Prestashop or WordPress: which to choose?

PrestaShop or WordPress? These two solutions have many similarities, starting with the fact that they are both written in PHP and are open-source CMS. However, they differ in nature and purpose.

PrestaShop is one of the CMS natively developed for the creation and management of online stores. No special programming skills are required to use this solution, whose functionalities are exclusively dedicated to the e-Commerce activities of its customers.

Unlike PrestaShop, WordPress was not originally designed for the development of e-Commerce sites. In fact, the CMS is natively designed for blogging. Therefore, to access essential functionality for your online store, you'll need to install WooCommerce, a plugin that transforms WordPress into an e-Commerce store.

Let's take a look at the features available on WordPress and Prestashop, their similarities and similarities.

Both PrestaShop and WordPress are completely free of charge. However, this does not mean that your online store can be put online free of charge, as the question of hosting your website will then arise. Similarly, to enhance your online store, you'll need to integrate add-ons, some of which are not free.

For your PrestaShop or WordPress e-Commerce site to be available 24/7, it must be hosted on a computer permanently connected to the Internet - in other words, on a web server. This solution not only guarantees the accessibility of your online store, but also ensures that your data is properly stored. And whatever CMS you choose, you'll have to pay for hosting.

PrestaShop is particularly suited to e-tailers with large online stores. While getting to grips with the CMS doesn't require advanced technical skills, setting it up and managing products does take some getting used to.

WordPress, on the other hand, is easier to use. From site administration to inventory management to the creation of new product sheets, the CMS is accessible to beginners.

In this area, the two CMS are on an equal footing, with a vast range of free and paid modules to customize your online store. WordPress provides you with thousands of management features that are essential for your online business. These include payment options, inventory management, order management and SEO performance tracking.

PrestaShop boasts an equally impressive catalog of themes and plugins, with over 2,500 themes and more than 4,000 modules to choose from. While the CMS's offering is slightly smaller than that of WordPress, you'll have no trouble finding what you're looking for and building your online store to your exact specifications. As a reminder, PrestaShop offers you all the features you need.