Woocommerce vs. Prestashop: What’s the Best Platform for eCommerce Beginners 2021?
With more and more people shopping online, the opportunity to start your own business is an ideal chance for any entrepreneur. If you are interested in creating a new e-commerce company, some key things need to be considered first before diving into it headfirst.
One of them is selecting appropriate software for running your store. Woocommerce vs Prestashop are two of the most popular options in that respect. So, which one is better for your needs?
This article will compare these two e-commerce platforms for their ease of use, integrations, features, and more. At the end of it, you should have a good idea of which one would be best suited for your needs.
We won’t give any preference to one or another as both are used by thousands of successful businesses worldwide!
12 Must-have features for every eCommerce online store:
Before starting an eCommerce business and launching your own online store, there are some 7 must-have features that every online store should have.
These features help your eCommerce website to achieve success. Here is a list of the 7 elements:
1) Website builder & Storefront:
if you’re going to build your own website and install/customize Woocommerce or Prestashop yourself.
2) Hosting plan:
A place for storing all of your Ecommerce Platform files in one location.
3) SSL certificate:
Security; encrypts all data between the user’s browser and web server to prevent unauthorized third-party access, including credit card details, etc.
4) Marketing tools
Pay-per-click management software, SEO tools to help with optimization, etc.
5) Email marketing tool
Automated emails to re-engage inactive customers or subscribers and convert them into active buyers
6) Social media integration
Integrate your eCommerce website on social networking sites such as Facebook & Instagram so that you can grow your business by leveraging existing audiences.
7) Customer support/Service Desk
24/7 customer service available for people who have issues regarding the store’s products/services.
These issues can be solved by reaching out to the support team directly or via a knowledge base that contains helpful articles about using the site or troubleshooting any problems encountered while making purchases.
8) Payment Gateway
A secure payment system takes a customer’s credit card details and sends them to the store owner to process the transaction.
9) Shipping integration:
Integrate with various shipping carriers or logistics providers. This will make it easier for your customers because they can choose from several shipping options.
10) Customer reviews:
Add review functionality to your site to let clients leave feedback on items they’ve purchased. This helps future visitors understand what other people are saying about a product, making them more likely to buy it themselves.
11) SEO capabilities:
eCommerce websites should have built-in search engine optimization features so that when anyone searches for products related to your niche, you will appear in organic search results.
A brief overview of Woocommerce vs.Prestashop:
What is Prestashop?
When it comes to running an eCommerce business, you need the right shopping cart software. Fortunately for those who prefer open-source options, PrestaShop is a fantastic option originally developed in France. It had expanded into over 250k stores worldwide since its creation back in 2005.
It’s simple enough so even beginners can easily navigate their way around but also rich with features, which allows experienced users to take full advantage of all the tools at hand!
Keep in mind that PrestaShop can be scaled, and you can create any number of products. This is an excellent thing to keep in mind when you need to expand your store. Convenient inventory management tools will give you reasonable control over your stock, especially if there’s an option for multiple stores via one dashboard, which would come in handy with more than one location/storefront!
An open-source platform like this allows adding features (like Facebook integration, SEO tools, security solution, payment gateway, etc.) by using extensions from their official marketplace.
Prestashop is an excellent option if you want more control over how your store looks and feels as they don’t restrict any design changes.
What is Woocommerce?
In 2011, WooThemes released the open-source online e-commerce platform called WooCommerce. Automattic later acquired it in 2015. This is by far one of the most popular platforms for creating an online store today as there are millions that use this solution to sell their products via a website powered by WordPress CMS (Content Management System).
WooCommerce is the world’s #1 e-commerce solution for WordPress because it comes with all necessary tools to run your business like various shipping options and payment methods, products management system (with hundreds of free plugins), order tracking features, marketing tools that allow sharing on social media sites, etc.
And because the WooCommerce plugin is entirely free and open-source, developers worldwide contribute to improving it.
As a result, there are so many features that include almost everything you would expect from an awesome eCommerce platform. This is why many people choose this as their preferred platform for creating an eCommerce site.
The best thing about WooCommerce is that it can be easily modified to perfectly suit your requirements. It’s also compatible with various third-party extensions, which further enhances its functionality and helps you build your dream store.
Using WooCommerce means that the sky’s the limit when it comes to how you want your website to look like – be creative and make it unique in a way no other store has done it!
Detailed Comparison of Woocommerce vs Prestashop:
Woocommerce vs Prestashop: Performance
Many different factors contribute to a website’s performance, including the optimization of your hosting. You can also look at things like your server type and speed.
Always opt for high-performance web hosts that support your chosen shopping cart to get the most out of a self-hosted platform. Make sure you choose to host providers who can optimize speed and performance by default to give your store an edge over other online stores!
