PrestaShop vs Wix: A Detailed 2024 Comparison

If you’ve narrowed it down to PrestaShop vs Wix, you’re in the final stretch of choosing the platform that will power your online store. Both have impressive capabilities, but only one platform is suitable for your needs.

Ergo, in this in-depth Wix vs PrestaShop comparison, we’ll go beyond the surface to reveal how each platform handles the essentials of eCommerce. More specifically, we will address the two solutions based on the following criteria:

• Pricing;
• Ease of use;
• Themes & design;
• Apps & integrations;
• eCommerce features;
• SEO & marketing;
• Hosting & scalability;
• Customer support;
• Security.

Join us to see which is the best fit for your business!

---

Overview of PrestaShop vs Wix

Before going into the details, let us briefly walk through the overview of PrestaShop vs Wix. By understanding their core strengths and weaknesses upfront, you’ll be better equipped to understand the differences in the detailed comparison that follows.

PrestaShop pros & cons

Since its launch in 2007, PrestaShop has become the platform of choice for over 200,000 live websites (according to BuiltWith). As an open-source platform, it allows users to have full access to the source code and add a variety of modules for enhanced functionality.

One feature that makes PrestaShop stand out is its robust multilanguage support, which allows businesses to create multilingual stores effortlessly. This makes it especially suitable for companies aiming to reach a global audience and scale over time.

Wix pros & cons

Released a year before PrestaShop in 2006, Wix is currently home to over 8 million websites (according to BuiltWith). Known initially as a popular website builder, Wix has evolved significantly over the years to become a robust eCommerce solution.

With its user-friendly dashboard and drag-and-drop editor, Wix allows users to create visually appealing and functional websites without needing advanced technical skills. That’s why this is usually the ideal solution for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

PretaShop vs Wix: Which platform is for you?

Based on our team analysis, Wix wins in most aspects compared to PrestaShop. Its intuitive website builder and built-in features make it appeal to more businesses, especially ones looking for an easy-to-use eCommerce solution.

Nevertheless, PrestaShop is still ideal for certain types of eCommerce merchants. After evaluating the key aspects of each platform, we have come up with the types of businesses that are best suited for each. If you are sitting on the fence about which one to go for, this could be a great reference for you:

PrestaShop is ideal for:

• Businesses with complex eCommerce needs and advanced features.
• Companies planning for significant growth and international expansion.
• Businesses with technical resources to manage a self-hosted, customizable platform.
• Those who want full control over data, security, and store functionality.

Wix is a great fit for:

• Small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs seeking a quick and easy setup.
• Businesses that prioritize simplicity and want a platform that handles all hosting, updates, and security.
• Those with a limited budget who want to keep costs low.
• Businesses focusing on brand building, content marketing, and online presence.

Despite the business fit outlined for each platform, my recommendation would be to make the decision based on your business’s unique goals, technical capabilities, and growth plans. If you need more input on the differences between PrestaShop vs Wix, we have a detailed breakdown of both platforms right after this section. Keep reading for more!

---

Pricing (A Tie)

First thing first, we will be taking a look at the pricing differences as they directly influence both your budget and long-term scalability. Since PrestaShop is open-source and Wix is a hosted solution, there is quite a big gap between the pricing approaches of the two platforms.

PrestaShop pricing

At present, PrestaShop is offering merchants both open-source and hosted solutions. Nevertheless, since the open-source version is more popular with most users, we will concentrate on the pricing and associated costs of this version in the PrestaShop vs Wix comparison.

Just like any other open-source platform, PrestaShop is completely free to download and install. However, your budget plan still needs to cover the following additional fees when running your store on this platform:

• Domain name: Approximately $12 per year.
• Hosting provider: Ranges from $5 to $25 per month, depending on the hosting plan you choose and your site’s traffic needs.
• Themes and modules: Starts from $79 annually, with extra costs for custom ones.

Despite these extra costs, PrestaShop remains an affordable option for businesses with complex websites and specific functionality needs. Its flexibility allows them to tailor their expenses based on specific requirements, providing more control as their business grows.

