Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) alternatives – provider comparison

Magento was one of the most well-known ecommerce platforms on the market for many years. Today, the solution continues under the name Adobe Commerce and is offered as part of the Adobe Experience Cloud – with a new strategic direction, but still built on the familiar Magento technology. Magento Open Source remains available as an open-source version.

The market continues to evolve, along with expectations for scalable, integration-ready commerce platforms. This article provides an overview of Magento’s core characteristics and highlights the capabilities a modern alternative should offer.

What defines Adobe Commerce

The software allows you to manage multiple stores through a single administration. Features such as multiple currencies, language versions, and pricing rules are available out of the box. This makes the system well-suited for scenarios involving structured product data and international sales.

Additional services from the Adobe portfolio can be integrated, for example for web analytics, content delivery, or customer segmentation. This connection supports commerce processes and helps streamline marketing and sales activities.

For B2B use cases, Adobe Commerce provides tools such as company account management and quote management. APIs make it possible to separate frontend and backend operations. With PWA Studio, you can build custom storefronts and connect them to the system’s core logic.

What should a Magento alternative cover?

It’s important to define early on which integrations are relevant for your existing system landscape. This typically includes ERP, CRM, or payment providers.

There are also different hosting options to consider. Think about whether a cloud-based setup or a self-managed infrastructure better fits your requirements. Factors such as scalability, maintenance, and data protection play a key role here.

If you work with structured product data, clean and logical data management is essential. Make sure the platform allows you to organize variants, categories, and filters in a consistent way. For businesses operating across multiple markets or languages, built-in support for localization and currency management can save significant time.

If you plan to separate frontend and backend development, an API-first architecture can be a strong advantage. It enables you to build custom storefronts and offers greater flexibility when integrating external systems.

Finally, legal requirements should be easy to implement within the platform. Check whether features such as consent management, access control, and audit-proof data handling are supported.

Short and to the point – what should you look for?

• How well does the system integrate with your existing tech stack?

• Does the pricing model align with your business model?

• What level of effort is required for setup, daily operations, and maintenance?

• What experience do service providers or agencies have with the platform?

• Is the user interface designed so your team can work efficiently?

• Does the platform support scaling across markets, regions, or customer segments?

8 Magento alternatives at a glance

1) Shopware

• Origin and concept: Shopware is an open-source ecommerce platform developed in Germany, known for its flexibility and scalability.

• Technology: It features a modular architecture that allows customization across many areas. Thanks to its API-first approach, it scales efficiently and supports modern commerce setups. Shopware offers both self-hosted solutions and cloud options.

• Target audience: The platform is widely used by large and internationally operating businesses. It supports multiple languages, currencies, and country-specific tax rules.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025):

Shopware offers several plans tailored to different needs:

• Community Edition: Free open-source version with core features

• Rise: Starting from €600 per month

• Evolve: Starting from €2,400 per month

• Beyond: Starting from €6,500 per month

Additional costs may apply depending on your setup, for example:

• Hosting: For self-hosted deployments, infrastructure and server costs apply.

• Extensions: Costs for plugins and themes from the Shopware Store.

2) BigCommerce

• Origin and concept: BigCommerce is a US-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform with hosting fully managed by the provider.

• Technology: As a SaaS solution, BigCommerce handles hosting and infrastructure. SEO and marketing features come preconfigured and can be extended depending on the selected plan. The platform also offers an open API and a wide range of integrations.

• Target audience: The system provides interfaces to connect ERP and CRM tools, making it suitable for businesses with existing system landscapes.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: BigCommerce):

BigCommerce offers several pricing tiers (based on monthly billing):

• Standard: $39 per month – up to $50,000 in annual online sales

• Plus: $105 per month – includes advanced marketing tools and customer segmentation; up to $180,000 in annual online sales

• Pro: $399 per month – designed for higher sales volumes and more advanced features; up to $400,000 in annual online sales

• Enterprise: Custom pricing – tailored solutions for large businesses with specific requirements

3) WooCommerce

• Origin and concept: WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that adds ecommerce functionality to existing websites.

• Technology: It is a self-hosted solution that can be extended through a wide range of themes and plugins.

• Target audience: WooCommerce is primarily used by businesses already running WordPress or those looking to combine content and commerce in a single platform.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: WooCommerce):

While WooCommerce itself is free, additional costs may apply:

• Premium themes: One-time costs starting at around €50, depending on the theme

• Plugins and extensions: Additional fees may apply depending on functionality and requirements

4) Commercetools

• Origin and concept: Commercetools is a Germany-based company offering a cloud commerce platform.

