VPS or shared hosting for PrestaShop? Shared hosting is enough to launch a small shop: it is cheap and needs no technical knowledge. As the shop grows, performance and security start to decide, and this is where your own VPS wins: the resources belong to your shop alone, the configuration is tuned for PrestaShop, and security — firewall, fail2ban, Cloudflare — is set up without the limits of a shared host. There is one condition: the server needs an administrator who keeps it updated, makes backups and responds to incidents. Below we compare both options and explain when it is time to move to your own server.
- Shared hosting vs your own server
- PrestaShop performance on your own server
- Security: isolation and full control
- An administrator who takes care of everything
- When is shared hosting enough?
- How much does a managed server cost?
- How to move your shop to your own server
- Sources
- Frequently asked questions
Shared hosting vs your own server
On shared hosting, your shop runs on one server together with dozens or hundreds of other websites. You share the CPU, memory, disk and IP address, and the hosting company sets one configuration for all its customers. With your own VPS, you get a dedicated virtual machine: a set number of CPUs, memory and disk that nobody else uses, and full control over the software.
| Shared hosting | Your own server with an administrator | |
|---|---|---|
| Resources | shared with other customers | for your shop only |
| Configuration | one for everyone, set by the host | tuned for PrestaShop and your traffic |
| PHP version and limits | from the host's list, with its limits | any supported version, limits as needed |
| Security | the same for the whole server | firewall, fail2ban and Cloudflare set up for your shop |
| Cron jobs, SSH access | often restricted | no restrictions, separate accounts for developers |
| Backups | depend on the plan | daily, restored on request |
| Who responds to a problem | the host's support team, usually for server issues only | an administrator who knows your shop |
| Price | low | higher, but includes the administrator's work |
It is worth separating two things: a bare VPS and a managed VPS. An unmanaged server can be less secure than shared hosting, because nobody updates it. The real advantage comes from a server someone looks after every day.
PrestaShop performance on your own server
PrestaShop is a large application: every category page with filters, every search and every add-to-cart means PHP work and dozens of database queries. That is why a shop feels a lack of resources sooner than a simple website.
- No "neighbours". On shared hosting, when another site on the same server gets a traffic spike or comes under attack, your shop slows down too. On your own server, CPU and memory are reserved for you.
- A configuration built for PrestaShop. The PrestaShop 9 documentation recommends a PHP memory limit of at least 512 MB per script. On your own server you set it without asking the host, along with OPcache, the number of PHP-FPM workers and MySQL buffers sized for your catalogue.
- A fast server response. Google considers a time to first byte (TTFB) of 0.8 seconds or less to be good. That time depends entirely on the server — no theme optimisation can shorten it if the server is overloaded.
- Better results in Google. Core Web Vitals (including an LCP under 2.5 s) are among the signals Google's ranking systems take into account. A slow server hurts them from the very first byte.
- Scaling without moving. When your shop grows or Black Friday approaches, the server can be moved to a more powerful configuration instead of changing host.
We cover what else speeds up a shop on the PrestaShop side in How to speed up PrestaShop.
Security: isolation and full control
On shared hosting, your shop's security also depends on other customers and on how well the host isolates accounts. You cannot change the firewall, add your own blocking rules or pick a PHP version that is not on the list. On your own server, you are in full control:
- A firewall with only the necessary ports open, and a database that cannot be reached from the internet.
- fail2ban, which automatically bans addresses that guess passwords and scanners looking for holes.
- Cloudflare in front of the server: DDoS protection, a WAF and bot filtering, with the server address hidden.
- SSH login with keys only, separate accounts for developers, a protected back office.
- Isolated projects: the shop, its test copy and other websites in separate environments, so a problem in one does not affect the others.
- Up-to-date software: PHP 8.1 has had no security fixes since the end of 2025. On your own server, you do not wait for the host to offer a newer version.
We describe each of these layers step by step in How to secure a PrestaShop server: fail2ban, Cloudflare and DDoS.
