Shopify vs Magento and Adobe Commerce: total cost, B2B and control
Magento gives you full control of code, data and checkout, and makes you responsible for hosting, patching and upgrades on Adobe's release schedule. Shopify takes that work off your plate in exchange for a fixed platform and plan fees. For mid-size B2B and retail brands, Shopify's native B2B now covers most of what Adobe Commerce B2B does, except negotiable quotes and requisition lists.
Control versus upkeep
Magento's appeal has always been control: your code, your database, your checkout. The cost is that you also own the server, the search service, the PHP version and every security patch. Adobe sets a support window for each release line1, so falling behind means an upgrade project on top of normal work.
Shopify trades that control for a platform you don't maintain. You can't change how the checkout works below Plus, and you can't run arbitrary server code. You also don't patch anything.
Where the money goes on each platform
Adobe doesn't publish Adobe Commerce licence prices and hosting varies too much to quote, so we list cost lines rather than invent totals.
| Cost line | Magento Open Source / Adobe Commerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open Source: free. Adobe Commerce: quoted by Adobe | Plan: $39 to $399/mo, Plus from $2,300/mo2 |
| Hosting and search | Servers plus OpenSearch, sized and paid by you (Adobe Commerce Cloud bundles hosting) | Included |
| Security patches and upgrades | Your developers apply them, within Adobe's support window per release1 | Platform handled by Shopify |
| Extensions vs apps | One-off licences plus upgrade compatibility work | Monthly app subscriptions |
| Checkout | Fully customisable | Shopify checkout; Plus for deeper changes3 |
| Developer time | Ongoing retainer is typical | Mostly theme and app work |
Adobe Commerce B2B next to Shopify B2B
| B2B capability | Adobe Commerce B2B | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Company accounts and roles | Yes | Companies, locations, contacts with permissions |
| Shared / custom catalogs | Shared catalogs | Catalogs: 3 below Plus, unlimited on Plus4 |
| Negotiable quotes | Yes | No native quotes |
| Requisition lists | Yes | No; reorder and quick order list |
| Payment on account / terms | Yes | Net 7 to 90 on all plans5 |
| Quantity rules and tier prices | Tier prices | Quantity rules and price breaks |
| Separate B2B and retail experience in one store | Websites and store views | Advanced or Plus (contextual storefront)4 |
When Magento is still the right platform
- Your pricing, inventory or order routing lives in custom Magento modules that would have to be rebuilt as private apps.
- Negotiable quotes and requisition lists are central to how your buyers order.
- You run many websites and store views with genuinely different catalogs from one admin.
- You have an in-house Magento team and the hosting and upgrade cost is already absorbed.
If you do move
The work is in translating Magento's data model: configurable products, attribute sets, store views and the url_rewrite table. The Magento to Shopify migration page has the full object map and the .html redirect rules. Manufacturers and distributors should also read Is Shopify good for manufacturers and distributors?
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Sources
- Adobe Experience League: Commerce software lifecycle policy, checked October 22, 2026.
- Shopify pricing, checked October 22, 2026.
- Shopify Help Center: Checkout apps, checked October 19, 2026.
- Shopify Help Center: B2B features by plan, checked October 19, 2026.
- Shopify Help Center: B2B payment terms, checked October 19, 2026.