What Shopify does well
- Fastest possible setup, sell in an afternoon
- Huge app ecosystem and themes
- POS, B2B, and multichannel built in
- 24/7 chat support and a polished mobile app
PrestaShop vs Shopify for Your Online Store
PrestaShop is open source: you own the store, keep the checkout, and pay card rates only, no fee on every sale. Shopify is the fastest way to launch. Here is the honest trade-off for a small store or a ministry shop.
Free migration · No contract · 30-day refund
Side by side
PrestaShop (hosted by Last Hour) vs Shopify
The cost of a store is more than the monthly plan. Transaction fees, app subscriptions, and who actually owns the data all add up.
| PrestaShop on Last Hour | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform license | Open source (OSL 3.0), no fee | Proprietary, hosted platform |
| Monthly plan | $29/mo flat | Basic is $39/mo month-to-month, $29/mo billed yearly |
| Platform transaction fee | ✓ None | Up to 2% on third-party payment providers (Basic) |
| Card processing | Your processor's rates, no platform markup | Shopify Payments from 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Checkout control | ✓ Full, you own the code | Limited below Plus |
| Store & data ownership | You hold the files and database, on your own resources | Data lives on Shopify's platform |
| Language / market reach | 60+ languages, multi-shop supported | Multi-currency with limits by plan |
| Free migration | ✓ Done for you | ✕ Not offered by Shopify |
| Support | US-based engineers by email | 24/7 chat, large support org |
| App ecosystem | Open-source add-on marketplace | Very large (thousands of apps, many paid) |
Straight talk
Where each one wins
Where PrestaShop (with us) may be the better fit
- You want to own the store and its data outright
- You want no fee on every sale and no platform lock-in
- You sell across markets or several storefronts
- You want a faith-based host on US soil, not a Big Tech marketplace
Our honest take: Shopify wins on convenience, and for a fast launch with a small catalog it is excellent. Once transaction fees, paid apps, and plan tiers add up, PrestaShop on our managed hosting can save real money, and you own the store. For a ministry or a Christian small business that already values ownership and independence, PrestaShop is the natural fit.
Making the move
How to switch from Shopify to PrestaShop
Moving from Shopify to PrestaShop hosted by Last Hour is a guided process. Here is what it looks like, step by step.
Step 1
Export your Shopify products, customers, and orders as CSV files.
Step 2
Send us the data and we import it into PrestaShop, mapping your categories and variants.
Step 3
Recreate your theme, payments, shipping, and tax settings on the new store.
Step 4
Place test orders end to end, then switch DNS once the store checks out.
The upside
Why PrestaShop on Last Hour is a strong Shopify alternative
- PrestaShop is open source and self-hosted, so you avoid Shopify's monthly plan plus a fee on every sale.
- A flat $29/mo covers your store instead of Shopify's tiers that rise with revenue and add-on apps.
- You own the storefront and data outright, hosted on US soil by a faith-based team, with 10% of every plan donated to Alliance Defending Freedom.
Frequently asked questions
Is PrestaShop really free?
Yes. PrestaShop is open-source software under the OSL 3.0 license, so the platform itself carries no license fee. You pay for hosting, a domain, and your payment processor's normal card rates, and nothing per sale to the platform.
Does PrestaShop charge transaction fees like Shopify?
No. PrestaShop is open-source software, so there is no platform fee on each sale. You pay only your payment processor's normal card rates. Shopify charges up to 2% on top of the plan for third-party payment providers.
Is Shopify easier to set up than PrestaShop?
For most people, yes. Shopify is a hosted platform that launches in an afternoon. PrestaShop has more moving parts, which is why we offer managed hosting with free migration and real-human support, so you get the control of PrestaShop without managing the server.
Who owns the store and its data?
With PrestaShop hosted by us, you hold the files and database on your own dedicated resources. With Shopify, your store and its data live on Shopify's proprietary platform.
Can you migrate my Shopify store to PrestaShop?
Yes. We migrate products, customers, and orders from Shopify to PrestaShop, then recreate your theme, payments, shipping, and tax settings, and verify it with test orders. Migration is free on our managed plans.
Which is better for a Christian or ministry store?
Either works for selling. Ministries and Christian small businesses often prefer PrestaShop with Last Hour Hosting because it is open source, has no data harvesting, is hosted on US soil by a faith-based team, and 10% of every plan is donated to Alliance Defending Freedom.
Sources
Figures in the table come from the primary sources below. Verify current pricing on the original pages before quoting them.