PrestaShop 9 – what’s new in the latest version?

PrestaShop 9 marks the biggest change in the platform’s history since the transition from version 1.6 to 1.7. This is not just a routine update with a few new buttons. Something far more significant is changing – the very foundation on which the shop stands. The technology on which the platform runs is changing. The way the shop connects with other programmes is changing. The speed at which the shop operates is also changing. In this article, we cover everything that matters to shop owners and developers. We also discuss the latest update – version 9.1.

A brief history of PrestaShop: 9.0, 9.1 and what’s next

PrestaShop 9.0 was released on 10 June 2025. The PrestaShop team and numerous developers from around the world had been working on it for over two years. Later, on 23 March 2026, another major update was released – PrestaShop 9.1. It introduced one very important change: a new shop theme called Hummingbird 2.0. This new theme is now installed automatically in every new shop. Work is already underway on the next version – 9.2. We discuss this at the end of this article.

A new engine under the bonnet: Symfony 6.4 LTS and PHP 8.4/8.5

The most significant change in PrestaShop 9 takes place behind the scenes, where shop customers cannot see it. But they will notice it in another way – the shop will run faster. The platform previously used Symfony version 4.4. Symfony is a set of development tools on which the entire PrestaShop is built. The platform has now upgraded to a newer version – Symfony 6.4 LTS. The abbreviation LTS stands for „long-term support”. In this case, technical support will continue until November 2027. In practice, this means fewer urgent security updates. It also means a more stable shop for the next few years.

Along with Symfony, the PHP requirements have also changed. PHP is the programming language in which PrestaShop is written. Version 9.0 runs on PHP versions 8.1 to 8.4. Version 9.1 added support for PHP 8.5. What does this mean in practice:

• the shop code is processed more quickly,
• the server uses less memory,
• better protection against cyber-attacks,
• cleaner code that is easier to develop,
• full compatibility with modern developer tools such as Docker and GitHub Actions.

For a shop owner who isn’t familiar with coding, one thing matters above all else: the shop loads faster. The shop performs better when there are lots of customers at once. You don’t need to increase server capacity to achieve this.

The new Admin API – no more outdated web services

An API is a way for different programmes to communicate with one another. For example, a shop can use it to exchange data with an accounting or stock management programme. The previous API in PrestaShop was called Webservice. It was based on outdated technology (XML format). It was difficult to extend. It was inconvenient to use.

PrestaShop 9 introduces a completely new Admin API. It utilises newer and more widely used technologies: REST, the JSON data format and the OAuth2 authentication method. OAuth2 is the same authentication method used by Google and Shopify, for example. What does this mean in practice:

• easier integration of the shop with business management software (ERP systems), customer management software (CRM systems) and product information management software (PIM systems) – data on orders or stock levels can be exchanged immediately and automatically,
• the ability to create your own automations – for example, automatically updating prices or sending data to an accounting programme,
• the foundation for so-called headless commerce – a solution in which the shop’s front end is separated from its back-end logic. This means the front end can be built in any way, for example using React or Vue.js,
• easier work for developers – they can use a standard familiar from other systems, rather than having to learn PrestaShop’s proprietary solution.

It is worth noting that the new Admin API is still under development. Not all features are available straight away. Some integrations with other systems may, for the time being, still use the older web service. PrestaShop is expanding this API with each new version.

Hummingbird 2.0 – the new default shop theme

In version 9.0, the Hummingbird theme was just an option. It was available alongside the old, classic shop design. You could test it, but it didn’t install automatically. That changed in version 9.1. Hummingbird 2.0 replaced the old Classic theme. Now it installs automatically in every new shop.

The theme has been rebuilt from scratch. It is based on Bootstrap 5 – a popular and tried-and-tested technology for building websites. The code responsible for the site’s appearance (CSS) is now well-organised. It follows clear naming conventions, making it easier to develop. The old jQuery library has been removed from the theme. This library was slowing down the site’s performance. It has been replaced with more modern, built-in browser features. As a result, the site loads faster. It also performs better in Google’s speed tests. These tests are called Core Web Vitals. They are a set of metrics that Google uses to check whether a website runs smoothly and quickly. The theme also has a built-in dark mode. It can be enabled with a single setting.

There is another important reason why Hummingbird 2.0 is more than just a new look. From June 2025, a law known as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come into force in the European Union. This law stipulates that online shops must be adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. This includes, for example, people who use screen readers. Hummingbird 2.0 meets over 95% of these requirements straight out of the box. For many shops, this means less extra work is needed to bring their website into line with the regulations.

SEO and speed built into the shop

Until now, many of the steps required to improve a shop’s visibility on Google had to be carried out manually. Or you had to install additional plugins. In PrestaShop 9, many of these solutions have been integrated into PrestaShop’s standard features. This means they work straight away once the shop has been installed. There’s no need to add anything:

• Shorter product page URLs – the category path is no longer automatically added to the product link. The URLs are shorter. They are easier to remember.
• The option to remove the language code from a web page’s URL – this is useful when a shop starts out in one language and other languages are added later. There is then no need to redirect the old links.
• Redirects for inactive categories – greater control over what happens to a link when a category is deleted or deactivated.
• Automatically mark filter pages as „noindex” – this ensures that Google doesn’t waste time crawling lots of similar pages. This includes, for example, the same list of products sorted by price or colour. Google then focuses on the pages that really matter to the shop.
• Built-in support for modern image formats – WebP and AVIF. These formats take up much less space than the popular JPG or PNG formats whilst maintaining the same image quality. This means the page loads faster.

