Shopify Hosting Explained: Costs, Pros & Alternatives (Including Headless)
Shopify offers many built-in functionalities, making it a true one-stop shop, and hosting is one of them. But what are the key features of Shopify hosting? Is it a reliable service? And can you host your store in a different way? Read on to get the answers.
Updated on September 24, 2025
TL;DR:
Shopify includes secure and reliable hosting with all its plans, covering essentials like unlimited bandwidth, SSL certificates, automatic backups, and CDN integration. It’s easy to set up, scalable, and offers strong performance, customization, and security, making it one of the most convenient hosting options for online stores. Plans start at $29/month, going up to $299/month depending on features. Domains cost extra, and email hosting requires third-party services or Shopped Email.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| excellent speed | full dependency on Shopify’s infrastructure |
| high uptime | limited flexibility |
| unlimited resources | reliance on apps (which may add costs) |
| built-in e-commerce features | no built-in email hosting |
| ease of use | |
| 24/7 support |
Shopify hosting is ideal if you want an all-in-one, hassle-free e-commerce solution. If you need more control, customization, or cost flexibility, consider headless setups or alternative hosting providers.
Here’s what you’ll learn as you read on:
which types of e-commerce hosting are available
the strengths, weaknesses, and best use cases of Shopify hosting
a breakdown of Shopify hosting costs
how Shopify handles email hosting and what alternatives exist outside of Shopify
Importance of Hosting for E-commerce Stores
Hosting is a key factor in shaping the customer experience of an online store, especially when it comes to speed, security, and functionality.
Unlike regular web hosting, e-commerce hosting must also support tools needed to run a shop, such as shopping cart software, payment processing, SSL certificates, database support, and easy-to-use builder tools. It also provides the basics like webspace and plugins.
When choosing a solution, merchants like you should think about both current and future customers and transactions, since these will affect the space, bandwidth, and extra features your store may need.
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Types of E-commerce Hosting Services
These include dedicated hosting, VPS hosting, shared hosting, cloud hosting, managed hosting, SaaS or platform-hosted solutions (like Shopify, where hosting is bundled with the platform), and modern serverless or edge hosting, often used in headless and Jamstack approaches for speed and global scalability.
Dedicated hosting
Dedicated hosting is one of the most advanced options, giving you full access to a physical server used exclusively for your store. This setup provides maximum control, performance, and security, as you can configure every feature to match your needs.
However, it also comes with the highest costs, which makes it most suitable for large e-commerce businesses with very high traffic, complex requirements, and extensive customization needs.
VPS hosting (virtual private server)
VPS hosting is a middle-ground solution where a physical server is divided into multiple isolated virtual environments. Each VPS has its own resources and operating system, giving you more control and stability than shared hosting without the high cost of a dedicated server.
It’s well-suited for medium-sized stores, databases, or projects that require flexibility and reliable performance.
Shared hosting
As the name suggests, shared hosting places many websites on a single server. It’s the most affordable option, making it suitable for small shops, startups, or personal projects, but performance is limited and customization options are minimal.
Its main advantage is simplicity, as it requires no technical skills to set up or manage.
Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting uses a network of virtual and physical servers instead of relying on a single machine, offering greater flexibility and scalability. It’s well-suited for stores with fluctuating or high traffic, as resources can scale on demand, and you only pay for what you use.
While latency can vary, many providers include tools and managed services to optimize performance, making cloud hosting a popular choice for growing e-commerce businesses.
Which Hosting Solution Works Best for a Shopify Merchant?
Shopify hosting is the most natural and convenient option for businesses that use Shopify as their e–commerce platform. It offers unlimited bandwidth as part of the Shopify plans and ensures a seamless Shopify UX for your customers and visitors.
Only Shopify offers exclusively e-commerce web hosting, while other web hosts focus on regular hosting for a wide range of websites.
Is Shopify hosting included in every plan?
Yes, Shopify includes secure, PCI-compliant web hosting with every plan. All website files are stored on Shopify’s cloud servers, so there’s no need to purchase separate hosting. Each plan comes with unlimited bandwidth, automatic backups, and a global CDN infrastructure.
This makes launching a store simple and beginner-friendly, with minimal technical setup required, while still ensuring security, reliability, and the ability to start selling products and accepting payments right away. You pay one price for everything you need to run your store smoothly and safely.
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Top Features You Get with Shopify Hosting
Shopify hosting comes with:
a free SSL certificate
unlimited email forwarding
instant platform updates
unlimited bandwidth
automatic backups & disaster recovery
global CDN (Content Delivery Network)
highly secure (PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, SSL by default)
24/7 monitoring
We should of course remember that Shopify offers robust store customization, built-in SEO and social media options, and supports unlimited products. You can also accept in-person payments with Shopify POS Lite, though advanced POS features require upgrading to Shopify POS Pro.
Now let’s take a look at the biggest benefits of Shopify web hosting.
