Magento 1 has always had a reputation for being a bit underwhelming when it comes to speed. The question on the forefront of everyone’s minds, then, is whether or not Magento 2 is actually any better. If you were to ask the people at Magento, they’d likely tell you that yes, it’s 39% faster*. However, the real answer is not quite as straightforward as a simple yes or no.
SEE ALSO: eCommerce Needs Speed: The Value of VARNISH Cache and Fast Page Loads
How Fast Is Magento 2?
The reality is that Magento 2.x is heavy, but it can be fast.
Let’s look at the positive first: Magento 2 is much more complex and robust than Magento 1, meaning that it can be absolutely fantastic with the right configuration. Specifically, it has many new features that can make it a stronger, faster platform, including:
- Improved hardware
- Better server configuration
- PHP7
- Varnish cache
- Improved security
- Vastly improved admin interface
In addition, there are a few tried and true tricks that developers or site owners can use to squeeze a little more performance out of their Magento 2 installation. Namely, they can:
- Ensure that they have JS and CSS merged
- Utilize gzip and expires headers
- Use CDNs
- Use FPC
SEE ALSO: 3 Magento Optimization Secrets Every Marketing Company Should Know
When it’s all listed out like that, it sounds like a done deal. Why choose anything else when Magento 2 has so much to offer? Well, the reality is that you need to work to get the most out of these features, and improper configuration can lead to big problems down the road.
Potential Problems
For this reason, ‘proceed with caution’ is the phrase of the day with Magento 2. It’s easy to get lost in hardware configuration and structural complexity once you move past Vanilla. They’ve managed to fix a lot of issues from 2.0 and 2.1 (read more about that here) but it’s important to keep things simple. Why? As the complexity grows, the packet size goes, and your headaches will grow along with it. Unless, of course, you’re just planning on creating a Madison Island Shop.
*Process 39% more orders an hour
