Magento 1 has been a popular platform for eCommerce websites for over a decade. However, all good things must come to an end, and Magento 1 has officially reached its end of life (EOL). This means that Adobe will no longer be providing official support or updates for Magento 1 after June 2020. This has left many online store owners wondering what this means for their businesses.
In this article, we will answer all your questions about Magento 1 end of life, including what it means for your website, how to migrate to Magento 2 or other eCommerce platforms, and what steps you need to take to ensure the security and functionality of your online store. Whether you’re a Magento 1 store owner, developer, or eCommerce enthusiast, this article will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about the future of your online business.
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What Leads To Magento 1 End Of Life?
The end of life (EOL) for Magento 1 was a planned decision by Adobe, the company that acquired Magento in 2018. There were several factors that led to the decision to discontinue support for Magento 1.
There are 3 main reasons for this.
Firstly, there are many complaints about Magento 1, such as poor performance, low page load speed, unfriendly admin panel (too technical), not attractive storefront (even when applying ready-made themes), and so on. To improve all of these weaknesses, Magento almost needs to build everything from scratch. And they did it by introducing Magento 2.
Secondly, Magento 1 was free, and Magento 2 was a premium version, so Magento could keep both to meet different demands. But the actual store is different. Both Magento 1 and 2 have a free and paid version (Magento Open Source & Commerce). When being put on the same scale, it’s definitely that no one will choose Magento 1 when they can get a better version (Magento 2) at the same price. As a result, there is no economic benefit for Magento when it keeps providing the old version.
Thirdly, Magento 1 gradually has a weakness of Magento. Many people will take advantage of that to criticize Magento when comparing it with other eCommerce platforms. Therefore, it would be more harm than good for Magento to continue offering Magento 1 platform.
Additionally, Magento 2 was released in 2015 with many new features and improvements over Magento 1, making it a more advanced and user-friendly platform for online businesses. As a result, Adobe shifted its focus to supporting and developing Magento 2 and announced the EOL of Magento 1 in order to encourage users to upgrade to the newer version.
Overall, the decision to discontinue support for Magento 1 was made in order to provide a more secure and advanced e-Commerce solution for businesses and customers alike.
What Are The Impacts Of Magento 1 End Of Life On Your Website?
The end of life (EOL) for Magento 1 has several impacts on your website, including:
- Security vulnerabilities: Since Adobe will no longer be providing security patches and quality fixes for Magento 1, your website will be vulnerable to security threats, such as data breaches and malware attacks. This could potentially compromise your customers’ personal and financial information, which could have severe consequences for your business.
- Compatibility issues: As Magento 1 becomes outdated, it may not be compatible with newer technologies, such as web browsers and operating systems. This could lead to issues with website functionality, such as broken links and pages, which could negatively impact your customers’ experience.
- Lack of support: Without official support from Adobe, you may find it difficult to get help with technical issues and bug fixes. This could lead to prolonged downtime or other issues that could negatively impact your business operations.
- Compliance issues: Depending on your industry, you may be required to comply with certain regulations, such as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). With Magento 1 EOL, your website will no longer be compliant with these regulations. You may lose your payment provider or risk losing payment card data.
Overall, the impacts of Magento 1 EOL on your website could be significant and potentially costly. It’s important to take action to migrate to a supported eCommerce platform in order to ensure the security and functionality of your online store.
What Are Solutions For Existing Magento 1 Stores?
Magento 2 is much better compared to Magento 1. Therefore, the best solution is undoubtedly migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2.
However, there are more solutions available to you to address the end of life (EOL) of Magento 1:
- Migrate to a different e-commerce platform: If you do not want to upgrade to Magento 2, you can consider migrating to a different e-commerce platform. There are several popular platforms available, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, that offer similar features and functionality as Magento. However, migration to a new platform can also be a complex process and may require the assistance of a developer or development team.
