BigCommerce vs PrestaShop

From small businesses to large enterprises, BigCommerce’s flexible, easy-to-use ecommerce platform supports your online store’s growth now — and into the future.

Request a demo

Collage person device analytics inventory generic

BigCommerce vs PrestaShop: Why businesses are making the switch

BigCommerce makes it easy to get your online store up and running quickly — with all the built-in features you need to save time and money.

Flexibility without complexity

The open-source framework of PrestaShop leaves merchants at a catch-22: By modifying the source code, merchants also add complexity, which can require expensive and time-consuming developer resources down the road. Open SaaS solutions like BigCommerce, however, offer the core functionality that most merchants need while allowing for flexibility to extend the platform to meet their unique needs.

Greater usability, lower TCO

While PrestaShop is free to install, merchants may have a higher total cost of ownership after accounting for hosting, tech support, maintenance costs, development costs and extension fees — but these costs are already covered in a BigCommerce subscription. As a result, merchants can focus on running their business rather than worry about the upkeep of their website.

Industry-leading performance and security

Hosted within the Google Cloud Platform, BigCommerce offers unlimited bandwidth and best-in-class uptime at 99.99%. In addition, BigCommerce is ISO/IEC 27001:2013 & PCI DSS 3.2, Level 1 certified, meaning merchants can spend less time worrying about security and more time focusing on revenue-generating innovations.

Around-the-clock technical support

While PrestaShop merchants can purchase blocks of time for technical support, this service is typically outsourced rather than directly from PrestaShop. BigCommerce, however, offers 24/7 Technical Support for merchants on any plan, and support calls are answered in well under two minutes with 85% of issues resolved on the first call.

BigCommerce success stories

“When we started looking into BigCommerce, we had access to the trial. So, we made sure it was a perfect fit for us and that was very much the case. We experienced no blockers that would have kept us from moving over to BigCommerce.”

David WinstanleyDirector of Winstanleys Pramworld

Quote Image Storefront Product Baby Stroller Winstanleys Pramworld

Common BigCommerce vs PrestaShop questions

What is the difference between BigCommerce and PrestaShop?

PrestaShop is a free, open-source ecommerce solution and can be hosted on-premise. However, while PrestaShop is free to download, once merchants factor in the costs of hosting, technical support, security patches, and version updates, the total cost of ownership can be higher than many merchants anticipate.

While PrestaShop can be a heavily customizable solution, it can also be difficult to manage and maintain long-term.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, is an Open SaaS platform and always includes ecommerce hosting, maintenance and automatic security patching as part of the monthly subscription fee. With the combined benefits of open source and SaaS, BigCommerce allows merchants to integrate to their existing systems and easily install third-party applications without complicating the management and upkeep of their online store.

Since PrestaShop is free, isn’t it cheaper than BigCommerce?

While PrestaShop is free to install, you still must factor in the costs associated with running your online store, such as an SSL certificate, hosting provider, technical support (either through in-house staff or an agency), security, plugins and any additional functionality needed for your ecommerce site.

BigCommerce is a SaaS platform, meaning your subscription fee includes hosting, security patching, maintenance, updates and support. It will depend on your specific business needs, but generally BigCommerce stores have a lower total cost of ownership than PrestaShop stores. If you’re interested in specific pricing for your business, talk to a BigCommerce expert.

Can you edit the source code of PrestaShop and BigCommerce?

You can edit the source code of PrestaShop, however this can introduce additional complexity when managing future updates and patches.

On BigCommerce, you can’t edit the source code; however, the platform-wide APIs enable businesses to customize their sites and integrate with best-in-breed external applications and services. In fact, over 90% of the BigCommerce platform is exposed via APIs. This can provide you the flexibility to customize without introducing unnecessary intricacies.

Is there a difference in PCI compliance on BigCommerce and PrestaShop?

The level of effort you have to extend to maintain PCI compliance varies depending on your platform. PrestaShop without any changes or customization is considered to be PCI compliant, but if you make changes to the source code, the responsibility of proving compliance falls on you.

BigCommerce stores, however, are ISO/IEC 27001:2013 & PCI DSS 3.2, Level 1 certified.

What kind of support will I get with BigCommerce and PrestaShop?

PrestaShop doesn't come with any support, but various levels of technical support can be purchased for additional fees.

With BigCommerce, we provide fast, US-based support. On average, users are speaking to a live support person in under two minutes. Over 85% of issues are resolved on the first call.

How do I migrate from PrestaShop to BigCommerce?

Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, BigCommerce offers ample support to help you make the switch from open source to SaaS.

In our app marketplace, you’ll find a variety of apps dedicated to data transfer and migration services, or you can get in touch with our Data Migration Services team who can help you seamlessly migrate and launch your store on BigCommerce.

Which platform is easier to use: BigCommerce or PrestaShop?

Unless you have extensive technical expertise, BigCommerce is likely the better option. Although open-source platforms offer heavy customization, the more you modify the source code, the more complex you make your system. This can mean it’s more expensive and difficult to make updates, and you may find the software itself has a bit of a learning curve.

When it comes to building and managing your ecommerce store, merchants using BigCommerce have a lot less to worry about. Since updates happen automatically, it's easy to always be on the latest version of BigCommerce.

Plus, there are no security patches or updates that require certified developers to install and manage. This gives non-technical merchants the ability to focus on core business activities rather than worry about the upkeep of their website.