Adobe Commerce.
The all-in-one commerce giant with a rich history and complex PHP architecture
Adobe Commerce, still recognized by many as Magento, is the "grandfather" of PHP commerce. After being acquired by Adobe in 2018, it was integrated into the Adobe Experience Cloud. While it remains one of the most flexible and feature-rich systems on the market, the platform also struggles with the legacy of an outdated architecture and high maintenance burdens.
What is Adobe Commerce?
Adobe Commerce is an all-in-one commerce platform that offers unparalleled freedom in building complex webshops. The system is originally a monolithic PHP framework (Magento 2), meaning the frontend and backend are tightly interwoven. Adobe is currently attempting to modernize the system via "headless" initiatives like Adobe App Builder and API Mesh, but the core remains a heavy and complex system.
What makes Adobe Commerce different?
Unparalleled flexibility. There is virtually no business logic that cannot be built in Adobe Commerce. Magento's open-source roots have resulted in a system that is customizable down to the smallest detail.
The massive community. Because the system has been the standard for so long, there is a plugin or an expert to be found for every conceivable problem. This is a safety net that few other systems can provide to this extent.
Focus on B2B and B2C. Adobe Commerce features extensive out-of-the-box capabilities for both consumer sales and complex B2B scenarios (such as customer-specific price lists and quoting processes).
Strengths.
Feature-rich - No other system has as much functionality available directly out of the box.
Large ecosystem - Tens of thousands of plugins and a global network of specialists.
Extreme customizability - Everything can be rewritten or extended by developers.
Strong B2B module - Native support for complex business trade processes.
Who uses Adobe Commerce?
Adobe Commerce is used by medium to very large retailers who require specific functionality not found in standard SaaS solutions.
Kruidvat - Manages a massive catalog and complex logistics on this platform.
Hunkemöller - Uses the flexibility for international fashion retail.
Coca-Cola - Leverages B2B capabilities for global distribution partners.
HP - Manages complex international product flows through Adobe Commerce.
Our vision.
Adobe Commerce is past its peak. While it remains a serious player due to the power of Adobe, the system no longer feels like the logical step for those starting "greenfield" projects today. The ratio between innovation on the storefront and maintenance on the engine has grown completely skewed for many Adobe Commerce shops. Adobe has tried to integrate the system with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), but this often feels like stacking complex systems on top of each other. For developers, the experience is often frustrating: the system is not developer-friendly and requires a massive amount of specialized knowledge just to keep the basics running. For new organizations, we are convinced that in 90% of cases, another choice (such as Shopify or commercetools) is smarter.
Suitable for
Existing Magento shops with such specific implementations that replatforming is too expensive.
Large organizations already fully locked into the Adobe Experience Cloud.
Complex B2B cases where the standard capabilities of Adobe Commerce align perfectly.
Note upon
Maintenance burden - The amount of maintenance required for the core and plugins is enormous and only increasing.
Developer-unfriendly - It requires many development hours for relatively small adjustments.
Upgradability - Due to the vast amount of custom work and plugins in the market, updates often become complex and risky projects.
Outdated core - Despite modern add-ons, the PHP monolith at the core continues to feel outdated.
Is Adobe Commerce suitable for enterprise?
Adobe Commerce is definitely an enterprise system in terms of features and community, but it is hardly suitable for a modern enterprise architecture anymore. Leaving is difficult for existing customers, but for new enterprise players, we recommend looking at more agile, API-first solutions.
Summary: Adobe Commerce is the safe choice of yesterday. It offers everything you can imagine, but at the price of a clunky engine and a sky-high management burden. We primarily help organizations with the question: do we continue to maintain the engine or is this the moment for a transition?
Struggling with the maintenance burden of Adobe Commerce? We would be happy to help you weigh the balance between building further or replatforming.
Schedule a callIn practice.
Integrations & ecosystem
The ecosystem is the largest in the world for e-commerce. However, integration with Adobe's own products like AEM is often complex. It is an ecosystem based on old standards, which often results in an unnecessarily complicated tech stack for customers.
Implementation
A Magento project is notorious for its long lead time. Even a "standard" implementation takes months of work due to the complexity of the configuration and the heaviness of the framework.
Support & community
The community is the lifeline of this system. Since official support from Adobe is often slow and expensive, the majority of users rely on the massive amount of knowledge available online on platforms like Reddit and Stack Overflow.
AI & further development
Adobe is trying to add AI functionality through Adobe Sensei. This helps with product recommendations and search optimization, but these innovations are often far removed from the daily maintenance issues most webshop owners face.
Compare with alternatives.
How does Adobe Commerce compare to Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is the death blow for many Adobe Commerce implementations. Where Adobe Commerce offers flexibility by opening everything up, Shopify offers speed by standardizing everything. Most retailers are now choosing Shopify's agility over Adobe's complexity.
See also our analyses of other solutions:
Shopify - The modern standard that is rapidly taking over Adobe Commerce's market share.
commercetools - For those who truly want enterprise without the baggage of PHP monoliths.
BigCommerce - A middle ground that attempts to offer Magento's flexibility in a modern SaaS package.
Frequently asked questions.
Is Magento the same as Adobe Commerce?
Why is upgrading so difficult?
Is the system headless?
How much does Adobe Commerce cost?
Is it suitable for small webshops?
Need help choosing your e-commerce platform?
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