Frequently Asked Questions

Jump to: Value Proposition · The Distribution · Vision & Sustainability · Finances · Community · Ecosystem Compatibility · Usage · Contribution · Technology · Getting Help

Value Proposition

What is the purpose of Mage-OS?

We want businesses and careers built around Magento Open Source to prosper.

Magento Open Source is a mature eCommerce platform, with more than 300,000 developers and thousands of businesses worldwide depending on it.

We are ensuring a bright future for Magento by:

• Enabling the development community to enhance the platform
• Providing merchants and agencies the long-term reliability they require
• Giving newcomers an easy entry into the platform

How will Mage-OS fulfill its purpose?

Mage-OS is an eCommerce platform, evolved from Magento Open Source. It can be used to build online stores, in the same way that Magento Open Source can be used.

Because Mage-OS is focused on improving the components that make up the platform, we envision it becoming a foundation that many purpose-built variations of eCommerce systems can be built on, such as:

• A minimal system optimized for low resource consumption
• A system optimized for headless storefronts
• Systems for modern server-side rendered stores
• Specialized B2B e-procurement systems

We are also driving the ecosystem by providing content for merchants and agencies, including comparisons to other platforms, showcases, FAQs, directories, and more.

How is Mage-OS better than Magento Open Source?

Our initial focus is on significant performance and usability improvements. We integrate changes that have been suggested as Pull Requests to Magento Open Source by the community, but haven’t been included by Adobe due to resource constraints.

Over time, those bug fixes and improvements will become an increasingly large advantage for Mage-OS over Magento.

How is Mage-OS better than other eCommerce platforms?

Magento is a very stable and feature-rich eCommerce platform with:

• A huge number of integrations with third-party services
• A rich and experienced developer community
• Proven scalability for enterprises of all sizes

Mage-OS is and will remain fully compatible with Magento solutions and integrations, while providing additional enhancements on top.

Why should a merchant consider using Mage-OS?

Mage-OS offers:

• Mature and stable platform with a huge amount of existing third-party integrations
• Ownership of the platform by becoming a member of the Mage-OS Association
• Unparalleled flexibility and customizability for your unique business needs
• Large global community of developers, agencies, and support options

As an agency, what value do I get from Mage-OS?

• Direct influence and ownership of the platform by becoming a member
• Stable and mature eCommerce platform, evolved from Magento Open Source
• Participation in the vibrant global Magento community
• Faster release cycles for security patches and improvements
• Referral opportunities from the Mage-OS network for merchant services

The Distribution

What is the Mage-OS Distribution?

The Mage-OS Distribution is a community-driven eCommerce platform built on top of Magento Open Source. It includes all the same core functionality plus community-developed enhancements such as:

• Faster security patches released as soon as they are validated
• Performance optimizations for better page load times
• Innovative features developed through the Mage-OS Lab

The distribution is 100% compatible with existing Magento 2 extensions, themes, and integrations while offering improvements that may not be available in the upstream Magento project.

What is the Mage-OS Lab?

The Mage-OS Lab is our community innovation space where members experiment, develop, and perfect new features before they graduate to the core distribution. It operates as a sandbox for trying new ideas without impacting the stability of the main distribution.

Lab projects have included:

• PCI DSS 4.0 compliance improvements
• AI-powered translation tools
• Theme and performance optimizations
• Developer experience enhancements

Everyone is welcome to contribute modules, improvements, and ideas to the Lab.

What enhancements does Mage-OS include?

Mage-OS focuses on several key areas:

See our Features page for a detailed breakdown.

How does Mage-OS handle security patches?

Security issues are prioritized and fixed quickly through an open, transparent review process. Critical patches ship as soon as they are validated by the community, rather than waiting for quarterly corporate release schedules. This approach helps merchants stay protected against emerging threats.

Vision and Sustainability

What is the long-term vision?

Our vision for Mage-OS is to provide a high-quality, dependable, and better alternative to the Adobe-curated Magento Open Source project. We will demonstrate an ability to process contributions quickly and effectively, improve the quality and accessibility of the platform, and release updates on a regular cadence.

What is the current status of Mage-OS?

Mage-OS is a mature, production-ready platform. Current initiatives include:

The Mage-OS Distribution is open for contributions and pull requests at github.com/mage-os/mageos-magento2.

When can I start using Mage-OS?

You can use Mage-OS today! See the Get Started page for instructions.

What are the plans for if Adobe no longer supports Magento Open Source?

