How to Install Magento on Your Hosting

Introduction

Magento is one of the most powerful e-commerce platforms in the world. It’s designed for large stores with extensive catalogs and advanced needs. Unlike WooCommerce or PrestaShop, Magento requires more resources and more technical knowledge, but in return offers enormous flexibility.

In this article you’ll see what you need to install Magento on your hosting and how to do it step by step.

Before you start: is Magento for you?

Magento isn’t the right choice for all projects. Before installing it, assess whether you really need it.

Magento is suitable if:

• You have a very large catalog (thousands of products).
• You need advanced customizations in the checkout process.
• Your store has a high order volume.
• You have a technical team or a developer.

Magento is NOT suitable if:

• Your store is small or medium.
• You don’t have technical knowledge or someone to help you.
• Your hosting budget is tight.

For most small and medium stores, WooCommerce or PrestaShop are simpler and sufficient options.

Server requirements for Magento

Magento is demanding on server resources. Before installing it, make sure your hosting meets:

• PHP 8.1 or higher.
• MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.4 or higher.
• Elasticsearch or OpenSearch (mandatory for product search).
• Minimum 2 GB RAM recommended for Magento.
• Composer installed on the server.
• PHP extensions: bcmath, ctype, curl, dom, gd, intl, mbstring, openssl, pdo_mysql, simplexml, soap, xsl, zip.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of Magento server requirements]

Magento doesn’t work well on basic shared hosting. For a production store, you need hosting with guaranteed resources, such as an advanced professional plan or a VPS. At miHosting we have managed VPS that meet all Magento requirements.

Method 1: Install Magento with Softaculous (if available)

Some hosts offer Magento in Softaculous, the automatic installer. If that’s your case, the process is fastest:

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open Softaculous Apps Installer.
3. Search for Magento.
4. Click Install Now.
5. Fill in the details: domain, store name, admin username and password, database.
6. Click Install.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of the Magento installation form in Softaculous]

Check that the version Softaculous installs is Magento 2.x. Magento version 1.x is outdated and no longer supported.

Method 2: Install Magento manually

If your hosting doesn’t have Softaculous or you prefer to do it manually, follow these steps.

Step 1: Check server requirements

Before downloading anything, verify that your hosting meets Magento’s requirements. You can upload a phpinfo.php file with this content:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Open it in your browser and check the PHP version and installed extensions. If something is missing, contact your hosting to enable it.

Step 2: Download Magento

1. Go to the official website (magento.com) and create a free account.
2. Download the latest version of Magento Open Source in ZIP or tarball format.

Step 3: Prepare the database

1. In cPanel, go to MySQL Databases.
2. Create a new database, for example user_magento.
3. Create a user with a secure password.
4. Assign the user to the database with all privileges.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of creating the database for Magento in cPanel]

Write down the details: database name, username and password.

Step 4: Upload the files

1. Connect via FTP with FileZilla or use the cPanel File Manager.
2. Go to the destination folder, normally public_html or a subfolder.
3. Upload the Magento ZIP file.
4. Unzip the file.

Step 5: Run the installation wizard

1. Open your browser and go to https://yourdomain.com.

2. The Magento setup wizard will open.

3. Follow the steps:

   • Welcome: accept the terms.
   • Readiness Check: Magento checks that the server meets the requirements. If something fails in red, you must resolve it before continuing.
   • Database Setup: enter the database details.
   • Web Configuration: define the store and admin URLs.
   • Store Customization: time zone, currency and language.
   • Admin Account: create your admin username and password.
   • Install: wait for the installation to finish.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of the Magento installation wizard]

Step 6: Configure Elasticsearch or OpenSearch

Magento needs Elasticsearch or OpenSearch for the internal product search to work. Without this service, Magento may give errors.

1. Check if your hosting offers it or install it (usually on a VPS).
2. In the Magento panel, go to Stores → Configuration → Catalog → Catalog Search.
3. Configure the connection to the Elasticsearch or OpenSearch server.
4. Save and reindex the data.

If your shared hosting doesn’t offer Elasticsearch, Magento won’t work correctly. In that case you need a VPS. At miHosting we have managed VPS where we configure Magento and Elasticsearch for you.

Initial configuration after installation

Once Magento is installed, it’s worth making these settings before adding products:

1. Configure SSL. Enable HTTPS for the store and admin panel.
2. Configure time zone, currency and language.
3. Review taxes according to your country.
4. Enable cache under System → Cache Management.
5. Configure transactional emails.

Useful tips

• Don’t choose Magento lightly. Magento is powerful but complex. Make sure you need it before committing.
• Use suitable hosting. Magento doesn’t work well on basic shared hosting. It needs guaranteed resources.
• Have a technician or developer. Magento requires technical maintenance. If you don’t have this knowledge, hire support.
• Back up frequently. Magento is complex and an error can be hard to reverse without a backup.
• Keep everything updated. Magento, extensions and server must be up to date for security.

Common problems

The installation wizard fails at the Readiness Check

One of the server requirements isn’t met. Check the PHP version, missing extensions or memory limit (memory_limit). Magento needs at least 2 GB.

Magento is very slow

This is common on shared hosting. Magento needs resources. If you notice slowness, consider moving to a VPS or a higher hosting plan.

Product search doesn’t work

Most likely Elasticsearch or OpenSearch isn’t configured or available. Review the search configuration in Magento.

A memory limit error appears

Edit the php.ini file or ask your hosting to raise memory_limit to 2G or higher.

I can’t access the admin panel

Check the admin URL (it may be a custom path) and your credentials. If you forgot the password, use the recovery option.

Frequently asked questions

Is Magento free?

Magento Open Source (the community version) is free. The Magento Commerce version is paid and designed for large companies.

Can I install Magento on regular shared hosting?

Technically possible, but not recommended. Magento needs resources that basic shared hosting can’t guarantee. For a production store, a VPS or advanced hosting plan is appropriate.

Is Magento suitable for a small store?

Generally no. For small or medium stores, WooCommerce or PrestaShop are much simpler and sufficient options.

Do I need to know programming to use Magento?

Magento is more technical than other platforms. To get the most out of it and maintain it, you need technical knowledge or a developer.

How much does it cost to maintain a Magento store?

Costs are higher than with other platforms: more powerful hosting (VPS), technical maintenance, and possibly paid extensions. Magento is designed for stores with enough volume to assume these costs.

Magento: power for large projects

Magento is the right platform for large and complex online stores that need maximum flexibility. It’s not the simplest option, but for the type of project it’s aimed at, it’s one of the most powerful.

If your project needs Magento, make sure you have suitable hosting. At miHosting we have managed VPS with guaranteed resources, Elasticsearch or OpenSearch, free SSL and support from real technicians who handle the configuration. We can also advise you on whether Magento is the right choice for your case or whether WooCommerce or PrestaShop fit better. Open a ticket from your client panel and we’ll help.