The Best CMS eCommerce: Shopify vs WordPress (WooCommerce) vs Magento

Let’s find out!

eCommerce is always on the rise; it never sees a downside. And with the introduction of CMS, eCommerce businesses became more successful, as it became way easier to build, manage, and maintain an online shop. 

The CMS was first introduced in 1989, when Tim Berners-Lee offered HTML and wrote the software in late 1990. By the 2000s, CMS (Content Management System) dominated the web. Soon after that, easy-to-use website-building CMS sites were launched on the market. 

Since then, there has been this question in everyone’s mind: which is the best CMS for eCommerce websites?

For some, WordPress is an ideal CMS for building a website, while others count the benefits of a Shopify website. 

There is a high chance that you are also reading the blog for the same reason.

If you are building a website and are confused about which CMS to use for the same, then it is guaranteed that through this blog you will learn a lot about the features, perks, and drawbacks of using WordPress, Shopify, or Magento. 

I'm sure every one of you has your own opinion about these three development tools. 

If you are wondering which tool to choose, the answer is not that simple. It all depends on your requirements. 

Shopify and WordPress are the two most popular platforms, but Magento offers customizability. Every platform comes with strengths and weaknesses. 

It’s just that you should have knowledge of them, and then only you can choose the best platform to build your website. 

Read till the end to learn all about WordPress, Shopify, and Magento. 

WordPress

WordPress Logo

Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little were the people behind developing WordPress. They launched WordPress in 2003. It is a CMS created to make website building simpler for users with no coding knowledge. 

Individuals with no coding skills can easily build a website or blog from the ground up. The best part is that it’s free and an open-source software system, and anybody can use it, change it, or contribute to its codebase.

Moreover, the open-source software system of WordPress is end-to-end encrypted, so you can utilize it on your own web server or through a hosting firm. It’s versatile and very easy to use, making it popular among users. 

Do you know the names of some of the best WordPress-powered web apps? The popular web apps with WordPress CMS are- Sony Music, TechCrunch, Time Magazine, and the PlayStation Blog.  

Shopify

Shopify Logo

Shopify is again a simple-to-use tool for all online merchants. It also includes a POS (Point-of-Sale) system for accepting payments in physical stores. It was launched in 2004.  Through Shopify, businesses can create a multi-channel experience that will make their brand stand out. With Shopify, you can build a website and use the shipping cart feature to sell, ship, and manage your products. 

It comprises a variety of tools that will help you refine every area of your online store. One can even create a personalized online experience for customers and thus increase the ROI. 

Some popular Shopify-powered web apps are- Omaze, Decathlon, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Fashion Nova, and ColorPop Cosmetics. 

Magento

magento logo

Magento is a super-duper eCommerce platform. It is created with open-source software by Roy Rubin in 2008. Magento allows users to customize the appearance, accessibility, and content according to their online business without sacrificing the premium/purchasing option. 

Magento has now been acquired by Adobe. 

Along with this, Magneto offers other essential tools and features, and by essential features, I also mean SEO, covering marketing, SEO, and catalog management software. 

This platform is suitable for all store sizes. Some of the amazing Magento-powered web apps are Asus, Ford, Kipling, Land Rover, and Court Asia. 

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento: Features

A comparison is a must when we have to pick one of the three best available options. So, let’s do the comparison on the basis of features first. 

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento: Ease of use 

Many store owners and merchants have rated Shopify as the most user-friendly platform on the market. Shopify comes with a drag-and-drop store builder and multiple in-built tools in a simple interface. This will be helpful in running and managing the business smoothly. 

In WordPress, you can install the WooCommerce plugin or hire a WordPress hosting company that will handle your WordPress hosting and installation. And you only have to take care of the WooCommerce part. Once you activate the WooCommerce plugin, you can see the on-screen setup. Through this, you can easily select the parameters of your specific store and can get everything configured, like currency settings, shipping, payment gateways, tax, etc. 

Magento is a bit complicated in comparison to the other two. Although it is a feature-rich platform used by businesses of all sizes, it can be a bit challenging for those who have no experience in web development. 

