This post was created after an interesting conversation where I mentioned that artificial intelligence has completely changed my perspective on the development of online stores recently. The reactions were varied – from enthusiasm to skepticism. But the essence remained the same: development today is no longer what it was a few months ago.
AI does not mean that someone without knowledge will become a developer overnight. However, it does mean that for those of us who understand architecture, processes, and business logic, it removes a lot of technical friction.
And this is precisely what changes the competitiveness of platforms.
Shopify is not as good as we imagine
Shopify also seriously attracted me. The concept is logical. Quick launch. Organized admin. The feeling that you can set up a store almost without technical knowledge.
I went deep enough to do several trainings, develop a theme, and understand their ecosystem. And honestly – I understand why the platform is so popular.
However, the problem shows up later.
Shopify is great as long as you do things that Shopify has anticipated. When you want to step out of the box, you start adapting to the platform instead of the other way around. Solutions often mean apps, monthly costs, detours, or compromises in logic.
For a long time, Shopify's biggest advantage was the speed of development. Magento allowed more, but development was slower and more expensive. And that was a legitimate dilemma.
Today, this difference is no longer so obvious.
Magento, which disappointed, now impresses
Magento disappointed many due to its complexity. Development was demanding. Every major customization meant a significant investment of time.
But Magento has one key feature: it is not limited by the platform owner. It does not have a subscription model that dictates what you can and cannot do. It has an open architecture where business logic is actually in your hands.
And this is where AI changes the game.
Because when you remove Magento's biggest weakness – the slowness of development – you are left with a platform that is practically unlimited.
Today, with the help of AI, you can significantly faster:
- analyze existing code,
- set up a module with the appropriate structure,
- write an integration with an external system,
- model complex rules,
- check edge cases.
Things that used to take weeks are now realistically achievable in days. Not because Magento has become simple. But because AI removes that part of the work that was mechanical and time-consuming.
And when the speed of development approaches Shopify, while Magento retains complete flexibility, the decision becomes different.
Practical example: processing payments by proforma invoice
In the discussion, I mentioned a concrete example that is not tied to B2B. It is something that many stores use – payment by proforma invoice.
The process is usually like this:
- The customer places an order.
- Receives payment details.
- Once the payment is made, someone manually checks the bank statement, finds the reference, verifies the amount, confirms the order, and creates an invoice.
This is a process that unnecessarily takes time, and almost every store that allows payment by proforma invoice encounters it.
On Magento, you can now set up a system where the bank statement is automatically processed. The module automatically reads emails, imports XML payments, and analyzes transactions, recognizes the order number or reference, and checks for matching amounts and dates. If the data matches, the system automatically confirms the order and updates the status.
If the match is not perfect, the case is marked for manual review.
This is not futurism. This is the optimization of a daily process. Such a solution is not tied to an external application or monthly subscription – it is part of your platform.
The key is this: the development of such a solution today is no longer a project for several weeks, but a module that essentially requires less than 2 hours of work without additional costs. What was once a reason for stores to move away from Magento is no longer such a big obstacle today.
Where is the real difference today
Shopify is still a very good choice for beginners. For someone who wants to quickly set up a store, without worrying about infrastructure and without complex processes.
But it is no longer a universal solution for everyone.
Once you build a store as a serious business system, where you want to automate processes, customize rules, and connect different systems, the openness of the platform becomes crucial.
And if today you can develop these customizations faster than ever before, then Magento regains the advantage it lost for a while.
In the end, I am interested in something else.
What is the thing in your store that takes the most time?
Which process do you feel you cannot automate?
Write to me. It is very likely that there is a solution – and it is very likely that it is achievable today faster than you think.
