OpenCart is a special type of online store system created by Christopher G. Mann. It was made to be free and open for anyone to use. As more and more people started using OpenCart, companies noticed that they needed special hosting services just for OpenCart.
OpenCart hosting means web hosting services specially designed and set up to work well with the OpenCart online store platform. It helps them work better and keeps them safe from hackers. It also makes it easier to change and update the store.
Top 9 OpenCart Hosting 2023
- HostArmada – Best Overall OpenCart Hosting
- A2 Hosting – Best Optimized OpenCart Hosting
- IONOS – Top Cloud OpenCart Hosting
- ChemiCloud – Best Optimized OpenCart Hosting
- InterServer – The Most Compatible OpenCart Hosting
- FastComet – Best Managed OpenCart Hosting
- Hostinger – Top Beginner-Friendly OpenCart Hosting
- HostGator – Best Shared OpenCart Hosting
- Bluehost – Best Scalable OpenCart Hosting
The Best OpenCart Hosting 2023 (Bought and Tested)
HostArmada is the overall top OpenCart hosting provider, providing solutions for hosting many online businesses, including OpenCart websites. Its hosting plans include features such as one-click installation of popular e-commerce software, compatibility with different payment gateways, and integration with popular e-commerce plugins and extensions.
- Overall Score: 5
- Pricing: 5
- Features: 5
- Performance: 5
- Support: 5
- User-friendly: 5
Pricing – 5: HostArmada OpenCart hosting plans start at $2.99/month for 1 website, 15 GB SSD storage, 2 Cores CPU, 2 GB RAM, free domain, free SSL, and 7 daily backups. Major credit cards and Paypal are accepted for payment on HostArmada.
Features – 5: HostArmada provides excellent web hosting services specifically designed for online shops. It prioritizes the security of e-commerce stores by offering free SSL certificates, protection against online attacks, regular backups, and malware detection.
Performance – 5: HostArmada utilizes fast server infrastructure with SSD storage, resulting in quicker website loading times. The company employs tools such as LiteSpeed web server to enhance website performance. These tools facilitate faster retrieval of frequently needed information, improving website functionality and speed.
Support – 5: HostArmada offers 24-hour customer support, including on weekends and holidays, to ensure customers get quick support when needed. HostArmada also offers helpful resources on its website, including articles, tutorials, and FAQs, to help customers solve common problems hosting their online stores.
User-friendly – 5: HostArmada offers a user-friendly control panel with intuitive tools for managing hosting, domains, databases, and e-commerce websites. It also offers one-click installers for popular platforms like OpenCart, WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop, simplifying the setup process.
Additional Parameters – Server Uptime and Stability: HostArmada ensures servers are stable, ensuring uninterrupted online store access and preventing financial loss.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- E-commerce-friendly features
- Scalability
- Security measures
- User-friendly control panel
- 24/7 customer support
Cons:
- Pricey hosting plans
A2 Hosting is recognized for putting performance first, and its OpenCart hosting services are designed to provide the best speed for your online store. A2 Hosting understands what an OpenCart store requires to function properly, including support for 20+ payment gateways, access to website plugins customization, product reviews and ratings, built-in SEO, unlimited products and categories, and a blazing fast high speed package tailored to your needs.
- Overall Scores: 4
- Pricing: 4
- Features: 4
- Performance: 5
- Support: 5
- User-friendly: 4
Pricing – 4: A2 OpenCart hosting pricing starts from $2.99/month annually for 1 website, 100 GB SSD storage, and free site migration to $14.99/month annually for unlimited websites, unlimited NVMe SSD storage, free site migration, 5x resources, and free automatic backup. Major credit cards, PayPal, and Skrill are accepted modes of payment on A2 Hosting.
Features – 4: A2 Hosting comes with superior features that make its OpenCart hosting solution one of the best around. This includes 40% faster CPU performance which can handle 9X more traffic and 3X faster read/write speeds, 99.9% uptime commitment, free account migration, DDoS protection, free SSL certificate, free website builder, free cloud backup, unlimited email accounts, and unlimited database.
