Magento vs. Shoper – a comparison of two e-commerce platforms

24.05.2022 Angelika Siczek
magento-shoper

If you want to run an online store, you have plenty of options. Many aspiring entrepreneurs decide to start with a ready-made e-commerce platform. This option is reasonable from many perspectives – such platforms offer all the features and options that you need to sell products online, they are relatively quick to set and configure, and they don’t require coding skills. In this article, we’re going to show you two platforms that you can use to build a brand-new store – Magento (currently known as Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source) and Shoper. Let’s have a look at them.

There are tens of e-commerce platforms out there. Some of them are available even for free (like, for example, WooCommerce, an e-commerce extension for websites built on WordPress). But if you’re after a wide range of features and ease of use, there are better options. WooCommerce requires at least basic coding skills because the way this platform looks right after installing it is raw to say the least. WooCommerce requires coding, setting, and configuring everything the way you want.

If you don’t want to spend time and money on that, you’d be better off with ready-made platforms such as Magento and Shoper. But which one should you choose? Magento is a creation of the global IT giant – Adobe. On the other hand, Shoper is a much smaller Polish e-commerce platform. Do we have a clear winner?

Magento: Two platforms in one

For starters, we have to clarify one thing. When you think about Magento, there are, in fact, two different platforms. You see, Adobe offers one fully-fledged paid e-commerce platform called Adobe Commerce and one rather basic solution called Magento Open Source. We discussed the Adobe Commerce platform thoroughly in another blog post: Adobe Commerce: How can you use it to upgrade your store? We encourage you to read that post; it will tell you almost everything you need to know to make an informed decision. One of the biggest advantages of Adobe Commerce is that it comes with an extensive cloud ecosystem that you can use to grow your business.

On the other hand, the open-source version comes with just basic options and features, and these include:

  • Integrated checkout, payment, and shipping
  • Mobile optimized shopping
  • Global selling
  • Catalog management
  • Extended functionality via App Marketplace
  • Instant purchases
  • Site search
  • WYSIWYG Page Builder

magento-open-source

When it comes to the benefits of the open-source platform, users value it for almost unlimited editing and adjusting possibilities. Of course, you’ll need a skilled Magento expert to tailor the free version to your needs. Magento Open Source comes with a convenient and intuitive dashboard that facilitates managing your store (or stores). And it’s rather easy to make your Magento-based store SEO-friendly. 

When it comes to downsides, the major issue is that, like in the WooCommerce case, you need someone with coding skills to adjust every single element of your store, which can be pricey. Other experts say that the open-source platform requires really fast hosting to work properly.

We could sum up that if you’re after a truly intuitive and versatile solution, you should pick the paid version.

Now let’s talk about our second contestant – Shoper.

Shoper: A Polish e-commerce platform

Shoper is a ready-made e-commerce platform which means that everything is almost ready to work. All you have to do is configure everything through an intuitive dashboard. On the downside, you cannot edit the code of your store, so there are limited editing options, which can be a problem when you’re looking for some tailor-made options and solutions. On the other hand, Shoper comes with a wide range of features and options, so the majority of online sellers should be satisfied with it.

Some of the most important features comprise:

  • Good-looking themes for your online store
  • Full tech support (the platform boasts that 91% of their users positively rate their customer service)
  • Integrations with marketplaces and third-party entities (e.g., carriers)
  • Dedicated App Store where you can find many extensions and plugins for your store
  • Internal payment engine that supports quick and mobile money transfers




However, some users report that if your store has many users and a large traffic every month, you may be forced to upgrade to Shoper Premium, a version that starts with 499 PLN per month. 

So, which option should you choose? It all depends on your expectations and resources. If you’re an English-speaking user and you intend to run a store in an English-speaking country, there is just one option for you – Adobe. On the other hand, Polish entrepreneurs may want to opt for Shoper, primarily because this platform has been made from the ground up for the Polish market.

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