While Magento offers a lot of flexibility and customization options, it also requires technical expertise to set up, configure, and maintain. The learning curve can be steep, and it can take time to become proficient in using the platform.

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento: Security

Shopify is a fully hosted platform, which means that all security updates and patches are automatically applied by Shopify. This eliminates the need for users to worry about updating their platform and plugins regularly. Shopify also offers SSL encryption by default, which secures all transactions made on the platform.

WordPress is a self-hosted platform, which means that users are responsible for updating their platform and plugins to ensure that they are running the latest security patches. WordPress offers various security plugins, including Wordfence and Sucuri, that can be installed to enhance the platform's security. Additionally, users can enable SSL encryption on their WordPress site to secure transactions.

Magento is an open-source platform that is self-hosted, similar to WordPress. Like WordPress, users are responsible for keeping their platform and plugins up-to-date with the latest security patches. Magento offers several security features, including two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA integration, and IP whitelisting. Additionally, users can enable SSL encryption to secure transactions made on their online store.

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento:  Performance

Since Shopify is a fully-hosted platform, its performance is optimized for speed and reliability. Shopify handles all server management and infrastructure, so users don't need to worry about hosting, caching, or server optimization. This can result in faster page load times and a more reliable user experience overall.

WordPress is a self-hosted platform, which means that users are responsible for managing their own hosting and server infrastructure. As such, WordPress performance can be affected by the quality of the hosting provider, the chosen plugins and themes, and other factors. However, there are many caching and optimization plugins available for WordPress that can help improve performance.

Magento is also a self-hosted platform, which means that users have control over their hosting and server infrastructure. Magento offers powerful caching mechanisms and other performance optimizations, but these may require more technical knowledge to set up and configure. Additionally, Magento's robust feature set can result in slower page load times if not properly optimized.

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento: SEO Features

Shopify offers built-in SEO features, including customizable meta tags, URL optimization, and sitemap generation. Shopify also automatically generates sitemaps, canonical URLs, and robots.txt files. Additionally, Shopify allows users to add alt text to images, which can improve image search rankings.

WordPress offers a wide range of SEO plugins, including Yoast SEO and All-in-One SEO Pack, that can help users optimize their website's SEO. WordPress allows users to customize their URL structure, meta tags, and sitemap. Additionally, WordPress offers a range of caching and optimization plugins that can help improve website speed, which can have a positive impact on search rankings.

Magento offers a range of built-in SEO features, including customizable meta tags, URL optimization, and sitemap generation. Magento also offers canonical tags, structured data markup, and rich snippets, which can improve search rankings. Additionally, Magento offers a range of SEO-friendly extensions that can help optimize product pages and improve website speed.

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento: Support

Shopify offers 24/7 support to its users via phone, email, and live chat. Shopify also has an extensive knowledge base and help center, which includes documentation, tutorials, and a community forum. Additionally, Shopify offers a network of experts who can provide custom development and design services.

WordPress offers support through its documentation, community forums, and third-party plugins and themes. WordPress does not offer direct support, but users can reach out to their hosting provider or the developer of a specific plugin or theme for assistance. Additionally, WordPress offers a network of experts who can provide custom development and design services.

Magento offers support through its documentation, community forums, and direct support for users with an active Magento support agreement. Magento also offers a network of partners and certified developers who can provide custom development and design services.

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento:  Pricing

Shopify is a fully-hosted platform with pricing plans that range from $29 to $299 per month, plus transaction fees for certain payment gateways. Shopify's plans include hosting, security, and support, as well as access to a range of features and apps.

WordPress is a free and open-source platform, but users will need to pay for web hosting, a domain name, and potentially premium themes and plugins. WordPress hosting costs can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the hosting provider and plan chosen. Additionally, premium themes and plugins can range in price from a few dollars to several hundred dollars.

Magento was a free and open-source platform but was later acquired by Adobe. Adobe used Magento and introduced their advanced eCommerce Platform named Adobe Commerce which is fully backed by Magento and comes with hosting, server, and other supportive services like Shopify. Additionally, premium themes and extensions can range in price from a few dollars to several hundred dollars.

