The Complete Guide to Migrating from Magento to Shopify

Why Migrate from Magento to Shopify in 2026

The ecommerce platform landscape has shifted dramatically over the past five years. Magento, once the default choice for serious ecommerce, has become increasingly difficult to justify for most merchants. Adobe's acquisition brought enterprise pricing without enterprise support, and the total cost of ownership has spiralled beyond what most brands budgeted for.

Shopify now powers over four million stores globally and has matured into a platform that handles everything from startup launches to billion-pound enterprises. Brands like Gymshark, Heinz, and Nestle run on Shopify Plus. The platform's growth reflects a fundamental shift in how merchants want to operate: focusing on selling products rather than managing infrastructure.

The business case for migration typically centres on three factors. First, reduced total cost of ownership. Magento hosting, security patches, performance optimisation, and developer maintenance add up quickly. We've seen merchants spending £30,000 to £100,000 annually just keeping Magento running before any new development happens. Shopify consolidates these costs into predictable monthly fees.

Second, operational efficiency. Shopify's admin interface is genuinely intuitive. Tasks that required developer time on Magento, such as product updates, discount creation, or content changes, become self-service. Marketing teams can move faster without bottlenecks.

Third, the app ecosystem. Shopify's App Store offers thousands of pre-built integrations. Need reviews? Subscriptions? Loyalty programmes? There's likely an app that integrates in minutes. On Magento, similar functionality often required custom development or unreliable extensions.

For a broader perspective on Shopify's SEO capabilities, our complete Shopify SEO guide covers the platform's search optimisation features in detail.

When Migration Makes Sense (And When It Does Not)

Migration is significant work, and it's not right for every business. Being honest about when Shopify fits, and when it might not, saves costly mistakes.

Migration makes sense when:

• Your Magento maintenance costs exceed what you're spending on growth initiatives
• You need features that would require expensive custom development on Magento
• Your team spends more time managing the platform than selling products
• Security vulnerabilities and patching consume significant developer resources
• You want to scale internationally without rebuilding infrastructure
• Site performance issues are affecting conversion rates and search rankings

Migration might not be right if:

• Your business relies on highly customised B2B functionality that Magento handles natively
• You've invested heavily in Magento-specific integrations that lack Shopify equivalents
• Your catalogue has complex product configurations beyond Shopify's variant limits
• You're in a regulated industry requiring specific data residency or compliance features

The decision isn't always binary. We've worked with merchants who migrated their primary B2C store to Shopify while maintaining a separate Magento instance for B2B wholesale. Understanding your specific requirements matters more than following platform trends.

Shopify vs Shopify Plus for Magento Migrations

Most merchants migrating from Magento are used to enterprise-level functionality. The question of whether to migrate to standard Shopify or Shopify Plus depends on your current scale and growth trajectory.

Standard Shopify (Basic at £25/month, Shopify at £65/month, or Advanced at £344/month) works well for businesses doing under £500,000 in annual revenue. You get the core platform, reasonable transaction fees, and access to most apps. For smaller Magento stores where the current setup is overkill, standard Shopify often provides everything needed.

Shopify Plus (from around £1,650/month) becomes the logical choice for merchants processing higher volumes or needing specific capabilities. The platform offers lower transaction fees, which often offset the subscription cost at scale. Plus also provides exclusive features like Shopify Flow for automation, Scripts for custom checkout logic, and access to additional checkout customisation through Checkout Extensibility.

From a migration perspective, Shopify Plus includes several advantages. You get dedicated launch support, which proves valuable when migrating complex stores. The platform also handles higher API rate limits, important when importing large catalogues. Our article on Shopify vs Shopify Plus covers the differences comprehensively.

For merchants accustomed to Magento Enterprise, Shopify Plus represents the natural equivalent. The feature gap that existed years ago has largely closed, and in many areas, Plus now exceeds what Magento Enterprise offered.

What Store Data Migrates to Shopify

Understanding exactly what entities transfer to Shopify, and what doesn't, prevents surprises during migration. The process isn't simply copying files from one system to another. Each section of your Adobe Commerce store data requires specific handling, and some adjustments are inevitable.

