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The best e-commerce hosting depends on how you want to run your store. For an all-in-one hosted platform, Shopify is the strongest choice (Basic from $29/mo billed yearly). For a WooCommerce store you control, Bluehost‘s eCommerce Essentials plan ($14.99/mo on a 36-month term, renewing at $21.99/mo) is the best fit for beginners, and Hostinger is the cheapest way to run WooCommerce at $3.49/mo on a 48-month term (renewing at $16.99/mo).
We compared nine e-commerce hosting options on price, transaction fees, store features and support, using their published pricing and documentation.
Updated October 2026.
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Best e-commerce hosting at a glance
Store-ready plans as published in October 2026.
| Provider | Type | Best for | Starting price | Renewal / regular price | Extra transaction fee | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Hosted platform | Most new online stores | $29/mo billed yearly (Basic) | Same | 0% with Shopify Payments; 2% with other gateways on Basic | 4.6/5 |
| Bluehost | WooCommerce hosting | WooCommerce beginners | $14.99/mo (36 months) | $21.99/mo | None from host | 4.4/5 |
| Hostinger | WooCommerce hosting | Lowest cost WooCommerce | $3.49/mo (48 months) | $16.99/mo | None from host | 4.4/5 |
| SiteGround | WooCommerce hosting | Support and backups | $2.99/mo (12 months) | $17.99/mo | None from host | 4.3/5 |
| Squarespace | Hosted builder | Design-led small shops | $29/mo billed annually (Core, 0% fee) | Same | 2% on Basic, 0% on Core and up | 4.2/5 |
| BigCommerce | Hosted platform | Growing catalogs, B2B | $29/mo billed annually (Core) | Same | 0% with embedded providers | 4.2/5 |
| GoDaddy | WordPress hosting | All-in-one with phone support | $6.99/mo (1 year, Managed WordPress Basic) | Higher at renewal | None from host | 3.9/5 |
| HostGator | Shared hosting | Several small stores | First-invoice discount (36 months) | About $10.99 to $21.99/mo | None from host | 3.9/5 |
| hosting.com (A2 Hosting) | Shared hosting | Free migration of an existing store | $3.99/mo (1 year) | Not published | None from host | 3.8/5 |
Our verdict: choose Shopify if you want selling tools, payments and hosting handled for you. Choose WooCommerce on Bluehost, Hostinger or SiteGround if you want full ownership of your store and lower fixed costs.
What is e-commerce hosting?
E-commerce hosting is web hosting set up to run an online store securely and reliably. It comes in two forms:
- Hosted e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce and Squarespace bundle hosting, the store software, checkout, security and payments into one subscription. You never touch a server.
- Self-hosted e-commerce means running store software, most often WooCommerce for WordPress, on a web host you choose. You get more control and usually lower fixed costs, but you are responsible for updates, plugins and some security.
Either way, a store needs things a simple brochure site does not: an SSL certificate for checkout, reliable uptime during sales, enough resources to handle product searches and carts, PCI-compliant payment processing, and backups of orders and customer data.
E-commerce hosting terms to know
- Payment gateway: the service that processes card payments, such as Shopify Payments, Stripe or PayPal.
- Transaction fee: a platform’s own percentage on each sale, charged on top of card processing fees.
- PCI DSS: the card industry’s security standard. Hosted platforms and major gateways handle most PCI compliance for you.
- SSL certificate: encrypts checkout data and enables HTTPS. See how to enable an SSL certificate.
- WooCommerce: a free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress.
- Staging site: a copy of your store for testing updates before customers see them.
How we evaluated e-commerce hosting
We compared published pricing, plan limits, transaction and processing fees, store features, uptime commitments, refund or trial terms and support documentation as of October 2026. We did not run test stores or speed tests for this guide. We weighed:
- Total cost of selling: plan price, renewal price, transaction fees and card rates.
- Store features: product limits, checkout, inventory, shipping and tax tools, or WooCommerce readiness.
- Security and reliability: SSL, backups, malware protection and published uptime SLAs.
- Scalability: how easily the plan grows with traffic and order volume.
- Support: 24/7 channels and e-commerce expertise.
Ratings are our editorial assessment based on those criteria.
