Whether you're building a website for fun or starting an online business, you'll need a good web hosting service. Websites come in all varieties, from WordPress-powered to user-friendly website builder-backed sites, so it’s important to choose a hosting company that offers the site-building tools you need. You'll want high-quality servers, plans that can grow with your site and robust security -- but with so many choices, finding the right web hosting company for your needs can be difficult. I've spent the past year testing server speeds, measuring downtime, assessing customer support and analyzing prices to determine overall value to help you select the best web hosting for your needs.
Our Picks
Pros
- Intuitive tools for site building and server management
- Great server performance
- Top-notch security features
- Affordable renewal prices on most plans
- LiteSpeed acceleration
- Website builder with AI
- AI tools for WordPress
Cons
- Most plans require a four-year contract to get the best introductory discount
- Limited customer support options
Hostinger is the best web hosting company overall. It offers various plans catering to everyone from solo bloggers to e-commerce businesses, remains intuitive from sign up to site creation and boasts class-leading server performance.
Who it's best for
Hostinger’s variety of hosting types makes it a viable choice for many users -- from long-time hobbyists to small business owners. Its competitive introductory discounts can save you hundreds of dollars on your first four years of web hosting. You can also get affordable renewal pricing if you stick with a four-year contract. First-time WordPress users will appreciate Hostinger’s guided WordPress setup and automated updates reduce the amount of time you need to spend learning and managing the CMS.
Hostinger’s also a great choice if you’re multi-passionate and want to build multiple websites, as most plans let you create at least 25 websites. The storage and bandwidth limits mean these sites must be relatively low traffic, but this can be an effective option if you’re creating multiple hobby sites or portfolios for different types of work.
However, Hostinger isn’t ideal if you want to create a temporary website or you’re uncertain of how long you want to maintain your website for, as you’ll need to lock into a four-year contract to receive the best discounts for most hosting types. You may also want to avoid Hostinger if you prefer phone or email support, as Hostinger only provides customer service through live chat. Similarly, you may want to avoid Hostinger if you expect to need a lot of support, as reaching a human can be difficult.
Why we like it
Hostinger offers great security, including unlimited secure socket layer -- SSL -- certification to encrypt data sent from or to your sites, firewall protection to keep malware out and distributed denial of service -- DDoS -- protection to prevent malicious traffic from overwhelming your site. You'll also get a malware scanner and WordPress vulnerabilities scanner for quickly identifying security issues with your site, plus weekly backups (daily on some plans) so you can quickly restore your site if something goes wrong.
WordPress users will enjoy the WordPress acceleration through LiteSpeed, automated WordPress updates and pre-built site templates available on most plans. Hostinger also offers a website builder with over 150 designer-built templates. The website builder also includes AI site generation tools; all you need to do is enter some basic information about your website, choose a color scheme and let Hostinger build your site.
Why we like it
Hostinger offers various hosting types, including WordPress hosting, e-commerce hosting, website builder hosting plans, VPS (Virtual Private Server) and cloud hosting. This variety of options should satisfy the needs of anyone from for-fun bloggers to high-traffic online stores.
Hostinger was a pleasure to use at almost every stage of my assessment, starting with its straightforward signup process. The guided WordPress setup simplifies site creation for newcomers and speeds it up for experienced users. Hostinger’s website builder offers both templates and AI site generation to help users quickly create a site layout matching their vision.
Hostinger impressed me during performance testing, with 100% uptime during my evaluation week, suggesting that it exceeds its 99.9% uptime guarantee. The average desktop speed was well under two seconds, and the mobile site speed, while slower, still fell under the three-second maximum recommended by experts. These test results show that Hostinger can be counted on for fast, reliable site performance -- for you and your visitors.
In my experience, Hostinger offers great security compared to other popular web hosts. You’ll get the usual security features -- SSL certification, firewall protection and DDoS protection -- plus additional tools like malware and vulnerability scanners that other hosts often don’t provide. If something damages your site despite these security measures, you can use the automated weekly backups (or daily backups on higher-tier plans) to restore a recent version of your site -- another thing you won’t be able to do on the basic plans of many popular web hosts.
I also appreciated the long-term benefits Hostinger offers for WordPress users, including LiteSpeed-enhanced servers for improved site performance and automated WordPress updates to ensure smooth, secure functionality. These features reduce the amount of time you’ll have to spend optimizing your site.
