How to Migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2 in 9 Easy Steps

— Editor’s Note: This guide originally framed Magento’s June 2020 support cutoff as an upcoming deadline. That date has now passed — it’s over six years in the rear-view mirror. We’ve kept the original walkthrough below fully intact (it’s still accurate for how the Cart2Cart migration process works) and added the current numbers, terminology changes, and platform context in bold/highlighted sections throughout, plus a new “Where Things Stand in 2026” section and FAQ at the end.

Since the release of Magento 2 in 2015, there has been much ruckus about migrating from Magento 1 to 2.

Whereas some Magento 1 online merchants upgraded to Magento 2 as soon as possible, many chose not to.

Instead of voluntarily switching to Magento 2, they’ve maintained the Magento 1 online store for nearly five years.

Why? You’d ask.

Why Migrate Magento 1 To Magento 2

Here are several possible reasons a digital store owner would hesitate to migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2. First, it’s a tricky process.

Setting up and customizing a completely functional Magento 1 online store is already tricky enough. So, why would a thriving store contemplate undergoing another potentially cumbersome process?

Then there is the question of cost. Granted, both Magento 1 and Magento 2 are free online platforms. But the fact is that a typical Magento 1-to-2 upgrade would set your business back a couple of bucks.

Both directly and as incurred business losses arising from service outages during the upgrade from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

The genuine hurdle, however, has been that many entrepreneurs argue Magento 1 and 2 are substantially different versions of the same thing.

Henceforth, they’ve held that a swop from Magento 1 to 2 is akin to moving an adjacent seat in a cinema theater, just a physical change without a substantial difference in the overall experience.

Also read Shopify vs Square: Definitive Ecommerce Platform Comparison.

Fair enough. Though the argument has repeatedly been shown to be flawed, it has undoubtedly worked in Magento1’s favor for over half a decade.

But not anymore, because Magento 1 is finally biting the dust. Whether you like it or not, your back is up against the wall; you must move your store.

“Not anymore” turned out to be an understatement. Magento 1 finished biting the dust on schedule in June 2020, and it has stayed that way. If your store — or a client’s store — is still on Magento 1 today, you’re not racing a deadline anymore; you’re running unpatched, PCI-non-compliant software in production. That changes the urgency framing of everything below.

And that forms the basis of this ultimate Magento 1-to-Magento 2 migration guide.

Herein, we’ll feature the three primary migration options and the essential benefits of upgrading from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

Above all, it explains how to conveniently switch between Magento 1 & Magento 2 using the Cart2Cart auto-migration tool.

But before I tell you about Magento 1 biting the dust (retiring), let’s look into it. What is it all about?

June 2020 Spells Doom For Magento 1

Magento 1 has had a good run for ten-plus years. But as the saying goes, all that goes up must come down.

Magento 1’s end first appeared in 2015 after the same company’s Magento 2 online platform was released.

That move set the ball rolling. It soon became apparent that it was no longer a question of whether and when Magento 1’s final nail would be in the coffin.

And it didn’t last. Towards the end of 2015, the company finally dropped the bombshell. The big reveal read: From 1 June 2020, Magento will officially cease supporting Magento 1.

this has already happened: Magento’s support for Magento 1 officially ended on June 1, 2020, exactly as announced. As of August 2026, that’s more than six years without security patches, bug fixes, or new extensions. Multiple 2026 migration guides from ecommerce agencies still describe a meaningful number of mid-market retailers running Magento 1 today, and they now frame every additional month on the platform as a compounding security and PCI-compliance liability rather than a scheduling choice.

Yap, you read that right, Magento 1 has a lifeline of a few weeks before the curtains finally come down for it. And it’s not like Magento 1 gets wiped off the face of the earth, no, don’t get twisted. Instead, Magento will stop maintenance.

This means that you will no longer receive additional extensions, fixes, modules, or security patches from the company.

