Shopify Plus vs. Adobe Commerce: A Strategic Analysis for 2025

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Paul Grieselhuber

Paul Grieselhuber

Founder, director

Mar 14, 2025

Shopify Plus vs. Adobe Commerce in 2025

Enterprise e-commerce is a tough fight in 2025, and two platforms dominate the ring: Shopify Plus and Adobe Commerce (Magento). Shopify Plus starts at $2,000 / mo and focuses on speed and ease of use. Adobe Commerce is highly customizable, with project costs ranging from $7,000 to $140,000. Both target large merchants, but scale, cost, and customization set them apart.

Shopify Plus: The Slick Contender

Shopify Plus is the enterprise choice known for its speed. For a monthly fee of $2,000, merchants can access a managed, full-stack solution. Quick setup, omnichannel sales, and a wealth of APIs and apps enable tailor-fit solutions within Shopify's own ecosystem. High-traffic brands have buoyed over ten thousand checkouts per minute without downtime.

Adobe Commerce: The Custom Tank

Adobe Commerce offers control and the possibility of extensive customization. Initial builds start from $7,000, piling up before hosting or maintenance. With headless structures and robust APIs, it serves the complex needs of global juggernauts like Coca-Cola and Ford, yet managing day-to-day operations may demand a dedicated development team.

Scale: Speed or Muscle

Shopify Plus boasts auto-scaling, unlimited bandwidth, and a 99.99% uptime guarantee. While Adobe Commerce can tackle hefty order volumes, overall performance will depend on the merchant's optimization efforts with their hosting partner.

Cost: Lean Bill or Fat Build

Shopify Plus has a base fee and a revenue share model where hosting and security are included. Adobe Commerce, while starting with no license fee for the open-source core, can accrue substantial costs for implementation, support, and paid edition subscriptions.

Customization: Guardrails or Free-for-All

Shopify Plus limits customization within its set parameters, though robust APIs and tools like Shopify Functions and Hydrogen are available. Adobe Commerce's open-ended approach allows limitless customization at the cost of increased developer engagement.

Verdict

For rapid market entry at a predictable cost, Shopify Plus is a worthy contender. If the priority lies with in-depth feature sets and multi-site management, Adobe Commerce steps up as the heavyweight, albeit with higher budget and technical demands. Whether one opts for the swift Shopify Plus or the heavy-hitting Adobe, discerning businesses turn to experts like Rendr Software Group for guidance and to ensure their e-commerce platform fits their strategic aspirations perfectly.

Paul Grieselhuber

Paul Grieselhuber

Founder, director

Paul has more than 15 years of experience in UX design and product engineering. Currently he runs Rendr Software Group.

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