Magento to Shopify migration: The definitive 2025 guide

If you're thinking of migrating to Shopify from Magento, you're not alone. As of 2025, numerous e-commerce businesses are choosing Shopify for its ease of use, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Magento is powerful but it can be complicated and expensive to maintain, especially now that Magento 1 has reached end-of-life and Magento 2 can require substantial technical resources. Shopify, on the other hand, is a hosted platform that lets you focus on growing your business rather than managing servers and patches.

That said, moving an established store between platforms might seem pretty daunting. If not done properly, it can lead to broken links, lost data, or dips in SEO rankings. But don't worry! This guide will walk you through a smooth Magento to Shopify migration. I'll cover pre-migration planning, transferring your products, customer data, and orders. We'll make sure that it preserves your SEO and minimises downtime. Let's get into it.

Table of contents

1. Why migrate from Magento to Shopify?
2. What data can you migrate from Magento to Shopify?
3. Pre-migration planning
4. Magento to Shopify migration steps
5. Conclusion

Why migrate from Magento to Shopify?

There are plenty of good reasons why merchants are moving from Magento to Shopify in 2025. The most common motivations include:

• Lower maintenance and cost: Magento is self-hosted (unless you're on Adobe Commerce Cloud), which means dealing with servers, security patches, and potentially high development costs. Shopify is a software-as-a-service platform with a predictable monthly fee and no need to worry about hosting or security updates. This often translates to a lower total cost of ownership over time.
• Magento 1 end-of-life: Support for Magento 1 ended in 2020, leaving those stores vulnerable unless they replatform. Upgrading to Magento 2 can be costly and time-consuming. Many businesses have chosen to migrate to Shopify rather than invest in a complex Magento 2 rebuild.
• Ease of use and speed to launch: Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and quick setup. You can choose a theme, drag-and-drop design elements, and install apps without touching code. In contrast, Magento typically requires more technical expertise to implement changes or new features. Shopify lets you get a new store up and running in a fraction of the time.
• Scalability and performance: Shopify's infrastructure is fully managed and scalable out of the box. You won't need to optimise servers or worry about traffic spikes -- Shopify handles all of that for you. Even high-volume stores can scale smoothly on Shopify (especially with Shopify Plus), and the platform is built to handle everything from small boutiques to major enterprise storefronts.
• Rich app and feature ecosystem: Shopify offers thousands of apps and integrations to extend your store's functionality, often with one-click installations. Features that might require custom modules in Magento (like advanced analytics, loyalty programmes, or subscription services) can usually be added via Shopify apps quickly. This ecosystem enables you to customise your store's capabilities without heavy development.
• Strong support and community: With Shopify, you have access to 24/7 support and an extensive community of experts and developers. While Magento also has a robust community, the barrier to entry is higher. Shopify's large user base means plenty of readily available guides, forums, and professionals to help if you get stuck.

In short, migrating to Shopify allows you to focus on growing your business rather than managing the technical side of your e-commerce platform. Some brands even report higher conversion rates and faster page loads after making the switch to Shopify. Now, let's look at what data you can bring along when you migrate.

What data can you migrate from Magento to Shopify?

One big concern during any replatforming is whether all your store data will make it to the new platform. The good news is that virtually all important data from Magento can be migrated into Shopify. This includes:

• Products: All your product information (names, descriptions, prices, SKUs, variants) and even product categories can be brought over. Magento's categories can become Shopify collections or tags, ensuring your product organisation remains intact. Product images and other media also transfer, so you won't lose your visuals.
• Customers: You can migrate your customer list including names, emails, shipping addresses, and order histories. One thing you cannot migrate is customer passwords (for security reasons, passwords are encrypted and not transferable). Customers will need to create new passwords on the Shopify store, but all their other details can be retained.
• Orders: Past orders and order history can be migrated so you have a record of sales and can provide continuous customer service. This means order numbers, items purchased, and order statuses from Magento can carry over to Shopify. Keeping order history is useful for reporting and handling any enquiries on past purchases.
• Reviews: If your Magento store has product reviews, those can be migrated too. Shopify doesn't have a native review system built-in by default, but you can use a Shopify Product Reviews app or another third-party reviews app. Migration tools often import reviews into a compatible app so you preserve that valuable social proof on your new site.
• Content pages and blog posts: Did you invest in content like blog articles or an FAQ page on Magento? You can export and import your CMS pages and blog posts into Shopify's blogging platform. This ensures your SEO-rich content and customer resources remain available after the move.
• Other data: Elements like coupon codes or gift card balances do not migrate automatically, since Shopify handles discounts differently. Plan to re-create your active discount codes in Shopify and re-issue any gift cards via Shopify's system. Also, remember to set up equivalents for Magento-specific features (for example, if you had store credit or reward points, you'll need a Shopify app to provide similar functionality).