The one downside of Hostinger is its imperfect customer service. You can only access customer support through 24/7 live chat, and an AI chatbot manages the general chat. While you can request to speak with a person, it may take half an hour or more to be connected with one. Customer support may not impact your experience -- I’ve only used customer service a handful of times in over 10 years of building websites -- but it’s important to know about these potential issues.
Pricing
You’ll pay anywhere from $3 per month for shared hosting to $30 per month for cloud hosting. All Hostinger plans come with steep discounts, typically based on a four-year contract, longer than the one to three years required to get an introductory discount from other hosts. You may have to pay more than the prices listed below if you choose a shorter contract.
Shared or WordPress hosting -- the options I most commonly recommend for beginners -- from Hostinger both start at $3 a month, with enough resources (like bandwidth and storage) for most small websites. You can also get website builder hosting for $3 a month if you want to use a visual website designer instead of WordPress.
More advanced hosting options come with higher costs -- $5 a month for managed VPS hosting and $8 a month for cloud hosting -- but are still affordable when compared to similar plans from other web hosting companies like A2 Hosting.
Best web hosting service for customer support
Ionos
Pros
- Extensive security features, including backups
- Unlimited traffic, so no need to scale up plans to handle additional traffic
- Low prices, including renewal pricing
- Fast, helpful customer support
Cons
- Website builder costs extra
- Introductory prices are only available if you buy a three-year plan
Ionos is a high-quality web host with numerous hosting plans optimized for everyone from complete beginners to experienced developers. Ionos also boasts some of the best customer service in the industry, with fast response times on live chat and phone.
Who it's best for
Ionos is a great option if you’re building a hobby site or a for-fun blog and you aren’t sure if you’ll want to continue running it for multiple years, as the full introductory discount is available with a one-year contract. Furthermore, Ionos’s guided WordPress setup and excellent customer service make it a solid choice for beginners building a first site, or one of their first sites.
You may also want to use Ionos if you’re a developer or business owner looking for the benefits of advanced hosting -- like VPS or dedicated hosting -- without investing in a high-cost, high-resource plan. Ionos offers modular pricing for these hosting types, so you can buy exactly what you need and nothing more.
Ionos may not be a great choice if you hate navigating through upsells, as the interface forces you to contend with several of them before you can start building your site. You may also want to avoid Ionos if you want optimized site speed with minimal effort, as Ionos’s site speed barely fell within the expert-recommended loading time of three seconds or less during my week of testing.
Why we like it
Ionos offers a much wider variety of hosting options than other companies, ranging from shared and WordPress hosting for first-time site builders to fully self-managed dedicated hosting for developers. Plans also exist for every budget, with some starting as low as $1 a month and others starting at almost $300 per month, making it possible for both hobbyists and business owners to find something suited to their budget.
Ionos proved itself with a high-quality WordPress assistant, although I had issues with Ionos’s signup and site creation process due to its aggressive upsells initially. Ionos customer support was excellent, providing fast, helpful responses within minutes via both phone and live chat. There are 14 international numbers for users around the world. You'll also get a personal consultant available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, although you may be directed to a different agent if your consultant is working on another case when you reach out.
Ionos goes above and beyond the standard security protocols like SSL certification and a firewall, offering benefits like malware scanning on all plans. Ionos also offers daily backups on all plans, something you won’t get on other hosts’ basic plans -- even Hostinger, our top pick, only provides weekly backups for basic users.
My week of testing Ionos showed that its servers also have excellent uptime, but site speed is a different story, with the average loading time barely falling within the three-second guideline. While there are ways to compensate for this, like image optimization and caching plugins, Ionos’s middling site speeds may be a deterrent if you want to maximize speed with minimal involvement.
Pricing
Ionos' starting prices range from $1 per month for shared hosting to $48 a month for dedicated hosting. Like most web hosting services, these starting prices are heavily discounted and the cost rises to the non-discounted price on renewal. Unlike other hosts, Ionos only requires you to sign up for one year to get its lowest possible pricing. Most other web hosts, including Hostinger, usually require three- to four-year contracts, so Ionos is good if you’re not certain you want to commit to long-term site management.
Beginner-friendly shared hosting and WordPress hosting plans start at $1 a month. However, these are mid-tier plans, with renewal prices rising to $12 a month and $10 a month, respectively. The lowest-tier plans have higher starting costs -- $4 per month for shared hosting and $5 per month for WordPress hosting -- but renew at just $6 per month, providing long-term savings. These plans provide enough storage for at least 100 pages and unlimited bandwidth, making them more than sufficient for small websites.
