Short answer: with Magento, you own the code, the data, and the choice of where your webshop runs. With a fully managed SaaS platform, you rent the software. The vendor handles hosting, updates, and security, but also decides what is and isn't possible.
For a B2C webshop with a standard checkout, SaaS is often fine. For a wholesaler or manufacturer with an ERP, customer-specific pricing, and custom ordering processes, the limitations of SaaS carry more weight. In this article, we compare the differences side by side. We build Magento webshops ourselves, so we are not neutral. That's why we also show when SaaS is the better choice.
Updated on October 29, 2026. Platform prices and terms were verified on their official pages. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Magento and managed SaaS: what is what?
Magento Open Source is an open-source e-commerce platform with no license fees. You install it on a server of your choice, and you or your agency manage the code. Adobe Commerce is the paid version from Adobe, offering extra features and support. Adobe also offers it as a managed cloud service. This moves Adobe Commerce closer to SaaS.
A fully managed SaaS platform is webshop software you subscribe to on a monthly basis. Think of Shopify, BigCommerce, or Lightspeed, as well as B2B platforms like Sana Commerce. The vendor hosts the software, implements updates, and determines the architecture. You configure and extend it via apps and APIs.
The differences in one table
Topic | Magento Open Source | Fully managed SaaS |
|---|---|---|
Source code | Fully accessible and customizable | Closed, owned by the vendor |
Checkout and pricing logic | Unlimited customization in the application layer | Within the boundaries of the platform and APIs |
B2B features | Via modules or a B2B suite, expandable with custom development | Standard or via apps, custom development limited |
ERP integration | Direct or via middleware, with full control over timing and logic | Via APIs with rate limits, or via the vendor's connector |
Hosting and data location | Self-chosen, including on European servers | Determined by the vendor |
Updates and security | Your responsibility or that of your partner | Handled by the vendor |
Cost structure | Higher upfront, then hosting and maintenance, no license fee | Low upfront, then subscription, apps, and often revenue or transaction fees |
Switching platforms | Move code and database to another provider | Export data, rebuild frontend and integrations from scratch |
Shopify Plus, Shopware, and Adobe Commerce alongside Magento
SaaS is not one-size-fits-all. More and more platforms offer a fully managed option. These are the facts that make the difference for a B2B wholesaler, as of October 2026.
Magento Open Source / Mage-OS | Shopify Plus | Shopware Evolve / Beyond | Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
License | Free (OSL 3.0) | From $2,300 per month (3-year contract) or $2,500 (1 year); variable platform fee at high revenue | Evolve from €2,400 per month excl. VAT; Beyond upon request; price depends on your revenue | Upon request |
Custom code in the core | Yes, via custom modules and plugins | No; extend via Shopify Functions, Checkout Extensibility, and apps | In the Cloud via apps; plugins only with self-hosting | No; only outside the core via APIs, events, and App Builder |
B2B baseline | Via modules or a complete B2B suite | On all paid plans since April 2, 2026 | From Evolve | Included as standard, such as companies and quotes |
Customer pricing | Fully configurable, including real-time from the ERP | Via B2B catalogs; per company and unlimited only on Plus | Pricing rules from Evolve; prices from your ERP only on Beyond | Via standard B2B features; industry-specific customization requires extra work |
Hosting | Self-chosen, including in the Netherlands | At Shopify | Cloud at Shopware, or self-hosted | At Adobe (multi-tenant) |
Updates | Plan yourself with your partner | Automatic | Automatic in the Cloud | Automatic, versionless |
The most critical difference lies in a single line of that table: where are you allowed to run custom code? Adobe states in its own comparison that the SaaS variant only permits extensions outside the core. Logic that needs to intervene directly within price calculations or the checkout must therefore be built alongside the platform.
Flexibility: where do you hit the limits?
With SaaS, you work within the boundaries of the platform. That is not a drawback as long as your process fits within those boundaries. It becomes tricky when your B2B process deviates from what the vendor anticipated. Examples we frequently see with wholesalers:
Customer-specific prices fed in real-time from the ERP, including tiered pricing and contract terms.
Ordering by SKU or via a CSV upload of hundreds of lines.
Approval workflows based on budget or cost center before an order is routed to the ERP.
An OCI or cXML punchout to your customer's procurement system.
In Magento, you build this directly in the application layer. With a SaaS platform, it depends on what the APIs permit and which apps exist. If it doesn't fit, you build a workaround outside the platform—which you also have to maintain.
Customization: freedom comes at a price
In Magento, almost anything is possible. That is also the trap. Every piece of custom work must be tested with every update and maintained for as long as your webshop exists. A Magento store cluttered with disjointed modules becomes slow and expensive to maintain.
Our approach: start with a proven baseline and build custom solutions only where it sets you apart. With the Hyvä B2B Suite, you start with over 35 B2B features, such as customer-specific pricing, roles and permissions, quote requests, and quick ordering by SKU. From there, you expand selectively.
