Choose a Commerce option
Start by identifying which system owns cart, checkout, orders, and other transactions. Then, choose the merchandising path that fits that backend.
Questions to guide your decision
Use the following questions to identify which options to evaluate. Consider your existing commerce backend, how much infrastructure responsibility you want to retain, and whether you need to improve product discovery and merchandising. Adobe Commerce Optimizer provides discovery and merchandising capabilities. It does not replace the backend that handles transactions.
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Do you want Adobe to manage the Commerce platform as software as a service (SaaS)?
- Yes: Evaluate Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service.
- No: If you need Adobe Commerce and want to retain control over your cloud or on-premises infrastructure, evaluate Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on premises.
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Do you need Adobe Commerce to handle cart, checkout, orders, and other transactions?
- Yes: Evaluate Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on premises, or Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service. These options use Commerce Foundation as the transactional backend.
- No: Retain your existing or third-party transactional backend. If you also need Adobe discovery and merchandising capabilities, evaluate stand-alone Adobe Commerce Optimizer.
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Do you want to use Adobe Commerce Optimizer to improve product discovery and merchandising with your existing third-party commerce backend?
- Yes: Evaluate stand-alone Adobe Commerce Optimizer while retaining your third-party backend for transactions.
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Do you already operate Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on premises and want stronger discovery and merchandising?
- Yes: Evaluate the Adobe Commerce Optimizer Connector to synchronize catalog and pricing data while Adobe Commerce continues to handle transactions.
Use the comparison table below to match your answers to a starting point. For detailed system diagrams, see Architecture options.