As long as you follow best practices (or use a reputable migration tool/service), you shouldn't lose any critical data when moving from Magento to Shopify. Proper preparation and verification steps will ensure everything from your product catalogue to your customer info makes it safely to the new platform.

Pre-migration planning

Before you begin the migration process, it's crucial to lay the groundwork. Proper planning will save you headaches later and ensure a smooth transition. Here are the key preparation steps to take:

• Back up your Magento store: Make a full backup of your Magento database and all files (including product images and media). This way, you have a safe copy of your store in case you need to reference it or if anything goes wrong during migration. It's a safety net that you should not skip.
• Audit and clean your data: Take this opportunity to spring-clean your Magento store. Remove any outdated or inactive products, and fix broken links or other data issues. Decide which information is essential to bring over. For example, you might choose not to migrate old customer accounts that haven't been active in years. Cleaning up now means you only migrate useful, accurate data into Shopify.
• Set clear goals and priorities: Define what you want to achieve with the migration. Is it crucial to preserve all your SEO rankings and URLs? Are you planning a visual redesign or just a platform switch? Knowing your objectives (e.g. improve site speed, modernise the UI, reduce maintenance costs) will guide your decisions during migration.
• Plan your budget and timeline: Figure out the resources you're willing to invest. Costs may include a migration tool or service, a new Shopify theme, and possibly hiring a developer or agency for assistance. Also, set a realistic timeline. A simple migration might be done in a day or two, whereas a complex store with thousands of products could take a few weeks end-to-end. Plan the migration for a period that will least disrupt your business (avoid peak sales times if possible).
• Choose your migration method: Decide how you'll actually transfer the data. There are a few approaches (which we'll discuss in the next section) -- for instance, using Shopify's built-in importer, a dedicated migration service, or manual CSV exports. Research the tools or services you might use (for example, LitExtension or Cart2Cart for automated migration) and note any costs or technical steps required. If you plan to hire an expert or developer, start that conversation early.
• Prepare the target Shopify environment: Before migrating data, set up your Shopify store (you can start a development store or trial if you haven't already). Configure basic settings like your store name, default currency, and any necessary tax or shipping settings. Having the skeleton of your Shopify store ready will make the import process smoother. You might also install any apps you know you'll need (such as a product review app if you're migrating reviews).
• Plan for downtime and DNS switch: If you intend to use the same custom domain for your Shopify store as you used for Magento, plan the DNS switch. Usually, you can build your Shopify store privately while your Magento site is still live, and then change the domain settings when you're ready to launch Shopify. Aim for a low-traffic time to do the final cutover. Also consider putting your Magento store in maintenance mode during the final data migration to prevent new orders during the switch (or be prepared to capture any data changes that occur and update them on Shopify).

By thoroughly planning these aspects, you set yourself up for a migration that's as painless as possible. With the groundwork laid, you can now proceed to the actual migration steps with confidence.

Magento to Shopify migration steps

Now we get to the heart of the process: migrating your store data and launching the new Shopify site. Follow these step-by-step instructions for a successful migration:

Step 1: Back up your Magento store (again)

Before doing anything irreversible, ensure you have a recent full backup of your Magento store. You likely did this during planning, but it's worth double-checking. Export your database and save all your Magento files in a secure location. This backup is your safety net in case you need to roll back or retrieve any information later. It will also allow you to reference your old store data during the migration process.

Step 2: Choose a Shopify plan and create your store

Next, sign up for Shopify and create your new store if you haven't already. Shopify offers plans ranging from Basic to Advanced, and even an enterprise-grade Shopify Plus for large businesses. You can start with a free trial, but you'll need to pick a plan when you're ready to go live. Choose the plan that best fits your business size and feature needs (for example, Shopify Plus includes additional capabilities for high-growth brands). Once your account is created, you'll have a blank Shopify store to work with. In your Shopify admin, fill out essential settings like your store name, contact information, and preferences. Also, set up your payment gateway and shipping settings at this stage so that your new store is ready to actually take orders once launched.

