When choosing between PrestaShop vs. WordPress for ecommerce, 39% of businesses prioritize platform specialization according to Gartner. This comprehensive comparison examines both platforms through five critical lenses, using data from W3Techs and BuiltWith to help you make an informed decision.
Differences Between PrestaShop vs. WordPress
1. Ecommerce Specialization
PrestaShop’s native architecture supports:
– Advanced inventory management (SKU tracking, warehouse mapping)
– Built-in abandoned cart recovery
– 160+ payment gateways pre-integrated
Source: PrestaShop Official Documentation
2. Technical Requirements
Platform Requirements Comparison:
| Feature | PrestaShop | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| PHP Version | 7.3+ | 7.4+ |
| Database | MySQL 5.7+ | MySQL 5.6+ |
| Memory Limit | 256MB+ | 128MB+ |
Data from official system requirements documents
3. Security Protocols
PrestaShop’s security framework includes:
– Automatic security patches
– PCI-DSS compliant checkout
– Two-factor authentication
WordPress requires additional plugins for comparable security features, increasing vulnerability surface by 42% according to Sucuri’s 2023 Website Threat Report.
Performance Comparison
Independent testing by Cloudflare reveals:
– PrestaShop loads product pages 28% faster (1.2s vs 1.7s)
– Handles 35% more concurrent users
– Uses 18% less server resources
Cost Analysis
First-Year Ownership Costs:
| Expense | PrestaShop | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Core Software | Free | Free |
| Essential Extensions | $450-$800 | $200-$600 |
| Security | $150 | $300 |
| Developer Hours | 40-60 hrs | 80-120 hrs |
Based on average marketplace prices and developer rates
Expert Recommendations
Choose PrestaShop if:
– You need dedicated ecommerce features
– Require enterprise-level scalability
– Want native multilingual support
Consider WordPress if:
– Running a content-heavy site
– Need extensive blogging capabilities
– Require maximum design flexibility
For pure ecommerce functionality, PrestaShop outperforms WordPress in 7 of 10 key metrics according to Forrester’s 2023 Commerce Platform Evaluation. However, WordPress remains superior for hybrid content-commerce operations. Evaluate your specific needs using our interactive platform selector tool.
