Magento vs. WordPress: What is the best open source ecommerce platform?

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If you are looking to launch an online business and ecommerce is needed, two of the heavy hitters are Magento and WordPress. Most of us have heard of Magento going hand in hand with ecommerce, but surprisingly The Magento vs. WordPress question can be tough, but with either way you go, you’re getting two of the best open source ecommerce platforms the internet has to offer.

If you’re considering a free open source ecommerce platform, Magento is a natural place to consider first. Also one of the giants of the web, WordPress powers 1 in 6 of the world’s websites, according to Forbes. However, Magento has grown tremendously since its founding in 2009, by meeting ecommerce needs that WordPress couldn’t.

Here are the pros and cons you should consider when making your choice:

All About WordPress

The Pros:

When it was started a decade ago, WordPress’s founder wanted users to have a website that combined the best aspects of a publishing platform, and above all, ease of setup. With 100,000 new users joining the service each day, it undoubtedly nailed that last part.

Using either the open source plugin WooCommerce, or going thru WordPress.com with an affordable paid version, WordPress has by far the most options when it comes to your commerce store design. From free templates to premium ones, there’s something for every style.

It’s easy to make a very attractive site to get your word out, and easy for your fans to follow you and receive updates. If you’re trying to get content out, WordPress is ideal.

The Cons:

The emphasis on WordPress is still on word—it’s a blogging platform, first and foremost. If you want to engage customers, it’s great, but if you’re trying to sell product seamlessly, it can get clunky. One of the biggest issues is also when it comes to plugins and compatibility, compromising the user experience you’re trying to provide.

And In This Corner… Magento

The Pros:

With this platform, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to customizing both the design, and the functionality of your online shop. From more simple setups, to enterprise level commerce solutions, Magento is widely considered the preferred platform.

Magento is optimized for ecommerce, which means that you don’t have to integrate as many third party plugins. Those plugins, which can make a WordPress site less secure, exist to fill gaps that aren’t present in Magento.

The Cons:

WordPress boasts a learning curve that most platforms, including Magento, can only dream of. Since it’s specialized for the purpose of selling, Magento takes a bit more work to get familiar with. If you want a more admin-friendly user experience, then the prize goes to WordPress in this regards.

And while a company looking for a free ecommerce platform may not be worried about hiring developers yet, its worth considering that aspect. Since WordPress is one of the web’s undisputed giants, it’s easy to hire developers. According to WordPress’s blog, the average rate for WP developers is $50/hour, and “Wordpress developer” is one of the most-common positions on freelancing site oDesk.

On the other hand, one of the most common laments about Magento is the lack of qualified developers. If you go with Magento, you will be able to find support down the line, but because of fewer options they usually tend to charge a premium.

Either way, your company has 2 great, fee open source ecommerce platforms to choose from. Is your company one Team WordPress or Team Magento? Let us know in the comments below!

Are you looking to start an ecommerce site? Contact us for a no obligation consultation, and we’ll help you gain more clarity and focus regarding your digital strategy.

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