing.
- Perfect for brands operating across multiple areas or business types.
Time to Market vs. Long Term Control
Many businesses struggle with the tradeoff between launching fast and building something that will scale long term.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus shines in time to market:
- Prebuilt themes
- Plug and play apps
- Hosted infrastructure
This makes it ideal for brands looking to go live in weeks, not months, especially when minimal customization is needed.
Magento 2
Magento 2 requires more pre planning, design, and development.
However, the long term payoff is significant:
- Future proof architecture
- Total platform ownership
- No vendor lock in
This makes Magento a perfect option for brands in industries like manufacturing, industrial parts, large scale fashion, and electronics, where customization, business logic, and integrations are complex.
Marketing, SEO & Conversion Features
Shopify Plus
Shopify offers:
- Built-in SEO basics
- Integration with marketing tools
- Shopify Scripts for promotional offers
- Shopify Flow for automation
However, advanced SEO customizations (URL structures, metadata, and canonical logic) often hit limitations and may require workarounds.
Adobe Commerce
Magento is an SEO powerhouse:
- Full control over URLs, meta tags, and header structure
- Rich snippets and schema markup
- Landing page builders
- Customer segmentation and personalization
Analytics, Reporting & Business Intelligence
Shopify Plus
- Offers built in analytics dashboard
- Integrates easily with Google Analytics and third party BI tools
- Real time insights available
Magento 2 Commerce
Magento Commerce comes with Business Intelligence (BI) tools that provide:
- Advanced reporting
- Custom dashboards
This is key for large businesses that need detailed reports on customer behavior, marketing ROI, and product performance.
Magento 2 vs Shopify Plus: Headless Commerce
Both platforms support headless eCommerce platforms and omnichannel strategies.
- Shopify Plus supports Hydrogen + Oxygen (Shopify’s headless stack).
- Magento 2 supports PWA Studio, custom APIs, and frameworks like Vue, React, or Angular.
Shopify and Magento 2 Migration Services
Thinking about moving your site from Shopify to Magento? Moving your data is tough, but possible if you plan it right.
Key migration considerations:
- Data mapping: Products, customers, orders
- SEO redirects and ranking preservation
- Payment and shipping setup
- Extension and theme recreation
Magento 2 migration services make sure your transition is seamless, preserving performance and SEO while upgrading your digital capabilities.
Shopify Plus vs Adobe Commerce: Which Platform is for You?
Choose Shopify Plus if:
- You want to launch quickly
- You have a lean team and limited technical resources
- Your business model is straightforward (DTC, subscription, etc.)
- You value simplicity and managed infrastructure
Choose Magento 2 Commerce if:
- You need advanced customization
- You require deep B2B functionality
- You manage a complex catalog or multiple storefronts
- You have access to expert Magento 2 developers or a strong Magento agency
Conclusion
In the end, deciding between these two platforms is not about which is better, but which is more suited to your business needs, resources, and long term growth.
If you're looking for a solution that's fast and low maintenance, with a solution that can easily be launched, scaled, and managed, without a large technical team, then Shopify Plus may be the best fit. It's ideal for brands who prefer a simple, reliable, and solidly configured, out of the box experience.
With a top notch Shopify development services, you can further tailor and optimize your store to match your brand’s needs while still enjoying the platform’s ease of use and scalability.
Conversely, if your scenario requires deep customization, unique workflows, multi store flexibility, and possibly complex B2B features, then Magento 2 provides the flexibility to build exactly what you require. After all, if you need complexity, you need to put in the effort to build it. While this will take additional effort up front, it will enable complete ownership and limitless control of your store's future.
The best way forward is to map your goals, think about the functionality you will require, not only today but two or three years into the future, and assess your team's technical throughput, growth plans, and how much flexibility you want in the future.
Regardless of which route you take, investing in the right platform will go down as one of the worthwhile ecommerce investments you'll ever make.
You might gain more ecommerce tips & tricks in our MageAnts blog.