Similarly, website builder plans from Ionos technically start at $1 per month, but this plan goes up to $18 a month. You can get long-term savings on the website builder by choosing the $6 a month plan, which only rises to $12 a month on renewal.
Ionos’s more advanced hosting types, VPS and dedicated hosting, also look affordable at first glance -- VPS hosting starts at just $2 per month and dedicated hosting starts at just $48 per month. However, these are self-managed plans, which means you’ll need to either manage your own server software or hire someone to do it for you, which can be significantly more time-consuming and expensive than just buying a managed plan from a company like A2 Hosting.
Best web hosting service for managed WordPress
SiteGround
Pros
- Full WordPress management
- Guided WordPress setup
- Custom WordPress plugins for speed and security
- Fast, reliable customer support
Cons
- High renewal pricing
SiteGround is a great choice if you’re interested in using WordPress thanks to its guided setup wizard and award-winning customer service available 24/7 via phone, live chat and email. However, the plans are somewhat expensive, so it’s not ideal for users on a tight budget.
Who it's best for
SiteGround is an excellent option if you’re creating a business website and you want the flexibility of WordPress without the complications of finding your own plugins and updating the CMS. SiteGround can also be a good choice if you’re building a temporary website, as the full discount is available on a one-year plan rather than the three or four years required by other hosting companies.
You should avoid SiteGround if you’re building a hobby website or for-fun blog you expect to run for a long time, as the renewal costs are steep -- the lowest-tier plan goes up to $18 a month after the first year.
Why we like it
SiteGround offers numerous tools for WordPress users, starting with one of the best guided setup processes I’ve encountered. It helps you choose a theme based on the type of site you’re creating and install plugins for things like e-commerce sales, so you can dive right into adding content. There’s also a site assistant, though it’s not quite as advanced as similar tools offered by companies like Hostinger and A2 Hosting.
SiteGround provides long-term benefits for WordPress users, including full CMS management, meaning SiteGround automatically updates WordPress for you. Managed WordPress is common, but SiteGround takes it a step further than other hosts with automated updates for themes and plugins as well as the core software.
I was most impressed with SiteGround’s proprietary Speed Optimizer and Security Optimizer plugins, which let you enable things like automatic image compression to improve site speed and two-factor authentication to prevent malicious users from accessing your admin area. You can install speed and security plugins on a site hosted by any company, but SiteGround is the only host I’ve tested that includes them automatically. Moreover, the SiteGround speed and security plugins are better than many of the competitors I’ve tested.
SiteGround also uses more general security protocols to keep your site safe, including the standard SSL certification and firewall protection with a proprietary anti-bot system that claims to block millions of threats every day. You'll also get automated daily backups on all plans, a service many hosts charge extra for.
All of this is great, but the best thing about SiteGround is its customer support. There are comprehensive resources for learning how to perform most web hosting and site management tasks yourself. If you can't figure it out on your own, SiteGround offers customer service via support ticket, live chat and phone. I tested all three of these support channels and was impressed by the SiteGround team's fast, helpful responses.
Pricing
SiteGround offers WordPress and WooCommerce hosting -- both great options for first-time site owners -- starting at $3 per month when you purchase a plan for one year. These plans offer enough storage for at least 100 pages and enough bandwidth for 10,000 monthly visitors.
SiteGround provides cloud hosting for advanced users with large websites starting at $100 a month. This is significantly more expensive than the $15 to $30 a month charged by other top cloud hosting companies, but SiteGround’s excellent customer support and intuitive server management tools can make it worthwhile.
Best web hosting service for beginners
A2 Hosting
Pros
- Excellent security features
- Guided WordPress setup + site assistant for beginners
- Good server performance
Cons
- Introductory pricing only available on a three-year term
- Renewal costs are on the high side
- Slow customer service via support ticket and phone
A2 Hosting is a fantastic web host for beginners, delivering plans ranging from shared hosting to managed VPS and dedicated hosting. Accordingly, your web hosting can grow with your website without requiring you to learn complicated server management processes.
Who it's best for
A2 Hosting’s guided WordPress installation and advanced site assistant make it a great choice for first-time WordPress users who need help getting started. Furthermore, the low starting price -- as little as $2 per month for your first plan -- and reasonable renewal cost -- $13 a month -- make A2 Hosting appealing for both personal and professional websites with a moderate budget.
