Which Magento Version is the Best for eCommerce Development?

Magento is one of the leading and most widely used eCommerce platforms today. The reason is that Magento is taking over the eCommerce landscape, making it the best eCommerce platform for development. Well, it has two major versions 1.x and 2.x, and you might have a question that which Magento version is the best for development. So, read on to choose the best for your development.

Nowadays, eCommerce companies considering the possibility of upgrading to their Magento 1 platform to Magento 2, are taking step in right direction and gaining an advantage over competition. Magento is stand out in the eCommerce market, with about 170,000 websites on a Magento platform, and their popularity is growing. Rapid changes in technology have not overlooked this industry, and the demand for platform development is an inevitable truth.

Magento 1 had a good run as it changed the way developers and store owners see eCommerce platforms. But Magento 1 End of Life is already announced by official Magento and that means you will no longer get support. Despite the release of Magento 2 in late 2015, thousands of stores are still on Magento 1.

Meanwhile, given the End of Life, Magento 1 store owners need to migrate to Magento 2. Why? So, technologies and innovations used in Magento 2 make your store performance faster and be more secure, and reliable than ever. The migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2 gives your online business the much-needed competitive edge.

Why Should you Migrate to Magento 2?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question as there are many lists of benefits and disadvantages for both versions. However, we will provide a list of pros and cons that would help you to select the best option for your development.

Let’s discuss why it’s time for a change before discussing migration and its pros and cons. So, sooner or later, Magento 1 will lose the ability to take benefit of the new modules and features that grow revenue. Meanwhile, if you don’t plan with the version of adapting changes in technology, the stores that are shifting onto a Magento 2 will leave you behind. Migrating to the latest version of Magento will help you enhance security and performance.

Also Read: Reasons to Migrate to Magento 2 from your old Magento 1 Store

With the loss of support, Magento 1 becomes dangerously vulnerable to hacking, as security updates (patches) will no longer be offered. This lack of support also means the loss of access to the new features and competitive options which drive the market, significantly burdening your business.

Let’s start with the advantages of Magento 2….

• Support

In Magento 2, you have access to all recent eCommerce and online business innovations such as voice search, speed and performance enhancements, UI/UX, AI, and lean application footprint. The development team continues to introduce features such as page builder, PWA integration, advanced reporting, extended cache support, and code automation.

• Powerful Admin:

Yes, the new default theme Luma provides an eye-catching theme that is drastically enhanced compared to the previous Madison Island theme. Magento 2 has a comprehensive dashboard that shows last, new, and average orders, lifetime retail sales, top search keywords, income tax, and bestsellers. Searching for information is also quick, and navigating to Magento 2 menus is more efficient.

• Enhanced Flexibility:

The new platform in Magento 2 structure has enhanced flexibility which consists of high code coupling, enabling developers to create complex features such as checkout, SMS, CRM, and sales.

• Powerful Integrates:

Magento 2 can integrate with many renowned Payment processors, such as PayPal, WorldPay, and CyberSource. With the help of Magento 2, you longer have to worry about making payments easily and quickly without any problems.

• User-friendly:

The Magento 2 checkout process is streamlined, making it easier and quicker for customers to navigate through from the cart to the completed order than Magento 1. The customizable checkout now requires less customer info and steps, thence it reduces the checkout time, enhances sale conversion, and minimizes abandoned carts.

• Enhanced Performance:

We know that page load delay can lead to result in a loss in sales conversions. Magento 2 runs faster than Magento 2, which can lead to enhanced SEO and enhanced sales. All of the content from a static page can be cached, hence enhancing the site performance and reducing server load. This makes the Magento 2 platform more scalable for large eCommerce stores.

But there are still some disadvantages

• Magento 1 Themes cannot be transferred:

Yes, Magento 1 themes cannot be transferred to Magento 2, it will need to be built from scratch, making it an expensive endeavor. However, you can Develop the Same Magento Theme for your all New Magento 2 store with the help of qualified & certified developers.

• All extensions are not available yet:

Unfortunately, if you are already using extensions for Magento 1 and you cannot port them into Magento 2. You’ll need to purchase the Magento 2 Extensions and integrate them into your store, which also add to your overall costs.

• Hosting can be tricky:

Dedicated file servers that can be configured to Magento’s hosting needs absolutely must be employed, which adds to the true cost of using Magento.

• Enterprise edition costs rise:

Although Magento Community Edition remains free, for the Enterprise Edition a single license has enhanced at price from $18,000 to $22,000 per year.

For the same, we have come up with a Magento 2 Migration Cost Calculator that allows you to estimate the cost for your migration project in less than a minute. Just by entering few details, you’ll get to know a basic estimate on how much it will cost to migrate. So, what are you waiting for, let’s get on with the calculator and find the cost for your migration project?

What is Comparatively Better at Ease of Development: Magento 1 vs Magento 2?

Well, the survey participants had a mix of opinions about the development accessibility of both platforms. The majority of the participants suggested Magento 2, but a fair share of them also acted in favor of Magento 1.

According to one participant, the initial version of Magento 2 has too many bugs, but the updated version is changing that. We think PWA will help Magento 2 become more impactful in the future again.

Realistically, this isn’t even a question. Magento 1 and Magento 2 aren’t really at the battle because one is a viable eCommerce platform and the other is a dying star that simply isn’t a secure place to build a site. If you are currently on Magento 1, your only question is whether you should invest in migrating to Magento 2 or cast a wider net for other options.

Conclusion

As we mentioned above, there is no right answer in choosing the two versions of Magento as there are benefits and disadvantages to each Magento. If you are about to start to a new store, we strongly motivate you to pick the latest. And if you already have a Magento 1 store, sooner than later you will have to move forward, we advise is prepare a good plan for migration and go ahead.

Need help in migrating to Magento 2? M-connect Media can help you migrate your store to Magento 2 and also help you choose the best Magento version for your development. Consult our Certified Magento Developers and discuss your needs now.