Excellent performance
Shopify hosting is a reliable and high-performing solution for e-commerce businesses. It offers scalability, ease of use, affordability, 24/7 customer support, and strong security features.
With its global CDN and optimized infrastructure, Shopify ensures fast, responsive websites that can handle heavy traffic, giving customers a smooth and consistent shopping experience.
Unlimited bandwidth
Shopify provides PCI-compliant website hosting with unlimited bandwidth, automatic backups, and a global CDN. This allows your store to grow without the risk of bandwidth limits or unexpected hosting costs, even during traffic spikes.
High flexibility
Shopify web hosting offers more flexibility and scalability than shared hosting and comes at a lower cost than dedicated one. With Shopify, you can easily adjust your website to suit your specific business needs and scale your hosting resources as your business grows.
Extensive customization
With Shopify hosting, you get all the tools needed to design, manage, and host your e-commerce website. It also lets you customize your store’s design, layout, and functionality to create a unique and engaging shopping experience for your customers.
High-level security
With PCI compliance, built-in fraud analysis, and advanced safeguards against cyber threats, Shopify’s secure infrastructure keeps your store protected. It ensures your customers’ data is safe and confidential.
Shopify domains
Domains are closely tied to hosting, and Shopify makes it easy to manage them directly through its platform. You can register a domain with Shopify starting at around $14 per year. While this may be slightly more expensive than using external registrars like GoDaddy, it offers greater convenience since configuration, integration, and setup are fully automated.
Shopify also allows you to manage subdomains and international domains, and if you already own a domain from another provider, transferring it to Shopify is straightforward.
Shopify email hosting setup
While Shopify takes care of hosting your online store, it doesn’t provide built-in email hosting. Most merchants still want professional email addresses that match their store’s domain, but this is handled through third-party providers such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. These services integrate with Shopify domains but may require some technical setup.
Shopped Email
There’s also a service called Shopped Email, which acts as a dedicated email host for Shopify merchants. Setting up custom email addresses does not require technical skills, and a Shopify development company can assist if any issues arise. You can also migrate your existing email communication from another server with ease.
Pricing starts at around $10 per month per email account, and you can create multiple addresses under your domain.
Forwarding email addresses
If you bought your domain through Shopify, you can set up free email forwarding right in the platform. Messages sent to your custom domain will automatically redirect to your existing inbox (like Gmail or Outlook).
The downside? It looks less professional since customers will see your original email address rather than your custom domain, which can appear less professional. Plus, email deliverability can be inconsistent with this method.
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Advantages of Shopify Web Hosting
As mentioned earlier, Shopify hosting is one of the strongest options on the market. Let’s see why it stands out.
Performance
Shopify hosting uses a global content delivery network, making it one of the fastest solutions worldwide, regardless of location. Even during peak shopping events like Black Friday or the holiday season, performance remains stable. In addition, platform updates are applied automatically, so your store is always up to date.
No limits
With unlimited bandwidth, file storage, product listings, and email forwarding, you never have to worry about exceeding restrictions when running your store.
Versatility
Shopify supports every stage of e-commerce, from marketing and sales to payments and fulfillment. Its app ecosystem further extends the platform’s core functionality, so you have access to a wide range of tools to fit your business needs.
Customization
You can choose any (free) domain name, use one of many free themes, and enjoy a drag-and-drop website builder.
Scalability
Shopify is designed to scale with your business, as it meets the needs of both small and large merchants. It allows your store to grow seamlessly, even during periods of rapid expansion.
Ease of use
Setting up a Shopify store is still quick and beginner-friendly, so even a small shop can easily start selling. The process is hassle-free because of the platform's intuitive interface, drag-and-drop tools, and built-in features. However, advanced customization or complex integrations may require the support of a developer or additional apps.
Affordability
Shopify offers competitive pricing, particularly with the Basic and Starter plans, which provide excellent value for the features included. Merchants can also save with annual billing or occasional discounts. However, overall costs vary depending on the apps, themes, and integrations you choose, and extra transaction fees apply if you do not use Shopify Payments.
Support
All Shopify plans include access to 24/7 customer support through live chat, the Help Center, and the community forum. Larger merchants on Shopify Plus get more dedicated support, including priority assistance and their own account managers.
Security
Shopify protects customer data (such as personal information and credit card details) through PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, SSL encryption, built-in fraud analysis, and regular external scans. Merchants still need to follow best practices (e.g. strong access controls, enabling two-factor authentication, auditing third-party apps) to keep their stores fully secure.
Bronson Labs wanted to add content, integrations, and special offers quickly. After migrating to Shopify, all website changes became easy, cutting maintenance costs threefold.
5/5
Clutch review
70%
Less dev time
3x
Lower maintenance cost
The Disadvantages of Shopify Domain Hosting – Are There Any?
As with any hosted solution, you pay for convenience in various ways.
