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Magento vs Shopify

These are the most popular ecommerce platforms; many people struggle to decide which platform to use for their website. Both platforms offer several great benefits for users and the website owner. In this article, we take a look at both platforms to help you decide which would be best for your website.

Ease of use

When developing a new website, you need to find a platform that suits your capabilities or your developer's capabilities. Shopify is much easier to use; it works using a drag and drop system. Almost anyone can use Shopify, regardless of your technical skills in web development. Magento is a very different platform; it requires a level of technical knowledge and skill that Shopify doesn’t. If you’re planning to use Magento for your website, you’re likely to need to employ a developer that specialises in the platform. However, the more complex nature of Magento means it has many more options and other benefits.

Themes

Each of the platforms has a number of themes you can buy or use for free. These themes are the fundamental starting point for your website design. They include things such as layouts, font colours and the background. Selecting the right theme for your website is very important; it is the first thing that the user will see when they land on your website. Your theme should be consistent with your company branding whilst also reflecting the personality of your business. Shopify has many different themes, some of which are free, and others, you can expect to pay a one-off fee to purchase the theme. Within Shopify, you can easily change certain elements of your theme, such as colours and fonts. However, changing more complex elements of the theme can be restricted to what the builder allows you to do. Magneto has a smaller range of themes that can be costly, but you can completely customise each theme for your personal business needs. The platform's open-source nature allows developers to go in and edit the code directly, so they can achieve exactly what the business needs by editing a theme.

Cost and payment options

Shopify handles all of the hosting and services under one monthly payment made directly to the company. They have three packages available spanning from under £20 a month and going up to £259 per month. Each package includes a different set of features. With Shopify, you need to pay a transaction fee to each payment provider you use. The more expensive package option has a lower rate for each transaction. Magento is an open-source platform with a free option; this means you can install it completely free of charge. However, you will need to arrange your own hosting and pay the associated hosting fees. When using Magento, you will also need to pay transaction fees to payment providers, which are a set price.

Support

To get Magento support, developers will need to use the dedicated forums which compromise millions of expert Magento developers. Businesses who use Magento can get support from web agencies that specialise in building websites on the platform. Shopify offers direct support from the company, and there are people on hand 24/7 to help out with any issues you might be having. The cost for this is included in the monthly fee you will pay for using Shopify as a website platform.

Overall, both Shopify and Magento offer promising solutions to businesses looking to build an ecommerce platform. The main difference between the platforms is the ability to edit the code and the payment options. Shopify is an excellent platform for businesses that want to get up and running very quickly. It is also suitable for companies that don’t have the expertise or money to spend on a developer to create a website for them. Magento is a better solution for businesses with more money to invest in creating a website that is specifically tailored to their needs. Every part of a Magento website can be altered as long as you have the time and skills to update the code. Many businesses outsource their Magento website's design and development to a marketing or development agency that can work together with them to create the best bespoke solution for their needs.

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