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Quick Overview
According to one recent study, e-commerce sales are expected to grow another 8.8% by the end of 2024. All told, global e-commerce sales hit $5.82 trillion in 2023 and will hit an estimated $6.33 trillion this year. Not only is the space booming, it's literally more popular than ever with no signs of slowing anytime soon.
That's why picking the right e-commerce platform is critical to your ongoing success as a business leader. To that end, the major question that many find themselves asking is "Adobe Commerce vs Magento Open Source: which one is right for me?" What are the major differences? Is one inherently "better" than the other?
Because Magento Commerce vs Open Source differences aren't quite as straightforward as they might initially seem, the answers to questions like those require you to keep a few key things in mind before deciding to launch a Magento-powered store.
Magento 2 Commerce vs Open Source: Key Difference
Adobe Commerce Cloud is built "on top" of Magento 2, which is the industry-leading e-commerce platform that serves both B2B and B2C organizations. Adobe acquired Magento in 2017, and Magento has been included in the Adobe Commerce offers ever since.
This highlights the main difference between Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce/Magento 2: Magento Open Source is a product of the Magento community while Magento 2 Commerce is part of Adobe’s Platform as a Service (PaaS) package.
Use Cases of Adobe Commerce vs. Magento Open Source
As a rule of thumb, businesses with "high complexity" should pay particular attention to the Magento 2 Open Source vs Commerce debate. The reason why this is important to point out is because, despite their similar names and intentions, Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce Magento 2 are very different products.
Magento 2 (and as a result, Adobe Commerce) is designed with the specifics of B2B commerce in mind. Meanwhile, Magento Open Source is more for B2C situations.
Many of Adobe Magento 2's features make the most sense in a B2B context – from those aimed at offering the largest product catalog possible to robust business intelligence functionality, intending to help brands establish a far-reaching global presence.
The major focus of Magento Open Source is, as stated, on the B2C space. Because of that, this also becomes its primary advantage. As most have come to expect from the Magento platform over the years, Open Source sets out to accomplish a modest goal, and it does so very well.
Magento Open Source vs. Adobe Commerce: Your Guide
So which is better, Magento Open Source vs Commerce? The answer, as always, is "it depends." Specifically – on your business situation, traffic goals, budget, and plans for the near future.
When to Go for Magento Open Source
When you're new to the world of e-commerce and you're opening a store with a B2C focus, your requirements aren't necessarily that complex. You're just trying to get off the ground, so long-term scalability isn't a primary concern. You want to get as much traffic as possible, but enormous traffic volumes aren't likely in your near future. You need a secure way for customers to make secure payments, but compatibility with services like Braintree isn't necessarily a top priority.
If that type of language describes your e-commerce strategy, often you will find Magento Open Source more than acceptable to get the job done. Magento Open Source is free to download and includes features like:
- Multi-store functionality. If you have multiple e-commerce platforms, Magento Open Source can support them all and features can be individually configured on a per-store basis.
- A robust CMS. Magento Open Source includes a page builder that helps with content staging and more to create a better customer experience.
- Pricing and promotion features. Magento Open Source lets you strategically market your products in a way that highlights certain discounts or promotions you may be offering.
With all that in mind, the biggest con of Magento Open Source is its lack of long-term scalability. It can do a lot of things very well... up to a certain point. If your store continues to grow, there will come a day when every advantage of Magento Open Source begins to turn into a limitation that is holding you back.
Which is exactly when Adobe Commerce enters the conversation.
When to Go for Adobe Commerce
Whether you have a B2B focus or are in need of a more robust B2C solution, your best choice is Adobe Commerce. Here, the biggest disadvantage is one of cost. Magento Open Source is free, while you'll pay a license for Adobe Commerce. That license will be dependent on how much revenue you bring in per year.
What you get for that license fee, however, is a solution that is:
- Infinitely more scalable. There are many features that are built into Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce Experience that help grow your e-commerce business from the start.
- Notoriously more secure than Magento Open Source. It includes features like credit card tokenization and more to protect your customers. It is also PCI-compliant. These features alone can prevent the type of data breach that could cause irreparable damage to your reputation.
- Unquestionably more sophisticated. Adobe Commerce includes features like advanced live search functionality, advanced marketing tools like targeting and segmentation, integration with Adobe Experience Manager, and more. Some of these aren't necessary if you're running a modest B2C store, but are an absolute necessity once you need to gain a deep understanding of a B2B audience.
In the End
Which one meets most of your needs? At that point, the answer should become clear. Some e-commerce businesses will benefit greatly from everything Adobe Commerce has to offer, while others will find anything beyond Magento Open Source total overkill. The choice is yours and yours alone to make.
If you'd like to find out more information about the pros and cons of Adobe Commerce vs Magento Open Source, or if you have any additional questions about content staging, management tools, or any related topics, please don't hesitate to contact Transform Agency experts.
Written with the assistance of Sergey G.
Adobe Commerce Business Practitioner | Certified PSM & PSPO at TA
Sergey ensures project success by validating business cases, defining success metrics, and identifying sustainable benefits. His proactive approach leverages existing systems, processes, and data to deliver additional value. Serge excels in planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling all aspects of the project lifecycle, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and strategic oversight.
Sergey ensures project success by validating business cases, defining success metrics, and identifying sustainable benefits. His proactive approach leverages existing systems, processes, and data to deliver additional value. Serge excels in planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling all aspects of the project lifecycle, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and strategic oversight.
