How to choose hosting for an online store
The price of a hosting plan says little about its real ability to run an online store under load. What actually matters lies elsewhere: control over the PHP configuration, how responsive support is, and the backup policy.
The three main categories
Shared hosting splits the resources of a single server across several sites, which keeps the cost down but also limits control: the PHP version is sometimes fixed, memory_limit is capped, and performance can vary depending on the activity of other sites hosted on the same machine.
A virtual private server (VPS) or a dedicated server gives full control over the configuration, at the cost of more demanding technical management: server security updates, cache configuration, monitoring, all of it becomes the responsibility of the site owner or their technical provider.
Managed e-commerce hosting sits between the two: it offers an infrastructure optimised for PrestaShop or WooCommerce (often with OPcache and an in-memory cache preconfigured), while taking the server's technical management off your hands, at a higher price than standard shared hosting.
What actually matters when choosing
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Control over the PHP version
Being able to choose and update the PHP version independently of the host avoids getting stuck during a major CMS upgrade that requires a newer version.
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An in-memory cache
A Redis or Memcached-based cache, where available, is a clear upgrade over the default file cache on a large catalogue or under sustained traffic.
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The backup policy
Frequency, retention period and how easy restoring actually is should be known before choosing, not discovered the day a restore becomes necessary.
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How responsive technical support is
When a blocking outage hits during a peak sales period, support you can reach quickly makes a difference that shows up directly in revenue.
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SSH or command-line access
Some operations (installing via a dependency manager, running commands, server diagnostics) require SSH access that not every shared hosting plan offers.
Signs that your hosting has become a limiting factor
- A PHP version imposed by the host, older than the one recommended by the CMS
- A memory_limit too low, causing errors on certain heavy operations (catalogue import, accounting export)
- Technical support that takes several days to respond while the store generates sales every day
- Backups that exist but have never been tested with an actual restore
The real cost of choosing the wrong host
The cost of unsuitable hosting isn't limited to the slowness visitors perceive. Technical support you can't reach during an outage in a peak sales period, a backup that turns out unusable exactly when you need it, or a locked PHP version blocking a CMS security update, are risks far more costly than a difference of a few euros a month between two plans.
This is why changing hosting deserves to be assessed with the same criteria as changing a technical provider, not just as a line item to minimise.
Frequently asked questions
At what traffic level should you move off shared hosting?
Does more expensive hosting guarantee a faster store?
Does changing hosts mean rebuilding the whole site?
Describe your need in one minute
A few targeted questions so I can reply with an estimate rather than another questionnaire.