The verdict in three sentences
Migrating a Magento store to a modern stack costs between 25,000 and 90,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, depending on catalog volume and technical debt. The typical timeline is 4 to 7 months, with a controlled cutover to preserve SEO. Merchants who migrate typically see -40% operating costs and markedly better performance.
Why leave Magento
| Line item | Magento (2026) | Modern stack |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting / infra | 800 - 3,000 EUR/month | 200 - 900 EUR/month |
| Maintenance / fixes | 2,000 - 6,000 EUR/month | 800 - 2,500 EUR/month |
| Page load time | 2.5 - 5 s | 0.8 - 1.8 s |
| Cost of an average change | 3,000 - 8,000 EUR | 1,500 - 4,000 EUR |
| Security updates | Heavy, risky | Continuous, automated |
The combination of heavy hosting + costly maintenance is the top reason to leave, ahead even of performance.
Migration strategies
| Strategy | 2026 cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Time | SEO risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big bang (full cutover) | 25,000 - 60,000 | 4 - 6 months | Medium to high |
| Progressive (module by module) | 40,000 - 90,000 | 6 - 9 months | Low |
| Strangler (front-end first) | 35,000 - 75,000 | 5 - 8 months | Low |
| SaaS replatforming | 20,000 - 50,000 | 3 - 5 months | Medium |
Progressive migration costs more but protects traffic; the big bang is faster but demands a flawless 301-redirect plan.
Mini case study
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Thomas, head of a B2B store in Paris running on Magento, pays 2,600 EUR/month hosting and 4,200 EUR/month maintenance, i.e. 81,600 EUR/year. He migrates to a modern stack for 68,000 EUR excl. VAT using a strangler approach. After migration, operating costs fall to about 3,900 EUR/month, i.e. 46,800 EUR/year: a saving of 34,800 EUR/year. The project pays back in under 24 months, with load time cut to a third and conversion up 12%.
FAQ
Will we lose our rankings? Not if the migration is scoped: 301-redirect plan, keeping key URLs and tags, SEO acceptance before cutover. A temporary dip of a few weeks is possible, then recovery.
How long does a migration take? From 4 to 7 months depending on strategy and catalog volume. A progressive migration spreads longer but lowers risk.
Can we keep our customer and order data? Yes, customers, orders, reviews and history are migrated and cleaned. Budget 6,000 to 12,000 EUR excl. VAT for the migration depending on data quality.
Which target stack should we choose? It depends on your needs: a custom headless solution for B2B customization, or a modern SaaS to cut maintenance. The choice follows your volume and business rules.
How do we avoid double maintenance during the transition? The strangler or progressive approach limits the coexistence window; the cutover is planned module by module so two full systems are never maintained in parallel for long.
Let's scope your project. Share your catalog volume, SEO traffic and current Magento operating budget for an estimate between 25,000 and 90,000 EUR excl. VAT. 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.