Magento 1 vs Magento 2: A Comprehensive Comparison of Performance and Scalability?

August 23, 2023

August 23, 2023

Pooja Sharma

Magento 1 vs Magento 2: A Comprehensive Comparison of Performance and Scalability?

Over time, we witness many improvements that keep enhancing technology. One such in e-commerce has been Magento. When Magento was first launched it bought huge changes in the way users used the online platform. With different types of customizations, it became the ‘user-preferred’ platform. 

However, Magento 2 has now modified its functionality. There are various new customizations available for users. On the other hand, the earlier version of Magento 1 is no more supported. Adobe stopped providing support for Magento 1. x. The out-of-date Magento 1 versions are still being used by many Magento store owners. 

Magento 2 is a development over Magento 1. It has features, security updates, and new technologies. Magento 2 has greater benefits than Magento 1 in comparison. To improve the customer and merchant experience, it supports the most recent e-commerce advancements. 

In this blog, we’ll be differentiating between both versions of Magento in detail. By understanding the various changes we’ll be able to clear out the confusion between the two.  

Comparing Magento 1 vs Magento 2

Aspect	Magento 1	Magento 2
Architecture and Technology Stack	Built on older technologies and PHP 5.x.	Built on PHP 7 with HTML5, MySQL Percona 5.6, Zend Framework 1 & 2, and new technologies like NGINX, Varnish, Composer, and Symfony.
Performance	Slower page load times, average > 2 seconds.	Faster frontend performance, homepage and product page load times are about 50% faster, checkout is 38% quicker.
Security	No longer supported since June 2020, vulnerable to security threats.	Built with cutting-edge technologies and receives regular security fixes and upgrades from Magento.
Dashboard	Challenging to use, limited features.	Interactive and user-friendly admin panel, faster product creation, comprehensive dashboard with relevant data.
File Structure	Files scattered, limited organization.	Improved file organization, easier access to templates, layouts, JavaScript, and CSS files without affecting functionality.
Search Engine Optimization	Limited SEO tools, no mobile friendliness support.	Enhanced SEO tools, functionality of meta tags, better mobile-friendliness support, improved ranking potential.
Extensions	Numerous outdated extensions, limited updates.	Faster progression, updated extensions, easier access to new extensions, more customization options.
Mobile-Friendly	Lack of mobile optimization, not ideal for mobile commerce.	Improved mobile-friendliness, significant importance due to growing mobile commerce trend and Google ranking factor.

Architecture and Technology Stack 

There are major changes in Magento 2 in terms of architecture. Such Magento 2 is built on PHP 7. Also, the new Magento 2 assists HTML5, MySQL Percona 5.6, and Zend Framework 1 & 2.  

Magento 2 is bigger and better! It compromises the latest technologies that were not available in Magento 1. Such as:  

• NGINX: Boosts security and speeds up the delivery of information and applications. 
• Web application accelerator Varnish. 
• Manage the dependencies between Magento components using the composer. 
• Symfony: By avoiding tedious coding duties, it accelerates the development of Magento 2. 
• Full-page caching and sessions are supported out of the box by Redis. 

Performance 

The performance of your software matters the most. It might sound technical, but it has a lot to do with the ‘why users will choose you?’ point.

The overall performance should be smooth and efficient. And from time to time, one must keep questions like: What matters to you? what they imply for your company.

What is the performance of Magento 2, is it probably one of the queries you want to know the answer to? This is particularly important as your company expands and you need to scale to meet rising traffic demands. 

Magento 1

One of the main issues with Magento 1 is its performance. The average page load time for Magento 1 is more than two seconds.

Studies have shown that conversion rates drastically decrease for each additional second that a page takes to load, so this is a concern. Google claims that the absolute acceptance criteria for e-commerce websites is two seconds. 

Magento 2 

Numerous of the innovations previously mentioned have aided in the optimization of Magento pages for quicker delivery and decreased server response times. The frontend performance of Magento 2 is faster overall, with homepage and product page load times typically about 50% faster. Checkout is 38% quicker. 

Even though Magento 2 significantly improves upon Magento 1's performance, you will still need to take proactive measures to increase your site's loading time.

This boosts your conversion rates and affects SEO. Less of your pages are indexed by search engines as a result of slow load times that hinder crawl efficiency. 

It's also crucial to keep in mind that your performance will be significantly impacted by the calibre of your hosting. Although the new technologies aid somewhat, your performance will suffer if you aren't using high-quality hosting.