• Technology: As a cloud-native platform, Commercetools is available exclusively as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution. It follows a microservices-based, API-first, and headless architecture.

• Target audience: According to the company, the platform is designed for businesses looking for scalable and highly customizable commerce solutions.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Commercetools):

The Core Commerce, Foundry, and Premium editions are listed on the website without public pricing (pricing available upon request).

5) Spryker

• Origin and concept: Spryker is a commerce solution developed in Germany.

• Technology: Spryker is built on a modular, headless, and API-first architecture. It offers flexible hosting options, including both on-premise and cloud deployments.

• Target audience: According to the company, Spryker is used by businesses with complex customization needs, particularly in B2B environments.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Spryker):

Spryker provides flexible pricing models similar to other enterprise platforms. It offers four main packages:

• B2B Commerce

• Enterprise Marketplace

• Unified Commerce

• B2C Commerce

Pricing is not publicly listed and is available upon request.

6) Shopify

• Origin and concept: Shopify is a cloud-based service (software as a service) founded in Canada.

• Technology: Shopify includes hosting as part of its SaaS model. Extensions and additional features can be added through its dedicated app store.

• Target audience: According to the company, Shopify is used globally by a wide range of businesses – from small stores to larger enterprises.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Shopify):

Shopify offers three main pricing plans (based on monthly billing):

• Basic: €36 per month

• Shopify: €105 per month – includes additional features such as professional reports and more staff accounts

• Advanced Shopify: €384 per month – includes advanced reporting and lower transaction fees

Additional costs may apply depending on your setup:

• Transaction fees: When using third-party payment providers, Shopify charges fees of 2%, 1%, or 0.5% per transaction, depending on the plan

• Apps and themes: Additional costs for extensions and design templates

Shopify currently offers a 25% discount on annual subscriptions for the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans.

7) Adobe Commerce

• Origin and concept: Adobe Commerce evolved from Magento and is now part of Adobe.

• Technology: According to the provider, the platform includes extensive features for both B2C and B2B use cases. It offers both on-premise and cloud hosting options, giving businesses flexibility in how they manage and control their data. The system is built on a modular architecture with a comprehensive API and a large marketplace for extensions.

• Target audience: Adobe Commerce is used by both mid-sized and large enterprises, according to the vendor.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Adobe):

Adobe Commerce is generally available in two packages: Adobe Commerce Pro and an additional Managed Services offering, which – according to Adobe – helps reduce risks and operational disruptions.

Pricing is based on annual gross merchandise value (GMV) and average order value (AOV). A custom quote is required for precise pricing.

Additional costs may apply, for example:

• Extensions: Fees for additional modules and plugins

• Support and maintenance: Ongoing costs for updates and technical support

8) Salesforce Commerce Cloud

• Origin and concept: Salesforce Commerce Cloud, originally known as Demandware, was acquired by Salesforce in 2016 and integrated into the Salesforce product ecosystem.

• Technology: The cloud-based platform is built on a multi-layered architecture, including an Oracle database, web and application servers, and load balancers.

• Target audience: Salesforce Commerce Cloud is designed for businesses looking for a scalable ecommerce solution.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Salesforce):

Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers several editions, with pricing based on gross merchandise value (GMV):

• Commerce Cloud Growth: 1% of GMV – includes up to six storefronts

• Commerce Cloud Advanced: 2% of GMV – includes up to ten storefronts

• Commerce Cloud B2C Premium: Custom pricing – includes unlimited storefronts

How to find the right Magento alternative

The best way to evaluate a platform is to look at the bigger picture – technology, operations, organization, and long-term strategy all need to work together. The following points can help you make a more informed decision.

Is Shopware the right alternative for you?

Als deIf Shopware’s capabilities sound like a good fit for your needs, you can book a personalized demo. This allows you to explore how the platform is structured and which features are most relevant for your specific use case.

Magento alternative – frequently asked questions

Further ecommerce platform alternatives in comparison

If you’re exploring additional providers, you can find more comparisons here:

• Shopify alternatives

• Spryker alternatives

• Salesforce alternatives

• BigCommerce alternatives

• SAP Commerce Cloud alternatives

Sources:

1. https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/commerce-operations/configuration-guide/multi-sites/ms-overview, August 2025.

2. https://business.adobe.com/en/products/commerce.html, August 2025.

3. https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/commerce-admin/b2b/introduction, August 2025.

4. https://successive.tech/blog/conquering-global-markets-bigcommerces-guide-to-international-expansion/, August 2025.

5. https://www.capterra.com.de/reviews/174960/commercetools, August 2025.