Magento is one of the most powerful e-commerce platforms worldwide and has been part of Adobe since 2018. It runs online shops of every size, from mid-sized retailers to international corporations, with almost unlimited customisability, a mature set of B2B features and an open architecture. This page explains what Magento is, how it's built, which editions are available and who the platform pays off for.
Magento is a full-blown PHP-based ecommerce framework, owned by Adobe since 2018: catalogue management scaling to millions of SKUs, multi-store capabilities for several brands, languages and currencies, and a modular architecture in which every feature can be extended or replaced. The core is freely available as Magento Open Source; Adobe Commerce builds on the same codebase and adds enterprise features such as the B2B module, AI-powered merchandising and native integration with Adobe Experience Cloud. With Mage-OS, the community also maintains an independent fork.
What Magento is not: an off-the-shelf store builder you launch in an afternoon. As soon as ERP integration, custom pricing logic or a grown product catalogue come into play, the store build becomes an integration project. That's exactly what you work with a Magento agency for – not for setting up a theme.
Magento 2 runs on a modern PHP stack. Release 2.4.9 (May 2026) runs on PHP 8.5 and uses MariaDB, OpenSearch 3, Valkey and RabbitMQ. Three points matter for architecture decisions.
Every feature is a self-contained module that can be extended, overridden or replaced without touching the core – with dependency injection, service contracts and a clean separation of logic and presentation.
Comprehensive GraphQL and REST APIs let Magento run headless: PWAs, apps or custom JavaScript frontends talk to the backend via the API. Hyvä has also established itself as a lean, high-performance alternative to the default frontend.
Magento Open Source runs self-hosted or with a specialised hosting partner – with full control over server location and data residency. Adobe Commerce is available as PaaS or on-premise; Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service adds a pure SaaS model.
Configurable, bundled and virtual products, attribute sets and tier pricing – catalogues scale to millions of SKUs.
Multiple stores, brands, countries, languages and currencies from a single installation.
Cart and catalogue price rules, coupons and customer-group-specific pricing without custom development.
OpenSearch-based site search, extended in Adobe Commerce with AI-powered Live Search and Product Recommendations.
Company accounts with roles and budgets, shared catalogues, quick ordering, quoting and approval workflows.
Thousands of extensions on the Adobe Commerce Marketplace plus a global developer community.
B2B is where Magento truly shines: the Adobe Commerce B2B module covers company accounts with roles and permissions, shared catalogues with customer-specific pricing, quick ordering via SKU entry or CSV upload, requisition lists, quoting workflows plus budgets and approvals. Magento Open Source can be extended into a fully fledged B2B platform as well.
The effort shifts to where it belongs: data quality and interfaces. How we set up migration, integration and operations is covered in detail by our Magento agency services.
Magento 1 has received no official updates since 2020 – stores still running on it are a security liability and should move to Magento 2 without delay. Catalogue, customers and orders can be transferred in a structured way; themes and extensions are rebuilt.
Within Magento 2, upgrading to the current 2.4.x release secures support, security and performance. And replatforming from other systems pays off above all when your current platform hits its limits on customisation, B2B functionality or international expansion.
Adobe maintains the 2.4.x line on a predictable schedule: one major version per year plus regular security patches, with roughly three years of support per release. Apply patches promptly and you're running a secure, PCI DSS-compliant platform.
Self-hosting gives you full control over server location and data residency – key for GDPR-sensitive projects. Patch levels, backups and monitoring remain your responsibility, or your partner's.
With MageSuite, we take Magento 2 to the next level and enhance it with a wide range of features related to CMS, search, UX, performance and security. This allows content creation to be seamlessly combined with e-commerce functionality - without the need to integrate third-party systems such as TYPO3 or WordPress.
Thanks to our open-source approach, we also ensure that merchants can further develop and operate their online store independently of any service provider.
Magento is a good fit if at least one of these applies:
Complex catalogues and custom business processes
Deep ERP/PIM integration instead of simple data exports
Several countries, brands or stores from one installation
Demanding B2B scenarios with custom pricing and approvals
Full control over code, data and hosting
For small shops with standard requirements, Magento is usually oversized. We'll tell you that in the first conversation, too.
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See how we build powerful, scalable and brand-driven e-commerce solutions with Magento.
As one of Europe's largest textile discounters with 2,000+ stores, NKD embodies omnichannel commerce. Since their Adobe Commerce relaunch, we have been their reliable partner.
Complex system landscape with around 2,000 connected stores
Comprehensive click & collect strategy
Product and store management in Pimcore as a central platform
High-performance e-commerce with robust omnichannel features
Pimcore integration ensures automation and team efficiency
Perfect customer satisfaction – NPS score 10/10
Benuta is Europe’s leading online retailer for rugs and home décor. The company merges modern design with cutting-edge technology, relying on a scalable headless architecture to drive flexibility, automation, and international expansion.
Benuta was awarded in the category "Best Customer Experience" at the Shop Usability Award 2026 for its outstanding shopping experience.
Complex system landscape with high order volume
Balanced product presentation, description, and service to reduce returns
Modern headless architecture for flexibility and performance
Improved scalability for further market expansion
Reduced internal workload through automation and system stability
Mövenpick Wine is among the leading importers and suppliers of quality wines in Switzerland and Germany. Since opening its first wine cellar in Zurich’s Enge in the 1950s, it has grown to 40+ branches across both countries.
Unifying online purchase, in-store pickup, and local payment into one seamless flow
Maintaining real-time inventory synchronization between ERP and shop system
Automating vintage transitions while ensuring transparent customer communication
Transforming technical wine data into engaging, storytelling-driven product pages
Unified checkout supporting reservations, online payment, and in-store purchase
Automated vintage replacement reducing manual effort and increasing transparency
High-performance product pages featuring origin, tasting notes, and pairing insights
Magento is perfect for businesses with complex requirements, large product ranges or international ambitions. If scalability and customisation matter, Magento is the ideal platform.
Magento Open Source is free and flexible – great for mid-sized businesses. Adobe Commerce includes advanced features like cloud hosting, AI tools and enterprise-level support.
Magento projects require more setup and custom development but offer unmatched flexibility in functionality, design and integrations – ideal when standard systems fall short.
Magento provides regular security patches, two-factor authentication and strong infrastructure protection. With professional monitoring and hosting, you achieve enterprise-grade security.
Yes. Magento is particularly strong when it comes to complex B2B requirements and multi-store environments. Features like customer-specific pricing, shared catalogs, role-based permissions and multi-language or multi-currency setups make it a robust foundation for scalable B2B, B2C or hybrid commerce models.
Yes. Adobe is actively developing the platform: release 2.4.9 shipped in May 2026 with a modernised technology stack (PHP 8.5, OpenSearch 3.x, Symfony components). An annual release cycle and roughly three years of support per version make operations predictable.
Magento Open Source carries no licence fees; costs come from strategy, development, hosting and maintenance. Smaller projects start in the mid five-figure range, while complex B2B or multi-store builds sit well above that. Adobe Commerce adds a revenue-based licence on top.
Yes, urgently. Magento 1 has received no security updates since mid-2020, so any Magento 1 store still in production is an open door for attackers and, in most cases, no longer PCI DSS compliant. An experienced Magento agency handles migration and operations.
