Dates, versions and features are from Adobe Experience League, Adobe’s product pages, Shopify’s help centre and W3Techs, checked on 27 October 2026. Both platforms change often, so check the sources listed at the end before you decide.
Most brands we speak to on Magento are asking the same thing: stay, move to Adobe’s new cloud service, or move to Shopify? We have moved LSA International, Funkin Cocktails, New & Lingwood, Suki Tea and Cordings from Magento to Shopify. This guide compares the platforms as they stand in 2026, including Adobe’s new products and the support deadlines that are forcing the decision for many Magento stores.
The short answer
- Magento now comes in several forms: Magento Open Source (free, self-hosted), Adobe Commerce on-premises or on Adobe’s cloud (PaaS), and Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service (SaaS, launched in June 2025).
- On Magento Open Source, on-premises and PaaS, you or your agency own upgrades, hosting, security patches and PCI compliance for your code. Adobe will take Cloud stores on unsupported versions offline from 1 June 2027.
- Shopify is hosted software. Shopify runs the platform, the checkout and PCI compliance for it, and ships updates without upgrade projects.
- Magento still suits businesses that need deep control of their code and data, or B2B quoting and approval workflows built into the platform. For most direct-to-consumer and mixed D2C and trade brands, Shopify Plus costs less to run and moves faster.
Magento and Shopify in 2026
Magento Open Source
Free, self-hosted Magento
- You host it and upgrade it
- You own security patches and PCI scope
- No Adobe B2B module
- Full access to the code
Adobe Commerce (PaaS or on-premises)
Licensed Magento with Adobe support
- Adobe-managed infrastructure on Cloud
- You run version upgrades
- B2B module included
- Price on request
Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service
Adobe’s SaaS version, launched June 2025
- Automatic feature and security updates
- Storefront on Edge Delivery Services
- Extensions through App Builder
- Price on request
Shopify Plus
Shopify’s plan for larger brands
- Hosted, with no upgrade projects
- Customisable checkout
- B2B and up to nine expansion stores
- Published pricing
Adobe also sells Adobe Commerce Optimizer, a storefront and merchandising layer that sits on top of another commerce engine. It is not a full platform, so this guide leaves it out.
Shopify vs Magento at a glance
| Magento Open Source | Adobe Commerce (PaaS or on-premises) | Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service | Shopify Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | You arrange it | Adobe’s cloud (PaaS) or your own servers | Adobe, multi-tenant | Shopify |
| Platform upgrades | You run them | You run them, on Adobe’s support schedule | Automatic, with 30 days to test in a sandbox | Automatic |
| Pricing | Free licence; you pay for hosting and development | Not published | Not published | Published on Shopify’s pricing page |
| PCI compliance | Yours | Adobe certifies its cloud infrastructure; your code is yours | Adobe certifies the service; your code is yours | Shopify is a Level 1 PCI DSS provider |
| B2B | Third-party extensions | Adobe B2B module | Adobe B2B features | Built in on every plan; fuller on Plus |
| Several stores or countries | Websites, stores and store views in one install | Websites, stores and store views in one install | Localised storefronts from one instance | Shopify Markets, plus up to nine expansion stores |
| Extensions | Adobe Commerce Marketplace; you keep them updated | Adobe Commerce Marketplace; you keep them updated | App Builder and API Mesh | Shopify App Store, over 16,000 apps |
| Share of ecommerce sites (W3Techs) | 1.6% (Magento and Adobe Commerce together) | 32.4% | ||
Source: Adobe Experience League, Adobe’s pricing page, Shopify’s help centre and security page, and W3Techs, 27 October 2026.
Upgrades and support deadlines
This is where most Magento decisions now start. Adobe gives each Adobe Commerce version three years of standard support from its release date. After that a version stops getting quality fixes and, later, security fixes.
| Version | Released | End of standard support | End of extended support |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4.6 | 14 March 2023 | 11 August 2026 | 31 August 2027, then security-only fixes to 31 May 2028 |
| 2.4.7 | 9 April 2024 | 31 May 2027 | 31 May 2028 |
| 2.4.8 | 8 April 2025 | 31 May 2028 | Not yet set |
| 2.4.9 | 12 May 2026 | 31 May 2029 | Not yet set |
Source: Adobe Commerce lifecycle policy, updated 18 September 2026. Versions 2.4.4 and 2.4.5 are already out of standard and extended support.
Adobe has also changed the rules for its cloud. From 1 June 2027, it will stop maintaining Cloud environments that run unsupported versions and will suspend their traffic, which takes the storefront offline. Adobe now describes Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service as the recommended long-term home for its cloud customers.
