Magento is a highly customizable e-commerce platform with strong capabilities for cross-border e-commerce.
Some e-commerce managers may be interested in Magento for reasons such as wanting to focus on cross-border e-commerce or wanting to customize freely.
This article explains in detail Magento's characteristics, features, and usage fees. We also introduce the characteristics of companies for which Magento is recommended, so if you're unsure about adopting it, please read to the end.
What Is the E-Commerce Platform Magento?
Image source: Adobe Commerce
Magento is an open-source e-commerce platform developed by Magento, Inc. in the United States. It was acquired by Adobe in 2018, and is now broadly divided into two versions: the free "Magento Open Source" and the paid "Adobe Commerce."
Of the two, the free version is said to correspond to the original Magento. Both offer high extensibility, and with the right technical skills, you can tailor the site exactly to your preferences.
Support for multiple languages and currencies, giving it strong capabilities for cross-border e-commerce, is one of its major appeals. The "multi-store" feature, which lets you run multiple sites from a single admin dashboard, is also a strength unique to Magento.
Differences Between Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce
The differences between Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce lie in usage fees and features. "Magento Open Source" is free and open source, while "Adobe Commerce" is a paid product.
Magento Open Source also includes the basic features needed to build an e-commerce site, so it can handle typical e-commerce construction and operation without issue. Adobe Commerce implements more advanced features and security than Magento Open Source, and also provides 24/7, 365-day technical support from specialists.
For those who want to run a full-fledged B2B e-commerce site or want to fine-tune design and functionality, Adobe Commerce is likely the better fit.
Benefits of Using Magento
Image source: Adobe Commerce
The benefits of using Magento include the following.
- You can run multiple e-commerce sites from a single admin dashboard
- You can freely add the features you need as your store grows
- Performance stays smooth even when integrating many apps and services
- Multi-language and multi-currency support makes cross-border e-commerce easier
Let's look at each of these in detail.
You Can Run Multiple E-Commerce Sites From a Single Admin Dashboard
While many other e-commerce platforms limit a single account to running just one site, a major appeal of Magento is that it lets you run multiple e-commerce sites from a single admin dashboard.
Running multiple sites can make management tasks more complicated, potentially leading to lost sales opportunities due to human error or stockouts.
You Can Freely Add the Features You Need as Your Store Grows
Magento provides not only the features essential for building an e-commerce site, but also extensions that can be added according to your store's scale and purpose.
A welcome point is that when areas you want to improve come up while running your store, you can simply add an extension, without needing to consider using external apps or services.
Performance Stays Smooth Even When Integrating Many Apps and Services
Through measures to reduce loading times—such as a cache management system and a content delivery network (CDN)—Magento is designed so that display speed does not degrade even as the number of products increases. As a result, you can achieve smooth performance even when integrating numerous apps and services.
Normally, the more products you register, the more a site's display speed tends to slow down, requiring measures such as reducing file sizes or deleting content as needed.
With Magento, however, performance is unlikely to become sluggish if configured correctly. This helps prevent users from leaving due to slow loading speeds.
Multi-Language and Multi-Currency Support Makes Cross-Border E-Commerce Easier
Magento is a platform that supports multiple languages and currencies. It supports more than 200 currencies and 38 languages.
You can also assign a different currency to each e-commerce site you run, and this ease of pursuing cross-border e-commerce is another appeal of Magento.
Drawbacks of Using Magento (Adobe Commerce)
Magento also has the following drawbacks.
- Without English proficiency, it takes time to understand how to use it
- Specialized knowledge is essential for implementation and operation
- Outsourcing site construction can be expensive
Here, we'll explain each of the above points in detail.
Without English Proficiency, It Takes Time to Understand How to Use It
Because Magento is highly customizable, there are many settings and features to configure. Furthermore, most manuals on how to operate and configure it are written in English.
As a result, if you're not comfortable with English or lack specialized knowledge, it may take a considerable amount of time to understand how to use Magento. If you're considering using Magento, we recommend allowing a longer preparation period before starting to run your e-commerce site.
Specialized Knowledge Is Essential for Implementation and Operation
Implementing Magento requires a variety of procedures, such as setting up a database and installing plugins.
During operation, you must handle everything yourself, from backups and data management to security measures. As a result, if you don't have specialized knowledge, there's a good chance you'll need to outsource implementation and operation.
Some other e-commerce carts let you start running a store easily without needing specialized knowledge. If you don't have specialized knowledge, it may be better to consider a different e-commerce cart.
Outsourcing Site Construction Can Be Expensive
Magento is a platform where site construction and customization are relatively difficult. As a result, outsourcing the construction of an e-commerce site on Magento can cost at least ¥3 million or more.
If you plan to run an e-commerce cart on Magento, make sure to check whether you can comfortably operate the site, taking into account not only the ongoing usage fees but also the cost of building the site.
Magento's Usage Fees
Magento Open Source is itself free to use, but costs such as server and domain fees will apply.
Adobe Commerce's usage fees are not publicly disclosed, but it is said that the annual license fee is determined based on your store's circumstances, such as the number of domains and transaction volume.
If you want to know the detailed pricing, please contact Adobe directly through its official website.
A Thorough Comparison of Magento (Adobe Commerce) and Shopify!
Magento is highly extensible and strong for cross-border e-commerce, but Shopify is a similar e-commerce cart.
The major difference between Magento and Shopify is whether the platform is designed to be easy for beginners to use. Magento is highly customizable, but building and operating a site exactly as you envision requires specialized knowledge.
Shopify, on the other hand, allows easy no-code customization of a site. This means even beginners can launch a site immediately after signing up.
Shopify's fees are reasonable, with no setup fee and a monthly fee of roughly a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of yen. This makes it a recommended e-commerce cart for those who want to keep costs as low as possible.
Companies for Which Magento Is Recommended
Magento is recommended for companies with the following characteristics.
- Companies that want to pursue cross-border e-commerce
- Companies that want to run a B2B e-commerce site
- Companies running a large-scale e-commerce site
Companies for Which Shopify Is Recommended
Shopify is recommended for companies such as the following.
- Companies that want to minimize costs
- Companies looking for an e-commerce cart that lets them build a store without specialized knowledge
- Companies running a small-scale e-commerce site
Magento Is Feature-Rich, Highly Customizable, and Strong for Cross-Border E-Commerce
Magento is an e-commerce platform whose appeal lies in being feature-rich, highly extensible, and easy to customize into exactly the site you envision. It also supports multiple languages and currencies, making strong cross-border e-commerce capability another major characteristic. For this reason, it can be recommended for companies running large-scale e-commerce sites or companies that want to sell broadly to a global audience.
However, the reality is that building a site is difficult without specialized knowledge. Companies considering using Magento should carefully check in advance whether they have members with advanced knowledge of site construction and whether they can handle operations. If you want to keep costs down or want an e-commerce cart that lets you run a store easily even without specialized knowledge, consider using Shopify instead.
