Magento, now Adobe Commerce, was once the default for large and complex eCommerce catalogues. In 2026, most businesses migrating off it are moving to Shopify Plus for a simpler, lower-maintenance path to the same enterprise capability. Here is how the two compare.
Shopify vs Magento at a glance
| Feature | Shopify | Magento |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and infrastructure | Fully managed and included | Self-hosted, or expensive managed hosting |
| Development complexity | Moderate, Liquid is approachable | High, it needs specialised Magento developers |
| Total cost of ownership | A predictable subscription, plus the Plus fee at enterprise tier | Often higher, across hosting, developer talent and maintenance |
| Time to launch | Weeks for standard builds | Months, even for moderately complex builds |
| Enterprise features (B2B, multi-store) | Native on Shopify Plus | Native, and historically Magento's strength |
| Developer availability in India | A large and growing talent pool | A shrinking pool, at higher rates for specialists |
| Security patching | Automatic | Manual, and a genuine ongoing risk if neglected |
| Platform stability and roadmap | Actively invested in by Shopify | An uncertain trajectory after the Adobe acquisition |
Where the differences actually bite
Maintenance is the real cost
Magento is open source, so the licence is free and the software is not. Specialised hosting, a security patching routine and developers who know the platform are all line items, and all three are priced above their Shopify equivalents.
The talent pool
This is the argument that has quietly decided most recent migrations. Finding and keeping a Magento specialist is harder and more expensive than it was, while the pool of capable Shopify developers keeps growing. A platform you cannot staff is a business risk regardless of its capability.
Capability was never the problem
Magento can do more, in the sense that you own the source. Shopify Plus now covers the things businesses actually used that ownership for: B2B accounts, multi-storefront, custom checkout logic. The gap that remains is narrower than the maintenance difference.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Shopify if
You want enterprise capability without enterprise-level maintenance overhead, and access to a much larger developer talent pool for ongoing support.
Choose Magento if
You have deep, highly specific customisation needs that genuinely require full source-code control, and an in-house team capable of maintaining it for the long term.
Businesses leaving Magento today are usually leaving because the maintenance burden and the shrinking talent pool became a real business risk, not because the platform's capability ever fell short.
Frequently asked questions
Why are businesses moving from Magento to Shopify in 2026?
The main drivers are maintenance overhead, the security patching burden, hosting cost, and a shrinking pool of specialised developers. It is not a capability gap. Shopify Plus now covers most of what businesses actually used Magento for.
Will we lose functionality moving from Magento to Shopify Plus?
For most stores, no. The Shopify Plus B2B module, Checkout Extensibility and the app ecosystem cover the large majority of Magento use cases. Highly bespoke custom logic has to be assessed case by case during migration scoping.
How long does a Magento to Shopify migration take?
Typically eight to fourteen weeks, depending on catalogue size, custom functionality and integration complexity. Our Shopify migration cost guide has the detailed breakdown.
Is Magento actually cheaper because it is open source?
The core software is free, but total cost of ownership is often higher. Specialised hosting, security maintenance and Magento-certified developers all cost more than the equivalent Shopify subscription and standard developer rates.