Tim Bucciarelli
Table of Contents
Migrating from Adobe Commerce to Magento Open Source: What You Need to Know
Moving from Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento Enterprise Edition) to Magento Open Source is often referred to as a downgrade, but that label doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. When the Open Source edition better matches your technical needs and business operations, it’s a migration toward fit, not a step down.
This decision is gaining relevance as Adobe continues to shift focus to its “Commerce as a Service” initiative. That direction introduces questions about long-term alignment between the current on-premise Adobe Commerce codebase and future offerings. Magento Open Source, by contrast, continues to offer a self-hosted, fully accessible platform with a large ecosystem of support and contributions.
This post introduces the considerations involved in making this migration. Future posts will walk through the process, including codebase cleanup, dependency removal, data preservation, and post-migration validation.
Why Businesses Are Making the Move
Several common reasons lead teams to consider a move to Magento Open Source:
- Lower total cost of ownership: Eliminates Adobe Commerce license fees.
- Reduced platform complexity: Removes unused modules and services.
- Greater development flexibility: Enables full code access with fewer vendor restrictions.
- Long-term autonomy: Supports future growth without relying on a commercial roadmap.
These decisions often follow a feature audit, where teams find that many Adobe Commerce capabilities are not actively used or no longer align with current workflows.
What’s Different Between the Platforms
Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce share a foundational codebase, but Adobe Commerce includes additional modules and integrations not available in the Open Source edition. These include:
- The B2B suite: Company accounts, shared catalogs, requisition lists
- Content staging and scheduling
- Visual Merchandiser
- Advanced promotions and customer segmentation
- Gift card and store credit functionality
- Adobe Sensei-based tools and integrations
Magento Open Source includes the full core feature set for catalog, checkout, order management, and APIs. Many Adobe Commerce-exclusive features can be replicated, when needed, using third-party extensions or custom development.
For example, while negotiable quotes and Visual Merchandiser are not included, equivalent tools are available through the extension ecosystem.
When Magento Open Source Makes Sense
This migration tends to make the most sense when a business:
- Does not rely on Adobe-specific modules for daily operations.
- Prefers full control over hosting, deployment, and architecture.
- Works with developers (internal or external) who are comfortable managing a self-hosted stack.
- Values cost predictability and freedom from commercial licensing commitments.
It’s also a way to simplify your environment, removing unused or partially adopted Adobe modules that may be adding maintenance overhead without business value.
Clearing Up Misconceptions
One of the most common concerns is that this move represents a loss. In practice, many teams find the opposite. Migrating to Magento Open Source can reduce technical debt, lower cost, and improve agility.
It’s also worth clarifying that:
- Magento Open Source is actively maintained and remains compatible with the latest releases of core Magento functionality.
- The platform benefits from a large contributor and extension community.
- Custom functionality can be added as needed, selectively and based on business priority rather than bundled by default.
What’s Ahead in This Series
This is the first in a series of posts designed to help teams plan and carry out a successful migration. Future posts will cover:
- How to identify and remove Adobe Commerce dependencies
- Using tools like Opengento’s migration scripts to streamline the transition
- Managing data and module gaps
- Validating functionality and performance post-migration
If you're considering this migration, start by auditing your current use of Adobe Commerce features. That assessment will shape how much effort is required and how much value you can gain by making the move.