Shopify or PrestaShop: which one to choose? If you want to create an online store or start a dropshipping shop , but still have doubts about which platform is best for your project, read on.
Today there are various ecommerce platforms , but the best known are definitely Shopify and PrestaShop. Each, however, has functions and particularities that distinguish it. In this article we will do a detailed comparison to help you choose the best one for you.
We will analyze both CMSs, focusing on the differences and strengths of each. By the end of this article, you will have a clearer idea of which platform to choose and you will know why it is the best option for hosting your online store.
(Disclaimer: Oberlo is part of the media properties of Shopify inc. We strive to provide objective, factual, and accurate information, but in some cases we may express biased opinions.)
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Shopify vs PrestaShop: differences
At first glance, Shopify and PrestaShop might look similar - you can use both CMSs to create and customize your online store, upload your products, sell online, and of course manage purchases via payment methods and gateways .
However, if we take a closer look, the differences are significant.
PrestaShop is an open source platform that you can download for free. This is one of its main benefits, especially for small businesses that don't have large budgets to run ecommerce.
In reality, however, PrestaShop is not 100% free : to download it you have to find and pay for a host, install the platform software and take care of both maintenance and updates.
And, while it allows you to modify and customize settings according to your needs, it also requires technical and programming knowledge. If you don't have these skills, you need to go to a professional.
Shopify, on the other hand, is a cloud platform that you can access after subscribing to a monthly plan. In this case, it's the service itself that finds a host and handles maintenance, updates, and security - all tasks that usually give an online store headache.
This is probably one of the reasons why Shopify continues to lead the world ranking of the best CMS for ecommerce, beating PrestaShop by far.
In fact, there are over 820,000 online stores that currently use Shopify, more than double that of PrestaShop (about 320,000).
As you can see in the image below, according to Google Trends the trend of Google searches is clear.
This information may already give you a clue on how to orient yourself in choosing your ecommerce platform.
Now that you know the main difference between Shopify and PrestaShop , let's take a look at the specific features of both platforms.
Ease of use
The ease of use or usability of the software is one of the fundamental factors in choosing Shopify vs PrestaShop.
Let's be honest: nobody wants a complicated CMS, where uploading the product catalog, managing payments or updating order status is always a frustrating experience.