To understand the concept of Magento and Shopify platforms better, let us analyze this example:

Supposed you have a car that automatically takes you to your preferred destination. The only task is to enter the place you want to go into the system of the car, and the car sought the best route to take you through the place. On the other hand, another person has a car which must have the driver. It is the driver who selects and decides on the path to follow. In this case, you can make stopovers as much as you wish. Also, you are free to select your preferred route.

The same scenario is similar to that of Shopify and Magento. In this case, Magento is represented by the manual car. A developer can increase the input in Magento, and changes can be made at any given time. In the developing process, a source code is available collectively. How you use it in the development process is upon you. You can always implement changes as you wish. This implies that a developer is a driver in Magento. This technical approach is known as an open-source solution.

And then comes Shopify. In this scenario, Shopify represents a car without a driver. The technical process in programming, coding, and all the activities related to development are managed automatically without technical support. The only important task here is to know how online business runs. This technical approach is made through a solution built on a software service known as SaaS.

So far, the major difference between Shopify and Magento is that Magento is an open-source solution tech, while Shopify is a software service solution.

Apart from the two major differences, there are other differences that you should know before choosing the best one for your business development project. This is because it will create a big impact on how your business will run in the long term.

Let us go through a simple understanding of what Magento and Shopify entail before digging dip into the differences.

Understanding Shopify Development

Shopify was discovered back in 2004 as an online business platform. It was originally created for personal requirements, but later in the years, it expanded, and right now, it is serving many businesses globally. The main distinctive feature of Shopify is the ability to run the business without the necessary technical support from developers. The platform’s support is available throughout. It operates on the basis of the plug-and-play basis. Both users and customers embrace this platform because of its user-friendly nature.

Just like Magento, Shopify also supports both beginners and already grown businesses. It is user-friendly and offer great background. However, the backgrounds come at a cost, unlike in Magento, which is free. Personalization is also possible in Shopify according to the needs of the business. Red Bull, Tesla, and Kylie Cosmetics are among the businesses which operate under Shopify.

Understanding Magento Development

Magento is a platform that operates with PHP, and it was discovered in 2008. It is an adobe product that runs about 30% of all online businesses. It is an open-source product that keeps growing bigger, thus increasing the number of community users. The best parts about Magento include:

• The ability to customize: Here, any developer who has adequate knowledge in the field of development can make a lot more with Magento because changes are always a priority in Magento.
• Another benefit of Magento is the fact that 50% of the code is derived from the ever-growing number of users.
• Also, Magento can be used by both beginners and experts in the business field. It is a perfect choice for beginners since changes are allowed always. On the other hand, large size and medium-size businesses operate better on Magento commerce cloud and Magento ecommerce.

Ford, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser are among the businesses that use Magento in their operation.

The differences between Shopify and Magento

A brief introduction was meant to give you an insight into what they all entail. Let us now analyze the comparisons so as you can know which one suits you best:

• Global Commerce

As much as Shopify has to be paid for, there is no currency support, multiple-language support, and no localized payment strategies. There is less support globally in Shopify as compared to Magento. In most cases, it is embraced in parts of North America, and it keeps growing on specific regions globally. This only implies that Shopify experiences slow growth in terms of global support.

On the other hand, Magento is the opposite of this. In Magento, you are guaranteed to enjoy multiple languages, it supports multiple businesses, there are global shipment solutions, and above all, Magento has local payment methods, something which makes it grow everywhere.

Also, a developer can seek solutions from any region, no matter their geographical location, because it is an open-source solution. In this case, Magento’s growth is inevitable globally.

• Upgrades Available

Anyone running a business under Magento had to move from Magento 1 to Magento 2. All this is because there will be no more support from Magento by June, 30^th 2020. Some of the reasons for the migration include:

New call-to-action: All the extensions added by Magento 2 are useful. A lot of Magento-based platforms have shifted; however, much it costs. Though you will pay heavily for the migration process, what lies ahead is what matters more.  The reason for migrating is simply to increase revenue.

Shopify also has introduced an advanced version of the e-commerce platform, which favors those businesses that are over the standard version of Shopify and making big profits in the business whereby the yearly income equals around USD 1-2 million. The feature is known as Shopify plus. A good example of a business set-up that migrated to Shopify plus and experience immense growth is Kyle Jenner’s cosmetics.

However, Shopify plus is recommended for highly grown businesses. This is because the Shopify plan ranges from USD 2000-USD 40,000 on a monthly basis. This implies that is you are just starting off, Magento 2 will suit you best.

• Pricing

From all the discussions we have had so far, it is evident that Magento is cheap. First of all, if you are just starting off with Magento, the Magento development plan is available free to anyone. It favors the beginners who are setting up their online businesses for the first time. All the domain names, hosting, SSL certificate, and add-ons come free of charge to the users.

However, other versions of Magento, i.e., commercial cloud and Magento commerce, come at a cost though the cost varies from one business to another.

As for Shopify, you must pay for it. However, as much as it is costly, you get the whole package. You won’t require to outsource other services, hence no extra costs. As we stated in the beginning, Shopify is self-driven and does not require developers to run it. Just like Magento, the price for Shopify business varies according to the plan of the business.

• Search Engine Optimization

So far, both Magento & Shopify has this one similarity. They offer the same search results no matter the kind of platform they are built on. This implies that the comparison here will end up the same as long as the stores are well-optimized.

• Ease of Use

Ease of use is fully based on Magento, which requires developers to run the platform. The developers have to be fully equipped with the knowledge required to handle technical aspects, especially when it comes to coding. Another vital skill is the ability to conduct a proper research. The researching skills become of importance when the code contributed by the community is required. I real sense, Magento is poor in managing content management system, but the developers have the advantage of innovating and adding new ideas which encourage creativity.

However, it is not that Magento experiences technical issues every now and then. That is not the basis because Magento has many expert developers from all over the world. There is also a help center for Magento stores, which offers technical support when a problem arises.

As for Shopify, the opposite is true. It is easy to use the interface of Shopify because no technical member is required in the organization. It is a simple process, just like drag and drops art.

The required tools are provided to you; the only thing required of you is to set up a store and use the available resources around you to improve the business. This means that you can add or remove a product from the store or even create a payment system. The most important aspect is the overall support through emails and live chats.

Conclusion

The reason for distinguishing Shopify from Magento is simple; to give business people a clear insight into what is best for them and make an appropriate decision when setting up the business. What makes a business grow and expand better is the foundation laid on it. If the foundation is good, then everything else runs smoothly. At the end of it all, everyone has their different opinions about Magento and Shopify. What matters is knowing the finer details of each so as to make a wise decision.

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Also check: Shopify website development cost | Magento Website development Cost