Shopify vs WordPress vs Magento: Add-ons

Shopify offers an extensive app store with over 4,000 apps that can be used to add features such as shipping, marketing, and inventory management. Shopify also allows users to install custom apps and provides an API for developers to create their own integrations.

WordPress has over 50,000 plugins available through the WordPress Plugin Directory, offering a range of features such as SEO, social media integration, and eCommerce functionality. WordPress also allows users to install custom plugins and provides an API for developers to create their own integrations.

Magento has over 5,000 extensions available through the Magento Marketplace, offering a range of features such as payment gateways, shipping providers, and marketing tools. Magento also allows users to install custom extensions and provides an API for developers to create their own integrations.

What Makes Shopify Better and Worse Than WordPress and Magento?

Good things first,
Let’s first talk about the things that make Shopify better than WordPress and Magento. 

Shopify doesn't need any type of web hosting. As a business owner or a seller, you only have to pay for the subscription. By doing this only you can optimize your store. However, Magento and WordPress are not that easy to use. Shopify offers all services without any additional charges. 

Also, Shopify offers 24/7 round-the-clock customer support. If you are struggling with any feature or element, just contact support. Their instantaneous support will resolve problems in a very short period. On the other hand, Magento and WordPress have their community-run forums. 

Now, let’s discuss the things that make Shopify worse than WordPress and Magento. 

WordPress and Magento both come with a free version. And so many developers with fewer resources prefer to use the free version. Shopify’s pricing strategy is one reason why potential users avoid using it. The discussion about whether the fee is worth it or not is pointless if a person doesn’t have the means to pay the charges. 

Shopify offers various customization but, it isn’t easy to change the templates, making it a bit complicated. Also, Shopify only provides support for PayPal and takes extra charges for the integration of any other payment gateway. Looking at all this, Shopify can have many expenses. 

What Makes WordPress Better and Worse Than Shopify and Magento?

The things that make WordPress better than Shopify and Magento are:

First, it's free to use. It’s open-source software and so allows others to fiddle with the code. And an active developer’s community takes benefit of this to improve plugins by making changes in the code. 

WordPress also have a paid program. Still, its free version is enough for amateur developers and developing enthusiasts. Basically, WordPress gives power to casual internet scrollers to make it easy to create websites. 

However, the worst trait of WordPress are:

The availability of limited customization makes WordPress worse than Shopify and Magento. The third-party plugins don’t offer high functionality to the website. And it restricts the developers from adding complex features to the website. 

Other than this, Shopify offers more security in comparison to WordPress. Even Magento is more secure compared to WordPress. App development companies always aim to deliver stable and secure platforms, that’s the reason why app development companies avoid using WordPress. 

What Makes Magento Better and Worse Than Shopify and WordPress?

Coming to Magento:

Its customization capability is very high and much better than WordPress and Shopify. It's the best web development option. 

Moreover, the worst trit of Magento is:

It is free to use but is still costly. To build a website on Magento, the business person has to employ a developer and have to pay hosting fees. In the later stages as well, the platform will charge a significant amount of money. 

Plus, it's a complicated platform so only an experienced and skilled developer can give a satisfactory result with Magento. 

So, What’s the Result? Which is the best CMS for eCommerce? 

After comparing and looking into all points, we can say that:

Shopify is no doubt the best CMS for eCommerce for all the medium and small stores that want to grow their business online. 

WordPress can also help small and medium eCommerce stores in an efficient manner. 

However, Magento is the best CMS for eCommerce when it comes to big firms that have massive resources. 

Conclusion

In the past few years, website development has gotten way easier. Aiding it are tools such as WordPress and Shopify. WordPress has made it easy for everyone to hop into web development, and Shopify strengthens the sellers. Plus, you don’t need any external support to set up a store on Shopify. 

On the other hand, Magento is different from both WordPress and Shopify. 

Thus, you have to consider all the above-mentioned aspects to choose the best tool for you. 

I hope this post has provided you with enough information to make your own decision. 

Nevertheless, we have a team of developers that can set up your eCommerce business online with customization. 

Visit our clientele section to see how well-versed Extern Lab is in these areas, or simply contact us.