Upgrades are more than a version number. Adobe supports only the system combinations it lists, and the merchant is responsible for keeping every third-party dependency on a supported version. For 2.4.9 that means PHP 8.5, MySQL 8.4 or MariaDB 12.3, OpenSearch 3, Valkey 9, Varnish 8 and RabbitMQ 4.3. Redis is no longer supported from 2.4.7-p10 onwards, with Valkey replacing it. PHP 8.2 reaches end of life on 31 December 2026, and Adobe flags out-of-date PHP as a risk to PCI compliance.
Security patches add to the load. Adobe commits to at least one security patch a year for each supported release line, and released further critical updates in August and October 2026. Each one has to be tested against your extensions and custom code before it goes live.
On Shopify there are no version upgrades. Shopify updates the platform and checkout itself. The work that remains is keeping apps and theme code current with Shopify’s APIs, which is smaller and more predictable.
Security and PCI compliance
Adobe holds PCI certification for the infrastructure and services behind Adobe Commerce on its cloud, and says merchants are responsible for the compliance of their custom code, systems, processes and organisation. On Magento Open Source or on-premises Adobe Commerce, the merchant carries all of it: servers, patches, code and payment pages.
Shopify is certified as a Level 1 PCI DSS provider, and its checkout is hosted by Shopify. Merchants still own any scripts they add to payment pages under PCI DSS 4.0.1, but the scope is far smaller than on a self-hosted Magento store.
B2B
B2B is Magento’s strongest ground. Adobe’s B2B module is available for Adobe Commerce, though not for Magento Open Source, and covers more buyer workflows out of the box than Shopify does.
| Adobe Commerce B2B | Shopify (all plans) | Shopify Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company accounts and locations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Catalogues and price lists by customer | Shared catalogues | Up to three catalogues | Unlimited, assigned to companies and locations |
| Net terms and pay on account | Yes | Yes | Yes, with deposits and partial payments |
| Quick order and reorders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quantity rules and price breaks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Negotiable quotes | Built in | Draft orders, or an app | Draft orders, or an app |
| Requisition lists | Built in | App | App |
| Buyer approval workflows | Built in | App | App |
Source: Adobe Commerce B2B documentation, updated 1 and 8 October 2026; Shopify help centre, B2B features by plan.
If your trade customers rely on formal quotes, requisition lists and multi-step purchase approvals, check how an app would handle them before you move. For most brands selling direct and to trade, Shopify’s native B2B covers what they use. Funkin Cocktails runs direct and trade sales, with its own trade site, on Shopify Plus. See Shopify B2B.
Several stores and countries
Every Magento installation has a hierarchy of websites, stores and store views, and one installation can run several websites, each with its own domain. That flexibility is one reason large Magento estates exist.
Shopify handles the same need in two ways. Shopify Markets lets one store sell in other countries with local currencies, languages, domains and prices, on every plan. Shopify Plus adds up to nine expansion stores for separate brands, countries or wholesale, each with its own catalogue and content. Ceva runs four brands, more than 20 sites and eight countries on one Shopify Plus codebase that we built. See Shopify Markets vs expansion stores.
Extensions and apps
Magento extensions install into your codebase. That gives them deep access, and it also means each one has to be tested with every upgrade and security patch. Adobe states that merchants must keep extensions on supported versions. Adobe does not publish a count for its marketplace.
Shopify apps run outside your store’s code and update themselves. The Shopify App Store lists over 16,000 apps. Shopify Functions and checkout extensions cover much of the custom logic that Magento brands used to build into the platform.
Checkout
Magento’s checkout is yours to change in any way, and yours to maintain, test and secure. Shopify’s checkout is hosted and maintained by Shopify. On Shopify Plus you can customise it with checkout extensions, Shopify Functions and the Checkout Branding API, and run different checkout rules for trade and direct customers. Shopify has ended checkout.liquid and Shopify Scripts, so new checkout work uses these tools.
Peak trading
On Shopify, peak capacity is Shopify’s problem. Over Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, Shopify served more than 81 million shoppers and peaked at 489 million requests a minute at its edge. Adobe’s service levels for Adobe Commerce on Cloud commit to 99.99% availability for its hosted infrastructure. On a self-hosted Magento store, peak capacity depends on your hosting, caching and load testing.
What it costs to run
Adobe does not publish Adobe Commerce prices, so any figure you see online is an estimate. Magento Open Source has no licence fee, but it is not free to run. Compare these costs on each platform over three years:
- Licence or plan fee
- Hosting, monitoring and peak capacity
- Version upgrades and security patches, including developer and testing time
- Extensions or apps
- PCI compliance and security work
- Payment processing fees
- Your team’s time running the platform
On Magento, the upgrade and maintenance lines are often the largest and the least predictable. Shopify publishes its Plus pricing (see Shopify vs Shopify Plus), and our Shopify Plus total cost of ownership calculator adds up the rest.