In other words, Magento 1 will be nearly obsolete. With nil security updates, the digital platform is left vulnerable and exposed to various cyber-attacks. It compares to a mineral-endowed country with no defense army.

And since D-day is fast approaching, holding onto Magento 1 isn’t tenable anymore. Whether you like it or not, you must migrate. That’s your option.

However, how and where you migrate will depend on your preferences and business needs. Speaking of which, you have two possible routes to salvage your eCommerce store before the hammer falls.

The first option involves moving your online store entirely from the Magento ecosystem—yes, that means you avoid even Magento 2 and its original editions.

This route has led to quite a few brands moving their stores to third-party platforms such as BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop. Each platform has its fair share of downsides and benefits over Magento.

This alternative-platform route has only gotten stronger since 2020. Shopify Plus in particular has matured to the point where a lot of former Magento merchants — especially DTC brands without heavy custom requirements — now find it covers most of what they originally needed Magento’s flexibility for, with far less operational overhead. If your readers are already Shopify-curious, this is the natural bridge point to your Shopify migration content.

Okay, I suggest you try any of these platforms. In that case, I think you’d like to check the Magento to WooCommerce Migration guide or the recent relevant insights with detailed tutorials contained in the Magento to Shopify Migration article.

Both posts elaborate on automatically transferring all of your store data from Magento without downtime.

But this approach doesn’t suit everyone. Some businesses’ needs can only be addressed by Magento. We’re talking here about digital sites that prioritize code-based capabilities, powerful store management tools, complete platform control, SEO-friendly URLs, and more.

If you fall into this category, consider looking into the second alternative route. It involves moving all of your store data and elements from Magento 1 to Magento 2, which you can consider an upgrade.

Besides Magento 1’s June 2020 doomsday, what do you stand to gain from switching from Magento 1 to Magento 2? Are there tangible reasons?

Why Upgrade Magento 1 to Magento 2?

A branding note before we go further: since Adobe acquired Magento in 2018, “Magento 2” has effectively split into two products. Magento Open Source is the free, community-maintained branch that still carries the Magento name. Adobe Commerce is the paid, cloud-native version with B2B tools and headless/PWA storefront options layered on top. Everywhere the original guide says “Magento 2” below, know that in 2026 it more often means one of these two, and the migration steps later in this article now typically land you on Adobe Commerce specifically.

We’ve said it enough times already: Magento 1 is tremendous. It shares many aspects with Magento 2.

But don’t convolute it—the two aren’t the same. Though built on the same basis, Magento 1 and Magento 2 differ distinctly, with the latter proving vastly superior to the former in many ways.

More particularly, Magento 2 offers:

A friendly Admin

Admittedly, even with a grasp of Magento 1’s tools, its interface can be confusing. Configuring its devices and customizing your website requires a lot of technical skills.

Besides, its interface isn’t the most elegant or prettiest.

Now, contrast that with the new admin panel on the latest edition of Magento 2. Magento fashioned out its second-generation interface, giving the likes of Shopify (less technical) a run for their money.

While retaining the original customization privileges, the panel delivers a seamless, responsive experience to even non-technical users.

It’s much nattier, has logical functions, and has a more forthright navigation framework.

Flexibility & Performance

Magento 2 transcends mere appearance to offer greater scalability and performance.

All your digital store’s web pages are bound to load faster and perform better than on Magento 1.

How! You wonder.

Magento 2 leverages a range of complementary tools and technologies to enhance web performance.

For example, the Magento 2 HTTP accelerator and the complementary Varnish Cache enhance your site’s caching.

In the event of a traffic spike, Magento 2 can handle resources more effectively and scale better than Magento 1.

Improved Security

While the ultimate blow to Magento 1’s security slate came in June 2020, this isn’t the first time the platform has fallen short of Magento 2’s superior security features.

Magento32 has consistently prioritized data security and continues to offer more tools and features to prevent system infiltration, recover from data loss, and mitigate potential cyber-attacks.

