The verdict in three sentences
For a Berlin online retailer with EUR 3 million in revenue spending EUR 25,000 a year on Magento 2 maintenance, migrating to Shopify (EUR 20,000 to 50,000) is the most cost-effective choice if the catalog and business rules are standard. A custom headless build (EUR 60,000 to 120,000) makes sense when speed, B2B specifics or deep ERP integration are competitive advantages. In both cases, SEO migration and the URL redirect plan decide success: a rushed migration can cost 20 to 40% of organic traffic for several months.
Why leave Magento in 2026
Magento Open Source (Adobe Commerce) remains powerful but heavy: frequent security patches, paid extensions to maintain, demanding hosting and scarce developer availability. For an SME, total cost of ownership often exceeds that of a SaaS platform or a modern architecture.
| Annual cost item (2026 estimate) | Current Magento 2 | Shopify (Advanced or Plus) | Custom headless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance and updates | EUR 15,000 to 25,000 | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Hosting | EUR 4,000 to 9,000 | Included | EUR 2,400 to 6,000 |
| Platform subscription | EUR 0 | $3,600 to 27,600 ($299 to 2,300/month) | EUR 0 |
| Extensions and apps | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 | Built once |
| Transaction fees | Per PSP, 1.4 to 1.8% | Extra 0.6 to 1% outside Shopify Payments | Per PSP |
| Annual total excl. transactions | EUR 21,000 to 39,000 | EUR 9,000 to 37,000 | EUR 8,400 to 18,000 |
Shopify Basic ($79/month) is rarely enough at EUR 3 million in revenue: Advanced or Plus is needed for reporting, B2B accounts and lower fees.
Migration cost and five-year cost
| Criterion | Shopify migration | Custom headless (Next.js + commerce API) |
|---|---|---|
| Project cost | EUR 20,000 to 50,000 | EUR 60,000 to 120,000 |
| Products, customers, orders import | Included, import tools | Included, dedicated scripts |
| 301 redirect plan and SEO migration | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 months | 4 to 6 months |
| Performance (mobile LCP) | 2 to 3 s | Under 1.5 s |
| Functional freedom | Bounded by the ecosystem | Total |
| 5-year cost (estimate) | EUR 65,000 to 235,000 | EUR 102,000 to 210,000 |
| Keeping Magento for 5 years | EUR 105,000 to 195,000 plus a likely rebuild |
The Shopify range depends heavily on the plan: on Advanced, the five-year total stays near the low end; on Plus with many apps, it approaches custom.
SEO migration: never underestimate it
A successful migration keeps URLs where possible and 301-redirects everything else: product pages, categories, CMS pages, indexed images. On Shopify, the enforced structure (/products/, /collections/) means redirecting almost every URL. You also need to carry over title tags, meta descriptions, structured data and internal linking, then monitor Search Console for 8 to 12 weeks. Freeze catalog changes during the switch and go live outside peak season (never in November).
Mini case study
Lukas, managing director of a kitchenware online retailer in Berlin, generates EUR 3 million in revenue and pays EUR 25,000 in maintenance plus EUR 6,000 in hosting each year. He picks Shopify Advanced (about $3,600 a year) with an EUR 40,000 migration, SEO included. New annual cost: about EUR 12,000 all in. Saving: 31,000 - 12,000 = EUR 19,000 a year, a payback of just over 2 years. If conversion rises from 2.0 to 2.2% thanks to a faster site, the extra revenue of about EUR 300,000 (EUR 90,000 at a 30% margin) brings payback under 6 months.
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FAQ
How much does a Magento to Shopify migration cost in 2026?
Between EUR 20,000 and 50,000 depending on product volume, integrations and redesign. SEO migration accounts for EUR 3,000 to 8,000 of that budget.
Is custom headless worth the price?
Yes if you have specific business rules, a tightly integrated ERP or a strong performance requirement. The budget is EUR 60,000 to 120,000, offset by no subscription and lighter maintenance.
Will I lose my search rankings?
Not if the 301 plan covers every URL and SEO content is carried over. A temporary 5 to 10% dip for 4 to 8 weeks is common, but a lasting loss signals a poorly prepared migration.
How long does the migration take?
Allow 3 to 4 months to Shopify and 4 to 6 months for headless. Avoid switching between October and January.
Which Shopify plan fits EUR 3 million in revenue?
Shopify Advanced (about $299/month) fits most cases. Shopify Plus (from $2,300/month) becomes relevant beyond EUR 5 to 8 million or with heavy B2B volume.
Let's scope your project. Send us your Magento store URL and key figures, and we will price a Shopify or headless migration, SEO included, with an indicative budget and timeline. 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.
