The verdict in three sentences
A slow store stuck on conversion has two rebuild options: stay on a CMS (PrestaShop, WooCommerce) for 8,000–25,000 EUR, or move to custom headless for 30,000–70,000 EUR. The CMS ships in 8 weeks and is enough under ~500 orders/month; headless takes 16 weeks but unlocks performance and scalability. The decision is settled on 3-year TCO and your volume, not the initial quote price.
CMS vs headless: the 2026 comparison
The rebuild quote doesn't tell the whole story: maintenance, hosting and performance weigh heavily over three years. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Criterion | PrestaShop / Woo rebuild | Custom headless |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | 8,000–25,000 EUR | 30,000–70,000 EUR |
| Timeline | 8 weeks | 16 weeks |
| Core Web Vitals | Medium (needs tuning) | Excellent native |
| Maintenance/year | 2,000–6,000 EUR | 4,000–10,000 EUR |
| Hosting/month | 50–200 EUR | 200–600 EUR |
| Functional scalability | Modules (limits) | Unlimited |
| Third-party module reliance | High | Low |
| Recommended volume | < 500 orders/month | > 500 orders/month |
Performance and total cost over 3 years
Performance isn't cosmetic: every 100 ms saved improves conversion. Headless starts with a structural edge on Core Web Vitals, which weighs on SEO and conversion rate.
| Item (3 years) | PrestaShop / Woo | Custom headless |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 8,000–25,000 EUR | 30,000–70,000 EUR |
| Maintenance 3 yrs | 6,000–18,000 EUR | 12,000–30,000 EUR |
| Hosting 3 yrs | 1,800–7,200 EUR | 7,200–21,600 EUR |
| Estimated 3-yr TCO | 16,000–50,000 EUR | 50,000–120,000 EUR |
| Typical LCP | 2.5–4 s | 1.2–2 s |
| Expected conversion lift | Baseline | +10 to +25% |
The reading is clear: under 500 orders/month, the CMS offers the best cost/value ratio. Beyond that, the conversion lift of headless (often +10 to +25%) earns back the TCO gap in 18 to 30 months.
Mini case study
Karim, an e-merchant in Lyon, does 90,000 EUR revenue/month on an ageing PrestaShop store, with a 3.8 s LCP and a 1.4% conversion rate. He is torn between a CMS rebuild (18,000 EUR) and a move to headless (55,000 EUR).
With headless, he targets an LCP under 2 s and 1.7% conversion, i.e. +21% conversion. On 90,000 EUR/month, that is about 18,900 EUR of additional revenue/month, of which ~5,700 EUR margin (at 30%). The 37,000 EUR premium over the CMS is recouped in 7 months of extra margin. At his volume, headless is the right call; under 300 orders/month he would have kept PrestaShop.
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FAQ
How much does an e-commerce rebuild cost in 2026?
Budget 8,000 to 25,000 EUR for a PrestaShop or WooCommerce rebuild, and 30,000 to 70,000 EUR for custom headless. The 3-year TCO ranges from 16,000 to 120,000 EUR depending on the route and volume.
When is custom headless justified?
Above roughly 500 orders/month, or when performance and scalability block your growth. The conversion lift (+10 to +25%) then repays the cost gap in 18 to 30 months.
How long does a rebuild take?
Expect about 8 weeks for a CMS rebuild and 16 weeks for a headless project, including catalogue migration and SEO redirects. A poorly prepared cutover is costly in traffic.
Will I lose my SEO when migrating?
Not if the 301 redirect plan, URLs and structured data are carried over rigorously. A careful migration preserves, even improves, SEO thanks to better Core Web Vitals.
Is PrestaShop outdated in 2026?
No: it remains relevant under 500 orders/month and for a standard catalogue. Its limit is reliance on third-party modules and performance that must be tuned manually.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your order volume, your current platform and your performance goals, and we'll frame the rebuild (CMS or headless) with an indicative budget and timeline. 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.
