The verdict in three sentences
Migrating a B2B store from PrestaShop 1.7 to Shopify costs between 8,000 and 30,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, depending on catalog size, customer account migration and the complexity of trade pricing. Running costs then settle at 100 to 600 EUR per month (plan and apps), versus often unpredictable PrestaShop maintenance. The project hinges on three things: 301 redirects, migrating customer-specific price lists and a 6 to 10 week timeline you should schedule outside peak season.
Why European merchants are leaving PrestaShop 1.7
PrestaShop 1.7 is no longer evolving: moving to version 8 or 9 means checking every module, and a B2B store often runs 30 to 60 of them (group pricing, quotes, 30-day payment terms, accounting exports). Every PHP update breaks a module, every published vulnerability forces an urgent patch. For an SME owner, the cost is mostly unpredictable: 3,000 to 8,000 EUR a year in fixes, plus lost hours when checkout goes down.
Shopify moves hosting, security and updates to the vendor. In return you pay a subscription, apps and a fee if you do not use Shopify Payments. Some native B2B features (company accounts, customer catalogs and pricing, payment terms) are complete on Shopify Plus and more limited on standard plans: that is the first thing to check during scoping.
| Migration item | Small catalog (2,000 products) | Mid catalog (8,000 products) | Large catalog (20,000 products) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit and scoping | 1,000 EUR | 1,500 EUR | 2,500 EUR |
| Products, variants, images | 1,500 EUR | 3,500 EUR | 7,000 EUR |
| Customers, groups and order history | 1,000 EUR | 2,000 EUR | 4,000 EUR |
| Theme and design adaptation | 2,500 EUR | 4,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR |
| B2B features (pricing, quotes, deferred payment) | 1,000 EUR | 2,500 EUR | 5,000 EUR |
| 301 redirects and SEO monitoring | 600 EUR | 1,200 EUR | 2,500 EUR |
| Acceptance testing and training | 400 EUR | 800 EUR | 1,500 EUR |
| Indicative total | 8,000 EUR | 15,500 EUR | 28,500 EUR |
These are 2026 ballpark figures for the French and European market (excl. VAT), not a Kolonell price list.
Monthly cost after the switch
The recurring budget depends mostly on apps. A B2B store typically uses a customer pricing app, a quote app, an accounting connector and a reviews or advanced search app.
| Monthly item | Standard plan | With extended B2B features |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify subscription | 36 to 105 EUR | 105 to 384 EUR |
| Customer pricing and B2B app | 20 to 80 EUR | Included depending on plan |
| Quote app | 15 to 50 EUR | 15 to 50 EUR |
| Accounting or ERP connector | 20 to 100 EUR | 50 to 150 EUR |
| Advanced search and filters | 10 to 60 EUR | 30 to 100 EUR |
| Indicative total | 100 to 400 EUR | 200 to 600 EUR |
Above a certain volume or for multi-store needs, Shopify Plus starts around 2,300 USD per month: rarely justified under 2 M EUR of online revenue.
Three risks that blow the budget
The first is search rankings. PrestaShop URLs (with numeric IDs) do not match Shopify's: without an exhaustive 301 redirect plan, a store can lose 20 to 40% of organic traffic for months. Export every indexed URL, map them one by one and watch Search Console for 8 weeks.
The second is customer account migration. Passwords do not transfer: each trade customer receives an invitation to reactivate their account. Plan a campaign with two or three reminders, or some regular buyers will fall back to phone orders.
The third is pricing logic. Group discounts, net prices per customer, free shipping thresholds: list everything before choosing the plan and apps.
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Mini case study
Claire runs an online store selling supplies to restaurants in Lyon (illustrative persona): 6,500 SKUs, 1,800 trade customers, 900,000 EUR of online revenue. On PrestaShop 1.7 she spends 6,500 EUR a year on module fixes and 1,800 EUR on managed hosting, so 8,300 EUR a year.
The migration is quoted at 14,000 EUR and Shopify running costs at 280 EUR a month, or 3,360 EUR a year. Annual saving: 8,300 - 3,360 = 4,940 EUR. On that item alone, the project pays back in just under 3 years. If a faster checkout lifts conversion from 2.1% to 2.4%, revenue grows by about 128,000 EUR a year at constant traffic, and payback is counted in weeks.
FAQ
Can we keep order history?
Yes, history can be imported directly or through a migration app, usually 2 to 5 years of orders. Above 50,000 orders, allow 1,000 to 2,000 EUR of extra processing.
How long is the store offline?
Ideally zero hours: the old store stays live during the build and the DNS switch takes under 2 hours, at night. A 48-hour freeze on product edits before the switch avoids discrepancies.
Do we need a new design?
Not necessarily: a premium Shopify theme costs 300 to 400 EUR and can be adapted for 2,000 to 4,000 EUR. A custom design runs 6,000 to 12,000 EUR.
Does Shopify handle French e-invoicing?
Shopify is not an approved e-invoicing platform. You need a connector to your accounting software or an approved platform, to plan during migration at 50 to 150 EUR a month.
When should we start?
For a B2B store, the quiet period is often July-August or January. Starting mid-April with an 8-week project lands the switch at the end of June, before the holidays.
Let's scope your project. Send us your catalog size, module list and pricing rules: we price the migration, the monthly budget and a cutover plan that protects your rankings. 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.
