Modern eCommerce isn’t about running an online store anymore; it’s about delivering personalized, scalable, and cost-efficient experiences across channels.
Enterprises using platforms like Adobe Commerce (Magento) are facing rising maintenance costs, sluggish updates, and complex extensions that slow growth. That’s why businesses across industries are turning to commercetools, a flexible commerce platform built on MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless).
This blog breaks down the cost savings and strategic benefits that make commercetools a smarter alternative to Adobe Commerce.
|
Cost Category |
Adobe Commerce (Magento) |
commercetools |
|
License Fees |
Open Source: Free Adobe Commerce Cloud: $22,000–$125,000/year (based on GMV) |
Usage-based: $100,000–$250,000/year |
|
Infrastructure / Hosting |
$20,000–$80,000/year (Open Source) Included in Commerce Cloud |
Included in subscription |
|
Development & Maintenance |
$50,000–$150,000/year (customization, patches, upgrades) |
Included in subscription |
|
Extensions / Modules |
$5,000–$50,000/year (premium extensions + support) |
Lower upkeep due to API-based integrations |
|
Third-party Integrations |
Frequently custom-built, higher ongoing cost |
Lower due to modular, API-first architecture |
|
Total Annual TCO |
$150,000–$400,000+ |
$120,000–$300,000+ |
|
3-Year TCO Estimate |
$450,000–$1,200,000+ |
$360,000–$900,000+ |
Adobe Commerce Overview
License cost depends on your GMV tier
Infrastructure and upgrades add ongoing costs
Extensions and updates require frequent maintenance
commercetools Overview
All-inclusive subscription covers hosting and updates
API-first structure reduces custom development
Predictable cost model based on usage
Adobe Commerce demands constant infrastructure oversight, frequent patches, and high upkeep. These ongoing costs increase rapidly with each custom module added.
commercetools is cloud-native and subscription-based. There’s no need to manage servers or future-proof upgrades manually. You pay for what you use, resulting in more predictable and cost-controlled operations.
Adobe Commerce requires manual scaling during peak events, which can lead to costly over-provisioning (e.g., during holiday spikes or major product launches).
commercetools scales automatically. Whether you’re a retailer handling flash sales or a healthcare platform onboarding thousands of users, its serverless architecture handles demand without extra setup costs.
In Adobe Commerce, small changes often trigger full-system testing. This slows down launches and makes innovation expensive.
With commercetools, each feature runs independently using microservices. Need to launch a loyalty program or add a subscription tier? Roll it out without disrupting the rest of your system. This flexibility reduces release cycles and helps teams deploy features faster at a lower cost.
Custom-coded Adobe environments can create technical debt that’s expensive to maintain and hard to modernize.
commercetools enables a composable approach. You can pair best-of-breed solutions for payments, fraud detection, logistics, or analytics and plug them in seamlessly. As business needs evolve (entering a new market or integrating IoT), you stay agile without re-platforming.
Adobe users often invest in additional modules and configurations to handle compliance requirements like PCI-DSS or GDPR.
commercetools embeds enterprise-grade compliance into the platform. This lowers risk, reduces recurring regulatory work, and frees up your team’s time for innovation.
Migrating from Adobe Commerce to commercetools is a strategic step toward lower operational costs, better scalability, and faster delivery of digital experiences. The shift empowers enterprises to future-proof their tech stack while controlling TCO. Whether you’re transforming a legacy retail platform or scaling a healthcare marketplace, commercetools offers the flexibility and cost efficiency today’s businesses demand.
Accion Labs supports global enterprises in this journey, from assessments and migration to ongoing support. We help you modernize with minimal disruption and maximum business value. If you're evaluating your commerce strategy, we’re here to guide your next move.