Magento continues to dominate the eCommerce platform landscape, and its recent updates, including Magento 2.4, are a testament to Adobe’s commitment to empowering online businesses. With this version, Magento enhances its scalability, security, and performance, making it the perfect choice for growing eCommerce stores. One notable aspect of Magento 2.4 is its reliance on advanced search solutions like ElasticSearch and OpenSearch, which play a critical role in providing a seamless shopping experience for customers.
Why Magento Requires ElasticSearch or OpenSearch
Magento’s search functionality is a cornerstone of any successful eCommerce store. As customers expect faster and more accurate results when searching for products, basic database-driven search mechanisms are no longer sufficient. Magento 2.4 and later versions have made ElasticSearch and OpenSearch mandatory for handling catalog search functionality.
Key Roles of ElasticSearch and OpenSearch in Magento:
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Enhanced Product Search: These search engines provide near-instantaneous and highly accurate search results, helping customers find what they need quickly.
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Faceted Navigation: ElasticSearch and OpenSearch enable dynamic filtering and sorting of search results, improving the shopping experience for customers browsing large catalogs.
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Scalability: They are built to handle high volumes of search queries, ensuring consistent performance during traffic spikes.
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Multilingual Support: Both solutions offer robust support for languages, making them ideal for international eCommerce operations.
ElasticSearch vs. OpenSearch
While both ElasticSearch and OpenSearch provide exceptional search capabilities, there are key differences between them:
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Ownership and Development:
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ElasticSearch is developed by Elastic.co and has been a go-to solution for Magento users for years.
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OpenSearch is a community-driven fork of ElasticSearch, initiated by Amazon Web Services (AWS), offering a fully open-source alternative.
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Licensing:
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ElasticSearch transitioned to a more restrictive licensing model (SSPL) for its newer versions, which limits certain uses.
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OpenSearch remains fully open-source, adhering to the Apache 2.0 license.
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Compatibility:
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Both are compatible with Magento 2.4, but businesses may prefer one over the other based on their licensing policies or existing infrastructure.
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Our hosting services ensure compatibility with both ElasticSearch and OpenSearch, allowing you to choose the best option for your store’s needs.
Hosting Requirements for Magento 2.4 with ElasticSearch/OpenSearch
Given the resource-intensive nature of Magento and the demands of search engines like ElasticSearch and OpenSearch, a robust hosting environment is essential. Shared hosting solutions simply do not meet the performance and scalability requirements of this setup.
We recommend:
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Virtual Private Servers (VPS) / Cloud Servers:
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Ideal for medium-sized stores with moderate traffic.
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Flexible and scalable, perfect for growing businesses.
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Dedicated Servers: The ultimate choice for large enterprises and high-traffic eCommerce stores.
Our server management offerings include the setup and optimisation of ElasticSearch or OpenSearch. Additionally, we can configure your server to meet Magento’s minimum and recommended system requirements, including the installation of Composer, RabbitMQ and Redis. These tools further enhance your store’s performance, scalability, and functionality.
Why Choose Us for Magento Hosting?
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Expertise: Our team specialises in managing Magento environments, ensuring a seamless and secure setup.
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Customised Solutions: We tailor your hosting environment to meet your specific business needs.
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Full Support: From installation to ongoing management, we’re with you every step of the way.
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Future-Proofing: We keep your Magento server environment up-to-date with the latest requirements, ensuring compatibility and performance as your business grows.
Magento 2.4 is designed to deliver a superior shopping experience, and with ElasticSearch, OpenSearch, Composer, RabbitMQ and Redis integrated into your hosting environment, your store will be technically prepared to excel in a competitive market. Get in touch with us today to discuss how our hosting solutions can elevate your Magento store!
Updated by SP on 08/01/2025
