Hereโs a clear comparison of PrestaShop versions 1.7, 8, and 9 so you can decide which one youโre using (or should use):
๐น PrestaShop 1.7 (Legacy but still popular)
Released: 2016
Status: Still used on many live stores
โ Features
- Classic Symfony + Smarty
- Huge theme & module ecosystem
- Stable and well-tested
- Most tutorials online are for 1.7
โ Limitations
- Older architecture
- Slower than newer versions
- Not future-focused
๐ Best for
- Existing stores
- Heavy custom modules/themes
- Budget hosting
๐น PrestaShop 8 (Current stable & recommended)
Released: 2022
Status: โ
Actively supported
โ Features
- PHP 8.1 support
- Better performance & security
- Improved Back Office UI
- Modern Symfony upgrades
- Compatible with most 1.7 themes/modules (with updates)
โ Limitations
- Some old modules may need updates
๐ Best for
- New stores
- Speed & security focused shops
- Custom HTML / CSS / JS work
๐ Most developers recommend PrestaShop 8
๐น PrestaShop 9 (Upcoming / Developer-focused)
Status: ๐ง Under development (not recommended for production yet)
๐ฅ Whatโs new
- Full Symfony modernization
- Cleaner codebase
- More API-first approach
- Better long-term scalability
โ ๏ธ Warning
- Not stable for live stores
- Many modules/themes not compatible yet
๐ Best for
- Developers
- Testing & future-proof planning
๐ Quick Recommendation
| Use case | Version |
|---|---|
| Existing store | 1.7 |
| New store | 8 โ |
| Custom HTML/CSS/JS | 8 โ |
| Production-ready | 8 |
| Experiment / learning | 9 (dev) |
๐ How to check your PrestaShop version
Back Office โ Advanced Parameters โ Information
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