PrestaShop is a very lightweight platform that doesn’t need plenty of RAM and processing power to run properly, even with thousands of products available on your site.
However, it’s always better to opt for VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting or a dedicated hosting service if you want to handle multiple clients and heavy traffic.
As far as Woocommerce goes, on the other hand, this CMS runs perfectly fine on shared hosting accounts, but there will be times when your page load speed won’t be that great. Hosting with a good company will guarantee better performance and high uptime.
Other factors that can contribute to the performance of both Prestashop vs. Woocommerce include:
a) Server-side caching:
Prestashop has built-in caching, which means you don’t need to spend extra cash on a third-party solution for faster and smoother performance.
Another thing is that there are different types of caching (page, object, and database). You can choose the level of server-side caching depending on your hosting plan.
b) Page caching:
Woocommerce comes with this feature, and it’s very easy to set up, which means you can have your whole site cached in just a few clicks. This is a great solution for sites that receive high traffic volumes (50,000+ page views per day).
c) Minify CSS/JS:
Every website needs to minify CSS/JS files (and HTML) to improve performance. By removing all unnecessary characters like white spaces, comments, etc., you can save more bandwidth and load the site faster.
Both Prestashop vs. Woocommerce come with this feature but note that it’s already enabled by default for the former, while the latter requires you to enable it manually.
d) Image compression:
Prestashop and Woocommerce both come with image optimization features. This means that, for every product page, the site will automatically generate a compressed version of its images that are then used on the site instead of the originals. You can also do this manually for other uploaded images within the Media Library.
e) Server-side UTF-8 encoding:
This is a must for any website that supports multiple languages because a site with UTF-8 enabled will automatically convert characters into their equivalent Unicode character.
f) Smart, responsive images:
Your Woocommerce site must have smart and responsive images enabled to ensure that users with mobile devices receive images optimized for their devices.
g) Routing:
The route map determines how your pages will be accessed. It’s basically the sequence of steps that a user must follow in order to reach specific content on your site (product page, category page, etc.).
Since you have total control over this feature, it can be used in several ways – for SEO purposes or to improve loading speed. Prestashop does not require any additional plugin to route the pages.
Woocommerce vs Prestashop: Security
Both Prestashop and Woocommerce have a solid security system to protect against common threats like SQL injections, XSS attacks, and DDOS attacks. Furthermore, you can add an extra SSL certificate for free on either platform!
Two-factor Authentication is a simple yet highly efficient method of securing your Woocommerce vs. Prestashop account. This additional layer of protection requires users to verify their identity using two different devices before logging in.
Finally, you can also install a free SSL certificate for your Woocommerce vs. Prestashop site! This will improve the SEO of your site by giving it an extra boost in rankings and make users feel safe while browsing through it at all times.
Some people believe WooCommerce is not as safe if it uses WordPress (a CMS) because the platform itself often has vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
However, most of these cases are caused by a lack of updates and security on behalf of users rather than poor coding or architecture in place within the actual platforms themselves.
Also, since PrestaShop is also a popular eCommerce platform, it’s not surprising that it has also had vulnerabilities. However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t considered to be secure by many people.
It just goes to show how any widely used eCommerce system online will always have security holes that require attention from the users themselves and developers alike for them to avoid potential attacks on their company websites or customers’ personal information stored within these systems.
Woocommerce vs Prestashop: Customizability
The best eCommerce platforms give you the power to alter your store’s appearance and functionality until it is perfect for you. Fortunately, PrestaShop or WooCommerce will not let you down!
With PrestaShop, you can either start building an online shop right away with no up-front costs using their basic functionalities or purchase from different templates, themes, and modules as they offer high-quality ones ranging in price. There are thousands available on third-party websites but don’t expect them to compare with premium options!
When choosing a template for your online store, make sure that it is mobile responsive. Since not all themes are compatible with mobiles and tablets, you may have to hire an expert if you don’t know how to install one yourself. PrestaShop’s templates range from $84-$150, which can be expensive depending on the type of business.
While PrestaShop provides many possibilities for customization, WooCommerce offers even more. With the WordPress plugin library of thousands of options to choose from, you can genuinely create a store that works exactly how you want it to work!
Woocommerce vs Prestashop: Product Catalog
Being able to show off your products to potential customers is essential for any online business. Otherwise, why would people buy them?
PrestaShop allows you to select which categories you want to display in the catalog based on their type and configuration.
For example, there are separate categories for downloadable products and services that can be displayed alongside other types of goods.
This level of customization will undoubtedly add a lot of value when it comes time to promote your eCommerce venture!
WooCommerce has a similar feature available through the use of product tags. These tags help create unique listings even from one product (for instance, a t-shirt with different colors or sizes), and they can be individually displayed on your category pages!
Woocommerce vs Prestashop: Shipping Methods
Many businesses might sell their products online, but the common denominator between them is that all of these companies have shipping requirements.
