Best Tips for Running Adobe Commerce (Magento) on Shared Hosting

Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is powerful, but also resource-hungry. Running it on shared hosting is possible — if you know how to squeeze every drop of performance and stability from your plan. With the right optimizations, even a shared environment can support small to mid-sized stores without constant timeouts or bottlenecks.

Optimize Your PHP Configuration

Magento thrives on properly tuned PHP settings. If you have access to PHP configuration:

- Set memory_limit to at least 756M (higher if your host allows it).
- Increase max_execution_time to 180–300 to avoid script timeouts during indexing or upgrades.
- Ensure PHP 8.1 or later is selected, as Magento 2.4+ is optimized for newer versions.

Pro tip: disable unused PHP extensions (like imagick if you’re not generating thumbnails) to free up RAM.

 

Database Tweaks for Shared Hosting

Most shared plans run MySQL/MariaDB on the same server. Reduce load by:

- Switching InnoDB tables to use ROW_FORMAT=DYNAMIC for better efficiency with Magento’s large indexes.
- Enabling query caching if your host supports it.
- Cleaning logs regularly with bin/magento log:clean — otherwise database tables balloon and slow down queries.

Use Built-In Caching Smartly

Full-page caching is non-negotiable. If your host doesn’t support Redis or Varnish, fall back to Magento’s built-in file cache but place it on SSD storage. Consider:

- Using LiteSpeed or Nginx with FastCGI cache layers if your provider supports them.
- Enabling Magento_CacheInvalidate for precise cache purges instead of full clears.
- Compressing static files with Gzip or Brotli at the server level.


 

Control Your Cron Jobs

Magento is heavily dependent on cron for indexing, emails, and cache cleaning. On shared hosting:

- Configure cron to run every 5 minutes, not every minute, to avoid throttling.
- Stagger tasks by setting up multiple cron jobs with specific arguments (cron:run, indexer:reindex, etc.).
- Monitor cron_schedule in your database to make sure tasks aren’t piling up.

Slim Down Your Store

Shared hosting means limited I/O and CPU — so keep your Magento lean:

- Remove unused modules with bin/magento module:disable.
- Deploy static content in production mode (setup:static-content:deploy) to reduce runtime generation.
- Enable JS bundling and CSS merging in Stores > Configuration > Advanced > Developer.

Pro tip: Use a CDN for heavy assets like product images to offload traffic from your shared server.
 

Secure Your Store on Shared Hosting

Security matters more when you’re sharing a server with dozens of other websites:

- Always use HTTPS — most shared hosts (like us) provide free SSL
- Restrict admin access with IP whitelisting or two-factor authentication.
- Change the default /admin URL to something custom.
- Set up automatic daily backups (and test restoring them).

Why EuroDNS Shared Hosting Works for Magento

Not all shared hosting is equal. At EuroDNS, we’ve tuned our environments so Magento runs smoothly from day one. Free SSL, daily backups, and GDPR-compliant hosting ensure your store is both fast and safe. And when you’re ready to scale, you can upgrade plans without painful migrations.

Final Thoughts

Running Magento on shared hosting requires careful tuning, but it’s achievable for small to mid-sized stores. By optimizing PHP, managing database load, configuring caching, and staying disciplined with security, you can keep your store fast and reliable without breaking the bank. EuroDNS shared hosting gives you the foundation — the rest comes down to smart configuration.