Ownership: what do you take with you when you leave?
You only truly notice ownership when you want to migrate. With Magento, you move the complete codebase and database to another agency or hosting provider. With SaaS, you can typically export your data: products, customers, and orders. The frontend, the apps, and the integrations are left behind. You have to rebuild those on the new platform.
With Magento Open Source, that ownership is also legally secured: the code falls under the Open Software License 3.0. Mage-OS, the community version of Magento, uses the same license and is developed independently of Adobe. With SaaS, the vendor can change the rules. Shopware did this with its free Community Edition: webshops generating more than €1 million in annual revenue must switch to a paid plan to retain access to their Shopware account and the Shopware Store.
Ask your SaaS vendor these questions before you sign:
Can I export all orders including history, and in what format?
Who owns the custom apps built for us?
What happens to our URLs and search rankings when we leave?
How much can prices increase during and after the contract term?
Hosting on European servers
With Magento, you choose where your webshop and customer data reside. For many B2B companies, this is no minor detail. In tenders and data processing agreements, clients increasingly ask where data is stored and who can access it.
We host Magento webshops via Corebox on European cloud and dedicated servers, with 24/7 monitoring and automated backups. With a SaaS platform, the vendor determines the infrastructure. In that case, check the data processing agreement and the list of sub-processors to see where your data is stored and which parties have access to it.
Costs over time
SaaS is cheap to start with. Costs grow alongside you: subscription fees, monthly apps, and on many platforms, a percentage of your revenue or transactions. Magento requires a larger upfront investment. Afterward, you pay for hosting and maintenance, but with Magento Open Source, there is no license fee.
Therefore, don't just compare the first year—compare over five years. Take into account: licensing or subscriptions, apps and extensions, hosting, ERP and PIM integrations, and the internal labor hours required for workarounds. In our experience, the equation tilts toward Magento when you have growing B2B revenue and multiple integrations. For a small webshop without integrations, it does not.
The frontend is also no longer a licensing cost item. Hyvä, the fast frontend theme for Magento, has been free and open source since November 10, 2025.
When to choose SaaS, and when Magento?
SaaS fits you if:
You primarily sell standard products at standard prices.
You have few or straightforward integrations.
You do not have a technical partner and do not want one.
Getting to market quickly is more important than control.
Magento fits you if:
Your ERP is leading for prices, stock, and customer data.
You have customer-specific catalogs, tiered pricing, or contract prices.
Your customers order via punchout from their procurement system.
You want to run multiple stores, countries, or brands on a single platform.
You want to maintain full control over hosting and data within Europe.
You anticipate that your processes will evolve over the coming years.
Decision checklist
Answer these five questions with your team. The more often the answer is 'yes', the stronger the case for Magento.
Does our pricing structure deviate from a few fixed price lists?
Do prices, stock levels, or delivery times need to be fed live from our ERP?
Do customers order via punchout or with approval rules?
Do we want to be able to switch agencies or hosting providers without rebuilding?
Do we anticipate substantial webshop revenue growth over the next five years?
Frequently asked questions
Is Magento free?
Magento Open Source has no license fees. You pay for development, hosting, extensions, and maintenance. Adobe Commerce does require a license.
Can I migrate from Shopify or Sana Commerce to Magento?
Yes. You migrate products, customers, and orders. The frontend and integrations are rebuilt. Also make sure to plan redirects for your old URLs so you preserve your search rankings. Read more about this under e-commerce replatforming.
Who is responsible for security in Magento?
You, or the partner managing your webshop. That means applying security patches promptly and monitoring your environment. To see how that works in practice, read our article on PHP2Shell.
Is a SaaS platform always cheaper?
No. In the first year, it usually is. Over five years, with growing revenue, apps, and integrations, it often isn't. Calculate it for your specific situation.
How much does Shopify Plus cost?
Starting at $2,300 per month on a three-year contract, or $2,500 on a one-year contract. With high sales volumes, Shopify charges a variable platform fee. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, you pay a 0.2% transaction fee on Plus.
Can Shopify handle B2B?
Since April 2, 2026, company accounts, B2B catalogs, payment terms, and quick ordering are included in all paid Shopify plans. On Basic, Grow, and Advanced, a maximum of 3 B2B catalogs can be active. Unlimited catalogs and catalogs per company require Shopify Plus. For punchout and prices pulled live from your ERP, you need apps or external integrations.
What does Shopware cost for B2B?
Shopware's B2B components are included in Evolve, starting at €2,400 per month excl. VAT. Customer-specific prices from your ERP and multi-location inventory are available in Beyond, with pricing upon request.
Is Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service the same as Magento?
No. It is the SaaS variant of Adobe Commerce. Adobe manages the core application and applies updates automatically. Customizations are made outside the core via APIs, events, and App Builder. Custom PHP development, as in Magento Open Source, is not supported there.
Torn between SaaS and Magento for your B2B webshop? We would be happy to run the numbers with you, including your ERP and order processes. Schedule a call.
