Shopify vs PrestaShop
Shopify vs PrestaShop 2026 - Which Online Store Builder is Right for You?
Shopify offers a user-friendly store builder, hosting, SSL certificate, and 24/7 support upon signing up.
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Why Choose Shopify vs. PrestaShop
| Key features | PrestaShop | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting included | PrestaShopHosted offer only | ShopifyIncluded on every plan |
| SSL certificate included | PrestaShopHosted offer only | ShopifyIncluded on every plan |
| Free subdomain | PrestaShopxxx.mypresta.shop subdomain, Hosted offer only | ShopifyFree .myshopify.com subdomain |
| PCI-DSS compliant | PrestaShopYes | ShopifyYes |
| Multiple languages supported | PrestaShopYes | ShopifyYes |
| Open source | PrestaShopYes | ShopifyNo |
| Customizable website | PrestaShopYes | ShopifyYes |
| App store available | PrestaShopPrestaShop Marketplace: more than 3,200 themes and modules | ShopifyShopify App Store: more than 21,000 apps |
| Mobile app for store owners | PrestaShopNot included | ShopifyIncluded |
| Customizable reports | PrestaShopRequires a module | ShopifyIncluded |
| Built-in blog CMS | PrestaShopRequires a module | ShopifyIncluded |
| Unlimited products | PrestaShopUnlimited | ShopifyUnlimited |
| Website themes | PrestaShopYes | ShopifyYes |
| Multiple currencies | PrestaShopYes | ShopifyYes |
| POS system | PrestaShopRequires a module | ShopifyShopify POS |
| International payment processors | PrestaShop190 countries via PrestaShop Checkout with PayPal | ShopifyYes |
| Native email app | PrestaShopKlaviyo integration, Hosted offer only | ShopifyShopify Messaging |
| Built-in fraud protection | PrestaShopThrough PrestaShop Checkout with PayPal | ShopifyIncluded |
| 24/7 customer support | PrestaShop6 days a week, Hosted offer only | Shopify24/7 in English |
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10 Things Shopify Can Do vs PrestaShop
78% of surveyed merchants built their own store
Shopify’s drag-and-drop website builder makes it easy to build an online store—no coding or programming experience required. Create a beautiful store with a choice of over 70 responsive themes, and customize it without hiring help. In Shopify’s 2026 Merchant Pulse Survey of 6,535 merchants, 78% built their own Shopify store, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report.
Out of the box security
When comparing Shopify vs PrestaShop in terms of security, Shopify offers an out-of-the-box solution. When you sign up for Shopify, you get a free SSL certificate, automatic updates, and 24/7 monitoring. With PrestaShop’s free Classic edition, you set up SSL through your own hosting provider and apply software updates yourself with its Update Assistant. Free TLS/SSL certificates come with PrestaShop’s paid Hosted offer (PrestaShop, “General terms and conditions of use for the PrestaShop Hosted offer,” accessed October 2026).
Free subdomain and domain generator
Shopify provides a free subdomain on .myshopify.com. It also offers a free domain name generator to help you find the right domain name for your business. PrestaShop’s free Classic edition doesn’t include a domain, so you’ll need to buy one from a domain registrar. PrestaShop’s paid Hosted offer includes a subdomain in the format xxx.mypresta.shop (PrestaShop, “General terms and conditions of use for the PrestaShop Hosted offer,” accessed October 2026).
Built-in payment processor
Eligible businesses can use Shopify’s built-in payment processor, Shopify Payments, to accept payments. You can also use third-party providers like PayPal, but Shopify charges no third-party transaction fee on orders processed through Shopify Payments. PrestaShop’s all-in-one payment solution is PrestaShop Checkout, built with PayPal (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop Checkout: manage all payment options,” accessed October 2026).
Simple email app
Creating your store on Shopify allows you to access Shopify Messaging. Shopify Messaging is an email app that allows you to build, run, and track email marketing campaigns directly from your Shopify admin. PrestaShop’s email marketing automation, PrestaShop Automation with Klaviyo, is included in its paid Hosted offer (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026).
Free access to sales channels
One of the advantages of Shopify is that it allows you to access other sales channels at no additional cost. You can sell on Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and popular online marketplaces by connecting each channel to your store. PrestaShop connects your catalog to Facebook and Instagram through PrestaShop Social (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026).
Fast loading site
Shopify offers a fast-loading website. PrestaShop’s free Classic edition is self-hosted, so your site speed depends on your hosting provider’s server performance and other external factors. Its paid Hosted offer runs on hosting from PrestaShop’s partner Gandi (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026).
One platform
Selling from a retail store and a website? Use Shopify POS to unify in-store and online sales and keep products, customers, and payments synced. On PrestaShop, you have to look for a point-of-sale module with omnichannel data unification capabilities, which may come at a cost.
24/7 support on every plan
Shopify support is available 24/7, no matter which plan you’re on. You’ll also have access to help docs, webinars, blog posts, and online courses to guide you along the way. PrestaShop’s paid Hosted offer includes support six days a week by email, live chat, or phone (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026), and its free Classic edition doesn’t include a support package (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026). Shopify doesn’t require a separate support plan to get technical assistance.
Customizable sales reports
On the advanced plan, Shopify offers sales reports that allow you to see information about your customers’ orders. You can access them based on criteria such as sales over time, by channel, or by product. Shopify lets you edit and filter these reports to show the specific data you need. On PrestaShop, you can only view the customer list and overall total sales by default. Filtering and customizing reports require PrestaShop merchants to invest in a paid module.
