Cart2Cart Review

If you have Googled "how to migrate my store" anytime in the last decade, you have undoubtedly found Cart2Cart. Since 2009, they have positioned themselves as the undisputed leader in automated eCommerce migration. But being the biggest doesn't always mean being the best—or the most affordable.

In this comprehensive review, we strip away the marketing jargon to analyze Cart2Cart's real-world performance for PrestaShop migrations in 2025. We test their pricing structure, the accuracy of their data engine, their customer support, and hidden costs to help you decide if this tool is the right vehicle for your PrestaShop migration.

What is Cart2Cart?

Cart2Cart is a cloud-based automated migration service. It acts as a specialized data mover that transfers entities (products, customers, orders, reviews) from one shopping cart to another, including PrestaShop as a target platform.

Unlike a "Connector Module" that might only sync inventory, Cart2Cart is designed for one-time, full-scale re-platforming. Whether you are moving from a hosted solution like Shopify or BigCommerce to PrestaShop, or from an open-source platform like Shopware or Magento to PrestaShop, Cart2Cart claims to handle the heavy lifting without requiring a single line of code.

How Does It Work? The "Connection Bridge" for PrestaShop

One of Cart2Cart's strongest selling points is its non-invasive approach. It does not require you to install software on your computer or shut down your current store.

1. Source Connection

If you are moving from a hosted platform (like Shopify), you simply provide your URL and API Password. If you are moving from an open-source platform (like Shopware or Magento), you download a "Connection Bridge"—a small file containing a script. You upload this to your store's root folder via FTP. This bridge opens a secure gateway for the data extraction.

2. Target Connection (PrestaShop)

For PrestaShop, Cart2Cart connects using a module that you install on your PrestaShop installation. This module provides secure access to PrestaShop's structure and Web Service API. The bridge is a small, secure file that you upload to your PrestaShop server.

3. The Cloud Engine

Once connected, Cart2Cart's servers act as the middleman. They read data from the Source, reformat it to match PrestaShop's structure (handling product combinations and category mapping), and write it to your PrestaShop store. Crucially, nothing is deleted from your Source store. It remains live and fully operational throughout the process.

Feature Deep Dive: What Can It Actually Move to PrestaShop?

The scope of migration depends on PrestaShop's capabilities, but generally, Cart2Cart offers comprehensive transfer options.

Core Data (The Basics)

• Products: Names, SKUs, Descriptions (full HTML), Prices, Weights.
• Images: Main images, additional gallery images, and images embedded in descriptions. Images are downloaded and uploaded to PrestaShop's img folder.
• Product Options: PrestaShop supports combinations. Cart2Cart preserves complex option structures (Size, Color, Material, Custom Text, etc.).
• Categories: PrestaShop uses "Categories" terminology. Cart2Cart maps categories correctly, preserving hierarchy.
• Customers: Shipping/Billing addresses, emails, phone numbers. Passwords can be migrated with module.
• Orders: Order dates, statuses, product lines, sub-totals, tax info.

Premium Options (The Differentiators)

This is where Cart2Cart stands out from cheaper tools. They offer advanced capabilities—usually for an extra fee:

• Customer Passwords: AVAILABLE for PrestaShop with the module. This is a significant advantage over hosted platforms that don't support password migration.
• Reviews: Migrates user-generated content, including star ratings, titles, and review dates.
• Coupons: Moves your discount codes and rule sets.
• Blog Posts: Migrates article titles, bodies, images, and even comments.
• 301 Redirects: Creates redirects from old URLs to new PrestaShop URLs.

The Pricing Analysis: Is It Expensive?

This is the most controversial aspect of Cart2Cart. Their marketing often touts "Starting at $29," but for most serious businesses, the final bill will be significantly higher.

The Estimator Model

Cart2Cart does not have a fixed price. Cost is calculated based on the volume of data.
Example pricing (Estimates based on 2025 rates):

• Micro Store (100 products, 500 orders): ~$69 - $89
• Small Store (1,000 products, 5,000 orders): ~$149 - $199
• Mid-Size Store (5,000 products, 20,000 orders): ~$299 - $400
• Enterprise (50,000+ entities): $700+

The "Hidden" Costs: Additional Options

The base price only covers the data transfer. To get a "complete" migration, you almost certainly need the paid add-ons. These quickly add up:

• Preserve Order IDs (+$49): Essential if you want Order #1000 to remain #1000.
• Create 301 Redirects (+$59): Critical for SEO.
• Migrate Categories/Products SEO URLs (+$59): Keeps your old URL structure.
• Migrate Customer Passwords (+$49): AVAILABLE for PrestaShop - Requires module.

