Is Magento really free?

Magento Open Source has no license fee, but it is not free to run. It requires expensive specialized hosting, security maintenance, and developer fees, often resulting in a higher Total Cost of Ownership than paid SaaS platforms.

Which ecommerce platform is cheapest?

For low volume, WooCommerce is often cheapest initially. For ease of use and predictable costs, Shopify is cost-effective. Magento has the highest operating costs.

Magento vs Shopify vs WooCommerce: 2026 Cost & Comparison

Executive Summary: Magento vs Shopify vs WooCommerce

An interactive analysis of the three market leaders. Understand the trade-offs between Shopify's ease, WooCommerce's flexibility, and Magento's power.

Shopify

SaaS

The "All-in-One" solution. Best for businesses that want to focus on marketing, not tech.

● Fastest Time to Launch
● Hosted & Secure
○ Transaction Fees

WooCommerce

Open Source

The flexible plugin. Turns any WordPress site into a store. Ideal for content-heavy brands.

● Infinite Customization
● Lower Initial Cost
○ Maintenance Heavy

Magento

Enterprise

The powerhouse (Adobe Commerce). Built for massive scale, B2B complexity, and global operations.

● Unmatched Scalability
● Powerful B2B Features
○ Very High TCO

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Reality Check: "Isn't Magento Free?"

Yes, Magento Open Source has no license fee. However, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is often higher than paid platforms due to hosting ($300+/mo), security maintenance, and mandatory developer costs.

Platform Scoring Analysis

Comparing core competencies across 6 dimensions.

* Scores based on aggregate industry analysis and typical user experience reports.

Platform Feature Matrix

A granular look at how the platforms handle specific business requirements. Use the filters to narrow your focus.

⚠️ Pricing Insight: When comparing features below, remember that while Magento offers a Free Edition (Open Source), it lacks the cloud hosting and support included in Shopify. Features marked "Native" in Magento often require a developer to configure.

Feature	Shopify	WooCommerce	Magento

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Estimator

E-commerce costs are more than just the monthly subscription. Estimate your 1st-year costs based on your business scale.

Business Parameters

Monthly Revenue ($)

$10,000

Average Order Value ($)

$50

Technical Reliance

Impacts setup & maintenance costs significantly.

Projected 1st Year Costs

Shopify Est.

WooCommerce Est.

Magento Est.

🤔

Wait, isn't Magento Free?

This is a common misconception. Magento Open Source has a $0 license fee (like a free puppy), but:

Hosting is expensive: It requires powerful servers (Varnish, Redis, Elasticsearch), costing $100-$500/mo vs $10/mo for a basic site.
Dev is mandatory: You cannot effectively run it without a specialized developer ($80-$150/hr).
Patches are manual: You must pay someone to apply security patches regularly or risk being hacked.

The graph above reflects these "hidden" infrastructure and maintenance costs.

Platform Recommender

Answer 3 simple questions to find your ideal match.

PlatformVersus