Choosing Between Magento 2 and Salla: Pros, Cons & Use Cases

With Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation accelerating under Vision 2030, eCommerce is booming across the Middle East, including in the UAE and Qatar. As more businesses move online, selecting the right eCommerce platform becomes critical.

Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce) and Salla are two leading solutions, each serving different needs. Magento 2 caters to enterprises seeking full control, scalability, and global reach. Salla, on the other hand, is tailored for local entrepreneurs and SMEs seeking a fast, user-friendly, Arabic-first platform.

Now, with performance-focused innovations like Hyvä Themes, Magento 2 has become even more appealing for Middle Eastern enterprises looking to blend international standards with regional growth goals.

This blog offers a detailed comparison to help regional businesses choose wisely.

Overview of Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce)

Magento 2, developed by Adobe, is a robust open-source and enterprise-level eCommerce platform built to support large-scale, complex businesses. It offers unmatched flexibility, allowing brands to fully customize their storefronts, product catalogues, and workflows.

It offers unmatched flexibility, allowing brands to fully customise their storefronts, product catalogues, and workflows.

With the addition of the hyva magento theme—a modern frontend framework—Magento now delivers lightning-fast site speeds, exceptional UX, and improved Google Lighthouse scores.

From multi-store capability to ERP integration and advanced promotions, Magento 2 is ideal for Middle Eastern companies in retail, manufacturing, distribution, and B2B commerce.

Key Features

• Customisation and Flexibility

Magento 2 supports extensive design and logic customisation. Hyvä accelerates frontend development and simplifies UI changes using a clean and modern tech stack, reducing time-to-market.

• Scalability

Magento is built to support thousands of SKUs, complex catalogs, and high traffic—and Hyvä ensures that performance doesn’t degrade as your store grows.

• SEO and Speed Optimisation

Magento includes advanced SEO tools. Hyvä’s lightweight structure enhances Core Web Vitals—especially important for mobile shoppers in the Gulf region.

• Multi-language and Multi-store Management

Magento allows you to manage stores in Arabic, English, or French from one backend—ideal for Middle Eastern businesses expanding across borders.

• Third-party and ERP Integrations

Magento integrates seamlessly with ERPs like SAP, Oracle, and Zoho—a key limitation in platforms like Salla.

Pros:

Unmatched Flexibility

Perfect for both B2C and B2B, Magento lets you customise every aspect of the shopping experience.

Enterprise-Grade Functionality

Ideal for manufacturers and retailers who need custom pricing rules, tiered customer groups, or advanced promotions.

Speed and UX with Hyvä Themes

Hyvä provides a modern frontend alternative that loads faster, performs better, and gives Magento a SaaS-like feel—without giving up control.

Multi-Region & Multi-Currency Support

Magento easily handles multi-language and currency setups for expansion across GCC countries.

Reduced Frontend Costs

Hyvä cuts frontend development time by up to 50%, helping businesses in the Middle East save money on long-term development and maintenance.

Cons:

Complex Setup and Maintenance

To set up and maintain the store, you will need a team of Magento developers or an experienced agency, as it’s not beginner-friendly.

High Cost of Ownership

Despite being open source, hosting, development, and extensions quickly add up in cost.

Longer Time to Market

Developing a fully functional Magento store from scratch can take weeks or even months.

Overview of Salla

Salla is a cloud-based eCommerce platform designed specifically for Arabic-speaking merchants in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. It provides a user-friendly, Arabic-first interface that allows small and medium-sized businesses to launch online stores without technical expertise.

As a fully hosted SaaS solution, Salla handles security, updates, and infrastructure, enabling business owners to focus on sales and growth. It integrates seamlessly with local payment gateways like STC Pay and Mada, as well as regional logistics services, making it ideal for rapid deployment in the Saudi market.

Key Features

• Ease of Use: Salla provides an intuitive interface, enabling users to set up and manage their stores without technical expertise.
• Localised Support: Offers features and support tailored to the Middle Eastern market, including language and currency options.
• Integrated Marketing Tools: Includes built-in tools for SEO, email marketing, and social media integration to boost online visibility.
• Responsive Design: Ensures that online stores are mobile-friendly, catering to the growing number of mobile shoppers.