The best e-commerce hosting providers in 2026
1. Shopify: best hosted e-commerce platform
Those who want to sell online and combine that with a physical store can find all they need to manage both options with Shopify. Shopify has set the pace in e-commerce with a website builder, point-of-sale hardware, and customer chat options.
Read our full review here.Best for: most new and growing online stores that want everything in one place.
Price: Shopify Basic costs $29/mo billed yearly ($39/mo billed monthly), Grow $79/mo and Advanced $299/mo billed yearly. New stores get a 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for three months on most plans. With Shopify Payments, US online card rates start at 2.9% + 30 cents on Basic; using a third-party gateway adds a 2% fee on Basic.
Shopify handles hosting, security, PCI compliance, checkout and updates, and includes a free myshopify.com address. Thousands of apps and themes extend it for subscriptions, wholesale, print-on-demand and more.
Pros:
- All-in-one hosting, store and checkout
- Large app and theme ecosystem
- Low-cost trial period for new stores
Cons:
- Extra fee if you do not use Shopify Payments
- App subscriptions add up
- No free custom domain included
Read our Shopify review or start a Shopify trial.
2. Bluehost: best WooCommerce hosting for beginners
BlueHost is trusted by millions worldwide to host its small business websites and personal projects. BlueHost definitely focuses on website hosting, offering shared, dedicated, and even VPS hosting.
They have a website builder and simple templates to use to build a new site. They also offer domain registration services. On this front, services are relatively basic but sufficient for most users.
Read our full review here.Best for: small businesses that want a WooCommerce store with guided setup.
Price: Bluehost’s eCommerce Essentials plan costs $14.99/mo on a 36-month term and renews at $21.99/mo. eCommerce Premium costs $21.99/mo and renews at $30.99/mo. Both cover up to 100 storefronts.
eCommerce Essentials includes 100 GB of NVMe storage, about 400,000 monthly visits, a WooCommerce-focused setup, a free first-year domain and SSL, 24/7 chat and phone support, and a 99.99% uptime SLA.
Pros:
- Store plans built around WooCommerce
- Phone support on store plans
- 99.99% uptime SLA
- Generous storage and visits
Cons:
- More expensive than basic shared plans
- Renewal prices rise
- Professional email is extra after a trial
Read our Bluehost review or get Bluehost WooCommerce hosting.
3. Hostinger: cheapest WooCommerce hosting
Hostinger offers feature-rich plans that many small businesses find helpful, provided they understand how to use them. Tutorials and some tech support is provided. It offers scalable virtual servers, WordPress-friendly optimizations, and backups for websites. Hostinger has some of the best web infrastructure too.
Read our full review here.Best for: new WooCommerce stores on a tight budget.
Price: Hostinger’s WooCommerce hosting starts with the Unlimited plan at $3.49/mo on a 48-month term (renews at $16.99/mo) and the Cloud Startup plan at $7.99/mo (renews at $25.99/mo).
Plans include unlimited websites, NVMe storage, a free domain for a year, free SSL, free email for the first year, free migrations and 24/7 support, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Lowest price for a WooCommerce store
- Cloud plan for busier stores
- Free migrations
Cons:
- Best price needs a 48-month term
- Renewals much higher than intro
- You manage WooCommerce updates and plugins
Read our Hostinger review or get Hostinger WooCommerce hosting.
4. SiteGround: best WooCommerce hosting for support
When it comes to different hosting options, SiteGround is an excellent choice for versatility. If you need dedicated servers, WordPress hosting, or cloud hosting, SiteGround might be the platform you are looking for.
Read our full review here.Best for: stores that value daily backups and responsive support.
Price: SiteGround’s WooCommerce hosting uses its StartUp ($2.99/mo, renews $17.99/mo), GrowBig ($4.99/mo, renews $29.99/mo) and GoGeek ($7.99/mo, renews $44.99/mo) plans on 12-month terms.
All plans include daily backups, a CDN, free SSL, email and free migration, with 24/7 chat, tickets and phone. GoGeek adds staging and priority support, which most stores will want.
Pros:
- Daily backups protect order data
- Strong 24/7 support
- Staging on GoGeek
Cons:
- High renewal prices
- StartUp too limited for most stores
Read our SiteGround review or visit SiteGround.
