The verdict in three sentences
For a Munich homeware or textile brand, a PrestaShop to Shopify migration in 2026 costs between EUR 10,000 and 38,000 excl. VAT depending on size, and takes 7 to 12 weeks including 1 to 2 weeks of testing. German specifics add real work: legally reviewed Impressum, privacy notice and withdrawal terms, a compliant order button, and the payment methods German shoppers expect, such as PayPal, invoice payment and SEPA direct debit. The line item that protects revenue is the 301 redirect plan, because losing Google rankings costs more than the whole project.
The line by line quote
Reference scenario: 1,800 products with variants, 40,000 customer accounts, 7,000 indexed URLs, a German and an English storefront, one warehouse integration. Average day rate: EUR 800, a 2026 estimate for a specialist agency in Bavaria.
| Line item | Scope | Days | Amount excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit and discovery | PrestaShop modules, data, URLs, integrations | 3 | EUR 2,400 |
| Custom Shopify theme | Brand adaptation, product pages, filters, mobile | 8 | EUR 6,400 |
| Catalogue migration | 1,800 products, variants, images, metafields | 4 | EUR 3,200 |
| Customers and orders | 40,000 accounts, order history, consent records | 3 | EUR 2,400 |
| 301 redirects | 7,000 product, category, content and image URLs | 3 | EUR 2,400 |
| German legal setup | Impressum, privacy notice, withdrawal terms, order button, cookie consent | 2 | EUR 1,600 |
| Payments and integrations | PayPal, invoice payment, SEPA, warehouse connector | 5 | EUR 4,000 |
| Technical SEO and English store | Tags, structured data, hreflang, Search Console | 3 | EUR 2,400 |
| Testing | 1.5 weeks of test orders, payments, returns | 5 | EUR 4,000 |
| Training, launch and project management | Team training, DNS switch, weekly meetings | 6 | EUR 4,800 |
| Total | 42 | EUR 33,600 |
Legal texts should come from a lawyer or a specialised legal text service, typically billed as a monthly subscription. Under German law, a missing or flawed withdrawal notice extends the withdrawal period and exposes you to warning letters (Abmahnungen) from competitors, so treat this line as non-negotiable.
Price ranges by store size
| Store profile | Products | Customers | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline | Testing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small store, standard theme | 500 | 10,000 | EUR 10,000 to 15,000 | 7 weeks | 1 week |
| Mid-size store, adapted theme | 1,800 | 40,000 | EUR 26,000 to 34,000 | 9 to 10 weeks | 1.5 weeks |
| Large store, ERP integration | 3,000 | 80,000 | EUR 32,000 to 38,000 | 11 to 12 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Austrian and Swiss storefronts | Any | Any | + EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | + 1 to 2 weeks | + 2 days |
| B2B wholesale area | Any | Any | + EUR 4,000 to 8,000 | + 2 weeks | + 3 days |
Running costs before and after
| Monthly item | PrestaShop (before) | Shopify (after) |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and server management | EUR 150 to 300 | Included in the plan |
| Platform subscription | EUR 0 | Public price varies by plan, roughly EUR 100 to 400 (2026 estimate) |
| Modules or apps | EUR 40 to 120 | EUR 60 to 400 |
| Maintenance and updates | EUR 500 to 1,100 | EUR 200 to 500 |
| Legal text service | EUR 10 to 30 | EUR 10 to 30 |
| Total excluding payment fees | EUR 700 to 1,550 | EUR 370 to 1,330 |
App sprawl is the usual trap: 12 apps at EUR 30 each add EUR 360 a month and slow every page. Ask the agency to list every app with its cost in the quote, and a native alternative where one exists.
Provider options range from a specialist Shopify agency, through an experienced freelancer for a small store, to automated migration tools that move the catalogue in hours but handle neither the theme, nor fine-grained redirects, nor German legal setup. Kolonell can take over post-launch support at EUR 38, 76 or 115 a month depending on service level.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional company: Katrin, head of ecommerce at a Munich bed linen brand, sells EUR 1.5M excl. VAT online per year with a 1.5% conversion rate.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- Migration cost: EUR 33,600.
- Running costs: EUR 1,200 a month before, EUR 850 after, saving EUR 4,200 a year.
- Conversion assumption: from 1.5% to 1.65% thanks to a faster mobile checkout and invoice payment, plus 10% revenue, so EUR 150,000 a year. At a 45% gross margin, that is EUR 67,500.
Estimated total gain: EUR 71,700 a year, about EUR 5,975 a month. The migration pays back in under 6 months, provided redirects keep organic traffic stable through the switch.
FAQ
How much does a PrestaShop to Shopify migration cost in Germany?
Between EUR 10,000 and 38,000 excl. VAT, depending on products, customers, languages and integrations. A mid-size store of 1,800 products lands around EUR 26,000 to 34,000.
Will we lose Google rankings?
Not if every URL is redirected with a 301 and metadata is carried over. Without a redirect plan, a 20% to 50% drop in organic traffic for 1 to 3 months is common.
Which payment methods do German shoppers expect?
PayPal, invoice payment and SEPA direct debit sit next to cards for most German brands. Leaving out invoice payment can cost several points of checkout conversion on baskets above EUR 80.
How long should testing last?
Plan 1 to 2 weeks with test orders on every payment method, carrier and return case. At EUR 4,000 here, it is the cheapest insurance in the project.
When should we switch?
Avoid the 6 weeks before Black Friday and Christmas. A switch in March or September leaves time to fix issues before peak season.
Let's scope your project. Send us your product and customer counts and your current PrestaShop modules, and we will reply with a line by line quote, a budget in EUR and a switch-over plan. 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.