Jun 2, 2026 · E-commerce · 1min read

Installing PrestaShop on localhost

Local installation of the open-source e-commerce CMS PrestaShop, set up and test your online store at http://localhost/prestashop.

PrestaShop is a popular open-source e-commerce system built on a PHP + MySQL architecture. It is lighter than Magento, making it suitable for local development and theme customization for small to medium-sized online stores.

Prerequisites

PHP 8.1+ (refer to PrestaShop System Requirements)
MySQL 5.7+ / MariaDB
Apache + mod_rewrite or Nginx
Extensions: curl, gd, intl, zip, mbstring, etc.

Installation Steps

Download the installation package from prestashop.com
Extract to htdocs/prestashop/
Create a database prestashop_local in phpMyAdmin, collation utf8mb4_unicode_ci
Access http://localhost/prestashop in your browser
Fill in the installation wizard:
- Store information and admin email
- Database: localhost, database name, user, password
- Delete or rename the install/ directory (the installer will prompt you)

Common Paths

Path	Description
`/prestashop`	Frontend of the store
`/prestashop/admin-dev` or `/prestashop/adminXXX`	Backend (random suffix during installation)
`/prestashop/themes`	Frontend themes
`/prestashop/modules`	Modules

Local Development

Enable debugging: set _PS_MODE_DEV_ in config/defines.inc.php
Theme development: copy the Classic theme to themes/your_theme_name
Clear cache: Backend → Advanced Parameters → Performance → Clear Cache

Frequently Asked Questions

Installation Directory Permissions
var/, cache/, img/, upload/, etc., must be writable by the web user.

Friendly URL 404
Enable URL rewriting; ensure that .htaccess is effective.

Memory or Timeout Issues
Increase max_execution_time and memory_limit when importing demo data.

Conclusion

Access PrestaShop locally at http://localhost/prestashop. It runs on PHP + MySQL and is more suitable for quickly setting up e-commerce prototypes than Magento.