Writer: Laura Bernheim
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Cristian Lopez
Because running an online store demands so many digital tools and resources, finding the best VPS hosting for ecommerce is a critical step in ensuring your business’s success.
Sure, a user-friendly and affordable shared hosting plan is great to help you open the doors — but VPS hosting provides much-needed boosts to performance, security, and reliability. You’ll enjoy a larger pool of resources without the massive costs and complexities of setting up a dedicated server.
Our reviews below will help guide you to the right VPS hosting provider for your store’s needs and budget.
1. Hostwinds – Best VPS Host for Ecommerce
With affordable rates and always-there customer support, Hostwinds ecommerce hosting promises to take your online business to the next level.
The advanced cloud technology behind Hostwinds’ servers guarantees 99.9999% uptime, which translates into less than 32 seconds of unexpected service interruptions per year.
The web host’s flexible services come with instant scalability in Windows or Linux configurations. Most importantly, Hostwinds’ optimized server stacks make deployment a breeze — the ecommerce host even has setups for WordPress (and WooCommerce), Joomla, Drupal, CPV Lab, and PrestaShop.
Hostwinds.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.99
- Managed or unmanaged, in Windows or Linux
- Cloud hosting with hourly or monthly billing
- Instant upgrades without downtime
- FREE around-the-clock monitoring
- Automatic nightly backups available
- Get started on Hostwinds now.
Jack Wallen
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 30 GB SSD – 750 GB SSD | 1 – 16 cores | 1 – 96 GB |
Hostwinds supports ecommerce security with PCI-compliant infrastructure and a customizable enterprise-grade firewall. Entrepreneurs can rest assured knowing their business and customer data will be well-protected.
As you set up your server, Hostwinds includes a library of hundreds of optimized ecommerce application installation scripts. The company supports more than 30 shopping carts and ecommerce platforms.
Hostwinds provides 24/7/365 assistance through live chat and support tickets, giving customers around-the-clock access to its support team.
Key Features:
- SSDs for improved speed and performance
- Free website transfers from your previous web host
- Custom control panel (with cPanel, Plesk, and others also available)
- Nightly backups and a redundant network for data protection
- Real-time proactive server monitoring with fully managed services
- Pre-configured server images optimized for ecommerce applications
2. Hosting.com – Best Ecommerce Performance
Speed and reliability can directly affect an online store’s sales, making Hosting.com an especially compelling VPS provider for ecommerce businesses. The company combines AMD EPYC processors, NVMe storage, and scalable resources to help stores remain responsive as traffic and product catalogs grow.
Customers can choose between managed and unmanaged VPS plans. Experienced developers get root access and control over their operating system and software stack, while managed customers can leave server monitoring, updates, security patches, and performance optimization to Hosting.com’s technical team.
Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $9.99
- AMD EPYC processors and NVMe SSD storage on all plans
- Full root access — install tools, containers, and custom stacks
- Choice of Ubuntu, Debian, or AlmaLinux with optional cPanel
- 10 global data centers with free CDN and 99.9% uptime SLA
- 24/7/365 in-house support — no outsourcing, no bots
- Get started on hosting.com now.
Christina Lewis
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 20 GB NVMe – 450 GB NVMe | 1 – 10 cores | 1 GB – 32 GB |
Hosting.com’s global datacenter network lets store owners position their server closer to their customers for faster loading times. Ecommerce businesses can also scale their CPU, RAM, and storage as demand increases instead of migrating to an entirely new environment.
Managed VPS plans are particularly helpful for business owners who don’t have an in-house system administrator. Hosting.com handles routine server maintenance and provides daily backups, security monitoring, and around-the-clock technical support, leaving you free to focus on products and customers.
Whether you’re running WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, or another ecommerce platform, Hosting.com offers the flexibility to create an environment tailored to your store. Its combination of powerful infrastructure and optional server management makes it a strong choice for businesses that need better performance without immediately investing in a dedicated server.
Key Features:
- AMD EPYC processors and NVMe storage
- Full root access with unmanaged plans
- Managed and unmanaged Linux or Windows VPS options
- Scalable CPU, RAM, and storage resources
- Daily backups and proactive monitoring with managed VPS
- Free migration and performance optimization on managed plans
- 24/7/365 support from experienced technicians
3. InMotion Hosting – Best for Hands-On Setup
As a pioneer of VPS technology, InMotion Hosting continues to deliver cutting-edge services and veteran expertise. The company is a high-quality provider at every level, but InMotion Hosting really demonstrates its value in the VPS ranks.