When Magento still makes sense
- You need B2B quotes, requisition lists and approval workflows in the platform, with no apps.
- You need full control of the code, the database or where the store is hosted.
- You have an in-house Magento team and a budget for upgrades.
- You are already on Adobe Commerce and want to stay inside Adobe’s products, in which case look at Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service.
When Shopify is the better fit
- You sell direct to consumers, or direct and to trade.
- You face a Magento upgrade or end-of-support date and would rather not repeat the project every few years.
- Your team wants to run promotions, content and launches without a developer.
- You want peak trading, security and checkout handled by the platform.
- You want to spend your development budget on growth, not maintenance.
Moving from Magento to Shopify
A Magento to Shopify migration moves products, customers, historical orders, gift cards, blogs and pages, and sets up redirects from every old URL so you keep search rankings. Shopify asks you to import products first, then customers, then orders. Shopify’s free migration app does not support Magento, so large Magento migrations use a tool such as Matrixify or a custom script, which needs access to the Magento database for orders.
Customer passwords cannot be moved. Shopify’s new customer accounts sign shoppers in with a one-time code sent by email, so no password is needed, which removes most of the friction.
Timelines depend on catalogue size, integrations and design. LSA International moved from Magento to Shopify in six weeks, with two weeks of testing, over Christmas trading. New & Lingwood moved to Shopify Plus in about two months. Suki Tea went live with its Sage integration in time for its November sale. Cordings moved to Shopify Plus with its Genesis ERP and Shopify POS in its Piccadilly shop. Funkin Cocktails moved its direct and trade sites, and its returning customer rate rose 98%. See Magento to Shopify migration for how we run these projects.
Questions to ask before you choose
- When does your current Magento version leave support, and what will the next upgrade involve?
- Which extensions and custom code would need rebuilding, and which have a Shopify app or Function?
- Do your trade customers use quotes, requisition lists or approval rules, and how often?
- How many stores, countries and brands do you run, and do they need separate catalogues?
- What do upgrades, hosting and security cost you each year, including your team’s time?
- Which systems, such as ERP, warehouse and product data, need to connect, and how?
FAQs
Is Magento still supported in 2026?
Yes. Adobe supports Adobe Commerce 2.4.7, 2.4.8 and 2.4.9, with 2.4.6 on extended support until 31 August 2027. Magento 1 lost support in June 2020. Adobe will take Cloud stores on unsupported versions offline from 1 June 2027.
Is Magento the same as Adobe Commerce?
Adobe bought Magento in 2018. Magento Open Source is the free version. Adobe Commerce is the licensed version, sold on-premises, on Adobe’s cloud (PaaS) and, since June 2025, as Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service.
Is Shopify better than Magento?
For most direct-to-consumer and mixed D2C and trade brands, yes: it is cheaper to run, needs no upgrade projects and handles security and peak trading for you. Magento suits businesses that need full control of their code or built-in B2B quoting and approval workflows.
Is Shopify cheaper than Magento?
Usually, once hosting, upgrades, security patches and developer time are counted. Magento Open Source has no licence fee, and those running costs can exceed the price of a Shopify Plus plan. Our total cost of ownership calculator compares them.
Can Shopify handle B2B like Magento?
Shopify has B2B on every plan, with company accounts, catalogues, net terms, quick order and price breaks. Plus adds unlimited catalogues, deposits and partial payments. Quotes, requisition lists and approval workflows need apps or draft orders.
How long does a Magento to Shopify migration take?
From about six weeks for a focused build to several months with complex integrations. LSA International moved in six weeks and New & Lingwood in about two months.
Will we lose SEO rankings moving from Magento to Shopify?
Not if the migration maps every old URL to a redirect, keeps page titles and content, and is checked in Search Console after launch.
Can customers keep their passwords?
No. Passwords cannot be exported from Magento to Shopify. With Shopify’s new customer accounts, customers sign in with a one-time code by email, so they do not need a new password.
Sources
Checked on 27 October 2026: Adobe Experience League pages on the Adobe Commerce lifecycle policy, released versions, patch release schedule, system requirements, shared responsibility, Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service, B2B and websites, stores and views; Adobe Commerce pricing; Shopify help centre pages on B2B plan features, migrating to Shopify, importing customers and customer accounts; Shopify security; Shopify BFCM 2025 data; Shopify App Store; W3Techs usage statistics for Magento and Shopify.
