Starting an ecommerce business? Worried about choosing the right online store platform? No worries! Today we are here to put all your confusions to an end, especially the ones that you have about Shopify and Magento. It is true that there are several online store platforms available for ecommerce business owners like you.
But when it comes to the top contenders, “Shopify” and “Magento” are the two names you will always come across. Both these platforms are so good that it is extremely difficult for people to figure out which ecommerce platform will serve them the best. A lot of people just consider the popularity when making a decision between the two ecommerce platform giants.
It is true that Magento has always been the most popular of all online store platforms but on the other hand, Shopify has always been the biggest competitor for Magento in the market. The competition is quite tough which is why the more research you make on both these platforms, the better it will be for you and your business.
Differences Between Shopify And Magento
Instead of the similarities, let us begin with the differences between the two platforms because this way it will be easier for you to make a final decision.
Popularity
When it comes to popularity, we have already told you that Magento gives a close competition to Shopify. According to Google trends, Magento has more online searches than Shopify. But when it comes to boasting successful companies, both the platforms have equal share and they give a head to head competition to one another. Magento has companies like Nike, Ghiradelli and Rosetta Stone whereas Shopify has the Los Angeles Lakers’ Store and Tesla etc.
Expense
This is the difference that you need to pay attention to because at the end of the day you would need the platform that comes with the least expenses. When it comes to Shopify, users have to pay a monthly subscription fee to access the software. Do not worry because you always get a free Shopify trial before you pay the subscription. To access the basic store, you will have to pay 29 USD /month and this amount can go up to $179/month.
At this price, you can access all the features that you want for your e-commerce business. On the other hand, when it comes to Magento, the community edition is totally free for users but for hosting you will have to pay a fee of $4-$100+/month. For Magento, you even have to list down the services of a developer so you should include that cost too.
Coding
For Shopify, a proper programming language called “Liquid” is used but for Magento, “PHP” is used. This is where you need to understand the difference between open-source platform and a proprietary. In open-source, you can always make changes to the code as per your needs and Magento is an open-source online store platform.
On the other hand, Shopify is proprietary which means you cannot modify it. Our suggestion here for you is that if you’ve got a simple store, you should opt for Shopify but if you’ve got a complex e-commerce business model to run then opt for Magento as you can then make modifications in it as per your requirements.
These are some of the most important differences that every entrepreneur should consider before choosing between Magento and Shopify. Honestly, there is no one-word answer to the question “Is Magento better or Shopify better?”. In fact, the answer lies in your e-commerce business model, your products, and your expectations.
For business development, you are required to do proper research on both the platforms and then choose the one that suits you the best.
Reasons Why You Should Choose Magento
Here are some reasons to opt for Magento business to run your e-commerce online store:
- Mobile responsive design
- Versatility in content management
- Better SEO
- Customization in security permissions
- It’s an open-source platform
- Most popular
- Easy integrations for third parties
- Extremely secure
Reasons Why You Should Choose Shopify
Here are the main reasons that make Shopify business a good to go option;
- Thousands of themes are available
- You have to pay a monthly subscription
- Integrated with PayPal
- Live chat integration
- Creation of your own gift cards for your store
- Customization in regards to keywords
- Integration with POS
- The better shipping carrier system
Final Thoughts
We have listed down all the basics of both the platforms. This is what Magento and Shopify is all about and these are the things you need to consider before selecting the one platform to begin your e-commerce journey with. Just first figure out your needs and requirements to run a successful store and then choose the platform accordingly so that things work out in your favor.