Offering cloud-based availability and scalability, InMotion Hosting also equips servers with UltraStack, a special blend of advanced layered caching and compression built for speed. Plus, don’t forget about the host’s signature 90-day money-back guarantee.
InMotionHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $7
- HostingAdvice readers get 74% off the first term
- FREE site migrations and 2 hours of Launch Assist
- 2 – 3 dedicated IP address options
- SSH and DDoS protection included
- Highly available servers with real-time redundancy
- Get started on InMotion now.
Dave McQuilling
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 30 GB – 540 GB SSD (or NVMe) | 2 – 16 cores | 1 GB – 32 GB |
Unmanaged servers come with minimal overhead, giving customers complete freedom to configure their own technology stack as needed.
InMotion Hosting even includes an Ansible control node to help with deployments. The open-source automation framework is a perk exclusive to InMotion Hosting.
Managed VPS customers receive security patches and cPanel/WHM updates, along with tools that can help store owners meet PCI compliance requirements.
One of our favorite components of higher-tier plans from InMotion Hosting is Launch Assist, which gives new customers a few hours of one-on-one time with one of the company’s engineers to help perfectly configure and optimize their VPS environment.
Business owners might also want to explore InMotion’s optimized offerings for WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop. Store software and updates are automatically installed, and plans come with built-in SEO tools.
Key Features:
- High-availability servers with automatic hardware and data failover
- Dedicated IP address and modern DDoS protection from Correro
- Quick deployments, built-in redundancy, and cloud-based scalability
- Enterprise-grade hardware with 20x faster SSD storage
- Live-state and scheduled snapshots available on all plans
- Free SSL certificates plus website transfer and server setup
4. InterServer – Best for Small Business
InterServer combines affordability with highly flexible technologies in a way that fits the needs of both inexperienced store owners and those with more complex requirements of their ecommerce host.
The company’s cloud-powered VPS environments come with the familiarity of CentOS and DirectAdmin (though Windows and other operating systems or control panels are available). InterServer automatically includes managed support with all but the smallest configurations.
InterServer.net
Monthly Starting Price $3.00
- $0.01 for the first month using code HOSTINGADV
- Price locked for life, no renewal increases, ever
- Scale instantly by adding slices — each adds 1 CPU, 2 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD
- Linux or Windows with full root access, choice of data center
- 24/7 in-house support from an independently owned provider since 1999
- Get started on InterServer now.
Sead Fadilpasic
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 30 GB SSD – 480 GB SSD | 1 – 16 CPUs | 2 – 32 GB |
We appreciate InterServer’s security-first approach to VPS hosting, which is especially important for ecommerce websites dealing with sensitive business and customer data.
Each VPS operates in an isolated environment designed to prevent neighboring accounts from accessing your files or workloads.
Customers can use Webuzo installation scripts to deploy a variety of programming tools and applications, including Magento, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop.
In addition to SSD storage, InterServer protects customers’ data with redundant RAID-10 arrays. You can also add its remote backup service for incremental or full system backups.
InterServer’s support team is available around the clock via phone, live chat, and email.
Key Features:
- Several operating system choices, including Windows, CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian
- Self-healing hardware with AI-powered monitoring and failovers
- Managed remote backup service powered by Acronis
- Support for DirectAdmin, Webuzo, cPanel, and Plesk control panels
- Root access to dedicated resources from cloud-based SSD infrastructure
- Special blend of KVM, Virtuozzo, and Hyper-V virtualization
5. Kamatera – Best for Developers
Featuring developer-friendly cloud computing environments, Kamatera is an excellent choice for ecommerce businesses, app creators, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers. The complex environments feature an incredible amount of flexibility and scalability.
Perhaps most importantly, though, Kamatera gives new customers a 30-day free trial to get accustomed to the cloud VPS platform. Web hosting environments deploy in seconds, and you can manage them through a simple console or API.
Kamatera.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.00
- Best for developers: Fully customizable cloud VPS — choose your exact CPU, RAM, and storage
- Intel Xeon Platinum/Cascade Lake CPUs & NVMe SSD
- 24 global data centers across 4 continents, with 99.95% uptime
- Hourly or monthly billing, only pay for what you use
- 30-day free trial with $100 credit — no commitment needed
- Get started on Kamatera now.
