Inside this Article
Magento Cost Can Be Hard to Estimate – Shopify Prices Are More PredictableShopify Holds Your Hand – Magento Throws You in the Deep EndMagento vs Shopify: Do You Want Your Store to Look Unique?Both Make Inventory Management Easy, but Magento Has More OptionsShopify Has Slightly More Add-Ons to Choose FromMagento Gives You More Freedom over Payment ProcessorsShopify Offers a Lot of Support – Magento Doesn’tShopify vs Magento: Shopify Is the Best Choice for Most Stores
Magento Cost Can Be Hard to Estimate – Shopify Prices Are More Predictable
The pricing for either Shopify or Magento depends on multiple factors. Some stores on either platform cost only a few dollars a month to run, while others cost tens of thousands. How much you’ll pay will depend on what you actually need. Let’s find out.Shopify Plans and Pricing
The total cost of Shopify isn’t exactly simple, but it’s more consistent across stores of similar sizes. The cost largely depends on five factors:- Plan cost
- Payment processor
- Transaction fees
- Paid or free theme
- Paid apps
Basic Shopify | Shopify | Advanced Shopify | Shopify Plus | |
For… | New businesses | SMBs | Large Businesses | Enterprise |
Price | $29/month | $79/month | $299 month | Custom |
Shipping Discount | Up to 64% | Up to 72% | Up to 74% | Custom |
Payment Processing Fees | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.6% + $0.30 | 2.4% + $0.30 | Custom |
Magento Pricing
Exactly what is Magento in the first place? It might not be clear the first time you visit its site. There are two versions of Magento available. Magento Enterprise is designed for huge stores. It comes with support, performance improvements, and more. Unfortunately, pricing starts at several thousand dollars per year, and you also pay an additional fee based on your revenue. I’m going to assume that’s a bit out of your budget. The Magento Community Edition is completely free; there are no “plans.” It’s open-source software that anyone can download, but it doesn’t come with customer support. You can install it on a server you manage, or on a hosting account you own. We’ll talk more about getting started later. However, you still have to pay for certain themes, extensions, and of course… processing fees on sales. Let’s look at how much each part will probably cost you.How Much it Costs? | |
Hosting | This can range from $5 per month for shared hosting, to hundreds of dollars per month for dedicated hosting. Don’t be too cheap; small stores should spend at least $10-$20 per month for decent-quality hosting. |
Themes | Like Shopify, a paid theme is optional. If you do want one, it will usually cost $50-$200 depending on where you buy it from. |
Extensions | You may not need them, but if you do need one or more extensions, most cost $100 or more up front, and they may have a service fee as well. |
Processing Fees | This depends entirely on the payment processor you use; Magento itself doesn’t charge any processing fees or transaction fees. |
And the Winner Is…
Magento, by a bit. If budget is a big consideration for you, at least for now, a Magento store can usually be made and run for a bit cheaper. For most stores, the cost is going to be pretty comparable between Shopify and Magento. The only potential big difference is if you can’t use Shopify Payments and have to pay an additional transaction fee on sales.Shopify Holds Your Hand – Magento Throws You in the Deep End
The easier it is to make and maintain your store, the less time you’ll need to spend on it, and the less frustration you’ll face. Let’s look at how easy it is to use each platform.How Easy Is It to Use Shopify?
Most reviewers agree that this platform is as easy as it gets. Shopify understands that most of its customers don’t want to see or touch code, and they likely have little experience building online stores. From the moment you create an account (which takes seconds), you’re prompted every step of the way to add your first products and customize your site.
How Easy Is It to Use Magento?
Magento 2 is a huge improvement over Magento 1. But… it’s still harder to use than Shopify. To see why, we have to start with the process of installing the software on a server or hosting account. You’ll need to spend time setting up your server or finding a web host you like (here are some good ones we recommend), and creating an account. It can potentially take hours before you even see Magento itself. The good news is that since Magento is written in PHP (which all hosts support), and is so popular, most hosts have an auto-install script for Magento. You won’t need to actually download it and figure out the technical details yourself. In that case, it’s no more difficult than WordPress to get installed.
And the Winner Is…
Shopify is much easier to use and create a store with. There’s virtually no comparison. If you’re fairly new to building an online store, this should be one of, if not the, most important factor in your decision.Magento vs Shopify: Do You Want Your Store to Look Unique?
You can customize the look of your website on either Shopify or Magento by installing a theme. Both platforms offer themes in their own marketplaces, but you can also buy them on third-party websites.Shopify Theme Options
Shopify currently has just over 70 themes in its theme store. Of these, ten are free.
Magento Theme Options
Magento offers some paid themes on its marketplace as well, but there are only 14 to choose from:

And the Winner Is…
Shopify, by a small margin. On third-party sites, there are hundreds of themes to pick from for either platform. The only real difference, which I think is significant, is that Shopify’s own theme marketplace has many more themes than Magento’s. These are themes that you know are high-quality — without your having to do additional research.Both Make Inventory Management Easy, but Magento Has More Options
Shopify and Magento have a lot in common when it comes to adding products and managing inventory. But there are some minor differences that may influence your decision. Let’s take a quick look at inventory management on either platform.Shopify Inventory Management
You can either import a CSV of product information, or create them one-by-one in your Shopify account. There are quite a few fields that you can customize for each product. These include:- Product name
- Product description
- Images
- Category
- And more



Magento Inventory Management
Adding products in Magento isn’t too much different. Again, you can import product information in bulk, or add a product manually.