Step 3: Export data from Magento

With your Magento admin, begin exporting all the store data that you plan to migrate. Magento has built-in export tools: log in to the Magento backend and navigate to the export section (for Magento 2, go to System > Data Transfer > Export). Export your products, customers, orders, and any other data sets separately in CSV format. You might end up with multiple CSV files (one for products, one for customers, etc.). Make sure to include all necessary fields (for example, product names, SKUs, prices, descriptions, stock levels, and image URLs in the product export). If your Magento store has extensions for data export or you're using a migration service, you could also use those tools to extract data. The key is to get all your current store information out of Magento in a structured form. Keep these export files organised, as you'll need them in the next steps. (If you opted to use an automated migration tool like LitExtension or Cart2Cart, this manual export step might not be needed, as those services will pull data directly from Magento via API or a connector script.)

Step 4: Import data into Shopify

Now it's time to bring your data into the Shopify store. Shopify provides a couple of ways to do this:

• Using Shopify's importer or third party app: Shopify's free Store Importer app supports migrations from certain platforms. Even though Magento isn't always listed explicitly, you can select a generic option (or use a CSV import). There are third party apps that enable you to do this as well with proper field mapping. We are working on this feature currently in Meldeagle and it will be arriving very soon.
• Using an automated migration service: If you chose a service like LitExtension or Cart2Cart, you will typically do the following: create an account on their platform, set Magento as the "Source Cart" and Shopify as the "Target Cart", and provide the requested credentials (for Magento, usually a URL and an API key or by installing a connector; for Shopify, an API access token or your store URL). These services let you select exactly which data entities to migrate (products, customers, orders, categories, reviews, etc.). Once configured, you initiate the migration and the service will transfer everything automatically. This process may take some time depending on the volume of data, but you can usually monitor the progress. One advantage of these tools is that they handle data relationships and format differences for you, reducing manual effort.

Whichever method you use, consider doing a small test import first. For example, import just a handful of products and one customer account to ensure the data appears correctly in Shopify. If all looks good, proceed with the full migration. Keep in mind that when importing data manually, the order matters: import products first (since orders and customers reference products), then customers, and finally orders. This sequence ensures that all relationships (like which customer placed which order, or which products an order contains) remain intact.

Step 5: Review and adjust migrated data

After importing, take time to review your Shopify store's content to confirm everything came through properly. Go to your Products section in Shopify and spot-check a few items: Are the titles, descriptions, prices, and stock levels correct? Are the product images visible and assigned to the right products? Next, check the Customers section: verify that customer records are present with contact information. If you imported order history, ensure orders are listed and associated with the correct customers. It's normal to encounter minor issues -- for instance, you might find that some product variants need tweaking or a handful of customer entries didn't import due to formatting differences. Make a list of any data irregularities. Most migration tools provide a report or log of skipped entries or errors. You can often re-import a specific dataset or manually correct issues in Shopify at this stage. The goal is to get your core data in good shape before you move on to designing and launching the store.

Step 6: Design and customise your Shopify storefront

With your data in place, you can focus on making the new store look and feel the way you want. Choose a Shopify theme that suits your brand -- Shopify offers many free themes and a marketplace of paid themes. You could pick a theme similar to your Magento site's design for consistency, or take this opportunity to refresh your look with a new design. Once the theme is installed, customise it through Shopify's Theme Editor: upload your logo, adjust colours and fonts to match your brand, and set up the homepage content. Recreate any important pages (e.g. About Us, Contact, FAQs) by copying over the content from your Magento site into Shopify's page editor. Don't forget to rebuild your menu navigation in Shopify so customers can easily browse categories (now collections) and pages. This might involve setting up top-level menus and dropdowns to mirror what you had on Magento.

Now is also the time to install Shopify apps to replace any Magento-specific functionality. For example, if you had a store locator or wishlist feature in Magento, find a Shopify app that provides that feature and install it. If you migrated product reviews, make sure you've added a product reviews app and that the imported reviews are displaying correctly on your product pages. Browse the Shopify App Store to find solutions for any features you need (many Magento extensions have Shopify app equivalents). As you add apps or custom code, be mindful of site speed and test that everything works well together.

By the end of this step, your Shopify store should have your data loaded, a theme customised to your liking, and all essential functionalities in place. In other words, it should be looking like a complete website -- just not public yet.