Both WooCommerce and PrestaShop offer a wide variety of options when it comes to providing customers with different shipping rates or delivery times for their orders. However, there are slight differences depending on which service you use!
Woocommer has around 17 extensions when it comes to delivery and shipping options. The wide range selection includes popular solutions like ShipBob, Shipstation, Woocommerce shipping, and more.
Woocommerce vs Prestashop: Add-Ons
Your WooCommerce or PrestaShop site will need certain features to help it grow and remain competitive in your market. Fortunately, both provide access to thousands of third-party apps that you can install on your site with ease!
Whether you need help managing your customers, clocking in hours worked for your employees, making payments easier for customers, or just want a better-organized shipping method – there’s an app out there for it!
Of course, some add-ons are free and others will require a monthly fee and some have set limits based on the type of store you run (hotels may have to pay an extra fee than a simple online store).
PrestaShop’s add-ons vary in price and a monthly fee is required to access them. However, they also have a marketplace feature that allows users to sell their own apps for others to use!
Prestashop vs Woocommerce: Ease of Use & Learning Curve
The ease of use depends on whether you want an online store that is simple and straightforward or one that has more complex functionalities.
Prestashop is a good choice for more advanced users since it features an open development framework and has a large library of free add-ons. In addition, the marketplace allows other developers to sell their own apps that only need installation on your site in order for them to work!
Woocommerce is great for beginners who want something simple but also don’t mind paying monthly fees if there are certain options they want to utilize later down the road.
While Woocommerce does feature thousands of online tutorials to help you get started on making your own website, you can just upload pre-made themes onto the WordPress CMS through the use of widgets and custom HTML (additional training required).
Prestashop vs. Woocommerce: Pricing plans
For the most part, both services are completely free to use!
WooCommerce will require a monthly fee, including a hosting bill and access to certain app add-ons (or plugins as they’re called in WordPress). These include extra payment options, shipping rates, and advanced marketing tools.
PrestaShop also has several add-ons that can be bought on an individual basis for one-time fees or through a premium subscription plan. Other expenses include web hosting, templates, and a web developer (especially if you don’t have any coding experience).
Woocommerce vs. Prestashop: Customer support
There might be times where you need help with some of the complicated parts of running a business or maybe even some of the easier ones! Fortunately, both Woocommerce and Prestashop have ways for you to get in touch with someone if you need it.
WooCommerce’s documentation is of extremely high quality. The self-help resources are abundant and include everything you may possibly need while using the software. Furthermore, there exists a helpful community that will always seem willing to help fellow users in their time of need or confusion with WooCommerce via online forums for discussions about this specific eCommerce platform.
PrestaShop’s customer support is handled more through email than live chat like WooCommerce. Although there are often several answers provided by other community members in the forum section of the official website, it may be difficult to find a solution without having access to an actual support representative. Another option is a premium technical support plan. This costs anywhere from $249 to as much as you need, depending on your requirements.
What to Choose Between Prestashop vs. Woocommerce for your Online store 2021?
In general, WooCommerce is easy to use but requires monthly fees and extra charges when selling certain items.
PrestaShop is ideal for more experienced users since there’s a lot you can do with it, and the various add-ons available will save time on repetitive tasks. In addition, other devs have made apps that are useful for your business!
There’s no denying the fact that both CMSes offer many similar features throughout their services, so the decision will ultimately come down to preference and final goals for your online store.
If you don’t mind paying additional costs, WooCommerce could be suitable for you if you want a simpler yet comprehensive service. However, if you’re going to do more with your website and customize it as you please, PrestaShop would be a better choice.
Two of the most popular products sold online are shoes and apparel. Both WooCommerce and Prestashop provide many options when it comes to delivering packages – from next-day shipping to standard rates that can be upgraded or downgraded depending on how quickly customers want their orders to arrive!
FAQ:
Are there alternatives to both PrestaShop and WooCommerce?
Yes, there are other options for different types of shopping carts. Shopify is a good alternative to both Woocommerce and Prestashop since it’s considered an all-in-one solution that’s easy to use but still has many powerful features available.
Does WooCommerce only work with WordPress?
Yes. WooCommerce requires users to have access to at least WordPress 3.8 or higher – which can be run on Ubuntu 12.4 LTS or later. If you’re running the latest version of PHP, then you can install WordPress through a script (or manually).
Which website builder offers more?
PrestaShop and WooCommerce both offer several themes that come preloaded with their toolsets so that you can create your own website within minutes!
Is it possible to connect PrestaShop with MailChimp?
Yes, PrestaShop and MailChimp have an official integration available for download, but you must first register for a shop on the MailChimp website. After, go to ‘Marketing’ > ‘Integrations’ in your dashboard settings and find the “add new integration” section where you can choose which form of communication you wish to use!
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