Shopware vs PrestaShop
Shopware and PrestaShop are both European open source ecommerce platforms. Shopware (Shopware AG, Schoeppingen, Germany) has an MIT-licensed free Community Edition and paid Rise, Evolve and Beyond editions from EUR 600 a month. PrestaShop's Classic edition is free to download and self-host, with an optional managed PrestaShop Hosted service and a module marketplace.
Choose Shopware if
you expect to scale into B2B and multi-channel selling, want a German vendor and an MIT-licensed core, and can budget for a paid edition when you outgrow the free one.
Read the Shopware reviewChoose PrestaShop if
you want a free, self-installed shop with a large module and theme marketplace, or a managed hosted option without a large monthly commitment up front.
Read the PrestaShop reviewShopware and PrestaShop side by side
| Shopware | PrestaShop | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Shopware | PrestaShop |
| Headquarters | Schöppingen, Germany | Paris, France |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | EU (France) |
| Pricing | Open source + paid editions | Open source + hosted plans |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 8 October 2026) | Community Edition free; Rise from EUR 600 a month, Evolve from EUR 2,400 a month (excl. VAT); Beyond custom | Classic free to download; hosting and setup extra; PrestaShop Hosted price not shown on the page checked |
| Free tier or trial | Demo on request | Demo on request |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Shopify Plus, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce |
| Position in our Ecommerce Platforms guide | #1 of 17 | #3 of 17 |
Both are listed in our European Ecommerce Platforms guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Shopware and PrestaShop differ
Across the five points below, Shopware has the edge on 3 points, PrestaShop on 1 point and one is a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Free option
Shopware's Community Edition is free and MIT-licensed. PrestaShop says you can download the Classic source code for free and install your store yourself, with hosting and setup costing extra. Both give you a free core.
No clear winner on this point.
Paid editions
Shopware lists Rise from EUR 600 a month, Evolve from EUR 2,400 a month (both excl. VAT) and Beyond on request, adding intelligence, B2B components and priority support. PrestaShop's homepage describes optional paid hosting and add-ons, but no amounts were shown, so a price comparison is not possible; Shopware is more transparent about what the upper tiers cost.
Edge: Shopware
Hosting choices
Shopware lists SaaS, PaaS and self-hosted deployment. PrestaShop lists self-hosted Classic and PrestaShop Hosted. Shopware offers the wider range on its own pages.
Edge: Shopware
Extensions and ecosystem
PrestaShop says its Marketplace offers thousands of modules and themes for payments, marketing, shipping and automation. Shopware's pricing page mentions a global developer community and a modular architecture, without a count.
Edge: PrestaShop
Company base
Shopware states its headquarters as Ebbinghoff 10, 48624 Schoeppingen, Germany. PrestaShop's homepage shows a copyright line for 2007 to 2026 and does not name a country.
Edge: Shopware
When neither Shopware nor PrestaShop fits
If neither fits, browse the ecommerce platforms category for other European options. We did not verify their details for this page.
Shopware vs PrestaShop: questions
Its Community Edition is free and MIT-licensed. Rise starts at EUR 600 a month and Evolve at EUR 2,400 a month, both excluding VAT.
The Classic edition can be downloaded for free and self-installed; hosting and setup cost extra. PrestaShop Hosted is a managed paid service whose price was not shown on the page we checked.
Yes. Shopware lists self-hosted as an option next to SaaS and PaaS, and PrestaShop Classic is self-hosted by design.
PrestaShop claims thousands of modules and themes in its Marketplace. We found no comparable number on Shopware's pricing page.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- Shopware pricing: Editions and prices, MIT licence, SaaS, PaaS and self-hosted, Schoeppingen address (checked 8 October 2026)
- PrestaShop home page: Free open source Classic, PrestaShop Hosted, Marketplace, copyright 2007 to 2026 (checked 8 October 2026)