The verdict in three sentences
A store on PrestaShop 1.7 runs on an end-of-life PHP version, piles up incompatible modules and becomes a security risk, especially when it serves both trade and consumer customers. There are three paths in 2026: migrate to PrestaShop 8 or 9 (EUR 8,000 to 25,000 excl. VAT), move to Shopify (EUR 5,000 to 30,000 plus subscription) or rebuild custom (EUR 40,000 to 100,000). The right choice depends mostly on B2B complexity (per-customer prices, quotes, multi-buyer accounts) and on successfully carrying over 20,000 URLs and customer accounts.
Why you cannot stay on 1.7
PrestaShop 1.7 relies on PHP 7.1 to 7.4, versions that no longer receive security patches. Hosts are pushing towards PHP 8.1 or later, and many payment, shipping and invoicing modules no longer publish updates for 1.7. Typical symptoms: a payment module that breaks after a host update, a theme nobody dares touch, 4 to 6 second mobile load times and B2B add-ons stacked over the years.
The first deliverable of any replatforming is therefore an audit: inventory of modules (often 40 to 80), code overrides, B2B pricing rules and integrations (ERP, carriers, marketplaces). It costs EUR 1,500 to 4,000 excl. VAT and drives everything else.
| Criterion | PrestaShop 8 or 9 | Shopify (Plus or B2B) | Custom or headless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup cost excl. VAT (2026 order of magnitude) | EUR 8,000 to 25,000 | EUR 5,000 to 30,000 | EUR 40,000 to 100,000 |
| Recurring cost | Hosting EUR 50 to 300 a month + modules | Subscription USD 39 to 2,300 a month + apps | Hosting EUR 100 to 600 + maintenance |
| Sales commission | None | 0.6 to 2% with external payments | None |
| B2B features (per-customer prices, quotes, accounts) | Modules to assemble | Native on Shopify Plus, limited otherwise | Built for your process |
| Data migration | Assisted, similar database | Via import, passwords not carried over | Dedicated scripts |
| Typical timeline | 6 to 12 weeks | 6 to 14 weeks | 4 to 8 months |
| Lock-in | Third-party modules | Vendor and apps | Provider and code |
Carrying over 20,000 URLs and customer accounts safely
The number one risk of a replatforming is a drop in organic traffic. A 5,000 product store easily generates 20,000 indexed URLs (products, variants, categories, filters, CMS pages). Every URL that changes needs a 301 redirect to its equivalent, otherwise Google drops the pages and organic revenue can fall 20 to 50% for several months.
Customer accounts are another issue. PrestaShop 1.7 stores passwords hashed; a migration to PrestaShop 8 or 9 keeps them, but Shopify cannot import them, so customers have to reactivate their accounts. In B2B you also need to carry over customer groups, negotiated prices, order history and multiple delivery addresses.
| Migration item | Cost excl. VAT (2026 order of magnitude) | Watch point |
|---|---|---|
| 301 redirect plan for 20,000 URLs | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 | Test 100% of URLs before cutover |
| Products, variants, images | EUR 1,500 to 5,000 | B2B features and attributes |
| Customer accounts and price groups | EUR 1,000 to 4,000 | Passwords not transferable to Shopify |
| Order history | EUR 1,000 to 3,000 | Useful for support and reorders |
| Testing and SEO monitoring for 90 days after cutover | EUR 1,500 to 4,000 | Search Console, 404 errors, rankings |
| Account reactivation campaign | EUR 500 to 1,500 | 40 to 70% reactivation within 30 days |
Mini case study
Illustrative scenario: Sophie, managing director of a hairdressing equipment SME in Toulouse, sells 60% to professional salons and 40% to consumers, with EUR 2.4M of online revenue. Her PrestaShop 1.7 store has 65 modules, 18,000 indexed URLs and 9,000 trade accounts with group discounts.
She compares over 3 years:
- PrestaShop 9: EUR 22,000 excl. VAT migration, EUR 5,000 of modules, EUR 3,600 a year hosting and EUR 6,000 a year maintenance, about EUR 55,800 over 3 years.
- Shopify Plus: EUR 28,000 project, about EUR 26,000 a year in subscription and apps, about EUR 106,000 over 3 years, with 9,000 accounts to reactivate.
- Custom: EUR 70,000 project and EUR 9,000 a year, about EUR 97,000 over 3 years, for a B2B process tailored exactly.
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Since her B2B rules are standard, she picks PrestaShop 9 and reinvests the difference in the redirect plan and mobile speed. Losing 2% of revenue for 3 months because of missing redirects would cost about EUR 12,000: the SEO line is not optional.
FAQ
Can we migrate straight from 1.7 to PrestaShop 9?
Yes, with a data migration tool and an upgrade of the theme and modules. Allow 6 to 12 weeks and EUR 8,000 to 25,000 excl. VAT depending on how many modules must be replaced.
Does Shopify handle B2B well?
Shopify Plus offers company catalogues, payment terms and negotiated prices. On lower plans you need apps at USD 20 to 300 a month, with limits as soon as pricing rules get complex.
How long until SEO traffic recovers?
With a complete redirect plan, most stores recover 90% of their traffic in 4 to 8 weeks. Without redirects, a 20 to 50% loss can last 6 months or more.
When is custom justified?
When the B2B process is a competitive edge: configurator, complex quotes, real-time ERP integration, punchout. Above EUR 5M of online sales, EUR 40,000 to 100,000 excl. VAT often pays back through the absence of commissions and apps.
Should everything be rebuilt at once?
No. Many SMEs first migrate the core like-for-like in 2 to 3 months, then add B2B improvements in 4 to 6 week batches, which limits cutover risk.
Let's scope your project. Send us your module list, URL count and B2B pricing rules: we will run the audit, compare the three options and price the SEO migration. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.