Are you looking to create an online store and confused in choosing the right ecommerce web development platform? Out of the many ecommerce web development platforms used globally, PrestaShop and Magento are two of the more popular platforms with each of the platform powering hundreds and thousands of stores.
On the surface, both of these platforms may appear quite similar, with the same basic functionalities, however, a deeper analysis of the platforms reveal many differences amongst the two platforms. In this blog, we will be particularly looking at the differences between PrestaShop and Magento, to help you better analyze the suitability of each platform for your ecommerce store.
Differences between Magento and PrestaShop
Let’s see how the two platforms differ from each other:
Hosting
Hosting is an important aspect for all ecommerce stores. Large ecommerce websites built on unreliable servers with bad infrastructure may negatively influence their performance. Remember, any performance issue can prove lethal for the success of an ecommerce store, when we look at the fierce market competition.
On the other hand, if you are a young entrepreneur, looking to set up a small store with no complex features or functionalities, hosting won’t be much of an issue for you, and PrestaShop will be a good choice to go with.
In terms of hosting, PrestaShop offers ecommerce store owners with two options; a free cloud-based hosted solution and the other one an open-source version, which can be hosted at your own infrastructure, thus offering store owners with the flexibility to choose as per their preference and requirement.
The free hosting solution offered by PrestaShop is much similar to other cloud-based hosting solutions offered by other platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. It’s designed to offer users with an interactive and easy interface, which even beginners can use to set up stores in minutes. The only downside here is the limited customization options for the store, however, as a small store owner, you won’t have to worry about hosting or infrastructure.
On the other hand, there is no hosted solution offered by Magento. This leaves users with the only option to maintain their own hosting infrastructure. And since the platform isn’t beginner-friendly, you will require professionals to complete the task for you.
Enterprise Offering
While on the surface, the free hosting solution offered by PrestaShop may seem too tempting and logical, your store may outgrow the solution in no time, leaving you in the midst of nowhere looking to the alternative open-source platform to migrate.
With respect to Magento, it offers businesses with two products including the Magento Community, which is quite similar to the open-source downloadable option offered by PrestaShop, the other option is Magento Enterprise.
As can be taken by name, the Magento Enterprise solution is specifically intended for large ecommerce stores offering them robust features and functionalities including merchandising, customer segmentation and much more. On the performance level also, the Magento Enterprise is aptly suited for large ecommerce stores, where you will have direct access to official Magento support 24/7.
So, if you are looking for scalability options, Magento is the right choice, offering a high level of customization, scalability, and features. However, as said, you will require the service of professional experts to leverage the complete functionality of the platform. Alternatively, PrestaShop is ideally suited for small stores where entrepreneurs don’t have any technical or financial resources to go with professional development services.
Price
On paper, both of these platforms are free, however, that’s only on the surface and may be deceiving. In reality, these platforms are only free to download and use the software.
You will need to pay for many services for services and plug-ins with both of these platforms. In fact, with Magento, you will also be paying for hosting.
The other costs for Magento include development costs (which won’t be a low price at all). Whereas, for PrestaShop, you will be paying for the template (if you don’t choose a free template).
As for Magento Enterprise, you will also be paying annual costs for extra-functionalities and superior performance.
What to Do Next
As we said, there are many differences between Magento and PrestaShop. Make sure you know all the differences, so as to make a well-informed decision for your next ecommerce store.