WooCommerce vs PrestaShop: what hosting does each one need

Introduction

If you’re wondering what hosting you need for WooCommerce or for PrestaShop, the short answer is that both platforms can work very well, but they require different resources and follow a different philosophy. Choosing between WooCommerce and PrestaShop isn’t just a decision about software — it’s also a decision about the hosting that will support your business: server resources, real cost, and the ability to grow without everything breaking at the worst possible moment.

In this article we cover the differences between both platforms, what each one needs at the server level, and how to choose the right hosting at miHosting based on the size of your catalog.

WooCommerce and PrestaShop: two different ways to sell online

WooCommerce lives inside WordPress. If you’re already running your site or blog on WordPress, adding a store is very quick: the environment feels familiar, tutorials are abundant, and the learning curve is short. Setting up payment gateways, shipping, or taxes takes some time, but for an entrepreneur without a technical background who wants to launch fast, that familiar base is worth a lot.

PrestaShop runs independently and is built exclusively for e-commerce. Its control panel is more technical from day one, but that also means more native control over the catalog, country-specific rates, taxes, and complex order management. It’s the natural choice for anyone who knows from the start that their project is a store, and only a store.

As for the extensions ecosystem, WooCommerce gives you access to the WordPress repository, with tens of thousands of plugins, many free or freemium. PrestaShop, on the other hand, runs on modules from its own marketplace: the selection is more curated toward e-commerce, but quality modules are usually paid from the start. That detail directly affects the total cost of the project.

As a general guideline, WooCommerce works very well for catalogs of up to a few thousand products with moderate traffic, while PrestaShop is built to scale with large catalogs, multiple currencies, and country-specific taxes, and usually fits better for medium and large stores with B2B needs.

Technical requirements: what the server needs in each case

WooCommerce needs an up-to-date WordPress installation, PHP 8.3 or higher if your theme and plugins support it, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6 or higher, active HTTPS, and a WordPress memory limit of at least 256 MB. With fewer resources than that, the store gets slow as soon as the catalog grows. A low-end shared hosting plan with little RAM can struggle with WooCommerce if server-level caching isn’t properly configured.

PrestaShop is somewhat more demanding from the start: it recommends PHP 8.1 or higher with OPcache active, MariaDB 10.5 or higher, and a memory limit that shouldn’t drop below 512 MB. Large catalogs need even more memory per PHP process. It also requires CRON tasks for index management, sending emails, and automatic updates — not every shared hosting plan includes these, and that can silently break your operational workflow.

At miHosting, every shared hosting plan includes NVMe SSD storage, an up-to-date PHP version, MariaDB, and CRON tasks available from the panel, so both platforms start out on the same infrastructure from day one, with nothing to configure manually. You can see the full details on our professional hosting page.

Storage also makes a difference

The type of disk matters, a lot: an NVMe drive has much higher read and write speed than a conventional SATA SSD, which translates directly into less waiting time on every database query and every cache file load. Both WooCommerce and PrestaShop are installed from the control panel with Softaculous, with no manual database or PHP configuration. You can check the WooCommerce and PrestaShop profiles in our app catalog for more detail on each one.

Plugins and modules: how much extra load they add to the server

WooCommerce caching plugins reduce CPU and disk usage a lot, but they need specific configuration: the cart, checkout, and account pages must not be cached, since that causes errors during checkout that sometimes aren’t noticed until a customer complains. Combining several caching plugins at once can also cause conflicts that hurt performance instead of improving it.

Payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, or Redsys generate external requests on every transaction and consume bandwidth and CPU steadily. During sales peaks like Black Friday, that consumption multiplies, so it’s important to keep the store’s core and plugins updated at all times.

On PrestaShop, advanced search modules can overload the server if they aren’t backed by properly configured database indexes: an uncached search is an expensive query that repeats on every visit. Stock management modules also raise RAM and CPU usage steadily, since they run frequent database queries.

How to size your hosting based on active modules

The practical rule is simple: the more plugins or modules you activate, the more RAM and CPU you need. Shared hosting can handle a basic store with few plugins just fine, but as soon as you activate a payment gateway, a search module, and stock management at the same time, resources get tight. As a rough guide by store type:

• Shared hosting: stores with small catalogs and basic plugins.
• VPS: medium catalogs with several active integrations at once.
• Dedicated server: stores with high traffic, many integrations, and very large catalogs.

If your store grows and needs more resources, at miHosting you can move from a shared hosting plan to a VPS or a dedicated server without losing your setup.

