Shopify and PrestaShop are two top eCommerce platforms in the UK. They offer excellent functionalities to online retailers and merchants. However, when choosing the best option, you need to compare their features and tools.
Therefore, this article will provide an in-depth Shopify vs PrestaShop comparison regarding design, pricing, ease of use, features, security, payment options, and integrations. Let us start by sharing an overview of both platforms: Shopify and PrestaShop.
| Shopify | Prestashop | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | A straightforward setup process and user-friendly dashboard, even for beginners | Steeper learning curve and requires coding skills |
| Plugins and integration | 10,000+ apps, plugins, and integration options | 5,000+ modules |
| Pricing | A free three-day trial and three pricing plans; £25, £65, and £344 per month | Free download and installation |
| Payment options | Shopify Payments and 100+ third-party payment gateways | PrestaShop Checkout Gateway and 250+ third-party payment options as add-ons |
| Security | Has built-in security tools, PCI DSS compliant, free SSL encryption, fraud protection | No built-in security features and relies on coding and third-party add-ons. |
Sections
Overview of both platforms
Shopify is a fully-hosted eCommerce platform for building online stores, perfect for retailers and merchants with little coding experience. The platform is all-encompassing. For instance, it handles everything you require (payment methods, design, inventory management, etc.) to run an eCommerce store. It was founded in 2006 and has gained an impressive number of users (over 2 million websites).
PrestaShop is a self-hosted eCommerce platform. It is ideal for small and medium retailers and merchants. Being an open-source platform, PrestaShop gives users complete control over everything, including design and inventory management. However, you require coding skills to set up a PrestaShop store. This platform was founded in 2007 and quickly grew a strong customer base, with over 350,000 websites globally.
Design
PrestaShop offers more customization and design flexibility than Shopify. However, Shopify has more built-in design tools.
Shopify features 90+ free and premium themes, with premium ones costing between $140 to $180. All these themes are highly curated, mobile responsive, speed-tested, and perfect for the latest Shopify version. Shopify has an in-built customization feature that allows users to easily change the theme’s layout, colour, and fonts. You can also access the theme’s CSS to personalize the store according to your brand or preference.
As an open-source solution, PrestaShop provides more design and customization flexibility. For instance, you can modify your website according to your business needs. However, you need coding skills, especially CSS, to get a more personalized website design. You can modify the layout and add Favicon & brand logo. You can also personalize your online store according to your preference. The PrestaShop’s theme catalogue includes 2,000+ templates that cost between $69 to $840. Besides, the PrestaShop Marketplace has 3,500+ free and premium design modules, with premium options costing between $84 to $497.
Features
Both Shopify and PrestaShop offer excellent eCommerce features and tools that make it easy to set up and run an online store. Shopify’s features vary depending on the pricing plan. However, all plans include all the essential and basic features to run an online business, which include;
- Analytics & reporting
- Multi-language options
- Marketing & SEO
- Store management
- Payment gateways, etc.
It also has an App Store that provides more features and extensions that are easy to integrate into your website.
PrestaShop has hundreds of in-built features and tools, which are fundamental and essential for setting up and running most online businesses. Some of the main features include;
- Website Builder
- Store management
- Payment processing
- Marketing & SEO
- Integration
- Multi-language and multi-currency support
It also allows users to create product listings, calculate taxes, configure their checkout pages, etc. Besides, since PrestaShop is an open-source platform, the sky’s the limit for features and customization.
Plugins and Integrations
Both Shopify and PrestaShop have a marketplace offering many plugins, apps, and integration options.
Shopify allows you to extend the functionality of your store by integrating with third-party tools. It also has an App Store with over 10,000 free and premium apps, plugins, and integration options. You can choose from dropshipping integration, payment gateways, Google, eBay and Amazon integration, SEO and marketing tools and advanced reporting.
PrestaShop has an Add-on Marketplace with over 5,000 modules, ranging from payment gateways to marketing & SEO. You can easily integrate these modules into your online store. However, the choice of free modules is only about 100, while the price of premium modules ranges from $50 to $1,000.