Regarding password security, Magento 2 uses the SHA-256 hashing algorithm.

And should you emphasize that the complementary 2-factor authentication extension is valid?

Furthermore, Magento 2 provides an exceptional Admin account URL, making it more difficult for malicious bots and potential attackers to guess the correct address of your main login area.

Moreover, Magento 2 mitigates weaknesses arising from system development through an optimal development ecosystem that leverages tools like Magento DevBox Beta.

By making the development process fast and easy, these complementary resources help minimize weaknesses.

Security is now a moving target too, not a one-time fix: staying on Adobe Commerce doesn’t mean you’re done forever. Adobe has continued retiring older Magento 2 / Adobe Commerce release lines on its own lifecycle calendar — versions 2.4.4 through 2.4.6 lose support during 2026, with two release lines reaching end of support on August 11, 2026. In practice, migrating off Magento 1 is the first step, not the last — keeping pace with Adobe’s version support calendar is now an ongoing maintenance task for any Magento/Adobe Commerce store.

Smooth And Continuous Checkout System

Through a smooth and seamless checkout system, Magento 2 helps you sell faster. The platform, for instance, saves your shoppers the trouble of having to fill out registration forms at checkout. Instead,

Mgaento2 treats web visitors as guests, allowing them to navigate the checkout process without interruptions.

Another bonus of using Magento 2’s checkout tools is the expanded flexibility. The platform offers a much broader range of third-party app integrations, enabling you to provide more payment options at checkout.

While at it, you can develop your custom payment modules quickly. You’ll need to integrate Magento 2 into any merchant checkout solution, and hey, presto!

Now, with all these benefits alongside Magento 2’s superior customer experience traits, such as increased performance, we’re looking at an online platform that can boost your overall conversion and cart abandonment rates.

Ways To Switch Magento 1 to Magento 2

Regarding the migration process, you might mistakenly think that Magento provides a simple app that enables one-click migration between Magento 1 and Magento 2.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. With Magento, you don’t find any specialized tools or one-click tools from third-party sources.

After scouring far and wide, we have yet to find a solution that can transfer all data between the two platforms with one click.

That ought not to dampen your spirit, as there are many alternative tools you can use without technical know-how.

Consider the three primary routes to upgrade from Magento 1 to Magento 2 to determine which option is best.

One more route worth knowing about: Adobe also maintains an official Data Migration Tool, a command-line utility aimed at development teams doing a manual or assisted migration who want Adobe’s own supported path for moving settings, data, and incremental (“delta”) changes. It’s more technical to run than Cart2Cart, but larger technical teams often use it alongside a full replatform rather than as a standalone shortcut.

Manual Upgrade: Magento 1 to Magento 2

It’s the conventional method of importing data between the two website platforms. It’s primarily a technical process of carefully transferring data from the source platform and eventually pasting it into the target platform.

But don’t get it twisted. It’s easier said than done. Manually upgrading from Magento 1 to Magento 2 requires extensive coding and advanced web development tweaks.

To proceed with this option, you must possess technical programming skills, but that’s not all. You must also have in-depth knowledge of each platform’s core structure and source code.

This is the caveat: because the manual upgrade is highly intricate, there is a high probability of committing catastrophic errors.

So, you’ve got to tread carefully and not compromise your digital store.

Importing store data could take days if you factor in the extra hours needed to countercheck your work and rectify any errors and omissions.

Assisted Upgrade: Magento 1 to Magento 2

This is the most expensive of the three Magento 1-to-Magento 2 upgrade options, with a solid backing rationale.

The thing with assisted online store migration is that it involves hiring professionals to carry out the work on your behalf.

And yes, most of the time, professionals use the conventional manual method.

They usually spend a lot of time importing data between the source and target platforms while coding and reprogramming.

Consider it an option for shop owners who prefer manual upgrades but lack the required skills.

