Team Hostings

Best Online Store Hosting for Small Business

A small shop needs fast, secure hosting to keep sales flowing. Below we rank the best online store hosting for small business on speed, security and value. See our full best hosting for small business guide or find cheap hosting.

Our top pick for a small shop is SiteGround — secure, fast store hosting with caching, SSL and support that keeps sales flowing. Below are our top five, ranked, with a side-by-side table, what to look for, and answers to common questions. See our full best hosting for small business guide or take the 60-second quiz.

What to look for in online store hosting for small business

The five things a small shop needs.

The best online store hosting for small business, ranked

Chosen on store speed, security, support and value.

1Best overallOur score 9.6

SiteGround suits a small shop with store caching, free SSL, daily backups and strong support, so checkout stays fast and secure.

  • Store caching and daily backups
  • Free SSL and CDN
  • Award-winning 24/7 support
  • Renewal price rises
  • Visit limits per plan
$3.95/mo 67% off (reg $11.95)
2Easiest startOur score 9.2

Bluehost bundles a store, a free domain and guided setup, which gets a small business selling fast without technical work.

  • Free domain and one-click store
  • Guided setup and free SSL
  • Beginner-friendly dashboard
  • Storage limits on entry plan
  • Upsells at checkout
$2.95/mo 64% off (reg $7.99)
3Best valueOur score 9.1

Hostinger keeps costs low while giving NVMe speed, caching and a free SSL, which protects thin margins on a small shop.

  • Low running cost
  • NVMe and LiteSpeed cache
  • Free SSL and daily backups
  • No free migration
  • Support is chat only
$0.80/mo 90% off (reg $7.99)
4Fast and secureOur score 9.0

A2 Hosting pairs Turbo speed with free SSL and migration, a good fit for a small business moving an existing shop.

  • Turbo speed and NVMe
  • Free migration and SSL
  • Anytime money-back guarantee
  • Turbo costs more
  • Dashboard feels dated
$3.92/mo 51% off (reg $7.68)
5Low commitmentOur score 8.7

DreamHost sells month to month with a long money-back window, handy for testing a shop idea before committing.

  • Month-to-month billing
  • 97-day money-back guarantee
  • Free SSL and privacy
  • No phone support
  • Fewer store tools
$2.59/mo 47% off (reg $5.50)

Small business online store hosting compared

Our top five at a glance.

HostOur scoreFromUptimeAvg. speedFree migrationMoney-back
SiteGround9.6$3.95/mo99.99%514 msYes30-day
Bluehost9.2$2.95/mo99.95%578 msYes30-day
Hostinger9.1$0.80/mo99.98%379 msNo30-day
A2 Hosting9.0$3.92/mo99.99%622 msYesAnytime
DreamHost8.7$2.59/mo99.95%854 msYes97-day

Small business online store hosting FAQ

What hosting does a small online shop need?
A small shop needs fast, secure hosting with a free SSL, caching and reliable uptime. SiteGround, Bluehost and Hostinger all suit a small business store.
Do I need special hosting for an online store?
Not special, but the host must support your store software, offer a free SSL for checkout and have enough resources to keep product pages quick.
How much does store hosting cost for a small business?
Plans start near $0.80 to $3.95 a month on an intro term. Budget for the higher renewal price and any paid apps your store needs.
Is my shop secure on shared hosting?
With a free SSL, daily backups and a firewall, a small shop is secure on good shared hosting. Handling card payments through a trusted gateway keeps you clear of most PCI burden.
Can I start small and scale the shop?
Yes. Every host here lets you upgrade to higher, cloud or VPS plans as sales grow, so you can start cheap and scale when the shop needs it.