Ease of Use
Shopify edges PrestaShop in the overall ease of use. However, PrestaShop can be as straightforward if you use an auto-installer (user-friendly web hosting).
Shopify’s setup process is more straightforward. You only need to choose a pricing plan, create an account, and set a store name. Then, its Home page has steps, quick guides, and links to walk you through the setup process. It also has a user-friendly dashboard with all the built-in tools intuitively placed where you can easily see, access, and use them.
Setting up a PrestaShop store entails using either an auto-installer or a manual installation. Its dashboard includes user-friendly built-in features and tools like Catalog, Orders, and Customer Service. It also has an Activity overview section that makes it easy for users to see their store’s growth. Besides, PrestaShop has a Quick Access button with shortcuts to the commonly used tools.
Payment Options
Both Shopify and PrestaShop integrate with a variety of third-party payment gateways.
Shopify integrates with over 100 major payment gateways, including Stripe, Square, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Credit/Debit cards, etc. You will be charged a payment transaction fee for using any of these third-party payment options. It also has its own payment method, Shopify Payments, which does not charge any transaction fee.
PrestaShop accepts a wide selection of major payment options such as Amazon Pay, PayPal, WorldPay, Authorize.Net, Discover Global Network, etc. It also has 200+ payment providers as add-ons. Besides, it has its own direct payment option known as PrestaShop Checkout Gateway, which allows customers to make payments without being redirected to another site.
Security
Both Shopify and PrestaShop offer great eCommerce security features. Shopify edges PrestaShop by offering excellent built-in security features and tools. However, PrestaShop gives users more control over securing their online stores.
Shopify is a cloud-based eCommerce platform. For instance, it has a team that runs the store’s security aspects and releases updates regularly. It is also PCI DSS compliant and offers a free SSL encryption certificate to help in protecting customers’ vital data from hackers. Besides, it offers built-in fraud analysis and protection that informs you about suspicious payments or orders.
Since PrestaShop is a self-hosted eCommerce platform, it does not have in-built security features. For instance, you need to develop a secure website by relying on third-party add-ons, such as Security Pro and Google Authenticator. You can also improve your store’s security by using your coding skills to hide vital files with .htaccess. Besides, you can seek assistance from PrestaShop’s developers to create a highly secure eCommerce store.
Pricing
Shopify’s pricing is subscription-based, while PrestaShop is free to download; however, you have to pay a fee for hosting and running your store.
Shopify’s pricing is based on a monthly subscription plan. Higher tiers give you more eCommerce features and tools. However, even if you only require one feature or tool from the higher tier pricing plan, you will be required to pay the addition to your monthly subscription. This platform offers a 3-day free trial and three pricing plans, which include;
- Basic Shopify: £25/month
- Shopify: £65/month
- Advanced: £344/month
You can also opt for an enterprise pricing plan, Shopify Plus, which is priced based on your needs and is ideal for higher-volume merchants.
PrestaShop is a free-to-download eCommerce platform. However, you must pay to set up and run your store, and the pricing greatly depends on your needs. For instance, you need to pay a web hosting fee of anywhere between $1 – $450 per month, depending on the security level you require and the website traffic level you expect. Besides, if you lack technical skills, you need to hire a developer to help set up and design your website. You also need to consider future customization, website maintenance, and added integrations.
Conclusion
Both Shopify and PrestaShop are highly rated eCommerce platforms allowing UK retailers and merchants to sell their products and services online. Overall, Shopify slightly edges PrestaShop.
Shopify rates 4.5 out of 5 on Capterra and 4.4 out of 5 on G2
PrestaShop rates 4.3 out of 5 on TrustPilot and 4.3 out of 5 on G2
However, their functionalities and suitabilities differ. For instance, Shopify is a fully-hosted eCommerce platform offering more in-built features and functionalities. Its interface is intuitive, and you do not need coding skills. On the other hand, PrestaShop is a self-hosted eCommerce platform. It offers more design flexibility and freedom. However, its learning curve is steeper. Therefore, the best choice depends on your personal preference and eCommerce needs.