PrestaShop to Shopify
Migrating from PrestaShop to Shopify is more than a platform switch; it is a liberation from rigid architecture to the world's most flexible hosted eCommerce ecosystem. In 2025, with Shopify's robust infrastructure, extensive app marketplace, and PrestaShop facing increasing module costs and maintenance complexity, the case for migration has never been stronger.
This 4,000-word technical blueprint is designed for store owners, developers, and CTOs. We will bypass the marketing fluff and dissect the database schemas, the exact field mappings, the cost analysis, and the step-by-step execution required to move your data without losing a single byte.
1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave PrestaShop?
PrestaShop is a robust engine, but it often becomes a "golden cage" for scaling businesses. Moving to Shopify opens specific opportunities:
💰 The "Module Tax" Reduction
The PrestaShop Pain: Simple functionality often requires paid modules ranging from $50 to $200 annually. A fully decked-out store can cost thousands in recurring licensing fees.
The Shopify Gain: The Shopify App Store offers 8,000+ apps, many with free plans. Even premium Shopify apps are generally 30-50% cheaper than their PrestaShop counterparts due to market competition.
🚀 Hosting & Infrastructure
The PrestaShop Pain: PrestaShop requires self-hosting, server management, security updates, and performance optimization. Hosting costs $50-$500/month plus developer maintenance.
The Shopify Gain: Shopify includes enterprise-grade hosting, CDN, SSL, and security in one monthly fee. No server management, automatic scaling, and built-in performance optimizations.
🛠 Developer Availability
The PrestaShop Pain: Finding a skilled Symfony/Smarty developer for PrestaShop is becoming harder and more expensive ($80-$150/hr).
The Shopify Gain: The Liquid/JavaScript ecosystem for Shopify is massive. Finding talent is easier and deeper, reducing long-term maintenance bottlenecks.
⚡ Performance & Scalability
The PrestaShop Pain: Database bloat in the ps_connections and ps_guest tables can severely slow down large PrestaShop stores. Requires constant optimization.
The Shopify Gain: Shopify's infrastructure automatically scales to handle traffic spikes. Built-in CDN, optimized databases, and global edge locations ensure fast load times worldwide.
2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit
Before touching any data, you must map the terrain. PrestaShop and Shopify speak different database languages.
A. Understanding the Database Disconnect
PrestaShop uses a highly normalized database structure (many tables, linked by IDs). Shopify uses a REST API with JSON data structures (hosted SaaS, no direct database access).
- PrestaShop Version: Are you on 1.6 (legacy) or 1.7/8.0 (Symfony)? 1.6 stores images differently than 1.7.
- Multi-Store: Are you running PrestaShop Multistore? Shopify requires separate stores or Shopify Plus organization accounts.
- Languages: PrestaShop handles languages in core. Shopify requires apps like Langify or Weglot for multi-language.
- Modules: List every PrestaShop module. Many will need Shopify app equivalents.
3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint
This is the most critical section for developers. This is how PrestaShop entities translate to Shopify via the Admin API.
🛍 Product Data Mapping
| PrestaShop Field (Source) | Shopify Field (Target) | Notes & Logic |
|---|---|---|
ps_product.id_product |
id (Product API) |
Warning: IDs may change unless forced preservation is used. Use SKU for mapping. |
ps_product_lang.name |
title |
Direct string transfer. |
ps_product.reference |
variants[].sku |
Crucial for inventory syncing. PrestaShop SKU is at product level, Shopify at variant level. |
ps_product.price |
variants[].price |
PrestaShop stores price exclusive of tax. Shopify requires price per variant. |
ps_product_lang.description |
body_html |
Includes HTML. Images embedded here need to be scraped and re-uploaded to Shopify's CDN. |
ps_product.active (0/1) |
status |
1 = 'active', 0 = 'draft' in Shopify. |
ps_attribute_group |
options (pa_size, pa_color) |
PrestaShop "Combinations" become Shopify "Product Variations". |
ps_category |
collections |
PrestaShop categories become Shopify collections. Complex hierarchies may flatten. |
👥 Customer Data Mapping
| PrestaShop Field | Shopify Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
ps_customer.email |
email |
The unique identifier. Duplicates will cause failure. |
ps_customer.passwd |
password (on create) |
Requires password reset. PrestaShop uses MD5 (older) or Bcrypt. Shopify uses bcrypt but different implementation. You cannot just copy the string. Customers must reset passwords. |
ps_address (Table) |
addresses[] |
PrestaShop allows multiple addresses per customer. Shopify uses addresses array with default flags. |
📦 Order Data Mapping
| PrestaShop Field | Shopify Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
ps_orders.id_order |
name (order number) |
Preserve PrestaShop order ID in Shopify's name field (e.g., "#100"). |
ps_order_state |
financial_status, fulfillment_status |
Must map manually: PS 'Payment Accepted' -> Shopify financial_status: 'paid', fulfillment_status: 'unfulfilled' PS 'Shipped' -> Shopify financial_status: 'paid', fulfillment_status: 'fulfilled' PS 'Canceled' -> Shopify financial_status: 'voided' |
4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle
You have three vectors of attack for this migration. Choose based on budget and technical capability.
Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)
Tools: Migration Shop, LitExtension, Cart2Cart
These are SaaS platforms that connect to both stores via API/Bridge and transfer data.
- ✅ Pros: Zero coding, preserves relationships, migrates passwords (via reset), 24/7 support.
- ❌ Cons: Cost scales with data volume ($100 - $500).
Option B: Custom Script (PrestaShop API)
Tools: PrestaShop Web Service API + Shopify Admin API
A custom script that pulls data from PrestaShop Web Service API and pushes to Shopify Admin API.
- ✅ Pros: Full control, can customize mapping logic.
- ❌ Cons: Requires developer ($100-$200/hr), 40+ hours, high technical barrier.
Option C: Manual CSV Export
Tools: PrestaShop Export + Shopify Import
Exporting tables to CSV and mapping them manually.
- ✅ Pros: Cheapest option (monetarily), total control.
- ❌ Cons: High risk of data loss, breaks variants, cannot migrate passwords, extremely slow.
5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step
We will proceed using the Automated Cloud Migration method as it is the industry standard for minimizing downtime.
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Shopify):
Create a new Shopify store. Do not customize heavily yet. Enable password protection in Online Store > Preferences to keep store private during migration.
1.2. Prepare Source (PrestaShop):
Enable PrestaShop Web Service API (Advanced Parameters > Web Service). Generate API key. Keep store live but ensure firewall allows connections from migration server.
Phase 2: The Connection Bridge
2.1. Download the Bridge:
The migration tool will provide a bridge.zip file or use PrestaShop Web Service API directly.
2.2. Upload to Root (if using bridge):
Extract this folder to the root directory of your PrestaShop store (via FTP/cPanel). Usually /public_html/.
2.3. Verify Connection:
The tool will verify it can read the database via API. If you get a 403 Forbidden error, check API key permissions or file permissions.
Phase 3: Entity Configuration (The Critical Path)
Select what to move. Be careful with these specific settings:
-
Create 301 Redirects: Check this box. It creates entries in Shopify URL redirects to map
/id-category/product.htmlto/products/product-name. Without this, your SEO dies. - Strip HTML from Category Names: PrestaShop sometimes puts HTML in category names. Shopify hates this. Check this option.
-
Migrate Images in Descriptions: Often overlooked. If your product description has an image like
- Handle Product Combinations: PrestaShop combinations become Shopify variants. Ensure proper mapping.
Phase 4: The Full Migration
Launch the process. Do not close the browser tab until the handshake is confirmed. Once the progress bar starts, the process runs on the cloud server.
Time Estimation: 5,000 products + 10,000 orders usually takes 2-4 hours.
Phase 5: Post-Migration Cleanup
5.1. Regenerate Thumbnails:
PrestaShop images are often different aspect ratios. Shopify automatically generates thumbnails, but verify product images display correctly.
5.2. Test Customer Accounts:
Customers must reset passwords. Plan an email campaign to notify customers and provide password reset links.
5.3. Verify Collections:
Check that PrestaShop categories migrated correctly as Shopify collections. Reorganize if needed.
6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)
What does it actually cost? Here is a realistic breakdown for a medium-sized store (2,000 Products, 10,000 Orders, 5,000 Customers).
DIY / Custom Script
Developer Time
- Developer: $100-$200/hr
- Time: 20+ Hours
- Risk: High
Automated Cloud
Average Cost
- Migration Fee: ~$169
- Redirects/SEO: ~$80
- Time: 3 Hours
- Risk: Low
Agency "White Glove"
Starting Cost
- Full Service
- Design adjustments included
- Time: 2-4 Weeks
7. Troubleshooting & SEO Preservation
Common Errors
- Missing Images: Often caused by PrestaShop's "Friendly URL" rewriting. If images fail to migrate, turn off "Friendly URLs" in PrestaShop temporarily and re-run the image migration.
- Product Variants Messed Up: PrestaShop allows "Impact on Price" logic. Shopify does too, but the structure is different. If variants show wrong prices, check your variant settings in Shopify admin.
- Category Structure: PrestaShop's deep category trees may flatten in Shopify. You may need to manually reorganize collections.
The 301 Redirect Strategy
PrestaShop URL: example.com/id-category/id-product-name.html
Shopify URL: example.com/products/product-name
If the automated tool doesn't handle this perfectly, you need redirects in Shopify admin (Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects).
Ready to Break Free?
Migrating from PrestaShop to Shopify is a significant technical undertaking, but the ROI is clear. You are moving from a self-hosted, maintenance-heavy ecosystem to a fully managed, scalable platform. By following this data mapping guide and using the right automated tools, you can ensure that your history is preserved while your future is secured.