Surajdeep Singh
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 20 GB NVMe – 4 TB NVMe | 1 – 32 cores | 1 GB – 128 GB |
Kamatera enables users to fully customize their cloud VPS environment by selecting the preferred disk space, memory, bandwidth, and overall computing capacity.
The web host provides several operating systems to choose from, including Windows, FreeBSD, and several flavors of CentOS, Ubuntu, and openSUSE.
From there, entrepreneurs can add extra perks like managed services, backups, and IP addresses. Advanced users can even configure a load balancer, firewall, or additional block storage.
Because of the more complex cloud VPS environments, beginners will likely need to invest in a fully managed cloud VPS hosting service.
Kamatera does offer personalized 24/7 customer support, however, unlike other major cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
Overall, Kamatera represents great value for online businesses by providing premium cloud hosting services at surprisingly affordable rates. If you expect your ecommerce store to grow, don’t be afraid to invest in Kamatera.
Key Features:
- Datacenters located in the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, Israel, and Hong Kong
- Easy-to-use management console and API plus optional control panels
- Custom configurations with dozens of operating systems
- Optional daily external backups or fully managed services
- Intel Xeon Platinum processors with up to 300% more power than predecessors
- Easily add block storage, load balancers, firewall, or private network
6. Hostinger – Cheapest VPS Hosting for Ecommerce
Hostinger combines budget-friendly VPS pricing with modern infrastructure that can support growing ecommerce stores. Its KVM-based virtual servers run on AMD EPYC processors and NVMe storage, giving customers dedicated resources and full control over their hosting environment.
Each plan includes full root access and a selection of Linux operating systems and preconfigured application templates. Hostinger’s control panel makes it easy to deploy an operating system, monitor server usage, manage backups, and adjust firewall settings.
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $5.84
- Best overall value: The most complete AI-managed KVM VPS at this price
- AMD EPYC processors, NVMe SSD, and 1 Gbps network
- Kodee AI manages your server — no command line needed
- One-click deployment of 100+ apps including Docker and n8n
- Free weekly backups, DDoS protection, and full root access
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Sead Fadilpasic
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 50 GB NVMe – 400 GB NVMe | 1 – 8 cores | 4 GB – 32 GB |
Hostinger’s VPS plans are self-managed, so customers are responsible for configuring, securing, and maintaining their servers. Its AI assistant, tutorials, and knowledge base can help with common administration tasks, but beginners may face a steeper learning curve than they would with fully managed hosting.
For store owners comfortable managing a server — or developers working with WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, or another ecommerce platform — Hostinger offers modern VPS infrastructure at a comparatively accessible price.
Key Features:
- AMD EPYC processors and NVMe storage
- KVM virtualization with dedicated resources
- Full root access and multiple Linux distributions
- 1Gbps network connection
- Weekly automated backups and manual snapshots
- Built-in firewall management and DDoS protection
- Global datacenter locations
- 24/7 customer support via live chat
7. Cloudways – Most Scalable Cloud VPS
Ushering online stores into modern cloud environments, Cloudways unlocks the impressive speed and scalability needed to reach global customers.
The company connects customers to managed infrastructure from DigitalOcean — Cloudways’ parent company — as well as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Linode, and Vultr.
These services can be notoriously difficult to configure and maintain, particularly for non-developers. With the team of Cloudways experts by your side, however, you can concentrate on running your business instead of running software and security updates.
Cloudways.com
Monthly Starting Price $6.60
- Customizable alternative to traditional VPS hosting
- Choice of 5 popular cloud providers
- Scale server resources up and down as needed
- 24/7 monitoring and auto-healing servers
- Get 40% OFF first 4 months with promo code HOSTINGADVICE
- Get started on Cloudways now.
Jack Wallen
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 minutes | 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD | 1 – 96 cores | 1 GB – 384 GB |
Cloud instances are available to deploy in just a few minutes, enabling store owners to start selling right away.
Cloudways even offers specialized configurations for Magento and WooCommerce stores that further optimize speed and security for the specific platforms.
The Cloudways management portal enables entrepreneurs to easily clone websites and servers in just one click, enabling your store to quickly expand its reach to the 60-plus geographic regions served by Cloudways datacenters.
In addition to online chat and online ticketing for support, three tiers of service level agreements ensure your business will receive a prompt response if anything goes awry.
