Magento assessment
Stay on Magento, upgrade, or move to Shopify?
Most agencies answer this before they have looked at your store. Shopify agencies say move; Magento agencies say stay. We are certified on both platforms, we run Adobe Commerce in production, and we are not tied to either, so we look at what your store actually does and tell you which answer is right for it.
What the assessment looks at
What your store actually does
Every extension, custom module and business rule that is live, in business terms: which trade customers see which prices, what ships where, what the checkout enforces. This list is the real specification for any path you take, and it is almost always longer than anyone expects.
Your version and security position
Which release you are on, which 2026 bulletins and hotfixes apply, and whether they have been applied by name. Stores older than 2.4.4 receive no patches at all. Our Magento security tracker is the reference we work from.
Integrations and data
ERP, POS, warehouse, freight and payments: which system owns which data, and how each would work on a new platform. Plus the state of the catalogue, including products configured on more attributes than Shopify's three options allow.
Trade and B2B rules
Customer groups, tier pricing, company accounts and payment terms. Since April 2026 more of this fits a standard Shopify plan than before, and some of it still needs Plus or stays better on Adobe Commerce. This single area decides more recommendations than any other.
Search equity
The URLs Google actually has for your store, and what a move would need to protect them. If a migration is the answer, the redirect inventory starts here rather than in launch week.
The cost of each path
Staying and being supported properly, upgrading, or moving: what each involves and what drives its cost, set side by side so the decision is made on the whole picture rather than on the platform fee.
Why this is the question now
Magento stores have had a hard 2026. Adobe shipped scheduled security bulletins in May, July, August and September, plus an emergency hotfix for StyleSmuggler, a vulnerability exploited before a patch existed. Australia's Cyber Security Centre said it was aware of a substantial number of potentially vulnerable instances locally. Every one of those is work somebody has to schedule, test and deploy.
At the same time Shopify has moved closer to what Magento stores need: B2B basics on every paid plan and custom checkout logic through Shopify Functions. That makes moving the right answer for more stores than it was. It does not make it the right answer for all of them.
When staying is right
Complex trade pricing and account hierarchies, several storefronts from one catalogue, pricing, tax or duty rules that need to live in your own code, and a team or partner who keeps the platform current. Then the job is support, not a migration.
When upgrading first is right
When the platform still fits but the version does not, and the gap is modest. Bringing the store current buys time to decide properly. More on Magento upgrades.
When moving is right
When the value of the store is in its products and customers rather than in custom commerce logic, and nobody wants to own hosting, patching and upgrades any more. Then Shopify is usually the better platform to run, and we cover what each part of a Magento store becomes on Shopify.
What we will not tell you
That a migration carries no search risk, or that a date is fixed before the integrations are understood. Nobody honest can promise either. What we can do is find the risks early, write them down and plan around them.
What you get
A written recommendation you can take to the board, whoever you decide to work with afterwards.
A clear answer
Stay, upgrade or move, with the reasons. If the answer is move, which Shopify plan and why. If it is stay, what keeping the store safe actually involves.
The list, and what happens to each item
Every live extension, rule and integration, and where each would land: kept, rebuilt, replaced by a setting or app, or retired. The few with no clean equivalent are named first, because they decide the answer.
The risks, early
Search equity, data quality, integrations and trade pricing: what could go wrong on each path, and what it would take to prevent it.
Certified on both sides
Two of our developers hold Adobe Commerce certifications and three hold Shopify certifications. The people who assess your Magento store understand it, and the people who would build on Shopify are qualified to.
The proof
Work we have shipped, not a capability deck.
Commerce work we do
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Magento & Adobe Commerce
Builds, replatforms, upgrades and performance rescue, including SAP integration.
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Adobe Commerce support
Taking over platforms other agencies built: incident response, out-of-band security patching and upgrades.
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Magento security patches
Every 2026 Adobe bulletin in plain English, and which ones are hotfixes you have to apply separately.
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Magento upgrades
Version upgrades and extension audits, and when the platform is not what needs the money.
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Shopify & Shopify Plus
Shopify-certified developers: storefronts, theme builds, app integration and headless front ends.
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Shopify Plus
Checkout extensibility, B2B and D2C together, multi-storefront, and when the tier is not worth it.
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E-commerce development
The whole practice: platform selection, build, integrate and run.
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Headless commerce
Decoupled storefronts on Shopify and Adobe Commerce, and when a themed build is the better call.
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Migration & replatforming
Moving between platforms without losing data, rankings or trading days.
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Magento to Shopify
The specific route, and an honest view of when not to take it.
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WooCommerce
WordPress commerce where the catalogue and the content live together.
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E-commerce & retail
The sector view, what retail platforms are actually asked to do, and where they break.
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B2B & wholesale commerce
Company accounts, contract pricing, quotes, credit terms and ERP-held price logic for trade suppliers.
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Adelaide commerce
Adobe Commerce for South Australian retailers, including the duty free store trading at Adelaide Airport.
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New Zealand commerce
GST, rural freight and trans-Tasman selling, and the duty free stores running across airports in both countries.
Common questions
Will you just tell us to move to Shopify?
No. We are not tied to either platform, and we support Magento stores as well as building on Shopify, so either answer is work we do. Many stores should move. Some should stay and be supported properly, and some should upgrade first and decide later. The assessment exists to tell you which, with the reasons written down.
Do we need Shopify Plus if we move?
Often not. Since April 2026 every paid Shopify plan includes company profiles, payment terms, volume pricing and up to three B2B catalogues, which covers more Magento trade setups than it used to. Plus is still the answer for pricing that differs per trade customer, customising the checkout itself, or several storefronts. Which plan you need is part of the recommendation, and so is what each one costs in AUD.
We are on a Magento version older than 2.4.4. Where does that leave us?
Exposed, and it narrows the options. Adobe's 2026 security patches cover the 2.4.4 line and newer, including the StyleSmuggler hotfix, so older stores receive nothing. For those stores the choice is really between an upgrade that may be large and a move, and the assessment puts the two side by side. Our security tracker lists every 2026 bulletin.
Can you assess an Adobe Commerce store another agency built?
Yes, and that is most of what we see. Our longest-running Adobe Commerce engagement, Aelia Duty Free, began as a takeover from a previous partner. Understanding a store someone else built is the first step whether it stays, upgrades or moves.
Do you work with stores outside Sydney?
Yes. Our office is in Sydney and we work with retailers across Australia and New Zealand. Commerce work is remote by nature; what matters is time zone overlap and a named person who knows your platform.
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Engagement models
How we work
Four straightforward ways to engage us. Pick the one that fits, or mix them as your needs change.
Staff Augmentation
Add experienced Shakewell developers, designers or specialists directly to your own team. Engagements typically run three to twelve months, but can be as short or long as you need, you get the skills without the commitment and cost of hiring full-time.
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