What is PrestaShop? Complete overview of the e-commerce platform

What is PrestaShop?

PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce platform that allows you to build professional webshops. Originally developed in France in 2007, it has grown into one of the largest e-commerce solutions in Europe with over 300,000 active webshops worldwide.

How does PrestaShop work?

PrestaShop is self-hosted software that you install on your own server or hosting. Unlike hosted platforms like Shopify, you have full control over your webshop, database and source code. This offers maximum flexibility but also requires technical knowledge.

Technical requirements

• PHP 7.2 or higher (8.x recommended)
• MySQL 5.6+ or MariaDB 10.0+
• Apache or Nginx web server
• Minimum 128MB PHP memory
• SSL certificate (for secure payments)

PrestaShop features

Core functionality

• Product management - Unlimited products, variants, combinations
• Order management - Complete order flow with statuses
• Customer management - Customer groups, addresses, history
• Stock management - Multi-warehouse, alerts, reservations
• Shipping - Carriers, zones, weight/price based
• Payments - 250+ payment modules available

Marketing tools

• Discount codes and cart rules
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Product recommendations
• Newsletter integration
• SEO optimization (meta tags, URLs)

Multi-store capabilities

• Multiple stores from one installation
• Different languages and currencies
• Separate catalogs or shared inventory
• Individual themes per store

Advantages of PrestaShop

1. Free and open source - No license costs for the core software
2. Flexibility - Full access to source code for customization
3. Large ecosystem - 5,000+ modules and themes
4. European focus - Good support for EU regulations, VAT, GDPR
5. Multi-language - 75+ languages built-in
6. Active community - Forums, documentation, contributors
7. Scalable - From small to enterprise level

Disadvantages of PrestaShop

1. Technical knowledge required - Installation and maintenance need expertise
2. Module costs - Essential features often require paid modules
3. Performance - Can be slower without optimization
4. Updates - Major updates can break compatibility
5. Support - Limited free support, paid options available

PrestaShop pricing

Core software

PrestaShop itself is free. Your costs consist of:

• Hosting: €10-100/month depending on requirements
• Domain: €10-15/year
• SSL certificate: Free (Let's Encrypt) to €200/year

Modules and themes

• Basic modules: €30-100
• Premium modules: €100-500
• Professional themes: €100-300
• Custom development: €50-150/hour

Monthly cost estimate

A typical PrestaShop webshop costs:

• Small shop: €30-50/month
• Medium shop: €100-200/month
• Large shop: €300-1,000/month

Who is PrestaShop suitable for?

Ideal for:

• Technical entrepreneurs who want control
• Agencies building for clients
• European businesses (VAT, regulations)
• Medium to large catalogs (1,000+ products)
• B2B webshops with custom pricing

Less suitable for:

• Complete beginners without technical knowledge
• Very small budgets (hidden costs)
• Those wanting hassle-free hosting

PrestaShop vs alternatives

Getting started with PrestaShop

1. Choose suitable hosting (VPS or managed PrestaShop hosting)
2. Download PrestaShop from prestashop.com
3. Install via web installer or command line
4. Configure basic settings (currency, language, country)
5. Add products and categories
6. Install necessary payment modules
7. Configure shipping methods
8. Choose and customize a theme
9. Test thoroughly before launch

Summary

PrestaShop is a powerful, flexible e-commerce platform ideal for technically oriented entrepreneurs who want full control over their webshop. The open-source nature means no license costs, but budget for hosting, modules and possibly development. With over 300,000 active shops, it is a proven solution especially popular in Europe.