PrestaShop is an open-source ecommerce platform you install on your own hosting. It gives you full control over your storefront, codebase, design, checkout flow, and integrations. It sits between simple website builders and heavy enterprise platforms—powerful but still manageable for small and mid-sized teams.
If you outgrow simple hosted solutions, you may need deeper customization, freedom from transaction fees, and the ability to scale on your own infrastructure. PrestaShop offers that flexibility without the enterprise price tag. Developers get a modular architecture to build custom features. Merchants get thousands of add-ons for payments, shipping, automation, and marketing.
You install PrestaShop on compatible hosting (PHP/MySQL). The core platform is free, and you extend it with modules, themes, and custom code. Most merchants buy premium add-ons for essential features like payments, accounting, or advanced SEO.
There are no product limits or revenue caps, but actual performance depends on your hosting. Because it is open source, updates and security patches are manual. Some modules vary in quality, and managing complex stores may require a developer. PrestaShop also offers a cloud version (“PrestaShop Edition”) with hosting and support, but it still retains open-source roots.