Migration Insurance (Remigration)

Cart2Cart offers "Migration Insurance" packages (adding 15-25% to the cost). This allows you to re-run the migration up to 3 times within a certain period. This is highly recommended because you will likely find setup errors in your new PrestaShop store that require a re-run.

Ease of Use: The User Experience

Despite the complex pricing, the User Interface (UI) is excellent. It is designed for non-technical users.

The 3-Step Wizard

The interface is clean and linear. It uses a progress bar system that makes it impossible to get lost.

1. Setup: Paste your URLs. Install the module on PrestaShop. The system automatically validates connections (green checkmarks).
2. Map: A checklist appears. You tick the boxes for what you want to move. The "Mapping" interface is particularly good—it uses dropdowns to let you match Order Statuses (e.g., mapping "Complete" to "Complete") and handles PrestaShop's category mapping automatically.
3. Demo: The system forces a free Demo Migration (usually 10 products). This is a crucial safety step to verify PrestaShop's product combination handling and structure.

Speed: The engine is fast. A store with 2,000 products usually migrates in under an hour. PrestaShop's database efficiently handles large catalogs.

PrestaShop-Specific Considerations

1. Product Combinations

PrestaShop supports combinations with multiple attributes. Cart2Cart automatically preserves complex option structures (e.g., Size + Color + Material + Custom Text). This is handled transparently during migration.

2. Structure Handling

Cart2Cart automatically structures data to match PrestaShop's exact schema. This prevents common import errors that occur with manual CSV imports.

3. Categories Mapping

PrestaShop uses "Categories" terminology with hierarchical support. Cart2Cart maps your category structure to PrestaShop categories automatically, preserving hierarchy.

4. Password Migration

Important Advantage: Cart2Cart CAN migrate customer passwords to PrestaShop with the module. This is a significant advantage over hosted platforms that don't support password migration. Customers can log in immediately after migration without resetting passwords.

5. Multi-Store & Multi-Language

PrestaShop has built-in multi-store and multi-language support. Cart2Cart can migrate data for multiple stores and languages, preserving this structure.

Customer Support

Support is a mixed bag. They offer 24/7 Live Chat, phone, and ticket support.

• Pre-Sale Support: Excellent. The sales team is responsive, helpful, and eager to assist you in estimating costs.
• Technical Support: Can be slow for the basic tier. If your migration fails halfway through (due to a server timeout or MySQL connection issue, for example), you might wait 12-24 hours for a technician to reset it unless you bought a "Premium Support" package.
• VIP Service: For those willing to pay (packages starting at $1,000+), they offer "White Glove" service where their team handles the entire setup for you.

Pros & Cons Summary

Comparison: Cart2Cart vs. The Rest for PrestaShop

vs. LitExtension

LitExtension is the primary competitor. They offer a very similar service but often at a slightly lower price point (sometimes 10-15% cheaper). LitExtension also tends to include some "Add-ons" (like Order ID preservation) in their base packages or for a lower fee. However, Cart2Cart's interface is generally considered slightly more polished. Both handle PrestaShop's structure and product combinations similarly.

vs. PrestaShop Back Office Import

PrestaShop's free CSV import is basic and error-prone. Cart2Cart handles structure automatically and migrates customers, orders, and complex data that PrestaShop's basic import cannot handle. The cost is worth it for anything beyond simple product catalogs.

vs. Manual Export/Import

Manual migration is free but risky. If you value your time at more than $10/hour, Cart2Cart is almost always cheaper. Manually fixing broken image links, structuring data for PrestaShop's structure, and handling product combinations for 1,000 products will take weeks. Cart2Cart does it in an hour.

The Verdict: Who Should Use Cart2Cart for PrestaShop?

Cart2Cart remains a solid choice for automated PrestaShop migrations, not because it is the cheapest, but because it is reliable and handles PrestaShop's specific requirements well.

You should use Cart2Cart if:

• You have a budget of $200+ and want the problem solved quickly.
• You are migrating complex data (product combinations, customer history, multi-language data).
• You are moving between two very different platforms (e.g., Shopware to PrestaShop) where database structures do not match.
• You cannot afford to have your store offline for days.
• You want PrestaShop's structure and product combinations handled automatically.
• You want to preserve customer passwords (requires module).

You should look elsewhere if:

• You have a tiny store (under 100 simple products) – try PrestaShop's built-in CSV import.
• You have zero budget – manual CSV import is free but risky.
• You cannot install modules on your PrestaShop server.

Final Score: 4.2/5
The deduction is for aggressive pricing of necessary add-ons. The technology itself handles PrestaShop's requirements well, and password migration support is a significant advantage over hosted platforms.