# Essentials

> 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…

- Page: <https://www.datafirefly.com/en/essentials/>
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-08-05
- Other languages: [fr](https://www.datafirefly.com/les-indispensables/index.md), [es](https://www.datafirefly.com/es/imprescindibles/index.md), [de](https://www.datafirefly.com/de/unverzichtbar/index.md), [it](https://www.datafirefly.com/it/imprescindibili/index.md), [pl](https://www.datafirefly.com/pl/niezbednik/index.md), [nl](https://www.datafirefly.com/nl/onmisbare-modules/index.md), [pt](https://www.datafirefly.com/pt/essenciais/index.md)
- Index: <https://www.datafirefly.com/en/llms.txt>

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](https://www.datafirefly.com/en/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](https://www.datafirefly.com/en/new-arrivals/) page.

If you'd like a sized recommendation for your specific case, [describe your project to us](https://www.datafirefly.com/en/contact-us/) — we usually reply within 24 h with a motivated shortlist and an indicative budget.