AEM vs Magento: Content Platform vs Commerce Platform (2026)
Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is Adobe's content and experience product, with authoring, Content Fragments and Multi Site Manager. Magento and Adobe Commerce are the store side, and Adobe documents how the two connect. This page compares what each does and how they integrate.
✦ FEATURES
Feature comparison.
| FEATURE | MAGENTO | ADOBE EXPERIENCE MANAGER |
|---|---|---|
| What each is | Adobe's Commerce docs cover store-side features: B2B company accounts and negotiable quotes. | Adobe calls the Universal Editor a visual authoring tool for the marketing organization. |
| How they connect | The web API docs say the Commerce APIs let you integrate third-party software, with separate REST and GraphQL guides. | The Commerce Integration Framework lets AEM access and communicate with the commerce instance using Adobe Commerce's GraphQL APIs. It supplies Core Components, a server-side search component and a generic GraphQL client. |
| Storefront on Edge Delivery Services | Adobe's developer docs have a separate Storefront Development section for Edge Delivery Services, Commerce drop-ins and content blocks. | Authors write pages as documents in Google Docs, SharePoint or DA.live. Drop-in components in those pages call Adobe Commerce APIs for product, cart and account data, and the Commerce Admin, catalog and order tools stay on the server. |
| Relationship to Edge Delivery Services | Drop-ins require a license that covers drop-ins: Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service, Adobe Commerce Optimizer, or Commerce PaaS with Optimizer added. | Adobe's storefront docs say AEM is the platform underlying Edge Delivery Services. If AEM Sites is your content source, DA.live access is not required. |
| Authoring | Page Builder offers drag-and-drop page design. Basic functionality has been in Magento Open Source since 2.4.3, and Adobe Commerce adds staging and preview, personalized content and Product Recommendations. | The Universal Editor lets authors do what-you-see-is-what-you-get editing of any headless or headful experience. |
| Headless delivery | Adobe's web API docs describe building headless applications for Adobe Commerce with the REST and GraphQL APIs. | AEM makes structured Content Fragments available to any app over HTTP using GraphQL. |
| Multi-site management | One installation holds websites, stores and store views. Stores can share cart, user sessions and payment gateways, and catalog prices are managed at the website level. | Multi Site Manager lets you use the same site content in multiple locations through live copies that stay linked to a source. |
| Hosting and updates | The 2.4.9 requirements list the same PHP and OpenSearch versions for Commerce on Cloud and on-premises. | AEM as a Cloud Service is described as always on, with automated updates up to several times a month. |
| Performance and scalability | Adobe's performance guide is for technical users maintaining production stores and assumes a Composer install. | Adobe says AEM as a Cloud Service scales up and down automatically based on need and has a built-in content delivery network. |
| Extensibility | Adobe's developer docs link to Marketplace guides and explain how App Builder enables you to extend Commerce. | App Builder provides an extensibility framework for AEM as a Cloud Service, and I/O Runtime provides hosting infrastructure, Adobe's serverless platform. |
| SEO | Adobe's SEO docs cover metadata, a configurable site map, a URL Rewrite tool for product, category and CMS page URLs, and robots.txt. | The SEO and URL management guide covers vanity URLs, XML sitemaps through the Apache Sling Sitemap module, 301 redirects, robots.txt and canonical tags. |
| Security | Adobe's top-priority advice includes two-factor authentication for the Admin and SSH, reCAPTCHA on the Admin and the latest patches. | Adobe describes AEM as a Cloud Service as having automated scans for common vulnerabilities. |
| Support | The Magento repository links to a Help center. Adobe's Success Plans page sets separate response targets for Adobe Commerce Managed Services requests. | Adobe's Success Plans page names an Expert plan, included with all Adobe Experience Cloud licenses, and an Ultimate plan with a designated Technical Account Manager. |
✦ COST OF OWNERSHIP
Cost of ownership.
| COST ITEM | MAGENTO | ADOBE EXPERIENCE MANAGER |
|---|---|---|
| License | The Magento README names OSL 3.0 and says files may instead be licensed under the terms of an ordering document with Adobe (or Magento). The Adobe pages we reviewed list no Adobe Commerce price. | The AEM pages we reviewed list no price. |
| Hosting | Listed as on-premises and Commerce on Cloud deployments in the 2.4.9 requirements. No price on the pages we reviewed. | Cloud-native hosting with automatic scaling and a built-in content delivery network. No price on the pages we reviewed. |
| Extensions and apps | App Builder and Marketplace are linked from Adobe's developer docs. No price on the pages we reviewed. | App Builder is the extensibility framework, and I/O Runtime provides hosting infrastructure. No price on the pages we reviewed. |
| Support plans | Success Plans are described on Adobe's data sheet, with no price on that page. | Success Plans are described on Adobe's data sheet, with no price on that page. |
| Development | Orange Collar Media's Magento rates: a 20-hour support block for $3,800 ($190/hour), or a 12-month contract at 20 hours/month and $160/hour. | No AEM implementation rate was found on the pages reviewed. |
✦ MIGRATION
Migration effort.
