Joomla Hosting: All You Need To Know (2024)

Joomla is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) used to build and manage websites and online applications. Some key benefits of using Joomla include:

User-friendly interface and administration panel makes it easy for beginners
Extensive library of templates, extensions and integrations
Built-in SEO and marketing tools
Secure and scalable with robust community support
Completely customizable and flexible for all types of websites

With over 3% of the web running on Joomla, it powers everything from personal blogs to enterprise company sites. Choosing the right Joomla hosting is key though to get the best performance.

Table of Contents

Things to Consider When Choosing Joomla Hosting

There are several key things to evaluate when selecting a hosting provider for your Joomla site:

Server Configuration

Operating System – Linux is recommended
PHP version 7.2+
MySQL 5.6+
Apache or Nginx web server

Database Support

Joomla requires MySQL, so make sure the host provides:

Unlimited databases
Current MySQL version
Easy database management

Joomla Optimizations

Look for hosts that offer:

Built-in Joomla auto-installer
Pre-configured PHP settings
Joomla performance tweaking

Security

With data breaches so common, security is crucial:

SSL certificate
Firewall protection
Secure FTP access
Anti-malware scanning

Scalability

As your traffic grows, ensure your host can scale:

Quick resource addition
Cloud hosting upgrades
Caching and CDN integration

Here are some top Joomla hosting providers to consider with these criteria in mind.

Top Hosting Providers Optimized for Joomla

Choosing the right web host is one of the most important decisions when building a Joomla website.

With so many options though, selecting a hosting provider tailored specifically for Joomla can be challenging.

The best Joomla hosts have servers optimized for top performance out-of-the-box, key security protections, site management tools, and top-notch support.

Specialized hosting can help take your Joomla site to the next level.

Below we detail the top five Joomla hosting providers that check all the boxes:

1. Truehost.co.za – Best Overall

Truehost specifically optimizes their hosting for Joomla sites leveraging custom configurations and proprietary technology for speed and security.

Key Features:

Specialized Joomla configurations
Built-in SG Optimizer plugin
Free CDN and SSL certificate
NGINX web server technology
Automatic updates for Joomla and extensions
In-house SuperCacher for custom caching
Cloudflare integration

Their Silver shared plan also includes managed WordPress hosting useful for multi-CMS sites.

With world-class support and a risk-free 30 day money back guarantee, Truehost is a savvy choice.

2. Kinsta – Best Managed Joomla Host

If you want a hands-off hosted Joomla experience, Kinsta is the leading managed Joomla hosting provider.

Managed Service Includes:

Server administration
Joomla core updates
Extension updates
Daily backups
Site monitoring
24/7 support

Built on Google Cloud Platform, they offer impressive performance with CDN, HTTP/2 servers, and SSD drives included.

Best for larger and enterprise sites, their managed solution gives peace of mind so you can focus solely on your Joomla site rather than server upkeep.

3. A2 Hosting – Fastest Speeds

Boasting up to 20X faster page loads, A2 Hosting leverages custom server technology and a high-performance infrastructure perfect for Joomla.

Speed Features:

Turbo Servers
CDN
HTTP/2
SSD Drives
Caching
GZIP Compression

Their exclusive Turbo Boost automatically caches static assets as well as OPcache for ultra-optimized PHP. Shared hosting starts under $4/month backed by a 99.9% uptime commitment.

With possibly the fastest host around ready to handle today’s image and video-heavy sites, they eliminate hosting bottlenecks.

4. InMotion Hosting – Most Scalable

From shared servers to dedicated boxes, InMotion Hosting allows immense vertical scalability perfect for growing Joomla sites without migrations.

Scalability & Growth:

Shared hosting
VPS hosting
Dedicated servers
High resource guarantees
Effortless scaling between tiers
Worry-free transfers between accounts

They offer free data backups, an SSD drive, max memory control panel for optimized configs, and bundled CDN.

Excellent performance plus scalability to grow makes InMotion stand out.

5. Liquid Web – Most Reliable

With an average of 15+ years experience, Liquid Web has the most knowledgeable support combined with high-performing dedicated servers perfect for business-critical Joomla sites.

Reliability Features:

100% uptime guarantee
Highly-available storage
Enterprise hardware
Cloud sites with automatic failover
Managed solutions
Expert support

While costlier than shared hosting, Liquid Web data centers deliver reliable sites no matter the traffic.

With custom server optimization for Joomla available, they offer unparalleled reliability.

Find Your Optimized Joomla Host Today

All five providers above have solutions tailored specifically for Joomla from optimizations to architecture allowing for the highest performance install possible.

They eliminate the need for extensive Joomla configuration and tuning.

While budget and needs play a role when deciding on hosting, specialized environments purpose-built to run Joomla sites exceptionally well should be strongly considered.

This allows focusing efforts on creating amazing content and applications rather than server admin.

By selecting a premier Joomla optimized host leveraging the newest technology like PHP 7.4 and HTTP/2, your site will operate at peak efficiency right out-of-the-box.

So don’t settle for shared servers designed for WordPress or basic LAMP stacks.

Choose a host today that helps your Joomla site deliver the speed, security, and scalability top sites require for years to come.

Your developers, customers, and search engines will thank you!

Joomla Hosting Features to Look For

In addition to the criteria above, there are some key hosting features to enable optimal performance for a Joomla site:

One-Click Joomla Installer

Choose a host like Truehost.co.za that allows seamless installation of Joomla to get your site up and running quickly.

Pre-Configured PHP/MySQL

Optimized PHP and MySQL settings out-of-the-box prevent needing to manually tune your configuration.

Automatic Updates

Automatically updated versions of Joomla and extensions improve security and performance.

Caching and CDN

Caching reduces server load times while a CDN stores static files globally for faster content delivery.