Performance – 5: A2 Hosting offers fast OpenCart store loading times, 99.9% uptime, user-friendly control panel, and one-click installation options. It provides security measures like SSL certificates, server-level protection, and regular backups to protect your website and customer data.
Support – 5: A2 Hosting provides round-the-clock customer support, using multiple channels like live chat, ticketing system, and phone. It maintains a comprehensive knowledge base on OpenCart hosting topics, assisting with configuration, troubleshooting, and optimizing performance. Its support team is knowledgeable about OpenCart and can assist with OpenCart-specific queries or issues.
User-friendly – 4: A2 Hosting offers a user-friendly control panel for managing OpenCart, with one-click installation options and website builder tools. It also offers developer-friendly features like multiple PHP versions, SSH access, and Git integration for hands-on control.
Additional Parameters – Content Delivery Network (CDN) Integration: A2 Hosting integrates with CDNs like Cloudflare to improve OpenCart store performance by distributing static content globally.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Performance optimization
- Security measures
- Scalability
- Developer-friendly environment
- Prompt customer support
Cons:
- Pricey plan renewal
- Limited OpenCart-specific features
IONOS, formerly known as 1&1 IONOS, is a popular hosting provider that offers a range of hosting services, including OpenCart hosting. Its cloud hosting services provide a flexible and scalable infrastructure that support OpenCart installations effectively.
- Overall Score: 4
- Pricing: 4
- Features: 5
- Performance: 4
- Support: 4
- User-friendly: 5
Pricing – 4: IONOS OpenCart hosting price starts from $4/month with 1 vCore CPU, 512 MB RAM, 30 GB SSD to $320/month with 24 vCores CPU, 48 GB RAM, and 480 GB SSD. Methods of payment on IONOS are credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal.
Features – 5: IONOS provides cloud hosting environments for OpenCart, using SSDs and caching technologies for enhanced performance. It offers scalable plans for growth, ensuring smooth performance and security measures like SSL certificates, firewalls, DDoS protection, and regular backups.
Performance – 4: IONOS uses modern server hardware and network technologies, including SSD storage for faster data retrieval and improved website loading times. It operates multiple data centers strategically, reducing latency and enhancing performance by optimizing static content delivery and server load.
Support – 4: IONOS offers multiple support channels, including phone, live chat, and email, to accommodate different communication methods. Community forums and online user communities offer additional support and insights.
User-friendly – 5: IONOS provides a user-friendly control panel for managing OpenCart hosting, offering intuitive interfaces and features for website, databases, and email accounts. It offers a one-click installation option, making setup simple.
Additional Parameters – Performance Optimization Tools: IONOS offers performance optimization tools like HTTP/2 and GZIP compression for improved OpenCart store performance.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Performance and reliability
- One-click OpenCart installation
- Performance optimization
- Scalable resources
- Security measures
- Developer-friendly environment
Cons:
- No OpenCart expertise
- Pricey renewal plans
ChemiCloud offers different hosting plans that support OpenCart integration via Softaculous application installation. It gives hosting solutions specifically designed to meet online store’s requirements, providing optimized hosting environments and customizable features.
- Overall Score: 4
- Pricing: 4
- Features: 4
- Performance: 4
- Support: 4
- User-friendly: 4
Pricing – 4: ChemiCloud web hosting plans are billed monthly, annually, biennially, and triennially. Its monthly price costs $13.95/month for 1 website, 20 GB NVMe storage, unlimited bandwidth, free website migration, 10 days backups, and free SSL certificate. Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and PayPal are accepted for payment on ChemiCloud.
Features – 4: ChemiCloud provides features like one-click installation, integration with multiple payment gateways, and SSL certificates for secure transactions. Its high-performance infrastructure, SSD storage, and LiteSpeed web server ensure fast loading times and optimal performance. ChemiCloud also implements robust security measures, using DDoS protection for proactive server monitoring and regular backups.
Performance – 4: ChemiCloud offers a 99.99% uptime SLA for e-commerce stores, ensuring customer accessibility and minimizing revenue loss. It uses advanced infrastructure, including enterprise-grade servers and SSDs, for fast and reliable performance. LiteSpeed web server handles high-traffic volumes while caching mechanisms optimize static content delivery and reduce server load, improving site performance.
