The verdict in three sentences
For an SME doing EUR 3 million online and paying EUR 4,000 a month for Magento 2 maintenance, leaving the platform pays off as soon as maintenance can be cut in half. Migrating to Shopware costs EUR 40,000 to 100,000 excluding VAT, a custom headless build EUR 60,000 to 150,000, for a 4 to 7 month project. The first risk is not technical: it is URL and SEO migration, which can cost 20 to 40% of organic traffic if rushed.
Why so many SMEs are leaving Magento in 2026
Magento 2, now Adobe Commerce in its paid edition, remains powerful but heavy. Version upgrades, quarterly security patches and extension conflicts tie up a specialist developer several days a month. Magento profiles are getting scarce in France and their day rates often reach EUR 600 to 850. The result: an SME pays EUR 3,000 to 6,000 a month just to keep the site running, with no budget left for improvements.
Shopware 6, a German vendor, has become the natural alternative for mid-sized B2C and B2B. Custom headless (Next.js front end, dedicated back office and APIs, or composable commerce) targets brands that want maximum performance and freedom.
Total 3-year cost by platform
2026 estimates for an 8,000-SKU catalogue, EUR 3 million in online revenue, with a connected ERP and PIM.
| 3-year item | Stay on Magento 2 | Migrate to Shopware 6 | Custom headless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial project | EUR 15,000 (version upgrade) | EUR 40,000 to 100,000 | EUR 60,000 to 150,000 |
| Monthly maintenance | EUR 4,000 | EUR 1,800 to 2,200 | EUR 1,500 to 2,500 |
| Maintenance over 36 months | EUR 144,000 | EUR 65,000 to 79,000 | EUR 54,000 to 90,000 |
| Hosting over 36 months | EUR 36,000 | EUR 18,000 to 25,000 | EUR 14,000 to 25,000 |
| Licences and extensions over 36 months | EUR 12,000 | EUR 0 to 21,000 (Community or Rise edition) | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 (SaaS services) |
| 3-year total | EUR 207,000 | EUR 123,000 to 225,000 | EUR 133,000 to 280,000 |
| Project timeline | 1 to 2 months | 4 to 6 months | 5 to 7 months |
A Shopware migration around EUR 60,000, with maintenance at EUR 2,000 a month, brings the 3-year total close to EUR 150,000, about EUR 57,000 saved versus the status quo. Custom is only justified if speed, mobile experience or specific business rules generate measurable extra revenue.
Risks to control, from SEO to data
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact without precautions | Mitigation | Indicative cost included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO traffic loss | High | -20 to -40% organic traffic for 3 to 6 months | Exhaustive 301 redirect plan, key URLs preserved | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 |
| Customer accounts and passwords | Medium | Customers locked out | Hash migration or guided reset | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 |
| Order history | Medium | Lost after-sales tracking and invoices | Full migration or searchable archive | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 |
| Magento business extensions | High | Lost features (configurator, B2B pricing) | Inventory and prioritised rewrite | EUR 5,000 to 25,000 |
| ERP and PIM connector | Medium | Wrong out-of-stock display | End-to-end tests and 2-week parallel run | EUR 4,000 to 12,000 |
| Go-live cutover | Low | Site down for several hours | Night cutover, 2 to 4 hour order freeze | Included |
The redirect plan must cover 100% of URLs that receive traffic or backlinks, not only categories. A 16-month Search Console audit serves as the baseline.
Mini case study
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Thomas, e-commerce manager of a garden equipment SME in Angers, France, does EUR 3,000,000 online and pays EUR 4,000 a month in Magento maintenance. He picks Shopware for EUR 68,000 excluding VAT, including EUR 6,000 for SEO redirects, delivered in 5 months. His maintenance drops to EUR 2,000 a month, saving EUR 24,000 a year, and hosting falls by EUR 4,000 a year. Mobile load time goes from 4.1 to 1.9 seconds and conversion gains 0.2 points, from 1.8% to 2%, or about EUR 330,000 of extra revenue at constant traffic. Maintenance savings alone pay back the project in just under two and a half years; with the margin on that extra revenue, it pays back within the first year.
FAQ
How much does a Magento to Shopware migration cost in 2026?
Between EUR 40,000 and 100,000 excluding VAT for an SME, depending on SKUs, business extensions and connectors. The average timeline is 4 to 6 months.
Is custom headless more expensive than Shopware?
Yes upfront, at EUR 60,000 to 150,000, but maintenance can be comparable, between EUR 1,500 and 2,500 a month. It is justified when performance or complex business rules bring a quantified revenue gain.
Will we lose search rankings by migrating?
A temporary 5 to 10% dip is common, even with a good redirect plan. Without an exhaustive plan, losses can reach 20 to 40% for several months.
Can we keep customer accounts and history?
Yes, accounts, addresses and orders can be migrated for EUR 3,500 to 8,000 depending on volume. Passwords are carried over or reset through a guided email.
Should we migrate now or wait?
If maintenance exceeds EUR 3,000 a month and a major version upgrade is coming, migrating in 2026 is often cheaper over 3 years. The right time is off-season, with cutover 6 to 8 weeks before the sales peak.
Let's scope your project. Send us your Magento version, your extension list and your current maintenance cost: we will price a Shopware or custom migration, SEO included, with a 4 to 7 month plan. 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.
