Shopify vs BigCommerce vs Magento: Best Ecommerce Platform for Acumatica ERP Integration

3 min read ● Silk Team

Shopify vs BigCommerce vs Magento: Best Ecommerce Platform for Acumatica ERP Integration

In addition to being a marketing decision — the selection of an appropriate eCommerce platform also has an operational aspect to it. If you are using Acumatica as your ERP, your eCommerce platform needs to be able to integrate cleanly, in a manner that is scalable and reliable to your operation.

This is critical because if your platform does not properly integrate with your ERP, you will experience problems such as:

  • Inventory mismatches.
  • Reporting gaps.
  • Limitations with APIs.

A good eCommerce platform will become an extension of your ERP.

Below we provide an overview of three of the most popular platforms: Shopify, BigCommerce and Magento (Adobe Commerce).

Shopify + Acumatica: Ease of Use & Speed

Best For: Small to mid-sized businesses seeking simple and rapid deployment of their eCommerce site.

Advantages:

  • A user friendly interface to allow small businesses to quickly and easily set up an eCommerce site.
  • Large app marketplace offering a variety of tools and services to help grow sales.
  • Strong hosting and security provided by Shopify.
  • Native and third party connectors to Acumatica available.

Shopify is a good option for integrating with Acumatica for common eCommerce workflows (such as):

  • Product catalog synchronization.
  • Inventory synchronization.
  • Creating orders.
  • Customer information synchronization.

Disadvantages:

  • Complex pricing logic may have to be resolved through workarounds.
  • Complex B2B processes may require the use of multiple applications.
  • High volume stores may reach API rate limits.

Bottom line:
Shopify is a good fit for businesses that want a streamlined and easy to use eCommerce platform, while allowing their ERP (Acumatica) to handle operational complexities.

BigCommerce + Acumatica: Flexibility Without Heavy Customization

Best For: Growing businesses seeking advanced features without having to do full custom builds.

Advantages:

  • Robust native B2B capabilities.
  • Flexible API structure to accommodate growing businesses’ changing needs.
  • Multi-storefront support.
  • More extensive out-of-the-box customization compared to Shopify.

BigCommerce provides a middle ground in regards to usability and flexibility. When combined with Acumatica, it allows for the following:

  • Tiered pricing.
  • Complex tax structures.
  • Multi-channel selling.
  • Headless commerce setup.

Disadvantages:

  • Slightly steeper learning curve.
  • May require middleware to enable advanced ERP workflows.

Bottom line:
BigCommerce is suitable for mid-market businesses that require more customization than Shopify but do not wish to incur the infrastructure burden of Magento.

Magento (Adobe Commerce) + Acumatica: Enterprise Level Control

Best For: Large enterprises with complex product catalogs and custom workflows.

Advantages:

  • Complete control over customizations.
  • Advanced B2B and B2C capabilities.
  • Robust product configuration capabilities.
  • Scalable architecture.

Magento provides a deep level of integration with Acumatica when implemented properly. Some examples include:

  • Complex pricing logic.
  • Subscription models.
  • Multi-warehouse logic.
  • International storefronts.

Disadvantages:

  • Higher development costs.
  • Requires a dedicated team of technical personnel.
  • Longer implementation timelines.

Bottom line:
Magento offers maximum flexibility — but requires a higher investment in both time and resources.

Key Integration Factors to Consider

1. Inventory Synchronization.

Your ERP should be the single source of truth for all inventory-related transactions. Therefore, ensure that there are mechanisms in place to synchronize your inventory levels in real-time (or near-real-time) and/or event driven (e.g., when a customer places an order, update the inventory levels accordingly).

2. Order Flow Automation.

To maximize efficiency, orders should be automatically transmitted from the eCommerce platform to your ERP for fulfillment, invoicing, and financial reconciliation.

3. API Scalability.

As the number of orders processed through your eCommerce platform grows, your integration should be able to handle the increased load without encountering any synchronization issues.

4. B2B Features.

If you sell to wholesalers, verify that your eCommerce platform supports the following:

  • Customer-specific pricing.
  • Net payment terms.
  • Bulk ordering.
  • Account-based permissions.

What is the Best eCommerce Platform for Your Business?

Here is a simple decision matrix to help guide you:

  • Choose Shopify if you are looking for speed, simplicity and lower operational overhead.
  • Choose BigCommerce if you require flexibility and strong B2B capabilities without heavy customization.
  • Choose Magento (Adobe Commerce) if your business requires deep customization and enterprise-level scalability.

Closing Thoughts

Choosing the correct eCommerce platform for Acumatica ERP is not a matter of which one is the most popular, it’s about compatibility.

Your eCommerce platform needs to provide:

  • Clean, reliable data synchronization.
  • Scalable API performance.
  • Automated workflow processes for fulfillment and finance.
  • Future growth.

When your eCommerce platform and Acumatica ERP operate together seamlessly, you achieve operational clarity, faster fulfillment and scalable infrastructure to support future growth.

Select a platform that aligns with your future business objectives — not just where your business currently resides today.

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