While previous versions permit the merchant to select their hosting (for better or worse), Magento 2 Enterprise Cloud Commerce includes hosting by default. 

The latest security features protect Magento 2 from cyberattacks and other security threats because it is created using cutting-edge technologies. In addition, it regularly receives fixes and upgrades from Magento with security improvements. 

Also, read: Magento to Shopify Migration Checklist in 2023: Step-by-step Guide

Security

From June 2020, Magento will no longer provide support for Magento 1. Therefore, Magento won't get any additional security updates after that, leaving it more open to hacker attacks. Additionally, because Magento 2 still uses several antiquated technologies, it is a prime target for hackers and cyberattacks due to some well-known security flaws and vulnerabilities.  

The latest security features protect Magento 2 from cyberattacks and other security threats because it is created using cutting-edge technologies. In addition, it regularly receives fixes and upgrades from Magento with security improvements. 

Dashboard  

The Magento 1 admin panel is challenging to use and has limited features. The Magento 2 admin panel, on the other hand, is interactive and user-friendly. It makes it simple to navigate menus and obtain information quickly.

Creating products using the admin panel is four times faster than using the product import options. Magento 2 comes with a thorough dashboard. 

The information displayed includes Recent orders, sales, tax information, and much more. The updated Magento 2 has addressed user preferences and now places the options that are most frequently chosen in the foreground.  

File structure 

Except for config.xml, all files in Magento 2 are positioned directly beneath the "app" structure. 

You can access all templates, layouts, JavaScript, and CSS files with ease thanks to the improved file organization. It provides Magento developers with greater customization options without affecting the functionality of the website. 

Also, read: Benefits of Magento Salesforce Integration for your E-commerce Business

Search Engine Optimization 

An essential component of Internet marketing, particularly for eCommerce enterprises, is search engine optimization. There were no SEO tools in Magento's first release that allowed store owners to optimize their online shops for search engines. 

Additionally, mobile friendliness—which is currently regarded as one of the key Google ranking factors—was not supported by the Magento 1 stores. The functionality of meta tags in Magento 2 makes it simpler for store owners to design websites that are optimized for search engines. 

Additionally, the capability of Magento 2 to develop sites that are mobile-friendly increases its importance as a ranking criterion. 

Extensions

Since Magento 1 was released more than ten years ago, the market is flooded with Magento 1 extensions. Though the bulk of Magento developers have switched their attention to creating Magento 2, the majority of them are now out of date.

The world of eCommerce is constantly growing, with numerous new developments and items being added every day. The majority of Magento 1 extensions no longer receive updates and may no longer adhere to or satisfy the most recent store requirements. 

Due to the obsolete Magento extensions, Magento 1 stores may fall short of user expectations. On the other hand, Magento 2 is progressing more quickly in the situation. Owners of Magento stores may quickly access the newest Magento 2 extensions for their stores or even have an extension created just for their needs. 

Mobile-Friendly  

More and more consumers feel at ease carrying out daily activities on a phone or mobile device, including surfing, researching products, and even making purchases. The importance of having a mobile-friendly website has increased as mobile commerce grows. Just consider these figures: 

A mobile-friendly website not only appeals to an ever-growing segment of the customer base but also raises your position in search results. Since 2015, Google has regarded mobile friendliness as a significant ranking factor. 

So how do Magento 1 and 2 compare in terms of assisting you in upgrading your mobile?

Aspect	Magento 1	Magento 2
Mobile Compatibility	Lacks mobile compatibility, workarounds available.	Highly mobile-responsive, checkout and themes are mobile-friendly, supports Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Cost	Development and migration costs, complex process.	Development, migration, and redesign costs; higher hosting costs due to enhanced capabilities.
Maintenance and Support	No official support or security updates post June 2020.	Continuous support assistance, round-the-clock support for Magento Commerce Cloud.
Customer Support	No official customer support for Magento open source.	Magento Commerce Cloud offers round-the-clock assistance, Magento 2 Commerce provides account management and customer support.

Magento 1 

Along with site performance, one of the main issues with Magento 1 was its lack of mobile compatibility. Over the years, workarounds for mobile optimization have been developed by Magento developers and the Magento community, although it is not a requirement for Magento 1 themes. 

Magento 2 

Now the newer the better! Magento 2 is way more mobile-responsive. Yes. The checkout is mobile-friendly, and the themes are responsive. Even though Magento has themes, most things will still be unique, thus businesses should make sure their developers are accredited by Magento. 

