Shopify vs Adobe Commerce – e-commerce platform comparison

Creating a well-functioning online store is an extremely important step for any company aiming to effectively reach the widest possible audience. E-commerce is a massive market generating equally massive revenues. In 2024, the global value of online sales exceeded $4.1 trillion. Experts predict that by 2029, this value could surpass a staggering $6.4 trillion.

Naturally, the question arises: How can a business claim its share of this ever-growing pie? One of the fastest and simplest ways to enter the online sales market is to use one of the many available e-commerce platforms.

In today’s article, we’ll focus on two of them: Shopify and Adobe Commerce. By the end of this article, you’ll understand:

• the differences between the two platforms,
• their recommended use cases,
• why companies choose to adopt them.

General platform comparison

Each platform is tailored to a different audience. Depending on specific needs, both platforms can be a suitable choice.

Adobe Commerce PaaS – for whom?

Adobe Commerce PaaS is a good choice if:

• scalability (support for multiple brands, languages, and complex content hierarchies) and platform personalization are a priority
• you need to manage a large and complex product catalog
• you have the technical expertise required to manage and maintain Adobe Commerce
• you already use other Adobe products (e.g., Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Target, Adobe Campaign/Adobe Journey Optimizer, or Adobe Analytics)

Adobe Commerce is an excellent solution for medium to large companies, B2B/wholesale models, businesses needing broad customization options, and those with internal development teams capable of building unique solutions.

A noteworthy development is that Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service is expected to launch in June 2025. This SaaS version of Adobe Commerce has the potential to stand out due to its performance. Time will tell if it’s efficient enough to attract a new group of customers.

Shopify – for whom?

Shopify, on the other hand, is a good solution if:

• you want a platform that can be quickly and easily set up without extensive technical knowledge
• you don’t require a high level of customization
• using optional apps/plugins instead of custom solutions is sufficient for your business needs

Shopify is well-suited for fast-growing businesses, D2C brands, multi-channel retailers (web, social media, etc.), and companies valuing simplicity and ease of use.

Many companies sell products using either Shopify or Adobe Commerce. Example companies include:

Pricing

Shopify

Shopify offers various pricing plans for small entrepreneurs and medium to large businesses. Prices start at €27/month for the basic plan, ideal for individual sellers. The most expensive option is the Plus plan, which starts at $2,300/month and is designed for enterprise-level customers.

Additionally, Shopify charges a transaction fee unless you use Shopify Payments. There are also potential additional costs for apps and themes needed to extend your store’s functionality. Exact pricing can be found here.

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerce will be available as a PaaS (Adobe Commerce on Cloud) and, soon, as a SaaS (Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service) starting in June 2025. Exact pricing isn’t publicly available, as offers are customized individually. Final costs depend on hosting, technical support, optional plugins, and integrations. GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) is the most critical cost determinant – higher GMV equals higher licensing fees. Based on historical data, total annual costs can range from hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, exact pricing depends on each client’s situation. The pricing for the SaaS version has not yet been disclosed.

Product management

At the heart of any e-commerce platform are the products being sold. Ease (or difficulty) in managing them can determine a business’s success. How do both platforms handle the product management topic?

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerceprovides a robust solution for companies with complex product structures and data requirements. It supports six native product types, including bundled and grouped products, offering greater control over product presentation and sales.

It allows for wide-ranging customization but often requires more technical expertise. Performance is also high – Adobe Commerce can handle 10,500 orders and 550,000 page visits per hour, with page load times under 1.7 seconds for 99% of pages. Moreover, CSV-based import/export makes managing product data relatively straightforward.

Shopify

Shopify, in contrast, supports fewer product types – simple, downloadable, and virtual products. However, product variants can help achieve more granular control.

CSV-based import/export is also available, making product updates very easy despite Shopify’s more limited native product types.

Multi-store management

Business growth often involves launching new products and opening new dedicated stores. Let’s explore in detail how both solutions help you manage such processes.

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commercehandles managing an extensive network of stores exceptionally well. This is one of the platform’s main strengths, allowing companies like Warner Music and Nestlé (both of which own multiple brands) to manage over 100 websites from a single account.

To manage multiple stores simultaneously, Adobe Commerce merchants can choose a centralized approach to streamline operations and ensure a consistent brand experience. However, the real power of Adobe Commerce lies in its ability to manage each store individually. All stores can be controlled from a single admin panel – even if they differ in domains, languages, currencies, or product offerings with different pricing for various customer groups.

Shopify

What about Shopify? With this e-commerce solution, companies can operate one primary store and up to nine additional stores. Each extra store requires an additional fee. Inventory, orders, customers, and content can be easily managed from a single admin panel for all stores. This simplifies operations and ensures brand consistency across all storefronts.

Global markets

A key step in maximizing profits is often making a product available in markets beyond the domestic one. A network of international stores can quickly increase the complexity of managing an e-commerce platform. So, how do both solutions handle this challenge?

