Web hosting
Shared web hosting on OpenHost — PHP apps, static sites, one-click installers, and everything included in Web plans.
Web hosting plans are for PHP applications, static sites, and anything that runs on a traditional LAMP-style stack. Each account runs in an isolated container with dedicated resources.
What's included
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| PHP 8.0–8.3 | Switch versions per site, one click |
| NVMe storage | 10–80 GB depending on plan tier |
| CDN | Global edge network included (no setup) |
| SSL | Free auto-renewing certificates for all domains |
| Daily backups | Off-site, one-click restore |
| Business mailboxes on your domain (IMAP/SMTP + webmail) | |
| Databases | MySQL-compatible with web manager |
| File manager | In-browser editing, SFTP access |
| App installer | 100+ open-source apps in one click |
| Isolation | Your container can't be affected by other accounts |
Plans at a glance
| Plan | Traffic/mo | Concurrent visitors | vCPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | 50 GB | ~100 | 1 | 1 GB | 10 GB |
| Lite | 150 GB | ~150 | 1 | 1 GB | 15 GB |
| Plus | 500 GB | ~300 | 2 | 2 GB | 25 GB |
| Pro | 1 TB | ~600 | 3 | 3 GB | 50 GB |
| Max | 2 TB | ~1000 | 4 | 4 GB | 80 GB |
Creating a web hosting site
Create the website
Panel → Websites → Create website → choose PHP (or a specific app template from the installer).
Choose PHP version
Select PHP 8.2 or 8.3 for best performance. Older versions (8.0, 8.1) are available for legacy apps.
Upload your files
Use the File Manager in the panel, or connect via SFTP. Place your app in the document root.
Create a database (if needed)
Panel → Databases → Create. Note the credentials and update your app's config file.
One-click app installer
The installer includes 100+ applications:
- CMS: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Ghost
- eCommerce: WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart
- Forums: Discourse, phpBB, Flarum
- Wikis: MediaWiki, BookStack, Wiki.js
- File sharing: Nextcloud, FileRun
- And more: Matomo, Monica CRM, Invoice Ninja, etc.
Each install gets its own database, SSL certificate, and daily backup.
PHP configuration
Tune PHP settings per site from the panel:
| Setting | Default | Max |
|---|---|---|
memory_limit | 128M | 512M (Pro+) |
upload_max_filesize | 64M | 256M |
max_execution_time | 30s | 300s |
opcache | Enabled | Always on |
Access via Panel → Websites → your site → PHP settings.
Caching
LiteSpeed Cache is available on all web hosting plans:
- For WordPress: install the LiteSpeed Cache plugin (pre-installed on WP sites)
- For custom PHP: use the cache control headers — the server respects
Cache-ControlandX-LiteSpeed-Cache-Control - Static assets are automatically cached at the CDN edge
Performance tips
- Use PHP 8.2+ — each major version is measurably faster
- Enable page caching — reduces server-side processing by 5–7×
- Optimize images — WebP format, compress before upload
- Minimize plugins — each active plugin adds load time
- Use a CDN — already included, just ensure assets are cacheable
Limits and fair use
- Traffic is metered (bytes served to visitors)
- Concurrent visitors is a soft guidance number based on server capacity
- CPU/RAM are guaranteed minimums — burst above is allowed briefly
- No cryptocurrency mining, torrenting, or resource-monopolizing processes
If you consistently exceed plan limits, we'll recommend an upgrade before throttling.
When to upgrade vs. VPS
| Stay on Web hosting | Move to VPS |
|---|---|
| PHP/WordPress sites | Custom stacks (Docker, Rust, Go) |
| Standard CMS workloads | Root access needed |
| Don't want to manage a server | Running your own services |
| Traffic within plan limits | Need guaranteed high concurrency |
Related docs
- WordPress hosting — managed WP-specific features
- Custom domain — connect your domain
- Apps overview — one-click app catalog
- FAQ