PrestaShop, WooCommerce or Shopify?
A practical comparison of e-commerce platforms from a developer perspective, so you can decide based on facts rather than trends.
Request a Free ConsultationDetailed Platform Comparison
We compare the criteria that materially affect an online store. PrestaShop is highlighted because it is our main specialism, while the comparison also shows when another platform is a better fit.
| Recommended PrestaShop | WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence and Cost | Open source with no licence fee — you pay for hosting and development | Open-source WordPress plugin — you pay for hosting and extensions | Monthly subscription from approximately EUR 32 plus possible transaction fees |
| Customisation and Business Logic | Full control over modules, overrides and the database structure | Highly flexible through WordPress hooks and PHP | More limited: Liquid themes and apps make deep customisation harder |
| Best Suited For | Medium and large stores, complex catalogues and B2B | Small and medium stores combining content and commerce | A fast launch without deep customisation |
| Languages and Currencies | Built in: multistore, languages and currencies | Through extensions such as WPML or Polylang | Through Markets and apps, with limitations |
| Large Catalogue Performance | Handles large catalogues well when optimised | Depends on hosting and the number of extensions | Stable because Shopify hosts the platform |
| Payment Methods | Any payment provider without platform transaction fees | Many gateways without platform transaction fees | Shopify Payments or an additional fee for external gateways |
| Maintenance and Updates | Requires technical maintenance and planned version migrations | WordPress and extension updates require compatibility monitoring | Shopify maintains the platform, reducing technical overhead |
| Data Ownership and Vendor Lock-in | Full ownership and easier migration to another provider | Full ownership on your own hosting | Platform dependency makes migration more difficult |
| Required Expertise | PHP, Symfony, databases and server expertise; development usually requires a team | WordPress and PHP expertise is widely available | Liquid and apps create a lower technical barrier |
