KnownHost launches PCI-compliant shared hosting plans

KnownHost has rolled out a new line of PCI-compliant shared hosting plans designed to remove the technical burden of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance from merchants. The plans, available since mid-June 2026, provide pre-configured environments that pass Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) scans without additional merchant intervention on the server side.

The offering targets online store owners, payment processors, and any business handling cardholder data who have struggled with scan failures, questionnaire requirements, and the operational overhead of maintaining compliant infrastructure. While the hosting environment meets PCI DSS technical standards, merchants remain responsible for application-level security, internal processes, and completing quarterly ASV scans and annual Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs).

What the plans include

KnownHost’s PCI-compliant hosting runs on CloudLinux’s Lightweight Virtual Environment (LVE) system, ensuring each account operates in an isolated container with guaranteed CPU, memory, and I/O resources. This isolation prevents "noisy neighbor" issues and reduces shared risk, a common pain point in standard shared hosting environments.

The infrastructure is hardened at the network and operating system levels to meet PCI DSS requirements. Weak SSL/TLS protocols and cipher suites are disabled, with only TLS 1.2 and 1.3 enforced. Unnecessary ports are closed, and ModSecurity Web Application Firewall (WAF) filters malicious traffic before it reaches customer applications. KnownHost handles operating system and software patching, automated daily backups with retention, and provides a dedicated IPv4 address and free SSL certificates configured from the outset.

Customers retain full SSH access and cPanel control panel functionality for managing websites, email, and databases. The plans also include Imunify360 for real-time malware and intrusion protection, Redis and Memcache object caching, and 24/7/365 support.

Pricing and tiers

The plans are available across KnownHost’s data centers in Atlanta, Seattle, and Amsterdam. Three tiers cater to businesses of varying sizes:

• Entry PCI Hosting: $24.95/month, 2 CPU cores, 2 GB memory, 50 GB NVMe storage, supports up to 100,000 monthly visits. Targeted at smaller storefronts.
• Business PCI Hosting: $34.95/month, 4 CPU cores, 4 GB memory, 100 GB NVMe storage, supports up to 200,000 monthly visits. Recommended for growing e-commerce operations.
• Corporate PCI Hosting: $79.95/month, 6 CPU cores, 6 GB memory, 150 GB NVMe storage, supports up to 500,000 monthly visits. Designed for higher-traffic sites.

All tiers run on LiteSpeed web server with NVMe-backed storage. For businesses requiring more control or capacity, KnownHost’s managed VPS and dedicated server plans can also be configured to meet or exceed PCI DSS requirements.

Migration and support

KnownHost offers free full migrations for customers switching from other providers, including files, databases, and email. The migration process is designed to keep sites live during the transition, with post-migration testing to ensure readiness for ASV scans from day one. Customers can open tickets to address any server-side scan failures flagged by their ASV.