The best CMS for online stores – Magento and WooCommerce compared
Processing customer data securely, presenting products attractively, convincing the search engines: The demands on the CMS of an online store are high. The Magento and WooCommerce software solutions are specifically designed for this purpose.
Magento appeared in 2008 as a standalone program and is now part of Adobe’s software offering. WooCommerce has been available since 2011 as an integrated plugin for the WordPress content management system.
The success of an online store depends largely on the performance of the store software. This makes it all the more important to know the differences between Magento and WooCommerce.
User-friendliness in terms of installation, use and maintenance
For an online store, a professional design and a smooth navigation are important to look serious to the visitors. Both Magento and WooCommerce meet this requirement. Before launching the digital store, however, there is the setup to do.
The installation of the WordPress plugin WooCommerce is straightforward. This is especially true for people who are already familiar with the well-known CMS. As a standalone software, Magento requires significantly more expertise to set up. The situation is similar for the design, the initial setup of the store interface and the integration of extensions.
The maintenance effort is equally high for both CMSs and hardly manageable for beginners themselves. Here it may make sense to enlist the help of a special WordPress or Magento agency.
Possibilities for extending the scope of functions
Standing out from the crowd is essential for long-term success in e-commerce. Magento and WooCommerce offer numerous extensions to customize the functions of the online store. This refers, for example, to the payment options offered, the product information or the integration of social media.
With more than 3,800 available extensions, Magento has extensive possibilities for individualization. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is “only” compatible with around 600 applications.
Data processing security
The payment function makes online stores a popular target for cybercriminals, because it requires the processing of sensitive customer data. WooCommerce is at particularly high risk because it is linked to WordPress – the most popular target for hackers.
In terms of security, Magento offers the higher protection. The development team closes even small security gaps promptly with patches. However, these are only effective when properly installed.
Integrated measures for search engine optimization (SEO)
Achieving a top position on the search results pages of Google and Co. is the goal of all store operators. A search engine optimized store is a basic requirement for this.
Magento and WooCommerce include basic SEO features, whereas Magento has a more versatile repertoire. Meta descriptions, XML sitemap, image optimization – Adobe’s store system enables search engine optimization on a professional level. Additional SEO plugins are available for both systems.
Technical support
WooCommerce relies on the dedicated community to resolve the concerns of store owners. The free CMS does not offer its own customer support. And: Official guides and FAQs are only available in English.
Individual support for questions or technical problems is included in the paid version of Magento. With annual fees in the five-digit range, this is to be expected. Those who use the free open-source variant are also dependent on the help of the community here.
The most important features of WooCommerce and Magento at a glance
The following listing clearly summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of Magento and WooCommerce.
Advantages of Magento:
- free of charge in the open source version
- flexibly expandable through about 3,800 applications
- powerful enough for high traffic
- good security standard for risk-free data processing
- supports all common payment methods
- SEO-friendly base, expandable with 400 applications
- active community for questions and problems
Disadvantages of Magento:
- costly installation, care and maintenance
- complicated implementation of updates
- free version offers only a limited range of functions
- difficult to calculate prices for the paid version
- direct support is reserved for paying customers
Magento is versatile, but from a layman’s point of view complex and not very user-friendly. As an experienced Magento agency, ONELINE can help to install and manage the store system correctly.
Advantages of WooCommerce:
- free of charge and user-friendly
- extensible with about 600 applications
- choice of 25 different design templates
- supports the usual payment methods
- basic SEO features that are extensible
- active community for questions and problems
Disadvantages of WooCommerce:
- only usable in conjunction with WordPress
- vulnerable to WordPress security vulnerabilities
- high effort in terms of updates and maintenance
- possible drop in performance with high visitor volume
- no direct support
WooCommerce is beginner-friendly and a good choice for small stores with a manageable number of visitors. On the other hand, there are security risks based on the direct link to WordPress.
There is no clear winner
Both Magento and WooCommerce are available free of charge in the basic version. The two content management systems offer the possibility to customize the design and the functions of the online store. Both software solutions are also on par in terms of maintenance effort.
In a direct comparison, Magento offers more extensive expansion options, while WooCommerce scores with high user-friendliness. Both programs include basic SEO features. Which CMS is best for an online store is therefore always decided on a case-by-case basis.
Basically, if a complex store with special functions and a high degree of scaling is planned, Magento is the better choice. The Magento agency ONELINE provides support in setting up, maintaining and servicing the CMS.
