Magento and WooCommerce are two of the most popular eCommerce platform in the industry. While Magento is a more complete solution to WooCommerce, but WooCommerce provides more flexibility than Magento. We can agree on one thing, they both provide advanced functionalities to manage your store.
Magento currently has 250,000 active users whereas almost 5 million users are managing their eCommerce store using WooCommerce.
Magento announced that it will not release any further updates to Magento 1 after June 2020 and will discontinue all the support for this platform. As a result, Magento lost 17000 customers to WooCommerce in the period of June to August 2020.
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Many Magento customers or retailers still have not taken up the option of migrating from Magento 1 because of the underlying fear of change, satisfaction with their current setup, or incurring massive costs. So, if you are one of those people that still haven't migrated to Magento 2 and looking for another platform then this guide is for you. Today we will try to guide you through the process of Magento to WooCommerce migration.
So, if you are still looking to migrate from Magento to WooCommerce, then take out your notebooks and start taking notes.
Why You Should Migrate from Magento to WooCommerce
Although Magento is a complete eCommerce solution with advanced functionalities to manage your online store, managing it can be difficult. You will need help from experts who specializes in Magento development. Sometimes, it may get overwhelming and increase your cost.
Migrating from Magento 1 to 2 is a difficult task itself. You will need expert help to complete this task successfully. That is why users are turning to WooCommerce. Because believe it or not, migrating to WooCommerce is easier rather than migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2.
We are not discouraging you to stop using Magento. If you have money and don't have any problem investing, go for Magento. But, when there is a free and effective solution like WooCommerce, why bother opting for a difficult solution like Magento?
Most importantly, you don't need to complete a lot of tasks to migrate to WooCommerce. The Magento to WooCommerce migration process is so easy, that it would not take you more than a day or two to complete the switch.
Magento vs WooCommerce: Facts You Should Have a Look at
Before we start with why you should choose WooCommerce over Magento, let us go over some stats-
- WooCommerce is currently leading the eCommerce market share with 27%, whereas Magento has an 8% marketshare. (magestore)
- The number of total live sites for WooCommerce is 3,121,088. For Magento that number is 203,021. (magestore)
- There are 3.47% websites that are in the top 1M for WooComerce. Whereas Magento only has 1.1% sites in the top 1M. (magestore)
- In the top 10k websites, WooCommerce has 1.72% and Magento has 1.82% sites.(magestore)
So, you can clearly see that WooCommerce is dominating over Magento. And when you see our comparison table it will become clear why you should choose WooCommerce over Magento.
| Features | WooCommerce | Magento |
| Cost | WooCommerce is free | Magento's community plan is free to use and download, but its enterprise plan requires around $18000 per year. |
| Open Source | WooCommerce is an open-source plugin that can be customized to fit almost any business scenarios | Magento is also an open-source platform. However, you don't need to customize much as it is already feature-rich |
| Ease of Use | WooComerce is very easy to use. You won't need developer help to manage it | Magento is slightly on the complex side. You will need expert help in order to manage it |
| Hosting | WooCommerce doesn't require powerful hosting. You will need a moderate hosting service that can ensure security. | Magento needs a powerful hosting environment and streamlined store management. |
| Time | WooCommerce doesn't require a lot of time to set up and for maintenance. | On the other hand, Magento requires a lot of time for regular store maintenance. This time commitment increases when things go wrong and need to be fixed. |
If you are thinking to migrate to Magento 2, check this guide to learn more about WooCommerce vs Magento and think again.
Magento to WooCommerce Migration: Some Pre-Cautionary Steps to Follow
There are 2 possible ways to migrate from Magento to WooCommerce.
- Manually, that would take some time but is effective. On other words free Magento to WooCommerce migration
- Using a WordPress plugin
We are going to go over all of them, that way you will have many options on your hand.
But before starting the details of these processes, there are a few steps you will need to take. Let's go over them first.
5 Pre-Cautionary Steps Before Starting your Migration Process
- Select a managed WordPress hosting that will provide all the funcionalities, handle traffic, speed, customer support and most important of all security. Select the hosting depending on your business size.
- It is better to select your previous Magento domain name if it's available. That way, your customers won't have look for you and it will also reduce some marketing efforts.
- Install WordPress and WooCommerce on your site. Although, your selected hosting will handle the WordPress installtion process.
- Select a theme that compliements your WooCommerce store structure. You will find many WooCommerce themes online. Or you can chekc out our list of the best WooCommerce themes.
- As you know, WooCommerce has extensions that provides some extra functionalities for your eCommerce store. So, install them if you find them neccessary.
All in all, you need to have a full-fledged WordPress-powered WooCommerce site. Otherwise, where you are going to migrate your Magento data to?
Hopefully, now you can start to migrate Magento 1 to Woocommerce. Let's start.
Way 1 : Manual Process to Complete Magento to WooCommerce Migration
We will start with the most straightforward and simple process. The only issue you will face with this process is that it will consume more time. But you will be able to save money. So, if you are looking to migrate Magento to WooCommerce free then this process is for you.
First, You Need to Export Data from Magento
- From your Magento admin panel, navigate to System > Export from the left sidebar.
- From the drop-downs on the next page, select Products and CSV in the Entity type and Export File Format fields, respectively.
- Check the boxes in front of entities that should be excluded from the export file. Click Continue below. The system will notify you that the message is added to a queue.
- After making the filtration and exclusion choices you want, you can advance by scrolling to the bottom and click “Continue.”
- Check your exported file in your download folder. Now you can save and open your CSV file as a spreadsheet. Edit your data if needed, and import it to your WooCommerce store.
You have successfully exported data from your Magento account.
