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Magento
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ecommerce
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Magento
Wordpress
Ecommerce
Web Hosting
Plugins
ARTICLE #66
Magento vs WordPress: Which is best for your business?
Magento
WordPress
ecommerce
Web Hosting
Plugins
Magento
Magento
WordPress
Wordpress
ecommerce
Ecommerce
Web Hosting
Plugins
Written by:
5 min read
Updated on: July 25, 2024
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Building an online store can feel a lot like cooking for a family reunion—everyone has opinions, and if one thing goes wrong, you hear about it for days. At the heart of this feast are two heavy hitters: Magento and WordPress. They’re the most widely used content management systems out there, each with its own flavour.
Picking your platform isn’t just a nerdy tech decision; it’s a business strategy with real-world stakes. Below, we’ll dish out how Magento and WordPress stack up on usability, security, e-commerce tools, hosting, and more so you can serve up a site that fits your brand and your budget.
Building an online store can feel a lot like cooking for a family reunion—everyone has opinions, and if one thing goes wrong, you hear about it for days. At the heart of this feast are two heavy hitters: Magento and WordPress. They’re the most widely used content management systems out there, each with its own flavour.
Picking your platform isn’t just a nerdy tech decision; it’s a business strategy with real-world stakes. Below, we’ll dish out how Magento and WordPress stack up on usability, security, e-commerce tools, hosting, and more so you can serve up a site that fits your brand and your budget.
Magento – CMS or CRM
Magento – CMS or CRM
Consider Magento as the e-commerce specialist. It includes a few CRM-style touches—like managing customer information—but its core purpose is building, organising, and growing online stores. It’s not the jack-of-all-trades approach you might find elsewhere, but if you need a serious selling platform, Magento is a strong contender.
The good news is it’s free to install, so both small boutiques and global enterprises can run their shops without major licensing fees. Whether you’re selling handmade notebooks, digital art, or monthly subscription boxes, Magento supports multiple currencies, languages, and even separate stores, all from one hub.
Consider Magento as the e-commerce specialist. It includes a few CRM-style touches—like managing customer information—but its core purpose is building, organising, and growing online stores. It’s not the jack-of-all-trades approach you might find elsewhere, but if you need a serious selling platform, Magento is a strong contender.
The good news is it’s free to install, so both small boutiques and global enterprises can run their shops without major licensing fees. Whether you’re selling handmade notebooks, digital art, or monthly subscription boxes, Magento supports multiple currencies, languages, and even separate stores, all from one hub.
WordPress – CMS
So do you know how 43% of the entire internet stays up and running? Credit goes to WordPress—a free content management system that’s as friendly to beginners as your favourite barista on a Monday morning. With thousands of themes and an intuitive design, it’s a breeze to customize layouts, menus, and blog posts without turning into an overnight coding wizard.
Although WordPress isn’t built primarily for e-commerce, it can absolutely hold its own once you toss in a plugin like WooCommerce. Suddenly, you’re sorting product listings, shipping rates, and payment methods in just a few clicks. That adaptability is a major reason so many people swear by WordPress: it’s like a Swiss Army knife for website ideas.
So do you know how 43% of the entire internet stays up and running? Credit goes to WordPress—a free content management system that’s as friendly to beginners as your favourite barista on a Monday morning. With thousands of themes and an intuitive design, it’s a breeze to customize layouts, menus, and blog posts without turning into an overnight coding wizard.
Although WordPress isn’t built primarily for e-commerce, it can absolutely hold its own once you toss in a plugin like WooCommerce. Suddenly, you’re sorting product listings, shipping rates, and payment methods in just a few clicks. That adaptability is a major reason so many people swear by WordPress: it’s like a Swiss Army knife for website ideas.
Magento vs WordPress
Magento is a powerful open-source e-commerce platform favoured by people who have (or are willing to learn) some web development skills. WordPress is a more general-purpose content management system that caters to a wide range of users. Without an added plugin, WordPress doesn’t handle e-commerce by itself, but it becomes much more shop-friendly once WooCommerce or a similar extension is activated.
Now that we’ve introduced both platforms, let’s compare Magento vs WordPress in areas such as usability, security, e-commerce features, themes, hosting, pricing, plugins, and extensions.
Magento is a powerful open-source e-commerce platform favoured by people who have (or are willing to learn) some web development skills. WordPress is a more general-purpose content management system that caters to a wide range of users. Without an added plugin, WordPress doesn’t handle e-commerce by itself, but it becomes much more shop-friendly once WooCommerce or a similar extension is activated.
Now that we’ve introduced both platforms, let’s compare Magento vs WordPress in areas such as usability, security, e-commerce features, themes, hosting, pricing, plugins, and extensions.
Usability
Both platforms are generally straightforward once you know their basics. Magento has powerful e-commerce features ready to roll, but it can feel less intuitive if you’re new to building sites. WordPress is famously easy to pick up, especially if you’ve used any website builder before.