Why Businesses Prefer Shopify vs. PrestaShop
Great solution for SMBs
Shopify is a great ecommerce solution for small businesses to easily build a store and get their products available for sale online. Shopify provides hundreds of template options which allow businesses to customize their look and feel to suit their brand so they can start selling faster, without the need to hire out a web designer.
99.9% uptime for product launches
Millions of merchants rely on Shopify to keep their online store running during important product launches. With reliable uptime and hosting, Shopify has the ability to handle high traffic volume, uptime, and more. PrestaShop’s free Classic edition is self-hosted, so store owners choose and manage their own hosting. Its paid Hosted offer includes hosting with Gandi (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026).
21,000+ free and paid apps
The Shopify App Store contains more than 21,000 apps, free and paid, to integrate with your business. Merchants installed 21 million apps in 2025, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report. PrestaShop lists more than 3,200 themes and modules on the PrestaShop Marketplace (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026).
Integrated blog
All Shopify stores come with a built-in blog that allows you to publish content on your website. Blogging is a great way to build a community and get more exposure and sales for your business. On PrestaShop, you need to install a module in order to start blogging.
Strong security
Shopify includes a free SSL certificate that helps protect customer data from hackers. Shopify also comes with a built-in fraud protection that notifies businesses about suspicious orders.
Modern themes
Shopify offers a variety of website themes, including free ones. Although PrestaShop has more themes available, Shopify's selection is purpose-built for ecommerce. Shopify themes are also easier to customize, so you can modify them to reflect your online brand without needing to know how to code.
Active community and a $194.7B partner ecosystem
The Shopify ecosystem is dedicated to helping businesses succeed on Shopify, and it includes a community forum, a marketplace to hire experts, and more. Shopify’s partners, including app developers, theme designers, and agencies, generated $194.7 billion in economic activity in the year ending June 30, 2026, and Shopify paid partners $3.8 billion over the same period, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report. PrestaShop has a community and says more than 250 certified agencies can help merchants build their stores (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026).
Mobile app
Shopify offers a mobile app that lets you manage your store from your Android or iPhone. PrestaShop’s Classic and Hosted offers don’t list a mobile app for managing your store (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026).
We’ve been able to build something in 3 years that a lot of brands haven’t actually gotten to in 10 years.
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Shopify vs. PrestaShop FAQ
What is the difference between Shopify and PrestaShop?
Shopify is a hosted commerce platform, so every plan includes hosting, an SSL certificate, and 24/7 support. PrestaShop is open-source software: Its Classic version is a free download that you install and host yourself, and its paid Hosted offer adds hosting, installation, and a support package (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026).
Is Shopify or PrestaShop easier to use?
Shopify is easier to use if you don’t code, because you build your store with a drag-and-drop editor and Shopify handles the hosting. In Shopify’s 2026 Merchant Pulse Survey of 6,535 merchants, 78% built their own Shopify store, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report. PrestaShop says its software “requires some technical knowledge, especially to install your store on a server,” plus technical know-how to customize the store (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026). PrestaShop suits store owners who want to edit and host the code themselves.
Which is cheaper: Shopify or PrestaShop?
Which is cheaper depends on what your PrestaShop store needs: PrestaShop’s Classic software is free to download but doesn’t include hosting or a domain name, and its Hosted offer costs €24 a month billed annually or €29 month to month, excluding VAT, as of October 2026 (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026). Shopify’s pricing starts at £19.00/month when paying yearly, and it includes most of the features needed to run an online store.
Does PrestaShop include hosting like Shopify?
Only on PrestaShop’s paid Hosted offer, which includes 50 GB of hosting with Gandi. PrestaShop’s free Classic version doesn’t include hosting or a domain name (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026). Every Shopify plan includes hosting and an SSL certificate, with automatic updates and 24/7 monitoring.
Does Shopify or PrestaShop offer 24/7 support?
Shopify does. Support is available 24/7 on every Shopify plan. PrestaShop’s Hosted offer includes support six days a week by email, live chat, or phone (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026), and its free Classic version doesn’t include a support package (PrestaShop, “Choose your ecommerce solution,” accessed October 2026).
Which has more apps, Shopify or PrestaShop?
Shopify has more: The Shopify App Store has more than 21,000 apps as of December 31, 2025, and merchants installed 21 million apps in 2025, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report. PrestaShop lists more than 3,200 themes and modules on the PrestaShop Marketplace (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop (Hosted offer),” accessed October 2026).
Is Shopify or PrestaShop better for selling internationally?
Both platforms support international selling: Shopify merchants made $68.1 billion in cross-border sales in the year ending June 30, 2026, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report. PrestaShop says merchants can sell to 190 countries in 20 currencies using PrestaShop Checkout with PayPal (PrestaShop, “PrestaShop Checkout: manage all payment options,” accessed October 2026).
How do AI-referred shoppers perform on Shopify stores?
From April to June 2026, AI-referred sessions on Shopify stores converted 80% better than organic-search sessions, and AI-referred orders had 14% higher average order values, according to Shopify’s The Entrepreneur Effect report.
How do I migrate from PrestaShop to Shopify?
Import your products first, then your customers, and then your historical orders, so Shopify can connect each order to its products and customers. Products and customers can move with CSV files or a migration app, and historical orders move with a migration app from the Shopify App Store or the Order API, according to the Shopify Help Center.
Will I lose SEO rankings when I move from PrestaShop to Shopify?
Redirecting your old PrestaShop URLs to their new Shopify URLs helps preserve your search rankings when you move. In Shopify, you can create URL redirects one at a time or import them in bulk from a CSV file, according to the Shopify Help Center.
What’s the best commerce platform for you?
Learn why thousands of businesses migrate to Shopify every year.