Key Features:
- Hosting made easy on AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Vultr, DigitalOcean, and Linode
- Three tiers of managed services with enhanced response times
- Affordable pay-as-you-go cloud pricing model
- Instant scalability with one-click server cloning
- Cloud environments tailored to WooCommerce and Magento stores
- User-friendly account management platform that’s great for beginners
8. Liquid Web – Best Managed VPS
Liquid Web is an ideal ecommerce solution for established businesses looking for a long-term hosting partner.
The web host doesn’t mess around with shared hosting, instead choosing to focus on highly scalable and reliable cloud, VPS, and dedicated hosting. Liquid Web backs its infrastructure with a 100% network and power uptime service-level agreement.
LiquidWeb.com
Monthly Starting Price $5.00
- Third-party tested faster than Rackspace, DigitalOcean, and Amazon
- Choice of managed or self-managed VPS with full root access
- cPanel, Plesk, or InterWorx control panel included
- DDoS protection, dedicated IP, and 100% uptime guarantee
- Trusted by 600,000+ customers including FedEx and Red Bull
- Get started on Liquid Web now.
Christina Lewis
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 30 GB SSD – 440 GB SSD | 1 – 6 cores | 1 GB – 16 GB |
Although Liquid Web offers unmanaged and core-managed servers, customers primarily turn to Liquid Web for managed hosting from a team the company dubs The Most Helpful Humans in Hosting.
Support is available around the clock via phone, chat, and email. Liquid Web guarantees a response to helpdesk tickets within an hour and will answer calls and chats within a minute.
With Liquid Web, you’ll have root access, local backups, and a dedicated IP address. PCI compliance scans are available, as is optimized web hosting for WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart, and X-Cart.
To be fair, LiquidWeb is certainly not the cheapest web hosting service provider. Considering the premium infrastructure and ultra-attentive support, however, established brands should have zero qualms about investing in such a high-quality VPS host.
Key Features:
- Unlimited sites with InterWorx control panel (cPanel and Plesk are also available)
- Integrated firewall, local backups, and DDoS protection
- Multiple Linux and Windows operating systems available
- Dedicated support team that promises prompt responses and hardware replacements
- Gigabit bandwidth and CloudFlare content delivery network
- White-glove migration services and privately owned and operated datacenters
9. Bluehost – Best for Beginners
Bluehost combines powerful VPS infrastructure with a relatively approachable management experience. Its virtual servers use AMD EPYC processors, DDR5 memory, and NVMe storage to deliver the speed and dedicated resources needed for growing ecommerce stores.
Customers can choose between self-managed and managed VPS hosting. Self-managed plans provide full root access and flexibility for experienced users, while managed plans include cPanel and expert assistance with server administration.
Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.09
- Seamless migration from any Bluehost shared hosting plan
- Root access and easy multi-server management
- Ample RAID-1 storage and tons of bandwidth
- Each plan gets at least 2 dedicated IP addresses
- cPanel and WHM with root access
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Sead Fadilpasic
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 120 GB SSD – 240 GB SSD | 2 – 4 cores | 2 GB – 8 GB |
Bluehost’s self-managed VPS gives developers the freedom to configure their server, but it requires technical knowledge to maintain it properly. Store owners who would rather leave routine administration to the experts can opt for managed VPS hosting.
Bluehost also offers dedicated WooCommerce hosting for entrepreneurs who don’t need the additional control of a VPS. With options for different experience levels, the company makes it easier to move beyond shared hosting without immediately investing in a dedicated server.
Key Features:
- AMD EPYC processors and NVMe storage
- Dedicated CPU, memory, and storage resources
- Full root access with self-managed VPS plans
- Scalable resources for growing websites
- Managed VPS plans with cPanel
- Integrated DDoS protection
- Uptime and performance monitoring
- 24/7 customer support
10. HostGator – Best for cPanel VPS Hosting
With more than two decades in business, HostGator offers VPS hosting that pairs dedicated resources with the familiarity of cPanel and WHM. The provider is a particularly compelling option for store owners who want more control than shared hosting provides without abandoning a familiar management interface.
HostGator’s KVM-based VPS plans include root access, SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, and cPanel. Customers can manage websites, email accounts, databases, and server resources through WHM while using Softaculous to install popular ecommerce applications.
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $34.99
- Full root access with fully or semi-managed options
- Redundant network with multiple layers of security
- FREE website, domain, MySQL, and script transfer
- RAID-10 storage for data protection
- Get up to 75% off when you sign up
- Get started on HostGator now.
