Magento, now sold by Adobe as Adobe Commerce alongside the open-source edition, is a powerful and highly customisable platform for stores with complex catalogues, custom business rules or heavy integrations. It is also one of the more demanding platforms to run: it needs a current technical stack, regular security patches and developers who know it. Choose it when you need that flexibility and can maintain it; choose a simpler hosted platform when you do not.
Key takeaways
- As of Adobe's release page (14 October 2026), Adobe Commerce 2.4.9 is the latest full release (12 May 2026), with regular support until 31 May 2029; 2.4.8 is supported until 31 May 2028 and 2.4.7 until 31 May 2027.
- Adobe's advice: "install or upgrade Adobe Commerce to the latest security patch available for each release".
- Version 2.4.9's system requirements list PHP 8.5, OpenSearch 3, Valkey 9 as cache, Composer 2.10 and MariaDB 12.3 or MySQL 8.4 on premises; Adobe supports only the listed combinations.
- Adobe's GraphQL implementation is a foundation for headless storefronts and mobile apps; its core schemas "have long been available to Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source projects".
- Releases from 2.4.0 to 2.4.3 and older have passed their regular support end dates.
What are Magento and Adobe Commerce?
Magento began as an open-source ecommerce platform and is now owned by Adobe. Adobe's documentation covers Adobe Commerce, available as a cloud service or on your own infrastructure, and Magento Open Source. They share a core, and the paid edition adds more features and services. Check Adobe's current edition comparison before deciding, as the feature split changes.
When is Magento a good choice?
- Large or complex catalogues, with many attributes, variants and rules.
- Custom business logic, such as unusual pricing, approval flows or ordering rules.
- Heavy integration, with ERP, warehouse, CRM or marketplace systems.
- Multiple stores, currencies or languages run from one installation.
- Headless or app-led commerce, using the GraphQL and REST APIs; Adobe's GraphQL documentation describes them as a foundation for headless storefronts and mobile applications.
When might it not be?
- Small catalogues and simple needs, where a hosted platform is faster to launch and cheaper to run.
- Teams without developers, since changes often need code.
- Tight timelines or budgets, because setup, hosting and upgrades take real effort.
Compare it with the platforms we also build on: Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce. Our Magento development page describes our work.
Which version should you be on?
Adobe's release page lists support dates:
| Release line | Latest patch | Regular support ends |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.9 | 2.4.9 (12 May 2026) | 31 May 2029 |
| 2.4.8 | 2.4.8-p5 | 31 May 2028 |
| 2.4.7 | 2.4.7-p10 | 31 May 2027 (extended support to 31 May 2028) |
| 2.4.6 | 2.4.6-p15 | Ended 11 August 2026 (extended support to 31 August 2027) |
| 2.4.5 and 2.4.4 | Latest patches | Ended; security fixes until 31 May 2027 |
A 2.4.10 pre-release (alpha) appeared on 13 October 2026. If your store runs 2.4.6 or older, plan an upgrade now, and install the latest security patch for whatever release you are on.
What does the technical stack look like?
Adobe's system requirements for 2.4.9, on-premises, list PHP 8.5, MariaDB 12.3 or MySQL 8.4, OpenSearch 3, Valkey 9, Composer 2.10, RabbitMQ 4.3, nginx 1.30 and Varnish 8, with the requirement that you use only supported combinations. Plan hosting and upgrade work accordingly: moving to a new release often means moving PHP, the database and search at the same time.
How does headless work?
Instead of using Magento's built-in storefront, a separate front end, for example built with Next.js, calls the Commerce APIs. Adobe documents GraphQL for this: clients request only the fields they need in a single query, with a typed schema. Adobe's newer SaaS offering adds a combined schema with access to the latest storefront features, and Adobe says only the cloud service edition gets that. Headless gives design freedom and speed but adds a second system to build and run.
What does it cost to run?
Costs include hosting, licences for the paid edition, development, extensions, security patching and upgrades. We do not quote figures in articles because they depend on your scope; ask for an estimate based on your catalogue, integrations and traffic. See Nine expensive eCommerce mistakes for what to fix on any platform.
Where does AI fit?
AI can help with product content, search and customer support on Magento as on other platforms; keep a person responsible for accuracy and use your real policies as the source. See AI for eCommerce and Content marketing for online stores.
A decision checklist
- List your catalogue size, business rules and integrations.
- Decide who will maintain the store after launch.
- Compare Magento with one hosted platform on total cost over three years.
- Check that the version, PHP and database you plan are supported.
- Plan upgrades and security patches as a yearly routine.
FAQ
Is Magento still supported?
Yes. Adobe lists Adobe Commerce 2.4.9 (released 12 May 2026) with regular support until 31 May 2029, and older lines with their own dates.
What is the difference between Magento and Adobe Commerce?
Adobe Commerce is Adobe's commercial edition, available on its cloud or your own infrastructure; Magento Open Source is the open-source edition. Check Adobe's comparison for the current feature split.
Can Magento be used headless?
Yes. Adobe's GraphQL and REST APIs support headless storefronts and mobile apps.
Do I need to upgrade my Magento store?
If it runs 2.4.6 or older, regular support has ended, so yes. Always apply the latest security patch for your release.
Is Magento too much for a small store?
Often, yes. A simple catalogue with standard needs is usually cheaper and quicker on a hosted platform.
Sources (4 links)
- Adobe Experience League, "Adobe Commerce release versions and support": https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/commerce-operations/release/versions
- Adobe Experience League, "System requirements": https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/commerce-operations/installation-guide/system-requirements
- Adobe Developer, "GraphQL": https://developer.adobe.com/commerce/webapi/graphql/
- Adobe Developer, "Adobe Commerce developer documentation": https://developer.adobe.com/commerce/docs/
