Server Requirements
Before installing CreateCouponWebsite, make sure your server meets these minimum requirements. Don't worry — all the hosting providers we recommend below meet every single requirement out of the box.
Minimum Server Specs
- PHP 8.2 or higher
- MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.3+
- Composer 2.x (for dependency management)
- Node.js 18+ and NPM 9+ (for asset compilation)
- Apache or Nginx web server
- Minimum 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
- 1 GB+ disk space for the application and coupon data
Not sure about your server specs? Skip ahead to our Recommended Hosting section below — every provider listed meets all requirements on their standard plans. No manual configuration needed.
Required PHP Extensions
These PHP extensions must be enabled on your server. Most shared hosting providers include all of them by default:
- BCMath — handles precision math
- Ctype & JSON — data validation and parsing
- Fileinfo & Mbstring — file handling and UTF-8 support
- OpenSSL — secure connections (payments, APIs)
- PDO — database connectivity
- Tokenizer & XML — framework internals
- cURL — connects to affiliate network APIs (CJ, Awin, Impact, Admitad)
- GD or Imagick — processes store logos and image uploads
- ZIP — bulk coupon imports and exports
You can verify your PHP extensions by running
php -m in your terminal, or check your hosting control panel under PHP Settings.
Recommended Configuration
For the best performance, especially with large coupon databases (10,000+ coupons):
- OPcache enabled with at least 128 MB memory
- Redis or Memcached for session and cache storage
- Supervisor for queue workers (handles coupon auto-import in the background)
- SSL certificate — free with Let's Encrypt (included with most hosts)
- Cron job configured for scheduled automation tasks (auto-import, cleanup)
Where to Get Hosting & a Domain
Here are our recommended providers — all of them meet every system requirement listed above on their standard plans. No manual PHP configuration needed.
Best Web Hosting
- Hostinger — Best budget hosting at $2.99/mo. Includes free domain, free SSL, LiteSpeed server, PHP 8.2+, daily backups, and 100 GB SSD storage. Our #1 recommendation for new coupon websites.
- InterServer — Affordable at $2.50/mo with a price lock guarantee. Unlimited SSD storage, free SSL, free migration, and 99.9% uptime. Great for growing sites.
- Namecheap Hosting — Trusted by millions. Affordable shared hosting with free SSL, cPanel, and excellent DNS management. Domains starting at $3.98/year with free WHOIS privacy.
- MilesWeb — Budget-friendly hosting with NVMe SSD storage, free SSL, free domain with hosting plans, and 99.95% uptime guarantee.
Our top pick: Hostinger — it's the best balance of price, performance, and features for coupon websites. One-click PHP version switching, free domain for 1 year, and LiteSpeed caching makes your coupon site load fast.
Best Domain Registrars
If you already have hosting and just need a domain name:
- Namecheap — Domains from $5.98/year with free WHOIS privacy protection. Our recommended registrar.
- MilesWeb — Affordable domains bundled with hosting plans.
Choose a .com domain whenever possible — it builds trust and credibility. Keep it short, easy to spell, and relevant to coupons or deals (e.g., "TechDealFinder.com", "ShopSavvy.com").
Quick Compatibility Check
Use this checklist to verify your server is ready:
- PHP version is 8.2 or higher — run
php -v - MySQL is 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.3+ — run
mysql --version - All required PHP extensions are enabled — run
php -m - Composer is installed — run
composer --version - Node.js is 18+ — run
node -v - Web server (Apache/Nginx) is running with mod_rewrite enabled
- SSL certificate is installed (your URL starts with
https://)
If you use one of our recommended hosting providers above, you can skip this checklist entirely — everything is pre-configured and ready to go. Just install CreateCouponWebsite and start building your coupon site!