Adobe Commerce vs Shopify Plus: Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your Business
Last Updated | November 19, 2024
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Choosing the right enterprise eCommerce platform can significantly impact your business’s success. This blog explores two leading contenders: Adobe Commerce and Shopify Plus.
Both platforms offer robust features tailored for large-scale operations but cater to different business needs and technical requirements.
Understanding these differences is crucial for making an informed decision that aligns with your company’s goals.
Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, provides extensive customization and flexibility, making it ideal for businesses with specific technical demands.
In contrast, Shopify Plus excels in ease of use and rapid deployment, appealing to those who prioritize a streamlined setup without sacrificing scalability.
Adobe Commerce vs. Shopify Plus – A Platform Overview
This comparison will help you navigate enterprise eCommerce and pick a platform that fits your operational strategy. Here is a platform overview for both platforms:
Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)
Magento, now Adobe Commerce, is the global premier B2B e-commerce platform for businesses.
Its strengths include an extremely customizable platform ideal for B2B and B2C store operations, e.g., advanced catalog management, order management, and marketing tools.
Adobe Commerce is best suited for mid-market and large-scale businesses that need scalability and flexibility from their e-commerce solution.
Stores that have large product catalogs, use multiple sales channels and require advanced customization would benefit from Adobe Commerce the most.
Why Adobe Commerce?
Adobe Commerce’s cloud-based offerings help businesses build, design, and deploy powerful e-commerce solutions.
It regularly pushes updates that improve the platform, most recently with AI-powered personalization and augmented reality features.
Shopify Plus
If you’ve heard of e-commerce platforms, you’ve definitely heard of Shopify, the go-to platform for thousands of businesses.
Shopify Plus is Shopify’s top tier, offering the most features, speed, and simplicity for e-commerce businesses to pick from.
Shopify Plus caters to all business sizes, from mid-market to enterprise-level e-commerce businesses, because it is easy to set up and manage.
It is the best option for an e-commerce business that wants ease of use, a fast time to market, scalability, and flexibility.
Why Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus regularly adds new B2B features, such as custom storefronts, advanced pricing, order management, and marketing automation tools.
It continues to invest in platform performance and scalability, aiming to help high-volume businesses achieve e-commerce targets.
Platform Versions and Options
This section segments Adobe Commerce and Shopify Plus based on the different versions that each platform offers.
Adobe Commerce
Magento Open Source
The key features of Magento open source include:
- Product Catalog management
- Streamlined checkout management
- Smart order processing
It markets these services to small and medium-sized businesses with limited technical experience in installation, configuration, and maintenance.
Commerce On-Premise
The key features of Adobe Commerce On-Premise include:
- Advanced marketing features
- Merchandising
- Data analytics tools
Adobe Commerce On-Premises offers significantly higher customization and platform control, allowing businesses to design and develop stores that emulate their identities.
However, Adobe Commerce On-Premise requires technical resources to install, configure, and maintain the store and security features to protect it.
Adobe Commerce Cloud
The key features of the Adobe Commerce Cloud include:
- Fully hosted platform
- Cloud-based infrastructure
- Adobe Experience Cloud integration
The Adobe Commerce Cloud is ideal for large-scale enterprises that want a stable, secure, scalable, high-performing e-commerce platform.
The reduced IT overhead, automated system and security updates, and AI-driven personalization make Adobe Commerce Cloud a viable solution.
Shopify Plus
With Shopify Plus, there is one variant for businesses to pick from, and it’s features include:
- A fully hosted and managed platform, making it similar to a SaaS.
- Being easy to implement with its quick set up and configuration processes.
- Fully managed hosting and infrastructure courtesy of Shopify watching over its technical aspects
Adobe Commerce Implementation
The Adobe Commerce implementation process comprises of three key areas:
Infrastructure Setup
Setting up the infrastructure requires technical expertise, i.e., database setup and server and network configurations.
Technical Set up
Experienced developers and system administrators handle system installation, configuration, and routine maintenance.
Store Hosting and Security
Adobe Commerce implementation options include cloud-based hosting, self-hosting, or a hybrid that implements the security measures needed to protect customer data.
Shopify Plus Implementation
The Shopify Plus setup process is a lot simpler than Adobe Commerce, with two key components:
- A simple and direct setup process that doesn’t require extensive store development experience.
- Shopify-provided hosting and infrastructure that helps with hosting, updates, and infrastructure management.
These components relieve the business owner of development-related concerns, allowing them to focus on essential business functions.
Shopify’s simplicity and usability are responsible for its global dominance in e-commerce.
Adobe Commerce vs. Shopify Plus – The Total Cost of Ownership
The total cost of ownership relies on multiple factors that directly and indirectly impact the final number.
Here we compare the total cost of ownership of Adobe Commerce vs. Shopify Plus:
| Business Size | Adobe Commerce | Shopify Plus |
| Small Business |
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| Mid-Sized Business |
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| Large Enterprise |
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Adobe Commerce relies on significant in-house technical resources and complex business requirements while being a cost-effective solution.
Shopify Plus is better for mid-market to enterprise-level businesses that want simplicity, scalability, and predictable cost structures.
Adobe Commerce vs Shopify Plus – Core Feature Comparison
The core features of each platform allow them to offer different value propositions to e-commerce businesses. This table breaks down the core feature comparison of Adobe Commerce vs. Shopify Plus:
| Feature | Adobe Commerce | Shopify Plus |
| Category Management | Dynamic categories with automated product assignment based on attributes | Automated collections (less flexible) |
| Multi-Store Management | Advanced capabilities with independent catalogs, pricing, and promotions | Shopify Markets – more straightforward setup, less granular control |
| Product Types & Variations | Highly flexible product types and variations for complex configurations | The solid foundation may require apps for complex scenarios (configurable/bundle products) |
| Inventory Management | Multi-Source Inventory (MSI) with order routing, allocation across warehouses/suppliers | Recent multi-source inventory features may not match Adobe’s complexity |
| B2B Features | Comprehensive suite (customer groups, negotiated pricing, approval workflows) | Improved B2B capabilities may still require apps for advanced functionalities |
| Discounts, Promotions & Gift Cards | Powerful promotion engine with various options (tiered pricing, buy-X-get-Y, seasonal discounts) | A strong foundation may require Shopify Scripts for advanced customization |
| Wishlists & Product Comparisons | Native features for wishlists and product comparisons | Relies on third-party apps for these features |
| Personalization Tools | Integration with Adobe Experience Cloud for personalized experiences | Limited native capabilities, integrates with third-party apps for personalization |
Adobe Commerce is better suited for complex businesses with multi-layer complex requirements that capitalize on Magento’s customizability.
Shopify Plus is ideal for businesses that prefer ready-made solutions with all the essential features.
Key Takeaways – Adobe Commerce vs Shopify Plus.
Choosing between Adobe Commerce and Shopify Plus involves understanding your business’s needs.
Adobe Commerce might be the better fit if you require deep customization and flexibility. It’s perfect for businesses with specific technical demands that want to tailor their online presence extensively.
On the other hand, if you value straightforward setup and quick scalability, Shopify Plus offers an intuitive experience that can get you up and running quickly.
The right choice will set your business on a path to success in the competitive eCommerce world. Take the time to assess your goals, budget, and technical capabilities.
By selecting the platform that aligns with your vision, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the challenges of the digital marketplace and drive your business forward.