Pros:

Ease of Use

Salla is designed for non-technical users. You can launch an online store with just a few clicks—no coding required.

Affordability

Salla offers competitive subscription pricing that includes hosting, updates, and customer support.

Arabic Language Support

Its native Arabic interface is a significant advantage for merchants in the Gulf region.

Built-in Payment and Shipping

Salla partners with popular regional payment gateways and logistics providers like STC Pay and Aramex, streamlining setup.

Fast Go-To-Market

Small businesses can launch stores within hours, ideal for testing product-market fit.

Cons:

Limited Customisation

Unlike Magento, Salla’s customisability is restricted to available themes and features.

Scalability Issues

As your store grows, you may outgrow Salla’s capabilities. It’s not ideal for businesses with massive product catalogues or custom backend requirements.

Vendor Lock-in

You’re tied to Salla’s update roadmap, pricing, and infrastructure.

Use Cases

Best Use Cases for Magento 2:

1. Enterprise eCommerce: Businesses with large product catalogues, global reach, and complex needs.
2. B2B Platforms: Manufacturers and wholesalers requiring personalised pricing, quotes, and account management.
3. Multi-brand Companies: Companies managing multiple storefronts from a unified backend.

Best Use Cases for Salla:

1. Startups in Saudi Arabia: New sellers wanting to go online quickly with Arabic-first tools.
2. Local Boutiques: Small fashion, cosmetic, or electronics stores focused on a regional audience.
3. Digital Products: Selling courses, eBooks, and subscriptions with minimal technical overhead.

Key Difference in Major Features

Feature	Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce)	Salla
Pricing	Open Source: Free (self-hosted)Adobe Commerce: ~$22,000/yearDevelopment & Hosting: ~$3,000–$20,000+	Monthly Plans: SAR 0, SAR 99, SAR 299, SAR 499Includes hosting, support, updates
Localisation & Legal Compliance	Requires custom setup or third-party modules for Saudi VAT, Arabic, and SAR support	Native Arabic support, RTL design, SAR/AED currencies, VAT-compliant invoices
Migration & Portability	Advanced migration tools for data import/export from other platforms	Basic import supportLimited portability due to closed SaaS model
Ecosystem & Growth	5,000+ extensions, 300K+ developers, integrated with Adobe Cloud Suite	Rapid regional growth, VC-backed, widely adopted by SMEs in Saudi & UAE

Comparing Magento and Salla in terms of efficiency and performance

Regional Relevance

Salla was built specifically for the Saudi and Gulf markets. Its Arabic-first approach and integration with local services make it an ideal platform for businesses targeting Arab consumers.

Magento, on the other hand, is globally known and must be tailored for regional relevance through language packs and third-party modules. While Magento supports Arabic, Salla offers it natively—making onboarding and usage much easier for local entrepreneurs in the Middle East, especially those new to digital business.

Language and RTL Support

Salla offers right-to-left (RTL) Arabic design and admin panel functionality out-of-the-box. This makes it extremely user-friendly for Arabic-speaking merchants. Magento also supports RTL, but only through customisation or third-party themes.

For businesses in Saudi Arabia, where Arabic is the default language of commerce, Salla provides a more natural and intuitive experience. Magento may suit multilingual and international stores better, but it requires effort to adapt to Arabic conventions, increasing time-to-market in the GCC region.

Ease of Use

Salla’s platform is built for non-technical users, offering drag-and-drop tools and clear dashboard navigation. It empowers entrepreneurs in the Middle East who may not have access to a development team.

Magento, conversely, is suited for users with technical expertise or those working with agencies. While Magento offers far greater customisation, the learning curve is steeper. For SMEs or solo entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, the simplicity of Salla makes it easier to set up and operate an eCommerce store quickly.

Customisation Flexibility

Magento 2 is an open-source platform, meaning you can fully control the codebase and customise everything from UI to backend logic. This flexibility is critical for enterprise businesses or those with unique sales flows.

However, such power comes with complexity and development costs. Salla, as a SaaS platform, limits customisation to what is available in its theme builder and app integrations. This is sufficient for small businesses, but can become a constraint as personalised needs grow.