Wix pricing

Wix, on the other hand, offers a range of subscription plans to fulfill the needs of almost all business sizes. There is a forever-free plan, but to access eCommerce features, you will need to choose one of the below premium plans:

Compared to PrestaShop, Wix’s subscription model makes it easier to predict monthly costs, as everything you need is bundled into a single plan. Each plan has already included hosting, SSL certification, integrated tools, and even themes. For more website functionality, you can install premium apps from the market, which cost anywhere from $3 to $30+ per month.

---

Ease of Use (Wix Wins)

Setting up and managing an online store should ideally be straightforward since you are going to stick to the platform for quite a while. Having tried both PrestaShop vs Wix, we’ve gathered insights on what the initial setup and managing experience feels like on each platform.

Prestashop ease of use

In comparison with many other open-source solutions, PrestaShop is one of the easiest to set up. All you have to do is follow these steps (no coding required):

• First, download the latest version of PrestaShop.
• Then, upload the files onto your server.
• Next, create a database (depending on your hosting provider).
• Finally, follow the guide by PrestaShop Installation Assistant for installation.

Entering the backend dashboard, we were impressed by its well-organized layout and easy navigation. The layout is intuitive, with clear sections for managing products, orders, and customers, allowing you to find essential tools. The main dashboard also gives you quick access to key stats, such as sales, orders, and customer data, so you can get an instant overview of your store’s performance.

Nevertheless, you might get confused as you start to add products and get the business rolling on PrestaShop. This is where the learning curve starts to climb, involving more technical tasks, like working with code or integrating third-party modules. For these kinds of enhancements, a bit of technical knowledge – or access to a developer – will be more beneficial.

Wix ease of use

Upon signing up with Wix, we were given two options: build our website with the help of Wix’s AI chatbot or set it up manually. If you choose the manual route, Wix starts by asking about your business: business name, location, offered services, etc. From then on, the platform will better understand and adapt to your business needs in the long term.

This time, we went for the AI chatbot option. Similar to the manual setup, we started by answering a series of questions about our business. Based on the responses, the chatbot tailored a Wix dashboard with matching apps, images, pages, etc. Even though it took us a few minutes to wait for the chatbot to do its work, we got a more customized and fulfilling experience than the manual route.

After the onboarding process, you will be taken to the main dashboard. There is a sidebar navigation menu that provides quick access to essential management pages, like products, orders, customers, etc. This design ensures that, even with platform updates, you can efficiently manage your site without losing your way.

The rest of the setup with Wix – adding apps, creating pages, and listing products – is notably more straightforward than PrestaShop. You don’t need to tweak a single line of code to maximize functionality, as everything is designed to be accessible and ready to use.

---

Themes & Design (Wix Wins)

Next, we will continue to compare how PrestaShop vs Wix helps you with storefront creation. We all know that attracting more customers starts with having a well-designed website. Thus, themes and website builder tools of an eCommerce platform are very much an important part.

PrestaShop themes & design

From the PrestaShop official theme store, you will be offered up to 2000+ themes divided into 15 product categories. A standout feature is the “Language” filter, which lets users choose themes supporting specific languages, catering to diverse, multilingual audiences. This filter not only simplifies theme selection but also highlights PrestaShop's commitment to supporting a multichannel experience.

However, customization within PrestaShop themes may pose challenges for beginners. The default customizer allows basic adjustments to page layouts by adding and organizing sections, but there is no option to rearrange these sections. Many users report the experience as somewhat frustrating, especially if they seek more complex layout designs or advanced visual features.

And, once again, to get the best website storefront as you wish, you will have to tweak the code. Custom CSS or HTML edits are often necessary to achieve a truly unique look, especially if you want to add advanced design elements or interactive features.

Wix themes & design

While Wix offers a smaller selection of themes—just over 900 compared to PrestaShop’s extensive catalog, all themes are free to install. In addition, since Wix originated as a website builder, its themes are crafted with high aesthetic standards. These will definitely attract users who want an eye-catching design without having to handle complex configurations.

What we love even more about Wix is its drag-and-drop theme builder. Every element you want to add or edit on your website can be easily done by simply dragging it into place, with no coding skills required!