And the Winner Is…
Magento, by a little bit. It’s easy to add products and manage inventory on either platform. However, Magento has quite a few extra product options built-in that could be quite handy. There are workarounds on Shopify through apps if you need more functionality, but it’s extra work, and may cost you more.Shopify Has Slightly More Add-Ons to Choose From
Apps, add-ons, extensions… Whatever you call them, you can install them on either Shopify or Magento to add extra functionality. Years ago, Magento had way more, because anyone could easily make and publish extensions. But now, it’s different. Shopify has grown up a lot, and now has a fantastic API for developers, and plenty of extensions. So, let’s take a look at what add-ons look like today for Magento and Shopify.Shopify App Selection
In Shopify’s App Store, you’ll find over 3,000 apps.
- Email marketing integrations
- Social media marketing integrations
- Product review widgets
- Live chat widgets
- Printing on demand
- Dropshipping fulfillment
Magento Add-On Extensions
Because Magento has been open-source from the start, extensions have always been a big part of its ecosystem. Extensions on Magento can be made to add virtually any feature you’d like. You’re a bit less likely to need one using Magento compared with Shopify because Magento generally has more “extras” built-in already, but when you do, head to the Magento extension marketplace.
- Advanced site search
- Social media widgets
- Frequently bought together widgets
- Abandoned cart emails
- CRM integrations
And the Winner Is…
Shopify, by a small margin. Both platforms have an amazing selection of extensions. You can find one for just about any feature you’re looking for. However, Shopify makes it much easier to install extensions, and it usually ends up being a bit cheaper as well.Magento Gives You More Freedom over Payment Processors
The payment processor you use will affect the fees you’ll have to pay on each sale. There are a few important differences between Shopify and Magento when it comes to payment processors.Shopify Payment Processor Options
Shopify makes it easy to choose from Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe) and PayPal:
- United States (except for Puerto Rico)
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Canada
- Germany
- Hong Kong SAR China
- Ireland
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Spain
Magento Payment Processor Options
Magento makes it painless to connect to common payment processors like PayPal and Stripe.

And the Winner Is…
Magento, as it easily connects to all major payment providers with no hidden fees. While Shopify Payments is a great payment provider, offering discounts for high-volume sellers, it’s not always an option. If Shopify Payments is not available to you, you’ll have to pay significant transaction fees on each sale.Shopify Offers a Lot of Support – Magento Doesn’t
Online stores are fairly complex, and chances are high that you’ll need some guidance or help at some point.Shopify Support
Shopify is amazing when it comes to support. It has a dedicated support team that’s available 24/7. You can choose from live chat, email, and phone support.

Magento Support
Unless you buy the Enterprise edition of Magento, there’s no support team you can contact when you run into an issue. There’s a decent knowledge base, but the articles aren’t quite as good as the ones on Shopify, and they’re often technical (by necessity) in nature.

And the Winner Is…
Shopify, and it’s not even close. Not only does Shopify offer support, but it also has great support options. Magento has a solid community, but it’s just not a reliable option when you really need help.Shopify vs Magento: Shopify Is the Best Choice for Most Stores
It’s funny how both platforms are meeting in the middle over time. Shopify is adding more functionality, while Magento is trying to become more user- friendly. Both are great platforms, but Shopify is better for most stores. If you’re going to be building a large store that will likely need unique functionality, Magento is the better choice. But unless you’re a developer (and even then) it’s a pain compared with how easy Shopify makes everything. To learn more about Shopify, check out our expert review. Or, if you’re ready to start selling on the platform, click the button below. Here’s a summary table of everything we’ve looked at, which may help you make your final decision:Feature
Shopify
Magento
Winner
Cost
- Monthly plan cost
- Payment processing fees (lower for high volume)
- Transaction fees (waived if using Shopify Payments)
- App Store if you need extra functionality
- Paid themes (optional)
- Monthly hosting cost
- Payment processing fees
- Extensions if you need more functionality
- Paid themes (optional)
Magento. You can usually make a store for a bit cheaper if budget is really an option. In general, they cost a similar amount.
Ease of Use
Intuitive to get started with and use.
Installing takes longer, and it’s not exactly intuitive for new users.
Shopify. It’s easy to use, even if you’ve never built a website.
Theme Options
- Over 70 in the Shopify Theme Store
- Hundreds on third-party marketplaces
- Just 14 on the Magento Marketplace
- Hundreds on third-party marketplaces
Shopify. It’s always nice to be able to buy from official stores that have themes from reputable developers only.
Inventory Management
Just over 3,000 apps; easy to install.
All basic product options, plus some more, and easy to manage inventory.
Magento. Both are good for basic stores, but Magento has more advanced product options included.
Add-ons
You’re pretty much forced to use Shopify Payments (Stripe).
Just under 3,000 extensions; not the easiest to install.
Shopify. It has a great support team, which is part of the reason that Shopify is paid software, while Magento is “free.”
Payment Processors
You’re pretty much forced to use Shopify Payments (Stripe).
You can use any popular payment processor with no hidden fees.
Magento. Shopify Payments is great if you can use it, but Magento is better for any other payment processor.
Support
- Live chat (24/7)
- Phone (24/7)
- Knowledge base
- Forums
- Knowledge base
- Forums
Shopify. It has a great support team, which is part of the reason that Shopify is paid software, while Magento is “free.”