As a partner of both platforms, here is how we choose between Shopify and Magento based on margins, catalogue size and target markets.
At BusinessLabs we work on both platforms every day, and the question we get most often is always the same: "Shopify or Magento?". The honest answer depends on three concrete variables.
1. Catalogue complexity
Shopify excels with linear catalogues, limited variants and a strong commercial push. Magento (Adobe Commerce) remains unbeatable when you need multiple price lists, B2B logic, customer-specific pricing and thousands of SKUs with technical attributes.
2. Markets and currencies
Companies selling across countries with different tax regimes get an extremely fast time-to-market with Shopify Markets. But if you need specific customs rules, multiple warehouses and deep ERP integrations, Magento offers control no SaaS can replicate.
3. Total cost, not subscription
The subscription is only one line item. Development, maintenance, security, hosting and team cost all matter. Below EUR 3M in revenue Shopify almost always wins; above that, it depends on operational complexity.
Our method
We always start with an audit: margin per channel, logistics, payments, international roadmap. Only then do we pick the platform, never the other way around.
Conclusions
There is no absolute best platform: there is the one consistent with your business model. As both a Shopify and Magento partner we can say plainly which one is worth it, even when the answer is "neither, for now".
CEO & Co-Founder of BusinessLabs. I have attended major international trade shows since 2015 and share here experiences and insights for online sellers.
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