- Continue using Magento 1: Although Adobe will no longer be providing official support or quality fixes for Magento 1, you can continue to use the platform for your online store. However, it’s important to note that this could leave your website vulnerable to security threats and compatibility issues, and may not be a long-term solution.
- Hire a third-party maintenance and support service: If you decide to continue using Magento 1, you can consider hiring a third-party maintenance and support service that can provide ongoing security patches and technical support for your website. However, this may not be a cost-effective solution in the long run, and may not guarantee the same level of support as official Magento support.
Overall, it’s important to evaluate the different solutions available and choose the option that best fits your business needs and budget. It’s recommended to work with a developer or development team to ensure a smooth transition and minimize potential risks and issues.
How Does The Magento 2 Migration Process Work?
To migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2, your site will go through some essential checklists below:
Migrating Theme
Migrating a theme from Magento 1 to Magento 2 can be a complex process, as the architecture and structure of the two platforms are different. Here are some key steps you can take to migrate your theme:
- Evaluate your current theme: The first step is to evaluate your current theme and identify any customizations or extensions that will need to be migrated. Make a list of all the theme files, including layout, templates, CSS, and JavaScript files.
- Select a Magento 2 theme: Next, select a Magento 2 theme that is similar to your Magento 1 theme in terms of design and functionality. You can choose a free or paid theme, depending on your budget and business needs.
- Customize the Magento 2 theme: Once you have selected a Magento 2 theme, you will need to customize it to match your Magento 1 theme. This may include customizing the layout, templates, CSS, and JavaScript files to ensure that the design and functionality match your Magento 1 theme.
- Migrate the customizations: If you have made any customizations to your Magento 1 theme, you will need to migrate these to Magento 2 as well. This may require development work to ensure that the customizations are compatible with Magento 2.
- Test and optimize: Once you have completed the migration process, it’s important to thoroughly test your Magento 2 theme to ensure that everything is functioning as expected. This includes testing website performance, functionality, and security. Any necessary optimization should be made before launching the new theme.
Migrating Extensions
Migrating extensions from Magento 1 to Magento 2 can be a complex process, as the architecture and structure of the two platforms are different. Here are some steps you can take to migrate your extensions:
- Identify the extensions: The first step is to identify the extensions that you have installed on your Magento 1 website. Make a list of all the extensions that you are using, including their version and functionality.
- Search for Magento 2 compatible versions: Next, search for Magento 2 compatible versions of the extensions that you are using. You can check the extension provider’s website or the Magento Marketplace to find compatible versions.
- Install the Magento 2 compatible versions: Once you have identified the Magento 2 compatible versions of the extensions, you will need to install them on your Magento 2 website. You can use the Magento Connect Manager or the Composer tool to install the extensions.
- Migrate the extension data: If you have any data associated with the extensions, such as settings, configurations, or data records, you will need to migrate this data from Magento 1 to Magento 2. There are several tools available, such as the Magento 2 Data Migration Tool, that can assist with this process.
- Test and optimize: Once you have completed the migration process, it’s important to thoroughly test your Magento 2 extensions to ensure that everything is functioning as expected. This includes testing website performance, functionality, and security.
Migrating Data
Migrating data from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is an important part of the migration process, as it ensures that your customer and product data is preserved and available on the new platform. Here are some steps you can take to migrate your data:
- Evaluate your data: The first step is to evaluate your data and identify the data that needs to be migrated, such as customer information, order history, product data, and other relevant data.
- Prepare the Magento 2 environment: Next, you will need to prepare the Magento 2 environment for data migration. This may include setting up the Magento 2 database, installing necessary tools and software, and configuring server settings.
- Select a migration tool: There are several tools available to migrate data from Magento 1 to Magento 2, such as the Magento 2 Data Migration Tool or third-party migration tools. Select a tool that is compatible with your Magento 1 and Magento 2 versions and has the functionality to migrate the data you require.
- Configure the migration tool: Once you have selected a migration tool, you will need to configure it to migrate your data. This may involve setting up the database connections, selecting the data to be migrated, and configuring any migration settings or options.
