{"id":5423,"date":"2025-07-21T15:16:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T19:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/?p=5423"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:51:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T12:51:49","slug":"the-best-self-hosted-e-commerce-platforms-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/the-best-self-hosted-e-commerce-platforms-of-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Hosted E-Commerce Platforms: How to Choose and Host Your Store (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"uh-blog-hero\" style=\"margin:0 0 40px;text-align:center;padding:48px 24px;border-radius:20px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0D1F3C 0%,#125A8A 58%,#176EA5 100%);color:#ffffff;box-shadow:0 20px 40px -15px rgba(13,31,60,0.28);position:relative;overflow:hidden;\">\n<div style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;padding:7px 14px;margin-bottom:16px;border:1px solid rgba(0,212,255,0.32);border-radius:999px;color:#DFF8FF;font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;background:rgba(0,212,255,0.10);\"><i class=\"fas fa-server\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Hosting Services<\/div>\n<h1 style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:clamp(32px,5vw,46px);line-height:1.12;margin:0 0 14px;font-weight:800;\">Self-Hosted E-Commerce Platforms: How to Choose and Host Your Store (2026)<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size:18px;color:#EAF6FF;max-width:800px;margin:0 auto;line-height:1.7;\">From headless giants like Medusa.js to privacy-focused solutions like Bagisto, we break down the top self-hosted e-commerce platforms engineered to thrive on UnderHost\u2019s offshore VPS and dedicated servers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-blog-excerpt\" style=\"border-left:4px solid #00D4FF;padding:18px 20px;margin:0 0 34px;background:#F8FAFC;color:#1F2937;border-radius:0 14px 14px 0;box-shadow:0 8px 28px rgba(13,31,60,0.08);line-height:1.75;\"><strong style=\"color:#0D1F3C;\">Short answer:<\/strong> A self-hosted store runs open-source shop software on a server you control, so you choose the features, keep your data, and pay no platform fee on each sale. For most small and medium stores, <strong>WooCommerce<\/strong>, <strong>PrestaShop<\/strong> or <strong>OpenCart<\/strong> on cPanel hosting is the simplest start. Large catalogs are better served by <strong>Magento Open Source<\/strong> on a Cloud VPS or dedicated server. Developer teams that want a custom storefront can use headless engines such as <strong>Medusa<\/strong>, <strong>Saleor<\/strong> or <strong>Sylius<\/strong>.<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Table of contents\" class=\"uh-toc\" style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:16px;padding:20px 22px;margin:0 0 34px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(13,31,60,0.08);\">\n<div style=\"font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#176EA5;margin-bottom:10px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-list\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> In this guide<\/div>\n<ol style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;columns:2 260px;column-gap:28px;line-height:1.9;\">\n<li><a href=\"#what-self-hosted-e-commerce-means\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">What self-hosted e-commerce means<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#the-main-self-hosted-platforms\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">The main self-hosted platforms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#compare-the-platforms\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Compare the platforms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-choose\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">How to choose<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#hosting-requirements\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Hosting requirements<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#security-and-payments\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Security and payments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#launch-checklist\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Launch checklist<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"uh-post-content\" style=\"color:#1F2937;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75;\">\n<h2 id=\"what-self-hosted-e-commerce-means\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-info-circle\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> What self-hosted e-commerce means<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">With a hosted store builder, the software, the server and the rules all belong to the platform. With a self-hosted store, you install the shop software yourself, or with a one-click installer, on your own hosting account or server. That brings real advantages, and some extra work:<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;margin:26px 0;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:14px;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;background:#ffffff;color:#1F2937;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;margin:0;min-width:600px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#fff;\">\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Self-hosted store<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Hosted store builder<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Software cost<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Free open-source core; you pay for hosting, themes and extensions you choose<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Monthly plan, often with fees on each sale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Control<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Full access to the code, the database and the server settings<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Limited to what the platform allows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Your data<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Stored on your server, and easy to export or move<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Stored by the platform, with its own export limits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Updates and security<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Your job, or your host&#8217;s if you choose managed hosting<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Handled by the platform<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"the-main-self-hosted-platforms\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> The main self-hosted platforms<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:21px;line-height:1.3;margin:26px 0 10px;\">WooCommerce<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store. It suits stores that also publish content, because the blog, pages and shop share one site. There are thousands of themes and extensions for payments, shipping and subscriptions. It runs well on cPanel hosting for small stores, and on a Cloud VPS once traffic grows. