Should You Choose WooCommerce Instead Of Magento in 2022?

There is no ultimate solution that makes selling online easier, simpler, or quick.

So, when it comes to Magento vs. WooCommerce, we do not start by listing why WooCommerce is best or discussing the pros and cons of Magento in business.

Because the golden rule of eCommerce remains- Don’t Choose What’s Best; Choose What Fits You Most!

So, what would suit your eCommerce business in the transforming online retail market of 2022? Should you look towards Magento or focus more on WooCommerce development services?

Let’s find that out!

Magento Vs. WooCommerce: What Will We Cover?

Join us as we explore the differences and distinctions between WooCommerce and Magento.

Magento Vs. WooCommerce: 2021 Performance Showcase

If we go by legacy, both platforms stand quite close and yet miles apart.

WooCommerce was established in 2011. Magento was released in 2008. The latest stable release for WooCommerce is 5.3.0. That for Magento is 2.4.3.

But, what must be noticed is the gap between their user base. Magento fuels 250,000 eCommerce websites while WooCommerce has already captured a firm share of the market and powers nearly 5.1 million websites.

What I recommend taking away from this section is simple- Don’t base your decision on popularity.

While WooCommerce is a global favorite, Magento tops the charts in the US. In popularity, community, plug-in, and extension availability, both these platforms have good enough support.

And, in the last year, both have performed off the charts while propelling growth for the businesses that use these platforms.

So, there is really no point using their reach as a parameter to determine why WooCommerce is best or why you should choose Magento.

So, How To Choose One Between WooCommerce & Magento?

When making a Magento Vs. WooCommerce choice, it is important to know your current standing, short-term goals, and long-term goals.

Once you have these answers in hand, the process becomes a bit easier.

As we go through the different parameters used to judge both these platforms, you should be able to see clearly where one platform resonates with your goals and when it doesn’t.

1. Initial Set-up

For starters, you need a hosting provider for both WooCommerce and Magento. The installation comes next, and then the set-up.

Installing WooCommerce is easy. DIY easy! You have the one-click WordPress installation. Adding WooCommerce to WordPress is just a few clicks. The setup wizard allows for friendly navigation.

Magento, on the other hand, requires a guide. Unless you are a developer or friendly with how they operate, you will need help.

But, once you get past the installation part, you are met with an intuitive dashboard on both Magento and WooCommerce. They have the features you need to effortlessly monitor an eCommerce site.

2. Customization

One of the best things about WooCommerce- you have a lot of control over the code.

This WordPress plugin is flexible to a fault. You can use it to tweak the code for themes, extensions, and other plugins, change the functionality, and even the look & feel.

Of course, you must follow the best practices to preserve your customizations in case of future updates. But, you have the stepwise guide, good documentation, and enough community support that this doesn’t prove much of a hassle.

Now, can you customize Magento?

Yes! It is flexible, scalable, and allows custom code integration.

But, is it easy?

The Magento frontend infrastructure encourages storefront modifications. It provides tools and documentation to jumpstart the process for newcomers. There are different layers of customization and each may alter the shopping experience a little more, but following the best practices can ensure that you get an optimal upgrade.

However, the level of ease depends on your familiarity with this eCommerce platform.

If you are aware of the pros & cons of Magento in business and understand the storefront customization level, it will be smooth sailing. If not, you should try Magento web development services to get the job done.

3. Analytics

To answer why WooCommerce is best, you have its brilliant flexibility, amazing ease of customization, and extreme ease of installation. That is why its lack of inbuilt reporting infrastructure comes across as quite a shock and disappointment.

You do get a basic set of analytics.

• Net Sales
• Redeemed Coupon Stat
• Customer Sales
• Subscription Metrics
• Gross Revenue

But these are minimal metrics. At best, they can give you a surface-level snapshot of how the eStore is doing.

The workaround- plugins.

You will find a wide and truly brilliant range of analytics plugging in the market (free and paid,) each fulfilling the requirement just well. But if you keep adding plugins to your WooCommerce site, there is a good chance of the eStore becoming chunky, and hence, slow.

With Magento Analytics (Now Magento Business Intelligence), you will find things to be far more convenient.

Magento offers much more advanced analytics. It has a wonderful visual dashboard, easily shareable reports, smart classification, database compatibilities, etc. It is just as comprehensive to business users as technical users.

Plus, the BI module lets you customize it to answer valuable, business-driving questions related to customer acquisition, marketing, merchandising, and budgeting.

4. SEO

Magento SEO is multidimensional.

With independent navigation links and page titles, customizable H1 tags, canonical URLs, and integrated CMS functions, this platform offers the opportunity to rank. It even offers site performance optimization tools to help you ensure a faster site.

That isn’t saying you would find no SEO obstacles when working with Magento.

• Creating configurable products in Magento leads to duplicate content
• The rel=canonical tag shows imperfections
• You need several adjustments to optimize a Magento site for speed

On the other hand, is WooCommerce SEO friendly?

