Whether your brand is taking its first steps online or unlocking a new revenue stream, finding the best cheap eCommerce hosting represents a big step for your business.
Even though many entrepreneurs often set their sights on the best quality money can buy, every additional expense cuts into profits and affects margins. Trust us: you can find low-cost eCommerce web hosting that will easily stand up to the demands of your online store.
We reviewed and ranked scores of eCommerce web hosts, comparing them for affordability, performance, security, and, of course, all the sales tools you’ll need to effectively grow an online business.
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Best Cheap eCommerce Hosting
More than half of Americans prefer to shop online, with nearly 70% of millennials wanting to turn to the internet when making purchases.
When searching for an eCommerce hosting solution, the cheapest options will likely be found with a shared hosting plan. These full-service plans usually come equipped with tools to help you easily design, market, and run your online store – at a price that won’t break your budget.
1. A2 Hosting
Known for blazing-fast hosting infrastructure, A2 Hosting is a great solution for pressure-packed situations – like eCommerce – where speed matters.
A2Hosting.com
- 20 times faster performance that boosts sales
- 80+ software options: Magento, OpenCart, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and others
- Fully managed WordPress and server environments
- Worry-free migration and 24/7 support
- DDoS protection and layered security measures
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 100 GB SSD – Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
Of course, speed isn’t the only important feature, here are a few more you can find with A2 Hosting:
The hosting provider combines multiple server locations, and A2 Hosting’s proprietary Turbo Servers and SwiftServer platform boasts 40% faster CPU performance that’s twice as fast to the first byte.
- Speed enhancers: NVMe and SSD storage, LiteSpeed web servers, low-occupancy Turbo Server configurations that boost CPU performance by 40%
- Security: Free HackScan malware scans, reinforced DDoS protection, KernelCare rebootless kernel updates, brute force defense, a dual firewall
- Backups: Onsite and offsite automated backups with one-click restores
A2 Hosting certainly hits a lot of high notes. If you already have a budding eCommerce site, never fear: The company’s always-helpful support teams will migrate your site for free.
Aspiring store owners will have dozens of eCommerce software options available with just a few clicks. Whether you’re looking for a shopping cart, marketing tools, or invoicing software, A2 Hosting makes a wide variety of programs readily available.
Easily integrate with the standards like WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, and WHMCS. Or explore more rare options including AbanteCart, LoadedCommerce, and InvoicePlane.
2. Bluehost
A go-to hosting provider for WordPress enthusiasts, Bluehost takes a solid approach to eCommerce hosting by banding together with WooCommerce and tailoring its offerings to work with the popular eCommerce solution.
In fact, WooCommerce names Bluehost as one of its most recommended hosting partners.
Bluehost.com
- Shopping carts or managed WooCommerce
- Product reviews, discount codes & manual orders
- WordPress email marketing via Creative Mail
- FREE apps for forums, mailing lists, and polls
- Unlimited storage with FREE marketing credits
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
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30 days | 10 GB SSD – 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Let’s take a look at what Bluehost has to offer:
- Speed enhancers: Multiple caching layers, unmetered bandwidth
- Security: Free SSL certificate, secure server design, antivirus applications, domain privacy
- Backups: Automatic backups powered by CodeGuard
We especially love how Bluehost WooCommerce plans take care of every aspect of a customer’s online business: customer reviews, payment processing, manual orders, traffic analytics, and discount codes, along with online booking and appointment scheduling.
Of course, Bluehost offers tons more options to support entrepreneurs who want to use other platforms and technologies. Simply check out the company’s well-appointed shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting plans.
Bluehost’s eCommerce software and integrations makes gaining efficiency in your online presence fast and easy.
3. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting offers a wide variety of cheap web hosting options for online businesses. Four shared hosting plans aim at helping newer sites establish an online presence, while multiple VPS and dedicated hosting plans are designed for established stores with more traffic and products.
InMotionHosting.com
- Fast and secure hosting for WordPress and WooCommerce stores
- FREE domain, backups, SSDs, and SSL certificate
- Server-level caching and scalable storage
- 400+ free and paid extensions to grow your store
- SPAM Safe™ Email with IMAP support
- Get started on InMotion now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
90 days | 100 GB SSD – Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Here’s what InMotion Hosting brings to the table when it comes to important attributes of the best eCommerce hosting plans:
- Speed enhancers: Free SSDs and multiple datacenters, and UltraStack configurations with advanced layered caching
- Security: Free SSL certificate, firewalls on each server, Corero DDoS protection, Mod_Sec security, and shell scans
- Backups: Remote backup service. When enabled, multiple instances of your home directory and databases are stored remotely at your direction, which can be managed and restored using the interface in cPanel.