Support – 4: ChemiCloud offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, ticket system, and email for technical issues and e-commerce hosting questions.
User-friendly – 4: ChemiCloud simplifies e-commerce hosting setup with a user-friendly control panel like cPanel. It offers one-click installations for popular platforms like WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop, simplifying the online store setup process.
Additional Parameters – Server Monitoring: ChemiCloud uses proactive server monitoring to promptly identify and address performance issues, ensuring optimal server performance and addressing potential bottlenecks.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- One-click e-commerce platform installation
- Server monitoring
- Caching mechanisms
- LiteSpeed web server
Cons:
- Limited data centers
- Customization limitations
- Additional fees for add-ons
InterServer provides a compatibility and easy-to-integrate solution for hosting e-commerce websites, including OpenCart hosting, with popular e-commerce hosting platforms such as Woo-commerce and Magento. Because of this compatibility, OpenCart-based websites can be deployed and function properly on its servers.
- Overall Score: 4
- Pricing: 3
- Features: 4
- Performance: 4
- Support: 3
- User-friendly: 4
Pricing – 3: InterServer OpenCart hosting lowest price costs $2.50/month with unlimited ULTRA SSD Storage, 450+ cloud apps, SitePad website builder, unlimited email accounts, global content caching, and 30 days money back guarantee. Major credit cards and PayPal are accepted for payment on InterServer.
Features – 4: InterServer’s hosting services optimize website performance with SSD storage, SSL certificates, and security measures for seamless OpenCart e-commerce website operation.
Performance – 4: InterServer’s cutting-edge framework, counting high-performance servers, organizing framework, and information centers guarantee steady and dependable facilitating execution. It centers on conveying quick stacking times and tall uptime for OpenCart-based websites, utilizing advances like SSDs, server-level caching, and optimized setups.
Support – 3: InterServer offers multiple support channels for OpenCart hosting, including live chat, ticketing, phone support, and a knowledge base for technical issues, troubleshooting, and OpenCart-specific questions.
User-friendly – 4: InterServer has a one-click installation option for OpenCart, simplifying e-commerce store setup without technical knowledge. It provides user-friendly control panels like cPanel or DirectAdmin, easing hosting management. InterServer also provides website management tools, including file managers, database management, domain management, and email management.
Additional Parameters – One-Click OpenCart Installation: InterServer often offers a one-click install option for OpenCart, making it easy to set up your e-commerce store without manual installation or technical expertise.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Fast and secure SSD storage:
- OpenCart compatibility
- Global content caching
- Intershield protection
- Money back guarantee
Cons:
- Lack of OpenCart expertise
- Additional costs for add-ons
FastComet offers managed OpenCart hosting services, providing a hosting environment specifically optimized for OpenCart-based websites. With managed OpenCart hosting, FastComet takes care of various technical aspects and provides additional support to ensure the smooth operation and optimal performance of your OpenCart store.
- Overall Score: 3
- Pricing: 3
- Features: 4
- Performance: 4
- Support: 3
- User-friendly: 3
Pricing – 3: FastComet OpenCart hosting plans start with Fastcloud Basic costing $2.74/month, offering a single website, 15 GB SSD space, and 45 days money back guarantee. It also has Fastcloud Extra costing $5.49/month for unlimited websites, 35 GB SSD Space, 45 days money back, and other additional features. Accepted methods of payment on FastComet are major credit cards and PayPal.
Features – 4: FastComet offers security features for OpenCart websites, including SSL certificates, DDoS protection, firewall configurations, and malware scanning. It optimizes hosting environments for OpenCart, employs server-level caching, and integrates a CDN for global static content distribution. These reduce latency and improve delivery speed for visitors.
Performance – 4: FastComet optimizes OpenCart websites using CSS, RAM, CPU, and bandwidth to reduce latency and improve response times. Utilizing SSDs, the company employs optimization techniques like gzip compression, image optimization, and browser caching to reduce file sizes and enhance rendering speed. Providing sufficient server resources helps handle traffic spikes and prevent bottlenecks.
