How Long Does It Take To Conduct Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration?

One of the major worries among Magento users in recent years has been the transfer from Magento 1 to Magento 2. There are a variety of reasons to upgrade to Magento 2 but the primary one is that while continuous improvements were made on Magento 2, Magento 1 seems to lag behind with poor security patches. Apart from it, if you are planning to migrate the Magento site, you probably wonder how much time it’ll take to complete your project, don’t you? Actually, it’s immensely difficult to have an accurate answer but we can guide you to make an estimate. Let’s figure it out now!

5 Steps to Estimate Time For Magento 1 To Magento 2 Migration

As you might know, the time for moving from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is different across the websites since it depends on the complexity of each site as well as the requirements and budgets of the store owners.

The process of migrating a Magento installation comprises moving the theme, extensions, database assets, and custom code as well as setting up the new website and testing. To make things easier, we will show you how to estimate the time for deploying each step.

1. Migrate Theme from Magento 1 to Magento 2

Theme migration to Magento 2 is no doubt one of the most crucial phases. One thing you need to know before coming up with an estimate is that your current Magento 1 theme would become useless after moving to the new Magento 2 store. As a result, creating a new template for Magento 2 is necessary. This template can be similar to or different from your current one.

Here are 6 basic steps involved in migrating a theme to Magento 2:

1. Analyze the Magento 1 theme: Take a close look at the theme you have in Magento 1, including the design, functionality, customization, and code structure.
2. Create a new Magento 2 theme: Create a new theme in Magento 2 that matches the design and functionality of the Magento 1 theme.
3. Copy the Magento 1 theme files: Copy the Magento 1 theme files, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to the new Magento 2 theme.
4. Modify the Magento 2 theme files: Modify the Magento 2 theme files to match the new coding structure and architecture of Magento 2. This step may involve refactoring the code, modifying the templates, and updating the JavaScript and CSS files.
5. Test the Magento 2 theme: Test the new Magento 2 theme thoroughly to ensure it works correctly and matches the design and functionality of the Magento 1 theme.
6. Launch the Magento 2 theme: Once the new Magento 2 theme is tested and ready to go, launch it on your Magento 2 store.

In general, there are three methods to migrate a theme from Magento 1 to 2, or in other words, create a design for Magento 2 (based/ not based on the Magento 1 theme) which require a different amount of time to implement:

• About 1 week: It will take close to a week to install and make minor customizations to a ready-to-use Magento 2 theme on the new website. There is a wide range of themes and templates for Magento 2 available on the market, free and paid, for you to choose from. Nevertheless, we highly recommend you spend your money on high-quality themes ($100-250 on average) for a better look and clean code instead of free ones.
• About 1 month: Consider the website cloning option, which takes at least a month to complete, if you don’t want to switch from Magento 1 to Magento 2. In fact, the time for cloning your existing store depends greatly on its design complication. In case your M1 storefront is far different from Magento 2 default, with a lot of special effects, it can take several months to migrate the theme. Besides, having a PSD design of the current website might be very useful for the cloning process.
• From 2 to 3 months: It would take between two and three months to complete, assuming you don’t want to utilize a template or copy the existing website but instead create a brand-new, original one. To be more specific, the first month may be devoted to developing concepts and collaborating with website designers, while the following months may be devoted to frontend coding.

Magento 2 Theme Migration: Depending on the method used to migrate the theme (apply the ready-to-use theme, clone the Magento 1 website, or create an entirely new design for Magento 2), the time frame is estimated to be between one week and three months.

2. Migrate Extensions to the new site

7 basic steps involved in migrating extensions are:

1. Identify the extensions: Identify the extensions installed on the Magento 1 site that you want to migrate to the new Magento 2 site.
2. Research Magento 2 versions: Check if the extensions are available for the Magento 2 version you are migrating to. If not, look for alternative extensions with similar functionality.
3. Install the extensions on the new site: Install the attachments on the new Magento 2 site either through the Magento Marketplace or by manually installing the extensions.
4. Migrate extension data: If the extensions store any data on the Magento 1 site, such as customer data, product information, or order details, migrate this data to the new Magento 2 site. This step may require custom development work or the use of migration tools.
5. Modify the extensions for Magento 2: Modify the extensions’ code to match the new coding structure and architecture of Magento 2. This step may involve refactoring the code, modifying the templates, and updating the JavaScript and CSS files.
6. Test the extensions: Test the extensions thoroughly to ensure they work correctly and integrate seamlessly with the new Magento 2 site.

Besides spending time on finding new Magento 2 modules and plugins, you have to anticipate the time for installing and configuring those extensions. The typical installation time for an extension is three hours. The larger number of modules you have, the greater time it consumes to migrate. In addition, you’ll need to allocate 1 or 2 days extra to solve possible conflicts after setting up all of the extensions on the site.