Scalability

Magento is engineered for large-scale operations. It can handle thousands of products, multiple storefronts, and high concurrent user volumes with the right infrastructure.

For Saudi enterprises planning to scale regionally or globally, Magento offers long-term value. Salla, however, is built for small to mid-sized businesses and may face performance limitations as catalogues sizes and traffic volumes increase.

While Salla is sufficient for early growth, it might not suit businesses planning complex expansion.

Store Management Features

Magento’s store management dashboard includes advanced features such as bulk product import/export, customer segmentation, and layered navigation. It suits complex operations involving multiple vendors or categories.

Salla provides basic inventory and order management, ideal for local merchants selling through simple product categories. While not as robust as Magento, Salla’s dashboard is cleaner and more accessible for everyday sellers in the Middle East who don’t require advanced backend control.

Promotion Management and Integration Capabilities

Retail and manufacturing businesses often need advanced tools to manage promotional campaigns, dynamic offers, and seasonal deals. While Salla offers basic capabilities in this area, it lacks the depth required for complex campaign structuring or automated promotional workflows.

Moreover, its limited support for third-party and ERP system integrations poses challenges for companies with established operations. Magento 2, on the other hand, provides far greater flexibility—allowing businesses to seamlessly integrate with ERP platforms, customize promotions, and implement tailored pricing rules, making it a stronger fit for growth-oriented or operationally complex brands.

Multi-store and Multi-language Support

Magento enables management of multiple stores, languages, and currencies from a single backend. This is a game-changer for international brands and regional eCommerce companies operating in both Arabic and English markets.

Salla supports Arabic well but lacks strong multi-language or multi-store capabilities. This makes Magento the go-to platform for businesses aiming to serve multilingual consumers or operate multiple regional storefronts from one admin panel.

Mobile Responsiveness

Both Magento and Salla offer mobile-responsive themes, but Salla’s are built with mobile-first design, considering the Middle East’s heavy smartphone usage. Magento requires mobile optimisation through theme selection or custom design.

In Saudi Arabia, where over 90% of users access eCommerce via mobile, Salla’s native responsiveness is a big advantage for fast mobile browsing. However, Magento allows deeper mobile customisation for PWA (Progressive Web App) experiences.

Integration with Local Services

Salla is tightly integrated with local logistics providers (like Aramex, SPL) and payment systems (Mada, STC Pay). These ready-made integrations make store setup quick and frictionless for Saudi users.

Magento can support these services too, but requires API-level integration, which adds development time and cost. Salla’s pre-built regional integrations give it a serious advantage for Middle East-focused merchants needing fast go-to-market solutions with local tools.

Payment Gateway Options

Salla supports regional payment gateways out of the box, such as Tap, HyperPay, and PayTabs. These are critical for merchants in Saudi Arabia who want to offer localised and trusted payment methods.

Magento, while globally compatible, often requires third-party extensions or manual integration to use these gateways. Salla wins on simplicity, but Magento can provide more global gateway flexibility for cross-border sales with the right setup.

SEO and Digital Marketing

Magento offers advanced SEO tools like custom URL rewriting, canonical tags, and sitemap generation. It also integrates with marketing automation tools like Mailchimp and Klaviyo. This gives global brands a digital marketing edge. Salla includes basic SEO features like meta tags and product indexing. However, for most local SMEs, Salla’s default setup is sufficient to rank in GCC search engines. Magento is better suited for businesses investing heavily in SEO campaigns and content marketing.

Analytics and Reporting

Magento’s analytics are detailed, with dashboards for sales, customer behaviour, inventory trends, and more. You can also integrate third-party tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Adobe Analytics.

Salla provides essential reporting for orders, revenue, and traffic sources. It’s ideal for small businesses that need clarity without complexity. Magento provides deeper insights but assumes a team with analytical capabilities, while Salla is geared toward basic monitoring for independent sellers.

Third-Party Extensions

Magento’s Marketplace includes thousands of extensions, ranging from AI-powered search to ERP connectors. This is crucial for custom business logic and integrations. Salla has an app store too, but it’s much smaller and focused on regional essentials.