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-optimize-woocommerce-for-high-performance-on-a-vps\/\">optimising WooCommerce on a VPS<\/a> covers the tuning steps.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:21px;line-height:1.3;margin:26px 0 10px;\">PrestaShop<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">PrestaShop is a free PHP shop with a strong back office for orders, stock, customers and multiple languages. It is popular in Europe and suits stores that want a dedicated shop system rather than a website with a shop added. It runs on cPanel hosting, and Softaculous can install it in a few clicks.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:21px;line-height:1.3;margin:26px 0 10px;\">OpenCart<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">OpenCart is a lightweight PHP shop that is easy to install and simple to run. It is a good choice for a small catalog with standard checkout needs. Check that the extensions you need support the OpenCart version you install, because extensions are often tied to one major version.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:21px;line-height:1.3;margin:26px 0 10px;\">Magento Open Source<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Magento Open Source, the free edition of Adobe Commerce, is built for large catalogs, several store views, complex pricing and B2B features. It needs more server resources and more technical skill than the shops above. A production store usually uses OpenSearch for catalog search, Redis or Valkey for cache and sessions, and Varnish for full-page caching. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/configuring-magento-for-high-traffic-websites-best-practices\/\">Magento high-traffic guide<\/a> before you launch.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:21px;line-height:1.3;margin:26px 0 10px;\">Headless engines: Medusa, Saleor and Sylius<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">A headless engine runs the shop logic as an API, and your developers build the storefront separately, for example with React or Next.js. This gives full design freedom and fast storefronts, but it needs a development team.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Medusa<\/strong> is built on Node.js with PostgreSQL. It suits JavaScript teams and custom checkout flows.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Saleor<\/strong> is built on Python and Django with a GraphQL API. It suits teams that work in Python, and stores with several channels, currencies or warehouses.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Sylius<\/strong> is built on PHP and Symfony. It suits PHP teams that want a structured, well-tested code base they can extend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\"><strong>Bagisto<\/strong>, built on Laravel and Vue, sits between the two groups: it ships with a storefront, and Laravel developers can extend it easily.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"compare-the-platforms\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Compare the platforms<\/h2>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;margin:26px 0;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:14px;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;background:#ffffff;color:#1F2937;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;margin:0;min-width:600px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#fff;\">\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Platform<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Language<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Best for<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Skill needed<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Where to host it on UnderHost<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">WooCommerce<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PHP (WordPress)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Small to medium stores with content<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Low<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Web hosting or managed WordPress; Cloud VPS as it grows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PrestaShop<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PHP<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Dedicated shops, multi-language<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Low to medium<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Web hosting; Cloud VPS for busy stores<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">OpenCart<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PHP<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Small catalogs<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Low<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Web hosting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Magento Open Source<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PHP<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Large catalogs, B2B<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">High<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS or dedicated server<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Bagisto<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PHP (Laravel)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Laravel teams<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Medium<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Sylius<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">PHP (Symfony)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Custom PHP projects<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">High<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Medusa<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Node.js<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Headless, JavaScript teams<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">High<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Saleor<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Python<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Headless, multi-channel<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">High<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS or dedicated server<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-choose\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-terminal\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> How to choose<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"list-style:none;padding-left:0;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 <strong>Your team&#8217;s skills.<\/strong> Without a developer, pick WooCommerce, PrestaShop or OpenCart. Headless engines need developers for every change to the storefront.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 <strong>Catalog size and complexity.