Choosing the platform is the most expensive decision to change later. Migrating a store with two years of orders, reviews and Google rankings can be done, but it costs time and money. Better to choose well now. Here is a comparison without cheerleading between Shopify, WooCommerce and PrestaShop, the three platforms we see most often in European stores.
The three platforms in one sentence each
- Shopify: the “all inclusive” platform. You pay a subscription, you do not think about hosting, security or updates, you sell fast.
- WooCommerce: WordPress’s e-commerce plugin. Free, flexible, but hosting and maintenance are your problem.
- PrestaShop: open-source platform built for e-commerce, very popular in Italy, France and Spain. Powerful for complex catalogues, requires technical skills.
Real costs compared
| Item | Shopify | WooCommerce | PrestaShop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | from about €27-36/month (basic plan) | €0 | €0 |
| Hosting | included | €10 – 60/month | €15 – 100/month |
| Payment fees | Shopify Payments or external gateways with extra fee on basic plans | gateway fees only (Stripe, PayPal) | gateway fees only |
| Theme | €0 – 350 one-off | €0 – 100 | €0 – 200 |
| Typical apps/modules | €20 – 150/month | €0 – 50/month | €50 – 300 one-off |
| Maintenance | minimal | required (updates, backups, security) | required, more technical |
Total cost over three years is often similar: Shopify costs more in subscriptions, WooCommerce and PrestaShop in maintenance and development. The real difference is where you prefer to spend: on subscriptions or on people.
Shopify: who it suits
Anyone who wants to sell fast without technical worries: product brands, serious dropshipping, physical shops going online, anyone also selling on Instagram and TikTok Shop. The checkout is among the best in the world and the app ecosystem covers almost everything.
Limits: deep customisation of checkout and pricing logic is hard or expensive; app subscriptions add up fast; your data lives on a platform you do not control.
WooCommerce: who it suits
Anyone who already has a WordPress site, wants maximum control, or has a mid-sized catalogue with special needs (bookings, configurable products, editorial content next to the shop). It is the most flexible platform and the cheapest to start.
Limits: every extra plugin is a potential conflict; speed depends on hosting and on who configures it; without regular maintenance it becomes fragile and vulnerable.
PrestaShop: who it suits
Large catalogues (thousands of references), B2B price lists, complex pricing and shipping rules, multi-store. It is widespread in Southern Europe, so ready-made modules exist for local carriers, e-invoicing and ERPs.
Limits: steep technical curve; many marketplace modules are of variable quality and, combined, can slow down or break the store; version upgrades must be done carefully.
The mistakes we see most often
- Picking the platform a friend knows, not the one that fits the catalogue and margins.
- Buying ten modules instead of building the right one. A custom module often costs less than three generic modules fighting each other.
- Ignoring invoicing and VAT until the first sale.
- Launching without tracking. Without pixels and GA4 configured you will never know what works.
- Having no maintenance plan. A store without updates is an open cash machine.
So, which one?
Zero worries and selling within two weeks: Shopify. An existing WordPress site or very specific needs on a tight budget: WooCommerce. A large catalogue, B2B clients or complex logic: PrestaShop. Not sure? Tell us what you sell and what you earn on it: in the brief call we tell you which platform makes sense, even if it is not the one most convenient for us to sell. The e-commerce packages with prices and timelines are on the dedicated page.
Want us to handle it? Written quote in 24 hours.