Shopware vs Magento Open Source: A Comparison in Light of Shopware's Policy Change
Eryk Stefanowicz
Fri Apr 25 2025
Do you value freedom and want to avoid the risk of vendor lock-in?
BOOK A CALLAs we mentioned previously, Shopware has recently updated its pricing policy to a GMV-based model, adjusting costs based on e-commerce revenue. This marks a significant shift, particularly for businesses already using Shopware as their e-commerce platform. In light of these changes, let’s take a closer look at how this new approach compares to other platforms and what it means for your operations.
An Overview of Shopware and Magento
Before we examine their features side by side, let’s start with a quick overview of each platform.
- Shopware Community Edition (2025+)
Shopware’s open-source model offers flexibility for small and medium-sized businesses. While it remains free for merchants with a gross merchandise value (GMV) under €1 million, recent policy changes have introduced costs for those exceeding this threshold.
- Magento 2 Open Source
Magento’s open-source solution is known for its robust features, scalability, and full control over customisation. There are no GMV-based licensing costs, making it an attractive choice for businesses seeking operational predictability.
Key Comparisons Between Shopware and Magento
Below, we break down the fundamental differences between the two platforms across critical aspects such as cost, scalability, flexibility, and support.
1. Licensing and Cost Model
- Shopware: Free to use for businesses with a GMV under €1 million annually. However, for businesses exceeding this limit, there are potential licensing costs or a commission-based model, with fees ranging from 0.15–0.25% of GMV depending on revenue tiers.
- Magento: No licensing fees or revenue thresholds. Merchants pay only for implementation, hosting, and maintenance.
Magento offers a more predictable cost structure, especially for businesses with high or rapidly growing GMV.
2. Scalability
- Shopware: Scalability becomes restricted with GMV-based costs and potential limitations on access to extensions. Larger businesses may encounter increased operational expenses or vendor lock-in for advanced features.
- Magento: Magento provides unlimited scalability without additional costs tied to GMV. Its flexibility and open-source nature allow businesses to scale efficiently while maintaining full control.
Magento stands out for cost-effective scaling and full autonomy.
3. Customisation and Development
- Shopware: Offers adequate flexibility but access to marketplace extensions may be limited beyond certain GMV levels unless a paid plan is adopted.
- Magento: Full control over the platform’s source code and an extensive range of third-party extensions ensure Magento is extremely customisable.
Magento, for complete freedom to integrate and modify without restrictions.
4. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Shopware
- Free for GMV below €1M.
- GMV above €1M introduces costs tied to commissions (0.15–0.25%) or mandatory paid plans.
- Magento
- Average implementation cost: ~$40,000.
- TCO includes hosting (~€3,600 annually) and SLA maintenance, making operational costs predictable at €31,200–€63,600 per year.
Magento shines with a consistent, predictable cost model that avoids surprise fees.
5. Vendor Lock-In
- Shopware: The introduction of GMV thresholds and paid plans has heightened vendor lock-in concerns, especially for rapidly growing businesses.
- Magento: With no GMV constraints or forced migration to higher-cost plans, Magento ensures full technological and operational independence.
Magento’s lack of vendor lock-in is ideal for businesses prioritising freedom and control.
6. Support and Maintenance
- Shopware: Community Edition users access support only via paid plans.
- Magento: Provides robust service-level agreements (SLAs) with packages including development hours, monitoring, and security updates.
Magento offers dependable support built into its operating costs.
Magento Starter Kit
Shopware Community Edition since 2025
No license fees, full code control, fixed operational cost
Implementation Costs
Most common projects: approx. €10 to 40,000 one-time
Operational Costs (TCO)
€7,600–€11,600 annually – includes SLA, development, and hosting
Reporting Requirements
No reporting obligation
Annual GMV reporting by user required
Marketplace / Extensions Access
Unlimited, regardless of business scale
Access to Shopware Store cut off after €1M GMV without a plan
Development Flexibility
Full flexibility, code access, any integrations or changes allowed
Limited flexibility due to restricted access to official extensions
Support & Maintenance
SLA with development hours, monitoring, security, and performance in subscription
Support only available under paid plans (Rise, Evolve, Beyond)
Technical Scalability
Low scaling costs, freedom to choose any cloud (AWS, Azure, etc.)
Scaling tied to plan/commission; no full autonomy
Vendor Lock-In
None – full technological and infrastructural independence
High risk of lock-in when switching to commercial plan
DevOps / Infrastructure Access
Full admin and CI/CD access, self-managed DevOps possible
Limited access, depends on license plan
Data Migration & Export
Standardized import/export mechanisms, simplified migration
Dependent on Shopware Store and available plugins (limited after €1M GMV)
E-commerce 2025-2030 platform cost projections
Imagine a company preparing to launch an e-commerce business with plans to scale over the next five years. What are the cost projections for such an endeavor? Let’s explore and compare two potential scenarios to understand the financial implications.
Scenario 1
What are the projected costs for a company planning to launch operations on Shopware?