<\/strong> A few hundred products with simple options suit any platform. Tens of thousands of products, many variants or B2B price lists point to Magento or a headless engine.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 <strong>Payment and shipping options.<\/strong> Check that your payment provider and couriers have a maintained extension for the platform and version you choose.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 <strong>Languages and currencies.<\/strong> If you sell in several countries, compare how each platform handles translations, taxes and currencies.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 <strong>Total cost.<\/strong> Add hosting, paid extensions, theme licences, and developer time. A free platform with expensive custom work can cost more than a simpler one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"hosting-requirements\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-clipboard-check\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Hosting requirements<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Every platform lists its own server requirements, and they change with each major release. Check the current list before you install. As a general guide:<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;margin:26px 0;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:14px;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;background:#ffffff;color:#1F2937;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;margin:0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#0D1F3C;color:#fff;\">\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Store size<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:14px;text-align:left;\">Suggested starting point<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">New or small store on WooCommerce, PrestaShop or OpenCart<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">cPanel web hosting with SSL, a current PHP 8 release, and daily backups<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Growing store with steady traffic<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS with 2 to 4 CPU cores and 4 to 8 GB RAM, with Redis object caching<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Magento or a headless engine in production<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Cloud VPS with 4 or more cores and 8 GB RAM or more, or a dedicated server<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Large catalog or heavy sales events<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:14px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;vertical-align:top;\">Dedicated server, with a separate database server if needed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Whatever the size, keep the database on fast NVMe storage, run the current PHP or Node.js release your platform supports, and use caching. Our guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-use-redis-manager-in-cpanel-to-boost-website-speed\/\">Redis in cPanel<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/scaling-your-website-with-cloud-vps-hosting\/\">scaling with a Cloud VPS<\/a> explain the steps.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"security-and-payments\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Security and payments<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">A self-hosted store is your responsibility to keep secure. These habits cover most of the risk:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Use your payment provider&#8217;s hosted payment page or payment fields,<\/strong> so card numbers never touch your server. This also keeps your PCI DSS work much smaller.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Install updates<\/strong> for the platform, themes and extensions as soon as security releases come out.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Use HTTPS everywhere.<\/strong> Free certificates are included with our hosting. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/free-ssl-install-lets-encrypt-cpanel-centos-servers\/\">free SSL guide<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Protect the admin area<\/strong> with strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and limit admin logins.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><strong>Keep off-site backups<\/strong> of the files and the database, and test a restore. See <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/the-importance-of-regular-backups-for-your-website\/\">why regular backups matter<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"launch-checklist\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-clipboard-check\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Launch checklist<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"list-style:none;padding-left:0;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Choose the platform and the hosting plan that fit your catalog and team.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Install the platform, with a one-click installer or by following its install guide.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Set up SSL, payments, shipping, taxes and email delivery, then place test orders.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Turn on caching and check page speed on mobile.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Set up daily off-site backups and update alerts before you go live.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">For conversion tips once the store is live, see our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/playbook-for-5-ecommerce-conversions-woocommerce-magento-opencart\/\">e-commerce conversion playbook<\/a> and our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/magento-hosting-the-key-to-a-fast-secure-and-high-converting-online-store\/\">Magento hosting guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"uh-section-divider\" style=\"width:min(100% - 32px, 1080px);margin:44px auto;display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 32px 1fr;align-items:center;gap:18px;pointer-events:none;\"><span style=\"height:1px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,transparent,rgba(0,212,255,0.40),rgba(23,110,165,0.24),transparent);\"><\/span><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.underhost.com\/android-chrome-192x192.webp\" style=\"width:32px;height:32px;display:block;border-radius:8px;filter:drop-shadow(0 0 14px rgba(0,212,255,0.30));\" width=\"32\"\/><span style=\"height:1px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,transparent,rgba(23,110,165,0.24),rgba(0,212,255,0.40),transparent);\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-blog-cta\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0D1F3C 0%,#125A8A 58%,#176EA5 100%);color:#ffffff;padding:36px 24px;border-radius:20px;text-align:center;margin:44px 0;box-shadow:0 20px 40px -15px rgba(13,31,60,0.32);\">\n<h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;color:#ffffff;\">Need help with this?