If or when Adobe stops supporting Magento Open Source, Mage-OS will be well positioned to step into its place. This is an important aspect of Mage-OS: to provide certainty and a long-term plan for the ecosystem, regardless of factors outside our control.

In the meantime, we make every effort to preserve compatibility with Magento Open Source, while improving performance and adding new features.

What is the roadmap?

Our roadmap focuses on:

1. Immediate priorities: Improving platform stability and performance, reducing total cost of ownership
2. Architecture improvements: Reducing dependencies between modules to allow sites to remove features they don’t need
3. Community-driven features: Platform enhancements contributed by the ecosystem
4. Long-term: Enhancing Mage-OS capabilities to remain competitive against other modern ecommerce platforms

See our Roadmap page for more details.

How is Mage-OS going to ensure long-term support?

We follow an approach inspired by the Typo3 Association. This model of a community-owned organization provides the vendor-based support and financial backing required for the long-term success of businesses built around Mage-OS.

Finances

How is the Mage-OS Association funded?

Mage-OS is fully funded by membership fees and donations from our members and partner companies. All payments are visible through our Open Collective.

How are funds used?

The Mage-OS Association is not-for-profit, and invests funds into:

• Operational expenses: Accountant, lawyer, bank fees, website, software and licenses
• Staffing: Part-time staff to organize contributors and efforts
• Development: Funding development of features and improvements to support ecosystem growth

What protections are in place?

As a legally registered association, we are bound by our statutes, which include multiple approvals for all spending, audits by our Business Control Committee, and an annual budget and financials approved by the members.

Can I pay for a feature?

Yes! If you would like to see a feature developed and are willing to put funds toward it, talk to us about the Mage-OS grant program. All grants are subject to applicability to the broad community and feasibility of completion.

How can I apply for a development grant?

We are continuing to develop our grant program. If you have an idea for a feature that would benefit the broader Mage-OS community, reach out to us on Discord to discuss the possibility.

Community

How is Mage-OS related to the Magento Association?

Mage-OS and the Magento Association both deal with the Magento ecosystem, but focus on different things.

Magento Association focuses on community events, content, outreach, and representing the Magento brand with Adobe.

Mage-OS Association is more technology-focused—we publish an improved but compatible distribution of Magento and focus on growing independently of Adobe.

We look forward to collaborating with the Magento Association as we both share the same fundamental purpose of supporting the Magento Open Source ecosystem.

Why create a whole new association and brand?

We fundamentally disagree with the direction Adobe is taking the platform. In order to take the steps we see as necessary for Magento to thrive, we need control and nimbleness that is not possible in the Adobe-controlled Magento Open Source project.

For this reason, we made the decision to create our own fork and distribution based on the Magento open source code. The Magento name and logo are trademarks we can’t use, so we call this new product Mage-OS.

Is Mage-OS specific to Europe?

No. Mage-OS was started by a group of companies located mostly in Europe, but we are actively growing our member base all over the world.

Isn’t it a conflict of interest to have companies represented by leadership?

Any people with a business that relies on Magento have a vested interest in Magento’s success. The Mage-OS Association’s statutes have specific requirements for avoiding direct conflicts of interest, which all board members must abide by.

Is Mage-OS going to have its own certification path?

At this time, Mage-OS does not offer its own certification. There are many excellent resources to learn Magento as a merchant, solution architect, or developer. We may consider offering certification in the future if it serves the community’s needs.

Is Mage-OS going to organize its own events?

Members are organizing Mage-OS meetups and participating in events including Meet-Commerce conferences and Unconferences. If you are interested in representing Mage-OS at a conference you are planning to attend, let us know on Discord!

Once a year, all members are invited to the General Assembly of the Mage-OS Association, which governs the association according to its statutes.

Ecosystem Compatibility

Is Mage-OS going to split the Magento ecosystem?

No, splitting the ecosystem is the last thing we want to do. Mage-OS was created to revitalize and sustain the community of developers, agencies, merchants, and partners that built their business around Magento.

The best way for us to do that is to stay compatible with Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce to the greatest extent possible, for as long as we can.

How compatible is Mage-OS with Magento?

Mage-OS maintains full compatibility with the Magento ecosystem:

Mage-OS makes improvements and fixes to the core, but those changes will not break or fundamentally change the nature of Magento. It is still the same architecture with the same incredible customizability.

Will Mage-OS compete with my business?