Magento 2 Extension Migration: Finding new plugins and modules could take up to a week, and then there’s installation time (3 hours/module X number of modules) and conflict resolution time. Approximately 1 to 2 weeks.

3. Transfer Data from Magento 1 to 2

The next pivotal phase of the Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration process is migrating database assets between two sites. We will need to transfer the products, categories, customers, orders, CMS pages and blog content, testimonials, ratings and reviews, and so on.

7 basic steps involved in transferring data from Magento 1 to Magento 2:

1. Analyze the data on Magento 1: Analyze the data on the Magento 1 site, including the structure and organization of the data.
2. Map the data: Map the data from Magento 1 to Magento 2, including the data fields, attributes, and relationships.
3. Export the data: Export the data from the Magento 1 site using the Magento 1 data export tools or third-party extensions.
4. Convert the data: Convert the data from the Magento 1 format to the Magento 2 format, ensuring that the data is correctly mapped and all fields and attributes are preserved.
5. Import the data: Import the converted data into the Magento 2 site using the Magento 2 data import tools or third-party extensions.
6. Verify the data: Verify the imported data to ensure that it has been correctly transferred and all fields and attributes are preserved.
7. Re-index the data: Re-index the data on the Magento 2 site to ensure that it is available for use in the frontend.

Thanks to the useful Magento Data Migration Tool provided by Magento, it takes less effort and time to move the data (up to 1 week on average). However, if don’t have enough knowledge and skill in Magento data migration, it’s better to hire a Magento development agency to do that. There is a high possibility of data loss if the migration is not carried out by professionals.

Magento 2 Data Migration: Estimated 1 week (for 2-time Magento DB migration)

4. Migrate Code from Magento 1 to Magento 2

7 basic steps involved in migrating code are:

1. Analyze the Magento 1 code: Analyze the Magento 1 codebase to identify the customizations and extensions that need to be migrated.
2. Rewrite the code: Rewrite the code to match the new coding structure and architecture of Magento 2. This step may involve refactoring the code, modifying the templates, and updating the JavaScript and CSS files.
3. Install Magento 2: Install Magento 2 on a development environment and configure it for development.
4. Copy the Magento 1 code: Copy the Magento 1 code to the development environment, preserving the original directory structure.
5. Modify the Magento 1 code: Modify the Magento 1 code to work with the new coding structure and architecture of Magento 2.
6. Test the code: Test the modified code thoroughly to ensure it works correctly and integrates seamlessly with the new Magento 2 site.
7. Launch the code: Once the code is ready to go, launch it on your Magento 2 site.

We may move the code from Magento 1 to Magento 2 utilizing the Magento Code Migration Tools, unlike the theme and extensions. You might need to rebuild some of the custom code because Magento 2 does not support all of it. In the worst cases, it’s impossible to migrate the custom module/ functions and you have to re-develop it from the beginning.

Magento 2 Code Migration: Around 1-2 weeks.

5. Configure and Test the new Magento 2 store

You must configure the new Magento 2 store after completing the process of transferring the theme, extension, data, and code (email templates, languages, store views, tax, shipping, payment, promotions, etc.). Also, you must configure your server, optimize your entire website for SEO, increase site speed, and other tasks.

The final stage of the Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration process is making a thorough test on the new site to make sure that all functions work smoothly.

Magento 2 Configuration & Test: Around 2-3 weeks.

Total Time For Migrating From Magento 1 To Magento 2

The total time required for migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2 will depend on several factors such as the size of your store, the complexity of your data, the customization and extensions you have in place, and the availability of resources for the migration process.

Therefore, the total time required for migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2 can range from 8 weeks to 26 weeks or more, depending on the complexity of your store and the resources available for the migration process. To achieve a seamless and successful move, meticulous planning and resource allocation are important.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, it’s foreseen to take from one to five months to migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2. You should make a detailed Magento migration plan to specify what needs to do and the estimated time for each task. Then, let’s allocate your time appropriately to both manage the existing site and migrate it to the new site effectively.

Are you looking for a cheap migration service from Magento 1 to Magento 2?

As we have mentioned, Magento 2 upgrade might take a lot of time and effort, and more importantly, it requires strong technical expertise. Owing to that, if you are not confident to implement the migration yourself, why don’t you give us a chance to help?

With more than 10 years of experience in Magento development and Magento migration, we are able to migrate your store to Magento 2 in the optimal time, with guaranteed quality and within your budget. Moreover, we provide 6-12 months of free support for all Magento projects. Now, contact us and we’ll provide you with a free, comprehensive quote for your project.