Magento was once one of the most respected names in e-commerce. For many years, it was considered the go-to platform for serious businesses with larger budgets and complex needs. Fast forward to 2025, and the story looks very different: usage of Magento 2 has plummeted, leaving many in the industry asking—what happened?
The Decline in Numbers
According to BuiltWith data, the number of live Magento 2 Community websites has dropped dramatically—from over 55,000 historically to around 34,000 in 2025. This sharp decline signals not just a passing trend, but a significant shift in the e-commerce ecosystem.
The Cost Factor
One of the biggest challenges for Magento has always been cost. To put this into perspective:
- Shopify Plus starts at about $2,300 per month
- Adobe Commerce (enterprise Magento) licensing can cost $40K–$200K+ per year, depending on hosting and scale. And if you choose the open-source version instead, the maintenance and developer costs can still easily rival or exceed those figures.
For many businesses, especially small and mid-market merchants, this cost difference alone has driven them toward SaaS alternatives.
Why Merchants Are Moving Away
Several key factors explain the decline:
- Complexity and maintenance costs. Magento demands highly skilled developers, and ongoing support is expensive.
- Performance issues. Without expert optimization, Magento sites can feel slow and inefficient compared to leaner platforms.
- Shift in Adobe’s priorities. Since acquiring Magento, Adobe has focused more on the enterprise-level Adobe Commerce, leaving the open-source edition with less attention.
- Rise of SaaS platforms. Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce have become “good enough” for most businesses, offering speed, ease of use, and scalability without technical headaches.
- Uncertain future. Adobe has already announced that support for Magento Open Source 2.x will end in April 2028, creating long-term hesitation for merchants.
- Decline in community momentum. Developers and agencies are increasingly shifting to modern frameworks and platforms, reducing the talent pool and innovation around Magento.
Does Magento Still Have a Place?
Despite the decline, Magento isn’t without merit. For businesses with highly complex requirements—such as B2B workflows, large catalogs, or deeply customized integrations—Magento can still provide unmatched flexibility. However, those advantages now come with higher costs and more technical overhead than most businesses are willing to accept.
Personal Perspective
More than 10 years ago, I worked as a developer on Magento projects. Even then, it was difficult and costly to maintain, but it carried a reputation as the “serious” option for businesses with budget.
Interestingly, before starting GeekSeller, some of my earliest professional experiences were with Magento stores. That’s why I found it eye-opening to see the latest BuiltWith statistics. The conversation there echoed much of what we now see across the industry: Magento has lost its once-dominant position, as merchants embrace platforms that balance power with ease of use.
The decline of Magento 2 in 2025 illustrates a broader trend in e-commerce. Merchants increasingly favor platforms that lower barriers to entry, reduce costs, and simplify operations—even if it means sacrificing some flexibility. While Magento will continue to serve a niche of complex, enterprise-level businesses, its role in the mid-market has clearly diminished.
