The verdict in three sentences
A Magento 1 store or an unpatched Magento 2 exposes a B2B distributor to unfixed security flaws, PHP incompatibilities and shaky PCI DSS compliance. Migrating to Shopify Plus costs EUR 20,000 to 50,000 excluding VAT plus about USD 2,300 per month, while a custom platform costs EUR 60,000 to 120,000 with no platform subscription. Over 5 years the gap narrows considerably, and the right choice depends mainly on how complex your B2B rules are.
Why you should not wait any longer
Magento 1 has had no official patches since June 2020, and many Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce) versions are reaching end of support. In practice, every extra month increases the risk of checkout skimming, customer data theft and ranking loss if the site slows down. Third-party B2B extensions also stop being maintained, blocking further development.
For a distributor in Berlin or elsewhere in the DACH region with 15,000 customers, years of order history and thousands of indexed pages, migration is a structuring project to plan over 3 to 6 months.
5-year cost: Shopify Plus versus custom
| Item | Shopify Plus | Custom (Next.js + API) |
|---|---|---|
| Migration and initial build | EUR 20,000 to 50,000 | EUR 60,000 to 120,000 |
| Platform subscription (60 months) | about EUR 126,000 (USD 2,300 per month) | EUR 0 |
| Third-party B2B apps (60 months) | EUR 18,000 to 48,000 | included in the build |
| Hosting and managed services (60 months) | included | EUR 24,000 to 60,000 |
| Ongoing development (60 months) | EUR 12,000 to 30,000 | EUR 24,000 to 60,000 |
| Transaction fee (without Shopify Payments) | 0.15 to 0.25% of revenue | 0% |
| 5-year total (order of magnitude) | EUR 176,000 to 254,000 | EUR 108,000 to 240,000 |
Shopify Plus wins on speed to launch and managed security. Custom wins as soon as pricing, credit or catalog rules go beyond what standard apps can handle.
What the migration must carry over
| Element | Typical volume | Method | Risk if missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer accounts | 15,000 | Import with password reset invitation | Loss of repeat customers |
| Order history | 5 to 8 years | Import or searchable archive | Calls to customer service |
| Price lists and discounts | 50 to 300 rules | Rebuild and line-by-line testing | Pricing errors |
| Catalog and attributes | 5,000 to 20,000 SKUs | Transformation scripts | Incomplete product pages |
| 301 redirects | 3,000 to 15,000 URLs | Full mapping plan | 20 to 60% drop in organic traffic |
| Content and CMS pages | 50 to 200 pages | Migration and cleanup | Lost rankings |
SEO redirects are the most underestimated item: a clean redirect plan costs EUR 2,000 to 6,000 and avoids months of lost traffic.
Mini case study
Julien, e-commerce director of a technical supplies distributor in Berlin, generates EUR 6 million in online revenue with 15,000 customers. His Magento needs EUR 2,500 per month in patches and emergency fixes. Shopify Plus option: EUR 40,000 migration, EUR 2,100 per month subscription and EUR 600 in apps, about EUR 202,000 over 5 years. Custom option: EUR 95,000 build and EUR 1,500 per month for hosting and maintenance, EUR 185,000 over 5 years. Because his price lists are complex (180 rules), custom saves him EUR 17,000 and avoids app limitations. He also saves the EUR 30,000 per year of Magento patching from go-live, after 5 months.
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FAQ
How long does a Magento migration take?
From 3 months for a simple Shopify migration to 6 months for a full custom B2B build. Plan 2 to 4 weeks of acceptance testing with a panel of real customers.
Will we lose search rankings?
A temporary 5 to 15% drop is common for 4 to 8 weeks. With a complete 301 redirect plan and migrated meta tags, traffic usually returns to its original level within 2 to 3 months.
Do customers have to recreate their accounts?
No, accounts are imported. Magento's hashed passwords are not always compatible, so we send a reset invitation, with 60 to 75% reactivation on average in the first month.
Does Shopify Plus really handle B2B?
Yes for company-specific catalogs, payment terms and minimum orders. Complex cases (credit read from the ERP, hundreds of combined rules) require apps at EUR 100 to 800 per month or custom development.
Could we migrate to Adobe Commerce instead?
It is possible, but the license often starts above USD 40,000 per year for a few million in revenue, plus hosting. For most mid-sized distributors it is the most expensive option over 5 years.
Let's scope your project. Send us your Magento version, customer count and pricing rules: we will compare Shopify Plus and custom over 5 years with an indicative budget and a 3 to 6-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.
