The verdict in three sentences
PrestaShop 1.6 is no longer maintained: unpatched vulnerabilities, modules incompatible with PHP 8 and payments exposed to PSD2 changes. Moving to Shopify costs EUR 12,000 to 30,000 excl. VAT for 3,000 products with customers and order history, and pays back mainly through lower maintenance and higher mobile conversion. The real risk is SEO: without an exhaustive 301 redirect plan, losing 5 to 15% of organic traffic for 2 to 4 months is common.
Detailed migration budget
| Item | 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Audit, module and URL mapping | 1,500 to 3,000 | 1 week |
| Shopify theme (premium adaptation or custom) | 3,000 to 9,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| 3,000 products, variants and images | 2,000 to 5,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Customers and order history | 1,500 to 3,500 | 1 week |
| 301 redirect plan and technical SEO | 1,500 to 4,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| ERP, carrier and B2B quote connectors | 2,000 to 5,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Testing, training, cutover and 30-day follow-up | 500 | 1 week |
| Total | 12,000 to 30,000 | 8 to 12 weeks |
Customer passwords cannot be migrated: Shopify sends an account activation invite. Plan a dedicated email campaign to reactivate 40 to 60% of active accounts in the first month.
Running costs: maintained PrestaShop vs Shopify
| Yearly item (2026 estimate) | Self-hosted PrestaShop 1.6 or 8 | Shopify | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform subscription | EUR 0 | USD 105 to 399 a month | from USD 2,300 a month |
| Hosting and security | EUR 1,200 to 3,600 | Included | Included |
| Maintenance and updates | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 | EUR 1,500 to 4,000 | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Modules or apps | EUR 500 to 2,000 | EUR 1,500 to 4,500 | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 |
| Transaction fees outside Shopify Payments | 0% | 0.5 to 2% | 0.15 to 0.3% |
| Major version upgrade | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 every 3 to 4 years | None | None |
At EUR 2 million revenue, the Shopify plan around USD 399 a month with Shopify Payments suits most cases. Shopify Plus is only justified with several stores, advanced B2B or specific checkout needs.
Limiting SEO risk
Shopify's URL structure is fixed (/products/, /collections/, /pages/), so every old URL must be redirected one by one.
- Export every indexed URL and those receiving traffic or backlinks.
- Build a verified mapping table, with no redirect chains.
- Carry over title tags, meta descriptions and category content.
- Switch during a quiet period (not September for office supplies, the back-to-school peak).
- Monitor Search Console daily for 30 days.
Done well, the loss stays at 0 to 5% and traffic recovers within 4 to 8 weeks.
Mini case study
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Thomas, managing director of an office supplies SME in Brussels, sells EUR 2,000,000 online. His PrestaShop costs EUR 9,000 a year in maintenance and hosting, and an upgrade to PrestaShop 8 is quoted at EUR 18,000. The Shopify migration costs EUR 22,000 excl. VAT, then about EUR 8,500 a year (subscription, apps, maintenance). If mobile conversion rises from 1.6% to 1.8%, a 12.5% uplift on the 55% of sales made on mobile, the gain is around EUR 137,000 in revenue a year. At a 30% gross margin that is EUR 41,000: the migration pays back in under 7 months.
FAQ
Can we migrate without losing order history?
Yes, orders, customers and addresses are imported, usually for EUR 1,500 to 3,500 excl. VAT. Only passwords must be recreated by customers.
How long does the traffic dip last?
With a complete 301 plan, the dip stays under 5% and lasts 4 to 8 weeks. Without one, it can reach 15% and last more than 4 months.
Does Shopify handle business customers?
Yes, native B2B features (company catalogues and prices, net 30 terms) are available on Shopify Plus. On standard plans, a B2B app costs USD 50 to 300 a month.
Should we upgrade to PrestaShop 8 instead?
It makes sense if you have very specific developments and an in-house tech team. Otherwise the upgrade costs EUR 8,000 to 20,000 and repeats every 3 to 4 years.
When is the best time to switch?
During a quiet period, avoiding the 6 weeks before your sales peak. For office supplies, November to January or May usually work.
Let's scope your project. We price your PrestaShop to Shopify migration (audit, data import, 301 redirects, connectors) with an indicative budget of EUR 12,000 to 30,000 excl. VAT and cutover in 8 to 12 weeks. 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.