If you’re after deeper e-commerce controls (like advanced inventory handling), Magento may be your best bet.
If you’re looking for a flexible site where you can add or remove features at will, WordPress is a strong choice.
Both platforms are generally straightforward once you know their basics. Magento has powerful e-commerce features ready to roll, but it can feel less intuitive if you’re new to building sites. WordPress is famously easy to pick up, especially if you’ve used any website builder before.
If you’re after deeper e-commerce controls (like advanced inventory handling), Magento may be your best bet.
If you’re looking for a flexible site where you can add or remove features at will, WordPress is a strong choice.
Security
Regular updates mean WordPress usually patches vulnerabilities quickly. Magento also provides a secure environment for online transactions, especially through its paid versions. However, anyone using Magento’s free release needs to watch for updates and apply patches. The same applies to WordPress—if you ignore updates, you risk security breaches. In short, both are secure as long as you stay on top of maintenance.
Regular updates mean WordPress usually patches vulnerabilities quickly. Magento also provides a secure environment for online transactions, especially through its paid versions. However, anyone using Magento’s free release needs to watch for updates and apply patches. The same applies to WordPress—if you ignore updates, you risk security breaches. In short, both are secure as long as you stay on top of maintenance.
eCommerce
For online selling, Magento is the seasoned pro. Specifically designed for e-commerce, it comes packed with built-in features for inventory management, advertising, payments, reporting, and analytics. Paid plans throw in even more bells and whistles, but the free version already covers most day-to-day needs like a champ.
WordPress, on the other hand, needs a sidekick—usually WooCommerce—to handle transactions. Luckily, if you’re at ease with WordPress, WooCommerce is basically a walk in the park. You can also expand your online reach by selling on multiple marketplaces, a neat trick that can help boost revenue.
In short, if you’re going all-in on e-commerce with tons of products and complex features, Magento has you covered. But if you want a highly flexible site that can pivot between blog, business page, and online store, WordPress with WooCommerce is the trusty multi-tool you’ve been looking for.
For online selling, Magento is the seasoned pro. Specifically designed for e-commerce, it comes packed with built-in features for inventory management, advertising, payments, reporting, and analytics. Paid plans throw in even more bells and whistles, but the free version already covers most day-to-day needs like a champ.
WordPress, on the other hand, needs a sidekick—usually WooCommerce—to handle transactions. Luckily, if you’re at ease with WordPress, WooCommerce is basically a walk in the park. You can also expand your online reach by selling on multiple marketplaces, a neat trick that can help boost revenue.
In short, if you’re going all-in on e-commerce with tons of products and complex features, Magento has you covered. But if you want a highly flexible site that can pivot between blog, business page, and online store, WordPress with WooCommerce is the trusty multi-tool you’ve been looking for.
Themes and Templates
A site’s appearance often influences brand perception, so themes matter a great deal:
Magento: You’ll find themes on marketplaces like ThemeForest and the official Adobe marketplace. The selection is smaller compared to WordPress, but free developer tools allow extra personalisation if you have coding chops.
WordPress: Over 10,000 free themes exist, and many more can be purchased from third-party sites. WordPress includes block-based editing that makes it simple to build a site with zero coding knowledge—one of the main reasons it’s globally popular.
A site’s appearance often influences brand perception, so themes matter a great deal:
Magento: You’ll find themes on marketplaces like ThemeForest and the official Adobe marketplace. The selection is smaller compared to WordPress, but free developer tools allow extra personalisation if you have coding chops.
WordPress: Over 10,000 free themes exist, and many more can be purchased from third-party sites. WordPress includes block-based editing that makes it simple to build a site with zero coding knowledge—one of the main reasons it’s globally popular.
Hosting
Hosting requirements differ for Magento and WordPress:
Magento: Offers shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting. You can also choose managed or unmanaged hosting, with managed options costing more but simplifying installation, security, and technical upkeep.
WordPress: Typically requires less expensive hosting because the core code is lightweight. Costs can be anywhere between $24 and $10,000 per year, depending on size and traffic. You can self-host, pay for a WordPress plan, or go with shared or dedicated server options.
Hosting requirements differ for Magento and WordPress:
Magento: Offers shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting. You can also choose managed or unmanaged hosting, with managed options costing more but simplifying installation, security, and technical upkeep.
WordPress: Typically requires less expensive hosting because the core code is lightweight. Costs can be anywhere between $24 and $10,000 per year, depending on size and traffic. You can self-host, pay for a WordPress plan, or go with shared or dedicated server options.
Plugins and Extensions
Magento: Provides around 35,000 extensions, plus many more through third-party developers. Installing extensions might require using the command line, which can be a hurdle for beginners.
WordPress: Currently has over 60,000 free plugins (including around 800 WooCommerce extensions) that you can install directly from the admin dashboard. Just be mindful of outdated plugins, because they can lead to security problems.
