PrestaShop vs WooCommerce (2026)
By Noahlast updated
PrestaShop
PrestaShopFree, open-source (OSL-3.0) ecommerce platform for self-hosted online stores, with paid managed hosting and marketplace add-ons layered on top.
- Pricing
- Free
- License
- Open source
Best for merchants and agencies who want full code-level control of an open-source store without per-transaction platform fees, and are willing to self-host or pay separately for hosting
WooCommerce
WooCommerceA free, open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress with 0% platform fees; hosting typically runs $25-350/month and premium extensions cost $29-299/year.
- Pricing
- Free
- License
- Open source
Best for merchants and developers who want full control of their online store's code, data, and payment processor without paying a platform revenue share, and who are comfortable managing WordPress hosting
Which should you choose?
Choose PrestaShop if…
wins 2/5 use cases
- You want a standalone ecommerce platform rather than a plugin on top of WordPress
- You want the vendor itself to run your servers: PrestaShop sells a managed hosting plan, priced through sales or sign-up
- You want ready-made payment modules for Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, and Alma
- You sell through Facebook and Instagram storefronts and want modules built for that
Choose WooCommerce if…
wins 2/5 use cases
- Your site already runs on WordPress and you want to add a store to it
- You want to manage orders and inventory from native iOS and Android apps
- You want unlimited products, orders, and API access with free choice of payment gateway
- You want to buy add-ons à la carte, with premium extensions priced at $29-299/year each
- You value a larger review base: 4.5/5 from 1,047 Capterra reviews versus PrestaShop's 4.3/5 from 332
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce: feature comparison
| Feature | PrestaShop | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Yesfree Classic download (self-hosted) | Yesfree core plugin |
| No revenue share on sales | Yesno license fee or revenue share | Yes0% platform fee, no revenue share |
| Hosting | Partialself-host, or PrestaShop managed hosting (price unpublished) | Partialthird-party WordPress hosting, typically $25-350/mo |
| Architecture | Yesstandalone PHP ecommerce platform | Yesplugin that turns a WordPress site into a store |
| License | Yesopen source, OSL-3.0 | Yesopen source, GPL |
| Platforms | Partialweb only | Yesweb, plus iOS and Android store-management apps |
| Product and order limits | Yesno platform-imposed limits | Yesunlimited products, orders, and API calls |
| Extensions | Yesthousands of modules and themes, most sold separately | Yespremium extensions at $29-299/year each |
| Payment gateways | Yesmodules for Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, Alma | Yesany gateway; WooPayments about 2.5-2.9% + 30 cents per transaction |
| Multi-channel selling | YesFacebook and Instagram storefronts via modules | Yesown site plus marketplaces and social channels |
| Security and PCI compliance | Partialmerchant's job unless on managed hosting | Partialmerchant handles WordPress updates, security, backups |
| Open-source community | Yes9,200+ GitHub stars, 96,000+ commits, public Slack | Yes10,500+ GitHub stars |
| Customer service rating | Partial3.9/5 on Capterra, lowest sub-score | Unknown |
| Learning curve | Nosteep | Nosteep |
| External rating (Capterra) | Yes4.3/5 from 332 reviews | Yes4.5/5 from 1,047 reviews |
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce: pricing
Every tier both tools publish, as we last checked them — not just the entry price.
PrestaShop
- Classic (self-hosted)Free, open-source (OSL-3.0) download; merchant provides and manages their own hosting and installation.Free
- Managed hostingPrestaShop manages the technical infrastructure; exact pricing requires contacting sales or starting sign-up, and wasn't published as a static number on the pages fetched.Custom
WooCommerce
- WooCommerce CoreFree forever; unlimited products, orders, and API access; 0% platform fee and no revenue share.Free
- HostingNot sold by WooCommerce directly; typical managed WordPress/WooCommerce hosting runs $25-350/month depending on traffic and performance tier.Custom
- Premium extensionsÀ la carte pricing from $29-299/year per extension (shipping, subscriptions, bookings, and similar add-ons).Custom
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce pricing: which costs less?
PrestaShop and WooCommerce both cost nothing for the core software and take no revenue share, so the real cost is hosting, payments, and add-ons, with WooCommerce hosting typically at $25-350/month and PrestaShop's managed hosting price unpublished.
WooCommerce's core plugin is free forever with unlimited products, orders, and API access; WooPayments charges about 2.5-2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, though any gateway can be used, and premium extensions cost $29-299/year each. Those separate purchases can bring total cost close to all-in-one platform pricing as a store scales. PrestaShop Classic is a free download, but the merchant pays for hosting and absorbs security patching and PCI compliance, or buys PrestaShop's managed hosting through sales or sign-up. Most PrestaShop marketplace modules cost extra, though Capterra reviewers rate its value for money 4.4/5.
Which is easier to use, PrestaShop or WooCommerce?
Neither is easy: PrestaShop and WooCommerce both carry a steep learning curve, because both are self-hosted and leave updates, security, and backups to the merchant.