Product data that migrates successfully:

Your product details form the core of any migration. The following product attributes transfer to Shopify via CSV file import or migration apps:

• Core product information: Product title, description text, SKU, weight values, and product images (including alt text)
• Pricing: Default price, sale price, compare-at price, and cost per item
• Inventory: Stock quantity, inventory tracking status, and stock keeping locations
• Variants: Size, colour, material options with their own price and quantity values. Shopify supports up to 100 variants per product
• SEO fields: Meta titles, meta descriptions, and URL handles
• Organisation: Product type, vendor, tags, and collection assignments
• Fulfillment data: Weight, dimensions, and shipping requirements

Customer and order entities:

• Customer records: First name, last name, email, phone number, shipping addresses, billing addresses, and marketing consent status
• Order history: Order number, line items, order status, payment status, fulfillment status, and sales totals
• Customer tags: Segmentation data transfers as customer tags for marketing

Content and navigation:

• Categories to collections: Your Magento category structure recreates as Shopify collections, either as manual or automated collections based on product tags
• CMS pages: Page content, titles, and URLs transfer, though the navigation menu requires manual setup in Shopify
• Blog posts: Article text, images, and metadata migrate, keeping your content marketing intact

Data that requires special handling:

• Customer passwords: Due to encryption differences, customers must reset passwords on first login. Keep this in mind when planning your launch communication
• Product reviews: Reviews transfer through third-party apps like Judge.me or Yotpo, or via manual CSV file import
• Custom product attributes: Magento's flexible attribute system maps to Shopify metafields, which requires planning the metafield definitions in advance
• Gift cards: Active gift card balances require manual recreation or specialised migration handling
• Taxes: Tax rules don't transfer directly. Configure Shopify's tax settings or use tax automation apps

Limitations - data that doesn't migrate:

• Your store design and theme (Magento uses PHP, Shopify uses Liquid templating)
• Custom Magento extensions (equivalent functionality comes from Shopify apps)
• Payment card details (for security, this never transfers between any platforms)
• Admin panel users and their permissions (recreate manually in Shopify)
• Shopping cart contents (abandoned carts don't transfer)
• Customer wishlists (require an app-based solution on Shopify)

Migration Limitations and Platform Adjustments

Before starting your migration, understand the key limitations and adjustments you'll need to make. Shopify and Adobe Commerce (Magento) are built on fundamentally different architectures, and some things work differently.

Product structure limitations:

• Variant limits: Shopify allows a maximum of 100 variants per product and only three option types (for example, size, colour, and material). Magento's configurable products can exceed these limits
• Product attributes: Magento's unlimited custom attributes must map to Shopify metafields, with a limit on the number of metafield definitions
• Bundle products: Magento's bundle product type doesn't exist natively in Shopify. You'll need apps or custom solutions

URL and navigation differences:

• URL structure: Shopify uses fixed URL patterns (/products/, /collections/, /pages/) whereas Magento allows custom URL structures. Plan your 301 redirects accordingly
• Menu structure: Magento's category-based navigation becomes manual menu configuration in Shopify
• Layered navigation: Magento's faceted search requires Shopify apps like Boost or Search & Discovery

Checkout and cart behaviour:

• Checkout customisation: Magento's fully customisable checkout versus Shopify's more controlled experience. Shopify Plus offers Checkout Extensibility for custom checkout apps
• Cart rules: Complex Magento cart price rules need recreation using Shopify's discount system or apps
• Guest checkout: Both platforms support this, but the experience differs

What to keep in mind:

These limitations don't mean Shopify is inferior - in most cases, the same outcomes are achievable through different means. The key is identifying these differences early and planning your solutions before migration day. Many merchants find that Shopify's streamlined approach actually improves their customer experience while reducing operational complexity.