Adobe Commerce

It’s no exaggeration to say that Adobe Commerceis one of the best platforms for internationalization. It provides excellent tools for managing detailed aspects of language translation, currency formatting, and regional tax regulations for each target market. This level of personalization allows businesses to create unique experiences for each region, potentially boosting customer engagement.

However, this level of control comes at a cost. Adobe Commerce requires more technical expertise to configure and manage effectively. Additionally, the cost of extra licenses for each store can add up quickly for companies managing a wide network of localized storefronts.

Shopify

For companies using Shopify that want to expand beyond their home country, Shopify Markets is an ideal tool. It enables the creation and management of storefronts for up to 50 different markets, offering impressive flexibility in serving a truly global audience.

That said, Shopify has some limitations in this area. You cannot assign products to specific inventory locations based on market, or use separate legal entities for complex financial management.

Analytics

Accurate information about products sold through an e-commerce platform is crucial for making informed decisions in the future. The best way to achieve this is by using analytical data. So, how do both platforms handle data reporting?

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerce’snative reporting capabilities are not its strongest point. However, the platform offers an add-on that significantly enhances its reporting potential: Magento BI (now known as Adobe Commerce BI). It functions as a data warehouse, centralizing information from various sources across a company’s ecosystem.

Shopify

Shopify takes a different approach, prioritizing user-friendliness and essential metrics. Its clear interface makes navigating and understanding key data points a breeze.

Pre-built reports cover all the essential indicators needed to monitor store performance, including sales results, customer behavior, and inventory levels. Additionally, users can filter and edit data to create custom reports tailored to their specific needs.

Payments

Without a payment system, an e-commerce platform wouldn’t make much sense – after all, all the products listed are meant to be sold 😊. So, how do both platforms handle payments?

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerceoffers a wide range of payment options, including built-in integrations with Braintree, Adyen, Stripe, and most major payment gateways. Additionally, the platform includes a number of pre-integrated payment solutions out of the box, minimizing the effort required for integration.

However, you do need to cover transaction fees for online payments, which typically range from 2% to 4% of the transaction value. These fees cover credit card processing and payment platform costs. Popular solutions like PayPal and Stripe, which are easy to integrate and require no setup fees, charge transaction fees starting at 2.9%.

Shopify

For Shopify, a key feature is its native payment gateway, Shopify Payments, which offers competitive credit card processing fees starting at 1.6%. This means you don’t have to pay the additional ~0.15% transaction fees that apply when using external payment providers.

Shopify Payments comes with many benefits, but it also has some drawbacks, including the requirement for a registered business and a local bank account in each country of operation. Shopify Payments is not available in some regions and does not support certain countries, such as France.

Platform customization and flexibility

With the vast number of online stores out there, it’s crucial for any e-commerce business to stand out from the competition. So, what customization tools do these two platforms offer?

Adobe Commerce

Adobe is well-known for its extensive customization capabilities. The platform retains much of the flexibility of its open-source version, allowing businesses to tailor the design, layout, and functionality of their online stores.

You can integrate custom themes and third-party extensions to enhance user experience and performance. Adobe Commerce also provides robust APIs and developer tools to create highly personalized shopping experiences.

Shopify

Shopify,on the other hand, offers extensive customization options with a strong focus on ease of use. Merchants can control the design, layout, and user experience through an intuitive theme editor.

The platform also supports custom checkout experiences, enabling the addition of branding elements and custom fields for a smooth checkout process. The Script Editor further enhances customization by allowing businesses to add custom scripts for dynamic pricing rules and personalized promotions.

SEO

Good search engine optimization is an essential component of a successful online store. So, how do both platforms support better store visibility?

Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerceoffers greater control, allowing customization of URL structures and the addition of technical SEO features. However, this flexibility requires more effort and technical knowledge to implement effectively.

Shopify

On the other hand, Shopify focuses on ease of use, offering several built-in SEO features that work well out of the box. However, its fixed URL structure and limited SEO customization options can make advanced SEO tasks more challenging. The simplicity reduces initial setup time but may limit your SEO potential in the long run.

Summary

Choosing the right e-commerce platform should be based on a thorough analysis of your needs and the scale of your business operations.

For small businesses, companies that don’t require extensive customization, or those that prefer not to invest in dedicated platform management teams, Shopify is a solid option. On the other hand, businesses that prioritize deep personalization, seek highly tailored solutions, have a larger budget, and are capable of handling the technical demands of managing a complex platform will find Adobe Commerce to be a fitting choice.

Sources

• E-commerce worldwide – statistics & facts
• 14 Ecommerce Trends Powering Online Retail in 2025
• Shopify – plany i ceny
• Shopify Payments
• Adobe Commerce (Magento). Powerful alone. A force when combined
• Top 53 of The Biggest Brands & Names On Shopify
• Popular brand that use Adobe Commerce
• Shopify. Introducing Markets: A Unified Home for Business Expansion
• Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service: Will It Finally Close the Gap?
• How Much Is Adobe Commerce Pricing? 2025 Breakdown
• Adobe Commerce 2.4.2 Performance Benchmarks