WooCommerce vs Magento: Which Is the Best E-Commerce Platform?

The big 4 of eCommerce platforms are Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, and WooCommerce. There aren’t clear figures that show which one is on top, but these 4 solutions are the most popular ones today. In this post, we are going to be talking about WooCommerce and Magento.

Although they are equally popular and have a similar number of features, they are a lot different. It can be difficult to choose one over the other, especially if you don’t know much about eCommerce platforms. Luckily for you, we’ve decided to list out all the advantages and disadvantages of these two options and help you reach a conclusion.

The best eCommerce platform is not the same for everyone because, in the end, it comes down to your specific needs. The important thing is to know your needs and recognize a platform that is best suited to them.

How they stand out

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is not a standalone platform but a very powerful plugin that can be used with WordPress. However, this doesn’t mean that it is lacking in any way when compared to typical eCommerce platforms. It has all the essential features that any eCommerce site would need. At the same time, it is very easy to use, just like WordPress and integrates with WP sites seamlessly.

Magento

This eCommerce platform is specifically designed for web developers. It’s most suitable for medium and large eCommerce stores. Magento probably has the largest number of features, and some of the most innovative features of all eCommerce platforms and this is why stores that want to grow and drive their results through new practices use it a lot.

Most notable features

WooCommerce

• It is completely free.
• Users have to acquire hosting on their own.
• There is no limit to the number of products.
• Supports almost all themes on WordPress and comes with many different customizations.
• Has a system for extensions with many options.
• Has only basic store security functionalities.
• It is very easy to use and the learning curve is user-friendly.
• Has support for various marketing campaigns including coupons, discounts, usage limitations and so on.
• Offers advanced reporting capabilities on inventory, store performance, sales, customer and product reviews.
• Supports different payment options such as cash on delivery, Paypal, and credit cards.

Magento

• Has an open-source version which is free and a couple of paid versions.
• With the free version, users have to get their own hosting while premium versions come with hosting services.
• There is no limit to the number of products.
• Offers a decent number of theme options.
• Has extension support and gives a lot of varieties.
• Comes with advanced security features and dedicated patches which further enhance security.
• It can be difficult to use for people that don’t have basic web development skills.
• Allows customers segmentation, targeted marketing, merchandising, and other marketing practices.
• You can set multiple wish lists.
• It has an integrated CMS.

Drawbacks of each platform

WooCommerce

Due to its basic security features, WooCommerce requires consistent security maintenance. If not, your store will be vulnerable. Even though WooCommerce has a lot of plugins available, this is not necessarily a good thing. When installed together, a lot of those plugins become conflicted, causing problems.

WooCommerce has many developer risks and it requires self-hosting. At the same time, core plugins have frequent updates that change things and could disrupt reliability. In the end, WooCommerce can also be used on WordPress and no other platform.

Magento

Magento is a very complex platform which requires development knowledge, without which it cannot be used. It has a lot of maintenance and usage costs which need to be taken into account. Outside apps and themes can be implemented, but with a lot of effort.

Magento also needs regular software updates to work properly. A lot of the functionalities and issues that need to be solved can be done only with advanced development knowledge and a dedicated professional.

Final verdict

Based on everything mentioned above, it can be difficult to reach a final conclusion. Each of these platforms has their own advantages and disadvantages. You need to recognize which one works better for you. Simply put, even though they have similarly vast user base, they have different users.

This means that you need to make the right choice to avoid issues with your online store. If you have a WordPress website but no development knowledge, then WooCommerce is the platform you need. On the other hand, if you have a big budget and you want to create an advanced eCommerce store, then Magento is what you need.

We hope this post helped you make your final decision. Of course, when it comes to such a vast and important topic, research is imperative. Therefore, do not stop your research! Continue reading here or find other sources. The more you find out, the better your decision will be. As we already said, both platforms are a good choice – which one will you go for depends on one thing and one thing only – your personal preference.

Take your time, go through the pros and cons and see where you are after that. If nothing, you can always test things out – start with the platform you prefer and, if it doesn’t work out, switch to the other one. It’s not a simple thing to do, but it is doable.