The biggest hurdle, however, is hiring experts, which can be pretty expensive. Additionally, you risk committing potentially detrimental errors during data transfer.

Automated Upgrade: Magento 1 to Magento 2

This automated option is a personal favorite to some users owing to its many benefits.

Instead of manually transferring data, you can automatically move Magento 1 to Magento 2 using specialized migration tools.

It handles most of the work on your behalf, curtailing human input and enhancing accuracy.

Automation is the closest you get to a one-click migration tool. An app like Cart2Cart requires only a few simple non-technical tweaks, which should take just a few minutes before the system proceeds with your Magento upgrade from version 1 to version 2.

If you leverage the Cart2Cart extension in Magento 1 to Magento 2 data migration, the cost gets significantly lower than hiring a professional web development agency. Furthermore, it takes a shorter time to migrate an entire digital store from Magento 1 to Magento 2/

Therefore, all things considered, automated migration is the best method for successfully joining Magento 2 before the slated June 2020 deadline. Having explored a broader range of tools, we’d recommend Cart2Cart ahead of the rest.

The “before the slated June 2020 deadline” framing is dated, but the underlying recommendation still holds. Cart2Cart is still active and operating in 2026: it now supports migrations across 85+ ecommerce platforms and is used by over 250,000 merchants, with its Magento tool officially listed on the Adobe Commerce Marketplace and pointed at Adobe Commerce as the target platform.

Why, you’d wonder!

Why Use Cart2Cart Data Migration Extension?: Magento1 to Magento2

Cart2Cart is not just a tool for handling Magento migrations.

It’s a globally renowned solution that continues to automate movement across a wide range of shopping cart platforms.

More specifically, it simplifies the online migration process by reducing manual configuration and enabling shop owners without technical skills to import all their store entities.

Cart2Cart offers an intuitive migration wizard that guides you throughout the process.

With that out of the way, Cart2Cart primarily supports Magento upgrade via a specialized Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration extension, which you’ll find on the Magento Extension Marketplace.

One naming update: the “Magento Extension Marketplace” referenced here is now called the Adobe Commerce Marketplace, following Adobe’s rebrand of the marketplace alongside the platform itself. The extension itself still works the same way — search for the Cart2Cart Migration to M2 extension there.

Acquiring and installing the tool onto your Magento online platform will cost you nothing. And that’s not all; additionally, you can create and customize your migration option free of charge.

It doesn’t stop there; the Cart2Cart data migration extension for Magento 1 to Magento 2 executes a demo import of your data between the two platforms.

It proceeds to move some of your store entities from the source platform to the target platform to demonstrate its data-importing prowess before the full migration.

Then, upon payment for the service, you begin the complete migration. Cart2Cart will swiftly take action. The subsequent data transfer process should only take a few hours, during which your digital store remains online with no service interruptions.

Yes, that’s right. In short, Cart2Cart lets you migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2 without downtime. You can continue processing transactions while your store data is copied and imported in the background.

The bottom line is that it should be possible to import all the crucial digital site entities, including all the complementary stores, CMS pages, coupons, reviews, orders, manufacturers, customers, products, categories, etc.

All critical data is mirrored from the source Magento 1 store to the target Magento 2 store.

Let’s now catch up on how to upgrade from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

How To Conduct Magento Upgrade: Magento 1 to Magento 2

Step #1: Employ Default Magento2 Online Platform

First up, the default Magento 2 digital platform is rolling out on a well-suited web host.

You should look at the Ultimate Magento hosting guide for tips on making it compatible with your Magento 2 eCommerce store.

Once you’ve bought a suiting hosting perk, you can set up a primary Magento 2 shop.

It should be straightforward, given that most top Magento hosts offer a one-click installer.

When creating a site, you want to limit your customizations as much as possible. The Cart2Cart Magento 1 to Magento 2 data migration extension works perfectly with the Magento template without any additional features.

