Why you should no longer stay on PrestaShop 1.7
A store on 1.7 still works. The problem is not visible, and that is exactly what makes it dangerous.
- No more security fixes: the last 1.7 fix dates from January 2024 (version 1.7.8.11), and security maintenance officially stopped with the release of PrestaShop 9, in June 2025. Every flaw discovered since remains open.
- Stuck on PHP 7.4: PrestaShop 1.7 does not work with PHP 8. PHP 7.4 has had no fixes since November 2022. Hosts are gradually withdrawing it: the day yours does, the store stops, often without warning.
- Modules that no longer follow: module publishers (payment, shipping, invoicing) stop releasing versions for 1.7 one by one. New obligations, such as e-invoicing, will not make it there.
In other words, every month spent on 1.7 makes the upgrade a little more expensive and the store a little more exposed.
PrestaShop 8 or 9: which version to aim for?
The right target is the latest version of the 9 branch: PrestaShop 9.2, released on 30 September 2026. It runs with PHP 8.1 to 8.5 and is built on Symfony 6.4, PrestaShop’s technical base, maintained for several years. One precaution: a brand-new version stabilises within a few weeks, and module publishers take a little time to confirm their compatibility. For an upgrade started right now, I therefore aim for 9.2 while checking each module, and I stop at 9.1 if one of them is not ready yet. The move from 9.1 to 9.2 will happen later: it is a minor update, far lighter than the jump from 1.7.
9.2 also brings features that help sales, which gives one more reason to leave 1.7:
- a one-page checkout, with no compulsory account creation, which can be switched on from the back office: fewer steps, so fewer abandoned carts;
- custom fields on products and orders, created from the back office with no development;
- an AI assistant in the back office, which answers questions about the store’s data and suggests actions, always subject to your approval.
PrestaShop 8.2 remains an option, but a waiting option: since the release of 9, it only receives security fixes, until PrestaShop 10 comes out. You stop there only when an essential module (often a payment or logistics module) does not yet exist in a version 9.
Good to know: since 9.1, the default theme is called Hummingbird. The old Classic theme remains usable, but will receive no new features. If your store uses an off-the-shelf or custom theme, it is its compatibility that needs checking, not Classic’s.
The steps of a PrestaShop 1.7 to 9 upgrade
1. The store inventory
Before touching anything, I note the exact version of PrestaShop and PHP, the list of third-party modules with their publisher, the theme, and the “overrides”: modifications of the PrestaShop core added by some modules or by a former provider. For each module, I check whether a compatible version exists, an equivalent module, or nothing at all. This step decides the price and the feasibility.
2. A copy of the store, never the live store
All the work is done on a complete copy (files and database), installed on a test server. The live store keeps selling normally throughout. It is the most important rule: an upgrade done directly in production means betting the week’s revenue.
3. The core upgrade
PrestaShop provides an official tool, the “Update Assistant” module (formerly “1-Click Upgrade”). A direct jump from 1.7 to 9 is not provided for: the tool moves the store to 8.2, then a second time to 9, adapting the database at each step. Between the two, I change the PHP version, since 9 requires at least PHP 8.1. On a healthy store, this part is the quickest.
4. Modules and theme
This is where most of the work lies. Each third-party module is updated, replaced by an equivalent, or removed if it is no longer used. The theme is adapted, or replaced if its publisher has abandoned it.
5. Tests, like a real customer
I test the whole journey: search, product page, customer account, cart, promo codes, delivery, real payment, confirmation emails, invoice, and the back office (orders, stock, returns). A single broken payment module, and the store sells nothing.
6. The switch and the monitoring
On the day, the store goes into maintenance for a few hours, outside peak hours, often early in the morning. I make a complete backup, then replay on the live store the update already rehearsed on the copy: orders and customers that arrived during the project are therefore kept. I then monitor errors, orders and search ranking for several days.
The 5 most frequent pitfalls
- Abandoned modules: a module bought in 2018 whose publisher has disappeared. It has to be replaced, and sometimes its data carried over (customer reviews, loyalty points).
- A theme modified directly: when a former provider modified the theme instead of creating a child theme, every theme update erases the changes. They have to be found and carried over.
- Overrides: these tweaks to the PrestaShop core are often incompatible with the new version, and cause errors that are hard to diagnose.
- Payment modules: they must be replaced with their latest version, and the bank or provider credentials (Stripe, PayPal, Payplug…) often have to be reconfigured.
- Hosting: some shared hosting plans limit execution time or memory, and the update tool stops halfway. Better to know beforehand.
None of these pitfalls is serious if it is spotted on the copy. All of them become so if discovered on launch day.
How much does a PrestaShop 1.7 to 8 or 9 upgrade cost?
With me, the upgrade from PrestaShop 1.7 to 8 or 9 starts at €890 excl. VAT, for a store with up to 15 third-party modules and a compatible or official theme. The fixed price includes the compatibility audit, the upgrade on a copy, the replacement of incompatible modules, the move to a maintained PHP version, complete tests and a 30-day warranty. The details are on the PrestaShop upgrade and migration page.
What pushes the price up:
- a large number of third-party modules, or custom modules to rewrite;
- a custom theme to adapt;
- licences for new versions of paid modules, billed by their publishers;
- a store still on 1.6: it is no longer an upgrade but a migration to a brand-new store, from €1,490 excl. VAT.
For the Paris jeweller Soann, I migrated the store from PrestaShop 1.6 to 8.2, with a new design and a dozen custom modules: see the Soann Joaillier case study.
Not sure whether your store is easy to upgrade? The €290 excl. VAT express audit lists the versions, the modules and whatever will block the upgrade, with a costed estimate, and its amount is deducted from the quote if the project is signed within 3 months: see the website audit service. Once the store is up to date, Store maintenance keeps it updated and tested.