No single plan fits every online store. The right choice depends on who will run the infrastructure, how much traffic and data the store handles, and what you will pay after the introductory discount ends. A hosted platform bundles hosting with the store software. A self-hosted store, such as WooCommerce on WordPress, needs a plan sized to its workload. In both cases, hosting alone does not make a store PCI DSS compliant.
Step 1: Decide who runs the infrastructure
This choice narrows everything else, so make it first.
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- Hosted ecommerce platform: hosting and store functionality come as one product. This suits merchants who want to cut server administration, because updates and server upkeep are not your job. (Shopify’s 2026 hosting comparison frames the choice this way.)
- Self-hosted store (for example WooCommerce): you get more control over code, plugins and environment. You also have to pick a host and manage it, or pay for support that does.
If you have no one on your team who can handle updates, backups, and troubleshooting, weigh that cost honestly against a hosted platform or a managed WooCommerce host.
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The WooCommerce Scaling FAQs advise matching hosting to expected traffic and asking prospective hosts which package fits your site. They do not give a universal cutoff, and neither does any source we reviewed. Treat claims like “up to 10,000 visits needs plan X” as marketing, not a rule.
Build your own estimate from these inputs:
- Expected traffic, including busy periods such as sales, launches, and holidays.
- Size of the product catalog and media library, which drives storage and database load.
- Bandwidth, especially with many large product images or video.
- Application workload: plugins, search, and checkout all add server work.
Give a host these figures and ask in writing which plan covers them and what happens if you exceed the limits.
Step 3: Understand the hosting tiers
These are general categories. Real limits differ by provider, so compare actual plan terms.
| Tier | What it is | Trade-off | Shopify’s broad monthly estimate (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress hosting | Plans tailored to WordPress sites | Check that WooCommerce workloads are actually supported | $3–$10 |
| Shared | Your site shares a server with others | Low cost, but other sites on the server can affect your speed | $5–$20 |
| VPS | A more isolated portion of a server | More control and isolation; often more technical to run | $20–$90 |
| Cloud | Resources spread across infrastructure | Suits higher or variable demand; costs and technical needs vary widely | $50–$2,000 or more |
| Dedicated | A whole server for your store | Maximum control; needs the most budget and expertise | $70–$1,000 |
These ranges come from Shopify’s “Web Hosting Cost in 2026” guide. They are broad estimates, not a market survey or a quote from any provider, so check current prices and billing terms directly. Shopify sells a competing hosted platform, which is worth remembering when reading its comparisons.
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Step 4: Compare the whole bill and the service
An introductory rate is not the full cost. Before buying, check:
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- Renewal price after the promotion, and the billing term needed to get the advertised rate.
- Resource limits: storage, bandwidth, and compute.
- Backups and restore: how often, how long they are kept, and how you restore.
- Staging for testing changes before they reach customers.
- CDN availability for faster image delivery.
- Security and malware handling, and whether cleanup is included.
- Support channels and response expectations. As Dave Smyth, co-founder of Scruples, told Shopify: “Many hosts offer 24/7 customer support, but the level of support can vary greatly.”
- Migration help and the upgrade path to a bigger plan.
Step 5: Plan for checkout security
WooCommerce’s PCI DSS documentation (updated June 6, 2025) says compliance is ultimately the store owner’s responsibility. The core WooCommerce plugin does not process card data, but accepting card payments brings a store within PCI DSS scope. The requirements can touch the hosting environment, plugins, access policies, updates, and scans.
In practice:
- Use a PCI-compliant payment gateway.
- Choose a host that lets you secure the environment, and keep software and plugins updated.
- Restrict access with sensible account policies.
- Confirm any assessment requirements with your payment provider or a qualified adviser.
This is WooCommerce’s guidance, not a regulator’s statement, so verify your obligations with your processor.
HTTPS must cover the whole storefront
Encrypted connections (TLS) are a baseline. Shopify’s Help Center notes that images, videos, and webfonts hosted elsewhere should also load over HTTPS, otherwise pages using them are considered insecure. It also says a certificate can take up to 48 hours to be issued after you connect a third-party domain, so a missing padlock right after setup does not prove the plan lacks TLS.
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- Want the least server work: a hosted ecommerce platform, or a managed WooCommerce host if you prefer WooCommerce.
- Testing an idea on a small catalog, on a tight budget: a shared or WordPress plan can work, provided you accept possible slowdowns and check the renewal price.
- Growing, with heavier plugins or traffic spikes: a VPS or managed plan with staging, backups, and a clear upgrade path.
- High or highly variable demand: cloud or dedicated, with someone able to manage it.
Start with the smallest plan whose written limits cover your estimate, as long as upgrading is easy and cheap. Re-check after your first busy season.
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