InMotion Hosting offers a lot of perks for new and growing businesses, including a free domain name and generous 90-day money-back guarantee. In a variety of ways, it makes the process of getting an online store started simple, cheap, and effective.
The company’s one-click software installer makes it a breeze to get started with such popular eCommerce solutions as PrestaShop, Magento, OpenCart, and WooCommerce.
Its servers meet stringent standards to protect your customers’ sensitive personal and financial data, ensuring your site is PCI compliant.
4. HostGator
As one of the most recognizable brands in web hosting, HostGator predictably provides multiple user-friendly paths to launching an eCommerce store.
The hosting provider’s reliable services come supported with one-click installations of several popular selling platforms. Alternatively, the Gator website builder introduces drag-and-drop simplicity to online store design.
HostGator.com
- Host up to unlimited websites on a single plan
- FREE SSL certificate included on all plans
- Unlimited bandwidth & email addresses
- 1-click WordPress installs & FREE blog tools
- Get 74% OFF by buying 36 months upfront
- Get started on HostGator now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Let’s check out some of the details behind HostGator’s successes:
- Speed enhancers: PHP 7.1 and a built in Apache-based content compression system
- Security: Custom firewall, comprehensive mod_security, DDoS protection, highly secure datacenters, along with SiteLock and other upgrades
- Backups: Weekly backups provided, third-party services available
HostGator offers a ton of different plan types and options. The company also offers more features on its shared plans than most other web hosting providers.
One serious perk for our business-minded friends is top-tier productivity and SEO tools. HostGator’s top shared hosting plan promises a personalized approach to increase your online store’s visibility, drive more traffic, and boost search rankings.
In addition to the included Google marketing credits, site owners can also upgrade their services by integrating with Google Workspace – unlocking professional communication, collaboration, and management programs to take your business to the next level.
5. SiteGround
SiteGround provides some promising eCommerce features. The company’s WooCommerce-specific packages make it easy to get your business up and running.
These eCommerce plans come with the WordPress-powered store platform pre-installed, giving entrepreneurs a turnkey eCommerce platform right away.
SiteGround.com
- Low-cost managed WooCommerce stores
- FREE payment processing and adjustable shipping
- Test changes to your online store in a staging area
- Pre-installed SSL security and auto daily backups
- 100% renewable energy match
- Get started on SiteGround now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | New or Transfer | 6 minutes |
In addition to selling digital and physical products, you’ll be able to accept payments immediately, easily configure shipping options, and manage orders conveniently.
- Speed enhancers: Free Cloudflare CDN, SuperCacher static and dynamic caching powered by NGINX
- Security: Free SSL certificate, managed updates, custom web application firewall, and AI-powered anti-bot system
- Backups: Automatic daily backups with 30 copies kept at all times. On-demand backups available, plus easy restores.
For those springing for the GrowBig or GoGeek plan, be sure to check out the staging tool that creates a copy of your eCommerce site and pushes the changes to your live site in just one click. The tool also performs automatic backups each time you make a staging version live.
Of course, you can’t mention SiteGround without highlighting the company’s impressive track record with customer support. Ninety percent of all issues are resolved at first contact, which is available through phone, chat, and email tickets.
6. Hostinger
Hostinger offers the cheapest eCommerce hosting plan we’ve found (and trust). The champions of affordable long-term shared hosting combine top-notch hardware with easy-to-use online tools and always-there customer support.
Hostinger.com
- Officially endorsed by WordPress.org
- Accelerate your store with FREE SSDs and caching
- Custom control panel with enhanced security
- FREE domain name and SSL certificate
- Sign up now for 75% OFF
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 200 GB SSD – 300 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
Most importantly, it doesn’t skimp on the key attributes you’ll likely seek in an eCommerce host:
- Speed enhancers: LiteSpeed web server, SSDs
- Security: SSL certificates, CloudFlare-protected nameservers, SSH access and secure collaboration tools, two-factor authentication
- Backups: Automatic weekly backups with the ability to enable daily backups or create backups manually
In addition to optimized services for selling on WooCommerce and PrestaShop, Hostinger also enables new store owners to get started on its ultra-affordable shared hosting plans.