Lynn Cadet
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 120 GB SSD – 240 GB SSD | 2 – 4 cores | 2 – 8 GB |
HostGator offers free migration for qualifying cPanel-based VPS orders with terms of 12 months or longer. Customers should review the migration requirements before signing up, as the service must be requested within a limited period.
Alternate Linux distributions are available without cPanel, but those configurations receive more limited support and are better suited to experienced server administrators. Ecommerce entrepreneurs seeking a more hands-on experience will get the most value from HostGator’s standard cPanel VPS configuration.
Key Features:
- KVM virtualization with dedicated server resources
- cPanel and WHM included
- Full root access and Softaculous application installer
- One dedicated IP address
- Free SSL certificates and domain registration
- Weekly offsite backups and server snapshots
- Unmetered bandwidth
- 24/7 support via phone and live chat
11. GoDaddy – Best for Self-Managed Ecommerce VPS
GoDaddy offers VPS hosting for store owners who want dedicated resources and more control over their server environment. Customers can choose between self-managed and fully managed support, depending on their technical experience and preferred level of assistance.
Self-managed plans provide full root access, making them best suited to developers and experienced administrators who are comfortable configuring and maintaining a server. Fully managed plans add help with server setup, site migration, optimization, and other administrative tasks.
GoDaddy.com
Monthly Starting Price $8.99
- Designed to handle traffic with Linux or Windows
- Admin access via root access, cPanel, and Plesk
- High-speed SSDs and 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Unlimited bandwidth and lots of processing power
- Fully or semi-managed servers with optional control panel
- Get started on GoDaddy now.
Lynn Cadet
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 40 GB SSD – 200 GB SSD | 1 – 4 cores | 2 – 16 GB |
GoDaddy’s self-managed VPS hosting gives experienced users the freedom to configure an environment around their ecommerce application. Store owners who need more assistance can choose fully managed service and work with GoDaddy’s support team on routine server tasks.
Overall, GoDaddy is a flexible option for entrepreneurs who want to choose how much responsibility they assume for server management. Be sure to compare the features and long-term cost of each support level before signing up.
Key Features:
- Self-managed and fully managed support options
- Full root access with self-managed plans
- Linux and Windows server options
- cPanel or Plesk available with fully managed plans
- Dedicated server resources
- Server monitoring and alerts
- Help with setup, migration, and optimization on fully managed plans
- 24/7 VPS hosting support
12. SiteGround – Best Ecommerce Support
Innovative solutions and attentive support are the first things that come to mind when we think of SiteGround. Although the web hosting provider receives especially high marks for WordPress solutions, SiteGround also offers one of the best ecommerce hosting platforms in the industry.
Instead of maintaining its own datacenters, SiteGround provides customers with top-of-the-line infrastructure from Google Cloud Platform — meaning your ecommerce website will operate with blazing-fast speed, instant global scalability, and cloud-backed stability.
SiteGround.com
Monthly Starting Price $100.00
- Fully managed cloud hosting with ultra-fast performance and scalability
- FREE SiteGround CDN and daily backups
- SuperCacher, Git, and 1-click CMS installs
- Site Tools, SSH access, and private DNS setup
- Dedicated IP address and iptables firewall
- Get started on SiteGround now.
Lynn Cadet
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 40 GB SSD – 160 GB SSD | 4 – 16 cores | 8 GB – 20 GB |
SiteGround’s managed cloud hosting delivers dedicated resources and easy scalability without requiring customers to handle complicated server configurations or maintenance.
The company’s custom tools simplify everything from website migrations to caching and performance optimization. SiteGround also offers a fully managed WooCommerce experience with the platform preinstalled and backed by around-the-clock expert support.
Although SiteGround does not offer traditional VPS hosting, its managed cloud plans provide many of the same performance and scalability benefits.
Key Features:
- SuperCacher technology featuring static and dynamic NGINX caching
- Free SSL certificate, daily backups, and content delivery network
- WordPress website building wizard and automatic managed updates
- Environmentally friendly datacenters with 100% renewable energy match
- WordPress and WooCommerce plugin for hassle-free migrations
- Unlimited databases and unmetered traffic, plus SSD persistent storage
What is VPS Hosting?
As the middle child of the web hosting family, VPS hosting is often overlooked and not quite always understood. The abbreviation stands for virtual private server, and the configuration shares characteristics with its hosting siblings: shared and dedicated servers.