One of the perks of Magento 2 is that it assists in Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Now it helps to enable users to work on websites just like Native Mobile Apps.  

Also, read: Magento PWA Studio – Developing PWAs for your Magento eCommerce Store

Cost

There are several things to consider when comparing the prices of Magento 1 vs Magento 2. Compared to Magento 1, it can be difficult to estimate the exact cost of a full Magento 2 store development because of the system's high degree of flexibility and myriad development prospects.  

Here are some key differences in cost between the two versions: 

Development and Migration: If you’re planning to switch to Magento 2, then you have to bear the cost of the development and migration process.

Provided that it necessitates completely redesigning and creating the website on the Magento 2 platform, upgrading from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is not a straightforward process.

The cost of switching varies. Now it depends totally on the customizations and the amount of data that has to be migrated. The more complex and enormous the data is, the more amount.  

Hosting and Infrastructure: The expense of hosting and infrastructure will vary depending on the size and performance requirements of the shop, website traffic, and Magento 1 and Magento 2 respectively.

With enhanced capabilities, Magento 2 has way higher system requirements. Its overall performance improvements are better than Magento 1.  

Therefore, hosting costs may be higher for Magento 2, especially for stores with high traffic and resource-intensive functionalities. 

Maintenance and Support: Magento 1 reached its end of life on June 30, 2020 (Adobe), which means it will no longer receive official security patches or updates from Magento.

You can choose third-party assistance providers, but their services might have a higher price. Magento 2 has continuous support assistance that helps to keep regular and smooth functioning.  

Customer Support 

Post Magento 2, there are no support or security updates available in Magento from 30th June 2020 onwards. Now it (customer support) depends on the version one uses. For say, the Magento Commerce Cloud offers round-the-clock assistance.  

And on the other hand, Magento 2 Commerce provides account management and customer support. Finally, there is no customer support offered for Magento open source.   

Also, read: How to create module in Magento 2

Why Should You Migrate to Magento 2?

It's important to always use the most recent version. In addition to security fixes, software updates include new features. 

The latest version of Magento 2 introduces support for PHP 8.1It has improved B2B and B2C functionality as well as headless support. There are around 250 high-quality improvements and fixes in this edition. 

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When to Switch to Magento 2? 

Many store owners who are still using Magento 1 may still be perplexed about the Magento 2 transfer. They can also have some apparent questions, like: Is it the correct time to migrate to Magento 2?  

Giving an argute reply to it, it can be said that the time to Migrate to Magento 2 has already passed. Though, it’s always better to upgrade and change for a better deal! Stores that are running on the older version of Magento must get their stores migrated to the latest version for plenty of reasons as discussed above in the Magento 1 and 2 comparisons.

The Magento 1 vs. Magento 2 comparison guide will undoubtedly give merchants more information to dispel any uncertainty regarding the requirement of upgrading to Magento 2. 

To provide the Magento store owners with clear reasons to Migrate to Magento 2, we have summarized the difference between Magento 1 and Magento 2 below. 

1. Cutting-edge Technology: Magento 2 is more advanced as compared to Magento 1 and thus allows the creation of more robust and powerful eCommerce stores. 

2. Better Store Performance: The updated version of Magento is much faster as compared to the earlier one. 

3.  Better Admin Panel: Magento 2 has a dashboard and admin panel that is simple to use, making it simpler to organize the store. 

4. Newest Extensions: Magento 2 must provide its customers with the most recent     and cutting-edge extensions. 

5. Search Engine Optimization: Create SEO-friendly stores with Magento 2 and improve the store visibility and thus more conversions and revenue. 

6. More Secure: Magento 2 is more secure as compared to that of the earlier version. 

Conclusion  

To conclude, we’d emphasize that Magento 2 is a result of major rectification of the previous versions. The above part covers all the major distinctive points and developments in the e-commerce platform. By enabling businesses to build more powerful and customized online stores, new features and technologies introduced in Magento 2 will increase consumer happiness and propel business growth. 

The choice between Magento 1 and Magento 2 ultimately comes down to the needs of the particular business, the available budget, and the desire to take advantage of the most recent developments in e-commerce technology.  

Regardless of the version you select, Magento is still a potent tool for creating and running online stores that help companies succeed in the cutthroat e-commerce market. 

Also, read: How to add Simple & Configurable Products in Magento 2

Frequently Asked Questions: 

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