The Migration Process Step by Step

A successful Magento to Shopify migration follows a structured process. Rushing any stage creates problems that compound throughout the project. The number of steps may seem daunting, but each one builds on the same foundation of careful planning and execution.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Store

Before touching any migration tools, document exactly what you're working with. Open your browser and crawl your Magento site using a tool like Screaming Frog to capture all URLs, which you'll need for redirects. For example, a typical 5,000 product store might have 15,000+ URLs when you include category pages, CMS pages, and blog posts.

In the Magento admin panel, navigate to Catalog → Products and note the total number of products. Check Customers → All Customers for your customer count, and Sales → Orders for order history. Export your product catalogue and review it for inconsistencies or outdated items. This is the perfect opportunity to clean up something that's accumulated over years of operation.

Record your current integrations: payment gateways, email marketing platforms, ERP connections, shipping providers. Each needs a Shopify equivalent or replacement.

Step 2: Set Up Your Shopify Store

Create your Shopify account and select your plan. In your Shopify admin panel, configure the essential settings under Settings → Store details for your business information, Settings → Payments for payment configuration, and Settings → Taxes for tax collection rules. Install a theme, whether that's a purchased theme from the Shopify Theme Store or a custom design. Your theme doesn't need to be perfect at this stage, but the basic structure should be in place.

Configure your payment gateway. Shopify Payments is the simplest option for UK merchants, offering competitive rates and eliminating transaction fees. If you need specific payment methods, ensure they're available and tested in your browser before proceeding.

Step 3: Back Up Your Magento Store

Never begin a migration without a complete backup. In Magento 2's admin panel, navigate to System → Tools → Backups. Create both a database backup and a media backup. For Magento 1.x, go to System → Tools → Backups and create a "System Backup" for the same coverage. Store these securely off your hosting server. If something goes wrong during migration, you need the ability to restore.

Step 4: Export Data from Magento

Magento's export functionality varies by version. For Magento 2, go to System → Data Transfer → Export. Select your entity type from the dropdown (Products, Customers, etc.) and click "Continue" to generate the CSV file. For products, you'll see columns like sku, name, price, qty, and categories.

For example, a typical product CSV file export includes the following columns:

• sku - Your unique product identifier
• name - Product title
• price - Base price value
• special_price - Sale price if applicable
• qty - Stock quantity number
• description - Full product description text
• short_description - Summary text for listings
• categories - Category path (e.g., "Clothing/Men/Shirts")
• images - Product image file paths

The exported CSV files won't match Shopify's expected format directly. You'll need to map and transform the data, which is where migration apps become valuable. Keep in mind that Shopify's CSV file format uses different column headers like "Title" instead of "name" and "Variant Price" instead of "price".

Step 5: Import Data to Shopify

For straightforward migrations, Shopify's native import handles products and customers. Navigate to Products → Import in your Shopify admin panel and upload your formatted CSV file. For customer imports, use Customers → Import with the same process.

For more complex imports, apps like Matrixify (formerly Excelify) offer powerful data transformation capabilities. Matrixify can read Magento export files and convert them to Shopify's format automatically, handling products, collections, customers, orders, and redirects. The app maps columns automatically, so your "qty" column becomes Shopify's "Variant Inventory Qty" field.

Always run a test import first. Matrixify offers a dry-run feature that validates your data without actually importing it. This catches errors before they create problems. For example, if you have a product number that exceeds Shopify's variant limit, the dry-run will flag this immediately.

Step 6: Configure Redirects

URL redirects are critical. Without them, your existing search rankings disappear and customers encounter broken links. Map every Magento URL to its Shopify equivalent. For most stores, this involves hundreds or thousands of redirects.

Shopify's URL structure differs from Magento's. Products live at /products/handle rather than Magento's category-based URLs. Collections use /collections/handle. For example, a Magento URL like /clothing/mens/blue-oxford-shirt.html becomes /products/blue-oxford-shirt in Shopify.

Import redirects via Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects in your Shopify admin panel, or use Matrixify to bulk import them from a CSV file. Verify a sample number of redirects work correctly by testing them in your browser.

Step 7: Configure Apps and Integrations

Install and configure the Shopify apps that replace your Magento functionality. This might include email marketing platforms like Klaviyo, review apps like Judge.me or Yotpo, and any operational tools you rely on. Test each integration thoroughly. The user experience should feel the same as your previous store.

