How do I know my store has outgrown Shopify?
Shopify handles a simple catalog well. The strain shows when the catalog, the systems or the number of stores grow. Three signs point to Magento:
- A complex catalog. Shopify allows up to 3 options per product (Shopify Help Center) and 2,048 variants since October 2025 (Shopify changelog). Personalised products need apps on top. Magento has configurable products, custom options for engraving or sizes, bundles and tier prices built in.
- An ERP, PIM or CRM that must stay in sync. Magento runs on your servers, so the integration can use the database and message queue. On Shopify it works through the API and its rate limits.
- Several stores, brands or currencies. One Magento install runs several websites and store views from one admin, with shared or separate catalogs.
One sign alone rarely justifies the move. Revenue matters as much. Under $500k a year, the cost of running Magento outweighs what it adds.
Magento vs Shopify: what each one handles
| Magento | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | You host it, or use Adobe's cloud with Adobe Commerce | Shopify hosts it |
| Variants | Configurable products on your own attributes | 3 options, 2,048 variants per product |
| Personalised products | Custom options built in | Apps |
| Several stores | Websites and store views in one install | Separate stores (Plus includes expansion stores) |
| Code access | Full source code | Themes and apps only |
| Upgrades and security | Your team or agency applies them | Shopify applies them |
Shopify Plus vs Magento
Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a three-year term (Shopify Plus pricing). It adds expansion stores, checkout customisation and B2B with unlimited catalogs. Since 2026 the lower Shopify plans also include basic B2B with up to 3 catalogs (Shopify Help Center). For what each Magento edition includes, see Magento B2B features by edition.
Plus closes much of the gap for brands that sell a standard catalog in several markets. It doesn't change the variant model or give you the source code. Stores that live on personalised products, deep ERP sync or custom checkout logic still hit the limits of apps and APIs.
Magento price: Open Source, Adobe Commerce and running costs
Magento Open Source is free to license (OSL 3.0). The cost sits in running it:
- hosting sized for your traffic and catalog
- a developer or agency for upgrades, security patches and fixes
- paid extensions for features the core doesn't cover
Adobe Commerce adds a yearly licence. Adobe doesn't publish a price. It quotes by your gross merchandise value and average order value (Adobe Commerce pricing).
Shopify starts at $29 a month billed yearly (Shopify pricing), with apps and transaction fees on top. For a small store it costs a fraction of Magento. The gap narrows once a Shopify store pays for Plus and a stack of apps to cover what Magento has built in.
Version support drives cost too. Adobe ended regular support for Magento 2.4.6 on 11 August 2026 (Adobe lifecycle policy). An upgrade is part of the running cost every two to three years.