Best Ecommerce Hosting Providers: Our Top 5
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Our methodology
We’ve spent hours – over 230 to be exact – researching the best ecommerce web hosts, focusing on key areas, so that we can bring you accurate information to help you make an informed decision.
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To help ensure your website runs optimally and securely online, the web host you choose for your store will depend on a variety of factors including uptime, security, and cost. Bluehost is our top-rated ecommerce hosting provider overall, offering high-quality services, value for money, and reliable and secure uptime.
To help you decide which is best for your online store, I’ll take a deep dive into each of our top five ecommerce hosting providers in this article.
Top 5 Ecommerce Hosting Providers
- Bluehost – Best overall ecommerce hosting provider
- Hostinger – Best value for money
- SiteGround – For extra security
- DreamHost – For exceptional performance
- GoDaddy Hosting – For great customer support and educational resources
1. Bluehost: Best Overall
Bluehost is our number one ecommerce hosting provider for online stores. There are dedicated WooCommerce plans on offer, ideal if you want to build a WordPress site. Plus, Bluehost also comes with an official WordPress recommendation for its WordPress-specific hosting plans.
You can sell an unlimited number of products, and there are also features including gift cards, secure online payments, and product filtering available.
➡️ Check out our full Bluehost review to decide if it’s the provider for you.
What I Like
✔️ Great for WordPress sites – Bluehost is officially endorsed by WordPress.org
✔️ Dedicated ecommerce plans – you can sell unlimited products with Bluehost, meaning you can scale your business easily without having to pay extra
✔️ 24/7 phone and live chat support – offering phone support is great, especially for users that prefer human interactions instead of AI, and I got answers from Bluehost’s live chat within a few minutes
✔️ Reliable uptime – we ran a number of tests to measure Bluehost’s uptime, resulting in an average uptime of 99.18%
✔️ Built-in website security – Bluehost’s plans come with a free SSL certificate, daily backups, and malware scanning, and you can pay for additional safety measures
What I Dislike
❌ Storage space is limited – plans offer between 10GB and 100GB of storage, meaning you’ll be capped once you reach Bluehost’s most expensive plan
❌ Steep renewal prices – Bluehost hooks you in with very cheap introductory offers, but your fees will increase dramatically after your first term (for example, the $2.95/mo Basic hosting plan will increase to $11.99/mo after the first year)
How Much Does Bluehost Cost?
Bluehost has a variety of plans that suit ecommerce stores, starting with the Online Store hosting plan that costs $9.95 per month for 12 months. I recommend this plan if you’re launching a small store, since it doesn’t come with multi-channel selling tools.
If you’re looking to grow your store, I recommend checking out Bluehost’s more advanced Online Store + Marketplace plan ($12.95/mo, billed annually) since this supports multi-channel inventory. This is great if you want to sell your products on marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy.
As with most hosting providers, these Bluehost prices are introductory offers and you can expect the prices to rise once your initial period is up. For example, the Online Store plan will rise to $26.99 per month after your initial 12-month period – a pretty hefty price increase.
2. Hostinger: Best Value for Money
Second on our list of the best ecommerce hosting providers is Hostinger. Packed with features for great value for money, there are shared, VPS, and WordPress plans on offer. Like Bluehost, Hostinger is recommended by WordPress.org.
There’s also free migration on offer to customers when you take out a plan, meaning if you currently host your online store elsewhere and want to make the switch to Hostinger, they’ll handle the migration for you… for free!
➡️ Check out our full Hostinger review to decide if it’s the right provider for you.
What I Like
✔️ Great value for money – Hostinger boasts some of the cheapest ecommerce hosting plans on the market, with plans starting from just $3.49 per month (for a 48-month term)
✔️ Free migration from other providers – it’s easy to switch from another provider since Hostinger will handle the hard work for you
✔️ International data centers – with centers around the world, you can serve international visitors and customers without delay
✔️ Backups and security measures – unlock unlimited free SSL certificates, weekly to daily backups, DDoS protection, and a malware scanner
✔️ AI building support – Hostinger’s suite of AI tools and its AI website builder are available with its ecommerce hosting plans, saving you time as you get your store up and running
What I Dislike
❌ Uptime could be better – despite offering unlimited bandwidth and advertising a high uptime rate, Hostinger scored an average uptime of 99.38% in our tests
❌ No phone support – you can only contact Hostinger via live chat which isn’t always ideal given the complexities of hosting
❌ Long-term commitment – the best pricing is only available on the long-term subscriptions, meaning you could be locked into your plan for up to four years
How Much Does Hostinger Cost?
