Choosing the right frontend for your Magento store has a huge impact on site speed, user experience, and maintenance costs. There are several approaches available on the market – from the default Luma, through the modern Hyvä, to advanced PWA architecture. That’s why it’s worth understanding how they differ and which one best fits your business.
What is a frontend in e-commerce?
The frontend in e-commerce is the part of the online store that customers see and interact with. It’s responsible for the store’s appearance, performance, and user interaction – from product categories and layouts, through the cart and checkout process, to mobile responsiveness.
You could say the frontend is like a “shop window” in the online world – it shapes the first impression, shopping comfort, and whether a visitor decides to stay on your site.
That’s why choosing the right frontend technology for Magento is a strategic decision that directly affects conversion rates, SEO, and customer satisfaction.
Luma – the classic Magento frontend
Luma is the default Magento 2 theme, built with Knockout.js and LESS. For many years, it has been the main starting point for most Magento implementations. Thanks to its availability and popularity, it became a natural choice for many stores starting their e-commerce journey.
Pros:
- Available out of the box in Magento – no extra cost.
- Highly compatible with most extensions and themes.
- Large knowledge base and developer community, making it easy to find support.
Cons:
- Outdated technology (Knockout.js).
- Very low performance – heavy JS and CSS files.
- Hard to optimize for Core Web Vitals.
- Long and costly development for major changes.
Best for:
Small stores that need a quick, low-budget way to launch online sales.
Hyvä – a fast and modern alternative
Hyvä is a frontend framework for Magento created to solve Luma’s performance and complexity issues. Built with Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js, it simplifies the codebase, minimizes JavaScript, and delivers excellent performance results.
Pros:
- Outstanding performance scores in Google PageSpeed and Lighthouse.
- Easier and faster development with cleaner architecture.
- High compatibility with Magento extensions – most work out of the box.
- Active community and ongoing development make support and updates easier.
Cons:
- Paid license (one-time cost around €1000).
- Fewer ready-made themes than Luma, which can slow down quick launches.
- No offline mode or push notifications like PWA, which may limit mobile-first strategies.
Best for:
Small and medium-sized stores that want a modern, fast frontend without building a full headless architecture.
PWA – Progressive Web App
PWA is an approach where the store’s frontend works like a web application. Typically built with React (e.g., Magento PWA Studio) or Vue (e.g., Vue Storefront), it uses a headless architecture – Magento handles the backend, while the frontend communicates via API (GraphQL).
Pros:
- App-like experience (mobile-first UX).
- Works offline, can be installed on smartphones, and supports push notifications.
- Highly flexible frontend, independent from Magento.
- Can achieve the highest performance, especially for high-traffic stores.
Cons:
- Very high development and maintenance costs – not ideal for small businesses.
- Low compatibility with Magento extensions – many must be rebuilt for API use.
- Requires advanced technical skills (both JS and Magento teams).
- Longer development time, which should be considered in project planning.
Best for:
Medium and large e-commerce businesses with solid budgets, focusing on a mobile-first strategy and omnichannel growth.
Summary – which solution should you choose?
👉 Luma – good only at the beginning or when you have a minimal budget.
👉 Hyvä – the golden middle ground: modern, fast, and relatively easy to implement. The best choice for most stores.
👉 PWA – a future-oriented solution, but one that requires a significant investment. Perfect for brands aiming to move to the next level with a mobile-first and headless architecture.
The choice of frontend in Magento directly affects your store’s performance and customer experience, so it’s important to match the technology to your business size and needs.
