Prestashop vs WooCommerce: Which One You Should Go With? (2022)
It’s time to settle down your confusion related to PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce.
We all know both the platforms, they are versatile, popular, amazing, and highly useful.
You should not make your decision on someone else’s recommendation or advice, but rather on a thorough study & comparison.
After all, you must determine which eCommerce platform is the best fit for you?
Well, you’re not alone, there are many merchants who feel the same and find it hard to differentiate between these two platforms.
And that’s what we’re going to solve here.
Because we now have experience with both eCommerce platforms, we can provide you with a comprehensive analysis of which platform would be the best fit for your business.
Here we analyzed the Prestashop Vs WooCommerce guide in various aspects such as performance, usability, security, features, pricing, and more.
Let’s check them out one by one.
PrestaShop Overview
PrestaShop is one of the renowned & oldest CMS for eCommerce stores. It was founded 15 years ago, in 2007.
PrestaShop is a free and open-source platform and has over 300000 merchants.
It is situated in France and has a current market share of 1.52% for eCommerce platforms.
PrestaShop is a self-hosted platform, which means you must purchase a domain and host on your own.
PrestaShop just released the PrestaShop Ready edition, which is a hosted or Software as a Service (SaaS) option.
Not only that, but PrestaShop has an extensive collection of themes and extensions that can give your store a unique and modern appearance.
WooCommerce Overview
Most people are now familiar with WooCommerce because it is a well-known name in the eCommerce industry.
WooCommerce is a WordPress-specific open-source eCommerce platform that can help you create your store the way you want.
It is a WordPress plugin, with it you can sell physical and digital products, as well as products from other marketplaces.
Moreover, WooCommerce is extremely simple to set up. You can easily customize the look of your website with a variety of themes and add new features with plugins.
There’s no limit to features in WooCommerce, you can do whatever you want with your store.
As it’s a WordPress plugin, you can check out a lot of free & paid themes and plugins.
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce: Which One You Should Go With?
Examining current trends, WooCommerce clearly outperforms PrestaShop, despite the fact that it is newer.
WooCommerce, on the other hand, has grown in popularity in a short period of time and has become the most widely used eCommerce CMS.
That isn’t to say PrestaShop isn’t the best option; it is.
You can check out the current situation of both platforms on Google Trends.
It clearly depicts that WooCommerce is the fastest growing platform out there.
Apart from this, both platforms enable a variety of extensions that enhance native functionality.
NOW, let’s jump right into the feature comparison of PrestaShop vs WooCommerce, which will provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision.
1. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Usability
The first thing any merchant should look for in an eCommerce platform is usability.
In short, a merchant’s top priority should be determining how simple and intuitive an eCommerce platform is.
PrestaShop:
Getting started with PrestaShop isn’t a headache. The process is easy and simple.
You must choose reliable & trusted hosting service to store your website’s data and all, and for that, you can go with some renowned hosting platforms like HostGator, Inmotion, Bluehost, Dreamhost, and more.
All of these options are excellent and provide easy installation alternatives.
Looking at first glance, PrestaShop looks straightforward & easy to understand.
Even a non-tech-savvy person can understand the process, like where to add products and all.
Adding a product, changing some settings, adding images and descriptions is pretty clear in PrestaShop.
The great thing about PrestaShop is that you won’t miss anything in terms of SEO; building a store with PrestaShop will undoubtedly meet your SEO needs.
WooCommerce:
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, as you already know.
Here, you need to build a site first, and then you can install the plugin WooCommerce and begin setting up your store.
This also isn’t a daunting process. Select a reliable hosting, and you’re Good to go.
Choosing a Bluehost will be your wise decision because Bluehost hosting is always recommended when building a site or store on WordPress.
Simply install the WooCommerce plugin and follow the instructions to have your dream store ready in front of your eyes.
Adding a new product in WooCommerce is as similar as adding a new post or page.
All you have to do is fill in the details based on the information provided by WooCommerce.
Even if they are not technically savvy, anyone may quickly become acquainted with WooCommerce.
2. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Product Management
There’s no significant difference between WooCommerce and PrestaShop in terms of Product management.
Both are easy to manage and use.
PrestaShop:
PrestaShop is made solely for the goal of developing online businesses, therefore the strategy is well-defined to make product data management more effortless.
However, merchants should be very careful about product management so that customers have access to all PrestaShop product information.
WooCommerce:
Well, both platforms provide straightforward methods for updating product descriptions and associated identifying data.
WooCommerce extends the WordPress post structure to manage product data as a post.
3. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Best For SEO
When comparing eCommerce platforms neck to neck, how can we forget the most crucial aspect, which is, of course, SEO!
In 2022 and upcoming years, the worth of SEO will even rise further.
