Shopify or Magento - the complete guide

Whoever chooses to set up a new online store, either as a main source of income or as a side income, must make sure that he chooses the best platform, otherwise the income will turn into unnecessary expenses. There are several leading platforms in the market and there is no doubt that Shopify and Magento are perhaps the most prominent. If you too are debating between the two, we have summarized for you everything you need to know about each of them - their advantages and disadvantages and who takes each category.

Translated into Hebrew: What is Magento?

So almost everyone knows Shopify, but what exactly is the Magento platform? Magento is a system established by an Israeli company in 2007 and is a stable and professional platform established for e-commerce purposes. It offers a variety of attractive modules, a convenient and friendly product catalog, a variety of comparison options between products and quite a few other interesting features. In addition, it interfaces with ERP systems and allows you to easily manage thousands of products at any given moment. Magento reached its peak when it was acquired by the super brand Ebay which is one of the most important trading sites in the market.

Shopify VS Magento

If so, which is better? The globality and prominence of Shopify in the field or rather the tools offered by the Magento platform? Well, before answering this question, it is important to refer to several parameters - the ease of use of the platform, the level of security and the security tools it offers, scalability, the ability to integrate additional sites and other tools, and of course the payment model. Just before we touch on the advantages and disadvantages of each of the platforms, let's expand in a few words on each of these things.

The important parameters in choosing a platform

When you choose a platform for building an online store, here are some parameters you should consider:

• Ease of use: First, check how user-friendly the platform is, if it can be customized and synchronized with your business goals.
• Security: It is very important to choose only a reliable platform that offers advanced payment and security solutions. Essential for maintaining customer loyalty and reputation.
• Scalability is critical: choose a platform that is designed for growth and that will allow you to adapt the website to the changes happening in the business. Responsive design ensures a smooth shopping experience on different devices and will help us increase and establish our target audience.
• Integration: Look for the tools that will allow you to interface and connect with third-party applications such as CRM software, tools for promotion on networks and Google, etc.
• Payment model: Carefully check the cost structure comprehensively including installation fees, subscription costs and transaction fees and other payments and make sure they match your budget.

Shopify - advantages

• A huge user community that helps in a dedicated forum.
• Comprehensive domain creation and storage service.
• Secure system at the highest level.
• Perfect fit for mobile stores including the creation of dedicated apps compatible with a parallel store.
• Convenient technical support in a variety of channels - email, chat and phone 24/7.
• A variety of adjustment and design options, ready-made templates, smart tools and plugins.
• A plugin that allows you to set up a dedicated app for every Shopify store.
• Leading development teams in Israel and around the world who know how to build high-level customized websites for their clients.
• Thousands of super brands around the world like Netflix and the stores of the Kardashian family.
• Possibility of external settlement and choice of any payment service in Israel.

Shopify - disadvantages

• Monthly payment for the service including storage.
• Closed code and cannot be transferred to another place.

Magento - advantages

• Open source system, endless customizations can be made.
• Thousands of plugins and extensions that can be implemented on the site, some free and others paid.
• Adaptation templates for mobile.
• Possibility to manage a relatively large amount of products and customers.
• A large and established community of instructors and professionals.

Magento - disadvantages

• It requires high maintenance by experts who know the system and how it is developed, therefore it is more expensive to maintain.
• Its premium version is not cheap at all and costs no less than 18,000 dollars a year.
• Domain management and website hosting are external, which means you have to look for a provider independently.
• A much more complex and less friendly system for regular operation compared to others.
• The system must always be updated to the latest version.

Shopify or Magento: which is more secure?

Shopify is undoubtedly one of the most secure platforms of our time. At any given moment and at any level of use, users enjoy comprehensive protection with an emphasis on the protection of transactions and sensitive customer information. As for Magento, it is definitely a secure platform and after all it is the responsibility of the shopping giant eBay. However, it is important to remember that in any open source system, the security issue is a little more sensitive. The easy changes that can be made can be problematic in the wrong hands, so the scale is definitely tipped in the Shopify direction here.

Who is more dynamic and adaptable in personal design?

As mentioned, in Magento there are many different tools and options for design, but the problem is that in order to implement all these things, you must have appropriate technical knowledge along with prior familiarity with the system. On the other hand, in Shopify it is a fairly intuitive system that, by and large, anyone can use even without prior knowledge. There are those who choose to set up a store themselves and others use professionals who can upgrade the fit and design or prepare the website so that the customer can manage it himself and easily make changes and upgrades whenever necessary. Here, too, the balance is definitely leaning in the direction of Shopify, which is much more inviting and user-friendly.

best seller

It can definitely be said that these two platforms are designed and intended to sell products online. On the one hand, Shopify tools such as the super tool that allows you to sell also on social networks and Amazon, an option to sell digital products, cooperation with large delivery companies all over the world, and more. On the other hand - unique features in Magento such as the recovery of a cart that was abandoned during shopping, special tools for discounts and promotions, etc. Here the competition is quite tough and it can be said that the sides end more or less in a tie.

Extensions, integrations and plugins

In both Shopify and Magento you can choose from thousands of plugins, add a variety of integrations, use templates and edit an online store that is professional and accessible. However, as we have already said before, those who want to do it in Magento will have to have appropriate professional knowledge and access to the system. Because this is relatively complex technical knowledge, many business owners have to pay developers and designers on a regular basis and this is something that should be taken into account. In Shopify, the interface is much more intuitive and user-friendly. Many times business owners pay companies to build a Shopify website for them and then maintain it themselves without much effort.

Our choice: Shopify

So you can see that both platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages and that all in all these are very popular and advanced options. And if we have to choose the recommended one, we choose without much hesitation in Shopify. The advanced and high-quality security that guarantees you and your customers peace of mind for the entire life of your business, the system's dynamism and ease of use - anyone can easily manage the stores, advanced sales tools that guarantee a large turnover of transactions, countless add-ons and extensions to upgrade the user experience - in short, everything you need for An online store that really sells. Want to know more about building an online store and see your digital store grow? Get in touch and get all the information you need.