Magento is an excellent solution for eCommerce. Magento is used by many developers and store owners to sell their products online. You might be one of these users. If so, you may have spent some time researching the best Magento hosting solution for you business.
Although Magento’s requirements may not be extraordinary, not all web hosting providers can manage a Magento installation as well. When choosing a Magento hosting provider for your website, there are some important considerations.
We will discuss some of the most important factors, tips, and ideas in Magento hosting.
Magento Hosting: How to Get Started
Let’s start with the most important and fundamental things. No matter how big your Magento store is, your web host provider should offer these features.
Security
Your Magento web hosting plan should include security features. You should do everything possible to protect your website from hackers. Your Magento hosting provider is responsible for server security.
Your hosting provider should make sure that your server runs the most recent software, such as the operating system and control panel. A good firewall and anti-malware strategy should be in place. To assess the security of your web hosting provider, ask these questions:
- Do you run a server-side virus scanner?
- Is there a DDoS protection system? Do you offer DDoS protection? If so, at what level is it implemented?
- Are you using firewalls or other security features for Magento hosting? You should be looking for the ability to disable or turn on certain PHP modules (most web hosts provide this at no additional cost).
Speed
Speed is also important. A slow website is not something that anyone likes. Magento websites can be a little slower if they’re not optimized properly. It is possible to blame website configuration. What happens if your hosting server is full? It’s a smart idea to choose web hosting providers who take extra care to maintain state-of-the-art infrastructure to ensure that the hardware never becomes slow or overloaded.
You might want to try pinging the server IP or running a traceroute. This will allow you to check for latency issues that could affect page load times. You should also ask your Magento hosting provider what server-side cache mechanism they use. xCache and memCache are popular options for Magento hosting environments. This server-side caching is only available for shared and semi-dedicated hosting environments. You are often responsible for setting up caching solutions on your self-managed servers. Your web host will be able to guide you in this matter.
Compatibility
Compare the Magento hosting requirements with those offered by your web host. Check for PCI compliance before you proceed. This will ensure that your Magento store is in compliance with all applicable laws.
It is also a smarter choice to look ahead. PHP 5.x is rapidly falling out of favour with more users moving to PHP 7.x. Magento 2.0 and above recommend PHP 7.0 or greater. Check with your Magento hosting provider to see if they are compliant.
You should aim for MySQL 5.6 and higher, Apache 2.x, and PHP 7.0 or above. You will need to adjust the requirements for servers that don’t run Apache but rely on NGINX and LiteSpeed.
Technical Support
What about support? The internet is not available for holidays. Technical support should be treated the same way. Things can often go wrong when you least expect it to. What happens if your website goes down on Saturday night? Or Christmas Eve? Wouldn’t you expect decent technical support from your Magento hosting service provider? Technical support should be available at all hours, even if sales or billing support is not available.
It might seem excessive to expect 24/7 support when you only pay a few dollars per monthly for Magento hosting. Here is where the old saying “you get what your pay for” comes in. It’s a smart decision to spend a little more to get the best support possible, no matter what time it is. You don’t have to insist on phone or live chat support. While these are great, technical support that is more advanced can be received via email or tickets. Here you can upload screenshots and explain your problem in detail.
What type of Magento Hosting do you need?
Magento hosting offers many options. You have the option of a shared hosting plan or a dedicated server. You can also choose from something in-between.
You will need to choose the right Magento hosting plan based on the requirements of your Magento store.
Shared Hosting
Magento hosting is not a good choice for shared hosting. Magento stores are often able to outgrow shared memory allocations quickly, unlike WordPress which can function seamlessly in a shared environment.
A shared package is a good option for those just starting out. As your Magento store grows in number, shared hosting may prove too restrictive. It is a smart idea to upgrade to a larger and more powerful hosting plan in this case.
A few Magento hosting companies offer semi-dedicated hosting options. These plans are not dedicated. They are instead shared hosting plans with greater server resources. If your shared hosting plan offers 1 GB RAM, you have the option to choose a dedicated server, or VPS, which will offer at least 4 GB RAM. What if your store uses only 1.5GB of RAM? You don’t need a dedicated server or a shared hosting plan.
For Magento websites in such situations, a shared plan with 2GB RAM and a higher allocation of resources (either semi-dedicated/higher-end) may be the best option.
Servers Dedicated
As the name implies, a dedicated hosting server provides all resources for your account. This means that you have full access to the server and can assign resources according to your needs. These hosting solutions are usually only used by Magento websites with high-end functionality.
A small or medium-sized Magento install will not require a dedicated server. These servers can provide a lot more resources and memory allocations than dedicated servers, but you need to be careful about server security and updates. Many customers choose web hosting companies that manage their server-side management, even if it comes at a cost.
A VPS might be the right choice if you feel that a dedicated server would be too much for your needs and a shared host package is too small.
Virtual Private Servers (VPS).
Virtual Private Servers are not dedicated servers in their own right. It is a hosting system that includes a virtualization layer. This allows administrators to seperate resources of different users. The web hosting provider can offer you more resources by creating virtual servers within the server. You don’t have to pay for a dedicated server as you only use a portion of it.
VPS is the most common category for Magento hosting. Shared hosting is not able to handle more products than your store. A dedicated server, on the other hand is not necessary and can cause financial problems. A VPS could be the ideal Magento hosting solution in such situations. You can select the amount of memory, bandwidth, and disk space you require. You can scale up your VPS as your Magento store grows.
