Magento 2 vs Magento 1 – What are the key differences?

Directly coming to the point: Switching to Magento 2 is much more of a relaunch than an update. Existing user data such as customer accounts, product information, and orders can be transferred. But internally, a lot has changed in Magento 2. The whole structure has been technically renewed.

Therefore, Update is not simply installed during the migration. Much more is being prepared for a relaunch. For this, Magento 2 is installed, and the desired functionality is restored step by step and one or the other aspect is optimized for the future. The relaunch offers the opportunity for renewal.

But what exactly are the differences?

Magento 1 vs. 2: What are the differences?

Under the hood, a lot has changed with Magento 2, as the saying goes. Here is an overview without getting lost in technical details:

• The themes are structured completely differently
• Extensions are structured differently
• completely different file paths are used in each case
• Adjustments to Magento are sometimes solved completely differently, etc.

There are now many themes (design templates) also for Magento 2. Perhaps you will even get a version for Magento 2.x for the Magento 1 design used so far. However, it still has to be reinstalled and configured.

The new dashboard

Magento 2 has a user-friendly and engaging admin panel.

It makes it easier to access information, navigate through the admin panel, and manage your store more effectively.

Magento 2 includes a comprehensive dashboard that displays lifetime sales, most recent orders, average orders, top search terms, revenue tax, and a variety of other features.
On other side: Magento 1 has a messy design.

Magento 2 SEO

In terms of SEO, Magento 2 does not differ significantly from Magento 1. However, it is an improvement over Magento 1.

Magento 1 lacks a few major Magento features:

• Duplicate Content: As Magento 2 includes a Canonical tag, duplicate content concerns can be avoided.
• Meta Title, Meta Description, and Meta Keyword: Meta tags for individual pages are enabled in Magento 2.
• Mobile-Friendly: Magento 2 is well-suited to mobile devices. It is also used as a factor for ranking.

Magento Version 2: Just an update?

Isn’t 2.x just an update? Like the jump from 1.7 to 1.8? Or from 1.8 to 1.9? In the past, there were always minor adjustments to the version jumps. For example, securing forms using “form keys.” For this, themes had to be adapted. But this update goes far beyond that.

But Magento 2 is not a simple update. It’s new software.

How expensive is an update?

As we said, the switch to Magento 2 is not done “just once”. An update is not simply installed and then the ecommerce store is tested. It’s much more of a relaunch. Because Magento has been completely overhauled.

As with every relaunch, the exact price cannot be given. Several factors play a role:

• Will you create a new theme or buy a finished one?
• Do extensions have to be redeveloped?
• Will data be transferred?
• Will a merchandise management system be connected?

and much more.

We would be happy to talk to you personally about the exact costs. Contact Us and we will quote you, completely without obligation.

But before you plan to make the switch, here are some more ideas.

Is Magento 2 the Right Choice for You?

The new release (> 2.4.x) is not the all-purpose weapon for ecommerce solutions. The technologies used in Magento’s latest version have become more extensive. The system is sustainable again, but also more complex. Adaptation to your own needs requires a little more time in some places. But in terms of setup, adaptation, and optimization, version 1 was not a real lightweight either. A basic effort always had to be invested.

For example, the path from developer to web server has now become much more professional (= better deployment). That’s great. But it also makes more demands on the web space at the same time. And, at the same time, more performance is required. The web server and the database must be operated via SSD hard drives. Sufficient memory and powerful CPUs are also extremely important.

Long story short…

Anyone who make sales with their ecommerce store or runs an ecommerce business is very well positioned with Magento 2. If you are migrating from Magento 1, in particular, you are technologically well positioned for the next few years.

With the migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2 in particular, you benefit twice over. Because even if a lot has changed technically in the background. After a short training period, you and your team will quickly find their way around again with the right guidance. You don’t have to rebuild all processes and workflows.

Continue to use your own Magento 1 extensions?

The good news is the logic that you developed yourself can be transferred almost completely in many cases. It must be brought into the form suitable for version 2.x. Because even if Magento 2 continues many proven operating concepts… “under the hood” the structure has changed.

Without getting too technical: under the hood, a few things have changed and improved. In very general terms, you can or should prevent the fixed coupling of individual files by constantly expanding classes with the use of plugins. Dependencies are shown explicitly via dependency injection. The big advantage is extensions and your ecommerce store become less sensitive to updates.

It is remarkably like the design used for the ecommerce store. The Magento 1 theme cannot be used automatically with version 2 as well.

Can I continue to use my Magento store design?

The ecommerce store design is determined by the theme used in Magento. This summarizes all adjustments to the page structure, the stylesheets, JavaScript, and the like. Even that cannot simply move from Magento 1 to Magento 2 ecommerce store. A new effort is required. There are two strategies for migration.

Adopt the old design

The easiest way is to simply adopt the previous design. The previous design must be transferred to the Magento 2 structures. But for this a design is not first created and this is implemented from scratch in HTML / CSS. The existing page structure is simply used further.

