Website (in red in the diagram below)
At the top of the hierarchy is the 'website', implementing multiple websites on the same Magento install allows you to change every aspect of the customer experience, from shipping methods and payment options, to prices and categorisation.
Each website, must have a store.
Store (in orange in the diagram below)
Separate stores allow you to have multiple sites, each with its own product inventory and category structure, whilst using the same checkout parameters across each site.
Each store, must have a store view.
Store Views (in yellow in the diagram below)
Store views are ideal for making the site available in various languages/currencies. Store views can have a different design, including specific banners, product images and the names of categories but from a functionality point of view, store views are quite limited.
Website | Store | Store View | |
Products | |||
Prices | Yes | No | No |
Descriptions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Product Title | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SKUs | No | No | No |
Product Images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Store Set-up | |||
Tax Rates | Yes | No | No |
Payment Methods | Yes | No | No |
Shared Baskets | No | Yes | Yes |
Shipping Methods | Yes | Yes | No |
Category Structure | Yes | Yes | No |
Banners | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Promotions | |||
Catalogue Price Rules | Yes | No | No |
Shopping Cart Price Rules | Yes | No | No |
Quantity Discount Breaks | Yes | No | No |
Customer Group Pricing | Yes | No | No |
Misc | |||
Reviews | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Search Term Redirect | No | No | Yes |
Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes* |
Imports/Exports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*some reports are not available by 'store view'.