For merchants looking for a highly versatile platform with advanced customization, our research team has narrowed the options down to two top contenders: commercetools vs Adobe Commerce. And now comes the challenging part — digging even deeper to determine the ultimate winner.
So, which platform will take the crown? Keep reading to find out! In this guide, we’ll cover the following topics:
- commercetools and Adobe Commerce: Which wins?
- Break down their 8 differences
- Find the better fit for your specific needs
- Migration between the two platforms.
Let's get started!
Between commercetools vs Adobe Commerce: Which Wins?
All in all, commercetools wins big over Adobe Commerce in almost every key aspect.
Indeed, its composable, microservice-based architecture offers virtually limitless possibilities, meaning all core components are now very loosely connected to give you unobstructed design freedom. Of course, we do not deny that Adobe Commerce also offers impressive enterprise-level site-building experience, but let's face it: this platform has yet to reach the same degree of detail orientation as commercetools as of this writing.
Can't wait to learn more about the differences between the two platforms? Check out the comparison table we've compiled below!
commercetools vs Adobe Commerce: Understand The 8 Differences
To help you better understand the differences between commercetools and Adobe Commerce, we’ve conducted thorough hands-on testing and verified our findings through existing reviews on popular user community support channels. Here’s a closer look at what we discovered:
commercetools | Adobe Commerce | Which wins | |
Cost | Custom (~ $50,000 a year) | Custom; two main packages: + Commerce Pro: ~ $22,000 a year + Managed Services: ~ 40,000 a year | Adobe Commerce |
Complexity | Extremely steep learning curve: + 100% open-source + Barely any preset elements | Moderate learning curve | Adobe Commerce |
Customization | Any custom frontend frameworks | Theme customization (Admin Panel): | commercetools |
Architecture | Microservice architecture: Components can be deployed separately | Monothilic architecture: Components are tied together | commercetools |
Tech stack | Any tool or framework you like | + Symphony framework + Zend framework + MySQL database + JavaScript, CSS, HTML + PHP | commercetools |
Product management | Flexible grouping, categories | Hierarchy structure for simpler organization | commercetools |
Promotion tools | + Discounts + Stacking mode + Promotion scheduling + Custom predicates + Limitless customization | + Rewards and Loyalty programs + Private sales and events + Email reminders + Product recommendations | commercetools |
Ecosystem | Integration Marketplace: + 50 tools and extensions + Custom pricing Third-party integrations: + Every available system via APIs | Adobe Extension Marketplace: + Over 3900 extensions + $200 to $10,000+ per month Third-party integrations: + PIM (Product Info Management) + CRM (Customer Relationship) + ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) | Adobe Commerce |
commercetools vs Adobe Commerce: Find the Right Fit for Your Business
We have just identified a winner between commercetools vs Adobe Commerce in the previous sections.
Nevertheless, this result doesn’t mean Adobe Commerce isn’t a strong contender — or that commercetools is always the perfect fit for EVERY business. Each platform caters to its own unique audience, after all, so keep reading to discover which one aligns best with your business needs.
When to choose commercetools
As already mentioned, commercetools offer endless customization possibilities. ANYTHING you envision in your mind is totally achievable with its headless commerce structure!
Nevertheless, the significant costs and technical expertise required are two critical factors to consider here. Does your business really need to make such a huge investment right now, or could more affordable alternatives suffice for the time being? Our advice: only consider commercetools if:
- You want a FULLY customized solution with limitless options to tailor your eCommerce storefront.
- Your business requires unique product catalogs or complex custom pricing rules to deliver a holistic, industry-specific customer experience.
- You have a proficient in-house development team or an extremely generous budget. Simply put, you must be able to afford at least $50,000 of annual investment in ongoing development and site maintenance — all while still allocating funds for marketing, campaigns, employee salaries, and other urgent business and personal preferences.
When to choose Adobe Commerce
On the other hand, Adobe Commerce strikes a balance between commercetools and more traditional platforms. While it does have quite a steep learning curve in general, the platform still offers user-friendly elements — such as preset themes and intuitive menu options — to ensure the experience doesn't get too overwhelming.
For this reason, we highly recommend choosing Adobe Commerce if:
- Your budget for initial development is way under $50,000. Or you want to minimize time spent on customization and site-building to quickly move on to the marketing phase.
- You prioritize a convenient and diverse extension/app marketplace (as of this writing, Adobe Commerce offers over 3,900 apps to meet a wide range of niche needs).
- Your team mostly works with PHP-based frameworks like Zend or Symfony. In that case, Adobe Commerce’s tech stack will more than suffice.
Let's Migrate to Adobe Commerce!
Ready to migrate? LitExtension has your back throughout the entire process.
Can You Migrate between Adobe Commerce vs commercetools?
Yes, you can, though it’s a far more complex process than typical migrations between user-friendly platforms (say, Wix and Shopify).
Specifically, the process requires meticulous planning from start to finish, very detailed attention to customization elements, and advanced technical solutions in store in case any unexpected issues arise. On top of that, you still need to keep your business running throughout the entire process, which obviously demands a very exhausting amount of time, effort, and resources.
Given all these complexities, we strongly recommend turning to LitExtension experts to handle all the heavy lifting. With over 12 years of experience, our team will guarantee a smooth, hassle-free, and accurate data migration for you. Contact us today for more information!
commercetools vs Adobe Commerce: FAQs
What does commercetools do?
commercetools is a headless commerce platform that provides APIs for building and managing eCommerce solutions. The frontend and backend functionalities are separated, meaning businesses can easily create scalable and flexible online stores with advanced expertise and a generous budget.
Is commercetools a SaaS?
Yes, commercetools is a SaaS platform that operates entirely on the cloud and offers subscription-based access to its headless commerce services. Simply put, businesses can conveniently build and manage their eCommerce systems without hosting or maintaining infrastructure themselves.
Are Magento and Adobe Commerce the same?
Yes, they are essentially the same. Magento Commerce was renamed to Adobe Commerce after Adobe bought Magento in 2018. Simply put, Adobe Commerce is the upgraded, enterprise version of Magento.
What is the difference between Adobe Commerce and Commerce Cloud?
Adobe Commerce offers both on-premise and cloud-hosted versions. The on-premise version requires self-hosting and maintenance, while the cloud version, known as Adobe Commerce Cloud, provides managed hosting and integrates with other Adobe services.
Final Words
We hope you can now decide which platform, commercetools vs Adobe Commerce, is the right fit for your business.
And if you are a commercetools merchant looking for an Adobe Commerce migration (or the other way around), LitExtension is here to support you every step of the way! With over 300,000 successful migrations for stores across 100+ countries, we’re committed to delivering a pleasant, frictionless experience for you.
For more information, check out our guides or join our Facebook Community.