All of this directly improves performance in Core Web Vitals – that is, the Google speed tests mentioned earlier. In short: less manual work is required to optimise the shop for SEO. Some of these tasks are now carried out automatically by the shop’s engine.

Update Assistant – no more risky one-click updates

Previously, shop updates were carried out using a tool called 1-Click Upgrade. This has now been replaced by a new tool – Update Assistant. This is not just a name change. It is a completely different, better way of carrying out updates. The new tool offers:

• command-line interface (CLI) mode – for technical teams wishing to automate updates,
• automatic rollback to the previous version of the shop if something goes wrong – the shop reverts to its state prior to the update without the need to manually restore a backup,
• detailed records and reports for each stage of the update,
• better support for large shops with a very large number of products.

The latest version of this tool is 7.6.0. It is compatible with PrestaShop 9.1. It also checks the installed modules. It does this before the update begins. It checks whether the modules are compatible with the new version of the shop. If a module is not ready, the tool automatically disables it. Previously, this was one of the most common reasons why updates failed.

What developers gain: organised code

For PrestaShop’s technical teams, version 9 also represents a major step towards greater organisation. The old libraries have been replaced with newer solutions based on Symfony technology. For example, the old email sending system (SwiftMailer) has been replaced with a new one (Symfony Mailer). The library for communicating with other systems (Guzzle) has been replaced by a newer one (Symfony HttpClient). The shop’s admin panel is now built entirely using Symfony technology. This applies, for example, to login, products and orders. As a result, the code is more organised. It is easier to develop further.

The approach to security has also changed. Database table names are now generated randomly by default during shop installation. Direct external access to the programme’s files is blocked. For developers, this also means that modules will need to be adapted. Many older solutions require updating to work correctly with the new version of PHP. They also need to be adapted to Symfony’s new event handling system, which has replaced the previous ‘hooks’.

PrestaShop 9.0 versus 9.1 – the key difference

If anyone is wondering whether the difference between versions 9.0 and 9.1 matters, here’s a brief summary:

• PrestaShop 9.0 – introduced new technology (Symfony 6.4, PHP up to 8.4), a new Admin API, the optional Hummingbird theme and the first version of the Update Assistant tool.
• PrestaShop 9.1 – the Hummingbird 2.0 theme becomes the default, support for PHP 8.5 is added, and the shop meets over 95% of the EAA’s accessibility requirements. In addition, two new beta features have been introduced: support for multiple courier companies within a single order and a revamped discount system. For the time being, both features must be enabled manually. It is best to test them outside of a live shop.

Is it worth updating my shop to PrestaShop 9 just yet?

It depends on two things: which version the shop is running on and how complex it is. Here are a few simple guidelines worth following:

• Upgrading within the same major version (for example, from 9.1.1 to 9.1.2) is usually a straightforward, low-risk operation.
• Upgrading from PrestaShop 1.7 or 8.x to version 9.x is a major change. It involves a full migration between major versions of the platform. It requires prior testing of modules, the shop’s design and all integrations with other systems. It is not simply a matter of swapping files.
• It’s always a good idea to carry out an update on a separate test environment first. Only then should you apply it to the live shop.
• Before you start, you need to make a full backup of the shop’s files and database. Even though the Update Assistant can revert changes automatically, an extra backup is always an extra safeguard.
• Some paid modules from older versions may need to be updated. Sometimes you may need to purchase them again if the developer has not yet released a version compatible with PrestaShop 9.
• URLs and SEO-related data (titles, descriptions) should be retained during the migration. This is one of the first things worth checking in the test environment. This will ensure that the shop does not lose the rankings it has achieved on Google.

Shops currently running on PrestaShop 8.2 still have time. This version is still actively supported with security patches. However, if you’re planning a new project or a redesign of your shop in the coming months, it’s better to do it straight away using the new version. Creating PrestaShop shops It makes more sense to use version 9 straight away than to build the shop on an older version and then migrate it a second time later on.

What’s next? PrestaShop 9.2 on the horizon

The PrestaShop team has already published a preliminary roadmap for the next update – version 9.2. The announced features include, amongst others:

• One-Page Checkout – a one-step ordering process. Your address, delivery method and payment details will all be on a single page, rather than spread across several consecutive steps. The old, multi-step checkout process will remain available as an option.
• AskAI – an AI assistant built into the shop’s admin panel. It is designed to allow users to search for shop data and perform various actions using simple commands entered in natural language. It will be possible to integrate your own AI provider.
• Extra Properties – the ability to add your own additional data fields to products, customers or orders. You won’t need to make any changes to the shop’s database to do this.

These are still plans at the announcement stage, not fully developed features. We see them as indicating the direction in which the platform is heading. We’ll keep an eye on when they’re released in the stable version.

FAQ

Summary

PrestaShop 9 isn’t just another minor update. It’s a complete overhaul of the shop’s foundations. A newer engine, a new API, a new look and a host of SEO improvements built directly into the platform. Version 9.1 has finalised the shop’s design, making Hummingbird 2.0 the default theme. It has also brought the shop into line with EU regulations on digital accessibility. For shop owners running older versions of PrestaShop, this is a good time to plan a migration. It’s best to start by checking your modules and carrying out tests in a separate environment before the changes are applied to your live shop.

If you’re wondering whether your shop is ready for PrestaShop 9, or if you need help assessing and carrying out the migration, the 4AD Studio team can check this for you and guide you through the whole process step by step.