Choosing the best e-commerce store is an integral decision in establishing an online store. Newcomers often land in trouble because there are multiple options to choose from and they get confused.
Here is the review of PrestaShop vs Shopify, the two biggest names in e-commerce businesses. Each has different capabilities and comes for specific needs and targets. You can evaluate the best for your e-commerce business.
Which is the best, PrestaShop or Shopify?
It depends on your business’s needs and budget.
Both are popular e-commerce platforms. If you look at the surface, both platforms look very similar. They are excellent platforms for creating and customizing an e-commerce website. But PrestaShop is a free and open-source platform while Shopify is a paid e-commerce website.
PrestaShop review: Plans & Pricing
PrestaShop is a free platform, but you need to pay for web hosting. The hosting charge may vary from $8 to $15 on the pricing list. Some Additional features are free but most of them will cost you extra money.
The customization on the website is possible with codes only for which you will need a freelance web developer. This will be another add-on to your monthly pricing and plans.
PrestaShop review: Ease of use
It is complex to handle because its backend is more technical. But a good tutorial can help you in setting up your store. If you are not an expert in the technical department, seek help from a freelance web developer. It will save you time.
PrestaShop review: Payment process & Security
It is a good option because of its payment processing features. It has numerous channels to accept payment. It also accepts payment checks, debit and credit cards, bank wire, and cash on delivery.
Other free and paid payment providers are also available on PrestaShop. The payment provider integration is free of cost.
PrestaShop review: Store customization
It offers more customization value compared to Shopify. It is an open-source, so everything can be edited from scratch. The built-in features and themes are also very impressive. Adding a preferred Payment processing option is the most convenient option for in-store customization.
PrestaShop review: Integrations and add-ons
It has more than 1000 free and paid modules for integration. The themes are available for all types of businesses.
All necessary tools that can give a boost to your e-commerce business are available here. PrestaShop add-ons are also helpful. They can assist you from setting a perfect shop to marketing, order management to product shipping.
Shopify Review: Plans & Pricing
If comparing PrestaShop vs Shopify, then Shopify website and services are more expensive. Unlike the free download, you need to purchase a basic plan on Shopify to use it.
After purchasing a plan, you can use the features and set up your store using free aesthetic themes. Using extra services will cost you extra on Shopify.
Shopify Review: Ease of use
Setting up an online Shopify store is similar to PrestaShop. If you are not an expert in the technical field, a freelance Shopify developer is needed. Even website customization needs a developer because coding is necessary for it.
Shopify Review: Store customization
You can build and create your store using drag-and-drop builders. The apps are popular and very convenient to use. They are blog-ready and have a fully developed content management system.
The websites are also SEO optimized and help in bringing more traffic and leading to more conversions.
Shopify Review: Payment process & Security
The payment process for both e-commerce platforms is similar. But if we look closely then it is a step ahead and offers almost every possible payment option. Customizing the shopping cart and selecting the preferred payment option is also simple.
Shopify Review: Integrations and add-ons
Integrations and Shopify add-ons have made it distinct from its users. They are major contributors to its popularity. It has more than 3000 app integration and add-ons that are friendly for all sorts of businesses.
Using these add-ons effectively on an e-store can help increase traffic to the website. Direct the traffic properly and you can convert them into potential customers.
The striking difference between both the platforms is its pricing & plans. PrestaShop has comparatively affordable plans. You don’t have to pay extra for additional services, and the transaction fee is not charged to you.
Shopify is good for those e-commerce businesses which have heavy budgets and future extension plans. For freshers, in the e-commerce business, PrestaShop is a safe and secure option.
Meta: PetraShop vs Shopify are very similar to each other. They have different pricing lists but features are almost similar to each other.