In fact, there are 4 Wix website builders to bring your dream design to reality:

• Wix Editor: The classic drag-and-drop editor provides design freedom, allowing users to fully customize every aspect of their website with an easy-to-use interface and a vast library of templates.
• Wix Editor X: Created for designers and agencies, Editor X offers advanced design features, including responsive layouts and precision positioning. It’s ideal for those needing professional-level design control and fluid responsiveness.
• Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence): Perfect for beginners or those short on time, Wix ADI generates a personalized website design based on a few questions, offering a quick and seamless way to create a visually appealing site with minimal effort.
• Velo by Wix: For developers who want more control, Velo enables custom code integration within the Wix platform. This option allows for advanced customization and the ability to add more complex functionalities to their website.

---

Apps & Integrations (Wix Wins)

An effective eCommerce store goes beyond design—it needs robust features to support growth and enhance functionality. Integrating third-party apps is key to expanding your store’s capabilities and boosting productivity. Below, we break down how PrestaShop vs Wix compare in terms of apps and integrations.

PrestaShop apps & integrations

There are over 2000 PrestaShop modules across various eCommerce needs (marketing, analytics, product management, etc.) that you can install on your store. You can make use of their built-in filters, such as PrestaShop versions, developers, languages, etc., to find the best apps that match your business needs. Some popular names are Creative Elements, EU Cookie Law, Super Speed, et. c.

One thing you should be aware of is that most of these modules are uploaded by independent developers from around the world. For this reason, quality control can be inconsistent, leading to issues like limited functionality, outdated coding practices, or even compatibility problems with certain platform updates. We highly recommend you go through the best PrestaShop modules list or read the customer reviews before installing one.

Wix apps & integrations

With over 800 apps available, the Wix app market provides tools for everything from eCommerce to social media integration. Despite the limited number compared to PrestaShop, Wix apps are top-tier qualified. The reason why we say that is because each app undergoes a rigorous review by the Wix expert team before it becomes available on the platform. Hence, you can rest assured that they will work perfectly in your store and minimize possible errors.

For beginners, you can check out the app collections like Team Picks, Newest Apps, Made by Wix, Popular This Month, etc. These are all great app recommendations for Wix users, giving you the power to expand your website capability.

---

eCommerce Features (Wix Wins)

Since you are selling online, you will need a platform with robust tools for product management and visitor insights. Thus, this comparison between PrestaShop vs Wix aims to see which platform truly supports the needs of a growing business. Let us walk you through the strengths and quirks of each, so you can find the best fit for your store’s unique demands.

Products & inventory

For inventory management, PrestaShop offers essential tools, such as automatic stock updates for every transaction and low-stock alerts. However, if you’re looking for more advanced features like bulk product management, you will likely need additional modules such as Import/Update Bulk Product. This approach allows flexibility but can increase setup time and costs.

Meanwhile, Wix makes all of the inventory features built-in, reducing the need for extra add-ons. Through the product dashboard, you can easily track stock levels and enable pre-orders for new, anticipated, or out-of-stock items, capturing more sales and reducing customer wait times.

Additionally, your inventory is automatically updated with every sale across your online store, eBay, Amazon, and other channels, ensuring accurate stock levels in real-time.

eCommerce statistics

With PrestaShop, eCommerce statistics are managed through the PrestaShop Metrics module. In a single dashboard, you can easily track key performance indicators like sales, orders, sessions, and conversion rates.

Similarly, Wix also allows you to manage all analytics from its dashboard. But the winning point of Wix compared to PrestaShop is that it provides detailed insights into customer behavior. You can track visitor origins, navigation paths, and return rates, enabling data-driven decisions to enhance marketing strategies and user experience.

International selling

If you intend to internationalize your website, both Wix and PrestaShop are well-equipped with cross-border eCommerce features.

By offering free translations in over 75 languages, PrestaShop makes internationalization much more accessible. Additionally, it enables users to localize currency and shipping rules based on the customer’s location. This flexibility allows businesses to better connect with international customers and meet local expectations.

Wix provides similar features but with more advanced capabilities for international selling. Through Wix Multilingual, you can translate your website into 180+ languages – more than twice the options available in PrestaShop. Product pricing is also automatically adjusted to local currencies based on visitor location.

