Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify are all popular platforms for eCommerce stores but which of these is the best for a new business? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.
Magento
Magento is an open-source e-commerce platform that has been gaining popularity for some time now. With its user-friendly drag and drop interface, getting to grips with Magento is quick and easy.
Pros
Magento is open-source, making it one of the most flexible platforms out there. Anyone can modify the underlying code to reshape the platform to their needs.
Even without modifications, Magento has plenty of excellent features that make it a powerful ally for any e-commerce business. A large and dedicated userbase means there’s no shortage of plugins and other support to further enhance its capabilities.
Cons
While there is a free version of Magento, the premium versions are expensive. The enterprise version costs more than $15,000; a high price for small businesses and startups.
Despite its large community, authentic Magento developers are thin on the ground. Finding experienced developers to work with is difficult.
WooCommerce
Since launching in 2011, WooCommerce has established itself as a major player in the e-commerce space. It is currently used by more than a fifth of the million largest e-commerce sites in the world.
Pros
WooCommerce is another open-source platform and is also completely free to use. It offers support for all major payment gateways, giving businesses and their users’ plenty of choice for how to pay.
Unlike many competing platforms, WooCommerce offers an array of official extensions to enhance its capabilities.
Cons
The main drawback to WooCommerce is its speed. As a WordPress plugin, it is easy to set up an e-commerce website with WooCommerce. However, its large size means that it takes up a lot of space and isn’t the most nimble platform out there.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the most well-known e-commerce platforms; its reputation has made it the first option that many new businesses turn to. Its built-in SEO features and responsive design further add to its appeal.
Pros
Shopify is a nimble platform with impressive response times. It doesn’t suffer from the same bloat that hamstrings many of its competitors.
Getting set up with Shopify is a straightforward process, you can build an entirely new functioning e-commerce site from scratch in just a few days, complete with a custom domain name.
Cons
Shopify is nimble out the box and offers a range of add-ons through its app store. Unfortunately, installing too many add-ons will slow your store down dramatically.
For businesses without any prior experience, WooCommerce’s WordPress integration means they can get started quickly. On the other hand, Magento is great for businesses that have plenty of technical know-how amongst their staff. If you’re looking to build a lightweight store, Shopify is the way to go.
If you would like any further advice on which CMS is best for your online business, contact us today. We would love to help kickstart your website project!
