Shopify Plus and Adobe Commerce, the licensed edition of Magento, are both sold to enterprise retailers that have outgrown a standard plan. In 2026 the choice is no longer one product against another: Adobe now sells Commerce in three forms, and which one you are quoted changes how much code you can write, who runs upgrades and what your team maintains.
Everything below was read on 2 November 2026. Shopify’s numbers were taken from its Plus pricing page for the US, articles in its Help Center and the shopify.dev developer docs. Adobe figures come from its US Commerce pricing page and its Experience League documentation, including the SaaS versus PaaS feature comparison and the version lifecycle policy. Prices are quoted in US dollars.
Key takeaways
- The Plus price is public: $2,300 monthly when you commit for three years, $2,500 monthly when you commit for one. The Help Center also warns of a possible variable platform fee for high-volume merchants, linked to revenue and business model, and gives no rate.
- Adobe prints no price for any Commerce package. The SaaS edition, the PaaS edition and Commerce Optimizer each carry a “Get pricing” button, and the page closes with an offer of customized pricing.
- Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service is multi-tenant SaaS with automatic updates, but custom code must run outside the application through App Builder, API Mesh, events and webhooks. In-process PHP customization remains available only on the PaaS and on-premises versions.
- On PaaS and on-premises, upgrades are yours to schedule. Adobe ships six patch releases and one minor release a year, and from 1 June 2027 it stops maintaining Cloud environments that run an unsupported version.
- Adobe runs several websites, stores and store views from one installation. Shopify Plus allows nine expansion stores next to the main store, but they must share the main brand and nothing syncs between them.
Shopify Plus vs Adobe Commerce: comparison table (2026)
| Item | Shopify Plus | Adobe Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Published price | $2,300 monthly on 3 years; $2,500 monthly on 1 year | None; every package says “Get pricing” |
| Ways to buy | One hosted plan | SaaS (Cloud Service), PaaS (on Cloud), on-premises, or Optimizer for the storefront only |
| Upgrades | Run by Shopify | SaaS: automatic. PaaS and on-premises: manual |
| Custom code | Apps, Functions, checkout UI extensions | SaaS: out-of-process only. PaaS: PHP modules as well |
| Several sites | 9 expansion stores beside the main one, same brand only | Websites, stores and store views in one installation |
| B2B | In the core admin; Plus unlocks unlimited catalogs, deposits and partial payments | B2B extension (installed on PaaS, core features preinstalled on SaaS) |
| Uptime figure | Not stated on the pages read | PaaS: 99.99% infrastructure, 99.9% application. SaaS: 99.9% |
| HIPAA | Not stated on the pages read | PaaS: yes. SaaS: “currently not available” |
| Admin API | GraphQL: 1,000 points per second | PaaS: native REST and GraphQL. SaaS: through API Mesh |
| Locations | 200 | Not stated on the pages read |
| Support | Priority 24/7 phone and chat | 24×7 technical support listed on the pricing page |
Adobe Commerce now comes in three forms
Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service is the SaaS edition. Adobe describes it as a multi-tenant service with automatic feature and security updates. New releases arrive in your sandbox first, you get 30 days to check them, and Adobe guarantees backward compatibility for customizations built on its API-first model. Its storefront runs on Edge Delivery Services, and the older Luma storefront is not supported.
Adobe Commerce on Cloud is the PaaS edition on single-tenant infrastructure. It is the closest to classic Magento: you own the code base, install extensions, and run upgrades and patches yourself. The same capabilities apply to an on-premises installation that you host.
Adobe Commerce Optimizer is a third package. It provides a storefront, catalog and merchandising tools as a SaaS service and connects to an existing transaction engine through API Mesh and App Builder. A retailer could keep another platform’s checkout and order system and use Optimizer only for the front end, so it is not a full alternative to Shopify Plus on its own.
Price: published against quote-only
A year of Plus costs $27,600 under a three-year contract and $30,000 under a one-year contract. That is the subscription only; apps, payment processing, themes and any variable platform fee sit on top. Shopify’s own pricing page now shows the entry point as “Starts at $2,300 USD/mo”, and the Help Center says the variable fee differs for B2B and direct-to-consumer businesses.