Definition: VPS hosting gives small businesses a larger slice of server resources without the prohibitive cost and maintenance associated with running an entire server.
At its most basic, a VPS is essentially a server running within a server. Virtualization software essentially divvies up a server’s resources across a handful of separate, isolated hosting environments.
With a shared hosting plan, the cheapest hosting service, one physical server handles hundreds or even thousands of clients’ websites. A VPS, however, is usually one of only a handful of environments on a server.
At the other end of the spectrum, dedicated web hosting can be quite expensive. You’ll get an entire server all to yourself and enjoy total control over all configurations — no noisy neighbors to worry about.
Thanks to virtualization, VPS environments enjoy administrative access and dedicated server resources (plus some degree of scalability).
Why Should I Use VPS Hosting for My Ecommerce Site?
Starting an ecommerce business can be an expensive endeavour, so the affordable prices of shared hosting naturally seem like an advantage. However, most online businesses with big goals are better suited for VPS hosting.
Many of the benefits of upgrading to VPS hosting revolve around having an isolated environment — you don’t have to compete for resources or be dragged down by irresponsible site owners.
For instance, you can enjoy a separate SSL certificate or IP address. Falling victim to a cyberattack or sending spam emails on a shared server can lead to blacklisting, which blocks services and dramatically affects all other sites that share the address.
Here are some other reasons you should opt for VPS hosting:
- Greater control: Use exactly the software applications and plugins you want.
- Speed: Know exactly how much bandwidth, memory, and processing power you have at your disposal.
- Security: Customize your firewall, install application-specific protections, and use a stronger SSL certificate.
- Better support: Receive faster and more helpful responses, along with personalized managed services.
Together, these advantages also typically translate into higher conversion rates and search engine rankings. The highest ecommerce conversion rates happen on pages that load in just two seconds or less, according to digital marketing agency Portent.
How Do I Choose the Best VPS Hosting for Ecommerce?
Much like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the best VPS hosting plan for ecommerce depends on a wide number of factors. Beyond your store’s computing requirements, what about the technical aspects of setting up and running a VPS?
Right off the bat, evaluate your level of comfort and availability with managing a more complicated hosting service. That will immediately narrow your pool of options to web hosting providers with the level of support you need.
These are the factors we consider when shopping for VPS web hosting:
- Managed services: Having someone else take care of the nitty-gritty details of your server is great, but the luxury service can be expensive. Does your budget support this?
- Affordability: The lowest prices come with the fewest resources and perks. Where is the financial sweet spot?
- Computing resources: Compare storage space, CPU allotment, memory, bandwidth, and other metrics. Which VPS host offers the most?
- Quality of technology: The numbers only tell part of the story. Which hosts use solid-state drives, RAID-10 storage, or the newest processors?
- Server management: Some VPS plans only come with root access to the command line. Would you prefer a more intuitive control panel?
- PCI compliance: If you’ll be processing payments or storing customers’ personal information, you’ll need to be extra careful. Does your host take care of compliance? Or do they recommend integrating with a third-party service?
Naturally, you’ll also want to check the support for particular technologies, including operating systems and web servers.
Check for other perks like a free site transfer, onboarding consultation, automatic backups, and uptime guarantees before finalizing your decision.
Don’t forget, you’ll need PCI compliance if you plan to store, process, or transmit payment information.
How Much Does VPS Hosting Cost?
As you may expect, VPS hosting generally costs more than most shared services and less than most dedicated servers.
The cost of a VPS varies considerably based on its processing power, memory, storage, bandwidth, operating system, and level of support. Promotional rates may also require a long-term commitment and increase when the plan renews.
Commercial control panels such as cPanel and Plesk may cost extra, although free and open-source alternatives are available. Domain registration, backups, security tools, and managed support can also increase the total cost.
The main distinguishing factor with VPS prices is the level of support you expect to receive. The cheapest plans on our list of recommendations are for unmanaged hosting environments with root access.
Alternatively, fully managed hosting will cost significantly more, especially from providers known for highly attentive customer support.
What is the Cheapest Ecommerce Platform?
We get it, running an online business is an expensive endeavor. Inventory, employees, marketing, and a brick-and-mortar storefront can chew through a budget in no time.
Although VPS hosting adds yet another expense, the ecommerce software you use to display merchandise, process payments, and coordinate shipping doesn’t have to.
Yes, you read that correctly — the cheapest ecommerce platforms are FREE.
