If you are in search of a website building software to create and manage your online business, this Prestashop vs Shopify comparison can help you find what you are looking for. With these two top rated software options, you will enjoy a one-stop solution to set up and run your business whilst also growing your customer pool and enhancing revenue generation.
Yet, different online businesses have different needs. Therefore, you want to pick the right website builder to ensure optimal results and success. This is exactly what this Prestashop vs Shopify comparison will do for you. The comparison shares an in-depth look into each software’s features – breaking down everything from the design layout to the pricing – to help you choose the right software. Enjoy the ride!
What Is The Difference Between Prestashop and Shopify?
Prestashop is an ecommerce solution designed to allow you to efficiently build and run an online business. Using tools supplied by the platform, you can customize your store, drive your business through managing products, orders, customer relations, and tracking statistics, as well as attract visitors through social media or blogs whilst selling globally. The software is available in different languages (about 75 languages) and accepts different currencies to allow businesses to sell in different parts of the world.
Shopify on the other end is similarly an ecommerce web builder software designed to build and grow your online business. Shopify offers a selection of tools to build and manage your store including website design, branding, business name generation, store set up, marketing, shipping, and payment collection.
Nonetheless, the two software hold key distinctions. Whilst Prestashop is a self-hosted platform, Shopify is a hosted platform. This means that Prestashop can be installed on any server you wish to do so – allowing you to shop and opt for the web hosting provider you want. Shopify on the other end comes as a full package with its dedicated web hosting service.
So, with the subscription you pay, you will not be able to host your site elsewhere. Furthermore, Prestashop allows you to run multiple stores from a single account whilst Shopify allows you to only run one online store from your account.
Design & Ease of Use
Shopify offers an easy-to-use interface. The only unique feature it comes with its drag-and-drop design is that it has more features to navigate. Set up tends to be a bit more manual than Shopify but, this still shouldn’t be an issue for most users as it doesn’t use coding at any stage.
Whilst Prestashop is designed for any user, it is built with the premise that the user has some experience in web building, thus, it has a bit more complexity to it. When it comes to the design, Prestashop also offers great versatility – offering add-ons in the form of modules. Prestashop offers over 5,000 different modules to choose from as well as themes. However, most options require purchasing.
Shopify on the other end thrives on ease of use and design. Amongst the top rated web building ecommerce platforms, Shopify popularly takes on the lead when it comes to ease of use thanks to its navigable drag and drop editor. With the drag and drop editor, anyone – even those with no experience at all – can set up their site.
Plus, it comes with the advantage of zero coding throughout the process. Design-wise, Shopify does an excellent job as well – offering up to 170 different designs and themes. Whilst some are available for free, others need purchasing. The paid-for themes offer more customization such as allowing you to change the pallet colors. You can also choose to add your own designs for more customization. Furthermore, all the Shopify designs and themes are desktop and mobile-friendly.
Winner: Even though Prestashop offers more modules, Shopify still takes the lead when it comes to overall ease of use as well as the design thanks to their popular drag-and-drop editor deeply customizable themes.
Integrations& Add-ons
Prestashop offers a wide range of integrations. The software integrates with different types of apps such as email marketing, payment getaway, marketplaces, and analytics such as MailChimp, PayPal, eBay, and Google Analytics. Additionally, Prestashop integrates with Zapier to connect you to 700+ extra third party apps.
Shopify on the other end offers many native integrations as well – including over 100+ native integrations with online payment gateway options such as Braintree and PayPal. Additionally, Shopify integrates with other apps such as analytics, email marketing, and marketplace apps. Furthermore, through its integration with Zapier, Shopify can connect with up to 3,000+ other third party apps.
Winner: Offering native integration with 100+ payment gateway apps and up to 3,000 third party apps, Shopify takes the lead.
Customer Support
Prestashop offers a selection of free customer support tools. Amongst these resources include webinars, videos, tutorials, documentation, FAQs, and even a community forum where different Prestashop users and experts can interact. However, if you want to enjoy more in-depth and one on one support, you want to try out the customer support plans. The paid plan offers 48-hour ticket submission and chat support. The support is available in English, French, and Spanish.
Shopify offers a free customer support service throughout – whether you have the cheapest or most expensive plan. The platform offers a range of customer support options such as 24/7 live chat and phone support as well as interactive email and social media support. Furthermore, the Shopify platform offers other tools such as the community forum, how-to articles, and video tutorials. At higher plans, the Shopify platform even offers advanced specialist support.
Winner: With a wide range of free support tools, Shopify takes the lead.
Pricing
Prestashop acts as an online shopping cart service and is open-source, thus, it is available for free – no matter your online store size. So, after downloading the platform, all you have to do is pay for the hosting services for your store.
Shopify on the other end is a paid-for service and doesn’t offer a free plan. Instead, it has a 14-day free trial to allow you to decide whether or not it is for you. Shopify offers three paid plan options. These include the Basic Shopify plan designed for new business and online businesses – costing $29 per month. Other plans include the Shopify plan which costs $79 per month and is designed for a growing business with 1 retail store.
The Advanced Shopify plan on the other end is designed for a growing business with 2 or more retail stores and costs $299 per month. Additionally, the software offers a plan designed for larger enterprise plans that may not benefit from the three basic plans. Such businesses can opt for the Shopify Plus plan designed to cater to high volume merchants and offers rates based on the needs of the business. Additionally, Shopify offers a special plan known as the Shopify Lite plan that costs only $9.
The Shopify Lite plan is designed for business owners that want to sell in person via the Shopify Lite Gateway or those who want to add a Buy button to their existing website. In addition to the monthly subscription fee, all online stores are charged an extra percentage with every successful sale done- to avoid this extra cost, you can opt for the Shopify dedicated payment gateway.
PrestashopShopifyPricing per monthPricing per monthFree0Basic $29Shopify $79Advanced Shopify $299
Winner: With the free plan, it is a no-brainer that Prestashop takes the lead. You ultimately cost depends on the web hosting site you opt for – nonetheless, you can find an option that will still cost you less than what you would spend on Shopify.
Feature Comparison Chart
The Prestashop vs Shopify comparison proves why these two software options are top rated. Nonetheless, it has also done an excellent job at pointing out their distinctive features. Whilst both platforms are designed to offer the same services, you will notice differences such as their design with features such as the unique module system that Prestashop.
The open-source design that Prestashop has also means that it features a different design system too. The feature comparison chart below outlines the key ratings for each software;
FeaturesPrestashopShopifyDesign & Ease of Use4.84.9Integrations & Add-ons4.84.9Customer Support4.54.9Pricing4.94.6Rating 4.754.825
Final Verdict – Prestashop vs Shopify
From the Prestashop vs Shopify comparison above, both platforms offer a great advantage for your online business. Yet, each platform is designed to suit different business needs. Prestashop offers more flexibility to your business process.
It comes with the advantage of being an open-source platform that opens you up to a range of versatile options. With over 5,000 modules to choose from, you can invest in one that makes your business stand out. Plus, you can even choose the web hosting service that works best for you. However, this means that you have to put in more work and time – although, it may work out for those who want to save more.
The Shopify platform on the other end is ideal for beginners who want to enjoy all the facilities in one place. Shopify offers ease of use and is there throughout your journey from web design to hosting and selling. When you pay for the platform, you get a full suite package.