Adobe gives no figure for any of its three packages, so a like-for-like price comparison only exists once you hold a quote. Its pricing page also lists several items as add-ons rather than as part of a package, among them Adobe Commerce Intelligence, Payment Services, an integration with IBM Sterling Order Management, and HIPAA-ready hosting. Ask Adobe which of these your quote includes before you compare totals, and ask Shopify whether the variable platform fee applies at your forecast revenue.
Upgrades and version support
Upgrades are the main ongoing difference between Adobe’s editions. On the PaaS and on-premises editions, the feature comparison describes upgrades and patching as manual, with six patch releases and one minor release each year. Each 2.4 version receives three years of standard support from its release date.
| Version | Released | Standard support ends |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.9 | 12 May 2026 | 31 May 2029 |
| 2.4.8 | 8 April 2025 | 31 May 2028 |
| 2.4.7 | 9 April 2024 | 31 May 2027, then extended to 31 May 2028 |
| 2.4.6 | 14 March 2023 | Ended 11 August 2026; extended support to 31 August 2027 |
Versions 2.4.4 and 2.4.5 have left extended support and now receive only isolated security fixes until 31 May 2027. From 1 June 2027, Adobe will no longer maintain Cloud environments running an unsupported version, so a store on 2.4.6 or older needs an upgrade plan with a date on it.
The SaaS edition removes that work: Adobe updates the platform in a versionless model, and the overview page says the backups, cloned environments and compatibility fixes that PaaS upgrades required are no longer needed. Shopify Plus has no platform version for merchants to install either; Shopify runs one hosted platform, and your apps call its versioned APIs.
Custom code: where it is allowed to run
On Adobe’s PaaS, developers can still write PHP modules that change the application from the inside, alongside the out-of-process tools Adobe recommends. The data model can be customized completely, and native search and email templates can be changed.
On the SaaS edition, every extension runs outside the core. The feature comparison lists App Builder for the admin, API Mesh with custom resolvers for web APIs, custom attributes for core and B2B entities, Node rather than PHP, and the Exchange Marketplace for apps. Search customization needs a third-party product, email uses standard templates only, and custom data storage is limited to App Builder’s file-based state library, with database storage still in early access.
Shopify works in a similar out-of-process way. Apps call Shopify’s APIs; Shopify Functions change back-end logic such as discount types, delivery options shown at checkout, payment options and checkout validation; and checkout UI extensions add content to checkout. Two of those are Plus-only: custom apps that contain Functions, and checkout UI extensions placed in the information, shipping or payment step.
Stores, brands and catalogs
Every Adobe Commerce installation has a hierarchy of global settings, websites, stores and store views. Adobe’s admin guide says one installation can run several websites, each with its own domain; stores under the same website share a product catalog but can differ in selection and design; and store views mainly handle language and currency symbol. That structure suits groups running more than one brand or country site from one back end.
Shopify’s model is narrower. Shopify lets one Plus contract hold a maximum of ten stores without a higher subscription. The Help Center requires every expansion store to match the main brand’s store name and branding and to carry the same types of goods and services. Products, collections, inventory and settings never sync between them, every store pays for its own apps, and a paid theme needs a separate licence in each. A second brand that does not qualify needs a multi-brand agreement with its own Plus subscription.
Selling to other businesses
Adobe’s B2B features come as an extension. On PaaS it gives full B2B once installed and enabled; on the SaaS edition, core features such as company management and quoting arrive preinstalled. The admin guide lists company accounts with roles, company hierarchies, shared catalogs with company-specific prices, quick order, negotiable quotes, purchase order approvals, requisition lists and payment on a company credit line.
Shopify includes B2B in the same admin as direct sales. On Plus you also get as many B2B catalogs as you need, the option to assign a catalog straight to a company or one of its locations, required deposits, partial payments, and a separate payment request per fulfillment. Wholesale and retail buyers can go through different checkout flows in the same store.
Hosting, uptime and compliance
Adobe’s PaaS Pro architecture splits environments by purpose. Development happens in an integration environment on shared containers, with up to two active branches; staging and production run on dedicated hardware, production on three virtual machines behind a load balancer. Fastly and New Relic monitoring are included on staging and production, and code moves one way only, from integration to staging to production. Hosting regions are offered on Azure and AWS, with Google Cloud marked as not standard.
