PrestaShop vs Shopify
Used to be, to build an online store, you need to be an experienced web developer (or hire one). But you have a lot of platforms at your disposal these days, allowing you to set up complex e-commerce operations without touching a single line of code. Shopify, they all have a lot to offer for you.
In this article, we present the two platforms and compare Prestashop vs Shopify so you can decide which one is best for your store. To do this, we will break them down using several criteria, including:
- Ease of use
- Site management
- Customisability
- Performance
- Security
With this information, it should be easy to choose the best e-commerce platform. Let’s jump directly to PrestaShop vs Shopify!
Introducing Pustas Stores and Shopping Furniture
The first thing we need to discuss before comparing PrestaShop with Shopify is the difference between self-managed and managed platforms.
PrestaShop is a self-hosted platform, which means your software can be installed on any server you want. With this solution, you are not linked to a specific web hosting provider, so you can buy until you find one that provides all the features you need.
The most important thing is that Prestashop offers you all the e-commerce features you need to run a successful online store. You can list as many products as you want, process payments, manage customers, etc.:
Home page of the Pustas store.
Shopify, on the other hand, is a hosting platform. To use it you need to purchase a subscription directly from Shopify, and you can’t configure your store on any server you want.
Despite this drawback, Shopify offers a very intuitive e-commerce experience. It’s easy to create an online store using this platform, so if you don’t care about the restrictions that come with it, it can be a convenient option:
In the following sections, we will explore what other distinctions PrestaShop vs Shopify. We’ll also talk more about the differences between managed and self-managed platforms, as that will be one of the key factors in deciding which one is best for your needs.
Shopping with Prestas Stores: Easy to Use
For many people, building their first online store can be daunting. That’s why we tend to prioritize platforms for ease of use, and don’t require you to spend weeks trying to figure out how each feature works.
The good news is that both PrestaShop and Shopify are very easy to use. Shopify, in particular, uses it as one of its main outlets. In our experience, it’s an easier platform to get started, thanks to its drag-and-drop store builder and intuitive control panel:
Shopify builders in action.
Also, it shouldn’t take long to create a Shopify store. Once you register in Shopify, the platform will set you a default store, but you can start making changes to it immediately:
A virtual purchase product.
Prestashop uses a little more complicated, but only in comparison. The main difference is that PrestaShop offers more options that you will notice once you log in to your dashboard:
The normal food board.
Similarly, setting up PrestaShop may take longer, as you may have to do the job manually. At hostinger, we can make adjustments for you, however, this greatly simplifies the process.
Ultimately, Shopify is more designed for users who have no experience in creating and running online stores. Prestashop, on the other hand, is a more rounded platform, assuming that it can handle a little more complex. However, there can be no denying that Shopify is the easiest platform to use, so he won this first round of Pustas Stores vs Shopping.
Purchase Rate vs Pustas Store: Store Management
Whatever platform you choose will have to give you a lot of options to manage your store. For example, you need to have at least access to several payment methods and shipping options.
When it comes to functionality, Shopify offers you all the basics you need to run an e-store, even in your most suitable plan. However, it is important to understand that if you want to access more advanced features, you pay for a more expensive layer of the platform:
A list of plans to buy.
to give an example, Shopify’s basic plan allows you to list unlimited products and maintain up to two employee accounts. However, if you want to process payments through the platform, you will also have to pay a fee of 2.9% +0.30 USD.
Payment processing fees fall to 2.4% +0.30 USD when upgrading to the platform’s most expensive plan. You can also get better shipping discounts, up to 15 employee accounts. In other words, it’s easy to operate a Shopify store, and once operated, it can also be expensive to start growing.
Prestashop, on the other hand, does not offer any level of service. By configuring the platform, you can access its full functionality from the door.
Some of our hosting programs.
Some advanced PrestaShop features allow you to use include a voucher system, a variety of discount options and product suggestions.
In short, Shopify provides a simplified store management experience, perfect for small operations. But if you’re serious about increasing the presence of e-commerce, you’ll probably enjoy all the PrestaShop settings that allow you to customize. With that in mind, we are rewarding this round of PrestaShop vs shopping to the previous platform.
