In short: Shopify fits the vast majority of stores — it launches fast, needs no technical skills and has predictable costs. Magento (now Adobe Commerce) only makes sense for very large catalogs, complex B2B logic or groups running multiple stores and systems to integrate, with a technical team or a serious budget. If you don't fall into those cases, Magento gives you complexity you don't need.
| Criterion | Shopify | Magento / Adobe Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | from €1,200 + fee | from €5,000 |
| Platform fee | from ~€30/mo | Open Source free / Adobe enterprise pricing |
| Skills required | Low | High (dedicated developers) |
| Scalability | Great up to large catalogs | Enterprise, huge catalogs |
| B2B and multi-store | Via apps/higher plans | Native and very flexible |
| Maintenance | Handled by Shopify | On you (server, security) |
Shopify is a turnkey platform: hosting, security, updates and payments are included. You open a professional store in a few weeks, run it without touching code and costs are clear from day one. For 90% of projects — from a few dozen products up to catalogs of several thousand — it is the most efficient choice. The limit is customization: you're bound to themes, apps and the platform's rules.
If you want full control with no subscription, WooCommerce is another option — we cover it in our WooCommerce vs Shopify guide.
Magento is a very powerful open-source platform built for the enterprise. It handles catalogs with hundreds of thousands of products, B2B pricing logic, per-customer price lists, multiple stores and warehouses in a single install. In return it needs dedicated developers, a robust server and ongoing maintenance: security, updates and performance are your responsibility. It's the right choice only when your business complexity genuinely justifies it.
Ask how complex your sales model is, not just how many products you have. For most stores our e-commerce service starts at €1,200 and gets you online fast. If you have B2B logic, integrations with an ERP or multiple warehouses, we'll weigh an enterprise or custom solution together. Get in touch and we'll tell you honestly what suits you.