The biggest difference between PrestaShop and Wix lies in automated tax calculations across regions via Wix and Alavara integration. Thanks to it, you can easily comply with international tax regulations and reduce the complexities of managing cross-border transactions.

Payment gateways

PrestaShop offers over 60 payment solutions, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay, etc. The platform itself doesn’t charge transaction fees, but you still have to consider the processing fees based on your chosen payment gateways. Normally, the rate will be around $0.30 authorization fee + 3.9% payment processing fees.

When working with Wix, you will have up to 80 payment gateways worldwide for consideration. For each transaction, Wix charges a percentage fee plus a flat rate. The default rates vary by region, typically between 2.9% + $0.30 and 3.7% + $0.30 per transaction.

You can also try out its in-house payment gateway called Wix Payments. Just like other providers, Wix Payments charges a fee for processing funds to and from your account. Depending on your store location, the rates range from 2.9% to 3.9% of the transaction amount, plus a $0.30 flat fee per transaction.

Shipping configuration

With PrestaShop, you have full control over your shipping configuration, making it ideal for businesses with specific requirements. Store owners can set custom shipping rates, offer free shipping, or calculate costs based on the order’s total value or weight.

For added convenience, PrestaShop offers the PrestaShop Shipping module in partnership with Mail Boxes Etc. This tool automates shipment creation and enables merchants to generate shipping labels/waybills directly from the PrestaShop interface.

On Wix, you can set different shipping rules for various regions, offering options like free delivery, flat rates, and subtotal-based rates. For example, you might provide local delivery to customers within a 3-mile radius, free shipping within your country, and a flat rate for international orders.

If the built-in shipping features are not enough, you can always integrate with third-party plugins such as Shippo, ShipBob, ShipStation, etc. This flexibility helps you manage shipping costs effectively and meet diverse customer expectations.

---

SEO & Marketing (Wix Wins)

With a completed store, we need to reach a broader audience – and that means making the most of SEO and marketing features. That’s why, in this part, we’ll break down the differences between PrestaShop vs Wix. Both platforms offer tools to improve visibility, but they vary significantly in approach.

PrestaShop SEO & marketing features

The SEO features on PrestaShop are quite basic, such as generating URLs, editing meta tags, and customizing XML sitemaps. If you want more advanced features to gain higher website rankings, you may want to consider integrating with third-party modules.

In contrast, the platform does a pretty good job in terms of marketing features. They collaborated with Google to design a marketing module for all merchants named PrestaShop Marketing with Google.

In brief, here are the highlight features you will get when installing this app:

• Product health checks: Improves data feed quality and resolves data-related issues.
• Competitor analysis: Helps you identify top competitors across online platforms.
• Pricing comparison: Allows you to track competitor prices and focus your marketing on competitive products.
• Multi-platform advertising: Enables seamless product promotion across Google Shopping, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and more.

From our testing, these added great value to our marketing strategies, helping us to reach a broader audience. Without them, spreading the brand to more people might be a real struggle, especially for beginners.

Wix SEO & marketing features

At a glance, Wix’s SEO features are more robust than those offered by PrestaShop. With integrations like Semrush and access to an SEO Learning Hub, Wix empowers users to boost their search engine rankings effectively. The platform also includes customizable meta tags, structured data, mobile optimization, and SSL security, all within a user-friendly interface that makes SEO accessible even for beginners.

That’s not everything yet! Wix even provides each business with a personalized SEO checklist based on their site and primary keywords. These features collectively help Wix users improve their search visibility and drive organic traffic without needing advanced technical knowledge.

On the marketing side, Wix provides an integrated email marketing system and social media management, all within the same platform. From creating posts to managing campaigns, these tools allow users to maintain a cohesive brand presence across channels with minimal effort.

---

Hosting & Scalability (PrestaShop Wins)

To a point, your business will grow, and so will the hosting and performance demand. In this section, we’ll break down how PrestaShop vs Wix handles scalability. Keep scrolling for the details!

PrestaShop hosting & scalability

With PrestaShop, you can freely choose, upgrade, or switch your hosting servers at any time to adapt to the growing traffic. This level of control makes PrestaShop an excellent choice for businesses looking to grow steadily and invest in infrastructure. However, achieving this growth requires technical expertise and adaptability to manage the platform effectively.