A2 Hosting is also an excellent pick for e-commerce companies and other businesses that require fast, reliable hosting to operate, especially if you have the budget to purchase a Turbo plan. Business owners will also appreciate the managed options for VPS and dedicated hosting, as these can make it easier to scale your website up with your business.
A2 Hosting isn’t your best choice if you’re on a very tight budget, as the pricing increases significantly -- often by $10 or more per month -- on renewal. You may also want to avoid A2 Hosting if you prefer phone or email support, as response times on these channels can be slow.
Why we like it
The complete lack of upsells in the A2 Hosting purchase process and dashboard makes it easy to get your account set up and start building your site. A2 Hosting’s guided WordPress installation and advanced site assistant further simplify installing the CMS, pre-installing plugins based on your site’s purpose and providing quick links to key tasks, like setting up your first web page. A2 Hosting is ultimately one of the simplest options for first-time WordPress users, though the site assistant isn’t quite as advanced as Hostinger’s.
In my experience, A2 Hosting also offers solid server performance, with 100% uptime during my week of testing and an average loading time well below the recommended maximum of three seconds. These results came from testing the entry-level shared hosting plans, so you may get even better performance if you spring for the more expensive Turbo plans, which use servers with more advanced hardware and caching software.
A2 Hosting protects all of its sites with SSL certification and a specialized dual firewall, which claims to offer better protection than standard firewalls. Other advanced measures include DDoS protection, a virus scanner and brute force defense. You’ll also get automated weekly backups on the basic plan and daily backups on higher-tier plans.
However, A2 Hosting’s customer service proved inconsistent. Live chat agents were fast and helpful, but it took me half an hour to get through to an agent via phone support and almost 12 hours to receive a response via support ticket. These response times aren’t great when compared to other web hosts -- I generally expect a response in ten minutes via phone and two hours when filing a support ticket -- and may be a deal breaker if you prefer phone or email support.
Pricing
A2 Hosting’s starting prices range from $2 a month for shared hosting to $130 a month for managed dedicated hosting. Most of these plans require you to sign up for one to three years (depending on your hosting type) to receive these prices, with shared hosting in particular requiring three-year contracts. This contract length is shorter than the four years required by Hostinger, but longer than the one year required by other top web hosts like SiteGround and Ionos.
Shared hosting, which I recommend for beginners, starts at $2 a month and includes enough storage for at least 100 pages and unlimited bandwidth. This plan includes A2 Hosting’s guided WordPress setup, site assistant and automated updates to the CMS, so you can use it in lieu of one of the managed WordPress plans, which start at $14 a month.
If you’re running a business and you need significant amounts of data or server customization options you can opt for VPS hosting, which starts at $4 a month for unmanaged plans, similar to what you’d expect from other top web hosts. Managed VPS and dedicated server plans are on the expensive side -- starting at $37 a month and $130 a month, respectively -- but are reasonably priced for the service they provide.
Best web hosting service for the environment
GreenGeeks
Pros
- Website builder included on all plans
- Excellent security
- Daily backups on all plans
- Commitment to tree-planting and offsetting carbon emissions
Cons
- Phone support isn't 24/7
- Introductory pricing only available with a three-year contract on most plans
GreenGeeks works to offset the environmental costs of web hosting by investing its profits in renewable energy projects and working with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every hosting account. You don’t pay more for this eco-friendly approach, either -- GreenGeeks’ pricing structure is similar to what you’ll see with other top web hosting companies like A2 Hosting.
Who it's best for
GreenGeeks’ commitment to the environment and affordable plans make it an excellent choice if you’re an eco-conscious individual looking to build a personal website with minimal impact. You may also want to choose GreenGeeks if you’re building a website for a business that places heavy emphasis on sustainable practices.
GreenGeeks may not be your best choice if you’re looking for long-term affordability, as most plans increase by $10 or more per month on renewal. This increase is fairly common, but you can only get the introductory discount for one year instead of the two- or three- year discount you can get from companies like A2 Hosting. You may also want to avoid GreenGeeks if you prefer phone service, as it doesn’t offer this option.
Why we like it
The thing that stands out about GreenGeeks is its commitment to the environment. For every hosting account, GreenGeeks plants a tree and purchases enough wind power credits to offset its power usage by 300%.
All of GreenGeeks’ hosting plans are built for WordPress, with a proprietary dashboard where you can toggle automated updates for the CMS, plugins and themes. GreenGeeks further simplifies things for WordPress users by employing WordPress experts on its support team, something usually only done by more expensive hosting companies like SiteGround.