Otherwise, modifying your store beyond this point will be futile since the target store will eventually reflect the source store’s attributes after an upgrade.

Besides, any additional customizations could trigger errors and alter the target store’s intended look.

Step #2: Installing Cart2Cart Data Migration Extension

There is one exception to the modification rule. Yes, you read that right. You can add Cart2Cart Magento 1 to your site’s Magento 2 data migration extension.

The Cart2Cart data migration extension should be installed directly onto the Magento 2 target platform. Again, I can’t say that loud enough. Go to the Magneto marketplace and search for Cart2Cart M2.

Once you’ve installed it for free, you can launch it whenever you’re ready and proceed to migrate immediately.

Step #3: Creating Cart2Cart Account

To start the upgrade process, you must register an account with Cart2Cart on its official site or via an extension.

Regardless of your choice, you’ll find a couple of registration alternatives. You can sign up by submitting your details conventionally or logging in with Google or Facebook credentials.

Step #4: Enter Magento 1 Source Cart Details To Establish Its Connection Bridge

When you access your account and launch Cart2Cart’s Magento upgrade wizard, it shows a source and target cart setup window. In this window, you’ll fill in the details for each store and configure its corresponding connection bridges.

The source cart section comes first. You can indicate your source details by selecting “Magento” as the source cart and entering your source store’s URL in the field below.

After that, you should establish a connection bridge on your source cart, which will eventually be the primary link for importing data between the two platforms.

Scroll past the Source Store URL field, then click the “Download Bridge” button to set it up. It should send a bridge to your local storage as a .zip file.

Unzip it, then paste its contents directly into your Magneto1 store’s root folder using an FTP client.

There you go. You’ve got a connection bridge on your source cart. To test it, hit the “Check Connection” button.

Step #5: Enter Magento2 Target Cart Details and Set Up Its Connection Bridge

After entering your Magento 1 source cart details and establishing the connection bridge, Cart2Cart prompts you to set up the Magento 2 target store.

So, head to the Target Cart Setup area, select Magento from the list of options, and then enter your Magento 2 site’s URL in the Target Store field.

Upon completion, you can download the target cart’s connection bridge file, unzip its contents onto your local storage, and then, using the FTP panel, paste everything to the root folder of your Magento 2 store.

At this point, you can confirm the cart’s connection by clicking the Checking Connection button.

Step #6: Select The Store Entities You’d Like To Migrate

With the source and target carts connected, the next step is to define the specific attributes you intend to import from Magento 1 to Magento 2.

Thankfully, Cart2Cart simplifies the process by displaying a checkbox following each entity. It should be possible to move stuff like:

• CMS Pages: Created dates, titles, descriptions, meta keywords, URLs, content headings, meta descriptions, and statuses.
• Reviews: Created dates, summary, description, user name, rate, title, type, and status.
• Coupons: Coupon date, code, description, name, customer groups, uses per coupon, discount amount, type of discount, use per customer, and status.
• Shipping: Shipping address (company, address1, address2, country, fax, telephone, state, zip code, city, and transaction)
• Orders: Product price, quantity, subtotal price, and discount price, product orders (name, SKU, option), order date, order ID, order status, order comments, total cost, tax price, shipment, credit memo, invoice, customer name, email, billing address (company, address1, address2, country, state, city, zip code, telephone, fax)
• Customers: Customer ID, first- last name, email, shipping address (company, address1, address2, country, state, city, zip code, telephone, fax), billing address (company, address1, address2, country, state, city, zip code, telephone, fax), created date, date of birth, customer group, newsletter, password, and gender.
• Taxes: Tax rules (tax class, tax rates), Tax class (name), tax rates (country, state, percent).
• Manufacturers: Name and image.
• Product categories: Meta title, meta keyword, meta description, name, thumbnail image, and image
• Products: Stock availability, quantity, manage stock, base image, additional image, thumbnail image, variants (SKU, weight, volume, images, attributes, price, price specials from date, group price, tier price, MSRP) downloadable products (price, files, max downloads), attributes (name, values), grouped products (associated products), bundle products, custom option (drop-down, multiple select, text area, text field, checkbox, radio button, file, date and time), related products, cross-sells, up-sells, product tags, weight, meta title, meta keyword, price, meta description, special price, particular price from-to date, group price, tier price, MSRP, product name, SKU, full specification, short description, tax class, status, manufacturer, country of manufacturer, and sorted in categories.

