Magento 1 Closing – What are Magento Alternatives?
Magento is a name that is synonymous with the eCommerce world. Well known for its high customisation and flexibility, as well as industry leading and innovative features. For some it may be hard to hear that they need to find a Magento 1 alternative.
Unfortunately, June 2020 marked the end of the road for the customer friendly and efficient platform. Meaning all who are currently using Magento 1 will no longer be able to receive updates or support. With that in mind, it is time to look for a suitable Magento 1 alternative.
Are there suitable Magento Alternatives?
There are a variety of alternatives to Magento 1, all with their own unique offerings and characteristics. Based on your shop/website needs, we will dive into the different options:
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is another name taking over the eCommerce world. The positive attributes to this platform is the fact that it is open-source, integrates seamlessly with WordPress and is fully customizable.
It ensures that your payments are secure, you can configure your shipping options and more. For FREE.
This platform, with it’s open source capabilities allows you ro build your dream eCommerce site, it even has a free storefront theme that you can start your site on – and build onto as your business grows.
Another huge benefit is the fact that their support team is always ready to assist with whatever questions you may have. Last but not least, WooCommerce understands the importance of SEO.
BigCommerce
Many big name brands use BigCommerce as their preferred eCommerce platform.
The difference with this platform is that it is a hosted platform with no code availability. Having said that, it is perfect for small to large enterprises and online stores.
It is simple and easy to use. It is affordable, and offers a variety of plans to suit your budget and needs. A word of caution, is that you will need to pay extra for developer assistance, apps and premium themes.
Shopify
A name taking the eCommerce world by storm is Shopify. This platform has made it its mission to ensure that your store is set up easily and swiftly. There are wizard modes and an easy to navigate admin panel, so someone with little to no knowledge in setting up a store can do it.
Shopify, like BigCommerce is self hosted. The big difference is that Shopify has taken the time to create and offer an extensive range of customisation options. You can do this without the aid of a developer.
A huge plus with this platform is it’s data insights and SEO friendly designs and considerations.
The biggest issue with the Shopify platform is its pricing structure. You can opt for a more moderate pricing plan, but if you want to go the enterprise route, be ready to fork out your cash.
PrestaShop
This is the solution driven by community. Perhaps a name that is not as well known, but offers a wide variety of options that will help you create your online store timeously.
Prestashop is very similar to Magento 1. It is an open source solution that offers efficiency without the confusion, as well as high levels of customizability.
OpenCart
OpenCart, again, is very similar to Magento 1 and makes for a great Magento 1 alternative. As it says on their website, this platform is everything you need to ‘create,scale and run your business’.
It is open source and FREE. It has an extensive array for themes and modules perfect for any eCommerce platform. It is comprehensive, SEO friendly and has a world class support structure and community.
So what Magento Alternative Do I Choose?
The above alternatives are suited to particular business needs and requirements. If you are looking for something user friendly and affordable, choose Shopify. If you are already working on the WordPress platform, choose WooCommerce. If security is your greatest worry, then BigCommerce is the best alternative.
All of the above are brilliant for a variety of reasons, you just need to figure out your business needs, and choose the one with the necessary capabilities.
This may seem like a big feat, but don’t let that worry you. Radical Cloud solutions is proficient in Shopify and WooCommerce, two of the top platforms in the world. We can easily migrate or update your store, without losing any SEO efforts.