Most plans come with a free domain name, SSL certificate, content delivery network, and daily backups. Add in the Google advertising credits, and you’ll be ready to market a fast and secure shopping experience to your customers.
Even with the low price point, Hostinger does a remarkable job at ensuring the technologies powering your online store are fully updated to modern performance and security standards.
7. Liquid Web
You don’t often see Liquid Web on lists reviewing the best web hosting for affordability. The premium web host is highly regarded for managed hosting at the upper levels of cloud and VPS hosting.
LiquidWeb.com
- Premier managed WooCommerce hosting
- Supports up to 10,000 orders per hour
- Automated performance monitoring of platform, plugins, and sales
- FREE abandoned cart and page builder plugins
- Readers can take 30% OFF the first three months
- Get started on Liquid Web now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 30 GB – 800 GB | New or Transfer | 6 minutes |
Liquid Web’s shared hosting offerings are fairly reduced when compared with those of other providers, but the company’s managed WooCommerce hosting package is a fantastic bargain.
- Speed enhancers: Plugin performance monitoring each day, reduced query loads, increased capacities, and a robust testing regimen
- Security: Nightly automatic tests to ensure the stability and security of WooCommerce and other plugins
- Backups: Automatic daily backups and 30 days of storage and on-demand manual backups
Liquid Web funnels eCommerce hosting customers to its Nexcess brand of cloud hosting specialists for increased speed and around-the-clock performance monitoring.
The partnership cultivates all you’ll need for a white-glove WooCommerce experience: the Astra Pro WordPress eCommerce theme, the Beaver Builder page designer, and the IconicWP suite of plugins.
Best Low-Cost Website Builders for eCommerce
For those looking for some design help when creating an online store, check out these noteworthy hosting providers with specialized website builders.
You can choose a free template and customize your online store with a simple drag-and-drop interface – no coding required.
The customer-facing portion of your website is one of the most important features of your business. A visually pleasing design and user-friendly layout can make or break a sale.
8. BoldGrid.com
- Drag-and-drop editor with free themes
- SSD storage & 20x faster page loads
- FREE marketing content and stock photos for inspiration
- SSL certificates and automated backups included
- Unlimited bandwidth and storage
- Get started on BoldGrid now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
90 days | 100 GB SSD – Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
To be clear, BoldGrid isn’t a traditional web host like others on this list. Rather, the site builder seamlessly integrates with a WordPress hosting service to bring drag-and-drop functionality to the world’s most popular content management system.
Ultimately, BoldGrid enables you to build professional sites faster and with ease.
We recommend pairing BoldGrid with the company who helped create it: InMotion Hosting. As one of our favorite WordPress hosts, InMotion Hosting regularly seeks out performance innovations and security enhancements to ensure its customers’ sites are poised for success.
With BoldGrid, you can build and stage your website for free. Once you’ve created your masterpiece, all you need to do is transfer the site you built to a WordPress host.
BoldGrid, which boasts more than 1 million active installs, also offers premium themes and plugins that can expand the reach of your WooCommerce store.
9. iPage.com
- FREE domain, email, and online store
- Easy website builder with customizable layouts
- Integrations for email and search marketing
- PayPal, shopping carts, and site metrics
- 38% OFF for HostingAdvice readers
- Get started on iPage now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
iPage believes that doing business shouldn’t be complicated.
With products and services that include shopping cart software, credit card processing, free SSL certificate, and even product sourcing, iPage is a viable alternative to our top host suggestions when you want to get your site started quickly and easily.
On the design end, iPage saves you an immense amount of time by selecting an appropriate layout for you based on a survey you complete. No need to scroll through hundreds of themes, the best one is handed to you on a silver platter.
iPage also has your back on the business end; its partnerships with Ecwid and Duda take a lot of the legwork out of getting an eCommerce site up and running.
You will pay for these services a la carte, which can sometimes be more expensive than providers who bundle services.
But the time savings you get with iPage’s accessible set-up and the potential for increased revenues from iPage’s specific connections could be well worth the investment.