GreenGeeks secures its sites with the standard SSL certification and firewall protection, alongside 24/7 security monitoring and DDoS protection. All plans include daily backups (something often limited to higher-tier plans with other web hosts), and free malware cleanup (a service other hosts often charge extra for). This makes it easy to get your site up and running again quickly if something goes wrong.
GreenGeeks offers 24/7 live chat support and email support, with the company promising a resolution to email support requests in 15 to 20 minutes -- much faster than the one to four hours I’ve experienced with most web hosting companies.
Pricing
GreenGeeks' prices range from $3 a month for shared hosting and WordPress hosting to $169 a month for dedicated hosting. Prices are based on a one-year contract, which is less than the two to three years many other hosts require to access the highest introductory discount. However, you can only get the discount for one year -- if you choose a two- or three-year plan, you’ll pay the regular price right away. GreenGeeks is therefore less cost-effective than other options if you keep your site for multiple years.
Shared and WordPress hosting both start at $3 per month and are suitable for small-to-medium traffic sites to comfortably handle traffic spikes without slowing down, with enough storage to host at least 250 pages and unmetered bandwidth. This is similar to other top web hosts’ starting prices, and the renewal price of $13 a month is average as well.
VPS hosting from GreenGeeks falls on the more expensive side of things, starting at $70 a month -- almost double what you’d pay at A2 Hosting. Similarly, dedicated hosting from GreenGeeks is unusually expensive, starting at a whopping $169 a month.
Best for budget web hosting
AccuWeb Hosting
Pros
- Great security features
- LiteSpeed enhanced servers on all plans
Cons
- Phone service isn't available on Sunday
AccuWeb Hosting stands out with wallet-friendly long-term pricing for shared and WordPress hosting, boasting renewal costs as low as $2.75 per month. The company offers several hosting types to accommodate sites of different shapes and sizes. AccuWeb is even more affordable than Hostinger, our other top budget pick, and has even earned the top slot in our best cheap web hosting list.
Who it's best for
AccuWeb is the best web hosting service if you want to create a hobby site, a for-fun blog, or a professional portfolio on a tight budget -- without having to worry about prices skyrocketing on renewal. If your site outgrows its plan, AccuWeb can grow with you through its advanced shared hosting plans, VPS hosting and dedicated hosting. Individuals and businesses with larger websites can also take advantage of these advanced hosting plans.
AccuWeb Hosting may not be your best choice if you prefer phone support over live chat or email, as its phone service isn’t available on Sundays.
Why we like it
AccuWeb Hosting offers several shared hosting and WordPress hosting plans for small-to-medium-sized websites, all with starting prices under $10 per month and renewal prices under $20 per month. These plans don’t skimp on server performance features, either; you’ll get LiteSpeed-enhanced servers, advanced caching tools and other speed-enhancing software often not available from other cheap web hosts.
AccuWeb Hosting provides advanced security, going beyond SSL certification and firewall protection with DDoS protection, regular server security audits and malware scanning. Daily backups are also included in all plans, something you won’t often get from budget web hosts.
AccuWeb also gives you more options for scaling up than other affordable web hosting companies, with both VPS hosting and dedicated server hosting. The dedicated servers are fully customizable and can either be unmanaged (requiring you to configure and maintain server software) or managed (with AccuWeb configuring and maintaining all server software for you).
AccuWeb Hosting’s customer support is available 24/7 via live chat and email. Phone support is available 24/7 for “basic guidance”, with senior technicians available via phone 24 hours a day from Monday through Saturday. Unfortunately, AccuWeb doesn’t clarify what falls into the 24/7 support category. This also raises questions about whether you can get advanced support via email or live chat on Sundays. However, this is unlikely to be a major issue for you -- I’ve only ever needed urgent customer support twice in over ten years of hosting my own sites.
Pricing
AccuWeb Hosting starting prices range from $2.75 a month for WordPress hosting to $103 a month for a dedicated server. Most shared and WordPress hosting plans require you to purchase a three-year contract to get the best introductory discount, a similar timeline to other top web hosting companies like GreenGeeks and A2 Hosting.
