What changes when you move from PrestaShop to Shopify
PrestaShop is software you install and maintain on your own server: updates, module compatibility, backups and security are on you or your hosting provider. Shopify is a hosted platform; hosting, checkout, updates and core security are handled by Shopify, and you work on the theme and the apps.
That shift changes how you approach the migration. You will not copy your store's code; you will move data (catalog, customers, content) and rebuild the visual and functional layer with Shopify's tools. It is a good moment to decide which PrestaShop customizations are still needed and which were just patches.
Combinations to variants
In PrestaShop, attribute groups (size, color) generate combinations, and each combination can have its own reference, price impact, stock and images. In Shopify each combination is a product variant, and attribute groups become options.
The important difference is pricing. PrestaShop works with impacts on the base price ("+€5 for size XL"); Shopify stores a final price on each variant. When you prepare the import file, you need to calculate the final price of every variant. Also check the current limits on options and variants per product in Shopify's documentation if your catalog has products with many combinations.
- Attribute group → product option
- Combination → variant with SKU, price, inventory and image
- Price impact → final variant price
- Combination reference → variant SKU
Features to metafields
PrestaShop features (composition, dimensions, warranty, origin) are descriptive information that does not generate variants. In Shopify their equivalent is product metafields, which you define in Settings > Custom data with a specific type: text, number, measurement, list of values or reference.
Typing them properly has practical benefits. A list metafield with fixed values can be used as a collection filter through Shopify's Search & Discovery app, and also as a condition for automated collections. If several features share a structure, such as a manufacturer profile, consider creating metaobjects and referencing them from each product.
Categories, brands and content
PrestaShop categories are hierarchical; Shopify collections are flat. Each category you want to keep becomes a collection, and the hierarchy is represented in the navigation menu. Brands or manufacturers usually move to Shopify's vendor field, which lets you create automated collections by brand.
PrestaShop CMS pages become Shopify pages, and if you run a blog through a module, its posts move to Shopify's native blogs. Do not forget the SEO copy on each category: in PrestaShop it usually sits in the category description, and in Shopify it goes into the collection description, title and meta description.
Modules: native feature, app or code
List your active modules and classify them. Many cover features Shopify includes out of the box, such as discounts, carriers with rates, payments or the sitemap. Others have an equivalent app in the Shopify App Store. And some, especially those custom-built for your store, will need theme development or a custom app.
Pay special attention to modules that connect to external systems: ERP, invoicing software, warehouse or marketplace. Check whether the provider of that system has a Shopify connector or whether it will have to be integrated through the API. These integrations usually define the real complexity of the migration.
Multistore: Shopify Markets or several stores
If you use PrestaShop multistore to sell in several countries or languages, the usual answer in Shopify is a single store with Shopify Markets: you define markets by country or region, each with its own currency, language, domain or subfolder and prices. Translations are managed with the Translate & Adapt app or with third-party translation apps.
If, on the other hand, your stores are separate brands with independent catalogs and designs, it makes sense to run several Shopify stores. On Shopify Plus you can manage multiple stores within the same organization. The decision depends on how much catalog, inventory and operations they share.
SEO and customers when you switch platforms
PrestaShop URLs usually include a numeric ID and, for products, the .html extension. In Shopify the prefixes are fixed (/products/, /collections/, /pages/, /blogs/), so all of those URLs change. You need a map of old to new URLs and a 301 redirect for every one that has traffic or external links.
As for customers, their data and addresses are imported, but not their passwords: Shopify does not allow importing them, and each customer reactivates their account from an invitation. Let your customers know with a clear email before or right after launch.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export my PrestaShop catalog straight into the Shopify CSV?
Not directly. The formats are different and the data has to be transformed, especially combinations and prices. This is done with spreadsheets, scripts or migration apps that map the fields.
Can I keep PrestaShop URLs with IDs on Shopify?
No. Shopify uses fixed prefixes and does not support the PrestaShop structure. The solution is to redirect each old URL to the new one with a 301 redirect.
What happens to my old orders?
The standard admin CSV does not import orders. If you need the history in Shopify, it is done with migration apps or the API; if not, keeping an export for reference is enough.
What do I do with custom-built PrestaShop modules?
First check whether the feature is still needed. If it is, see whether Shopify covers it natively or with an app; if there is no alternative, it is built into the theme or as a custom app for your store.
Can I test the Shopify store before switching the domain?
Yes. You can build and review the complete store on the myshopify.com domain, password protected, while PrestaShop keeps selling. The domain is connected once everything is validated.