10. GoDaddy.com
- Manage your domain and hosting under one roof
- Choice of cPanel or Plesk control panels
- Up to unlimited bandwidth and storage
- Microsoft 365 inboxes included FREE for first year
- Get 62% OFF by signing up today
- Get started on GoDaddy now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 25 GB – 100 GB | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Why not trust your business with the world’s largest hosting provider? More than 20 million people around the world turn to GoDaddy for affordable domain name registrations, web hosting, and other business-critical services.
GoDaddy’s integrated website builder provides mobile-friendly templates with built-in tools for SEO and email marketing.
Best news of all? You can get started for free. GoDaddy won’t charge customers for sites designed and published on one of their domains.
Once you’re ready to launch your eCommerce operations on a custom domain or take advantage of other premium features, you can easily migrate into a paid plan.
You’ll even have access to sell products on online marketplaces including Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy without needing to install any plugins.
Your GoDaddy site will offer flexible shipment and payment processing options to your customers while seamlessly helping you track sales and inventory.
11. Weebly.com
- Quickly create stores via drag-and-drop editor
- Hundreds of ready-made themes available
- Fully integrated shopping cart and secure checkout
- Inventory tracking for you, filtered search for customers
- Get a complete mobile store, too!
- Get started on Weebly now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
30 days | 500 MB – Unlimited | FREE (w/ paid plans) | 3 minutes |
An in-house partnership with the digital payment experts at Square powers the eCommerce solution from Weebly. You’ll get an intuitive website builder and a wide variety of features built-in that you would normally have to use plugins and widgets for.
Several provided marketing tools will help you find, reach and acquire customers. SEO makes sure you are prominently displayed where customers can find you, and Square Online makes for easy payment processing.
Configure customizable email templates to welcome customers or to let them know when they left something in their cart.
Website analytics help determine your site’s performance and provide data to guide decisions as you grow.
On the business side, you’ll be able to easily create coupons and gift cards, display customer reviews, and accept payments.
Once the purchase is made, your Weebly website will also help calculate taxes, manage shipments, and track inventory.
12. Wix.com
- Drag-and-drop builder means easy customizations
- Sell tickets, subscriptions, and bookings
- Comprehensive dashboard to manage transactions
- Unlimited products and selling on social media
- FREE tools for abandoned cart recovery
- Get started on Wix now.
Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
---|---|---|---|
14-day FREE trial | 2 GB – Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Wix is well known for its ease of use for simple site development, and it is a very popular choice for personal websites and eCommerce stores.
Wix offers an industry-leading eCommerce website builder with features designed specifically to help entrepreneurs establish and grow their online businesses successfully.
The hosted eCommerce platform offers plenty of tools to help you increase your online store’s visibility. A logo maker, business name generator, and automated tax calculation tools are excellent examples of how Wix goes above and beyond to help your business.
Entrepreneurs can also extend their online operations by offering reservations, digital products, or subscriptions.
Wix presents itself as a complete solution in the eCommerce scene, and we believe it is holding up to that claim.
What Is eCommerce Hosting?
ECommerce hosting is the driving force for your online business. You have stuff to sell, and people want to buy it, but how do you get it to them?
You could go the old-fashioned route with a brick-and-mortar building – or you can capitalize on the $5 trillion market for worldwide eCommerce sales.
Even with the specialized services, a low-cost eCommerce hosting option that caters to smaller businesses doesn’t cost much more than standard shared web hosting.
Simply defined, an eCommerce platform is a software that facilitates online sales of goods. An effective eCommerce platform should:
- Combine a user-friendly customer interface that displays products and funnels conversions
- Provide business-critical services such as inventory and order management, marketing, and payment processing
- Reach your customers on any device they may use
- Scale with your business
- Secure and protect your customers’ data
Once your online store gains some traction, however, you’ll likely need to start looking at upgrading your server to continue serving your growing customer base.
When that time comes, we’ve got some great resources to help find a good VPS hosting plan or dedicated server. With growth in mind, you might also consider finding a good scalable service.
However you choose to plan the future of your business, cheap eCommerce hosting will provide a great stepping stone.
Why Do I Need Cheap eCommerce Hosting?
To sell goods or services online you will need a website. To share your eCommerce website with the world, you will need to host it on a server that will store your data and display it quickly and securely to visitors.
Your eCommerce web hosting provider will provide you with everything you need to build your brand, ranging from a sleek storefront theme to PCI compliance.
