Essentials
A curated shortlist for each platform — the modules we would install on day one, regardless of best-seller rank.
This page is not a sales ranking. It’s our editorial selection: the modules we would install on any new PrestaShop, WordPress / WooCommerce or Shopware 6 project, even before knowing precisely what the client wants to do.
Our criterion for entering these lists is simple: missing this module creates technical or commercial debt within six months. They’re not sexy modules — they’re the modules that prevent having to rebuild everything later.
The difference with best-sellers
Our best-sellers reflect what merchants buy. The essentials reflect what we, as integrators, systematically include in a clean setup. There’s a lot of overlap, but also interesting gaps:
- Some high-adoption modules are not in the essentials — because they solve a specific problem that doesn’t apply to everyone.
- Some low-selling modules are in the essentials — typically infrastructure modules (logs, monitoring, backups, error handling) that nobody buys spontaneously but that save the day when something breaks.
Our selection logic per platform
PrestaShop
Our PrestaShop essentials cover four axes: Core Web Vitals performance (the PS 9 engine is powerful but needs a hand), multilingual technical SEO, catalogue security and returns / customer-service management. Four pillars any serious store needs in place before launch.
WordPress / WooCommerce
On WooCommerce, the essentials revolve around three axes: performance (cache + HPOS-tuned database), security (WP + WooCommerce hardening), and GDPR / EAA compliance. WooCommerce’s strength is flexibility — but that flexibility creates blind spots you need to cover from day one.
Shopware 6
On the Shopware side, the ecosystem being younger and more B2B, our essentials are less marketing-driven and more operational: ERP integrations, fine-grained B2B pricing, admin dashboards, pro forma quote modules. Shopware’s target is the business that needs to structure its back-office, not the small shop just starting out.
How much should I budget for starter modules?
For a serious site, plan for €800 to €1,800 of essential modules at install time, depending on platform and customisation level. It’s far less than what equivalent custom development would cost and it’s immediately available.
How this selection evolves
The list is reviewed quarterly by the DataFirefly team. When a module becomes obsolete (outdated platform version, abandoned maintainer, superior alternative), it leaves. When a new module changes the game (typically with each major PrestaShop, WooCommerce or Shopware release), it enters quickly. To track catalogue changes in real time, see the New arrivals page.
If you’d like a sized recommendation for your specific case, describe your project to us — we usually reply within 24 h with a motivated shortlist and an indicative budget.
Need a recommendation for your stack?
Tell us your platform and your top three pain points — we will reply with a short list of modules and a plain-language reason for each.