Support – 3: FastComet’s support team provides 24/7 assistance for hosting-related inquiries, including FTP access, ticketing, and phone support, addressing any issues and ensuring customer satisfaction.
User-friendly – 3: FastComet offers a one-click installation option for OpenCart, simplifying e-commerce store setup for users with limited technical knowledge. It features an intuitive control panel, allowing users to manage hosting account aspects like domains, email accounts, databases, and file management. Additionally, FastComet includes a website builder tool, reducing coding and web design skills for beginners to create and customize their OpenCart website.
Additional Parameters – User Interface and Navigation: FastComet usually designs its hosting interfaces and user dashboards with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. The navigation is typically intuitive, allowing users to quickly access the features and settings they need.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- OpenCart optimization
- User-friendly control panel
- Free OpenCart themes
- 24/7 customer support
- Scalable options
Cons:
- Limited data centers
- Pricey plans
- Plan limitations
Hostinger is a web hosting provider known for its beginner-friendly approach and affordability. While it may not have specific OpenCart-optimized hosting plans, Hostinger can still be a suitable choice for hosting OpenCart-based websites due to its user-friendly features and reliable performance.
- Overall Score: 3
- Pricing: 3
- Features: 3
- Performance: 3
- Support: 3
- User-friendly: 3
Pricing – 3: Hostinger’s online store pricing plan starts at $2.99/month for website builder and e-commerce features. You can sell up to 500 products, free domain ($9.99 value), free email, and unmetered traffic (unlimited GB). Major credit cards, e-wallets, and cryptocurrencies are accepted payment methods on Hostinger.
Features – 3: Hostinger offers SSDs for faster data access and improved website performance, enhancing user experience. One-click installers like Softaculous and Zacky App Installer simplify setup. Hostinger supports multiple PHP versions that are compatible with OpenCart. MySQL databases are commonly used for data storage. Free SSL certificates are included in hosting plans, ensuring secure storage and protection of sensitive customer information.
Performance – 3: Hostinger’s modern server hardware, including SSD storage, CPU, and RAM, enhance website speed and data retrieval. LiteSpeed web server with caching and HTTP/2 support enhances OpenCart performance, with higher-tier plans offering more resources.
Support – 3: Hostinger provides 24/7 customer support for OpenCart-related questions and issues through multiple channels, including live chat, ticketing system, and knowledge base resources. Live chat enables real-time interaction with support agents, while the ticketing system addresses support requests.
User-friendly – 3: Hostinger offers a user-friendly control panel for OpenCart hosting, enabling easy management of resources, domains, and email settings, with a website builder tool for customization.
Additional Parameters – CDN Integration: Hostinger often offers integration with content delivery networks (CDNs) such as Cloudflare. CDNs help distribute your website’s content across multiple servers worldwide, reducing latency and improving page load times for visitors in different geographical locations.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Multiple PHP versions
- SSD storage
- MySQL database
- DNS management
- Free SSL certificate
Cons:
- Lack of OpenCart-specific optimizations
- Limited scalability
- Absence of OpenCart-specific features
HostGator offers shared hosting plans that allow users to run an OpenCart store that can be installed via Softaculous. We recommend HostGator’s robust and flexible baby plan, which comes with up to 5 websites, 40 GB of disk space, unmetered bandwidth, one-click WordPress installs, and first year domain free.
- Overall Score: 3
- Pricing: 3
- Features: 3
- Performance: 3
- Support: 3
- User-friendly: 3
Pricing – 3: HostGator’s pricing starts with its Hatchling plan, costing $3.75/month for a single website, 10GB disk space, unmetered bandwidth, and one-click WordPress installs. Credit cards, PayPal, checks, money orders, and bank wires are accepted methods of payment on HostGator.
Features – 3: HostGator offers hosting plans that are compatible with popular platforms like OpenCart, Magento, and WooCommerce. It has unmetered bandwidth, unlimited email addresses, unlimited support, 1 year domain registration, free domain transfers, one-click WordPress installs, and dedicated IP.
