Choosing between Adobe Commerce (sometimes called Magento Commerce) and Magento Open-Source can be a daunting task. You need to weigh up various features against your specific business requirements for an in-depth analysis of both Adobe Commerce and Magento.
First, both are Magento products currently owned by Adobe. Magento open source is completely free. In contrast, Adobe Commerce, also called Magento Commerce, is a paid version of the eCommerce platform.
You can pick the right platform based on your industry, whether you are B2B, B2C, or D2C, the size of your eCommerce store, and your latest requirements. In this article, we will compare Adobe Commerce and Magento Open-Source in detail.
If you are in a hurry, connect with our eCommerce consultants. We will analyse your business requirements & select the best platform for your needs.
A Brief Recollection of the Magento Technology
Magento was initially released in 2008 as an eCommerce CMS. It is written in PHP and based on the popular framework Laminas and Symfony. In 2018, Magento was acquired by Adobe; in 2021, it was renamed Adobe. According to Builtwith trends, the Magento platform powers more than 710K online stores across the globe.
What is Magento Open Source?
Magento open-source is also called Magento Community Edition. As the name suggests, it is entirely open-source, and you need not pay a penny to use it for creating eCommerce stores.
However, it does not come with hosting, and several indirect expenses, like technical support and hosting are attached to it. On the bright side, it has a simple learning curve and several available extensions to increase the features of an online store.
What is Adobe Commerce?
Adobe Commerce, also known as Magento Commerce, and is a paid eCommerce platform version with several advanced functional features. You can create highly customised and scalable digital eCommerce stores using the Adobe Commerce platform.
Adobe Commerce and Magento Open-Source – A Comparison Table
Features
Magento Open-Source
Adobe Commerce
Cost
Free to download and use, but hosting and other services are extra.
Follows a turn-over based model and final charges depend upon average gross sales revenue.
Version
No different versions are available.
Adobe Commerce offers two versions:
- Adobe Commerce edition
- Adobe Commerce Cloud edition.
Hosting
Hosting from $5 based on your specific business needs.
A self-hosted platform.
Functional Features
It offers standard eCommerce features:
- Integrated Checkout
- Payment & Shipping
- Mobile-optimised Shopping
- Global selling site
- Catalogue Management
- Instant Purchase
- Site Search
- WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Page Builder
It offers all the standard eCommerce features of the Magento Open source plus several outstanding features. Adobe Commerce features:
- Advanced Marketing Tools
- Content Staging & Preview
- Customer Loyalty Tools
- Visual Merchandising
- Product Recommendations
- AI-Driven Live Search
- Customer Segmentation
Security Features
No standard security and does not meet PCI DSS compliances, WAF, and DDoS security services.
Offers standard security features with PCI compliance, DDoS protection, security scanning tools, and more.
24/7 Support
No 24/7 support; you rely upon the Magento community forums.
Access to a dedicated account manager and 24/7 reliable assistance from trained professionals.
B2B/B2C/D2C Compatibility
Compatible with building B2B and B2C stores.
B2B, B2C, and D2C stores can be launched using the Adobe Commerce versions.
Marketing Features
Comes with basic marketing features like meta description creation, custom URLs, and SEO optimisation.
Offers basic & advanced marketing features like customer segmentation, wish list searching, discounts system, related product rules, and integration with Google tools such as Adwords and Analytics.
AI Features
No in-built AI-powered functionalities.
Adobe Commerce offers Sensei-powered Live Search that uses AI and ML. It analyses the user’s search history and pattern to suggest relatable products and services for sales.
Stores Using it
Various small and mid-scale businesses use Magento open source for their online stores.
Small, mid-scale, and large-scale enterprises trust Adobe Commerce. To name a few:
- HP
- Helly Hansen
- The Eastwood Company
- Nike
- Ford
Adobe Commerce and Magento Open-Source – A Detailed Comparison

The comparison table provides an overview of these two versions of the platform. Let’s now discuss a few important factors in detail.
Adobe Commerce and Magento Open-Source – How does cost-effectiveness compare?
Magento open source is entirely free to use, but several indirect charges are attached to this version of the eCommerce platform. Magento Commerce pricing model requires significant expenses, and it is the best option when you are sure of a healthy turnover, otherwise, you may end up paying unnecessary charges.
Adobe Commerce and Magento Open-Source – Which is Best for Scalability?
Why do businesses choose Adobe Commerce (Magento Commerce)? High scalability and standard security are the primary reasons enterprises choose Adobe Commerce. Magento open-source free version supports single database systems and fails to offer excellent scalability to an eCommerce store.
In contrast, the Magento Commerce platform is ideal for launching highly scalable stores. This platform version has several comprehensive features and advanced functionality, like handling complex catalogues, high transaction volumes, multiple storefronts, and peak traffic.
Magento Open Source vs Adobe Commerce – Which is Best for Building Future-Proof Stores?
If you want to launch an eCommerce store that drives successful business operations online today and is also future-proof, your answer is the Magento Commerce edition paid version. After all, Adobe Commerce has several features proving an outstanding option for successful digital stores.
Some of the future-proof features of the Adobe Commerce edition are:
- Customer segmentation, wishlist searching, discounts system, related product rules, and integration with tools such as Adwords, Analytics and Google tag manager.
- Sensei-powered Live Search using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- Standard tools such as Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, and Adobe Target.
- AI-powered product recommendations, full catalogue exports, order archives, scheduled catalogue import/export, and order management systems.
Various Magento open-source stores upgrade to Adobe Magento Commerce to enhance their online business. As per research by Business Value Highlights, upgrading your store from Magento Open-source to Adobe Magento Commerce can help you achieve the following:
- 18% Increase in Average Order Value
- 15% Rise in Customer Conversion Rate
- 18% Improvement in Customer Satisfaction
- 70% Risk-Reduction
How can chilliapple Boost your Magento Commerce Store?
Whether you choose Magento Open-source or Adobe Commerce, a custom store will boost its performance. Bespoke eCommerce solutions help build credibility among website visitors and drive user engagement and conversion rates.
chilliapple is an established Magento Commerce agency in the UK delivering mobile-ready, fast-loading digital stores to all business industries. We have Magento-certified developers who will build your Magento Commerce store with screen-responsive designs. We create online stores that look appealing on both desktops and smartphones and quality code that demonstrates that we are masters of our craft and live what we do.
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