Magento vs. ShopifY
Which is Better?
Your audience is switching to online shopping rapidly. According to a study, more than 55% of US consumers prefer to shop online rather than in person. This means that having an ecommerce store is essential. But the game does not end here.
You need to create an ecommerce store that is responsive and provides an excellent user interface. If your customers do not enjoy visiting your store or have a tough time shopping from your website, chances are that they will not return.
For that reason, you need to have a responsive, attractive and creative ecommerce store and a good web development company that can build your store and update it regularly. There are two famous platforms that you’ve heard of. Shopify and Magento are one of the top-rated ecommerce platforms, and if you’re having a hard time choosing which one to choose, you have landed on the right page.
Shopify
Shopify is an easy-to-use ecommerce platform that allows users to create their own ecommerce store from scratch. With hundreds of themes and add-ons, you can customize your website and create a great ecommerce store for your audience. Shopify has two main options that are:
- Shopify
- Shopify Plus
If you’re just starting with your business, you’ll want to choose the basic version of Shopify—but if you’ve already built a few stores, then we recommend opting for the Premium version of Shopify Plus instead.
Magento
Magento is a popular open-source platform with an outstanding reputation for its flexibility and customization capabilities. The platform’s scalability allows it to be used by small businesses and large brands, helping anyone get their feet wet in the world of e-commerce.
Magento is quite flexible and allows you to modify things easily. For example, if you want to build a website with features like WooCommerce (a plugin that allows you to sell products on your site), you can easily add those features with little effort. Magento even offers its own mobile app to help users buy directly from their phones at home or on the go!
Comparison Between Shopify and Magento
Pricing
Magento offers an alternative version called Magento Open Source that’s completely free to use and self-hosted. This means that you don’t have to pay for web hosting (around $10 per month) or security; instead, the platform covers all those costs!
You can’t install Magento on your own server if you want to use it as a standalone solution. This means that if you want to start using Magento as your eCommerce platform, you’ll need to purchase a hosting package from them (which can cost upwards of $300/month).
However, with Shopify, you don’t have to worry about this! You can install their software on any server of your choosing—including your own home computer—and then access everything through whichever device or browser you prefer (whether it be a smartphone or tablet).
Themes
If you are looking for themes that are easy to use or just want to choose from a variety of themes, then you should go for Shopify. Magento themes are complex and might require a developer to use and modify them. On the other hand, Shopify is much easier and flexible with themes and does not require an expert developer to run it.
Shopify has a wide range of free themes that you can use, while Magento lacks a little and offers only less than 100 free themes for the users. But you can create and buy custom themes on Magento. Both offer paid themes, starting from $1 to $600.
User Interface
User Interface is one of the most crucial aspects of creating a website. So it is important to compare both ecommerce platforms and look at which offers better than the others.
Shopify is a very easy-going ecommerce platform that does not require a lot of technical work, and you can manage content efficiently. The interface is quite understandable, and one can easily make changes or interact. Magento, on the other hand, is not that easy. You might need a front-end developer to create a store and modify it. But the results can be amazing.
Marketing Feature
Shopify is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking to build an online storefront with a modern, professional look. It allows you to have social proof on your website. You can connect your website directly to social media platforms and sell the products there.
On the other hand, Magento relies on its Marketplace for the bulk of its marketing tools. What’s more, you’ll likely need to rely on the skills of a web developer if you want genuinely bespoke features—but with Shopify, you can have any kind of feature your heart desires without having to hire one!
Conclusion
Magento and Shopify are similar platforms, but they are quite different in creating and having an online store. Shopify is more user-friendly and easy to use. If you want to start small and manageable, Shopify is the one for you; you will not require much help.
On the other hand, Magento is quite complex. You might need to recap your coding skills before creating an ecommerce store on Magento. But it is a better platform for handling bigger and global stores. If you are looking for a large-scale ecommerce store, then Magento or Shopify Plus is the one for you.