In short: PrestaShop 9 renews the platform’s technical foundations (Symfony 6.4, PHP 8.1 or later, new APIs). The shop won’t sell more just because it’s up to date, but staying on PrestaShop 1.7 means unsupported PHP versions, modules that stop getting updates and more security risks. The cost of the upgrade depends almost entirely on how many modules and customisations the shop has.
What changes with PrestaShop 9
The changes that matter if you run a shop, from the official version 9 release notes:
- Symfony 6.4 LTS: the framework underneath PrestaShop, with security updates guaranteed until November 2027.
- PHP 8.1 at minimum, with support up to PHP 8.4: faster servers and versions that are still maintained.
- New admin APIs, useful for connecting the shop to ERP and warehouse systems.
- WebP and AVIF images out of the box: lighter pages with no extra modules.
- Hummingbird, a new, more modern default theme, alongside the Classic theme.
- An update assistant that makes future version upgrades simpler.
|
|
PrestaShop 8 |
PrestaShop 9 |
|---|---|---|
|
PHP |
7.2 to 8.1 |
8.1 to 8.4 |
|
Symfony |
4.4 |
6.4 LTS |
|
Default theme |
Classic |
Classic, with Hummingbird as a second option |
|
Admin APIs |
the legacy ones |
new, built on API Platform |
Further 9.x releases have come out since, with new features such as a one-page checkout: the up-to-date list is on the PrestaShop versions page.
Is it worth upgrading?
Yes, if the shop sells and has to keep doing so for years. Signs that it’s time:
- the shop is on PrestaShop 1.6 or 1.7, or on a PHP version your host is about to switch off;
- some modules no longer get updates, or their developer no longer supports them;
- the shop is slow and the server can’t be upgraded because of the PrestaShop version;
- you need to connect the shop to an ERP and the current APIs aren’t enough.
Sometimes, though, it’s worth considering a change of platform: if the shop is heavily customised on an old version, the jump can cost almost as much as rebuilding it. In that case we give you two estimates, upgrade or migrate, and you choose. We cover this on the page about ecommerce migration.
How to upgrade without stopping sales
1. Shop review: version, modules, theme, changes made directly in the code, server. This is where you find out how much work there is.
2. Test copy: the whole upgrade happens on a copy of the shop, not the one that’s selling.
3. Modules and theme: the ones with a compatible version are updated, the others replaced or rewritten. The theme usually needs adapting.
4. Tests with real orders: cart, payments, shipping, emails, the ERP connection.
5. Switchover: a final sync of orders and customers, then the upgraded shop goes live at a quiet time for sales.
From PrestaShop 1.7, the jump to 9 usually isn’t a one-click job: you go via version 8 or migrate the data to a fresh installation. The initial review tells you which route makes sense.
What drives the cost
We don’t give a fixed figure, because two PrestaShop shops can be very different. The price depends on:
- the starting version: from 8 to 9 is one step, from 1.6 it’s almost a rebuild;
- how many modules there are and whether compatible versions exist;
- the theme: a standard one can be adapted, a custom one needs reworking;
- code changes made over the years, often undocumented;
- integrations with ERPs, couriers and marketplaces.
After the initial review we send you a written quote, item by item, with timings. You’ll find how we work on the page about PrestaShop development.
