PrestaShop has long sparked strong opinions in the eCommerce world. Some consider it a platform only for small stores; others claim it is slow, expensive to maintain, or completely unsuitable for B2B. Some of these opinions have a basis in reality, but most stem from outdated implementations, poor technology decisions, or simple misunderstandings. It is worth taking a closer look at these myths, because platform decisions made on the basis of them can be costly.
Myth 1: PrestaShop is only for small stores
This is one of the most repeated myths, and it has little to do with reality. PrestaShop supports multi-store, multilingual, multi-currency functionality and large product catalogs. Many mid-sized and large brands across Europe have been running on this platform successfully for years.
The real issue is that PrestaShop's scalability depends primarily on the quality of the implementation and technical architecture, not on the platform itself. A poorly designed store with a thousand products will perform worse than a well-optimized store with tens of thousands of SKUs. It is a matter of approach and the competence of the team building it, not a limitation of the platform.
That said, it is worth noting that at very high volumes - hundreds of thousands of products and very heavy traffic loads - PrestaShop's architecture may require more work than solutions designed specifically for that scale of operation.
Myth 2: PrestaShop is free, so the implementation will be cheap
The PrestaShop engine is open source and can be downloaded at no cost - that is true. From this comes the assumption that the entire implementation will be inexpensive. In practice, the license cost is only a small part of the overall project budget.
The real costs come from development and customization, integrations with ERP, PIM, or logistics systems, UX and design work, hosting infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance and updates. On top of that come paid modules, of which most serious implementations need at least a few. In more complex B2B or multi-store projects, these items can significantly exceed the costs of comparable commercial platforms. A free engine is a good starting point, but it is not the same as a cheap project.
More about PrestaShop costs can be found in our recent article on PrestaShop costs in 2026.
https://bitbag.io/blog/how-much-does-a-prestashop-implementation-cost-in-2026
Myth 3: PrestaShop is slow
Performance problems on PrestaShop do occur, but they are rarely the fault of the platform itself. In the vast majority of cases, a slow store comes down to poor hosting, too many installed modules, lack of database optimization, incorrect cache configuration, or accumulated technical debt from previous years of development.
PrestaShop, properly configured, with good infrastructure and a sensible number of modules, performs well. The problems appear when a store has grown over the years without a considered technical strategy - more modules were added, refactoring was postponed, performance warnings were ignored. In these conditions, performance issues are a symptom of poor project management, not a weakness of the platform. The diagnosis should start with a technical audit, not with looking for someone to blame in the engine.
It is also worth remembering that performance is not just a matter of code. Infrastructure choices have a significant impact on page load times - shared hosting that works well for a small store with a few hundred products will not be sufficient for a platform handling thousands of orders a day. A virtual private server or dedicated server combined with a well-configured caching layer can dramatically change the perceived performance of a store without any changes to the code.
Myth 4: You cannot make a B2B store on PrestaShop
This myth has a grain of truth to it, but it tends to be overstated. PrestaShop supports B2B sales and many wholesale and distribution companies use it successfully. The platform offers a native B2B mode, customer groups, individual price lists, and product visibility controls.
Where the problems start is with more advanced processes - company account hierarchies, complex order approval flows, ERP integrations, and customer-specific catalogs. These features require modules or custom development. For companies with simpler B2B models, PrestaShop is often more than sufficient. For more complex processes, companies frequently choose Sylius, which is architecturally better suited to that level of complexity.
We covered the topic of B2B on PrestaShop in more detail in a separate article published this year.
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Myth 5: The more modules, the better
This belief is one of the most common causes of problems with PrestaShop. The logic seems simple: the platform has a large ecosystem of modules, so the more you install, the more capabilities you get. In practice, the opposite is true.
Too many modules cause performance problems, conflicts between extensions, more difficult updates, and rising maintenance costs. Each module is an additional layer of code that has to work alongside the rest of the system, and each such layer increases the risk of problems with the next platform update. A well-designed PrestaShop store should use only those modules that genuinely solve a specific business problem, and replace them with custom development wherever a module does not cover the requirements well enough. A full overview of available modules can be found on the PrestaShop Addons Marketplace.
Myth 6: Migrating from PrestaShop always means replatforming
When a PrestaShop store starts having problems with performance, flexibility, or maintenance costs, the first reaction is often to think about changing platforms. Replatforming is, however, a serious decision, and in many cases it is not necessary.
A store that runs slowly, is difficult to maintain, or has accumulating technical debt can often be significantly improved through code refactoring, architecture optimization, module consolidation, and infrastructure modernization. Changing platforms makes sense when the business requirements genuinely exceed what PrestaShop can deliver, not as a response to problems that stem from the quality of a previous implementation. Before making a replatforming decision, it is worth commissioning a thorough technical audit that shows what is actually causing the problems.
Replatforming involves not only the cost of implementing a new platform. You also need to account for data migration, rewriting integrations, team training, the transition period, and the risk of errors at launch. In many cases, a well-conducted technical audit and modernization of the existing store costs a fraction of what a platform change would, and the results are felt just as quickly.
https://bitbag.io/blog/ecommerce-migration-how-to-prepare-for-website-migration
Wrapping up
Many of the problems attributed to PrestaShop come down to the quality of the implementation, the architecture, and how the store has been maintained over time. PrestaShop is a mature and well-established platform that works well across a wide range of projects, provided it is properly designed, implemented, and consistently maintained over the years.
A good platform is one that fits the actual needs of the business and is implemented well. PrestaShop, in the hands of an experienced team, can handle complex eCommerce projects. That said, it does not mean it will be the optimal choice for every project, particularly for those with very specific requirements or a headless architecture. The same platform implemented without a considered architecture and development strategy will cause problems regardless of how good its engine is.
Before drawing conclusions about the platform based on a store's problems, it is worth first looking at how that store was built and developed over time. Whether PrestaShop is the right choice for your project depends on your requirements, scale, and growth plans - not on the myths circulating in the industry.
<div class="rtb-text-box is-blue-50">Wondering whether PrestaShop is the right choice for your eCommerce? Get in touch with our team and discuss your project before making a decision.<div class="rtb-text-box is-blue-50">
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