5. Squarespace: best for design-led small shops
Squarespace is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) program that allows people to build and host a website. The company has added e-commerce, domain name tools, and lots of analytics. It also replaced backend coding with simpler drag-and-drop features.
Read our full review here.Best for: creatives and small brands selling a modest catalog alongside content.
Price: Squarespace Core costs $29/mo billed annually with 0% transaction fees on product sales; Basic costs $19/mo with a 2% fee. Squarespace Payments card rates start at 2.9% + 30 cents on Basic and Core and fall to 2.5% + 30 cents on Advanced. Annual plans include a free domain for a year, and there is a 14-day free trial.
Squarespace hosts everything, including SSL, and its templates are among the most polished available.
Pros:
- Beautiful templates
- Hosting and SSL included
- Free first-year domain on annual plans
Cons:
- Smaller app ecosystem than Shopify
- 2% fee on the Basic plan
- Less suited to large catalogs
Read our Squarespace review or try Squarespace.
6. BigCommerce: best for growing catalogs and B2B
While it may not be the biggest name in the industry, BigCommerce has put itself into the limelight by offering several features like search engine optimization (SEO), web hosting, customer groups, and segmentation. It is one of the most versatile platforms for global sales, using multiple currencies, payment, and versatile shipping options.
Read our full review here.Best for: stores with large catalogs, multiple channels or wholesale customers.
Price: BigCommerce Core costs $29/mo billed annually ($39 monthly) for online sales up to $30,000 a year; Growth costs $79/mo annually for up to $100,000. There is a 15-day free trial. There is no BigCommerce fee when you use an embedded payment provider, and card rates start at 2.89% + 29 cents.
BigCommerce builds many catalog features into the core platform, such as product options and multi-channel selling, so you rely less on paid apps.
Pros:
- No transaction fee with embedded payments
- Strong built-in catalog features
- Good for B2B and multi-channel
Cons:
- Annual sales caps force plan upgrades
- Fewer themes than Shopify
Read our BigCommerce review or visit BigCommerce.
7. GoDaddy: best all-in-one WordPress store hosting
GoDaddy offers web hosting, website builders, website security services, marketing tools, and much more. They aim to be a one-stop shop for those trying to start a new website.
GoDaddy offers both budget-friendly options (their website builder is free for some purposes) and high-end solutions.
Read our full review here.Best for: beginners who want domain, email and WooCommerce hosting in one account with phone support.
Price: GoDaddy listed Managed WordPress Basic from $6.99/mo on a 1-year term in October 2026 (regular price $14.99/mo), with higher tiers from $10.99/mo and $14.99/mo.
GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting can run WooCommerce, and its 24/7 phone support helps beginners. Annual plans include a free domain.
Pros:
- Domain, email and hosting together
- 24/7 phone support
- Low first-year price
Cons:
- Fewer store-specific tools than Shopify or BigCommerce
- Renewal prices higher than intro
Read our GoDaddy review or see GoDaddy hosting.
8. HostGator: best for several small stores
HostGator is an extremely popular, low-cost domain registrar and hosting provider. They boast over 2 million customers and offer low-cost hosting as low as $2.75 per month and .com domain registrations as low as $12.95 per year.
Plus, HostGator offers a free domain name for one year when you register for a hosting and/or website builder plan.
Read our full review here.Best for: sellers running a few small WooCommerce stores on one plan.
Price: HostGator’s official price chart lists regular rates of about $10.99/mo (Hatchling), $16.49/mo (Baby) and $21.99/mo (Business) on 36-month terms, with a first-invoice discount for new customers. Business allows 50 websites.
Plans include free SSL, a free first-year domain on 12- to 36-month terms, and 24/7 phone support from Baby up.
Pros:
- Many sites per plan
- Free domain and SSL
- Phone support from Baby up
Cons:
- 99% published uptime guarantee
- Shared resources limit busy stores
Read our HostGator review or see HostGator plans.
9. hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting): best for moving an existing store
There are dozens of web host providers on the market, with many popping up in the last decade or so. Finding the right hosting solution for a website can be a challenge, especially because the industry tends to use a lot of tech jargon. A2 has grown into a great solution for small businesses. With its lightning-fast speeds and minimal downtime, it’s ideal for companies.
Read our full review here.Best for: store owners switching hosts who want help moving sites, email and domains.
