Magento and Shopify: Comparing the Two Popular E-Commerce Platforms
Any online merchant wanting to become successful will have to decide first what e-commerce platform to use. Two popular e-commerce platforms—Magento and Shopify— have features that can help online entrepreneurs to achieve their goal. But how do these two platforms compare with each other?
Magento is a robust e-commerce platform available in hosted and self-hosted versions. It is packed in features, from built-in SEO extensions to order management tools. However, Magento isn’t the most user-friendly e-commerce platform.
Shopify, on the other hand, is easy to use. It’s the ideal platform for individuals with limited experience in building websites. It is easy to set up, too. However, one does have to pay a monthly fee.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg in the Magento and Shopify comparison. Let’s take a closer look at these two e-commerce platforms.
Magento and Shopify Ease of Use
Magento may have a reputation for not being user-friendly but it does have a sleek dashboard. Depending on the web host, setting up the platform can be a breeze. However, users should have a background on web development to be able to fully exploit its various functionalities.
Shopify’s main advantage over Magento is its ease of use. For one, users don’t have to set up the platform. There is also substantial documentation available to guide them.
Magento and Shopify Extensions
Both platforms allow their users to extend their functionalities. With Magento, extensions are available from its Marketplace. Meanwhile, Shopify calls its extensions as ‘apps’ which are available on the Shopify store. However, Magento beats Shopify in this area because it has more free extensions.
Magento and Shopify Setting Up Costs
Users don’t have to pay to download or install the Magento platform. However, they will have to look for hosting. For the budget-conscious, there are shared plans that they can tap. Moreover, Magento is scalable meaning users can upgrade their plans when they feel to.
On the other hand, Shopify has plans starting at $29 a month. The basic plan lets users list as many products but they can’t get access to reports. They are also allowed to set up only two staff accounts.
In contrast, Shopify plans start at $29 for the platform’s most basic features. This tier enables you to list as many products as you want, but you can only set up two staff accounts, and you don’t get access to in-depth reports. These are restrictions that Magento users don’t have to deal with.
To sum it up, users will be paying a premium amount to be able to benefit from the ease of use of Shopify. But Magento is a cheaper option with fewer limitations.