SEO can assist you in getting your products ranked at the top of search engine results pages.
Well, both platforms offer SEO functionality to optimize your store.
Let’s find out which one stands out.
PrestaShop:
When it comes to PrestaShop, there are only a handful of SEO-focused modules available, and most of them are expensive.
PrestaShop’s static pages are somewhat limited, and will not contribute significantly to SEO efforts.
The categories and products, on the other hand, are usually SEO-friendly.
WooCommerce:
First of all, WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin and WordPress is considered the best in terms of SEO.
Because You’ll get loads of SEO plugins and SEO-friendly themes which can really add up multiple benefits to your store.
In WordPress, plugins do all the work.
Yoast SEO and RankMath are two of the greatest SEO plugins.
Having one of these plugins installed can help you gain engagement and reach for your brand.
4. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Functionalities
Another crucial aspect is whether to use PrestaShop or WooCommerce.
The finest eCommerce platform should have all the features that are necessary to run an eCommerce store.
PrestaShop:
PrestaShop never disappoints when it comes to features, with a plethora of options such as SEO, payments, stock management, and more incorporated into the platform.
Plus, there are thousands of modules in the store covering every conceivable store function.
There are both free and premium modules, all of which vary from different prices.
The same is true for themes; there are a plethora of finest PrestaShop themes available for you to pick from.
WooCommerce:
Now with WooCommerce, there are numerous features available. It has everything, you name it!
WordPress offers some content and product management tools, whereas WooCommerce adds eCommerce-specific features.
Installing WooCommerce is significantly simpler than PrestaShop; all you need to do is install a plugin.
You’ll get whatever you want like countless themes, plugins, unrestricted customization, built-in blogging, product sorting and filtering, and much more.
5. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Security Standards
Speaking of security, it is a highly essential aspect of an eCommerce platform.
If someone does not follow this, then he/she should not blame the eCommerce platform’s security system.
Let’s check out which eCommerce platform offers the best Security features.
PrestaShop:
PrestaShop is an open-source eCommerce platform that is already a well-secured platform.
So you don’t have to be concerned about your store being hacked.
Make use of high-quality web hosting and SSL encryption.
The core platform is PCI compliant and maybe GDPR compliant with the addition of a module.
Plus, there’s one more thing you can do is to integrate a secure & renowned payment gateway.
Keep in mind that PrestaShop is not a vulnerable platform that might cause problems for any merchant.
As previously stated, do not rely solely on PrestaShop security; always implement extra security measures.
WooCommerce:
When you have a store on WooCommerce, there would be many benefits for merchants in terms of security features.
Although WooCommerce is already a safe eCommerce platform, merchants should not be concerned.
Besides, there are numerous plugins that can add an additional layer of security to your store.
Merchants can install two-factor authentication plugins such as Wordfence, Google Authenticator, duo, and more.
This way, merchants can double the security of their WooCommerce store.
Now when merchants log in to an account, they must first verify the user identity which can be done through SMS, call, email, and so on.
All in all, there will be no disadvantages of using WooCommerce as long as you follow the security standards and are up to date with your store.
6. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Customization
Both platforms provide an adequate amount of customization options, making them ideal for anyone looking to customize their store.
In this department, neither PrestaShop nor WooCommerce disappoints.
PrestaShop:
There are thousands of modules in PrestaShop that you can use to make your store exactly what you want it to be.
Although, the modules are as simple to install and customize.
You can install those modules directly from the PrestaShop dashboard if you have access to the store.
Plus, the various parameters can then be set from the same dashboard.
You can also experiment with thousands of PrestaShop themes to give your store a unique look with only a few clicks.
There are a lot more things you can do with PrestaShop. It is somewhat identical to WooCommerce as it offers a lot of options to customize your site.
You’ll find those options in the PrestaShop Official Addons marketplace.
WooCommerce:
WooCommerce on the other hand is one step ahead of PrestaShop.
You know how bigger the WordPress plugin directory is.
There are around 50k+ plugins available, not to mention third-party plugins that are useful extras.
As a result, merchants have dozens of options for customizing their store as per their likings.
The same goes with the themes, you’ll have an infinite amount of WooCommerce themes to choose from.
So, with so many fantastic options, nothing can stop you from creating the store you dreamed of.
Both eCommerce platforms are great in offering customization options to merchants.
7. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Pricing
Now comes the most crucial factor: “Pricing”.
It’s also the most important deciding factor because, in the end, price determines whether the platform is affordable or not.
The costs of a domain and hosting are almost the same on both platforms. You only have to pay extra if you want extra functionality for your store.
However, there will undoubtedly be a pricing difference once you start building your store.
PrestaShop:
Speaking of cost, there’s little to no cost.
