Contao CMS Web Hosting with Free Domain

The Contao Hosting Solution

Select a plan based on your media library, expected traffic, number of sites, extension requirements, backup space, and the resources needed for Composer operations. Confirm that your account can point the domain’s document root to Contao’s public/ directory before installing.

Contao Demos and Hosting Resources

Hosting technologies and supporting topics: NGINX, HTTP/2, CDN, SSL Secure certificates, Firewall Security, DDoS protection, and SSD storage. These hosting features do not replace Contao application updates. For technical background, an older functions article concerns WordPress rather than Contao.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Contao still supported for a new website?

Yes. Contao is actively developed and has a current long-term support branch. Contao 5.7 LTS was released in 2026 and is scheduled to receive updates through February 2030. Choose a maintained release for a new site, then check its release-specific PHP requirements and whether your planned extensions support it. An old, unmaintained installation should be upgraded before it is treated as production-ready.

What hosting does Contao 5.7 require?

Contao 5.7 needs PHP 8.3 or newer, required PHP extensions, and a compatible MySQL or MariaDB database. The official recommendation is PHP 8.4+ with MySQL 8.0+ or equivalent MariaDB. The domain must point to the project’s public/ folder. Confirm adequate PHP memory and execution limits for Composer, image processing, and extensions before ordering hosting.

Can I install Contao using Softaculous?

Yes. RSH Web Services offers Contao installation through Softaculous in cPanel. Its current public listing is version 6.0.0. Confirm your selected PHP version, extensions, database, and public/ document root before setup. If you specifically need Contao 5.7 LTS, follow the project's Contao Manager or Composer installation instructions instead. Contact RSH Web Services for setup assistance.

Is Contao a good fit for multilingual websites?

Contao supports multilingual site structures and is a good candidate when different language versions need coordinated navigation and editorial control. Plan the page hierarchy, language settings, URLs, and translations before building. Multilingual capability does not translate content automatically or guarantee that every custom extension handles languages correctly, so test menus, forms, search results, and metadata in each language.

Does Contao have built-in e-commerce?

Contao is primarily a content management system, not a complete storefront in its standard installation. A store generally requires a compatible extension or integration with another commerce platform. Verify payment support, tax and shipping needs, maintenance status, and compatibility with the current Contao release before committing to an extension. Avoid treating a content feature or marketing page as proof of shop functionality.

How do I move an existing Contao site to another host?

Transfer the database and application files, including uploaded media, templates, configuration, and Composer manifests, then configure a compatible PHP environment and the correct public/ document root. Contao’s official moving guide advises keeping PHP versions aligned across servers. Test the site on the destination before changing DNS, then check images, forms, email, internal links, and redirects after launch.

How should Contao updates be handled?

Take a complete backup and test the update on staging, especially for major versions or sites with extensions. Use Contao Manager or Composer to update dependencies, then run the database migrations and review front-end pages and back-end functions. Check the official release plan for supported branches. An email notice or installer button does not guarantee that every extension and custom template will remain compatible.

What should a Contao backup include?

Keep a current database dump and the project’s code, uploaded files, templates, configuration, and Composer files together so the site can be recreated. Preserve a copy outside the production account, record the Contao and PHP versions, and test restoring to a separate location. Take a fresh backup before changing hosting, PHP, Contao core, extensions, or database structure.

Is Contao free to use commercially?

Yes. Contao is open source and licensed under LGPL-3.0, which permits commercial use. That does not mean every third-party theme, extension, service, or integration is free or carries identical terms. Check each additional component’s license and support policy, and include its maintenance costs in your project budget alongside hosting, editorial work, development, and routine updates.