And we’re not talking about some horribly outdated and ugly online store software. Millions of stores around the world rely on these platforms to sell countless products.
- WooCommerce
The go-to online store creator for WordPress enthusiasts, the WooCommerce plugin is fully customizable and extendable. Given how many hosts are already primed with one-click WordPress installation scripts, adding WooCommerce hosting is ultra simple.
Some hosts offer managed WordPress services on VPS infrastructure and will even install WooCommerce during the checkout process.
Even better, check out SiteGround, Bluehost, WP Engine, and Liquid Web — the four premium companies each crafted impressive WooCommerce hosting plans designed to help entrepreneurs sell more online.
- PrestaShop
Offering a powerful blend of ecommerce solutions and drag-and-drop design, PrestaShop represents a beginner-friendly option for starting an online business.
The open-source platform, built on the powerful Symfony framework, comes with more than 5,000 modules and themes for creating your store. If you get stuck, more than 200 certified experts and agencies worldwide can help.
You won’t see the same streamlined installations like you do with WooCommerce hosting, but the best PrestaShop hosting is every bit as simple and effective.
- Magento
The most complex — yet scalable — open-source ecommerce platform on this mini list, Magento is equipped to handle the demands of established companies needing an efficient way to process transactions.
While beginners may struggle with Magento ecommerce, the platform is perfect for developers and enterprise-level businesses. Be sure to sign up for Magento 2 hosting services as the more modern version is much faster and more mobile-friendly, among other benefits.
Adobe acquired Magento in 2018 and rebranded the platform’s commercial cloud product as Adobe Commerce. The open-source platform remains available for download and installation, but not without a strong pitch for upgrading to the enterprise-grade (read: expensive) platform.
What Are Alternatives to VPS Hosting for Ecommerce?
The ecommerce options we’ve discussed so far are self-hosted solutions. That means you’re responsible for choosing a hosting provider and maintaining the environment that powers your store. In exchange, you get more control over your server, software, and website files.
A hosted ecommerce platform takes a different approach. The provider supplies the hosting, store-building software, security tools, and routine platform maintenance, leaving you free to focus on products and customers.
You won’t get the same level of server access or customization that comes with VPS hosting, but you also won’t need to configure and maintain a virtual server. If that sounds like a better fit, consider one of these popular platforms:
Wix: Known for its user-friendly visual website builder, Wix includes customizable store templates, secure online payments, inventory management, shipping tools, and multichannel sales features. You can build a store for free, but you’ll need an eligible paid plan to accept payments.
Shopify: Shopify provides an all-in-one commerce platform for selling online, in person, and through social media. Features include inventory management, multiple sales channels, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes, and fraud analysis. A short free trial lets you explore the platform before choosing a plan.
Volusion: Volusion emphasizes straightforward store management with built-in tools for inventory, payment processing, shipping, SEO, reporting, and discounts. The provider offers a 14-day free trial without requiring a credit card.
BigCommerce: Designed for businesses that expect to grow, BigCommerce supports traditional storefronts, headless commerce, and multichannel selling. Users get access to visual design tools, APIs, product management features, and integrations with popular marketplaces and payment providers. BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial without requiring a credit card.
These platforms don’t provide the same server-level control as VPS hosting, but they offer a much simpler way to launch and manage an online store. The right choice depends on whether you value infrastructure flexibility or a more hands-off ecommerce experience.
Recap: Boost Your Sales With The Best Ecommerce VPS Hosting
Let’s be real — the vast majority of ecommerce hosting providers offer speed, reliability, scalability, and 24/7 support.
So how do you know where to trust your online business? How do you tell the options apart?
Unless you’re willing to give each host we mentioned a try, stick to our reviews. Our team tests each platform we recommend, looking for distinguishing factors and potential pain points.
Here’s what we recommend for various categories:
- Cheapest: Hostinger
- Best Performance: Hosting.com
- Best Support: SiteGround
- Best for Small Business: InterServer
- Best for Growing Business: Hostwinds
- Best for Large Business: Liquid Web
- Best for Beginners: Bluehost
- Best for Developers: Kamatera
As you can tell, the best VPS hosting for ecommerce varies depending on the needs of each business and entrepreneur. A large business looking for Magento hosting, for instance, won’t match up with a crafter looking to take his or her first steps online.
Be sure to take a critical look at your online store’s computing requirements and customer base. Match those demands with a VPS hosting plan that most aligns with your current needs and budget. As your business grows, so will your hosting service.
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