Ecommerce
PrestaShop - the practical guide.
PrestaShop is an open-source ecommerce platform founded in France in 2007, particularly popular across Europe and Latin America. It's free to download and self-host, with revenue coming from a marketplace of paid modules and themes plus a managed cloud edition. It powers hundreds of thousands of small and mid-sized stores, especially in markets where Shopify is less dominant.
What PrestaShop does
PrestaShop is an open-source ecommerce platform founded in France in 2007, particularly popular across Europe and Latin America. It's free to download and self-host, with revenue coming from a marketplace of paid modules and themes plus a managed cloud edition. It powers hundreds of thousands of small and mid-sized stores, especially in markets where Shopify is less dominant.
Who it's for
Small and mid-sized European merchants, particularly in France, Spain, Italy and Poland, who want a free, self-hosted alternative to Shopify or Magento. Common in fashion, food and craft retail. Less of a fit for very large enterprises or for teams without any technical capacity.
Pricing, in rough terms
Self-hosted edition is free to download. PrestaShop Hosted (managed cloud) starts around €24/month. Most real costs come from paid modules (often €50-200 each) and themes from the marketplace, plus hosting if self-hosting. Total monthly bill for a working store typically lands around €50-200/month.
When PrestaShop is the right fit
Right for European SMBs wanting an open-source platform with multilingual and multi-currency support out of the box, plus a large module marketplace. Wrong fit when you want a fully managed turnkey experience (Shopify), or when you need enterprise B2B features (Adobe Commerce).
Watch-outs
Module quality on the marketplace is variable - test before deploying. Upgrades between major versions can break customisations. Smaller talent pool than Magento or Shopify. Self-hosted means you own performance, security and PCI compliance.