While Magento offers virtually unlimited extensibility, it requires more planning and technical effort. Salla prioritizes ease of use with a curated set of tools tailored for Middle Eastern business workflows.

Security and Compliance

Magento requires users to handle their own security patches, SSL, and GDPR compliance—unless using Adobe’s hosted version. Salla, as a SaaS platform, handles security updates automatically and ensures compliance with Saudi eCommerce regulations, including VAT invoicing.

For SMEs in the Middle East without dedicated IT teams, Salla reduces risk by managing the backend. For larger businesses needing specific security protocols, Magento offers total control.

Hosting and Performance

Magento must be hosted on a powerful server, preferably a cloud service like AWS or Adobe Commerce Cloud.

This increases operational control but requires DevOps knowledge. Salla includes managed hosting, offering optimised speeds without technical setup.

For local merchants in Saudi Arabia, this simplifies performance management. Magento can outperform Salla under load if properly optimised, and can be implemented with Hyva.

Total Cost of Ownership

Magento is expensive when factoring in hosting, development, security, and extensions. It’s an investment suited to businesses with bigger budgets and technical resources. Salla, on the other hand, offers low monthly subscriptions starting at SAR 0 for basic users.

For startups or individual sellers, Salla’s affordability makes it more appealing. Magento pays off in the long run for enterprises, but Salla lowers the barrier to entry for those testing their first digital business.

Go-to-Market Time

Salla enables sellers to launch in a few hours using prebuilt themes and integrations. This is invaluable for entrepreneurs who need fast results in competitive markets like Riyadh or Jeddah.

Magento development can take weeks or months, depending on complexity. For businesses requiring rapid validation of their product or service, Salla accelerates speed to market. Magento is more appropriate for strategic, long-term rollouts.

Support and Community

Magento has a global developer and partner ecosystem, with thousands of agencies, freelancers, and forums. Support can be high-quality but often expensive. Salla offers local support in Arabic via chat, tutorials, and webinars tailored for Saudi users.

For a merchant in the Middle East, especially a first-time seller, having culturally aligned, region-specific support is often more valuable than a large international community.

Migration and Portability

Magento stores can be migrated between hosts, versions, or platforms with the right tools. This data portability offers business flexibility. Salla stores, being SaaS-based, are harder to export or migrate.

This creates a degree of vendor lock-in. For businesses with long-term ambitions or potential acquisitions, Magento’s portability may be more appealing. However, for local merchants focused purely on sales and service, Salla’s restrictions rarely pose a challenge.

Platform Longevity and Future Growth

Magento continues to evolve under Adobe’s stewardship with strong investments in AI, headless commerce, and enterprise tools. It’s a future-ready platform for digital transformation. Salla is fast-growing within the Middle East and is backed by venture capital and regional partnerships.

Its roadmap includes expanding AI tools and expanding its app marketplace. Magento wins in terms of global innovation, but Salla is sharply focused on adapting to the specific needs of the Saudi and Gulf retail landscape.

Conclusion

Salla is a solid starting point for entrepreneurs and small businesses in Saudi Arabia seeking a quick, user-friendly, and affordable way to enter eCommerce. Its localized features and Arabic-first interface are well-suited for early-stage ventures focused on speed and simplicity.

However, as business needs grow—particularly in retail or manufacturing—Salla’s limitations become apparent. Lack of advanced promotional tools, restricted third-party and ERP integrations, and limited customization can hinder long-term scalability and operational efficiency.

From retailers in Saudi to B2B wholesalers in Riyadh, Magento 2 is the ideal engine to power next-generation commerce across the Middle East.

Paired with Hyvä Themes, Magento 2 delivers the speed and user experience of modern SaaS platforms while offering full customisation, international scalability, and deep ERP integrations.

Magento 2, by contrast, is a comprehensive enterprise-level platform designed for growth and flexibility. It empowers businesses with full control over store functionality, marketing campaigns, complex workflows, and integrations—making it ideal for companies aiming to scale regionally or globally. If your goal is long-term success, adaptability, and deeper operational control, Magento 2 is the smarter, future-ready choice.

Partner with an eCommerce experts from Saudi Arabia to get the right suggestions for choosing the best platform based on your unique industry needs.