Choosing an e-commerce platform is one of the most important business decisions when launching or growing an online store in Poland or Europe. The two questions that come up most often: PrestaShop or Shoper, and what will it cost per month. This article answers both — with concrete numbers and real-world examples.
Open-Source vs SaaS — Two Different Models
PrestaShop is open-source software released under the OSL 3.0 license. You download it for free, install it on your own server, and have full control over the code, database, and infrastructure. Full technical freedom, but also full responsibility for hosting, security, updates, and backups.
Shoper is a Polish SaaS (Software as a Service) platform. You pay a monthly subscription and get a managed cloud environment. Shoper handles the server, updates, and SSL certificates. Your data resides on Shoper's infrastructure — you have no access to the database or platform source code.
Monthly Costs — Detailed Comparison
PrestaShop itself is free. You pay for infrastructure and optional technical support:
- VPS hosting: 40–800 PLN/month depending on store size
- Domain: ~5 PLN/month
- SSL: free (Let's Encrypt) or paid
- Technical maintenance: 0 (self-managed) to 2 000 PLN/month
- Modules (amortised): 30–600 PLN/month
Shoper plans (indicative 2026 prices — always verify at shoper.pl):
- Start/Mini: ~49–99 PLN/month (annual billing)
- Standard: ~199–299 PLN/month
- Advanced/Pro: ~399–599 PLN/month
- Enterprise: custom pricing
SSL and hosting are included. Transaction fees may apply on lower-tier plans — check current pricing.
Technical Capabilities and Scalability
PrestaShop advantages: Full PHP and MySQL code access, custom modules, B2B pricing rules, multi-store under one installation, integration with any ERP/WMS, PrestaShop 9.x REST API with OAuth 2.0.
Shoper advantages: Ready integrations with Allegro, Google Shopping, Meta Ads, PayU, Przelewy24; visual editor without technical knowledge; automatic updates; Polish-language support included.
If you need multi-store, custom B2B contracts, or deep ERP integration — PrestaShop is the better fit. Shoper does not offer native multi-store or full B2B contract pricing.
Ease of Deployment and Use
Launching on Shoper takes 1–3 days without any technical knowledge. Launching on PrestaShop — assuming zero technical background — takes 2 weeks to 2 months. If you have a PHP developer available, PrestaShop setup takes 1–3 days as well.
Integrations, Modules and Marketplace
PrestaShop Addons Marketplace offers 5,000+ modules, paid (€30–€500) and free. Buy once, own forever. You can also commission custom modules.
Shoper App Store has several hundred apps, mostly Polish providers. Most apps require a monthly subscription per app (20–200 PLN/month extra). Polish market integrations (InPost, Allegro) are more polished than their PrestaShop equivalents.
SEO Comparison
Both platforms allow good search engine rankings. PrestaShop gives more technical SEO control (custom URL structure, full head control, custom Schema.org JSON-LD, Core Web Vitals optimisable at server level). Shoper provides automated sitemap, standard product schema, and friendly URLs — solid basics without deep configurability.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose PrestaShop if: you have a PHP developer, need B2B pricing, run multi-store, require custom ERP integration, or have 5 000+ SKUs.
Choose Shoper if: you want to launch fast without technical support, have under 2 000 SKUs, need Polish-market integrations out of the box, and value managed infrastructure.
Summary
There is no single correct answer to PrestaShop vs Shoper in 2026. Shoper wins on simplicity and time-to-launch. PrestaShop wins on flexibility, scale, and total cost of ownership at high revenue. Match the platform to the complexity of your business — not the other way around.