Prestashop or Shopify: which solution to choose?

Recent resources on e-commerce market share:

• In August 2024, Shopify accounts for 6.4% of the CMS market with 4.8 million active sites, compared to 1.1% for PrestaShop (Codexpert).
• In 2025, Shopify holds 10.3% of the global e-commerce market, with 29% of e-commerce sites using it; PrestaShop remains under 4% (Shoptrial, Yaguara).
• According to BuiltWith, Shopify powers 24% of the 1 million largest e-commerce sites, compared to 3% for PrestaShop.

Do you want to create a Shopify e-commerce site? Then you're probably wondering which technical solution is best suited to your needs and your brand. There are many quality e-commerce Content Management Systems (CMS), but Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Prestashop, or Shopify primarily share the market.

Stellar is a Shopify agency, and in this article, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of the two most popular solutions in France for creating online sites: Prestashop and Shopify. Note also that Shopify benefits from a very powerful integration with the best email solution: Klaviyo.

1. What is PrestaShop?

PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce platform that allows businesses to create and manage their e-commerce site. It offers a range of features such as payment options, an order management system, and online marketing tools.

PrestaShop is free to download and can be installed on a personal server, giving you greater control over your e-shop. You can also add additional functionalities by using modules or developing custom features.

2. What is Shopify?

Shopify is the global leader in e-commerce solutions, with nearly $8 billion in transactions in just 48 hours during Black Friday 2022. It is a SaaS e-commerce platform that allows brands (small and large) to create and manage their e-commerce store in an agile and intuitive way.

By choosing Shopify, you benefit from hosting included in your subscription. You don't have to manage servers, and your maintenance costs are limited.

3. Advantages of Shopify

• Very easy to use even for non-technical users
• Optimized checkout for a better conversion rate
• Rich and evolving App Store
• Solid ecosystem (Shopify Payments, servers, themes, apps)
• Integrated Point of Sale (POS) channel
• Powerful native search engine
• Simple management with a single monthly invoice
• Clear dashboard and advanced reporting
• Competitive operating cost compared to PrestaShop
• Flexible multi-language deployment

4. PrestaShop vs Shopify Comparison

• Shopify: Hosted and managed SaaS, no server maintenance required
• PrestaShop: Open source requiring hosting and technical management
• Shopify: Powerful native features and ready-to-use apps
• PrestaShop: More flexible but often requires a high TMA budget

5. Conclusion

PrestaShop and Shopify are both excellent e-commerce solutions. Shopify is ideal if you are looking for a turnkey, easy-to-use, and scalable platform. PrestaShop will be more suitable if you have an in-house technical team and want total control.