The verdict in three sentences
For a brand selling 40% B2B on a Magento 2 store that costs 4,000 EUR a month to maintain, moving to Shopify Plus pays for itself in roughly two years on running costs alone. The project costs 40,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT and takes 4 months, with a subscription from 2,300 USD a month. The two real risks are migrating B2B accounts and price lists and SEO redirects, not design.
Total cost over 3 years: Magento, Shopify Plus or headless
The table compares three scenarios for a brand with 6 million EUR in online sales. Amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude in EUR excl. VAT, observed on Paris projects of similar size.
| 3-year item | Magento 2 (status quo) | Shopify Plus | Headless (Shopify Plus + Hydrogen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Migration or build (one-off) | 0 | 65,000 | 150,000 |
| Licence or subscription | 0 (Open Source) | 76,500 | 76,500 |
| Hosting | 36,000 | Included | 18,000 |
| Application maintenance | 144,000 | 43,200 | 108,000 |
| Extensions or apps | 15,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 |
| Version upgrades and security patches | 45,000 | Included | 9,000 |
| 3-year total | 240,000 | 208,700 | 385,500 |
Shopify Plus saves about 31,000 EUR over three years, and the gap widens afterwards since the migration is paid off. Headless only makes sense if a custom experience (configurator, heavy editorial content, multiple brands) brings a measurable conversion gain. Watch out for the variable component of the Shopify Plus fee above a certain sales volume, and transaction fees if you do not use Shopify Payments.
Migration budget line by line
| Item | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| Audit of existing setup and scoping | 4,000 to 8,000 | Inventory of extensions and custom code |
| Data migration (products, customers, order history) | 6,000 to 12,000 | Passwords cannot be transferred: invitation campaign |
| B2B accounts, companies, price lists, catalogues | 8,000 to 18,000 | Payment terms, volume discounts, multiple buyers |
| Theme and B2B and B2C journeys | 10,000 to 25,000 | Quick order by SKU, one-click reorder |
| ERP, logistics, CRM integrations | 8,000 to 18,000 | Sync of net prices and credit balances |
| 301 redirect plan and SEO | 3,000 to 6,000 | Mapping of every indexed URL |
| Testing and cutover | 1,000 to 3,000 | Content freeze 72 h before cutover |
| Total | 40,000 to 90,000 | Timeline: 4 months |
Typical schedule: month 1 audit and scoping, month 2 data migration and theme, month 3 B2B and integrations, month 4 testing, cutover and three weeks of hypercare.
Risks to control
SEO risk is the most visible. With a complete redirect plan, organic traffic loss stays between 5 and 10% for 6 to 8 weeks. Without one, drops of 30 to 40% lasting several months are common. B2B risk is more insidious: a trade customer who cannot find their negotiated price calls their sales rep, then orders elsewhere. The rule is simple: every B2B account must be tested with its real price on a sample of 50 SKUs before cutover.
Mini case study
Julie, head of e-commerce at a tableware brand in Paris, generates 6 million EUR in online sales, 2.4 million of it B2B from 1,100 restaurants and shops. Her Magento 2 store costs 80,000 EUR a year (maintenance, hosting, extensions, patches).
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After migration (65,000 EUR excl. VAT), annual cost falls to 47,900 EUR, a saving of 32,100 EUR a year. Quick order by SKU also lets B2B customers order on their own, freeing half a sales administration position, about 22,000 EUR a year. Total gain: 54,100 EUR a year, payback in 14 to 15 months.
FAQ
How much does a Magento 2 to Shopify Plus migration cost for a B2B store?
Between 40,000 and 90,000 EUR excl. VAT depending on the number of B2B accounts, price list complexity and integrations. The standard timeline is 4 months.
How much is the Shopify Plus subscription in 2026?
From 2,300 USD a month on a 3-year term, about 25,500 EUR a year. A variable component applies above a certain sales volume, to be checked in your contract.
Will we lose SEO traffic during the migration?
With a 301 redirect plan covering every indexed URL, the drop stays at 5 to 10% for 6 to 8 weeks. This work accounts for 3,000 to 6,000 EUR of the budget.
Does Shopify Plus really handle complex B2B?
Yes for multi-buyer companies, customer-specific catalogues, volume discounts and 30 or 60-day payment terms. For pricing rules with more than four criteria, we keep the calculation in the ERP and sync net prices.
Do customers have to create a new account?
Accounts and history are migrated, but not passwords. We send an activation invitation, and 70 to 80% of active B2B customers use it within the first two weeks.
Let's scope your project. Send us your list of Magento extensions, your B2B volume and your ERP: we will price a 40,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT migration in 4 months, SEO plan included. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
