Businesses of all sizes can use Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce to successfully sell online. Both platforms securely support your marketing and merchandising needs and handle high volume multi-currency sales. There’s also a well-established developer community for customised solutions and ongoing support.
However, there are also some important differences to consider when you’re choosing the best ecommerce solution for your business.
Why Magento 2 is different to Adobe Commerce?
Magento was first released in 2008 as an open-source ecommerce platform for small to medium-sized businesses. Its flexibility, scalability and adaptability made it a popular choice for tailored ecommerce solutions.
Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento Enterprise, is the corporate-scale version. After Adobe acquired Magento in 2018 it became part of Adobe’s data, content and intelligence Experience Cloud platform.
Magento 2 remains a free open-source option you can download and develop to meet your needs. You manage your site’s hosting, maintenance, upgrades and customisation. A ‘what you see is what you get’ (WYSIWYG) page builder is available straight out of the box. You also have site search, integrated checkout, payment, shipping and catalogue management tools.
You buy licences to use Adobe Commerce products. There’s an on-premises solution and in 2019 Adobe Commerce Cloud was launched as a platform as a service (PaaS) version. Both these products include business intelligence dashboards, advanced ecommerce, catalogue and customer management tools. They also integrate with other Adobe analytics, marketing and content creation tools, completing the Adobe Experience Platform suite.
There are thousands of extensions, developers and partners in the Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce ecosystem. There are free extensions available although many companies choose premium options to meet their business needs and enhance performance.
Magento 2 VS Adobe Commerce
Magento
Free to download
Adobe Commerce
Pricing plans
Userhosts
Basic features out the box
Small to medium sized businesses
User hosts/Cloud based
Extensive features and analytic tools
Enterprise scale
Magento 2 vs Adobe Commerce
Pricing. Magento Open Source is free to download and use. Adobe Commerce has annual pricing plans based on gross merchandise value and average order values.
Hosting. Hosting your own version of Magento 2 comes with responsibilities. You must manage hosting, security and site availability. There are self-hosted and fully managed cloud-based platform as a service (PaaS) Adobe Commerce options.
Scalability. You can only operate a single database with Magento 2 which means expanding businesses can quickly outgrow the platform. Adobe Commerce is designed for scalability and shares the load across three databases for checkout, orders, and product data.
Features. Magento 2 offers a good range of basic ecommerce features. Developer support and extensions allow you to customise your solution according to your requirements. However, this adds complexity and requires ongoing maintenance and updates. Adobe Commerce offers more features including business to business (B2B) functionality, advanced catalogue and inventory management. The Cloud edition also integrates with AI tools such as Adobe Sensei and Adobe Target to improve personalisation.
Security. For Magento 2 there is a range of security extensions and tools. Overall, you are responsible for maintaining security best practices to protect your site administration and infrastructure. This includes safely deploying extensions, updates and patches.
Adobe Commerce offers a free Security Scan tool and recommends industry best practices for site security. Adobe Solution Partners like Williams Commerce receive early insights into Adobe’s roadmap and access to the partner portal and training. We have extensive experience and up-to-date product knowledge. This back-up ensures you can take full advantage of the latest updates and enhancements.
Compliance. Magento 2 is not PCI-compliant so you need to address this requirement to trade online. Adobe Commerce provides thorough data encryption, protection, regular reviews and support. It is PCI-certified and provides the highest level of compliance and payment security.
Maintenance. You must plan and implement your own Magento 2 maintenance to keep performance and security up to date. Adobe Commerce reduces your maintenance overheads although this comes at a price. You also receive technical and cloud account support.
Should you choose Magento 2 or Adobe Commerce?
Your choice depends on your business, priorities and budget. You can create a completely bespoke solution with Magento 2, but all the upkeep is your responsibility. It remains popular with developers who can access and update the core code to create customised solutions. There is a wide range of extensions available to meet business needs and enhance performance. Before choosing this option, you’ll want a clear view of the total cost of ownership.
Adobe Commerce is a premium paid-for ecommerce platform with on-premises and cloud-based options. It focuses on the needs of larger businesses so it’s highly scalable and offers advanced ecommerce features. These include reusable dynamic blocks for page design and visual merchandising. It provides content staging and preview, product recommendations, live search, and B2B functionality. Its business intelligence dashboard, marketing and loyalty tools help increase online sales.
In addition, Adobe Commerce Cloud is easily managed from a single user interface. It provides enhanced security features and faster page loading speeds along with onboarding assistance and around the clock technical support.
Trusted partners
Since 2011 the Williams Commerce team has gained extensive experience in a full range of ecommerce platform solutions. As an Adobe Bronze Solution Partner our fully certified team of developers takes full advantage of the latest technology.
Find out how you can transform your ecommerce operations with Magento 2 or Adobe Commerce. Get in touch today.