Magento: Provides around 35,000 extensions, plus many more through third-party developers. Installing extensions might require using the command line, which can be a hurdle for beginners.
WordPress: Currently has over 60,000 free plugins (including around 800 WooCommerce extensions) that you can install directly from the admin dashboard. Just be mindful of outdated plugins, because they can lead to security problems.
SEO features
Search engine visibility can make or break a business website:
WordPress: Great for on-page SEO. You can customise URLs, headings, alt text, and metadata. Speed is something to watch—an overloaded site can slow down, potentially affecting rankings.
Magento: Offers alt tags, meta tags, sitemaps, and other features that help you structure product pages for search engines. Most changes need to be done manually, so some SEO experience is helpful.
Search engine visibility can make or break a business website:
WordPress: Great for on-page SEO. You can customise URLs, headings, alt text, and metadata. Speed is something to watch—an overloaded site can slow down, potentially affecting rankings.
Magento: Offers alt tags, meta tags, sitemaps, and other features that help you structure product pages for search engines. Most changes need to be done manually, so some SEO experience is helpful.
Pricing plans
Both Magento and WordPress are free to download, but premium features and advanced integrations come with higher costs:
Magento: The paid plans can cost over $22,000 each year, especially if you need a complete bundle of e-commerce services.
WordPress: Fees start at around $7 per month for basic paid plans, but you can upgrade to roughly $45 per month for a plan that includes a full suite of e-commerce tools.
Both Magento and WordPress are free to download, but premium features and advanced integrations come with higher costs:
Magento: The paid plans can cost over $22,000 each year, especially if you need a complete bundle of e-commerce services.
WordPress: Fees start at around $7 per month for basic paid plans, but you can upgrade to roughly $45 per month for a plan that includes a full suite of e-commerce tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Magento in WordPress?
Some developers choose to link WordPress and Magento together. For example, WordPress might handle content marketing and blogging, while Magento manages the e-commerce side. This strategy can highlight products, discounts, and promotions to specific audiences. When everything is set up effectively, you can often see an increase in sales.
Can I use multiple plugins in WordPress?
Yes, WordPress lets you install many plugins at once, which cuts back on repetitive tasks. The key is to avoid overloading your system with unnecessary add-ons. Unused or outdated plugins can pose security risks and may slow your site.
Is Shopify better than Magento?
Comparing Magento and Shopify often comes down to cost and how much coding effort you’re willing to put in. Shopify typically charges lower transaction fees and handles more of the technical side, including hosting. It also offers dropshipping features and free themes. Magento is extremely flexible in how you build and scale your store, but it may require a bigger budget and more development work.
Final Words
A compelling online presence can be vital for growing a modern business. Both Magento and WordPress provide dependable options, but the better fit depends on your goals. If you’re a startup with limited tech experience or you want an adaptable website that can become an e-commerce store later, WordPress might be the simpler choice. Meanwhile, if you need a specialised online shop with advanced features right out of the box, Magento may be your go-to.
For anyone aiming to boost brand identity and increase revenue through digitalization, choosing the right platform is a smart step forward. Keep your site secure, focus on hosting that matches your traffic, and optimise everything with SEO best practices. Whether Magento or WordPress ends up at the heart of your e-commerce store, a consistent commitment to quality and service will keep shoppers coming back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Magento in WordPress?
Some developers choose to link WordPress and Magento together. For example, WordPress might handle content marketing and blogging, while Magento manages the e-commerce side. This strategy can highlight products, discounts, and promotions to specific audiences. When everything is set up effectively, you can often see an increase in sales.
Can I use multiple plugins in WordPress?
Yes, WordPress lets you install many plugins at once, which cuts back on repetitive tasks. The key is to avoid overloading your system with unnecessary add-ons. Unused or outdated plugins can pose security risks and may slow your site.
Is Shopify better than Magento?
Comparing Magento and Shopify often comes down to cost and how much coding effort you’re willing to put in. Shopify typically charges lower transaction fees and handles more of the technical side, including hosting. It also offers dropshipping features and free themes. Magento is extremely flexible in how you build and scale your store, but it may require a bigger budget and more development work.
Final Words
A compelling online presence can be vital for growing a modern business. Both Magento and WordPress provide dependable options, but the better fit depends on your goals. If you’re a startup with limited tech experience or you want an adaptable website that can become an e-commerce store later, WordPress might be the simpler choice. Meanwhile, if you need a specialised online shop with advanced features right out of the box, Magento may be your go-to.
For anyone aiming to boost brand identity and increase revenue through digitalization, choosing the right platform is a smart step forward. Keep your site secure, focus on hosting that matches your traffic, and optimise everything with SEO best practices. Whether Magento or WordPress ends up at the heart of your e-commerce store, a consistent commitment to quality and service will keep shoppers coming back.
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Copyright © 2024 FOR®
Work with us
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