Magento to Shopify
Migrating from Magento to Shopify shifts your business from a powerful but complex, self-managed platform to a hosted solution built for growth. In 2025, many merchants choose Shopify for lower total cost of ownership, simpler operations, and migrations that run from Shopify admin via dedicated apps—without touching Magento servers or code.
This technical blueprint covers Magento's data model (products, customers, orders), how it maps to Shopify's REST API, and a step-by-step migration path using Shopify apps such as Cart2Cart, all run from your Shopify store.
1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave Magento?
💰 Cost & Complexity
The Magento Pain: Hosting, security, extensions, and developer retainers add up. Magento 2 upgrades and customizations are expensive and time-consuming.
The Shopify Gain: Predictable subscription; hosting, security, and updates included. Migration runs from Shopify admin with no Magento development.
🚀 Hosting & Performance
The Magento Pain: Requires robust hosting, Redis/Varnish, and tuning. Performance issues often need dedicated DevOps or agency support.
The Shopify Gain: Enterprise-grade hosting, CDN, and scaling are managed. You launch and run migrations from one admin.
🛠 Operations & Updates
The Magento Pain: Extension conflicts, patch management, and PHP version upgrades create ongoing risk and downtime.
The Shopify Gain: No server or PHP to maintain. Apps install from the App Store; migration apps connect to Magento and run from Shopify.
⚡ Talent & Support
The Magento Pain: Specialized Magento developers are costly and scarce. Simple changes often require custom development.
The Shopify Gain: Large ecosystem of developers and apps. Migration can be done without in-house Magento expertise by using a Shopify app.
2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit
Magento (1.x or 2.x) uses a rich but complex data model. Auditing your setup ensures the migration app can connect and map correctly.
- Magento version: Magento 1 vs 2 have different APIs and database structures; confirm your migration app supports your version.
- Access: App-based migration typically uses Magento REST API or a bridge; some tools use MySQL. Ensure the required access (API or DB) is available.
- Multi-store: If you use multiple store views or websites, plan how they map to one or more Shopify stores.
- Extensions: List critical extensions (payment, shipping, B2B); plan Shopify app replacements. Data from custom tables may need custom handling.
- Configurable products & attributes: Magento configurable products map to Shopify products with multiple variants; attribute sets should be reviewed for mapping.
3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint
Magento's catalog, customer, and order entities map to Shopify when using a migration app run from Shopify admin.
🛍 Product Data Mapping
| Magento (Source) | Shopify (Target) | Notes & Logic |
|---|---|---|
entity_id (catalog_product_entity) | id | Shopify generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping. |
name (catalog_product_entity_varchar) | title | Direct string transfer. |
sku | variants[].sku | SKU at variant level in Shopify. |
price | variants[].price | Price per variant; configurable uses child prices. |
description | body_html | HTML; images re-hosted to Shopify CDN. |
| Categories (catalog_category_*) | collections | Magento categories → Shopify collections. |
| Configurable options / super_attributes | options and variants | Configurable products become Shopify variants. |
👥 Customer Data Mapping
| Magento Field | Shopify Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
email (customer_entity) | email | Unique identifier. |
password_hash | password (on create) | Password reset required. Hashing differs; customers reset passwords. |
| customer_address_entity | addresses[] | Billing/shipping mapped to Shopify addresses. |
📦 Order Data Mapping
| Magento Field | Shopify Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
entity_id (sales_order) | name (order number) | Preserve Magento order ID in name for reference. |
| order status / state | financial_status, fulfillment_status | Map Magento statuses to Shopify's dual status system. |
| grand_total | total_price | Direct mapping; currency conversion if needed. |
4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle
Option A: Shopify App Migration (Recommended)
Cart2Cart and similar apps in the Shopify App Store
Install the app in Shopify and run the migration from Shopify admin. The app connects to Magento (API or database bridge), maps catalog and orders, and sets up redirects—no need to open Magento code or server.
- ✅ Pros: No coding; runs from Shopify admin; handles configurable products, customers, orders, and SEO redirects.
- ❌ Cons: Cost scales with data (e.g. $200–$600+ for large catalogs).
Option B: Custom Script
Magento API or MySQL + Shopify Admin API
- ✅ Pros: Full control, custom attribute mapping.
- ❌ Cons: Requires developer ($100–$200/hr), 60+ hours for typical Magento store.
5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Shopify):
Create your Shopify store; enable password protection during migration if desired.
1.2. Prepare Source (Magento):
Ensure REST API is enabled (Magento 2) or that the migration app's bridge/DB access is in place. Note admin URL and credentials if required by the app.
Phase 2: Connection from Shopify Admin
2.1. Install the migration app (e.g. Cart2Cart) from the Shopify App Store and open it from your Shopify admin.
2.2. Connect Magento as source—enter store URL and API keys or bridge details as instructed.
Phase 3: Migration Execution
- Run from Shopify admin: Select products, customers, orders; run migration. Configurable products map to Shopify variants.
- Create 301 redirects: Use the app to map old Magento URLs to new Shopify URLs for SEO.
- Review custom attributes: If you use custom product attributes, verify mapping in the app or adjust post-migration.
Phase 4: Post-Migration
4.1. Customer communication: Notify customers; they will need to reset passwords.
4.2. Verify catalog and orders: Check products, variants, collections, and order history in Shopify admin.
6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)
Custom Development
Developer Cost
Shopify App (e.g. Cart2Cart)
Typical Range
Agency Service
Starting Cost
7. Troubleshooting & SEO Preservation
Common Challenges
- Configurable products: Ensure all configurable options (e.g. size, color) are migrated as Shopify variants; mapping is usually automatic in migration apps.
- Custom attributes: Magento custom attributes may map to metafields or need manual setup; check app documentation.
- Large catalogs: Run during low traffic; some apps support resumable or chunked migration.
The 301 Redirect Strategy
Magento URL keys and category paths differ from Shopify. Use the migration app's redirect feature from Shopify admin to map old URLs to new ones and preserve SEO.
Ready to Simplify Your eCommerce Stack?
Move from Magento to Shopify using an app run from your Shopify admin. No server access or Magento development required—get products, customers, orders, and SEO redirects in one flow.