No. Mage-OS’s intention is to support the ecosystem, not undermine it. The Mage-OS Association will not provide conventional merchant services.

Any requests we receive for development, integration, site builds, or audits are referred to our community of agencies and developers. We exist to help the ecosystem thrive, not to compete with it.

Usage

Can I switch to Mage-OS if I’m already running Magento?

Yes! You will need to make some changes to your composer.json file and then update. The Mage-OS mirror is compatible with all your existing Magento code, but please test in a development environment before switching on a live site.

Can I switch back to Magento after using Mage-OS?

Yes! You can switch back by updating your composer.json file. You will lose any Mage-OS-specific enhancements in the process, but you can always switch again later.

Can I move from Mage-OS to Adobe Commerce?

Yes. It is very similar to moving from Magento Open Source to Adobe Commerce. You will lose Mage-OS-specific features, but your data will stay intact.

Can I move from Adobe Commerce to Mage-OS?

Yes. You will lose any Adobe Commerce-specific features in the process, but both are based on the same Magento core, so all of your data will stay intact. The process is very similar to moving from Adobe Commerce to Magento Open Source.

How long does migration from Magento take?

A straightforward migration typically takes 15-30 minutes. Stores with extensive customizations may require additional testing time but rarely exceed a few hours. See our Migration Guide for step-by-step instructions.

How do I install Mage-OS?

Magento from public mirror:

composer create-project --repository-url=https://mirror.mage-os.org \
  magento/project-community-edition

Mage-OS Distribution:

composer create-project --repository-url=https://repo.mage-os.org \
  mage-os/project-community-edition

Available repositories:

• mirror.mage-os.org - Magento Open Source versions since 2.3.7-p3
• upstream-nightly.mage-os.org - Nightly builds from develop branches
• nightly.mage-os.org - Mage-OS Distribution nightly builds

Contribution

How can I contribute to Mage-OS?

There are many ways to contribute:

Why should I contribute?

By contributing to Mage-OS, you are directly supporting development of the Mage-OS and Magento ecosystem. You can directly influence the direction of the platform and help to keep it modern and relevant.

What kind of contributions are accepted?

We are particularly interested in backwards-compatible changes:

• Bug fixes
• Improvements to the developer experience
• Performance improvements
• Improvements to maintainability
• Independent modules which enhance or add functionality

Are there meetings I can join?

Yes! Meetings happen in Discord in the “Public Meeting Room” voice channel:

Contributors meet to discuss progress, infrastructure, tooling, and new features. Join the Discord and participate! If you just want to listen, that is fine too.

Convert to your timezone

Technology

What versions of Magento is Mage-OS based on?

Mage-OS is focused on Magento 2, particularly the supported release line (2.4). For Magento 1, we encourage you to look at OpenMage LTS.

Will changes be merged into Magento Open Source?

We have had informal discussions with Adobe about merging Mage-OS PRs into Magento Open Source. The most likely process will be that Magento will cherry-pick commits they are interested in.

Regarding divergence: Our goal is to maintain backwards compatibility as long as possible, but Mage-OS and Magento will diverge over time as we add enhancements and features.

How do new feature proposals work?

For new features, we deliver these as separate packages. This allows for an independent release schedule and makes it easier to keep upstream compatibility with Magento Open Source intact.

The approach:

• New features = new modules
• Backwards-compatible improvements to the core can go into the Mage-OS core

Will Mage-OS have extra modules not in Magento Open Source?

Yes, add-on modules are the plan for enhancements and additions to the platform. This has numerous advantages:

• Easier maintenance
• Separate release schedules
• Keeping the main repository closer to the upstream Magento core

The Mage-OS Lab is where many of these modules are developed and tested before being considered for inclusion in the distribution.

Getting Help

Where can I get support for Mage-OS?

What if I need professional services?

The Mage-OS Association does not provide implementation services directly. However, we work with a network of experienced agencies and developers who specialize in Mage-OS and Magento. We encourage you to check out our partners below.

Looking for help with your project? Reach out on Discord and we can connect you with qualified professionals in our community.

How do I report a security issue?

If you discover a security vulnerability in Mage-OS, please report it responsibly by emailing security@mage-os.org. Do not disclose security issues publicly until they have been addressed.

If your issue also affects Magento Open Source, please report it directly to Adobe via their HackerOne Bug Bounty program.

More Questions?

If you do not find your answer here, we are here to help:

We welcome feedback on this FAQ. If you think a question should be added, let us know on Discord!