PrestaShop vs Smartstore (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PrestaShop grades higher than Smartstore: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PrestaShop grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PrestaShop
Open-source ecommerce software, free to self-host or sold hosted
Smartstore
Open-source ASP.NET Core commerce platform for B2C and B2B shops
Which one is for you
Pick PrestaShop if
- Fits if you want to own your store's code and data outright
- Works for developers building custom stores, or sellers in Europe who want VAT and GDPR tools hosted
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you've never set up a website, as PrestaShop says it takes technical knowledge
- Watch out: the free Classic version still needs hosting, a domain and any paid modules, with no costs given
- Watch out: the 14-day Hosted trial takes payment details at sign-up, and prices are in euros before VAT
- Pricey if you need expert help, as paid support starts at €90 for an hour of analysis
- Not for you if you want a phone app to run the shop, as it's web only
Pick Smartstore if
- Fits if you have a developer and want an open-source shop on .NET
- Works for German-market sellers who want German-first documentation
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you cannot run a server, as the free edition is self-hosted
- Not for you if you need AI tools or search out of the box, as they are paid
- Watch out: paid editions are quoted by sales and show no price
- Watch out: the English site is a translation of a German-first one
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAPrestaShopFair | 2.2GPASmartstoreFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CClassic is free, but you pay for hosting, a domain and any paid modules, and the listing has no figure for those. So we go on Hosted: €24 a month on yearly billing, in euros and before VAT (€29 monthly). That's the ordinary middle, and no PrestaShop fee on sales is listed. | CThe Community Edition is free but needs a server, which makes it a C. Paid editions show no price. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Classic software is free to download with unlimited products, and one person could run a shop on it for years. Hosting isn't free, though, and the 14-day Hosted trial takes payment details at sign-up. | BOpen source with unlimited products, multishop and multilanguage, if you can host it. A trial of the paid editions is offered, with no length stated. |
| Features | CCheckout in 20 currencies across 190 countries, Google and social ads, eShip labels, Klaviyo email and SEO controls cover the basics. Past that you're adding from 3,200+ themes and modules, and the paid ones cost extra. | CA full shop core, page builder and B2B tools, but AI tools, Mega Search and CSV or XML export are in the paid editions. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Hosted takes the server off your hands, but PrestaShop says installing and customizing a store takes some technical knowledge, and the free Classic route means running your own server. | DNo store rating on record. You install and host it yourself, so someone must run the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but with PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, Klaviyo, Google, Facebook, Instagram and Hostinger, 3,200+ themes and modules, and open code you can change freely. No phone or desktop app. | BWeb, with seven listed integrations and an API. |
| Best for | custom stores you own, especially in Europe | a self-hosted .NET shop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: PrestaShop and Smartstore. How we grade
Where they differ
- Smartstore also covers inventory.
At a glance
| PrestaShop | Smartstore | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €24 per month excl. VAT, billed annually (Hosted; €29 billed monthly) | Not published |
| Free plan | Classic: the open-source PrestaShop software, free to download and run on your own hosting, with unlimited products. Hosting, a domain and paid modules cost extra. | Community Edition: open source, unlimited products, multishop, multilanguage, responsive Flex theme and SEO features. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Hosted; payment details are taken at sign-up | Free trial offered; the page does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PrestaShop | SmartStore AG |
| Price read from | prestashop.com | smartstore.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PrestaShop
- Classic is free to download, but hosting, a domain and any paid modules or themes cost extra; the offers page gives no figures for those costs.
- PrestaShop says installing and customizing a store takes some technical knowledge, especially to set it up on a server.
- Hosted is priced in euros excluding VAT, and its legal tools are built around European rules such as GDPR.
- Paid technical support is sold separately, from €90 for an hour of analysis and up to four hours of work.
Smartstore
- Paid editions show no prices; each one is quoted by sales.
- You install and host it yourself unless you take the rental option, so someone must run the server.
- AI tools, Mega Search and export features sit in the paid editions, not the free one.
- The website and much of its documentation lead with German; the English site is a translation.
Key features
PrestaShop
- Open-source store software
- Download PrestaShop free, install it on your own server and change any part of it, with unlimited physical and virtual products and product packs.
- PrestaShop Checkout with PayPal
- Take payments in 20 currencies across 190 countries, including PayPal installments, with Stripe, Klarna and other payment providers also offered.
- Google, Facebook and Instagram ads
- PrestaShop Marketing runs automated ads on Google networks, and PrestaShop Social syncs the catalog with Facebook and Instagram.
- Shipping and marketing automation
- eShip for PrestaShop prints labels and handles shipments, and PrestaShop Automation connects Klaviyo for targeted email campaigns.
- Marketplace and SEO tools
- Add from more than 3,200 themes and modules in the PrestaShop Marketplace, and manage custom URLs, meta tags, canonical URLs and redirects.
Smartstore
- Open-source core
- The source code is on GitHub, and the free Community Edition has no product limit.
- Multishop and multilanguage
- Run several shops, brands and languages from one installation, with currencies and taxes managed centrally.
- Page Builder
- Pages, menus and shopping experiences are laid out visually with drag and drop, through a Page Builder plugin and a Menu Builder.
- B2B tools
- The Enterprise B2B Edition lists cart approval, budget limits, sales representative support and PunchOut via OCI and cXML.
- Data exchange
- A REST API plus OCI, cXML, BMEcat and OpenTrans connect the shop to other systems; import and export are built in.
- Built-in AI
- AI features for texts, images and translations are listed from the Premium Edition up.
Plans
PrestaShop
Classic€0
Open-source PrestaShop 9 that you download and host yourself, with PrestaShop Checkout, ad tools, shipping and the Marketplace built in.
Hosted€24
per month excl. VAT, billed annually (€29 billed monthly)
Installed and hosted by PrestaShop, with automatic VAT calculation, GDPR and cookie tools, and support by email, chat or phone 6 days a week.
Smartstore
Community Edition$0
Open-source download that you host yourself, with unlimited products, multishop and multilanguage.
Premium EditionCustom
Adds AI tools, Mega Search, media manager, CSV/XML export, OpenTrans and BMEcat; no price shown, also offered as a rental.
Enterprise B2C EditionCustom
Adds webfarm support, Redis, Lucene-based search, customer-specific prices and 24/7 support. Price on request.
Enterprise B2B EditionCustom
Adds direct order, cart approval, budget limits, PunchOut via OCI and cXML, and order management. Price on request.
Ways to pay less
PrestaShop
- Annual discount
Hosted billed annually saves 17%
The Hosted offer costs €290 a year excluding VAT, shown as €24 a month, against €29 a month without commitment.
Smartstore
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PrestaShop or Smartstore?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PrestaShop starts at €24 per month excl. VAT, billed annually (Hosted; €29 billed monthly), and Smartstore publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, PrestaShop or Smartstore?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both PrestaShop and Smartstore have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.