Magento is currently the number one eCommerce platform for pretty much every size of online businesses, from an individual selling its homemade products to large multinational retailers conquering new market shares worldwide. If you’re wondering if Magento is a fit-for all solution, not really. Whoever has experience in developing online solutions for clients with very diverse needs knows that fit-for-all solutions are not a good choice as there is no room for upgrades that will be custom-tailored to a client’s specific needs.
That is why Magento comes in different editions that target different types of clients: Magento Community Edition and Magento Enterprise Edition. The Community Edition may attract everyone’s attention right away because it's free, but some eCommerce owners will be thrilled with the endless options and customizable features of the Enterprise Edition.
Enterprise vs Community
As mentioned in our short intro, the first thing that you may notice when weighing whether to choose Magento Enterprise or Magento Community is that the first one is free. You can simply download Community at no cost and you can make changes to it to adapt it to your requirements without having to pay a cent.
Community is a very good product that offers numerous options and allows its users to develop extensions for further customization. There are many things you will appreciate about this version, for example configurable swatches to show off all the product or category attributes and simplify a customer’s search by filters; it also enables a responsive design reference theme to build mobile websites, great website performance and security, Google Analytics support and over 70 enhancements that provide options to make your online store a unique one.
Even though Enterprise shares the same core with Community, it’s still a superior product in its own right. The main advantage of this product is the endless in number and advanced features provided for clients with the most complex requirements and looking for totally custom-made options. Yes, Community gives you space for customization too but with Enterprise this possibility is taken to a whole new level. You will be able to implement advanced marketing, customer segmentation and targeting options that are key to create conversions for businesses operating on a large scale and with many lines of categories and products.
Just recently we published an article about the benefits of Enterprise in detail and you may want to read it to get the full picture of how supreme this product is.
Which Edition is the right one for me?
Both Editions are invaluable when it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform that is superior to similar packages offered by other brands. To be honest, the choice does not depend on the benefits of one Edition versus the other as much as thinking about your business goals and needs in the foreseeable future. If you’re an individual managing an online store on a small scale you will be more than happy with the free Edition and it will not let you down, we promise. The same goes for small business owners with no intention of expanding their operations any time soon.
However, larger businesses or owners who predict growth and expansion should opt for the Enterprise Edition, even if they won’t be implementing most of the features at this time. With Enterprise you will be able to develop your website further each time a new requirement arises or you expand your range of categories, products lines and reach for new marketplaces.