An administrator who takes care of everything
The biggest difference between shared hosting and a managed server is not the hardware, it is the person. On shared hosting, support is responsible for the server, not for your shop. The administrator of your own server knows your configuration, modules and traffic, so they take care of everything that happens under the hood:
- Updates to the system, PHP, the database and the web server — regularly, with a check of the shop after every change.
- Monitoring of availability, resources and SSL certificates, and a response to outages, attacks and unusual server behaviour.
- Backups made every day and restored whenever they are needed.
- Performance tuning: analysis of slow queries and scripts, PHP and MySQL tuned to your traffic.
- Shop email: SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, so order emails do not end up in spam.
- Support for your team: SSH and SFTP access for developers, a Git repository with automatic deployment, a test environment.
You run the shop, the administrator runs the server. You do not need to know what PHP-FPM is or how to configure fail2ban. When something stops working, you do not search forums for help — you write to someone who knows your server.
When is shared hosting enough?
Shared hosting makes sense when a shop is just starting, has a few dozen products, little traffic and few modules. It is worth moving to your own server when you notice even one of these signs:
- The back office and the shop are slow, especially at peak times.
- Product imports, feed generation or indexing stop because of time or memory limits.
- Your host warns about CPU limits, or the shop returns 500 and 503 errors when traffic rises.
- You are planning a campaign, a sale or Black Friday and are not sure the shop can take the traffic.
- You need a PHP version, cron jobs or SSH access that your host does not offer.
- Your shop has been attacked, or you want full control over its security.
- You run several shops or a test environment and want them in one well-organised place.
How much does a managed server cost?
Shared hosting is cheaper, and that is its biggest advantage. When you compare prices, though, compare the whole package: a managed server includes not only the machine but also the administrator's work, which you do not get with shared hosting. Every hour your shop is down means lost orders, and every hour you spend on technical problems is time taken away from selling.
With our PrestaShop server and administration service, you pay 119 € net per month. That covers your own VPS (4 vCPU, 12 GB RAM, 100 GB disk), migration of your shop, security with Cloudflare, monitoring, daily backups, updates and a response to incidents within 4 hours on business days. The first order covers at least 3 months, and customers of the service get 50% off development work.
How to move your shop to your own server
Moving a shop does not have to mean downtime. This is how migration works in our service:
- Planning: the server location, the migration date and the access we need.
- Server setup for PrestaShop: PHP, database, security, Cloudflare.
- A copy of your shop on the new server: files, database, SSL certificate.
- Checking: you test the shop at a technical address before customers see it.
- Switching the domain after your approval, with minimal downtime.
If your shop runs an old version of PrestaShop, a move is a good moment to upgrade — see How to upgrade PrestaShop without losing data.
Sources
- PrestaShop: System requirements for PrestaShop 9 — PHP, database, 512 MB memory limit.
- PrestaShop: Optimize your PrestaShop (developer documentation).
- web.dev: Time to First Byte (TTFB) — 0.8 s or less is good.
- Google Search Central: Understanding Core Web Vitals and Google search results.
- PHP: Supported versions.
- Cloudflare: About DDoS protection.
Frequently asked questions
Is a VPS the same as a dedicated server?
No. A dedicated server is a whole physical machine, while a VPS is a separate virtual machine with a guaranteed number of CPUs, memory and disk. For most PrestaShop shops a VPS is more than enough, and it is easier to scale up as the shop grows.
Will moving my shop cause downtime?
Only a minimal one. Your shop keeps running on the old host until you have checked the copy on the new server. We switch the domain only after your approval, and traffic moves to the new server within minutes to a few hours, depending on your DNS settings.
Will my own server improve my Google rankings?
A server cannot replace good content, but a faster shop has better Core Web Vitals, which Google takes into account. A fast server response also shortens loading times, which helps conversions.
Do I need technical knowledge to have my own server?
Not if the server has an administrator. They configure, secure and update it, and you use your shop just as before. Technical knowledge is only needed if you choose a bare VPS without management.
What if my shop grows?
We move the server to a more powerful configuration as part of the service, and you only pay the difference in server cost. You do not need to change host or move the shop yourself.
Not sure whether your shop needs its own server yet? Contact us — we will look at how your current hosting performs and recommend the best option.
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