WooCommerce adds WordPress itself to the job, so merchants handle WordPress updates, security, and backups alongside the store, and setup is harder than on hosted platforms like Shopify, especially for non-technical merchants. PrestaShop is a standalone PHP application, and Capterra reviewers' most common complaint is frequent bugs and problems around updates. WooCommerce's iOS and Android apps make day-to-day order and inventory management easier away from a desk.
Which has the bigger community, PrestaShop or WooCommerce?
WooCommerce has the larger footprint, with 10,500+ GitHub stars and a 4.5/5 Capterra rating from 1,047 reviews, against PrestaShop's 9,200+ stars and 4.3/5 rating from 332 reviews.
PrestaShop's community includes a public Slack and a repository with more than 96,000 commits, and its marketplace offers thousands of modules and themes; customer service is its lowest Capterra sub-score at 3.9/5. WooCommerce draws on the WordPress plugin and theme ecosystem and is owned by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and Jetpack. For hands-off operations, merchants pay for managed hosting, from PrestaShop directly or from a third-party managed WooCommerce host.
Can WooCommerce replace PrestaShop?
WooCommerce can replace PrestaShop for merchants willing to run WordPress, since both are free, open source, self-hosted, and free of revenue share, but WooCommerce does not sell hosting the way PrestaShop sells its own managed plan.
Moving to WooCommerce gains native iOS and Android management apps, unlimited products, orders, and API calls, and a larger Capterra review base. Switching also means adopting WordPress as the foundation and budgeting premium extensions at $29-299/year each for features like advanced shipping, subscriptions, and bookings. WooCommerce allows any payment gateway and supports selling across marketplaces and social channels as well as the store's own site.
Strengths and weaknesses
PrestaShop
Pros
- Core platform is free and open source (OSL-3.0) with no license fee or mandatory revenue share.
- Thousands of community modules and themes cover most ecommerce needs.
- Merchants fully own their store's code and data, unlike hosted SaaS platforms.
- Active open-source community with 9,200+ GitHub stars and a public Slack.
Cons
- Self-hosting means the merchant is responsible for server management, security patching, and PCI compliance unless they pay for managed hosting.
- Capterra reviewers' most common complaint is frequent bugs and problems tied to updates.
- Customer service scores lowest of any category on Capterra (3.9/5), and many useful modules cost extra on the marketplace.
WooCommerce
Pros
- No platform fee or revenue share on sales, unlike Shopify's percentage-based plans.
- Full data ownership and free choice of payment gateway since the store is self-hosted.
- Open-source (GPL) with a large plugin/theme ecosystem and an active GitHub community (10,500+ stars).
- Unlimited products, orders, and API calls with no plan-based caps.
Cons
- Total cost is spread across separate hosting, payment processing, and extension purchases, making it harder to budget upfront than an all-in-one platform.
- Requires managing WordPress itself (updates, security, backups) unless paying for managed hosting.
- Steeper setup and maintenance learning curve than hosted platforms like Shopify, especially for non-technical merchants.
Which fits your use case?
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher with an existing WordPress site adding a shop | WooCommerce | WooCommerce turns an existing WordPress site into a store with unlimited products and orders and no platform fee. |
| Merchant who wants the platform vendor to run the servers | PrestaShop | PrestaShop sells its own managed hosting plan, while WooCommerce hosting comes from third-party providers at typically $25-350/month. |
| Store owner who manages orders from a phone | WooCommerce | WooCommerce ships native iOS and Android apps for orders and inventory, while PrestaShop is web-only. |
| Agency building custom stores without WordPress | PrestaShop | PrestaShop is a standalone PHP platform with full code ownership and thousands of modules and themes. |
| Budget-conscious merchant comparing total running costs | Tie | Both cores are free with no revenue share; WooCommerce hosting typically runs $25-350/month plus $29-299/year per extension, and PrestaShop adds hosting plus mostly paid marketplace modules. |
Neither a match?
Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.
Popular comparisons
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce: migration FAQ
Should I use PrestaShop or WooCommerce?
- Use WooCommerce if you already run WordPress or want native iOS and Android store-management apps; use PrestaShop if you want a standalone open-source store platform with the option of PrestaShop's own managed hosting.
Is PrestaShop cheaper than WooCommerce?
- Neither is cheaper on software, since both cores are free and charge no revenue share. WooCommerce hosting typically runs $25-350/month with extensions at $29-299/year each, while PrestaShop's managed hosting price is not published and most marketplace modules cost extra.
Can WooCommerce replace PrestaShop?
- Yes for merchants willing to run WordPress, since WooCommerce is also free, open source, self-hosted, and free of revenue share. WooCommerce does not sell hosting itself, so hands-off merchants need a third-party managed host.
Does PrestaShop need WordPress?
- No, PrestaShop is a standalone PHP ecommerce platform. WooCommerce is the one that requires WordPress, since it is a WordPress plugin.
Does WooCommerce charge transaction fees?
- No, the WooCommerce core plugin charges no platform fee or revenue share. Payment processing still costs money: WooPayments runs about 2.5-2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, and merchants can choose any other gateway.