Step 7: Set up redirects and preserve SEO

One of the most critical aspects of migration is maintaining your hard-earned search engine rankings and ensuring customers can find your site pages at their familiar URLs. Magento and Shopify have different URL structures, so you'll need to set up 301 redirects for any old Magento URLs that won't automatically match on Shopify. Compile a list of your important URLs from Magento (such as your homepage, top category pages, and well-ranked product pages). In your Shopify admin, use the URL Redirects feature (under Online Store > Navigation, or use a bulk redirect app) to map each old URL to the new Shopify URL. For example, if a product page was at yourstore.com/category/product-name in Magento and now it's at yourstore.com/products/product-name on Shopify, create a redirect from the old path to the new one. This ensures that anyone clicking an old link (and search engines indexing old links) will be automatically taken to the correct page on the new site.

Beyond redirects, preserve your SEO by carrying over meta titles and meta descriptions for products and pages. If you used an SEO extension in Magento to customise these, input the same metadata into Shopify (you can edit SEO details for each product and page in Shopify's admin). Check that your product images have alt text (migration tools might bring these over, but verify just in case).

Other SEO considerations include setting up your Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel on the new Shopify store, and verifying the new site in Google Search Console once it's live. After launch, submit your Shopify sitemap to Google through Search Console so it can crawl your new URLs. Doing all this groundwork helps ensure the migration does not significantly hurt your search rankings or traffic. In fact, with Shopify's fast load times and mobile-friendly design, you might even see SEO improvements after the switch.

Step 8: Test everything and launch your new store

Now for the final stretch! Before flipping the switch, thoroughly test your Shopify site (you can do this while it's protected behind a storefront password, so customers won't see it yet). Click through every major page and user flow as if you were a customer. Add a product to the cart and go through a checkout process using Shopify's test payment mode to ensure orders can be placed. Verify that shipping rates, tax calculations, and any discount codes work as expected. Test customer account creation and login. (Remember, existing customers will need to set up new passwords since passwords could not be migrated -- you can send out account invite emails to those customers when the site goes live.)

Browse the site on multiple devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) to confirm the design is responsive and that there are no layout issues. Check all links, buttons, and forms. Make sure no pages return a 404 error except those you've intentionally removed (for which you should have redirects in place). It's wise to have a few team members or friends do test orders and navigate the site as well, to catch any issues you might have overlooked.

When you are confident everything is working in the new store, it's time to go live. If you're using a custom domain (e.g. yourstore.com) that currently points to your Magento site, you will need to switch that domain to point to Shopify. This involves updating your DNS records (typically an A record and CNAME) to Shopify's provided addresses. Shopify has guides for all major domain providers to help with this step. Plan the switch for a quiet period of the day, and be aware that DNS changes can take a little time to propagate worldwide (often just a few minutes or hours, but it can vary). Once the domain is updated, disable maintenance mode on your Shopify store (remove the password protection) so that the public can access it. Then do a final quick run-through of the live site via the custom domain to ensure everything is loading correctly.

Finally, consider informing your customers that you've moved to a new platform. Send a friendly announcement email telling them that your store has a new home on Shopify with an even better shopping experience. If you imported customer accounts, let customers know they will need to activate their new account on your website by setting a password (and include a direct link to do so for their convenience). Reassure them that their past orders and loyalty points (if applicable) are all intact on the new site. A communication like this not only clears up any confusion, but also serves as a marketing touchpoint to draw customers back to check out the new site.

Congratulations -- your Magento to Shopify migration is complete! All that's left is to keep an eye on things in the first few days post-launch. Monitor your sales and traffic, and watch for any anomalies (like payment errors or missing images) that need fixing. With your store now on Shopify, you can take advantage of all the platform's benefits and scale your business with far less operational hassle.

Conclusion

Migrating from Magento to Shopify is a significant project, but with the right approach it can be accomplished smoothly and confidently. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can carry out a Magento to Shopify product migration and transfer all your data without major setbacks. Remember that preparation is half the battle -- the more thoroughly you plan and tidy up your Magento store beforehand, the easier the actual migration will be.

When done correctly, the rewards of replatforming are well worth it. You'll gain a more user-friendly store for both you and your customers, lower maintenance overhead, and the ability to leverage Shopify's rich ecosystem of apps and features. Your Magento to Shopify data migration will pay off in the form of a faster, more scalable online shop that can better serve your business needs.

Now that you're running on Shopify, you can focus on what really matters: growing your business. With your store freed from the constraints of Magento's upkeep, you have more time for improving products, marketing, and engaging with customers. In the long run, a successful migration sets the stage for increased conversions and e-commerce success. Here's to your store's smooth transition and a bright future on Shopify!