PrestaShop vs Sylius for a B2B distributor: cost and scalability

The verdict in three sentences

For a professional hygiene supplies distributor in London or Amsterdam with 5,000 SKUs and 1,200 trade accounts, PrestaShop is the faster and cheaper option as long as the B2B rules stay simple: one price list per customer group, 30-day terms, few internal approvals. Sylius, built on Symfony, costs about twice as much upfront but handles per-customer catalogues, approval chains and heavy ERP integration without workarounds. The decision rests on three-year total cost, not on the first quote, and on how complex your commercial rules really are.

Two different philosophies

PrestaShop is a ready-made e-commerce platform, designed first for B2C, that you adapt to B2B with modules: group pricing, quick order by SKU, online quotes, pay on invoice. Its module ecosystem is huge, which makes it easy to find an agency in London, Amsterdam or anywhere in Europe.

Sylius is an e-commerce framework: it ships the building blocks (catalogue, cart, orders, payments) and expects you to write the business logic. For a distributor whose rules fit no standard box, that is an advantage. For a distributor with standard rules, it is an extra cost.

What each option really costs over three years

The launch quote is only part of the story. On PrestaShop, each B2B module costs 70 to 350 GBP, and a complex catalogue often needs 8 to 15 of them. Major updates regularly break modules, which means paid fix days. On Sylius, the upfront budget is heavier, but you own the business code and upgrades are more predictable.

A senior Symfony developer bills about 500 to 700 GBP per day in London and 600 to 800 EUR in Amsterdam in 2026, against 350 to 550 GBP for a PrestaShop integrator.

The gap narrows sharply once business changes exceed 20 days a year: every module workaround on PrestaShop then costs more than clean code on Sylius.

Signals that tip the decision

Stay with PrestaShop if you have fewer than 30 price lists, if customers order alone with no internal sign-off, if your ERP is a common product such as Sage, Exact or Microsoft Business Central with an existing connector, and if you need to go live before the next buying season.

Move to Sylius if each key account has its own restricted catalogue, if orders from councils, NHS trusts or hospital groups must go through a buyer then an approver, if you manage framework contracts with committed volumes, or if a supplier marketplace is on the two-year roadmap.

At Kolonell, this type of platform falls into the medium and complex application categories of our grid: 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) for medium, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) for complex. The exact figure depends on the number of rules and connectors and is set in the quote.

Mini case study

Emma, managing director of a hygiene supplies distributor in Park Royal, London, serves 1,200 accounts: 900 small businesses, 250 cleaning contractors and 50 public sector buyers with internal approval. She expects 25 days a year of business changes.

• PrestaShop: 16,000 GBP launch, 3,500 GBP modules, 4,300 GBP hosting, 10,400 GBP maintenance, and 25 days a year at 450 GBP over 3 years, or 33,750 GBP. Total: 67,950 GBP.
• Sylius: 33,000 GBP launch, 900 GBP licences, 5,600 GBP hosting, 8,700 GBP maintenance, and 25 days a year at 600 GBP over 3 years, or 45,000 GBP. Total: 93,200 GBP.

But the 50 public accounts bring 40% of revenue and require an approval chain that PrestaShop only approximates. If losing a single account worth 50,000 GBP of yearly margin follows from that weakness, the 25,250 GBP gap disappears in about six months. Emma chooses Sylius, with a first phase capped at 4 months.

FAQ

Can PrestaShop really handle 5,000 SKUs and 1,200 accounts?

Yes, with dedicated hosting and proper caching, PrestaShop runs 5,000 SKUs comfortably. The ceiling shows up beyond 50 price groups or 100,000 price combinations.

Is Sylius harder to maintain?

It needs Symfony developers at 500 to 700 GBP a day, who are scarcer than PrestaShop integrators. On the other hand, upgrades are better documented and break less business code.

Can we migrate from PrestaShop to Sylius later?

Yes, but expect 60 to 80% of the cost of a new build, because module code cannot be reused. If a switch is likely within 2 years, starting on Sylius is cheaper.

Should the ERP be connected at launch?

For 1,200 accounts, yes: stock, net prices and credit limits should sync at least every 15 minutes. An ERP connector takes 10 to 25 days of work depending on the system.

Let's scope your project. An audit of your B2B rules, a reasoned choice between PrestaShop and Sylius, and a 3 to 6 month launch plan with ERP integration. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.