The real cost, beyond the hosting price

WooCommerce as a plugin is free, but paid extensions add up: specific payment gateways, advanced shipping management, subscriptions, or loyalty tools all come at an extra cost. PrestaShop Community is also free, but quality modules on its marketplace are usually paid from the start, and a store with full functionality may need an upfront investment in modules before even signing up for hosting.

The unplanned expense that hurts the most on both platforms is an unplanned migration. Choosing a starter hosting plan that can’t keep up with your store’s natural growth forces you to move everything at the worst possible moment, usually in the middle of a sales campaign. Starting out with NVMe, enough resources, and real technical support avoids that expense. And if you already have a store running with another provider, at miHosting migration is free and assisted on every paid plan, so the switch doesn’t put your sales or your rankings at risk.

Performance: which one handles real load better

In practical terms, the performance difference between both platforms is small when the hosting is well configured, with server-level caching and NVMe storage. There are clear signs that hosting is no longer enough for either platform: load times that regularly exceed 3 seconds (past that point, the impact on conversion is significant), 503 errors during high-traffic moments, and outages during email marketing campaigns. When that happens, the fix isn’t always switching platforms — often it’s enough to switch hosting or upgrade your plan.

What hosting to choose based on your catalog

If you already use WordPress and want to add a store, WooCommerce is the fastest and most affordable option to get started. If your project is exclusively an online store with no blog or extra content, PrestaShop gives you more native e-commerce tools from day one, though it takes a bit more time to configure initially.

For medium catalogs with real traffic, both platforms work well if the hosting has adequate resources. The difference starts to show in management: PrestaShop tends to handle very large catalogs and B2B needs better, while WooCommerce shines when content and store live in the same site. For businesses with high order volume, PrestaShop scales with more native stability, though a well-optimized WooCommerce setup (caching, CDN, and NVMe) can match that performance.

At miHosting, both WooCommerce and PrestaShop install with one click from the control panel, with no manual configuration. If you’re not sure which plan to choose for your project, check out our guide on how to choose the best hosting for your business or the step-by-step guide to create your online store at miHosting.

Common problems

My WooCommerce store slows down as the catalog grows

This is usually caused by low memory or missing server-level caching. Check that your WordPress memory limit is at least 256 MB, and consider enabling or improving your caching setup. If the problem persists, your current plan may no longer be enough for the volume of products and visits you now have.

A caching plugin breaks the checkout process

This is a known issue: if the cart, checkout, or account pages get cached, outdated data can show up during checkout. Always exclude those pages from caching when configuring the plugin.

My PrestaShop store is slow on searches

Check whether your search modules have properly configured database indexes. An uncached search that repeats on every visit can consume a lot of resources, especially with large catalogs.

I’m not sure if my hosting plan can handle my store

If you notice slowness, 503 errors during peak hours, or outages during marketing campaigns, that’s a sign your current resources are no longer enough. At miHosting you can upgrade your plan or move to a VPS without losing your setup or your data.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, WooCommerce or PrestaShop?

It depends on your starting point. WooCommerce is better if you already use WordPress or want to combine a store and content on the same site. PrestaShop is better if your project is exclusively an online store, with large catalogs or B2B needs.

Do I need a VPS to run a WooCommerce or PrestaShop store?

Not necessarily. Shared hosting with adequate resources can handle stores with small or medium catalogs. Only when traffic, catalog size, or the number of integrations grows a lot is it worth considering a VPS or dedicated server.

Which platform uses more server resources?

PrestaShop usually requires more memory from the start, mainly due to its mandatory CRON tasks. WooCommerce can run on fewer resources initially, but its usage grows quickly once many plugins are active at the same time.

Can I migrate my WooCommerce or PrestaShop store to miHosting without losing data?

Yes. Migration is included at no extra cost on miHosting’s paid plans: our technical team moves your store, catalog, database, and email from your current provider.

Do WooCommerce and PrestaShop install easily at miHosting?

Yes. Both platforms install with one click from the control panel using Softaculous, with no need to manually configure the database or PHP.

Conclusion

The decision comes down to this: choose WooCommerce if you already use WordPress or need to combine a store with content; choose PrestaShop if you want a pure e-commerce environment with more native control over complex catalogs, multiple currencies, or B2B needs. Both are solid options when backed by the right hosting.

The hosting behind your store determines its speed, stability, and ability to grow without friction. Choosing well from the start saves time, money, and unplanned migrations. With miHosting you can try both platforms risk-free: one-click installation, NVMe SSD storage on every plan, technical support that responds in under 15 minutes handled by real people, and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

If you’re ready to get started, check out our professional hosting plans or contact our team so we can help you choose the right platform and plan for your store.