Choosing between Magento (Adobe Commerce, Magento Open Source, MageOS) and Shopify Plus is about much more than the subscription price. The real cost of an online store builds up over several years: license, hosting, security, development, updates, extensions and your own team’s time. Here is an honest 3-year comparison of both platforms, based on public figures and the specifics of doing business in Canada, including Quebec.
Transparency: PWM is a Magento-focused agency and we also offer Shopify services. We favour Magento when it is the right tool, but we say clearly where Shopify Plus costs less.
In this article
- What belongs in a total cost of ownership
- Shopify Plus: public costs
- Magento and Adobe Commerce: public costs
- 3-year comparison
- Canadian considerations
- When Magento costs less in the long run
- When Shopify Plus is the better choice
- Frequently asked questions
What belongs in a total cost of ownership
Total cost of ownership (TCO) adds up everything a store costs over its useful life, not just the starting price. To compare two platforms, include:
- The license or subscription, including sales-based variable fees.
- Hosting and security (PCI compliance, patches, monitoring).
- Initial design and development, then ongoing changes.
- Paid extensions and apps.
- Maintenance: updates, security patches, support.
- Integrations (ERP, accounting, inventory, shipping, CRM).
- The cost of a future change: migrating, adapting, replacing an app that disappears.
Shopify Plus: public costs
According to ECommerce Partners’ 2026 analysis (US dollars), here is what to expect with Shopify Plus:
- A subscription of about $2,300 per month, or $27,600 per year, on a 3-year commitment.
- Above roughly $800,000 in monthly sales, a 0.35% to 0.40% fee applies, up to a ceiling of about $40,000 per month.
- Hosting, security, PCI compliance and platform updates are covered by the price.
- For agency work, budget $80 to $150 per hour, plus separate annual budgets for ongoing support ($10,000 to $30,000) and paid apps ($3,000 to $10,000).
Pricing changes: confirm it on Shopify’s website before you decide.
Magento and Adobe Commerce: public costs
The same analysis places annual costs on the Magento side like this:
- Magento Open Source and MageOS: no license fee. The bill comes from hosting, security, patches and development.
- Adobe Commerce: a license starting around $40,000 per year and rising with sales volume, sometimes beyond $100,000 for large merchants. Adobe does not publish a price list, so you need to request a quote.
- Development: $150 to $250 per hour in this study.
With Magento you choose your hosting, your support level and your degree of customization. That is an asset for a complex project, and it is also what explains the very wide range between estimates.
3-year comparison
These are the study’s annual totals multiplied by three (PWM’s calculation, in US dollars, excluding the initial store build):
| Platform | Estimated annual total | Over 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Plus | $41,000 to $120,000 | $123,000 to $360,000 |
| Magento Open Source / MageOS | $59,000 to $330,000 | $177,000 to $990,000 |
| Adobe Commerce | $75,000 to $325,000 | $225,000 to $975,000 |
How to read this table: for simple or mid-sized needs, Shopify Plus is generally cheaper to own, mostly because hosting, security and updates are included. Magento’s ranges are very wide: the low end is a well-hosted, lightly customized store, the high end a complex architecture (several stores, heavy integrations, deep customization). These figures come from a US source and do not replace a quote for your project.
Canadian considerations
- French first in Quebec. A store selling to Quebec consumers must offer a complete French experience (Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96). Both platforms handle multiple languages, but translation, per-language SEO and keeping bilingual content up to date are costs to budget for.
- Taxes. GST/HST, PST and QST can be configured on both platforms. With special rules (B2B sales, exemptions, out-of-province shipping), Magento’s flexibility can avoid extra apps.
- Privacy (PIPEDA and Quebec’s Law 25). Magento can be hosted in Canada under your control, which simplifies some data-residency requirements. With Shopify, check where data is processed and what the apps you install do with it.
- Shipping and payment. Canada Post, local carriers, Interac: check that the modules or apps you need exist, and at what monthly cost.
When Magento costs less in the long run
- B2B selling: customer-specific pricing, shared catalogs, quotes, company accounts, purchase approvals.
- Complex catalogs: many products, variants or attributes, with pricing and availability rules.
- Several stores, languages or currencies run from a single installation.
- Deep integrations with an ERP, a WMS or internal systems, where each third-party app adds up.
- High sales volume: an open source license is not tied to your revenue, whereas a subscription’s variable fees grow with it.
- Owning your code and data: you can change hosts or agencies without starting over.
On performance, the Hyvä theme and well-configured hosting now make it possible to build a fast Magento store, which narrows a gap that long shaped the platform’s reputation.
When Shopify Plus is the better choice
- You want to launch quickly with a simple or mid-sized catalog.
- You have no technical team and prefer hosting and security to be included.
- Your needs are covered by proven apps, with little custom development.
We prefer to say it plainly: choosing the wrong platform costs more than paying a license. If Shopify meets your needs, there is no reason to make things more complicated.
Frequently asked questions
Is Magento free?
Magento Open Source and MageOS have no license fee. You pay for hosting, security, development and maintenance. Adobe Commerce is a paid product.
Is Shopify Plus always cheaper?
Not always. For simple or mid-sized needs, usually yes. For a B2B, multi-store or highly customized project, or at very high sales volume, the math can flip.
Can you migrate from Shopify to Magento, or the other way around?
Yes. You need to plan the migration of products, customers, orders and the address of every page to protect your search rankings. Tell us about your project for an assessment.
How long does it take to pay back a store?
It depends on your margins and volume. That is why we calculate cost over 3 years and not only the launch price.
Keep reading
Need a calculation tailored to your business? Call us at 514-766-7272 or write to us: we will present a 3-year estimate for your project.
