Magento Community and Enterprise come with diverse similarities, but they are different from one another. Both of the platform versions come with diverse needs. When you tend to choose one among the two, it should be based on your business requirements. 

For both versions, you have the scope to implement Magento 2 extensions and advance the core functionalities. But, some variations make either of the two platforms seem relevant for differently-sized businesses. 

In case you aren’t sure about which version to choose between the two, there’s a bit of in-depth research you must invest your time on. In this guide, you will get better clarity on the differences between Magento Community and Enterprise. 

This way, you will have a better understanding of what aligns best with your business requirements. So, read along till the end to find out. 

What is the Definition of Magento Enterprise and Magento Community?

For you know, Magento is one of the best platforms for you to start your eCommerce business. It is flexible and easy to use, enabling you with features that drive the utmost excellence for enhancing store operations. 

Magento offers you two editions for running the online business, Community and Enterprise. Here’s a glimpse of the two for you to know these versions in brief before getting along with the differences:

A. Magento Enterprise

Magento Enterprise is one of the premium eCommerce platforms that is designed mostly for large businesses. The codebase is the same as that of the Magento Community edition but comes with a plethora of other features or support solutions than the free version. 

With this, you get almost everything that you need to run the business online. You get a store builder, store manager, payment gateway integration, shopping cart integration and more. 

When running your online store on Magento Enterprise, you will have the scope to grow your business without any limits. You can list as many products as you want, and your store will be able to handle a high-end flow of traffic without hiccups. 

B. Magento Community

Magento Community is the open-source version of the platform, ideal for you to build an online store. You can download it absolutely for free and tweak the code to your will. The codebase is open to almost everyone! 

The Magento Community platform comes with blogs, wikis and forums, which are ideal for you to ask questions and share information with proficient developers. You also get a knowledge base to look out for technical articles and find ways to configure or install the Magento Community. 

You can also use Magento 2 extensions, sample data sets or themes that will allow you to scale your store functions and take it to the next level. The Magento extensions can work as gap-filling solutions for you to compensate for any missing feature on the platform. 

What are the Differences Between Magento Enterprise and Magento Community?

To help you be able to choose between the two for getting started with your eCommerce business, here are some differences you must count on:

1. Functionality Differences

Magento Enterprise, as the name suggests, is for bigger companies and comes with advanced-level CMS capabilities. But that’s not the case with Magento Community! 

Moreover, the Enterprise version also consists of diverse site-building functionalities, which allows you with the scope of making HTML changes. You don’t need any coding proficiency to achieve that! And this is again a feature that Magento Community does’t offer. 

Following that, Magento Enterprise is also built on platforms such as Oracle and Adobe, whereas the Community version is based on the open-source concept.

2. Marketing Differences

Magento Community and Enterprise differ in diverse ways, but marketing is among the most notable areas of all. When you prefer using Magento Enterprise, you will have the liberty to use the built-in tools including conversion optimization and content management capabilities for boosting sales and driving traffic. 

In accordance with that, Magento Community doesn’t care to offer you such functions. Still, it supports the feasibility of adopting Magento 2 modules to integrate marketing proficiencies into this version as well. 

Using add-ons can also be a smart move to build and execute various marketing strategies and make them work. But, if you want to avail pre-built effectiveness in marketing and faster responses, Magento Enterprise can definitely be a better option. 

3. Performance Differences

Magento Enterprise tends to offer you reliability and stability by providing high up-time and enterprise-grade features. This way, it will be easier for you to run and scale the large eCommerce stores, irrespective of the traffic they experience over time. 

On the other hand, Magento Community comes with the necessary tools that you might need to start your store instantly. For instance, you get to use the responsive templates on the platform to create an intuitive store in a short span of time. 

4. Scalability Differences

Magento Enterprise is undoubtedly more scalable than the Community counterpart, as it offers you the scope of implementing automation for dealing with larger stores. Thus, it will be easier for you to scale or adjust the site to meet your business demands. 

The tools available with Magento Enterprise are quite robust when compared to the Community version, making it ideal for scaling eCommerce proficiency. 

For you to know, Magento’s documentation is simpler, more precise and more detailed than the Enterprise version, ensuring more ease in managing the site online and keeping it updated with the changes. 

As far as the customization quotient is concerned, the Community version allows you to integrate various Magento extensions for eCommerce proficiency that you will be able to install alongside your system without any compatibility issues. 

With this, you will be provided with better control over the features and the ability to overcome any limitations that come along with the Magento Community version. 

5. Support Differences

Magento Enterprise, being a high-end version, offers in-depth support solutions for you to get answers to your questions in the shortest time possible. You will be able to schedule one-on-one interactions with the support team easily. Not only that, but you also get the bug fixes quickly once you report the same. 

Weekly patches are also provided for your Magento Enterprise edition, ensuring top-notch security for the store owners. But, with Magento Community, it is more like an open-ended case, as there is no support team to back your queries or questions. Instead, you get some free online resources or forums to gain help. 

In terms of standard or basic support needs, Enterprise edition users will have a stronger hand over the Community edition users. But be assured you can definitely consider hiring either a Magento Community or Magento Enterprise developer to help you with the core technical flaws.

Is Magento Ideal for Small Businesses?

Magento is one of the brilliant choices for small businesses as it comes with a plethora of features for increasing sales and growing the business. The customization and flexibility options of Magento are what allow you to build unique shopping experiences for customers. 

If you want to expand your Magento business beyond the local region, you can use the dedicated features to mark a global presence for the store. For instance, you can integrate PayPal Multicurrency and other such Magento 2 extensions for selling your products to diverse customers across the world. 

You have a plethora of Magento 2 extensions to add unique functionalities to your store. But in case you don’t find any relevant pre-developed module, you can consider hiring a Magento Community or Magento Enterprise developer to build custom extensions as well. This way, your small business will take a powerful turnaround in terms of productivity. 

When to Choose Magento Enterprise or Community?

In case your business is willing to scale the eCommerce operations on a high scale, the Enterprise edition is accountable as your best pick. With it, you will get all the required features alongside what the Community edition has to offer. This version of Magento also provides you with all-day support from an expert team of engineers and developers. 

On the other hand, Magento Community is a brilliant option if you are willing to start a small business on a quick note without the need for much support. It is a free version, ensuring that you don’t have to pay a big chunk of your capital in just setting up the store. 

Final Verdict

In simple words, the differences and facts specified in this article concludes that Enterprise is better than Community in diverse ways. But, you can opt for Magento Enterprise only if you have enough budget, the right infrastructure and the optimal workforce. Investing in the Enterprise edition showcases your commitment to scaling the eCommerce business in the near future. 

But, if you don’t have to sell anything complex or of high value, it is better to stick to the Magento Community. Apart from that, tracking your customers, analyzing data and segmenting audiences can be done better with the Community edition by using the best of Magento 2 extensions. 

As you have enough information on both of the editions of Magento, you can now clearly decide on which version would work well to help your business achieve its goals. If you have plans on getting along with Magento for your eCommerce business, make the choice today!