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Magento vs. Adobe Commerce

Magento vs. Adobe Commerce: Choosing the Best E-Commerce Solution

Hosting
Antony Atkins
December 2, 2024

As e-commerce continues to grow, selecting the right platform can be crucial for the success of your online store. Among the most popular solutions are Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce. Both platforms, backed by Adobe, offer robust features, but they cater to different types of businesses. This guide provides a comprehensive comparison to help you decide which platform suits your needs.

Magento Open Source is a free, open-source e-commerce platform designed for businesses that want full control over their online store's development and customization.

Key Features:
  • Flexibility and Customization: Open-source code allows developers to create unique features tailored to business needs.
  • Large Developer Community: Access to forums, Slack groups, and meetups for support and ideas.
  • Extensive Marketplace: Thousands of third-party extensions and themes.
  • Cost-Effective: No licensing fees, but hosting and development costs are required.
Ideal for startups and small businesses, Magento Open Source provides a cost-effective entry point to e-commerce.

Ideal for startups and small businesses, Magento Open Source provides a cost-effective entry point to e-commerce.
Adobe Commerce, previously known as Magento Commerce, is a premium e-commerce platform offering advanced features, enterprise-level support, and seamless integration with Adobe’s ecosystem.

Key Features:
  • Advanced Tools: AI-powered live search, business intelligence, and loyalty programs.
  • Scalability: Built for high-traffic sites with enterprise needs.
  • Cloud Hosting: Adobe Commerce Cloud ensures PCI compliance, performance monitoring, and DDoS protection.
  • Comprehensive Support: Official support, technical documentation, and service-level agreements (SLAs).

Adobe Commerce is best suited for large businesses and enterprises seeking a feature-rich platform with robust support.


Magento was launched in 2008 as an open-source e-commerce platform. Adobe acquired Magento in 2018, rebranding its commercial edition as Adobe Commerce while continuing to offer Magento Open Source.

This acquisition integrated Magento into Adobe’s ecosystem, offering tools like Adobe Sensei for AI-driven insights and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) for enhanced content management.


Both platforms share core functionality, but Adobe Commerce offers advanced tools designed for larger businesses.

Magento Open Source:
  • Core Features: Order management, catalog management, basic SEO tools.
  • Extensions: Requires third-party modules for additional functionality.
  • Basic Analytics: Relies on Google Analytics or similar tools.

Adobe Commerce:
  • Advanced Tools: AI-driven product recommendations, loyalty programs, and enhanced analytics.
  • B2B Functionality: Tailored features for wholesalers and large-scale operations.
  • Seamless Integration: Sync with Adobe’s marketing and content tools like AEM.


Magento Open Source requires technical expertise for setup and maintenance, while Adobe Commerce simplifies operations with cloud hosting and built-in support.
  • Magento Open Source: Best for developers and businesses with in-house tech teams.
  • Adobe Commerce: User-friendly for enterprises, thanks to Adobe’s managed solutions.


Magento Open Source:
  • Free to use, but costs include hosting, domain registration, and development.
  • Average total cost: $1,500–$5,000/year depending on store size.

Adobe Commerce:
  • Licensing fees start at $22,000/year for small businesses, scaling up for larger organizations.
  • Additional costs: Managed hosting, integrations, and enterprise support.


Magento Open Source benefits from a vast global community, while Adobe Commerce offers premium enterprise support.

Migrating to Adobe Commerce offers several benefits, particularly for growing businesses:

  • Enhanced Performance: Managed cloud hosting improves speed and reliability.
  • Scalability: Handles high-traffic stores with ease.
  • AI Integration: Advanced analytics and live search optimize user experience.
Is Magento Open Source free?
Yes, but hosting and development costs apply.

Does Adobe own Magento?
Yes, Adobe acquired Magento in 2018.

Can I switch from Magento Open Source to Adobe Commerce?
Yes, migration is possible and offers enhanced features and support.

What is Adobe Commerce Cloud?
It’s the cloud-hosted version of Adobe Commerce, offering managed services and scalability.


When deciding between Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce, consider:

  1. Budget: Do you have the resources for licensing and enterprise-level support?
  2. Technical Expertise: Can your team manage a self-hosted platform?
  3. Business Scale: Are you running a small business or a high-traffic enterprise?
  4. Feature Needs: Do you need advanced tools like AI recommendations or B2B modules?
Choose Magento Open Source if:
  • You’re a small business with a limited budget.
  • You need complete control over customization.
Choose Adobe Commerce if:
  • You’re a growing enterprise requiring scalability.
  • You need advanced tools and enterprise-level support.
An e-commerce platform's performance and reliability heavily depend on the hosting environment. Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce have specific hosting requirements to ensure smooth operations, fast loading speeds, and robust security. This section outlines the key hosting requirements, evaluates various hosting solutions, and provides tailored recommendations for e-commerce businesses.
Both Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce demand powerful hosting solutions that can handle their resource-intensive nature. Here are the core requirements to consider:

Server Performance
  • High CPU capacity and memory (RAM) to handle large catalogs and heavy traffic.
  • Fast SSD storage for quick data retrieval and faster page load times.
  • Support for technologies like PHP 8.1, MySQL 8, Elasticsearch, and Redis.

Scalability
  • The ability to scale resources up or down based on traffic spikes, particularly during sales events or seasonal campaigns.

PCI Compliance
  • Essential for secure payment processing to protect customer data and maintain trust.

Security Features
  • Protection against DDoS attacks, malware, and unauthorized access.
  • Regular backups and data encryption to ensure business continuity.

Uptime and Reliability
  • A minimum uptime guarantee of 99.9% to minimize disruptions and revenue loss.
Finding the right hosting environment is critical to support the performance and growth of your e-commerce store. Below is a comparison of popular hosting options:

Shared Hosting
  • Pros: Cost-effective, beginner-friendly.
  • Cons: Limited resources, unsuitable for high-traffic websites.
Best for: Small stores with minimal traffic.

Dedicated Servers
  • Pros: Full control, dedicated resources, high security.
  • Cons: Expensive, requires technical expertise to manage.
Best for: Established businesses with consistent, high traffic.

Cloud Hosting
  • Pros: Scalability, flexible pricing, high performance.
  • Cons: Requires careful configuration and management.
Best for: Growing e-commerce stores needing reliable scalability and global reach.

At Scalesta, hosting isn’t just about powerful servers—it’s about providing a complete, worry-free solution. Our managed hosting goes beyond delivering exceptional speed and reliability. With 99.9% uptime, proactive monitoring, and automated 30-day backups, we ensure your website is always fast, stable, and secure.

Our expert team of DevOps and SysOps engineers takes care of every aspect of your infrastructure, so you can focus on growing your business without getting bogged down by technical challenges. From optimizing performance to safeguarding your data, we’ve got you covered.

Let us handle the heavy lifting while you concentrate on what truly matters: your business success.

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