Why host PrestaShop on a VPS?
Shared hosting imposes strict limits on PHP memory, the number of processes and execution speed — all of them obstacles for a PrestaShop store that loads modules, manages large catalogues and processes payments in real time. On a VPS, you have guaranteed resources (RAM, vCPU, NVMe SSD storage) that translate directly into shorter load times and a better conversion rate. You also keep full control over the PHP and MySQL configuration and the server extensions PrestaShop needs.
What you can do with PrestaShop
- Create and manage an unlimited product catalogue with variants, combinations and custom attributes
- Accept online payments through native modules (CMI, PayPal, Stripe, bank transfer)
- Manage taxes, currencies and shipping zones to sell in Morocco and internationally
- Install hundreds of modules from the AddOns Marketplace to extend features (SEO, loyalty, dropshipping)
- Fully customise your store's theme through the Smarty template editor
- Generate detailed sales reports and track performance from the native dashboard
Install PrestaShop on your ServOrbit VPS
Order a ServOrbit Cloud VPS
Head to /vps-cloud and choose a plan suited to your store. For PrestaShop, a VPS with at least 2 GB of RAM and 1 vCPU is recommended for a mid-sized catalogue. Select the location, confirm your order and wait a few seconds while your VPS is provisioned automatically.
Open the Marketplace in the client area
Log in to your ServOrbit client area, then open the page of your newly created VPS. In the management panel, click the 'Marketplace' tab to access the catalogue of applications available as 1-click installs.
Select PrestaShop and launch the installation
In the Marketplace, search for 'PrestaShop' and click the matching tile. Confirm the start of the installation: the system automatically deploys Apache (or Nginx), PHP 8.1+, MariaDB and the PrestaShop files on your VPS. The operation usually takes less than two minutes.
Complete the initial configuration
Once the installation is finished, open the PrestaShop configuration wizard in your browser at http://[YOUR-VPS-IP]/install. Enter your store name, the administrator email address, the password and the database details (provided in the Marketplace installation summary). Follow the wizard's steps through to the installation-complete confirmation.
Access the back office and secure your store
Delete the /install folder on the server (required — PrestaShop explicitly flags it) then open your admin back office at http://[YOUR-VPS-IP]/admin-[random-suffix]. Log in with the email and password set in the previous step, then configure your domain name under Preferences > SEO & URLs to enable friendly URLs.
Pro tip: before taking your store live, enable the free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate on your VPS (available from the ServOrbit client area) and force HTTPS in PrestaShop via Preferences > General > Enable SSL. An e-commerce site without HTTPS loses buyers' trust and sees its Google ranking penalised — it is the first thing to do before publishing your products.
The official documentation
For advanced configuration, tool-specific options and version changes, refer to the official PrestaShop documentation. This guide covers going live on a ServOrbit VPS; the vendor documentation remains the reference for fine-tuning.
