Magento vs Woocommerce

Magento vs Woocommerce – Similarities and Differences

Magento and Woocommerce are arguably the “big daddies” of ecommerce platforms. In both their existences they have created a buzz that just couldn’t be ignored, both for their own reasons. Both ecommerce platforms are similar in some ways (ie they’re both open source), but they can also differ a lot. It is extremely vital businesses choose the right platform to build your website on as it may become a nuisance to migrate to another platform. In this article I will give the similarities and differences of both. I’ll start with the similarities:

The similarities:

 

Open Source Code:

As I just mentioned, one of the biggest similarities is that they’re both open source. This means that the original code is available to all, as opposed to only being available for the original developers. This makes it easy for anyone to build or modify it to create something that works specifically for them! This is great because it makes for better security, quality and customisability.

Large Community:

Many businesses who lack knowledge in website development and online marketing may struggle, but thanks to the large communities at hand with Magento and Woocommerce all of this can be made easier. With the amount of resources like blog posts, demonstration videos, white papers, and articles it’s easy to find what you want. The information you require is likely already out there so it really is just a case of find it efficiently. For example, let’s say you’re struggling with which plug-ins you think would be right for your site, it’s likely a question that has been asked by a business which has already been in the same situation as you. It’s great to have this kind of support at hand without having to pay for professional consultations!

Unlimited product uploads:

All kinds of stores prefer to use Magento and Woocommerce simply because of this feature. Both platforms allow for users to upload an unlimited amount of products. On top of this, both are able to manage these products effectively. You also have the option to add a blog to your store on both platforms to enhance your SEO!

The differences:

 

The Set-Up:

 

Woocommerce: Woocommerce have made their set-up as easy as possible. They’ve done this by providing different options so that everyone is able to use their system. In their own words, “Whether you already have a WordPress site and just want to install Woocommerce – or if you getting started and still need to choose the right hosting solution – we have made it easy for you.” If you have a WordPress site, you can simply install the Woocommerce plug-in, if not it’s still easy to use. Simply set-up a WordPress site then install woocommerce as a plug-in. Put simply, Woocommerce is just an extension of your WordPress site!

Magento: Magento also has an easy to use interface, and just as Woocommerce comes with tutorial videos and documents, so does Magento. It also features a full installation wizard to guide you through that process. Setting up your Magento website can be basic; however, if you want to run multiple plug-ins on your site it can then become tricky. This is where you may want to hire an expert developer to keep on top of things properly as opposed to trying to do everything yourself.

Cost:

Both platforms are initially free to use, although you can pay for Magento Enterprise right off the bat. Straight after downloading you can get started on customising your shop, listing your products and so on and so forth. When it comes to developing, it’s always useful to consider the long term. Woocommerce is limited on basic payment extensions and you’ll later find that having Paypal just doesn’t cut it. So you could end up paying a lot just for more payment gateways with Woocommerce. Adding extensions to Magento can also be costly. You’ll be competing with stores that offer all sorts of payment options; not only will you have to pay for extra modules to keep up with the competition, you’ll also have to hire a proper developer to integrate these with your store. Since Magento development can be more tricky than WordPress, you may find that you have to really fork out.

You may also want to keep in mind the hosting costs. Woocommerce can run using WordPress hosting however Magento is where it gets slightly complicated. I’ve written an article about MAGENTO HOSTING so if you want to read into more detail about that you can. Be wary of who you host with, just a second longer in site speed could affect your sales.

Features:

Woocommerce is a lot simpler than Magento, which can be good when you’re starting out. However, as you continue to grow you’re going to want more functionality. This is where I believe Magento has the upper hand on Woocommerce.

With the Magento extension marketplace being massive, customisability is really high. If you require a simple store with simple functionalities, then Woocommerce is for you. However, if in the long term you’re looking to constantly add new features to your site and continuously expand then Magento is the platform you’re going to want. A useful feature of Magento as you grow is being able to view all of your stores on the same account. Both platforms are able to use the power of Google analytics, which is great as it allows you to focus on the most viewed pages of your site!

Overall, it really depends on your own goals/objectives. Since Magento is fully scalable, if you’re serious about going into business and looking to expand in the future, then Magento is for you. This means you’ll probably have to fork out to make sure your store is up to standard. However, if you’re looking for a simple store to get you started and minimise set-up costs, then Woocommerce is the platform you’re looking for. Don’t let the large start-up costs stray you away from Magento though, as it will be more difficult to migrate to it later on and may end up costing you more in the long term!