Dependency. Because Shopify controls hosting and infrastructure, your store is tied to their platform. If Shopify has downtime or changes its services, you don’t have an easier “shop server” fallback. Migrating to a different platform is possible but often complex and costly.
Policy and pricing. Shopify sets rate plans, transaction fees (especially for external payment gateways), and app store policies. If they change terms, the burden often falls on merchants.
App-dependence & hidden costs. Many extended features are only available via third-party apps. Simple apps might be inexpensive, but premium ones (especially for custom or advanced needs) can be pricey, sometimes hundreds of dollars per month.
Shopify hosting cost
Now let’s talk about cost. Shopify offers multiple plans starting with a Starter plan at about $5/month, then:
Basic (around $39/month or $29/month when billed annually),
Grow (formerly “Shopify”) for about $105/month, and
Advanced plan at about $399/month monthly (or $299/month with annual billing).
There is also a high-end Plus tier with custom pricing for enterprise use. These plans are more expensive than many regular web hosts, but Shopify includes many services (like security, hosting, CDN, backups) that some hosts charge extra for.
| Pros of Shopify hosting | Cons of Shopify hosting |
|---|---|
| All-in-one solution with hosting included in every plan | Full dependency on Shopify’s infrastructure and policies |
| Free SSL certificate and PCI DSS Level 1 compliance | Limited flexibility compared to self-hosted platforms |
| Unlimited bandwidth and product listings | Advanced customization often requires paid apps or developers |
| Global CDN, automatic backups, and high uptime | Easy setup with no technical skills required |
| Easy setup with no technical skills required | No built-in email hosting (only forwarding is included) |
| 24/7 customer support and strong security features | Domain purchases slightly more expensive than external registrars |
| Harder to migrate away if you outgrow Shopify | Harder to migrate away if you outgrow Shopify |
Is It Possible to Host a Shopify Online Store Outside Shopify?
Yes. It is possible when you use a headless commerce approach with Shopify. In this setup, you separate the frontend (the “head”) from the backend (Shopify’s commerce engine) by using Shopify’s APIs (such as the Storefront API) to build a custom storefront.
Shopify has official tools for this, including the React-based Hydrogen framework and Oxygen, their global edge hosting for Hydrogen storefronts. While Shopify’s backend (checkout, data, orders) remains hosted by Shopify, the frontend can be hosted on external platforms or services.
Popular choices for headless storefront hosting include Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud, and similarly capable providers.
Shopify Hosting Alternatives – a Rundown
If Shopify isn't quite right for your business, there are several other platforms worth considering. Here are some top alternatives, along with their strengths and pricing.
| Alternative | Who it’s best for | Standout features | Typical starting price / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce | Growing / B2B-capable brands needing more built-in tools | No transaction fees regardless of payment gateway, strong SEO, drag-and-drop page builder, native multichannel & B2B features. | Plans start around US $29/month for standard stores. Scaling and enterprise tiers cost more. |
| WooCommerce (WordPress + WooCommerce) | Stores needing flexibility, full control, content-heavy sites | Highly customizable, huge ecosystem of plugins/themes, strong SEO and content tools. | Core plugin is free but hosting, themes, and paid extensions add cost. Great when matched with good WooCommerce-friendly host. |
| Wix | Beginners, small-to-medium stores, design-focused sites | Intuitive drag-and-drop builder, many templates, good for visual design + content, affordable starter pricing. | Pricing for e-commerce plans usually starts in the mid-teens to low-$20 range per month. Scales up. |
| Squarespace | Creatives, visual brands, service-based businesses | Beautiful templates, built-in marketing/email tools, and nice design options. | Costs are higher than the most basic stores. More expensive once you add commerce functionality. |
| Hostinger (Builder / WooCommerce hosting) | Budget conscious sellers, small stores wanting basic e-commerce | Very low starting cost, good speed, includes AI tools and easy setup, decent feature set for price. | Some plans start as low as US $3-$5/month (promotion / annual billing) for entry-level usage. Features scale up. |
| Magento / Adobe Commerce | Enterprise, large stores, custom process heavy businesses | Maximum control, very powerful customizability, robust for complex workflows. | High cost. Usually custom-quoted. Requires developers and maintenance. Not ideal for beginners. |
| Shift4Shop, Ecwid, PrestaShop | Specialty needs: storefront add-ons, niche stores, open-source lovers | Offer free/low-cost entry, multilingual/localization, flexible store add-ons, open-source models. | Costs vary a lot depending on how much you build/host yourself. Free core software or free-plan options often have limitations. |
Shopify Hosting: Is It the Right Choice for You and How We Can Help
At Naturaily, we have extensive experience with Shopify implementation, covering both business consulting and Shopify development services, including headless storefront deployments. We can help you unlock the full potential of this versatile e-commerce platform.
Our team specializes in e-commerce and web development, and we will be glad to support you in setting up the right hosting and architecture for your Shopify store. If you’d like to discuss your needs and receive a detailed offer with a tailored price estimate, feel free to contact us.
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