It is difficult to answer that with a Yes or a No.

Unlike Shopify or Magento where you get an automatic sitemap and customizable tags, WooCommerce operates on a code that accommodates SEO. However, it does not offer much in the way of an isolated bundle of SEO features.

Again, you have the plugins and the best practices to make the most of WooCommerce when trying to rank your site online.

5. Security

Both Magento and WooCommerce are built to internalize security and create a safe platform for eCommerce transactions.

That, however, provides no protection against brute force attacks and external factors.

For example, if you choose Magento, then it would be wise to choose any version of Magento 2 from a security point of view. That is because, after the Magento 1 end-of-life, there are no updates or security patches being rolled out of websites that haven’t migrated to Magento 2.

It can lead to several issues, like:

• Losing PCI compliance
• No pre-built security patches
• Vulnerability to ransomware attacks
• More time and effort are required in keeping the extensions updated manually

On Magento 2, the most you have to fear are server attacks.

WooCommerce provides a decent enough security system as long as you keep it updated. You can also utilize the following best practice to further secure your WooCommerce site.

• Create a security layer
• Fine-tune it periodically
• Install a security plugin to scan your site
• Protect your site with an SSL certificate
• Enable 2F authentication
• Implement geo blocking

Overall, WooCommerce offers a pretty grounded and covered security system.

6. Price

Both eCommerce development platforms are open-source. So, there is no initial cost.

The price starts counting when you start buying extensions, paying for security modules, and hiring an eCommerce website development company for the job.

Here are a few factors that would need proper cost analysis before you can settle the Magento vs. WooCommerce debate.

• Plugins
• Extensions
• Customizations
• SEO
• Security
• Transactions
• Hosting
• Multi-channel integration
• Developer support

What Makes WooCommerce The Choice Of 2022

Why is WooCommerce the best? Why is WooCommerce so popular?

Questions like these are bound to come up.

After all, Shopify is still a major market leader for eCommerce marketplaces. Magento, Bigcommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Volusion, PrestaShop- quite a few contenders are fighting for the top spot.

So then, why do we need WooCommerce?

We shall attempt to answer that in two parts.

• Through the pros and cons of WooCommerce in business
• Through the use case for WooCommerce

For starters, here is what (we think) will define WooCommerce development in 2022.

Despite the disadvantages, the WooCommerce plugin is well-liked.

Why? Because most of these cons have tried and tested workarounds.

For instance, you can get custom modules built by a WooCommerce development service to lessen the load on plugins. Or, you can hire web developers in India to optimize the website regularly and ensure smooth performance.

I.e., WooCommerce not only allows sellers to start an online store with minimal effort, but it also provides numerous ways, tools, and routes to streamline that journey of eCommerce.

It is easy. It is efficient. It is quick. And in 2022, amidst returning waves of global eCommerce changes, it is what most online sellers will be looking for.

But, if you already have a WordPress website, going for WooCommerce makes sense. If you do not have one, making that transition can require more convincing. If you do, you will have to shift your entire website to the WordPress platform.

On that note, here are a few reasons why transitioning to WordPress and WooCommerce can play out in your favor.

• WooCommerce suits businesses of all sizes
• Its customization choices let you create a bespoke eStore
• Website and user management is easy
• There are multiple user access levels for simplified authentication
• You get the added advantage of optimized content solutions
• There is no limit on the number of products you can showcase
• For minimal investment, scaling on WooCommerce is possible
• WordPress updates will ensure consistent site performance

There you have it: Why WooCommerce is best for an eCommerce business in 2022.

What Are The Instances Where Magento Shines

So far, our understanding of Magento tells us that it is a developer-friendly language.

While it offers high degrees of customizability, it also requires technical finesse to utilize the flexibility it provides. With Magento, you get increased security and exceptional performance, albeit at a higher cost.

So then, why do we need Magento?

• Long-term growth for large eCommerce enterprises
• 360-degree support for Magento Enterprise users
• A powerful, inbuilt SEO toolkit
• Dedicated security patches
• Integrated optimal performance indicators
• Exceptional analytics and reporting tools
• Highly qualified security integrations

Simply put, if you are a large eCommerce business aiming for long-term growth, Magento gives you almost everything needed to get there.

Of course, such convenient support comes at a price. Even if you hire eCommerce developers or outsource Magento web development services to an eCommerce website development company, the expense will be higher than that in WooCommerce.

Make your choice accordingly.

How Can You Make The Most Of This Opportunity With WooCommerce Development Services

We have given you ample reasons why we are inclining towards WooCommerce; also, when and why Magento becomes the choice of the hour.

There is no settling the Magento vs. WooCommerce debate!

Part of the reason is that every business has different needs, budgets, and resources. Even for one eCommerce business, different stages of growth bring varying requirements.

So, wherever you may be in your eRetail journey right now, use this article to assess your needs and the best fit for your business between these two platforms.