From the PrestaShop modules directory, you can consider some page caching and CDN (Content Delivery Network) modules. Page caching speeds up load times by storing static page versions, while a CDN delivers content from the nearest server to each visitor. Together, these tools improve loading speeds and create a smoother browsing experience for your customers.

Wix hosting & scalability

In contrast, Wix’s hosted solution provides a more fixed structure that is far less scalable compared to PrestaShop. As your business grows, Wix’s limitations in these aspects may hold you back:

• Storage and bandwidth: Wix's premium plans provide up to 50GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth, which may be insufficient for large-scale eCommerce operations with extensive product catalogs and high-resolution media.
• Customization constraints: Wix's closed ecosystem restricts access to server-side code and database management, limiting the ability to implement custom functionalities or integrate third-party services beyond the Wix App Market offerings.

These factors suggest that while Wix is suitable for businesses with moderate growth expectations, it may not meet the needs of enterprises requiring extensive scalability and customization.

---

Customer Support (Wix Wins)

Imagine this: you’re working late on your store, putting the final touches on a big promotion. Suddenly, something doesn’t work as expected, and you need help – fast. This section will show you how PrestaShop vs Wix can support you when those unexpected moments pop up.

PrestaShop customer support

We have listed out the support channels that you can get when running your business on PrestaShop. Since expert help charges an extra fee, it’s essential to be prepared for a hands-on approach to troubleshooting and maintenance.

• Help center: An extensive collection of articles covering various aspects of PrestaShop, serving as a valuable resource for users seeking self-help solutions.
• Community forum: A vibrant forum with over 1.3 million developers and users, facilitating knowledge sharing and peer support.
• Technical support plans: For personalized assistance, PrestaShop provides technical support plans starting at approximately $300. These plans offer one-on-one help for troubleshooting and guidance.

Wix customer support

At the same time, Wix aims to provide extensive support and be readily available to assist you anytime, anywhere, with no extra costs. Here are the ways you can reach out for help from Wix:

• Dedicated support team: Wix’s customer support team offers free 24/7 assistance through live chat and callback options for English-speaking users. The support hours may vary for other languages.
• Extensive help center: A well-organized library of articles covers a wide range of topics, giving users easy access to self-help resources.
• Wix Learn: Tutorial videos, courses, and webinars are available through Wix Learn, providing users with practical guidance to master the platform’s features.

---

Security (Wix Wins)

In this final section of our PrestaShop vs Wix comparison, we’ll look at how each platform protects your store. After all, no customer wants their private data to fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it’s essential to build your online store with strong security measures in place.

PrestaShop security

PrestaShop’s downloadable setup file is already PCI compliant, giving users a solid starting point for securing their store. However, since PrestaShop is open-source, the responsibility for maintaining security largely falls on you.

You will be the one to make the decision on which security modules to install among the wide range of offers available. From our experience, there is the Official GDPR Compliance module that ensures your store meets the General Data Protection Regulation, keeping customer data safe.

Wix security

As a SaaS platform, Wix manages security on your behalf, allowing you to focus on running your store while Wix handles updates and protections. Every Wix website is Level 1 PCI compliant and uses TLS 1.2 encryption, meeting the highest standards for payment security.

Wix also employs a team of security experts who conduct rigorous testing to keep sites running smoothly. Additionally, all Wix websites include DDoS protection, which defends against attacks that try to overwhelm servers with malicious traffic.

---

PrestaShop vs Wix: FAQs

---

Conclusion

After reviewing the essentials of PrestaShop vs Wix, it’s clear that each platform has unique strengths. Nevertheless, Wix takes the lead for users seeking a streamlined solution with a user-friendly editor and robust eCommerce tools.

If you’re ready to make the switch to Wix, LitExtension offers a seamless migration service to help you migrate with ease and precision. With over 12 years of experience, we have worked with 200,000+ customers worldwide and received 5-star reviews across platforms like Trustpilot and Serchen. Get in touch with our team today to start your journey to a new platform!

For more insights, you can continue reading our Wix blog collection or join the community group!