An optimized ecommerce store in particular certainly benefits twice from this strategy. Because a design is all well and good. However, every website has to be tested. Important key figures such as the conversion rate can only be improved with A / B tests. Experience can be incorporated into a contemporary design. In the end, however, many tests are necessary again. If you keep the old design, you rely on proven and optimized layouts.

A frequently used alternative is to redesign the relaunch visually.

Use a modern design

The alternative solution is to use the relaunch for a redesign. Magento 2 will be reinstalled anyway, and all necessary adjustments made. Especially if the old design is a few years old. The relaunch brings innovations anyway. This is also a suitable time for a modern design. In the simplest case, a new theme is acquired and then adjusted afterward.

Your own design is a bit more complex. This can be prepared by the designer and then implemented as a theme by the developer. The effort is of course much higher here. In return, for example, lessons learned from the past during conversion optimization can all be incorporated. A decisive advantage of a new redesign of your own: an old design has often grown over the years. If it is now recreated, it can be freed from contaminated sites.

When is the right time for the Magento upgrade?

Are you wondering when is the right time? When should the upgrade be implemented? And when is Magento 2 actually ready? The answer is NOW!

Magento officially stopped supporting Magento 1 on June 30, 2020. Magento 2 is ready for productive use. Many practical examples show this. Even really big brands are building heavily visited ecommerce stores with the latest version. There were some teething troubles. However, these initial problems have been overcome.

Do Magento developers find their way around the upcoming Magento 2.x.x new release?

Those who stay with Magento have a big advantage in the latest version. Magento developers can usually find their way around the admin panel quickly with targeted training, among other things. A lot is done differently under the hood. But many concepts have remained the same when it comes to operation.

This applies to most tasks:

• Management of products, attributes, and attribute sets
• Orders
• Customer accounts
• Configuration; etc.

The basic idea has remained the same. That is why the switch is not difficult. You can find the information you are looking for very quickly. The training effort is many times higher with a system change. In short, anyone who has already used Magento 1 will find their way around the new release quickly.

But there is one more crucial point for ecommerce store owners. You have to look around early enough for a competent contact person. Finding good developers is not that easy. And they are particularly important for Magento 2.

If someone has already worked with Magento, they can transfer knowledge from Magento 1 with a little effort. However, there are also things that have changed. Some things that were considered “best practice” up to Magento 1.9.x should be avoided under Magento 2.x.x (including the current version). Without wanting to get too technical, this applies, for example, to dealing with object orientation. Instead of overwriting with inheritance here, plugins can be better used in some places.

In short, A Magento developer has a good foundation. However, important know-how is missing for the proper handling of 2.x.x. Additional training is therefore extremely important.

Where can I find a contact person?

We allow self-promotion here, and once again explicitly refer to offer as the best Magento service provider. We are happy to advise and accompany you on the way to your Magento 2 ecommerce store. Contact Us without obligation.

Magento Open Source or Magento Commerce?

Magento is available in different versions. There is the widespread open-source variant. It can be used freely. There is no direct support from the Magento Inc (Now part of Adobe). In the event of problems, you must rely on your own contact person. In addition, some features are missing that are offered in the paid version.

Adobe Commerce and Magento Open-Source versions 2.4.3, along with number of interesting Q3 expansions, are available.

For the paid version – Adobe Commerce – support is provided by the Magento company itself. If a bug in the software leads to problems, someone there will fix it. This is a crucial point, especially for ecommerce stores that generate high sales every hour. Because in addition to troubleshooting, liability is also a question here. The own agency or the developer chooses the open-source variant and usually finds solutions to errors. But nobody can accept liability here.

While in the past the differences between the free version and the Enterprise Edition were exceedingly small, the purchased solution is now a step ahead in some areas.

Conclusion: How do you switch to the latest version of Magento?

The change is actually not that difficult. Fortunately, movement data such as customer accounts, orders and the like can be transferred. Here is an overview of the most important points:

• Finished extensions: are there Magento 2 versions?
• Own extensions/self-developed solutions: manual porting necessary
• The design/theme: in the case of finished themes, it must be compatible and set up / adapted
• Own design: the design must be ported to the latest version or re-implemented as a Magento 2 theme

Look for contacts with Magento 2 Experience

In the best case, just speak to us. We will advise you on all aspects of the changeover, the pitfalls, and what to watch out for in your situation.

If you are looking for Magento migration services, Magento website maintenance services, Magento store maintenance, and Magento store upgrades services, Magento 2 migration, Magento re-platforming, ecommerce solutions, and more, please explore our Magento website maintenance services. we aspire to deliver the best Magento support services to help our clients win the ecommerce battlefront. Starting from bug fixing to performance enhancement and everything in between, we know it all. Through 20 years of experience, our Magento experts can recognize and resolve your most intricate technical challenges. For more information, please visit our Magento Web Development Services!