NextChapter multiˣ suite or Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Replatforming is rarely something you do because you feel like it. More often, it happens when a growing gap emerges between your ambitions and what your current platform can realistically support. Your webshop needs to meet modern customer expectations, but growth demands more: multiple sales channels, advanced inventory logic, marketplaces, omnichannel capabilities, and integrations with ERP, POS, and loyalty systems.

And that is where the real differences between platforms appear. Not at the frontend, but under the hood. In how data, processes, and ongoing development are structured. Some platforms offer maximum freedom, but also require strong technical ownership. Others are designed specifically to reduce complexity.

So what should you look for when making this decision? And how do you ensure your platform still fits five years from now? In this blog, we compare Adobe Commerce (Magento) and NextChapter based on what truly matters in practice: maintenance, implementation, total cost, and the role of IT in your daily operations.

Customisation versus operational simplicity

Adobe Commerce is a well-known customisable e-commerce platform with strong webshop and CMS capabilities. It is often used by organisations that want highly tailored storefront experiences, such as complex product configurations, industry-specific pricing models, or custom B2B functionality. Additional capabilities like product data management, multichannel order management, and fulfilment are frequently implemented through custom development, plugins, or external systems.

The NextChapter multiˣ suite was developed based on the reality that organisations today need more than just a good webshop to grow. In practice, many brands and retailers require a similar foundational platform to remain competitive and scalable. That is why webshop, PIM, OMS, and omnichannel functionality are natively integrated within the multiˣ suite. This approach is designed for organisations that want to scale on a stable foundation without having to assemble, integrate, and maintain a complex technical landscape themselves.

One platform or multiple systems?

A key difference lies in how processes are organized. As organizations grow in need of more than just a webshop and CMS, an architectural choice often arises: do you work with multiple specialized systems that together form an e-commerce environment (best-of-breed), or do you opt for a single, integrated platform? This difference has a direct impact on management, data flows, and daily operations.

Adobe Commerce (best-of-breed approach):

Specialised systems combined per business process

Ability to implement highly tailored, specific solutions

Careful choices required around tooling, integrations, and governance

In this setup, data resides in multiple systems. This requires consistent attention to integrations and data consistency, especially when processes change or new systems are added.

NextChapter multiˣ suite (integrated approach):

Specialised capabilities integrated within a single platform

Webshop, PIM, OMS, and omnichannel functionality combined in one environment

Data flows natively between modules

Because everything is integrated within a single platform, data remains clear and consistent. This reduces technical coordination and makes it easier to expand with new channels or features.

Maintenance and ongoing development in practice

How systems are structured directly impacts maintenance and further development. With Adobe Commerce, the flexibility of customisation often means more technical ownership around hosting, performance, upgrades, and maintenance. Many organisations therefore work with agencies or development teams on an ongoing basis.

Within NextChapter, infrastructure, updates, and technical maintenance are centrally managed. As a SaaS platform, the multiˣ suite is continuously developed, with all customers automatically benefiting from improvements and new functionality. Version upgrades, patches, or migration projects are therefore not part of daily reality, allowing organisations to focus primarily on commercial growth and customer experience.

How quickly can you go live, and what does it require from your team?

A platform's implementation speed is closely related to the amount of technical setup, integration work, and coordination required before an organization can go live. Different platform architectures therefore naturally lead to different implementation processes.

Adobe Commerce:

Implementations are structured as custom development projects

Decisions required around hosting, integrations, and extensions

Timelines range from several months to over a year

Requires significant involvement from internal teams and partners

This can deliver a highly tailored platform, but involves more coordination and technical resources.

NextChapter:

Starts from a ready-to-use SaaS foundation

Preconfigured setups and proven templates

Implementation takes weeks to a few months

Delivered by NextChapter’s internal implementation team

This allows organisations to go live faster while keeping technical demands on internal teams limited.

What does it really cost to run the platform?

The costs of an e-commerce platform usually consist of more than just a license. Consider implementation, hosting, integrations, maintenance, and internal time. The technical structure of a platform largely determines how predictable those costs remain as your organization grows. To illustrate this, we compare the main cost components of both platforms below.

Adobe Commerce:

License costs based on revenue volume (GMV), from approximately €22,000 to over €200,000 per year

Hosting and infrastructure

Plug-ins or additional systems (such as PIM or OMS)

Custom development and integrations

Ongoing support from agencies or technical partners

Because many components are configured and maintained separately, the total costs can vary considerably from organization to organization.

NextChapter:

€25,000 one-time setup

€1,999 monthly licence

Hosting, updates, and platform development included

This makes costs more predictable, while reducing internal time spent on platform maintenance.

Staying future-proof: what does that require?

Adobe continuously invests in innovation through Adobe Commerce Cloud and the broader Experience ecosystem. At the same time, lifecycle management remains relevant. Magento originated as an open-source platform and is often extended through custom development and extensions. In practice, organisations periodically need to upgrade to newer versions. In the past, support for older versions has ended, requiring full migration projects. While Adobe Commerce offers extensive flexibility, new functionality often requires development, extensions, or code adjustments maintained by technical partners. Compatibility and version management can remain ongoing considerations, even in cloud environments.

NextChapter continuously evolves the platform within a single central SaaS foundation. The entire suite remains up to date as a whole. Because development happens centrally, there are no separate versions, patches, or technical migration projects. New features are rolled out centrally and become available automatically, or with minimal implementation effort.

Which platform fits which organisation?

Adobe Commerce typically fits:

Organisations with complex B2B structures

Companies with strong in-house technical teams

Businesses seeking maximum customisation flexibility

NextChapter multiˣ suite typically fits:

Mid-market brands and retailers

Omnichannel and franchise organisations

Teams focused on e-commerce growth and marketing

Organisations aiming to minimise technical complexity

Conclusion

Both Adobe Commerce and NextChapter support professional e-commerce at a high level. The main difference lies in how organisations choose to structure their e-commerce environment: through customisation and technical ownership, or through an integrated foundation designed to reduce complexity.

Adobe Commerce offers extensive flexibility for organisations that prioritise control and customisation. NextChapter focuses on simplification, faster implementation, and predictable costs, enabling organisations to concentrate on growth, customer experience, and innovation.

The best solution ultimately depends on your strategy, internal expertise, and growth plans. If you find that your current platform no longer aligns with your goals, it can be valuable to reassess your options.

We'd be happy to discuss your situation and ambitions with you and show you how the NextChapter multiˣ suite can support you.