Shopping & General Store: Customization
We’ve talked about Shopify and PrestaShop that give you some ready-to-use features. However, it is also important to remember that most platforms now offer you many additional customization options.
In other words, you can often add new features to your online store using extensions or plug-ins. It’s Shopify and PrestaShoplets you do it. Both platforms also support the use of themes, allowing you to quickly change the style and design of your store.
, you can access an app store that offers many options to extend the platform’s functionality. Among them, you will find tools that integrate Shopify with many other services, including MailChimp and sumo:
Check out some of Shopify’s apps.
Shopify also offers dozens of free (and premium) themes that you can use in your store. Unlike some of the options you’ll find when using other platforms, all Shopify themes feel very modern, which is an advantage:
Some of Shopify’s fashion themes.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Shopify includes one of the most intuitive drag and drop store builders we’ve had the pleasure of using. This means that customizing your store will not feel like a task and you will be able to get something that looks exactly as you want without much fuss.
The difference is that there are more options to choose from. At the time of writing this, for example, there are more than 3000 modules that you can install, as well as hundreds of themes:
However, the subject is a different story. Although PrestaShop gives you access to more options, most of them are not as polished as Shopify deals.
Similarly, customizing the style of your store is not as simple as when you use PrestaShop. You can still implement the look you want, but it won’t be as easy as Shopify ‘s drag and drop generator.
In short, PrestaShop makes it easy to add new features, while Shopify shines when editing your store’s style. With that in mind, we are ruling this draw round of PrestaShop vs shopping match.
Purchase Rate vs Prestas Store: Performance
The performance of your online store dictates how you feel, whether it’s making changes while loading for customers or using the backend. In general, there are four factors that affect load times for most sites:
The type of hosting plan you sign up to will largely determine how much traffic your store can handle. In addition, your hosting provider has a significant impact on the performance of your website.
The platform you use. Some e-commerce platforms can handle more visitors because of the way they are built.
Configuration and design of your store. In some cases, you can inadvertently slow down the store by using too many high-resolution images or installing too many extensions.
Of course, a slow connection to the Internet results in a longer charging time. But many visitors now have fast Internet access, so that’s not as much of a factor as it used to be.
In our tests, we found that both PrestaShop and Shopify deliver reliable performance. This means that the decisive factor is that Shopify is a hosting platform, and PrestaShop is not.
, you largely do not need to worry about performance, since regardless of the plan you subscribe to, you will get the same baseline. On the other hand, the difference between the plans lies mainly in the characteristics they provide.
Prestashop performance depends heavily on the hosting platform you use to set up your store. Some vendors have a better track record in terms of performance, which is something you want to see before enrolling in a plan. Plan, which is optimized for Presta Sharp.
It’s also worth considering that once your store traffic starts to grow, shared hosting may no longer keep pace. When you reach the concurrent access point, you may need to upgrade to something more powerful, such as virtual private servers (VPS), to maintain the same level of performance.
In general, both platforms can be fast, but PrestaShop offers more control over how much your store works. With that in mind, this round of PrestaShop vs Shopify entered the previous platform.
Shopping with Prestashop stores: Security
After all, you will regularly process the personal and financial information provided by your customers. If there is a violation and any data is compromised, you can lose a lot of confidence and potential sales.
When we talk about online security, there are two main factors at stake:
What e-commerce platform you are using.
The web host selects the security measures to implement.
As with performance, Shopify provides a more unified experience in terms of security. Regardless of which plan you use, your store should be reasonably secure as long as you follow best practices, such as using strong passwords.
If you choose a quality accommodation provider, you need to be more than sure. In addition, you also have access to a wider collection of add-ons than wit Shopify, most of which are security-related. Protect your store, which can help you rest more easily at night.
In general, both Prestashop and Shopify are quite strong options when it comes to security. However, Prestashop gives you more control on how you can protect your store and get our vote this round Prestashop vs Shopify.
Conclusion
The e-commerce platform of your choice will set the tone of your online store. The right tools can give you access to features you can’t get or help you scale your store more easily. In our experience, Shopify can be a useful option for small stores that do not require a large number of advanced ones. Functional. However, Prestashop is a better choice for most users, especially if you want as many options as you can get.
Do you think this is the best platform when it comes to Prestashop vs Shopify?
