Our verdict · 7.6/10 Good
A powerful free option for European merchants with technical help. Module costs and maintenance add up, so it is not truly free to run.
Key takeaways
- Best for: European multilingual stores.
- Strongest area: Features & fit (8.4/10). Weakest: Support & reliability (6.8/10).
- Price: Free open-source software; hosting and modules extra — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Paid modules add cost.
What is PrestaShop?
PrestaShop is open-source store software you host yourself, with a large marketplace of modules and themes and strong multilingual and multi-currency support. A hosted edition is also offered for merchants who don't want to manage servers.
PrestaShop is made by PrestaShop and is reviewed here as a ecommerce platform. It is priced on a free basis, and our editorial score is 7.6 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose PrestaShop if
- European multilingual stores
- Merchants with developer support
- Stores wanting full code control
Not for you if
- Non-technical owners
- Merchants wanting all-inclusive hosted pricing
Key features
Products, combinations and stock.
Run several stores from one back office.
Sell across regions.
Thousands of add-ons for payments, shipping and marketing.
- PayPal
- Stripe
- Mollie
- Google Shopping
- Mailchimp
Pros & cons
What we like
- Free and open source
- Strong multilingual support
- Large module marketplace
- Full control of data and code
Watch out for
- Paid modules add cost
- Requires hosting and maintenance
- Upgrades can break modules
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Free | — |
| Hosted edition | Custom quote | — |
Pricing watch-out: You pay for hosting, paid modules and themes. A hosted PrestaShop edition is quoted on PrestaShop's site.
Pricing watch-outs
- Quote-only tier. Hosted edition has no public price. Ask for a written quote that includes onboarding and support fees.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing from our research as of November 5, 2026; not yet re-checked against a live vendor pricing page. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 20% | 8.4 | 1.70 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 6.8 | 1.00 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 8.2 | 1.60 | |
| Support & reliability | 20% | 6.8 | 1.40 | |
| Security & privacy | 15% | 7.6 | 1.10 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 10% | 8.0 | 0.80 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for web hosting products | 7.6 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask PrestaShop |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for PrestaShop against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check PrestaShop’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any ecommerce platform
Check PrestaShop against the same list we use for every ecommerce platform — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Payment options and fees
- Tax and shipping tools
- Inventory and variants
- App/plugin ecosystem
- Multichannel and POS
See every ranked option in Ecommerce Platforms.
PrestaShop alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Easier to use
Big CartelEase-of-use score 9.2 vs 6.8 - Better integrations
ShopifyIntegrations score 9.6 vs 8.0 - Stronger on securityShopifySecurity & privacy score 8.8 vs 7.6
- Higher overall scoreShopifyOverall 8.8 vs 7.6
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as PrestaShop. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Free, open-source ecommerce for WordPress with unlimited flexibility.
The leading hosted ecommerce platform for stores of every size.
Feature-rich hosted ecommerce without transaction fees.
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
PrestaShop FAQ
Is PrestaShop free?
The software is free, but you pay for hosting, modules and development.
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce?
Both are open source; WooCommerce runs inside WordPress, PrestaShop is a standalone store platform.
Does PrestaShop have a free plan?
Yes. PrestaShop offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Free open-source software; hosting and modules extra (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is PrestaShop best for?
PrestaShop is best for: european multilingual stores; merchants with developer support; stores wanting full code control.
How is the PrestaShop score calculated?
The 7.6/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for hosting products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to PrestaShop?
Popular alternatives include WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.