2019 is almost here, and we are aware of the fact that due to digitization, the fate of our business is mostly decided by the right e-commerce platform. Shopify and Magento are the two platforms which are very popular, and many people mistakenly feel that both of them are almost the same. But, that’s not the case. It is true that they serve the same purpose, but both of them are drastically different otherwise.
The core structure, the way in which the extensions are handled by them, the payment options, capabilities, and functionalities are different from each other. Before we see the significant differences that will help us to choose our preferred option between Magento Vs. Shopify, let us look at the types of e-commerce platforms which are available out there.
Types of e-commerce platforms
When it comes to e-commerce platforms, they are mainly of two kinds: hosted and self-hosted software. When you go for a hosted software, the software is going to set up for you, and you will also receive a procured server. The platform that is providing you with the hosted software takes care of both of them. But, when you go for self-hosted software, you will need a hosting provider. You will also need to install the software which will be used later.
Although there is much more work that has to be done here, it is far more flexible as compared to a hosted one. Shopify is a hosted software which you can use for building your e-commerce site. It has a modern store which has lots of collection of stylish themes. On the other hand, Magento is a self-hosted e-Commerce platform. It also provides with a store which has a wide range of options, and you can use it for building almost anything. There are even Magento development services which help you to work with it.
Now that we have seen where both of them belong to let us see which one is preferable depending upon your comfort.
1) The Numbers
Before diving into the depth and compare both of them, let us quickly see the numbers because it will help you to differentiate the credibility of both the platform. There are 250,000 sites powered by Magento –much more in comparison to the ones powered by Shopify. The number of apps and add-ons which are supported by Magento is 3,000 and by Shopify is 2,400. The number of themes is a little limited for Magento.
The price of themes which you can buy from Magento can vary from $0 – $499, whereas the ones which you can purchase from Shopify is around $0 – $180. For the software Magento, you don’t have to pay extra charges per month, but you require to pay approximately $8.10 – $269.10 per month, in case of Shopify.
2) Ease of Use
When you are choosing any platform, you need to consider ease of use because you will want your products to be online easily and not stress a lot about it. You need to ensure that the platform you are choosing, makes your work comfortable. Let us compare both of them depending on this factor.
Shopify
If you are not that tech-oriented person, Shopify will be good for you because the interface is very user-friendly, and you can easily get grips to explore it. You can move the elements all over the page and design it just like you want it. It has all the tools that are necessary for creating an online store. You can easily insert the customized images for product and add products online to sell them. The payment options can also be easily set.
Magento
You need to know a little coding and be more acquainted with technical terms while using Magento. The CMS (Content Management System) of Magento is quite user-friendly. If you want to explore all the functionality of this open-source platform, you need to know some codes or outsource it to a reliable Magento web development company.
3) Themes
If your website is designed nicely, it will gain the trust of the customers easily, and there will be more traffic on your website.
Shopify
There are more than 60 professional themes which are fully customizable as well. You can also optimize these themes to make the website mobile-friendly. The websites will run smoothly in smartphones, tablets and even PCs. While there are a few free themes, you will also need to pay for a few.
Magento
There are several themes available, some of which are paid. Ten out of them are responsive towards mobile, and they automatically customize themselves in every size of devices. They are also more flexible as compared to Shopify.
4) Apps and Add-ons
Shopify
The store has more than 2,400 apps, both paid and free. You can use them to display trust icons to the customers to increase the number of purchases made. You can also use them to showcase the products on different social media platforms.
Magento
There are more than 3,000 free and paid extensions, which can be added to show discount features, email marketing campaigns, etc.
5) Payment Options
Shopify
It has designed its payment processor which is known as Shopify Payments which will help you to manage the payments efficiently from the dashboard. If you are using any other payment options like AmazonPay etc., you will need to pay a transaction charge.
Magento
Here, you need to go to the Marketplace to look for payment apps by which you can access both Shopify payments and other payment processors as well. It is advisable to Hire Magento Developer if you are finding difficulty to set it up yourself. However, you can be assured of the reliable payment procedure with the Magento platform.
Conclusion
It can be quite difficult to analyze which e-commerce platform is the best for your specifications. When you are deciding between the Shopify & Magento e-commerce platforms, you need to regard the specific factors that you require –right from the business goals to expertise, budget, and so more. Magento is a power-pack of useful built-in features offering limitless opportunities to make it a great selection for the e-commerce development platform.
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I think that all these systems are suitable but for different business purposes. It may happen that developers, as well as owners, don’t take into account business needs and requirements for Magento and Shopify. In this case, the website may turn into an unsuccessful e-commerce project.