VPS can also be subject to the server security and software update concepts. Here is the crucial question you should ask yourself: Managed or unmanaged?
Managed Hosting and Unmanaged Magento Hosting
To be clear, the word management here does not refer directly to managing your Magento store or installation. It refers to the software running on the web hosting server. Imagine that you have a VPS running CloudLinux with cPanel to host your Magento hosting. Management of the server is a way to ensure that CloudLinux, cPanel and the entire server are in good health. Your responsibility will remain for the Magento site.
You should be able, for a monthly charge, to have your Magento hosting provider offer server management services. You can also hire a server management agency to do the same job.
You can also manage your server yourself if you are competent enough or have the funds but not the time. It is important to note that although the term “unmanaged” is used in the hosting industry, it is actually a self-managed server. Your website could be compromised if you don’t take server management seriously or pay attention to it enough. Older software can pose security threats to your data.
Best Magento Hosting Services
It’s not enough to have the best features and back-end functionality when building a website using Magento. To ensure your website runs smoothly, you will need a hosting provider. These are the top Magento hosting providers.
SiteGround
SiteGround is a leading Magento hosting provider, offering many features and options. This product is attractive to those who are looking to start small and move up. A dedicated, automated installation of Magento software is also available.
SiteGround’s hosting solution is intuitive and simple to use. It eliminates many of the hassles and learning curves associated with selecting a specialist host. SiteGround offers exceptional speed and availability due to its combination of SSD hardware with SG optimizer technology.
You have the option to choose where your website server is located. There are also tons of bandwidth options that allow you to scale at a pace that suits you. SiteGround’s shared plans offer a surprising number of features.
Pricing
SiteGround pricing starts from $6.99 per month for your first term. However, you will be charged an additional price for each subsequent term. The smallest package includes 10GB storage and enough power to support one site. It also offers 500MB database access. The most expensive package, “GoGeek”, supports up to five sites and offers a 40GB storage option. Priority support is also available. You can also access a 1000MB database.
Security
Siteground is secure and should not have any issues. All accounts are separate from one another. You are secure even if someone shares your hosting account with you. Two-factor authentication will be available, as well as SSL encryption for extra security.
Pros
High availability and uptime
Unlimited traffic support
Support for caching, two-factor authentication
Privacy and security are important
Choose your server location
One-click installation of Intuitive Back End
Excellent customer service and support
Cons
Gets more expensive with time
Professional migration is more expensive
Nexcess
Nexcess, a managed Magento hosting provider, is one of the most trusted. You get unlimited hosting and plenty of support to ensure your site runs smoothly. There are many options for customization and back-end control.
The Nexcess hosting service has been praised for its flexibility and reliability by Magento customers all over the globe. With various integrations and tools, you can increase the functionality of your ecommerce store. Support staff is available to assist with things such as CDN access and caching.
Nexcess guarantees a 99.99% uptime, which is great for small business owners who cannot afford downtime. It is also convenient to know that all updates to your website technology are made automatically. It’s easy to migrate and you can give access to your teams.
Pricing
Nexcess, as a managed hosting service, is slightly more expensive than services you might manage. Nexcess costs $49 per month and includes all add-ons and integrations.
Security
Nexcess offers excellent security as part of its managed service. Hosting that is PCI compliant will ensure your website’s transactions are protected. Proactive encryption is also available. You will also be able to manage team accounts.
Pros
Magento Hosting by a specialist
Instant caching and CDN Access
Support for customers from the beginning to the end
PWA-ready hosting
Excellent PCI compliance
Automated scaling
Expert support and guidance
Cons
It can be costly
DreamHost
DreamHost is a popular choice for web developers who want reliable functionality and high performance. DreamHost has a wide range of hosting options to suit all types of customers. Shared hosting and VPS hosting are options. Sites are guaranteed to be up and running at almost 100%.
DreamHost websites work reliably and quickly, with great features in all plans. Your service includes unlimited traffic support, SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth. All SSL certificates are included as standard. 24/7 support is also available to those who require it.
There are currently no direct connections between Magento 2 and DreamHost MySQL. This is why some customers might not choose this product. You’ll still enjoy an exceptional experience and automated migrations.
Pricing
DreamHost pricing starts at $2.95 per month for shared hosting. Prices will go up depending on the level of support and security that you require. If you use Magento, VPS servers are available for $13.95 per monthly.
Security
DreamHost takes every precaution to ensure that your website is secure and private. A Malware removal tool is available. Let’s Encrypt offers an encryption solution. You also get domain privacy components. Mod security, HTTP/2 support and a variety of other security features and firewalls are included.
Pros
High uptime and reliability
Amazing speed
Amazing for domain privacy
Support and security that is good
Starters at an affordable price
VPS servers that are reliable
Cons
No dedicated Magento option
For beginners, it can be difficult
Conclusion
We now know a lot about Magento hosting. When choosing a Magento hosting package, it is important to keep the following in mind:
- Server speed
- Security method
- Software compatibility and system software with Magento
- Technical support: Quality and availability
After we have reviewed everything, it is time to consider the type of hosting plan we require. We can choose between shared, semi-dedicated or dedicated hosting depending on the size and traffic of our Magento store. If you don’t want to spend on a dedicated server or do not require one, a VPS could be the right choice.
We now know what to look out for in Magento hosting. Now we need to find the right hosting provider.
What web host do YOU use to manage your Magento hosting? Please comment below to share your thoughts!