This is rarely a straight platform swap, because Adobe documents them as separate products that connect. The work is deciding which system owns what: product and price data stay in Commerce, while page content and campaign pages can sit in AEM. Moving content from Magento CMS pages and Page Builder into AEM means rebuilding page templates and authoring flows, and moving the storefront to Edge Delivery Services means rebuilding the front end on blocks and drop-ins. Plan 301 redirects for every changed URL, re-test checkout, and scope extension and integration work before setting a date.
✦ CHOOSING
Which fits your store.
Choose Magento if
- You need catalog, cart and checkout with documented B2B accounts and negotiable quotes.
- You want an open source edition with source files under OSL 3.0.
- You want Page Builder for drag-and-drop pages inside the store admin.
Choose Adobe Experience Manager if
- You manage content across many sites and want Multi Site Manager live copies.
- You want Content Fragments served over GraphQL to several apps.
- You want Adobe-hosted authoring with updates up to several times a month.
- Your authors want a visual editor for headless and headful pages.
Choose both together if
- You want AEM to own content and Adobe Commerce to own catalog, cart and checkout.
- You are building an Adobe Commerce storefront on Edge Delivery Services.
✦ QUESTIONS MERCHANTS ASK
Common questions.
Is AEM an ecommerce platform?+–
Can AEM and Adobe Commerce work together?+–
Do I need AEM if I use Page Builder?+–
Is AEM pricing public?+–
How do they compare on SEO and security?+–
✦ KEEP COMPARING
Related comparisons.
Adobe Commerce vs Shopify Plus for B2B and Enterprise
Adobe Commerce is the licensed Magento edition, sold under an ordering document with Adobe. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a 3-year term (US pricing, checked October 2026). This page compares B2B tools, content scheduling, inventory and support as each vendor documents them.
Magento Open Source vs Adobe Commerce: Key Differences
Adobe documents some features for Adobe Commerce only, such as Content Staging, and describes its B2B solution for Adobe Commerce. This page lines up licensing, B2B, hosting, security, SEO and support for both editions using Adobe and GitHub documentation.
Magento vs BigCommerce: Features, Cost and Migration
BigCommerce publishes plan prices that step up with trailing 12-month GMV (USD, checked October 2026). Magento's README names OSL 3.0 and says files may instead be licensed under the terms of an ordering document with Adobe (or Magento).
Magento vs Salesforce Commerce Cloud: Key Differences
Salesforce sells Commerce Cloud as licensed editions, and its pricing page shows "Contact for Pricing" for each one. The Magento README names OSL 3.0 and says files may instead be licensed under the terms of an ordering document with Adobe (or Magento). Both platforms can run headless.
Magento vs Shopify vs BigCommerce: Features and Cost
Shopify and BigCommerce sell hosted plans with published prices. Magento is self-managed, or hosted by Adobe with Adobe Commerce. The sharpest difference between the two hosted platforms is how plans scale: Shopify by plan tier, BigCommerce by trailing 12-month GMV.
Magento vs Squarespace: Features, Cost and Migration
Squarespace is built around content-first sites and sells commerce on top of its plans, starting every site with a 14-day trial. Magento is a commerce platform you install and maintain. This page compares APIs by plan, exports, upkeep and scale from vendor pages. US pricing, checked October 2026.
✦ KEEP EXPLORING
Related services.
SOURCES
- Adobe Commerce B2B introduction (opens in a new tab)
- AEM as a Cloud Service introduction (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce web API documentation (opens in a new tab)
- AEM and Adobe Commerce integration (Cloud Service) (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce developer documentation (opens in a new tab)
- Commerce storefront architecture (opens in a new tab)
- Commerce storefront: before you start (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce Page Builder introduction (opens in a new tab)
- AEM Universal Editor introduction (opens in a new tab)
- AEM headless introduction (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce multi-site overview (opens in a new tab)
- AEM Multi Site Manager (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce system requirements (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce performance guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Extending AEM with App Builder (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce SEO overview (opens in a new tab)
- AEM SEO and URL management (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce security guidance (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Success Plans overview (opens in a new tab)
- Magento on GitHub (README and license) (opens in a new tab)