Hostinger offers a variety of hosting plans suitable for online stores, including shared, VPS, and WordPress hosting options.
For shared hosting, the best option is the Business Plan, costing $3.49 per month when you commit to 48 months. This plan includes 200GB of storage and WooCommerce integration.
You can commit to as little as one month or as long as 48 months when you take out a Hostinger plan. However, I think you’ll agree that four years is a huge commitment, especially if you’re just starting on your ecommerce journey. That said, the longer you commit, the cheaper your monthly payments will be so there is a silver lining.
Like Bluehost, these prices are just an introductory offer and you can expect your monthly payments to rise once your initial period is over.
3. SiteGround: For Extra Security
SiteGround’s ecommerce plans are powered by WooCommerce. And, if you’re using WordPress to power your online store, there are plenty of tools on offer for you to make use of, including free WordPress migration and automatic WordPress updates.
My recommendation? SiteGround is a great choice for online stores targeting an international audience, with data centers spread across three continents. However, the features on offer are more limited when compared with Bluehost and Hostinger. SiteGround used to be on the list of web hosts officially recommended by WordPress.org, but no longer appears since other hosts have overtaken it.
➡️ Check out our full SiteGround review to decide if it’s the right provider for you.
What I Like
✔️ Ecommerce plugins and apps are auto-installed – you’re set up for success with SiteGround’s built-in features, including a free shopping cart install
✔️ Impressive uptime – SiteGround advertises an uptime of 99.9%
✔️ Additional security features – every plan comes with a free SSL certificate, plus you can prevent any potential AI-powered hacks with its AI anti-bot system
✔️ 24/7 phone and live chat support – get help from SiteGround’s customer team at any time of day
What I Dislike
❌ Limited storage space & bandwidth – storage ranges from 10GB to 40GB (which is tiny in comparison to Bluehost), and the most expensive plan, GoGeek, only accommodates up to 400,000 monthly visits
❌ Big renewal fees – similar to most hosting providers, renewal costs are high after the introductory deal (for example, GoGeek costs $7.99 initially, but then increases to $44.99/mo for a 12-month term)
❌ No WordPress recommendation – SiteGround lacks the endorsement from WordPress that Bluehost and Hostinger have
How Much Does SiteGround Cost?
SiteGround has a variety of plans on offer. Its shared hosting plans range from $2.99 to $7.99 per month (billed annually).
The StartUp plan, SiteGround’s cheapest option, is pretty limited though and won’t offer the features needed for hosting an online store. Because of this, I recommend you head straight to either the GrowBig plan ($4.99 per month) or GoGeek plan ($7.99 per month).
The GrowBig plan supports up to 100,000 monthly visits to your online store, which should be plenty for most ecommerce owners. But, if you’re expecting even more than that, you’ll be pleased to know the GoGeek plan can support up to 400,000 monthly visits.
4. DreamHost: For Exceptional Performance
If you’re looking for a reliable hosting provider that’s been around for a while then DreamHost could be just right… it’s been around longer than Google!
It’s the final WordPress-recommended provider on this list, alongside Bluehost and Hostinger, making it ideal if you’re using WordPress for your online store. Plus, there’s capacity for unlimited traffic for those stores that are planning to grow and grow.
➡️ Check out our full DreamHost review to see if it’s the right provider for you.
What I Like
✔️ 100% uptime guarantee – and, if you don’t see 100% uptime, DreamHost promises compensation
✔️ Unlimited traffic – this is incredibly useful for businesses that expect a lot of traffic since your site will be able to cope with the demand, especially during busy shopping periods
✔️ Recommended by WordPress – like Bluehost and Hostinger, DreamHost is a recommended hosting provider by WordPress
✔️ 24/7 live chat and email support – I received a helpful response from DreamHost’s live chat service in less than a minute
✔️ Built-in security tools – like other providers, DreamHost includes a free SSL certificate, as well as a malware remover to keep your site running smoothly
What I Dislike
❌ Limited storage space – select plans have limited storage allowance (for example, VPS plans range from 60GB to 360GB of storage)
❌ No phone support – there’s no way for you to initiate a call with DreamHost’s support team, but you can submit an email ticket and potentially receive a phone call back
How Much Does DreamHost Cost?
DreamHost’s shared hosting plans are pretty averagely priced, ranging from $2.95 to $4.95 per month (billed annually).