Performance – 3: HostGator offers a 99.95% uptime guarantee that ensures accessibility and minimizes potential downtime. Its scalable resources enable adjusting hosting resources based on business growth. Utilizing modern server technologies like SSD storage and caching, HostGator provides fast loading times and smooth browsing experiences. Integrating with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) enhances website performance by reducing latency and improving loading speeds.
Support – 3: HostGator’s support team is available 24/7 via live chat, phone, and email. The team maintains a comprehensive knowledge base with tutorials, guides, and FAQs. For e-commerce platforms like OpenCart, its support team offers guidance, platform-specific configurations, troubleshooting, and best practices.
User-friendly – 3: HostGator offers a user-friendly control panel called cPanel for managing OpenCart hosting, domains, email accounts, databases, and more. It also provides templates and themes for various platforms, saving time and effort. HostGator’s supports integration with popular payment gateways, simplifying setup processes and assisting in seamless integration.
Additional Parameters – Inventory Management: HostGator’s e-commerce hosting offers features for managing customers’ product inventory. This can include tools to track stock levels, manage product variations, set up SKU numbers, and handle product categorization.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- E-commerce templates and themes
- Easy integration with payment gateways
- Ample bandwidth and data transfer
- Mobile-friendly design
Cons:
- Limited features in starter plans
- Higher renewal prices
Bluehost provides OpenCart hosting, which enables you to build a distinctive and engaging online store using the newest version of WooCommerce and a set of certified plugins designed specifically for selling products, booking appointments, or subscribing to services. Bluehost offers scalable resources, allowing for the expansion of online stores by expanding CPU, RAM, and storage capacity to handle rising traffic and resource needs.
- Overall Score: 3
- Pricing: 3
- Features: 3
- Performance: 3
- Support: 3
- User-friendly: 3
Pricing – 3: Bluehost’s online store pricing plans start at $9.95/month with 100 GB SSD web storage, free WP migration tool, 1 free domain (1st year), free SSL (1st year), and free CDN enabled, with auto-renewal at regular rate. Major credit cards and PayPal are accepted methods of payment on Bluehost.
Features – 3: Bluehost offers hosting plans that are compatible with popular e-commerce platforms, offering scalable resources, solid-state drives, performance optimization, SSL certificates, and advanced security measures like firewalls, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and regular backups.
Performance – 3: Bluehost’s modern server infrastructure features Intel processors, RAM, SSD storage, and 99.99% uptime guarantee for faster data retrieval, improved website loading times, and scalable resources.
Support – 3: Bluehost offers 24/7 technical support via live chat, phone, email, website, help center, and community forum for hosting-related questions and troubleshooting.
User-friendly – 3: Bluehost simplifies e-commerce hosting with a streamlined setup process and one-click installers for popular platforms.
Additional Parameters – Content Management Systems (CMS) Optimization: Bluehost works to optimize the performance of popular e-commerce platforms like OpenCart, WooCommerce, and Magento. It provides server configurations and optimizations specifically tailored to these CMS platforms, ensuring smooth operation and optimal performance.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- SSL certificate integration
- Application marketplace
- Payment gateway integration
- E-commerce platform compatibility
Cons:
- Limited server locations
- Upselling
- Limited data backups
Best OpenCart Hosting Services: Final Recommendations
We have thoroughly assessed multiple OpenCart/e-commerce hosting providers, considering critical factors such as ease of use, design and templates, technical support, help with building, and platform policies.
HostArmada is our top OpenCart/e-commerce hosting provider for all sizes of online stores and businesses with scalable infrastructure, global data centers, and system support.
We recommend HostArmada because it offers OpenCart hosting services with support for various e-commerce platforms, one-click installation of popular e-commerce software, compatibility with payment gateways, and integration with popular e-commerce plugins and extensions. HostArmada OpenCart hosting is available for all brands of online stores, with distinct features, pricing options, and 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Types of OpenCart Hosting: Which is right for you?
1. Shared Hosting: Shared hosting is a cost-effective option for small online stores with limited visitors, easy for beginners, and requires minimal technical skills. Ideal for new businesses with limited resources.
2. VPS Hosting: VPS hosting offers more control and resources than shared hosting, making it ideal for e-commerce websites with moderate to high traffic and resource demands. It offers better performance and scalability.