Shopware Cost Projection (Years 1–5)
Assumed GMV gross merchandise value growth with corresponding commission tiers:
Project GMV / year
Commision Tire Applied
Estimated Shopware Cost
Notes
€1M / 1 year
0% (Free up to €1M)
€0
Free usage under €1M GMV
€10M / 2 year
0.25% on full amount
€25,000
Threshold for initial cost hit
€20M / 3 year
0.25% on first €10M = €25K
0.20% on next €10M = €20K
€45,000
Blended tier cost
€30M / 4 year
+€25K (0.25%) +€20K (0.20%) +€10K (0.20%)
€55,000
Flat growth in 0.20% bracket
€50M / 5 year
€25K (0.25%) + €40K (0.20%)
€65,000
Max cost before 0.15% kicks in
Total Cost = €0 + €25,000 + €45,000 + €55,000 + €65,000 = €190,000
So, the total estimated cost for 5 years for Shopware would be €190,000 based on the given commission tiers and GMV growth.
Calculation Notes:
Shopware's estimated pricing tiers (based on SaaS benchmarks):
- 0.25% on GMV up to €10M
- 0.20% on GMV between €10M–€50M
- 0.15% above €50M (not yet triggered in this scenario)
This projection assumes:
- No fixed license plan is chosen
- Merchant continues on a commission-only model
- No discounts, caps, or promotions applied
Scenario 2
What are the estimated expenses for a company looking to launch operations using the Magento Starter Kit?
Magento Starter Kit Cost Projection (Years 1–5)
1. year
€36,800 (initial setup) + €8,360 (annual ops) = €45,160
2. year
€11,600 (annual ops)
3. year
€11,600 (annual ops)
4. year
€11,600 (annual ops)
5. year
€11,600 (annual ops)
Total cost = €45,160 (Year 1) + €11,600 (Year 2) + €11,600 (Year 3) + €11,600 (Year 4) + €11,600 (Year 5)
Total = €91,560
Magento 2 Starterkit (Fabrity Commerce) Cost Structure:
- Initial setup cost (Year 1): ~€36,800
- Annual operational cost (Year 2 onward): ~€11,600 per year (upper bound)
Comparison: Shopware vs Magento 2 Starterkit (5-Year Total Cost)
Platform
5 year Total Cost
Shopware
€190,000
Magento Starter Kit
€91,560
Evaluating Cost and Break-Even Point: Shopware vs Magento 2 Starterkit
In the world of e-commerce, scalability and cost predictability are crucial elements for success. With the introduction of Shopware's Fair Usage Policy in 2025, many businesses are reevaluating their platform choices. This policy introduces revenue-sensitive costs, where merchants must pay commissions based on their Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). In contrast, Magento 2 Starter Kit, offered through Fabrity Commerce, provides a fixed-cost solution with no revenue-based limitations.
Scenario Overview: Shopware vs Magento 2 Starterkit
We analyzed the cost structures for Shopware and Magento 2 Starter Kit over a 5-year period, factoring in GMV growth projections. Here's a breakdown of the costs for each platform:
Shopware Costs are directly tied to GMV, with a commission structure that charges:
- For example, a business with a €1M GMV will incur no charges in the first year. However, as the business scales, the cost will grow rapidly, with €190,000 in total cost over 5 years for a business reaching €50M GMV by Year 5.
- 0.25% on GMV up to €10M
- 0.20% on GMV between €10M and €50M
- 0.15% on GMV beyond €50M
Magento 2 Starter Kit, on the other hand, has a fixed cost structure:
- This results in a total 5-year cost of €91,560, offering predictable, stable pricing even as the business grows.
- Year 1: A one-time setup cost of €36,800, plus annual operational costs of €8,360 (for services such as hosting, security, and SLA support).
- Years 2 to 5: Annual operational costs of €11,600 per year, irrespective of GMV growth.
Break-Even Point Analysis
The break-even point refers to the GMV level at which the costs for Magento 2 Starterkit become more cost-effective than Shopware’s commission-based model. Let’s look at the numbers:
- Shopware’s costs increase substantially as GMV grows. By the time GMV reaches €10M, the business incurs an annual cost of €25,000. As GMV continues to grow to €50M, the costs increase to €65,000 annually.
- Magento 2 Starter Kit offers a predictable, flat cost of €11,600 per year after the initial setup. The total cost over 5 years is €91,560, and it remains the same regardless of GMV growth.
Break-even point calculation:
For a business to start seeing cost advantages with Magento 2 Starterkit, they need to exceed €15M–€20M GMV. At this point, the Shopware costs will exceed the total Magento 2 Starter Kit costs (which are fixed). Before this threshold, Shopware’s commission-based pricing might seem attractive, but once GMV grows significantly, Magento 2 Starter Kit’s predictable costs make it the more cost-effective choice.
Why Magento 2 Starter Kit makes sense at scale
For businesses anticipating strong growth beyond €10M in GMV, Magento 2 Starter Kit offers several advantages:
- Cost Predictability: With no revenue-based fees, Magento’s flat rate allows businesses to better forecast and budget.
- Scalability: Unlike Shopware, which becomes more expensive as GMV increases, Magento allows businesses to scale their operations without facing proportional increases in costs.
- Full Control: Magento offers complete flexibility with full access to the codebase, allowing for custom integrations and innovations without vendor lock-in.
Conclusion
While Shopware can be a suitable choice for smaller merchants with modest GMV, businesses that anticipate aggressive growth and need a scalable, cost-effective solution should seriously consider Magento 2 Starter Kit.
As businesses reach the €15M–€20M GMV range, the break-even point is reached, and Magento becomes the more economical choice. By investing in Magento 2 Starter Kit, businesses secure a stable, predictable cost model that fosters growth without escalating expenses tied to revenue.