Price: hosting.com’s shared plans start at $3.99/mo on a 1-year term; renewal prices are not published on its comparison page.
A2 Hosting rebranded as hosting.com in 2025. Plans include a free domain, free SSL, free migration, 24/7 chat, email and phone support, a 99.9% uptime SLA and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Free migration of store, email and domain
- 24/7 phone support
- 99.9% uptime SLA
Cons:
- Renewal prices not shown upfront
- Higher tiers needed for busy stores
Read our A2 Hosting review or visit hosting.com.
No longer listed: Web.com, which appeared in earlier versions of this guide, was consolidated into Network Solutions in 2025.
What should you look for in an e-commerce hosting provider?
Total cost of selling
Add the plan price, renewal price, platform transaction fees and card processing fees. A cheaper plan with a 2% fee can cost more than a pricier plan with 0% once sales grow.
Security and PCI compliance
You need SSL on every page, regular security updates and PCI-compliant payments. Hosted platforms handle most of this; on WooCommerce, use a reputable payment gateway and keep plugins updated.
Performance and uptime
Look for NVMe storage, caching, a CDN and a published uptime SLA. Downtime during a sale costs revenue directly.
Backups
Daily automatic backups protect orders and customer records. SiteGround includes them on every plan.
Scalability
Check how you will upgrade: more resources on the same host, a cloud plan, or a higher platform tier.
Support
Stores need 24/7 help. Phone support (Bluehost store plans, GoDaddy, SiteGround) is valuable when checkout breaks.
Hosted platform or WooCommerce hosting?
| Hosted platform (Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace) | WooCommerce on web hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Fastest, no server to manage | Install WordPress and WooCommerce (often pre-installed) |
| Monthly cost | About $29 and up | From a few dollars intro, plus paid extensions |
| Transaction fees | Possible, depending on plan and gateway | None from WooCommerce itself |
| Control and portability | Limited to the platform | Full control of code and data |
| Maintenance | Handled by the platform | You (or a managed host) handle updates |
If you are still choosing a store builder rather than hosting, see our guide to the best e-commerce website builders. For general hosting comparisons, see the best web hosting guide, and check that your store name is available as a domain and on social media with Namechk or brainstorm one with the business name generator.
FAQs
Do I need e-commerce hosting for an online store?
You need hosting that can run a store securely, but it does not have to be a special plan. A hosted platform such as Shopify or BigCommerce includes hosting in the subscription. If you use WooCommerce, any reputable WordPress host works for a small store, though store-focused plans like Bluehost eCommerce Essentials add more resources, phone support and a 99.99% uptime SLA.
Where can I host my online store?
You can host an online store on a hosted e-commerce platform (Shopify from $29/mo billed yearly, BigCommerce from $29/mo billed annually, Squarespace Core at $29/mo billed annually) or on web hosting running WooCommerce, such as Hostinger from $3.49/mo, Bluehost from $14.99/mo or SiteGround from $2.99/mo on introductory terms.
How do I host an e-commerce website?
Choose a platform first. For a hosted store, sign up with Shopify, BigCommerce or Squarespace, pick a theme, add products and connect payments. For WooCommerce, buy a hosting plan, install WordPress and WooCommerce, configure payments, shipping and taxes, and enable SSL. Register a matching domain name and test checkout before launch.
Is Shopify or WooCommerce cheaper?
WooCommerce usually has lower fixed costs, since the plugin is free and hosting starts at a few dollars a month, but paid extensions, themes and higher renewal prices add up. Shopify starts at $29/mo billed yearly and includes hosting, security and checkout, but adds a 2% fee on Basic if you use a third-party gateway instead of Shopify Payments.
What is the cheapest way to host an online store?
The cheapest way is WooCommerce on budget hosting such as Hostinger’s Unlimited plan at $3.49/mo on a 48-month term, which renews at $16.99/mo. If you want a hosted option with no monthly fee, Square’s free plan includes a website and online ordering on a square.site address, with online card payments at 3.3% + 30 cents.
Does e-commerce hosting need an SSL certificate?
Yes. An SSL certificate encrypts checkout and login data and is expected by customers, browsers and payment providers. Every host and platform in this guide includes a free SSL certificate. Make sure HTTPS is enforced on every page of your store, not just the checkout, and that your payment gateway is PCI compliant.
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