Step 8: Test Everything

Place test orders through every payment method. Check that shipping rates calculate correctly. Verify tax is applied properly. Test on mobile devices and across different browser types (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge). Have team members unfamiliar with the new store attempt common tasks. The goal is finding problems before customers do.

Create a test checklist with a specific number of scenarios to verify. For example, test checkout as a guest, as a logged-in customer, with discount codes, and with different shipping destinations. Document any issues and resolve them before launch.

Step 9: Launch

When you're confident the new store works correctly, update your DNS to point your domain to Shopify. Monitor closely during the first hours and days. Have your team ready to address any issues that emerge. The customer experience should be seamless - visitors shouldn't notice anything different except improvements.

SEO Considerations and URL Redirects

Preserving search rankings during migration requires deliberate planning. A careless migration can undo years of SEO work. A careful one maintains, and often improves, your organic visibility.

URL Redirect Strategy

Every indexed URL on your Magento store needs a 301 redirect to its Shopify equivalent. This tells search engines that the content has permanently moved, passing ranking signals to the new URL. Missing redirects result in 404 errors, lost rankings, and frustrated customers following old links or bookmarks.

Common URL mappings include:

• Product pages: /catalog/product/view/id/123 redirects to /products/product-handle
• Category pages: /catalog/category/view/id/456 redirects to /collections/collection-handle
• CMS pages: /about-us redirects to /pages/about-us

Shopify allows bulk redirect imports through the admin or via apps like Matrixify. For large catalogues, automating this process is essential.

Preserving Metadata

Transfer your optimised page titles and meta descriptions. If you've invested in SEO, you likely have carefully crafted metadata that shouldn't be lost. Map these to Shopify's SEO fields during import.

Structured Data

Shopify themes typically include basic product schema markup, but verify this after migration. Rich snippets showing prices, availability, and reviews in search results drive click-through rates. For more complex schema needs, Shopify apps or theme customisation can add additional structured data.

Site Speed

Shopify's hosted infrastructure generally delivers faster page loads than typical Magento installations. This benefits SEO, as Core Web Vitals influence rankings. However, don't assume speed improves automatically. Heavy apps, unoptimised images, and bloated themes can slow Shopify stores too. Test performance post-migration and optimise as needed.

International SEO

If you sell internationally, Shopify Markets handles multi-currency and multi-language stores with proper hreflang implementation. This often improves on DIY Magento multi-store setups. Our guide to selling internationally on Shopify covers the technical setup.

For comprehensive SEO guidance after migration, our Shopify SEO checklist provides a structured approach to optimising your new store.

Timeline and Costs

Migration timelines vary significantly based on store complexity. Setting realistic expectations prevents the rushed launches that create long-term problems.

Typical Timelines

A straightforward migration with under 1,000 products, standard functionality, and a purchased theme typically takes four to eight weeks. This includes planning, data migration, theme configuration, testing, and launch.

More complex migrations take three to six months. Factors that extend timelines include large product catalogues (10,000+ products), custom theme development, complex integrations, multiple storefronts, and B2B functionality requirements.

Enterprise migrations sometimes exceed six months, particularly when they involve significant business process changes, custom app development, or phased rollouts across multiple regions.

Cost Components

Migration costs break down into several categories:

• Shopify subscription: Standard plans range from £25 to £344 monthly. Shopify Plus starts around £1,650 monthly
• Theme: Shopify Theme Store themes cost £0 to £350. Custom themes range from £10,000 to £50,000+ depending on complexity
• Data migration: DIY with apps like Matrixify costs under £100. Agency-managed migration ranges from £2,000 to £20,000+ based on complexity
• Apps: Most merchants spend £100 to £500 monthly on apps, replacing functionality that Magento extensions or custom code provided
• Integrations: Connecting ERPs, PIMs, or custom systems ranges from included with apps to £10,000+ for custom integration work

The total investment varies enormously. A small business might migrate for under £5,000 including a year of Shopify subscription. An enterprise migration with custom development might exceed £100,000. The key comparison is total cost of ownership versus staying on Magento, not just the migration cost.