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;margin:0 auto 22px;color:#EAF6FF;max-width:720px;line-height:1.7;\">Ready to launch your store? Start on our cPanel web hosting, or choose a Cloud VPS for Magento and headless platforms.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/cloud-vps.php\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg,#00D4FF,#0077FF);color:#ffffff;padding:13px 28px;border-radius:10px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:800;display:inline-block;margin:8px;\">See Cloud VPS plans<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/customerpanel.ca\/client\/\" style=\"background:transparent;color:#ffffff;padding:12px 28px;border-radius:10px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:800;display:inline-block;margin:8px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.32);\">Contact @CustomerPanel<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-faq-section\" id=\"faq\" style=\"margin:34px 0;scroll-margin-top:90px;\">\n<h2 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:0 0 18px;border-bottom:2px solid rgba(0,212,255,0.22);padding-bottom:10px;\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">What is the easiest self-hosted e-commerce platform?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">For most people, WooCommerce, PrestaShop or OpenCart. They install in a few clicks on cPanel hosting and can be managed without a developer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Is self-hosted e-commerce cheaper than a hosted store builder?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Often, because there are no platform fees on each sale. Add up hosting, paid extensions and developer time to compare the real cost for your store.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Can I run WooCommerce on shared hosting?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Yes, for a small or new store. Move to a Cloud VPS when traffic, the number of products, or slow checkout pages show that the store needs more resources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">What server does Magento need?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Plan for a Cloud VPS or dedicated server with enough memory for PHP, the database, OpenSearch and Redis. Check the current Magento system requirements for the version you install.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">What is headless commerce?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">A setup where the shop engine runs as an API and the storefront is built separately. It gives full design freedom, but needs a development team to build and maintain the storefront.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- uh-related-start --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#F4F8FC;border:1px solid #DCE7F3;border-radius:14px;padding:18px 22px;margin:32px 0 8px;\">\n<h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:22px;\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/e-commerce-platforms-find-your-perfect-match-in-2025\/\">E-Commerce Platforms: Find Your Perfect Match in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/the-best-cms-platforms-for-websites-in-2023\/\">The Best CMS Platforms for Websites in 2023<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/playbook-for-5-ecommerce-conversions-woocommerce-magento-opencart\/\">Playbook for 5%+ eCommerce Conversions (WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/configuring-magento-for-high-traffic-websites-best-practices\/\">Configuring Magento for High-Traffic Websites: Best Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/magento-hosting-the-key-to-a-fast-secure-and-high-converting-online-store\/\">Magento Hosting: The Key to a Fast, Secure, and High-Converting Online Store<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- uh-related-end --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What is the easiest self-hosted e-commerce platform?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"For most people, WooCommerce, PrestaShop or OpenCart. They install in a few clicks on cPanel hosting and can be managed without a developer.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is self-hosted e-commerce cheaper than a hosted store builder?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Often, because there are no platform fees on each sale. Add up hosting, paid extensions and developer time to compare the real cost for your store.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can I run WooCommerce on shared hosting?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes, for a small or new store. Move to a Cloud VPS when traffic, the number of products, or slow checkout pages show that the store needs more resources.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What server does Magento need?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Plan for a Cloud VPS or dedicated server with enough memory for PHP, the database, OpenSearch and Redis. Check the current Magento system requirements for the version you install.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What is headless commerce?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"A setup where the shop engine runs as an API and the storefront is built separately. It gives full design freedom, but needs a development team to build and maintain the storefront.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sources\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-book\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Sources<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 24px;padding-left:22px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/woocommerce.com\/document\/server-requirements\/\">WooCommerce server recommendations<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/experienceleague.adobe.com\/en\/docs\/commerce-operations\/installation-guide\/system-requirements\">Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source system requirements<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devdocs.prestashop-project.org\/\">PrestaShop documentation<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcisecuritystandards.org\/\">PCI Security Standards Council<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From headless giants like Medusa.js to privacy-focused solutions like Bagisto, we break down the top self-hosted e-commerce platforms engineered to thrive on UnderHost\u2019s offshore VPS and dedicated servers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[206,204],"tags":[120,108,119,130,185,117],"class_list":["post-5423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hosting-services","category-software-cms","tag-tag-cloud-vps","tag-tag-cpanel","tag-tag-dedicated-servers","tag-tag-magento","tag-php","tag-tag-woocommerce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5423"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6904,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5423\/revisions\/6904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}