What Magento version to choose and how to download it

The self-managed Magento software platform is one of the most well-known web solutions that any online business can use today. Some world-renowned organizations utilize this software platform for their online business. These companies run successful businesses in various industries, from fashion, refreshments to hardware.

Merchants can go further and turn their Magento-based website into an omnichannel system that helps them run and scale their business without any hassle.

Magento currently has two software adaptations, namely the Community (CE) and Enterprise (EE) editions. Both have similar features, but the Enterprise edition has some functions that are superior to the Community edition.

Magento CE is distributed with no financial obligations and is free to use. This option is suitable for small private ventures. Users are free to add various features and download readily available extensions to enhance the capabilities of the Magento-based store.

The Enterprise Edition is at the other end of the table, as it is a paid adaptation. The Magento EE variant offers many additional capacities compared to the free edition. Namely, enhanced security and performance, additional features, and scalability are fundamental for building professional commercial organizations.

Choosing the Magento edition that is right for you

You should stick to the free Community edition if you can answer the following points in the affirmative:

• No plans to expand your online shop in the future;
• The shop only sells products in local currency within one country;
• The shop does not require 24/7 support and a development team supports it.

The Community edition is fully authorized for download without any financial charges. It contains the same primary elements as the business edition of Magento. However, the Community edition is intended for a small internet business organization whose site doesn't need all the rich elements modern technologies provide. Security should be at a premium with the Community Edition.

The Enterprise Edition is the best option if the answers to the following points are in the affirmative:

• Progressive advertising and usage features (gifts, various wishes, rewards, limits, extraordinary promotions, vouchers, and private deals) are a must;

• The store requires considerably more unique functionality. Magento CE provides a limited list of options by default;

• The store requires constant non-stop customer support;
• The shop sells worldwide and utilizes various monetary standards and language dialects;
• The site acknowledges different types of financial payments (cheques, orders, PayPal);
• Security measures the owner considers fundamental for the store.

So, does your internet business need to grow and adapt quickly? Do you want to enter unfamiliar business sectors? Are there any indications that significant changes to your site are needed, such as a significant expansion of your product list or additional levels of site security? If your answers are yes, then Enterprise edition will bring incredible additional capacities to meet your challenges.

How to download the free Community Edition

Adobe provides several ways for the store owner to get a copy of Magento. Use one of them to get the package for yourself.

Composer

This software tool empowers the store developer to oversee the Magento parts and monitor their status. Using it to install the platform has advantages over installing a ZIP package:

• Allows you to reuse libraries without loading them into the source code;
• Component-based design that depends on managing dependencies of external components;
• Semantic options;
• Support for PHP interoperability.

Git

Adobe provides a public Git repository for anyone developing features to embed in Magento source code. Use this method in case: - You have exceptionally great technical skills; - Composer and Git are familiar to you; - You know how to update the software using the command line.

If you cannot give the positive answers to the questions in the list above, choose an alternate method of downloading.

Archive

If you download the Magento package in ZIP or TAR format, you can unpack it directly on the server. You can also choose whether or not to incorporate the example database in the download.

This is a generally clear strategy for installing an e-commerce platform; however, it needs many actions compared to the Composer installation method. Therefore, assuming you may need any of the Composer highlights mentioned above, we suggest that you utilize the appropriate strategy.

How to download the Enterprise Edition

To get a copy of the Enterprise version of Magento, you need to follow this step-by-step manual:

• Open magento.com in your web browser;
• Use your Adobe commerce credentials to log in;
• Find the Download link on the page;
• Choose the version of Enterprise Edition. Specify whether you want the full release or the full release with sample database;
• The Adobe Commerce page will display further instructions for downloading;
• Download the installation package and transfer it to your server.