Common Migration Challenges and How to Solve Them

Having managed many Magento to Shopify migrations, we've identified the challenges that consistently arise. Knowing these in advance helps you plan accordingly.

Customer Password Reset

Passwords cannot transfer between platforms due to different encryption methods. Every customer must reset their password on first login. For Shopify Plus merchants, the Bulk Account Inviter app automates sending password reset emails. For standard Shopify, apps like Bulk Account Invite Sender provide similar functionality. Communicate proactively with customers about this requirement.

Product Variant Limits

Shopify allows 100 variants per product and three options (like size, colour, material). Magento's configurable products can exceed these limits. Solutions include restructuring products, using apps that extend variant capabilities, or in some cases, accepting that certain complex products need simplification.

Custom Attribute Mapping

Magento's attribute system is more flexible than Shopify's native product fields. Mapping custom attributes to Shopify metafields requires planning. Determine which attributes are essential for filtering, search, or display, and configure metafield definitions accordingly.

B2B Functionality

Magento handles B2B natively with customer groups, tiered pricing, and quote functionality. Shopify's native B2B features have improved substantially, particularly on Shopify Plus with the B2B on Shopify offering. However, complex B2B requirements may need apps or custom solutions. Evaluate your specific needs early in the planning process.

Multi-Store Complexity

Magento's multi-store capability let merchants run multiple storefronts from one installation. Shopify handles this through Shopify Plus with multiple expansion stores, or through Shopify Markets for international variations of a single store. The approach differs, and planning the new structure before migration prevents complications.

ERP and Third-Party Integrations

Existing integrations with ERP systems, warehouses, or other business software need Shopify equivalents. Many major systems have Shopify apps or native integrations. Custom integrations may require API development. Audit your integration requirements thoroughly during planning.

Post-Migration Checklist

After migration, systematic verification catches issues before customers encounter them. Work through this checklist before considering the migration complete.

Store Functionality

• Place test orders through every payment method
• Verify shipping rates calculate correctly for all zones
• Confirm tax applies properly across product types and regions
• Test discount codes and automatic discounts
• Check product variant selection and inventory tracking
• Verify customer account creation and login
• Test checkout on mobile devices

Data Verification

• Spot-check product data accuracy (prices, descriptions, images)
• Verify customer data imported correctly
• Confirm historical orders appear in customer accounts
• Check collection/category organisation
• Verify blog posts and pages display correctly

SEO Verification

• Test redirect functionality for sample URLs
• Verify page titles and meta descriptions transferred
• Check robots.txt allows appropriate crawling
• Submit new sitemap to Google Search Console
• Monitor for crawl errors in Search Console
• Verify structured data with Google's Rich Results Test

Integrations

• Confirm email marketing flows trigger correctly
• Verify analytics tracking fires on all pages
• Test any ERP or inventory system connections
• Check shipping carrier integrations generate labels

Performance

• Run Google PageSpeed Insights on key pages
• Check Core Web Vitals in Search Console
• Verify image loading and optimisation

When to Work with a Migration Agency

Some merchants successfully manage their own migrations. Others benefit significantly from professional support. The decision depends on your internal resources, technical complexity, and risk tolerance.

Consider agency support if your store has complex data structures or large catalogues, you lack internal technical resources, the business cannot afford extended downtime, you need custom theme development, you have significant integrations requiring migration, or the stakes of getting it wrong are high.

At Charle, we've guided brands through the entire migration process, from initial assessment through post-launch optimisation. As a Shopify Plus Partner, we have direct access to Shopify's migration support resources and the technical expertise to handle complex requirements. Our migration services page outlines how we approach these projects.

Whether you migrate independently or with support, the key is approaching the project with realistic timelines, thorough planning, and systematic execution. A well-managed migration sets your business up for years of growth on a platform designed to support it.

Ready to discuss your migration? Get in touch to talk through your specific requirements.