Daily Backups

Automatic daily backups provide peace of mind over lost or corrupt site files.

Free SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate encrypts data and protects user privacy for secure HTTPs connections.

Server Optimization

Specialized web servers like NGINX finely tuned for optimal Joomla performance.

Managing Your Joomla Site

Once your Joomla site is up and running, ongoing management best practices include:

Update Joomla Core and Extensions

Update to latest Joomla version
Use one-click extension updater
Review changelogs before updating
Test site after updating

Backups and Security

Schedule automatic backups
Generate backup before major site changes
Install security extensions
Leverage .htaccess file

Performance Monitoring

Track site traffic
Monitor load times
Identify bottlenecks
Boost resources if needed

Scaling Resources

Vertical scaling to increase plan
Horizontal scaling to add servers
Enable caching and CDN

Proper hosting and site management will lead to the best, most secure Joomla site possible.

Migrating an Existing Joomla Site to New Hosting

Migrating an existing Joomla site to a new hosting provider may become necessary over time if you outgrow your current hosting resources, need more features, or are simply unsatisfied with your current provider’s performance or support.

While a Joomla migration process may seem straightforward on the surface, it requires precision and care to avoid common pitfalls that can disrupt your site.

Following proven steps and best practices is key to seamlessly transferring your Joomla site and avoiding any downtime.

Why Migrate Joomla Hosting Providers

There are a few common reasons you may need to migrate web hosts for an established Joomla site:

Limited resources – Traffic is exceeding allocated bandwidth, storage is full, or site is slow.
Seeking better features – Current host lacks backups, security, or newer PHP versions.
Too expensive – Ready for dedicated server but shared hosting is cost prohibitive.
High downtime – Experiencing frequent outages disrupting business.
Poor support – Not getting issues resolved in timely manner.

While transferring hosts seems like an annoyance, selecting a specialized Joomla optimized hosting provider can significantly enhance performance, security, uptime and provide room to scale.

Step 1 – Full Site Backup

Before making any hosting or site changes, the very first step is:

Create a full site backup

This includes:

Joomla database
Site source code – All Joomla files and folders
Media assets – Images, documents, and resources

Backups can be created:

Manually – Via cPanel or FTP
Automated – Using backup extensions
Migration tools – Services like Duplicator Pro

If any issues crop up during the migration, you can restore this backup and prevent downtime.

Step 2 – Select Your New Joomla Hosting Provider

Once backed up, it’s time for the fun part – selecting a new optimized Joomla hosting provider!

Key features to consider:

Joomla auto-installer
Pre-configured PHP and MySQL
Integrated caching and CDN
Server technology like LiteSpeed or NGINX
Cloud-based resources and scalability

Do your homework to match technical needs and budget. Top hosts include SiteGround, Kinsta, and A2 Hosting specifically tailored for Joomla.

Step 3 – Point Domain Name to New Host

Now with new hosting account established, point your domain name to new hosting servers:

Update nameservers at registrar
May take up to 48 hours to propagate
Creates seamless user transition to new host

Step 4 – Upload Joomla Site Data

2 major options for “pushing” site data to new host:

Full Site Migration

Utilize migration tools to automate transferring:

Database
File system
Config files
Asset upload

Ensures uniform transfer without inconsistencies.

Manual Data Transfer

If going manual route:

Export database

Save SQL using cPanel or phpMyAdmin
Compress file

Transfer files

Compress site folder
Upload zip via FTP

Adjust configuration

Update paths and database credentials in configuration.php

While more complex, manual process gives room for customization.

Step 5 – Update Domain’s A Record

The final technical step is updating DNS A record to new host’s IP address to direct traffic properly. This requires updating the A record with:

Host provider’s nameservers
Host IP address

After about 24 hours, site visitors are directed seamlessly to migrated site.

Step 6 – Post-Migration Site Testing

Before celebrating, significant testing must be done to validate full site functionality:

Site frontend – Test all pages and navigation
Site backend – Ensure admin panel works
Extensions – Validate all integrations
Speed tests – Check for performance improvements
Visual tests – Confirm design and layout
Browser tests – Site works across browsers

Only with exhaustive testing can you confirm site stability.

Step 7 – Submit Sitemap to Search Engines

To minimize any SEO impact from URL changes, once migrated:

Generate full XML sitemap
Submit sitemap to search engines
Leverage webmaster tools for inspection

Helps search bots reindex new site location properly.

Migrations Take Planning

When tackling a Joomla site migration, the steps for seamlessly transferring your live site to optimized hosting may seem overwhelming.

But with website backups, following the process methodically, and extensive post-migration testing, you can transition hosts with no downtime.

Patience and diligence are key though for a smooth website migration.

So don’t fear host changes!

Embrace the opportunity to boost your site’s performance, security, and scalability with a hosting provider purpose-built for Joomla.

Your site will thank you!

Optimizing Your Hosted Joomla Site

Once migrated to optimized hosting, further tune performance with:

GZIP Compression

Reduce file sizes for faster page loads.

Leverage Browser Caching

Store static assets in browser to prevent re-downloads.

Minify JS/CSS

Shrink file sizes of JavaScript and CSS resources.

Content Delivery Network

Use a CDN to cache assets globally for lightning fast delivery.

Tune MySQL

Adjust MySQL config based on traffic patterns for optimal database interactions.

GET R33 PER MONTH JOOMLA HOSTING

Key Takeaways

Choose specialized Joomla hosting for best performance and ease of use
Key features include one-click installer, Joomla-optimized servers, CDN and caching
Follow best practices for updating, security, backups, and monitoring
Additional fine-tuning optimizes assets and database for faster page loads
Migrating Joomla sites takes planning but prevents downtime or issues