Okay, you can opt to import all of them by checking the Select All checkbox. Otherwise, you could select the specific entities you intend to move and leave the rest of the checkboxes blank.

Step #7: Customize Your Data Migration

Cart2Cart is a flexible tool that lets you dynamically customize the data migration process to the last detail. These settings are found in the Additional Options section, which typically includes the entity selection.

Now, to modify your Magento migration from 1 to 2, select your preferences from the options list.

For example, you can opt to have the system move invoices, shipments, and credit memos to your Magento 2 store. You might also transfer images from the product, blog post, and category descriptions.

Moreover, Cart2Cart allows you to preserve your customer IDs in the Target store while importing product SEO URLs and types.

Transferring customers’ passwords, setting up product variants based on combination options, maintaining original order IDs on the target, creating 301 redirects on your target store after migration, skipping the migration of product thumbnail images, and clearing your current data on your target store before the data migration process.

Not bad at all!

But here is the kicker: While some of the options are free, the majority cost extra. Retaining your original customer IDs on your new Magento 2, for instance, will cost an additional $49.

Then, transferring your categories and product SEO URLs will cost you an extra $59.

And so, if you’re on a budget, you’ll want to prioritize the essentials.

Treat the $49 / $59 figures above as historical examples rather than current pricing. Cart2Cart prices full migrations based on data volume and selected add-ons, and rates get revised over time — always pull a fresh quote from the in-tool Migration Estimator before budgeting, rather than relying on numbers from an older guide (including this one’s original figures).

Step #8: Perform a Free Demo Migration

The demo may be an unnecessary step, especially since Cart2Cart has already proven itself through positive reviews and continues to draw from past users.

Understandably, many folks share the same pervasive sentiment: you don’t want to skip the free demo migration. It offers much-needed insights into the workings of your target store that might turn out.

From the demo target store, you get a sense of how different entities have been mapped, background functionalities, and the front-end interface, including some of the stuff you might need to configure after migration.

The data import process here should last around 30 minutes. However, Cart3Cart will only transfer a few of your selected entities.

Step #9: Begin The Full Magento 1-to-2 Migration

If your simulated migration (demo) went well, you can proceed with the entire upgrade process.

It’s important to note that Cart2Cart bills you for everything before proceeding with the complete migration. You’ll need to pay for the data transfer, along with an additional migration option.

In case you’re wondering, Cart2Cart offers affordable migration pricing rates, which are calculated based on the number of entities you intend to move.

Meanwhile, run your numbers through the Cart2Cart estimator tool to assess what you’d wind up paying.

Back to the migration process: As soon as you settle the bill, you should be able to proceed with the full migration.

Cart2Cart simultaneously conducts the whole process in the background while retaining your source Magento 1 store intact.

Therefore, you can rest assured you won’t experience downtime.

However, if a problem arises unexpectedly, it’s lucky for you that the Cart2Cart tech support team works 24/7. Just get in touch.

If everything proceeds smoothly, Cart2Cart will need minimal, if any, input for the next few hours. All data is imported from Magento 1 and successively mapped onto Magento 2.

In the meantime, you can monitor the progress from your Cart2Cart account. Alternatively, close the window and wait for updates as you handle your business on the source store.

Whatever you opt for, ultimately, Cart2Cart will email you an alert when you complete the Magento migration from version 1 to version 2.

