Over the past few years, Shopify has become one of the most recognized names in e-commerce. The platform follows a fully SaaS-based model: hosting, security, updates, and infrastructure are all managed by Shopify. This allows business owners to focus on speed and simplicity, often launching a webshop within just a few days, without needing much technical knowledge or internal IT resources.

This ease of use makes Shopify especially popular among new and growing B2C webshops. But that convenience comes with limitations. As businesses become more ambitious, for example, through international expansion or the need for greater control, Magento enters the picture. Magento Open Source offers a powerful, free foundation that can scale with your business. Adobe Commerce, the enterprise version, stands out for its scalability, built-in B2B capabilities, and robust cloud infrastructure.

In this article, we compare Shopify with Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce, and offer clear guidance to help you determine which platform best fits your business case.

 Getting starten with ease

Shopify is a cloud-based SaaS solution. There’s no need to arrange your own hosting or technical setup, everything is centrally managed by Shopify. With plenty of standard themes and an extensive app store, you can set up an online store relatively quickly and easily.

Great for simplicity and speed

Shopify is ideal for:
 

• Entrepreneurs looking to launch their webshop quickly
• Businesses without an in-house IT team or developers
• Stores with a simple product range and a B2C focus

Known limitations when scaling

While Shopify is a strong platform, it comes with some clear limitations:

• Scalability: for larger product catalogs or more advanced customization needs, you may quickly hit the platform’s limits. Performance is generally not a major concern (compared to platforms like WooCommerce), but flexibility and control are more restricted.
   
• Integrations: Shopify offers a large app ecosystem, but many integrations are developed by third parties. This can lead to limited synchronization or increased dependency on external vendors. For advanced ERP, CRM, or PIM integrations, custom development or middleware is often required.
   
• International growth: while Shopify supports multi-store and multi-currency setups, more complex international structures (e.g. different catalogs or pricing rules per region) are less flexible than what Magento offers.

More possibilities, more control

While Shopify focuses on simplicity and speed, Magento Open Source provides a solid foundation designed for growth and complexity. The platform is freely available, but stands out thanks to its extensive set of built-in features.

Think of:

• flexible product catalogs
• advanced order flows
• powerful promotional and marketing tools
• the ability to manage multiple stores from a single backend
   

When is Magento Open Source the right choice?

Magento Open Source is a logical next step for organizations looking to elevate their webshop, both strategically and operationally, without immediately committing to an enterprise license. It’s a strong fit for businesses that:

• Are growing and need more stability and scalability
• Manage a large product range or experience high traffic volumes
• Require custom functionality to support unique processes or customer experiences
• Want to reduce reliance on third-party apps or external vendors
• Need to integrate their webshop with business systems like ERP, CRM, PIM or marketing automation tools

Why B2B requires a different approach

A B2B webshop has very different needs compared to a typical B2C platform. Think of customer-specific pricing, tiered discounts, quote requests, multiple catalogs, and advanced account management. These kinds of features require a robust foundation, far beyond what most standard B2C solutions can offer.

That’s where the enterprise versions of these platforms come into play: Adobe Commerce within the Magento ecosystem and Shopify Plus as the more advanced version of Shopify. Both target medium to large businesses looking for more than basic e-commerce, companies in need of a scalable and sustainable solution for complex B2B operations.

Shopify Plus: simplicity with added features

Standard Shopify plans offer limited B2B functionality. Things like quotes, customer-specific pricing, or managing multiple stores aren't natively supported. You’ll often need external apps or workarounds, which can lead to inconsistent or less integrated solutions.

With Shopify Plus — the enterprise variant — more B2B features have been added, especially since the launch of the “B2B on Shopify” framework in 2022. These include:

• Company profiles with customer-specific pricing and terms
• Separate catalogs per customer segment
• Ordering via purchase orders
• A faster checkout experience
• Basic support for multi-store and multi-currency

While Shopify Plus is a step up from the standard version, it still lacks the depth and flexibility required by many complex B2B businesses. In most cases, additional apps or custom development are needed to match the level of scalability, flexibility, and business process integration that Adobe Commerce offers natively.

Adobe Commerce: native B2B capabilities built in

One of Adobe Commerce’s biggest advantages over Shopify Plus is its set of fully integrated, native B2B features. While other platforms often rely on external apps or third-party workarounds, Adobe Commerce includes these features directly in the core system, making them easier to manage, more reliable, and future-proof.

Some of the most important B2B modules included out-of-the-box with Adobe Commerce are:

Additionally, Adobe Commerce offers enterprise-grade support, scalability, and - if desired - a cloud-based hosting environment managed directly by Adobe.

Hyvä is a modern front-end solution designed to get the most out of both Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce. While the traditional Magento front-end is often seen as heavy and complex, Hyvä introduces a lightweight and efficient architecture built with the latest technologies. The result is a webshop that loads faster, is easier to manage, and still offers the flexibility Magento is known for.

The benefits of Hyvä are clear. Businesses enjoy lightning-fast performance and top scores on Google Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals, directly boosting SEO and conversions. For developers, Hyvä means lower complexity, allowing for faster, more cost-efficient project delivery. Customers benefit from a modern, intuitive shopping experience across both desktop and mobile, while businesses retain the freedom to implement custom features and personalization.

As an official Adobe technology partner, Hyvä continues to rapidly roll out new features, from optimized checkouts and improved integrations to innovative components that further strengthen the Magento ecosystem. The message is clear: Hyvä isn’t just the cherry on top today, it’s a future-proof solution that keeps making your e-commerce experience richer and more powerful. 

• Shopify: monthly subscription model (from basic plans to Shopify Plus). Budget-friendly to start with, but costs can quickly add up due to third-party apps and transaction fees.
   
• Magento Open Source: free software, but requires more advanced hosting and higher development costs. Offers a solid balance between price, flexibility, and scalability.
   
• Adobe Commerce: licensing starts at tens of thousands of euros per year, but in return, you get an enterprise-level solution with advanced B2B modules and full enterprise support.
   

Conclusion: which platform is right for you?

Choosing between Shopify, Magento Open Source, and Adobe Commerce largely depends on the size of your webshop, your growth ambitions, and your strategic business case.

• Shopify is ideal for smaller B2C stores that want to get up and running quickly, without technical complexity. Its SaaS model makes it easy to manage, but flexibility and feature depth are limited.
   
• Magento Open Source is perfect for businesses ready to take the next step in professionalization. It’s powerful, scalable, and combines a broad range of built-in features with the flexibility of custom development. Paired with Hyvä, it delivers a fast, user-friendly, and modern experience.
   
• Adobe Commerce is the go-to B2B e-commerce platform for medium to large enterprises with complex processes, international ambitions, and a need for enterprise-grade support. With advanced B2B modules, deep integration capabilities, and a cloud-based infrastructure managed by Adobe, it delivers maximum reliability and flexibility.

In short:

• Starting small and want to launch fast? Shopify is a strong choice.
• Ready for growth and complexity? Magento Open Source is your next step.
• Operating internationally or at enterprise scale? Adobe Commerce is the most future-ready solution.

Looking for more insights or want to dive deeper into the topics covered in this blog? We’ve gathered a few useful links to help you explore further!

• Read more on Magento Open Source 
   
• Read more on Adobe Commerce
   
• Read the blog: Why switch from Magento Open Source to Adobe Commerce?
   
• Read the blog: What is the difference between Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce?
   
• Discover what we realised for Bel&Bo: a revamped Magento webshop for Bel&Bo