Now, Import Data on Your WooCommerce Store
- Log in to your WordPress backend and go to WooCommerce > Products from the left sidebar.
- There you will find an option to add product in bulk using Product CSV importer. You can use this tool to make your migration process smooth.
- Click on the Choose File button on the right hand side and select the CSV file you downloaded containing your Magento data. Click on the continue button.
- Now you have the map the columns of your data entity. Although WooCommerce automatically tries to map the column name of your Magento CSV file to WooCommerce product fields. But it is better to map all the fields automatically using the options in the drop down menu.
- You are almost done. Now just click on the Run Importer button. It will take a few minutes until the migration is completed.
- Lastly, you can follow the same method to migrate customers and orders.
That way you can enjoy selling your products on your WooCommerce store without any delay.
Way 2: Rely on a WordPress Migration Plugin to Ensure Magento to WooCommerce Migration
As you know WordPress repository is full of plugins that will help you accomplish various tasks for your site. If you look hard enough you will find a plugin that you can use to design your WordPress site.
And yes there are Magento to WooComerce plugins that will help you with Magento 1 to WooCommerce migration process. Migration plugins like,
Although most of these WordPress plugins have detailed documentation that will help you out with the process, still we are going to show you how to migrate with these plugins. First, let's use Cart2Cart.
How to Migrate Using Cart2Cart: Magento to WooCommerce Migration Plugin
When you have a plugin like Cart2Cart, then you don't need to worry about the technical aspects of your migration process. Because this plugin is fast and affordable, will provide free demo migration, it is secure and scalable.
So, let us see how to use Cart2Cart to migrate from Magento to WooCommerce.
But before you start,
- Backup your Magento store
- Make sure your WooCommerce store is migration ready.
Step 1: Register an Account at Cart2Cart for free
At first, you need to create an account at the Cart2Cart website. You can use your email address or Facebook id to register.
Step 2: Use the Migration Wizard
You can either have the Cart2Cart team do the migration for you or use the migration wizard yourself to do the process. It is better to use the migration wizard as it is a simple process. Click on the Start Free Demo button to start.
Step 3: Add Your Magento & WooCommerce Cart Detail
You will see a drop-down menu. Select Magento from Source Cart, add your Magento URL, and in the Target Cart Setup, select WooCommerce and your WooCommerce shop URL.
Step 4: Select Product Enitities
Select the products entities like product categories, taxes, orders, etc. It is better to select all the entities.
It will take some to finish the migration process. After the migration is finished, you will get a message that the migration is completed.
Check your WooCommerce store to make sure every data is migrated.
How to Migrate from Magento to WooCommerce Using Litextension Plugin
Litextesnion is another great migration tool that will help you migrate your data from Magento to WooCommerce quite easily. You can migrate every data including products, customers, orders, reviews, Cms pages, multiple languages, and so on.
The process is almost as same as Cart2Cart,
Step 1: Register a Free Account
At first, you need to register an account on the Litextension site,
Step 2: Enter Magento & WooCommerce Details
Then on the next stage, add the required information including your Magento and WooComerce details,
Step 3: Select the Product Entities
Next, select the product entities you want to migrate. You can select either all of them together or certain data. For example, only Products, Customers, and Orders.
Step 4: Complete the Migration Process
You will have two options to complete your migration process, Demo or Full Migration. We suggest you use the Full Migration option.
After you start the migration process, wait for some time. Litextension will send you an email after the migration is finished.
So, you can use these two tools to migrate your Magento store to WooCommerce.
Hopefully, now you can use easily migrate your Magento store to WooCommerce without any hiccups. However, there should be some reasons for you to choose WooCommerce to migrate from Magento. Well, hopefully, we can give you an answer.
Bonus: Turn Your WooCommerce Store into a Multivendor Marketplace
So, you have successfully migrated your store from Magento to WooCommerce. But why stop there? As you know WooCommerce is a single-store eCommerce platform. But you can easily turn your single-store into a multivendor marketplace using Dokan.
Yes, Dokan can turn your WooCommerce store into a multivendor marketplace within a few hours. It is one of the most popular multivendor marketplace plugins in WordPress with its amazing features and modules. You will have features like,
- Invidual vendor dashboard for every seller
- Support all the WooCommerce payment gateways as well as it's own
- Supports all WooCommerce compatible theme
- As an admin, you can earn from every sale
- Detailed reports and coupon management
- Indvidual shipping management for every store and more.
With Dokan, you can create marketplaces to sell subscriptions, travel accessories, digital products, electronic products, and more.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your copy of Dokan and start building your dream marketplace.
Common FAQ(s) About Magento to WooCommerce Migration
Although Magento 2 is a more optimized solution for website owners, however migrating to Magento 2 is a more complicated process. Several difficulties constrain store representatives to maintain a safe distance from it because managing a shop in Magento 2 is far more complicated and complex.
It usually takes $1000 to $2000 using the process of designing a new theme for Magento 2.
Generally, it takes 1-3 months for the migration process to migrate to Magento 2.
The three data migration tools available are,
1. On-premise tools
2. Cloud-based tools
3. Open source tools
Start Migrating From Magento to WooCommerce Now!
Hopefully, now you can understand that Magento to WooCommerce migration process is much easier than you have anticipated. If you follow the processes we have mentioned above then you won't have any problem with anything.
After migration, make sure all the data are stored successfully.
And if you migrate to WooCommerce then you will have an online store that is easy to manage and customizable. Moreover, if you take one step further then you can create a multivendor marketplace with Dokan and increase your profit margin.
If you want another guide on “migration of Magento 2 to WooCommerce” or “WooCommerce to Magento migration”, do let us know in the comment section.