Over to You

That should be it as regards switching Magento 1 to Magento 2.

You want to double-check and review everything on your Magento 2 target store, from layout, functionalities, and attributes to the nitty-gritty. As a final measure of confirmation, you can also conduct a few shopping and transaction tests.

Now, if everything clicks, treat yourself to a bottle of champagne and raise a toast to your new feat. You’ve just dodged Magento1’s doomsday challenges and lurched on Magento2’s trend—bravo!

Where Things Stand in 2026

The migration story didn’t end when Magento 1’s support cutoff arrived. Here’s the current picture, based on 2026 industry migration guides:

• Magento 1 has now gone over six years with zero security patches, fixes, or extension updates — it’s a materially bigger risk to run in 2026 than it was in 2020.
• A meaningful number of mid-market retailers are, in fact, still running Magento 1 in 2026 — but agencies now treat this as an active, compounding liability rather than a delayed-but-fine choice.
• “Magento 2” now effectively means either free Magento Open Source or paid Adobe Commerce — check which one a hosting provider or agency is quoting you for.
• Migration costs have grown with the platform’s complexity: 2026 pricing guides put a basic Magento Open Source migration around the tens of thousands of dollars, with complex Adobe Commerce replatforms (B2B, ERP integration, headless storefronts) running well into six figures.
• Realistic timelines for a full replatform now commonly run from several months to over a year for mid-market stores, once you include theme rebuilding, extension replacement, and QA — not just the data transfer itself.
• A growing share of former Magento merchants are migrating off the Magento ecosystem entirely, particularly to Shopify Plus, when their original reasons for choosing Magento (flexibility, customization) are now well covered by more modern platforms.

Should you migrate to Magento 2 / Adobe Commerce, or switch platforms?

For DropshippingIt.com readers specifically: if you’re running lean, prioritize speed-to-market, or are managing a store largely solo or with a small team, moving fully off Magento to Shopify (or Shopify Plus once you scale) is usually the lower-friction path — you skip both the Magento 1 security cliff and the ongoing Adobe Commerce version-support treadmill described above. If your business genuinely depends on deep backend customization, complex B2B logic, or full source-code control, staying in the Magento ecosystem and migrating to Adobe Commerce is still the stronger fit — just budget for it as an ongoing platform relationship, not a one-time move.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Magento 1 still usable in 2026?

Technically, yes — the software still runs. Practically, no store should still be on it: it’s had no security patches since June 2020, extensions and third-party integrations have largely stopped supporting it, and running it creates real PCI-compliance exposure for any store still processing payments.

What’s the difference between Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce?

Magento Open Source (often still just called “Magento 2”) is the free, community-maintained version. Adobe Commerce is the paid, cloud-native version Adobe built on top of it after acquiring Magento in 2018, adding B2B tools and headless/PWA storefront options. Cart2Cart and most modern migration tools now target Adobe Commerce by default.

Is Cart2Cart still the best way to migrate off Magento 1 in 2026?

It’s still one of the most accessible options for non-technical store owners, and it remains active with support for migrations across 85+ platforms. For larger, more complex stores, agencies typically pair it — or Adobe’s official Data Migration Tool — with a broader replatforming project rather than treating it as a standalone fix.

How much does a Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration cost in 2026?

It depends heavily on scope. A basic Open Source data migration can run in the tens of thousands of dollars; a complex Adobe Commerce replatform with B2B or ERP integration can run into six figures. Always get a current quote — pricing referenced in older guides (including this article’s original figures) is out of date.

Should I migrate to Magento 2, or switch to Shopify instead?

If your store doesn’t require deep custom backend logic, moving to Shopify (or Shopify Plus at scale) is usually the simpler, lower-maintenance path in 2026. If you rely on Magento-specific customization or B2B complexity, migrating to Adobe Commerce is still the better fit — just plan for ongoing version maintenance, not a one-time project.

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