- Run the migration process: After configuring the migration tool, you can run the migration process to transfer the data from Magento 1 to Magento 2. This may take some time, depending on the size and complexity of your data.
- Test and verify: Once the migration process is complete, it’s important to thoroughly test and verify the data on your Magento 2 website to ensure that everything has been migrated correctly. This includes testing website performance, functionality, and security, and verifying the accuracy of customer and product data.
Migrate Settings/Configurations
Migrating settings and configurations from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is an important part of the migration process, as it ensures that your website operates with the same settings and configurations on the new platform. Here are some steps you can take to migrate your settings and configurations:
- Prepare the Magento 2 environment: You will need to prepare the Magento 2 environment for configuration migration. This may include setting up the Magento 2 database, installing necessary tools and software, and configuring server settings.
- Identify and install necessary extensions: If you have installed extensions on your Magento 1 website that affect settings and configurations, you will need to identify Magento 2 compatible versions of those extensions and install them on your Magento 2 website.
- Configure the Magento 2 environment: Once you have installed the necessary extensions, you can configure the Magento 2 environment to match your Magento 1 settings and configurations. This may involve updating store settings, setting up tax rules, configuring payment and shipping methods, and configuring any other relevant settings and configurations.
- Test and verify: After configuring the Magento 2 environment, it’s important to thoroughly test and verify your settings and configurations on your Magento 2 website to ensure that everything is functioning as expected. This includes testing website performance, functionality, and security, and verifying the accuracy of your settings and configurations.
What To Expect From Your Magento 2 Website?
Fast website speed and stable performance
Default Ajax Cart on Magento 2 supports switching sessions without reloading the whole page, which would generate a better experience for all customers on your site.
Additionally, PHP 7, the programming language of Magento 2, supplies superior loading than the older PHP versions.
The cache also boosts the site’s performance. Magento 2 uses the Varnish cache and HTTP accelerator, which can easily cache requests.
Straightforward checkout
The complicated checkout increases the abandonment of the shopping cart. To handle that, Magento 2 offers one-page checkout, which is much faster than Magento 1.
Ease of modern technology integration
There are many solutions to integrate Magento 2 websites with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), Progressive Web Apps (PWA), or other advanced technologies. However, those are not available for Magento 1 platform.
Once you complete Magento 2 migration, taking your site to the next level with AMP or PWA is no longer difficult.
When Should You Migrate To Magento 2?
There is no hard and fast rule for when you should migrate to Magento 2, as it largely depends on your business needs, budget, and priorities. However, here are some factors to consider when deciding when to migrate:
- Magento 1 end of life: The most pressing reason to migrate to Magento 2 is the Magento 1 end of life, which means that Magento 1 will no longer receive security patches or support. If you’re still using Magento 1, you should migrate as soon as possible to avoid security vulnerabilities and potential website downtime.
- Business needs: Another factor to consider is your current and future business needs. If you’re planning to expand your product line or scale up your operations, Magento 2 may offer more advanced features and scalability options than Magento 1.
- Budget and resources: Migrating to Magento 2 can be a significant investment of time and money, so you should also consider your budget, resources and estimate the cost of migration process. If you have limited resources, you may need to prioritize other business needs before migrating to Magento 2.
- Customizations and integrations: If your Magento 1 website has a lot of customizations or integrations with third-party extensions, you may need more time and resources to ensure that those customizations and integrations are compatible with Magento 2.
Once again, we want to remind you that Magento will stop supporting Magento 1 when June 2020 ends. If your site hasn’t been re-platformed, you should do it right now.
Final Words
Magento 1 End of Life is a significant inconvenience for every Magento eCommerce site. To cope with it, there is no better option than implement Magento migration from 1 to 2.
With consolidated experience in Magento development – delivering Magento services since 2011, Tigren is the first choice of many store owners to upgrade their site. We’d love to hear from you soon!