The feature comparison gives PaaS a 99.99% infrastructure and 99.9% application figure, and the SaaS edition 99.9% for both. HIPAA is listed for PaaS but “currently not available” on SaaS, which matters for health and pharmacy retailers. On Shopify, hosting, the CDN and checkout capacity are part of the plan; the pricing page lists high-volume checkout and bot protection among the Plus features, and none of the Shopify pages read gave an uptime percentage.
APIs and limits
Shopify publishes its GraphQL Admin API allowances by plan: 100 points per second on standard plans, 200 on Advanced, 1,000 on Plus and 2,000 on its enterprise Commerce Components. Shopify says shopper requests to the Storefront API carry no rate limit. Stores that pass 500,000 variants are limited to 10,000 new variants a day, but that throttle does not apply to Plus stores.
Adobe’s PaaS edition keeps native REST and GraphQL extensibility, so developers can add endpoints inside the application. The SaaS edition offers API Mesh with custom resolvers instead, which combines Adobe’s APIs with outside services at the edge rather than inside the core.
When Shopify Plus fits better
- A price you can budget before a sales call matters to you.
- You do not want to plan or pay for platform upgrades every year.
- One brand, with regional or wholesale stores that do not need to share a catalog.
- Checkout changes can be done through extensions and Functions rather than core code.
- Your stock sits in no more than 200 locations.
When Adobe Commerce fits better
- Several brands or country sites need to run from one installation and share catalogs.
- Your business logic needs changes inside the application, which only the PaaS or on-premises editions allow.
- You must host under HIPAA, which Adobe lists for PaaS.
- Your marketing already runs on Adobe Experience Cloud and you want commerce data shared with it.
- Complex B2B with negotiable quotes and purchase order approvals is the main sales channel.
If you are moving from Adobe Commerce
If you already run Magento or Adobe Commerce and face a 2.4 upgrade, our Magento to Shopify migration guide covers what transfers and what has to be rebuilt, and the broader Shopify vs Magento comparison includes the free Open Source edition. If you are unsure Plus is needed, compare it with Advanced in Shopify Plus vs Shopify Advanced, and the build budget is broken down in our Shopify Plus development cost article. Our Shopify Plus development team handles replatforms from Adobe Commerce, including B2B catalogs, expansion stores and checkout extensions.
FAQ
How much does Adobe Commerce cost compared with Shopify Plus?
On 2 November 2026, Adobe published no price for any Commerce package; the SaaS, PaaS and Optimizer packages each said “Get pricing”. Shopify’s Help Center put Plus at $2,300 per month for a three-year commitment or $2,500 per month for one year, and said businesses with higher volume could be charged a variable platform fee as well.
What is the difference between Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service and Adobe Commerce on Cloud?
Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service is multi-tenant SaaS: Adobe updates it automatically and all customizations run outside the core through App Builder, API Mesh, events and webhooks. Adobe Commerce on Cloud is single-tenant PaaS, where you schedule upgrades yourself and can still write PHP modules inside the application.
Does Adobe Commerce still need version upgrades?
On the PaaS and on-premises editions, yes. Adobe lists six patch releases and one minor release a year, each version gets three years of standard support, and from 1 June 2027 Adobe stops maintaining Cloud environments on unsupported versions. The SaaS edition is updated by Adobe without version upgrades.
Does Shopify Plus support multiple brands the way Adobe Commerce does?
Only for one brand per contract. Expansion stores, up to ten per contract, must keep the main brand’s name and sell the same types of goods, with products and inventory kept separate in each store. Another brand needs its own Plus subscription under a multi-brand agreement, while Adobe Commerce can run several websites, each with its own domain, from one installation.
Is B2B included in Adobe Commerce?
B2B comes as an Adobe Commerce extension. On the PaaS edition it is installed and enabled to give company accounts, shared catalogs, negotiable quotes, purchase order approvals, requisition lists and payment on account. On the SaaS edition, core B2B features such as company management and quoting are preinstalled.
Sources, all read on 2 November 2026. From Shopify: the US Plus pricing page, the Help Center pages for the Plus plan and expansion stores, and developer documentation on GraphQL Admin rate limits, API usage limits, checkout UI extensions and Shopify Functions. From Adobe: the US Commerce packages and pricing page and its Experience League pages on the Cloud Service overview, the SaaS and PaaS feature comparison, the lifecycle policy, the Pro architecture, websites, stores and views, B2B for Adobe Commerce and Commerce Optimizer. Enterprise contracts are negotiated, so ask both vendors to confirm each figure in writing before signing.