A low-cost eCommerce host gives you a chance to dip a toe in the business world to see if it’s right for you. If your online store or products don’t survive the initial proof-of-concept phase, you can move on quickly and cut your losses.
With some companies even providing month-to-month plans, you have numerous options that require minimal commitment and offer a low barrier to entry.
How Much Does it Cost to Host an eCommerce Website?
Depending on your business goals and customer base, paying for the best web hosting for an eCommerce website can range from nearly free to $5,000 or more for a custom site.
Naturally, the most affordable options are built for new businesses and inexperienced entrepreneurs.
Here, we’ll break down how much it costs to build a website:
- Free: A few website builders, namely Weebly, enables you to run your store without paying for hosting. But you’ll sacrifice some functionality and branding clout.
- $2 to $10 per month: Premium site builders and standard shared hosting options expand their services to meet the needs of business owners. Small business owners will find the most value at this level.
- $10 to $30 per month (and beyond): Specialized eCommerce platforms and cloud hosting that offers more scalability and selling power. This level is best for more established companies.
Whether you decide you want to spend little or lots on the best eCommerce hosting provider, there will always be an option to cater to your needs.
Which is the Best eCommerce Platform?
As you might imagine, the best eCommerce hosting solution will look different depending on the business’s needs, products, and audience.
Ask yourself some questions: How big are your operations? What markets are your products or services geared toward? What’s your level of technical prowess? What’s your budget? What features do you need?
When you’re searching for an eCommerce host, you want to pay particular attention to a few key attributes:
- Performance to ensure your customers will have a good experience while dealing with your site.
- Scalability so you don’t have to put a lot of legwork into increasing the size of your hosting plan when your business grows.
- Support to get your site up and running quickly and efficiently solve any issues that arise once it’s launched.
- Security to keep your customers’ data safe, especially when you are processing credit cards and other personal information.
- eCommerce software can include all manner of extras like plug-ins and add-ons that will help make your business successful.
- Backups so that you never have to worry about losing your hard work.
Our list ranks the best hosting option for a variety of users and price points – be sure to check out our reviews of shopping cart software, website builders, and VPS hosting to find a specific feature you may need.
How Do I Start an Online Store?
Before starting an eCommerce store, consider your goals and commitment. How much time do you want to spend? What is your budget?
Having this foundation may help you know which path to take as you work through starting your eCommerce store.
From there, the most basic steps in developing your online presence will be as follows:
- Select an eCommerce hosting service with a trustworthy hosting company that provides the full set of features your business requires.
- Register your domain name. Many hosts on this list will allow you to get a domain name for free with annual plans.
- Set up your SSL certificate. Again, this is probably free with your hosting plan. Check your control panel or host’s support articles for guidance.
- Install your website and online store software. WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento are generally one-click installations. Check with your hosting provider about how to get started with a website builder.
- Set up payment processing. Gateways will likely be included with your eCommerce software, but keep an eye out for additional plugins you may need to install.
- Customize your store’s design. Choose your theme or template, then tweak the colors, fonts, and other design elements to make it your own.
- Add your products and start selling! Don’t forget to extend your store’s functionality by adding social media plugins, form builders, coupons, SEO, and customer relationship management software.
Of course, this is a very simplified view of the process, and your specific route may look slightly different. Either way, be sure to take your time and be methodical; it takes dedication to develop an effective website and a successful business. Good luck!
Next Up: Expand Your Small Business With Marketing Tools
Finding cheap eCommerce hosting is only the beginning. Having an online store won’t do you any good without customers coming to shop and spend money.
For online businesses, digital marketing tools and techniques bring an immense return on investment.
Effective marketing ensures your target audience has an opportunity to see your site through techniques like search engine optimization and email or social communications.
Many hosting providers include these tools with the best eCommerce hosting plans. Keep an eye out for social integrations, email marketing partnerships, and search engine advertising credits.
That initial customer engagement can then lead to increased conversion rates after the customer interacts with calls to action and content marketing techniques on your website.
Draw potential customers back to your site or abandoned shopping cart through cookies and retargeting efforts.
Ultimately, marketing will give your business an identity and reputation that generates trust that could lead to increased sales.
Whatever marketing strategies you choose to employ, be sure to scan through your web hosting providers’ services. Many of the best web hosting packages include marketing materials through add-ons, plugins, etc. to propel your business to new heights.
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