Before you start dealing with store hosting, it's worth clarifying whether you'll need it at all. With hosted platforms the server is part of the service and you don't look after it. With a custom store it's the opposite — all on you. Which path fits you? The decision affects not just the technical side, but also the cost and the freedom you'll have with the shop.
Hosted platforms: hosting is included
With solutions like Shopify or BigCommerce you pay a monthly fee and hosting, updates, security and backups are included. You don't deal with performance or technical parameters — a huge advantage if you mainly want to sell rather than manage a server. The price for the convenience is less freedom in customisation and monthly fees that grow as your turnover does.
Who it suits
A hosted platform makes sense for starting shops and for anyone who doesn't want to deal with the technical side. You launch sales within days and never look after a server. You get ready-made templates, integrations with carriers and payment gateways, and support to turn to when something doesn't work.
Where the limits are
The limits tend to be specific features and integrations the platform won't allow, and gradually rising costs. At a large turnover the monthly fees and commissions can climb higher than a custom store would cost, management included. You're also tied to a single vendor — when you decide to leave, migrating the data may not be trivial.
A custom store: hosting is on you
A custom store on WooCommerce, PrestaShop or a similar solution runs on your own hosting. You get full control over the look, features and data, and you pay no turnover fees. In return you take on responsibility for choosing hosting, its performance, security and updates.
Which hosting to choose
For a custom store, look for hosting with enough RAM, NVMe disks, caching support and daily backups. A smaller shop handles quality shared hosting, a larger catalogue belongs on a VPS. We cover the concrete parameters for WooCommerce in Hosting for WooCommerce and the general choice in How to choose hosting for an online store.
How to decide
Simply put: do you mainly want to sell and the technical side doesn't interest you? Choose a hosted platform and don't deal with hosting. Do you want full control, custom features and to pay no turnover fees? Go for a custom store and count on hosting and its management being on you.
Whatever you choose, work out the total cost over a longer horizon — a platform's monthly fee can get expensive at a large turnover, while a custom solution has a higher entry effort. The article How much does running a website cost per year helps, breaking down all the recurring items including the hidden ones.