After unveiling the Magento 2 version in 2015, the platform brought the all new Enterprise Cloud edition a year later. This has been a bonus after the release of the Community and Enterprise editions of this innovative platform. With the option, Magento 2 has ushered in a new era for e-commerce as merchants are now spoilt with choices. Whether they should opt for Magento 2 development with the Community, Enterprise, or Cloud edition has become the most challenging question now. It all depends on how they want to go about creating and managing their online store. Here is all that you need to know about all the three editions before choosing the option that works for you.
Community Edition
This free version of the platform is ideal for small businesses as well as those who want to take up magento store development right from the ground up. It is meant for smaller websites that can do without the hefty modules and enhanced security features that are needed by the larger sites. The version, however, has all the core features that the Enterprise version has, while the basic plugins and templates can be easily purchased and installed on the site.
Enterprise Edition
This, on the other hand, is more suitable for medium and large businesses. Besides the entire features that the Community version offers, this one extends some extensive tools to facilitate major customizations to the functionality of the store. The flexibility, scalability, and performance of this platform are commendable too.
Enterprise Cloud Edition
This latest and most advanced edition is aptly used by the major e-commerce players as it comes with the promise to deliver optimized shopping experiences on the e-commerce store every time. It comes with the reliable AWS cloud hosting, which eliminates the need for self-hosting and caters unmatched performance and security as well.
Factors to consider while choosing between Community, Enterprise, and Cloud
1. Cost: Primarily, you have to bear in mind the cost of each of these editions to determine the one that suits you the best. Magento 2 Community is otherwise free and the cost of hosting is all that you need to incur. The cost of the Enterprise Edition begins at around $22,000 a year, along with the hosting service cost, while the Cloud version costs more because it is self-hosted. The exact pricing is determined on the basis of the store’s revenue and support requirements.
2.Store Size: While Community is essentially suitable for small-sized stores, the other two editions meant for the larger ones with more products and higher traffic. They have features that cater to the performance requirements as well as management criteria for such stores.
3.Hosting Requirements: The next factor you need to consider while making the choice is your hosting requirement. If you are looking for a reliable, high-performance hosting service without any scaling hassles, the Cloud edition is the apt choice for your store.
4.Customer Experience: Magento 2 Enterprise packs some exceptional features that promise the most amazing customer experiences. Merchants can offer reward programs, refund orders, multiple wish lists, private flash sales, and much more to boost customer loyalty. So this option is right for the stores that need to use advanced customer experiences for taking their business to the next level.
5.Admin Management Options: The admin management options that a merchant wants to have in his e-commerce store also impact the selection of the Magento 2 edition. With both the Enterprise editions, merchants can avail advanced features such as advanced permissions, easy reporting, and efficient back-end management.
6.Functionality Considerations: Conventionally, there are certain must-have functionalities for e-commerce stores. Obviously, the Enterprise edition has a longer list as compared to the Community edition, but many of them can be installed in the latter with the help of extensions for customization. Those looking for functionalities such as reward points, gift options, product wishlists, additional payment gateways, etc should choose the Enterprise straight away. All the functionalities are available for the Cloud edition too.
7.Marketing and Promotion: The merchant needs to appraise his marketing and promotion requirements to understand which version would work for him. Those looking for advanced features such as customer segmentation and targeted promotions should opt for either of the Enterprise editions.
Conclusion
The selection of the right Magento 2 edition for creating your e-commerce store can decide the fate of your business. Therefore, it would be a good idea to hire Magento developer in India or abroad to guide you about making the right decision. Having an experienced professional or team is the best way to create a scalable, robust, and performance-oriented e-commerce store that guarantees an impressive online presence for your business.