If you want to opt for a managed WordPress hosting plan, specifically designed for WordPress websites and online stores, then the price jump is substantial. These DreamPress plans range from $12.99 to $49.99 per month (billed annually). This makes DreamHost one of the most expensive ecommerce hosting providers on the market.
5. GoDaddy Hosting: For Customer Support
GoDaddy Hosting may be fifth on our list but it’s still a solid choice. It’s not packed full of features like Hostinger and Bluehost but there’s a free WordPress migration tool available on every plan. This is great if you want to make the switch from another web host, plus global data centers keep site speed up for international users.
➡️ Check out our full GoDaddy Hosting review to decide if it’s the right provider for you.
What I Like
✔️ Great customer support options – you can contact GoDaddy via live chat (it took me a couple of minutes to get a detailed answer from the support team), 24/7 phone support, or social media
✔️ Daily backups – get automatic daily backups with every web hosting plan
What I Dislike
❌ Limited storage space – this makes scaling your online business tricky, especially if you have a large inventory
❌ More expensive than other providers – GoDaddy’s web hosting plans start from $5.99 per month (for a three-year term), which is considerably more expensive than its competitors
❌ Pay for SSL certificate after first year – GoDaddy only includes a free SSL certificate for your first 12 months (it’ll cost $99.99 per year afterwards, unless you choose a WordPress plan which includes the certificate for free throughout your subscription)
How Much Does GoDaddy Hosting Cost?
GoDaddy is one of the more expensive ecommerce hosting providers to make our top five, with GoDaddy’s pricing for shared hosting plans starting from $5.99 per month (as part of a three-year subscription).
Realistically ecommerce stores will need to opt for at least the Web Hosting Deluxe option which will cost you $7.99 per month when you sign up for a three-year term.
If you’re planning to use WordPress for your online store then there are various WordPress plans. However, it’s only the most expensive option, the Managed WordPress Ultimate Plan, that comes with the WooCommerce plugin as standard. This option will set you back a whopping $14.99 per month (billed annually).
Buying Guide: How To Choose Your Ecommerce Hosting Plan
It can be hard to know where to start or what to look for when choosing your ecommerce hosting provider. And, while I’ve shared our top five choices, the decision comes down to you.
Some of the key factors to consider on your hunt for the best ecommerce hosting provider are:
- Cost – how much does the hosting plan cost? Remember to factor in any hidden fees or features that you’ll need to pay for as well as the renewal rates once your initial billing period is over.
- Security – you’ll be handling lots of sensitive data which makes things such as SSL certificates, backups, and secure data centers all crucial.
- Uptime – the last thing you want is to put all that effort into building an online store, only for the server to keep going down. Remember, downtime = loss of sales.
- Storage – online stores need a lot of storage. You need a provider that can support your inventory and product listings.
- Accessible support – having a support team on hand whenever you need will help to keep things running smoothly and reduce the stress if and when problems arise.
Top Tip 💡
Take a look at the customer reviews for a hosting provider to see what fellow online store owners really think about features including uptime and customer support. You can learn a lot from existing users of a provider.Should I Use an Ecommerce Builder or Hosting Provider?
An ecommerce website builder allows you to create and manage an online store, providing the tools you need to sell your products online. These tools include things such as shopping carts, payment processing, and inventory management. It’s a great choice for those who want to keep everything in one place, such as ecommerce beginners, and those who need to build their website and create a place for customers to shop online.
Most of our top-rated ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify, include hosting which means you don’t have to worry about finding a hosting provider for your store. It’s all built-in.
An ecommerce host, meanwhile, is great for those who have already built their ecommerce website and are simply in need of a place to host it and get it “live” online.
How We Test Hosting Providers
Our hosting research is conducted via testing to bring you detailed guides and expert advice on the right hosting provider for your website.
We test hosting providers against these key categories:
- Price – does it offer value for money?
- Performance – how fast and reliable are the servers?
- Features – does it include all the key features? What extras are available?
- Help and Support – how easy is it to contact the team and how good are the responses?
- Market Analysis – how does it compare to other hosting providers on the market?
There’s no cutting corners. We know how important your online store is for your business and we take providing you with guidance and advice seriously.
Best Ecommerce Hosting Providers: Which Should You Pick?
When it comes to finding the best web hosting for ecommerce, you need a provider that can promise great uptime, secure servers, and plenty of storage. That’s why Bluehost comes out on top as our number one ecommerce hosting provider.
Bluehost may take the top spot, but all the providers in our top five offer reliable and secure ecommerce hosting.
It’s worth remembering that many of the providers in our list offer a 30-day money-back guarantee as well, so why not give one a go for yourself?
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