Businesses of all sizes use Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce to sell online successfully. Both platforms support marketing, merchandising, and high-volume multi-currency sales and both benefit from a vast developer community for customised solutions. But there are important differences that will determine which is right for your business.
In this guide, Mavenbird's certified Magento team breaks down exactly what separates the two from pricing and hosting to features, security, and scalability so you can make a confident, informed platform decision.
Magento 2 vs Adobe Commerce At a Glance
- Free to download and use
- Full open-source codebase access
- WYSIWYG page builder included
- Integrated checkout, payments, shipping
- Catalogue management tools
- Huge extension marketplace
- Self-hosted you manage everything
- Best for SMBs and developer-led teams
- Annual licensing (on-premises or Cloud)
- Business intelligence dashboards
- Advanced B2B functionality
- Multi-database architecture for scale
- AI via Adobe Sensei & Adobe Target
- Content staging & preview
- Adobe Experience Platform integration
- Managed cloud + 24/7 support
A Brief History
Magento launched in 2008 as an open-source eCommerce platform built for small to medium-sized businesses. Its flexibility, scalability, and adaptability made it the most popular choice for tailored eCommerce solutions worldwide.
Adobe Commerce formerly Magento Enterprise is the corporate-scale version. After Adobe acquired Magento in 2018, it became part of Adobe's Experience Cloud platform, bringing together data, content, AI, and commerce into a unified ecosystem. In 2019, Adobe Commerce Cloud launched as a fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) option.
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | Magento 2 Open Source | Adobe Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free to download | Annual licence GMV-based pricing |
| Hosting | Self-hosted (your responsibility) | On-premises or fully managed Cloud (PaaS) |
| Page Builder | ✓ WYSIWYG included | ✓ Advanced with dynamic blocks |
| B2B Functionality | ~ Via extensions | ✓ Native, enterprise-grade |
| Scalability | Single database limited at scale | ✓ Multi-database (checkout, orders, products) |
| AI & Personalisation | ~ Third-party extensions only | ✓ Adobe Sensei, Adobe Target, Live Search |
| Content Staging & Preview | ✗ | ✓ Full scheduling & preview |
| Product Recommendations | ~ Via extensions | ✓ Native AI-powered |
| Business Intelligence | ✗ | ✓ Full BI dashboard |
| PCI Compliance | ~ You manage compliance | ✓ PCI-certified out of the box |
| Security Management | Your responsibility (patches, WAF) | ✓ Security Scan + managed patching |
| Support | Community + partner support | ✓ 24/7 technical + cloud account support |
| Adobe Experience Cloud | ✗ | ✓ Full integration |
| Best For | SMBs, developer-led teams, custom builds | Enterprise, high-volume, B2B, multi-store |
Key Differences Explained
Free to download and use. Your costs come from hosting, security management, developer time, and any premium extensions you need. Total cost of ownership varies widely.
Annual licensing fee based on gross merchandise value (GMV) and average order value. Includes managed infrastructure, support, and access to the full Adobe Experience ecosystem.
You choose and manage your hosting provider. You are responsible for uptime, performance tuning, CDN configuration, and infrastructure scaling as your store grows.
Available as on-premises (you manage the server) or Adobe Commerce Cloud a fully managed PaaS that handles infrastructure, auto-scaling, CDN, and availability for you.
Operates on a single database. This works well for most SMBs but can become a bottleneck as order volume grows. Expanding businesses can outgrow the architecture without significant custom engineering.
Designed for enterprise scale from the ground up. Distributes the load across three separate databases for checkout, orders, and product data eliminating single points of failure under high volume.
Solid range of core eCommerce features. Developer support and extensions allow customisation, but each extension adds complexity, maintenance overhead, and potential compatibility challenges.
Includes B2B features, advanced catalogue and inventory management, AI-powered Live Search, personalised Product Recommendations via Adobe Sensei, and A/B testing via Adobe Target all natively.
A range of security extensions are available, but you are responsible for maintaining security best practices including safely deploying patches, extensions, and updates. PCI compliance is your responsibility to achieve and maintain.
PCI-certified out of the box. Includes a free Security Scan tool, proactive patching, data encryption, and Adobe's recommended best practices. Certified partners like Mavenbird receive early roadmap access to prepare clients ahead of updates.
You plan and implement your own maintenance schedule, including version upgrades, security patches, and performance monitoring. Community support is excellent, but enterprise-level SLAs require a partner like Mavenbird.
Adobe reduces maintenance overheads significantly on the Cloud edition. You receive technical support, cloud account management, and around-the-clock assistance though this is reflected in the licensing cost.
Which Should You Choose?
Your choice depends on your business stage, growth trajectory, and budget. Here's how to think about it:
- You want a free, fully customisable open-source platform
- You have developer expertise in-house or via a partner
- Your catalog is small to medium and growing steadily
- You want full control over your codebase and hosting
- Budget constraints make an annual licence difficult
- You plan to build a highly bespoke solution
- You operate at enterprise scale or high order volume
- You need B2B features like account hierarchies and quotes
- You want AI personalisation without third-party complexity
- Managed infrastructure and 24/7 support are priorities
- You need PCI compliance built in not bolted on
- You want Adobe Experience Cloud integrations
Why Choose Mavenbird as Your Magento Partner?
Since our founding, Mavenbird has delivered hundreds of successful Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce implementations for brands across the globe. As a certified Magento development partner, our team holds up-to-date certifications across Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce and we receive early roadmap insights that keep our clients ahead of every major update.
Whether you're launching on Magento Open Source, upgrading to Adobe Commerce, or migrating from another platform entirely, Mavenbird provides:
Ready to choose the right platform for your store?
Mavenbird's certified team will assess your requirements and give you a clear, honest recommendation Magento 2 or Adobe Commerce with a full cost projection included.