You only need to pay for the hosting plan you choose as well as any extras such as add ons and themes.
This brings the total cost of PrestaShop to $20 to $30.
There are both free and premium modules available to add features.
The cost of the PrestaShop modules ranges from $35 and $250, while themes cost between $19 and $125.
On the other hand, maintaining a PrestaShop store may be more costly due to the need to rely on premium modules for customization.
| PrestaShop modules | $35 – $250 |
| PrestaShop themes | $19 – $125 |
WooCommerce:
The same goes for WooCommerce, you won’t have to pay much except for the domain and hosting.
Unless you add premium plugins and themes, you have to pay for that.
It would be better to take the managed WordPress hosting for your WooCommerce store as it benefits your store more.
Talking about the pricing, the total cost of building a WooCommerce store would be around $25 to $300.
Although you determine the price, the price will be higher if you want the highest performance and more high-end store.
8. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Scalability
Another important factor to keep in mind is scalability. Well, it is true that not every business wants to scale their business, some just want to grow.
In this case, you better need to look further at which of these platforms can help you scale your business better.
PrestaShop:
Having a store on PrestaShop, you can definitely scale your business because it is a highly capable platform.
PrestaShop is a data-driven platform, you can smoothly scale your business as long as you have sufficient resources to run the database and cope with customers, you can scale up as much as you like.
WooCommerce:
You may have heard that WooCommerce is not intended for large enterprises, but this is completely a myth.
It is also the best platform for scaling your business.
Regardless of the size of your company, with WooCommerce you can smoothly run your business without any problem.
9. PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce: Support
Last but certainly not least, there’s a difference between both of these platforms.
Let’s see who offers the best support options.
PrestaShop:
There are both free and premium support options for PrestaShop.
In the Free option, PrestaShop has several guides, tutorials, user manuals, FAQs, and much more.
Plus, if you won’t find any solution with the above options, you can check out the PrestaShop forum and discuss your problem with the forum members.
There is one more option though, which is technical assistance, it is a unique service from PrestaShop compared to other platforms.
Regarding, the Premium support option, you can directly contact PrestaShop’s professionals and fix your problem in minutes.
However, it may cost you a lot; you may be charged between $200 and $1500, which is not a fixed amount; it may change.
WooCommerce:
Similarly, WooCommerce also has a plethora of guides, documentation, and other resources that can help you in solving your issue.
Plus, WooCommerce also has user forums where you can ask and get the solution to your queries.
Merchants can even generate support tickets on the WooCommerce website.
WooCommerce also publishes blogs and articles on its website, which you can refer to.
Though WooCommerce doesn’t offer premium support, you can get premium support from the themes and plugins you purchase.
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce: Know Your Pick
After considering all the aspects of PrestaShop and WooCommerce, we’ve come to the conclusion.
It’s not easy to suggest or recommend to you the one platform that you should go with.
Let’s see which platform comes out on top in each category:
- Usability: Both platforms have nearly identical functionality and intuitiveness.
So, if you choose PrestaShop or WooCommerce based solely on usability, you won’t notice much of a difference.
- SEO: Here WooCommerce totally outperforms PrestaShop. WooCommerce has magnificent plugins that really boost SEO.
- Features: WooCommerce is the clear winner here. Obviously, WooCommerce has tons of plugins and excellent features that PrestaShop might lack.
- Security: Again, WooCommerce wins over PrestaShop. WooCommerce has more tools to secure your store and keep your customers safe.
However, use an SSL certificate and a reliable hosting company. Also, ensure that PCI and GDPR compliance is met. These are extra measures you can keep in mind.
- Customization: WooCommerce isn’t stopping, it’s another win. There are better and more customization options in WooCommerce.
But that doesn’t mean PrestaShop is not customizable. WooCommerce simply provides more customization options.
- Pricing: When it comes to pricing, PrestaShop is on the more expensive side, whereas WooCommerce has many more affordable options.
- Scalability: It’s a tie. Regardless of the platform you choose, you can scale your business.
- Support: We’d say it’s another tie because both platforms offer an adequate amount of Support options.
Both platforms have a plethora of support options to help you resolve your problems.
After reviewing all of these options, choosing WooCommerce wouldn’t be a bad idea for your store. You’ll not be disappointed after selecting WooCommerce.
WooCommerce will help you to boost your online business with far more comprehensive plans.
Unless you’ve some specific requirements, you can even go with the PrestaShop, too.
But don’t forget that WooCommerce outperforms in several areas, like SEO, pricing, customization, and all.
After all, you can go with one either of these platforms, it depends on your requirement.
We hope this guide has solved most of your doubts regarding PrestaShop Vs WooCommerce and made it easier for you to choose the best eCommerce platform for your store.
