PrestaShop vs WooCommerce
Choose PrestaShop for a standalone store with multistore, multi-language and multi-currency built into one back office. Choose WooCommerce when the shop belongs inside a WordPress site that sells through content. Both are free; PrestaShop 9 needs PHP 8.1+ and recommends a 512M memory limit, so check hosting first.
For Indian merchants and developers comparing two open-source carts before building or replatforming a store.
knowledge
- Read time
- 3 min
- Sections
- 8
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
PrestaShop vs WooCommerce: which suits your store?
PrestaShop suits a store-first business that wants catalogue, multi-language, multi-currency and multistore tools in one standalone application; WooCommerce suits a WordPress site that sells alongside its content. Both are free open-source PHP software; your spend goes on hosting, themes, modules and maintenance.
- Pick PrestaShop for a catalogue of many combinations, several storefronts or languages from one back office, and no WordPress to maintain.
- Pick WooCommerce when blogs, guides and landing pages drive sales, or the team already edits WordPress.
- Either works for a small Indian shop with UPI checkout; the deciding factor is who will run it.
How are PrestaShop and WooCommerce built differently?
PrestaShop is one application with a front office and a back office on a MySQL database; WooCommerce is a plugin layered on WordPress core, a theme and other plugins. That extra layer gives WooCommerce WordPress's editor and ecosystem, and also more parts to update.
| Feature | PrestaShop | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Core shape | Standalone store (Symfony-based back office) | WordPress plugin |
| Multistore | Built in, enabled in the back office | Separate sites or WordPress Multisite |
| Languages and currencies | Built in, with localisation packs | Usually via translation and currency plugins |
| Product combinations | Attributes and combinations in core | Variable products in core |
| Content pages and blog | Basic CMS pages; blog via module | Full WordPress posts and pages |
| Add-ons | Modules and themes (PrestaShop Addons marketplace) | WordPress plugins and WooCommerce extensions |
What hosting does PrestaShop 9 need compared with WooCommerce?
PrestaShop 9 needs PHP 8.1 or newer, MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+, Apache 2.4 or Nginx, and recommends a PHP memory_limit of at least 512M; WooCommerce asks for PHP 8.3+, MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+ and a 256 MB WordPress memory limit. PrestaShop's higher memory recommendation matters on small shared plans.
| Requirement | PrestaShop 9 | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | 9.0: 8.1–8.4 (8.4 recommended); 9.1: 8.1–8.5 (8.5 recommended) | 8.3 or newer, tested to 8.4 |
| Database | MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+, recent version recommended | MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+ |
| Memory | memory_limit 512M minimum recommended | WordPress memory limit 256 MB+ |
| Key PHP settings | allow_url_fopen = On; cURL, GD, Intl, Zip, PDO MySQL and others | cURL; mbstring for non-English stores |
| Operating system | Linux recommended; Windows not actively supported | Any server with PHP and MySQL |
Sources: PrestaShop 9 system requirements and WooCommerce server recommendations. PrestaShop also publishes a phppsinfo.php checker that you upload to confirm a server meets its requirements.
Which is easier to run day to day?
WooCommerce is easier for teams that already know WordPress; PrestaShop's back office is easier for teams who manage stock, orders and combinations all day and never touch a blog. Update discipline matters more than the platform on either.
- Keep a staging copy and apply core and add-on updates there first.
- On PrestaShop, use the official update assistant module for core upgrades and check the post-update checklist.
- On WooCommerce, update WordPress, the theme, WooCommerce and plugins in that order, then place a test order.
- Remove modules or plugins you no longer use; inactive code still needs patching.
How do UPI payments, GST and shipping work on each in India?
On both platforms, Indian payment gateways, GST-compliant invoices and courier integrations are add-ons supplied by the gateway, courier or a third-party developer. Confirm the module supports your exact platform version before you buy or install it.
- Payments: install the gateway's official module or plugin and run a small live UPI and card payment; options and fees are compared in payment gateways in India.
- GST: configure tax rules for your state and HSN codes; WooCommerce users can follow GST invoices in WooCommerce.
- Shipping: set zones by pin code or state; WooCommerce steps are in WooCommerce shipping zones for India.
- Language: PrestaShop's built-in multi-language suits Hindi and English storefronts without extra plugins.
What does each cost, and how do they scale?
Both downloads are free; the real costs are hosting, a domain, SSL, a theme, paid modules or plugins and developer time. A small catalogue runs on shared hosting — WebJi®'s published plans start at ₹299 a month before 18% GST, confirmed at checkout — while large catalogues need more RAM and PHP workers.
At scale, both are limited by the same things: database queries on category pages, image weight and checkout traffic. PrestaShop's 512M memory recommendation and image regeneration jobs push growing stores towards plans with named resources sooner. See PrestaShop hosting or WooCommerce hosting for plan fit, and the OpenCart vs WooCommerce comparison if a lighter standalone cart is also on your list.
Frequently asked questions
Can PrestaShop run on shared hosting?
A small store can, if the plan allows a PHP memory limit of 512M, the required PHP extensions and allow_url_fopen. Upload PrestaShop's phppsinfo.php checker before installing to confirm the account meets every requirement.
Is PrestaShop 1.7 still safe to run?
PrestaShop 1.7 is an old branch and runs on PHP versions that no longer receive security fixes. Plan an upgrade to the current 9.x line on a staging copy, checking that your theme and modules have compatible versions first.
Can I migrate from PrestaShop to WooCommerce?
Yes. Migration tools move products, combinations, categories, customers and orders. The theme is rebuilt, and each product and category URL should be 301-redirected to its new address to keep rankings.
Which is better for a multi-language Indian store?
PrestaShop, if languages and currencies must work without extra plugins, because both are in core. WooCommerce can do the same with translation plugins, which add cost and another component to update.
Requirements checked against devdocs.prestashop-project.org and woocommerce.com on 14 November 2026 · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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