3. Dedicated Server Hosting: Dedicated server hosting is the best option for big online stores with lots of visitors and special needs as it gives better control, speed, and options.
4. Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting offers scalability, high availability, and flexibility for e-commerce websites with fluctuating traffic and resource demands. It enables resource scaling based on demand, ensuring peak traffic handling.
5. Managed Hosting: Managed hosting handles server management tasks, allowing e-commerce businesses to focus on setup, security, updates, and backups available in shared, VPS, or dedicated server environments.
Factors to Consider When Choosing an OpenCart Hosting
1. Performance and Reliability: Look for a hosting provider that offers reliable performance and high uptime guarantees. Your e-commerce website should load quickly and be accessible to visitors at all times. Consider factors like server infrastructure, SSD storage, data center locations, and the provider’s track record for uptime.
2. Scalability and Resources: Determine whether the hosting provider can accommodate the scalability needs of your e-commerce store. As your business grows, you may require additional server resources such as CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage. Ensure the hosting plans can be easily upgraded to meet your evolving needs.
3. Security Features: E-commerce websites handle sensitive customer data, so security is crucial. Look for hosting providers that offer robust security measures such as SSL certificates, firewalls, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and regular backups. Ensure that the hosting environment is PCI-compliant if you plan to process online payments.
4. Customer Support: Reliable and responsive customer support is essential for resolving any technical issues or concerns promptly. Go for hosting providers that offer 24/7 customer support through various channels like live chat, phone, and ticketing systems. Evaluate the quality of their support by checking reviews and testimonials from existing customers.
5. Pricing and Value: Compare the pricing structures of different hosting providers and determine if they align with your budget. Consider the features, resources, and level of support offered in each plan. Be cautious of low introductory prices that may significantly increase upon renewal.
6. User-Friendly Control Panel: A user-friendly control panel, such as cPanel or a custom hosting dashboard, simplifies the management of your hosting account, domains, email accounts, databases, and other settings. Be sure the hosting provider offers an intuitive control panel that suits your needs.
7. Backup and Disaster Recovery: Regular backups protect your e-commerce store’s data. Check if the hosting provider offers automatic backups, how frequently they are performed, and if you have easy access to restore points. Consider additional backup options and disaster recovery plans for added protection.
8. Reviews and Reputation: Research and read reviews about the hosting provider to gauge the experiences of other users. Pay attention to feedback regarding performance, support, uptime, and overall customer satisfaction. Look for a reputable hosting provider with positive reviews and a good reputation in the industry.
How We Rank OpenCart Hosting and How You Should Choose
- Ease-of-Use25%
- Help with Building15%
- Design and Templates30%
- Technical Support20%
- Platform Policies10%
Our experts at Hostadvice regularly test OpenCart builders to rank them and determine the best options. They continuously improve review methodologies and provide accurate results by testing products from leading web hosting providers.
Our experts at Hostadvice buy the plans just like a regular customer would do just to test them out. This is the best thing about our testing and ranking process. To decide how important certain factors are for OpenCart/e-commerce service, we assign them specific percentages.
Ease-of-Use (25%): Overall ease of the setup process, ease of navigation through the dashboard, ease of using and navigating through the Control Panel, and the slope of the learning curve.
Help with Building (15%): How the provider’s team helps users during the building process, whether there is a designated agent for each user.
Design and Templates (30%): Amount of pre-built templates provided, quality of the templates provided, customizability of the templates, and ability to change the template when the site is already live.
Technical Support (20%): Technical knowledge and skill of the staff, what kind of help they provide (24/7 support via email, live chat, phone), response time, and issue-resolving abilities.
Platform Policies (10%): Overall transparency, whether the provider discloses its policies or has hidden fees that are not mentioned from the start.
What is OpenCart hosting, and who is it for?
OpenCart hosting means hosting services that are made especially for the OpenCart online store platform to work better. OpenCart is a free tool to make and take care of your online store. OpenCart hosting is made just for websites that use OpenCart.
OpenCart hosting caters to individuals, businesses, and organizations creating and managing online stores, suitable for startups and enterprises.