The most affordable plan, WordPress Basic ++ (which is priced at $2.75 a month) doesn’t hit you with price hikes, and is great for portfolios, hobby sites and starter blogs, offering enough storage to host at least 100 pages and enough bandwidth for 10,000 monthly visitors. The basic shared hosting plan starts at just $3 a month for enough storage to host at least 500 pages and enough bandwidth for 75,000 visitors, but this plan rises to $7 per month on renewal, so it may not be worth it if you’re creating a portfolio or a simple hobby site.
If you’re building an online business and you want more control over your server, you can opt for managed VPS hosting starting at just $4 a month or dedicated hosting at $103 per month. This last is particularly notable, as other budget hosts like Hostinger don’t offer dedicated hosting at all and companies like A2 Hosting charge $130 or more for this service.
Web host comparison
| Web host | Best for... | Monthly shared plan pricing | Security features | Uptime guarantee | Customer support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | Overall performance | $3 | Great | 99.90% | Good |
| Ionos | Security features | $1 | Great | 99.90% | Great |
| GreenGeeks | Clean-energy web hosting | $3 | Good | 99.90% | Good |
| A2 Hosting | Customer service | $2 | Great | 99.90% | Great |
| SiteGround | WordPress hosting | $3 | Good | 99.90% | Great |
| AccuWeb Hosting | Global customers | $3 | Good | 99.90% | Good |
Factors to consider when choosing a web hosting service
Finding the right web-hosting service can help you launch a blog or a website for your small business.
Hosting types
The most common types of hosting are shared hosting, virtual private server hosting and dedicated hosting.
Shared hosting is the most basic and generally the least expensive type of hosting, with the lowest amount of storage and bandwidth. These plans usually cost between $2 and $20 a month. VPS hosting gives your website more resources than you'd get from a shared hosting plan. These plans usually cost between $2 and $110 a month. Dedicated hosting gives you the storage and bandwidth of a full physical server and typically costs between $47 and $540 a month.
Your web host should offer a variety of hosting plans to accommodate your site as it grows. You may want to choose a host that also has dedicated hosting options if you're planning to grow your site into an enterprise business, but this limits your options -- a lot of the best web hosts only offer shared and VPS hosting.
You may also want to consider cloud hosting -- a specialized type of hosting that stores data in multiple servers to improve uptime and scalability -- if you want to start a business website.
Still not sure what kind of hosting you want to use? Check out our full guide to the web hosting types.
Ease of use
The best web hosting companies offer a straightforward purchase process and an intuitive account dashboard with easy access to key areas like billing management. Website creation tools should also be easy to find and may even provide specific guidance, such as a WordPress assistant that walks you through installing important themes and plugins.
Finally, your web host should offer easy-to-use server management tools. Most hosting companies accomplish this through the industry-standard cPanel, while others like Hostinger offer custom solutions.
Storage
The amount of storage your site comes with dictates how many files (like images) it can host and how many pages you can create. Generally, you'll be able to host 10 large pages (like store pages with high-resolution images of numerous products) or 100 small pages (like blog posts with one or two images) per GB. You can use these estimates to figure out how much storage you'll need or take the "more is better" approach and buy the highest-storage plan you can afford.
You'll also want to consider the storage types being used. Most web hosts use solid-state drive storage for its speed and reliability. Some web hosts use NVMe storage, a specialized type of SSD storage with improved speed, which can reduce site loading times. However, this difference is not significant, so either option works for most websites. The only storage type you'll want to avoid is hard drive or HDD storage, which is notably slower than SSD storage.
Bandwidth/data transfer
Bandwidth is a measurement of how much data a server can send in one second. However, this definition is only used in technical spaces. Colloquially, bandwidth is used to refer to data transfer, the total amount of data your site can send to visitors per month. You may see these terms used interchangeably on some hosts' sites.
Many hosts offer unlimited or unmetered bandwidth, meaning your site can accommodate most traffic spikes and considerable growth. Others specify the number of monthly visitors or even a measurement like 10GB. In the latter instance, you can estimate whether a plan's bandwidth will meet your needs by multiplying the number of monthly visitors you expect by the number of pages they will visit and the size of those pages. For example, if you expect 100 monthly visitors who will look at five pages, and each page is 5MB, you'll need 7.5GB of bandwidth. Or you can skip the math and choose the highest-bandwidth plan you can afford.
Security
It's important to secure your site so you don't compromise the personal information of your site's visitors or yourself. At a minimum, your web hosting should include two security features:
- Secure socket layer certification: The secure socket layer protocol automatically encrypts all data sent to and from your website, protecting key data like your customers' contact information. Browsers and VPNs rely on SSL certification to determine if a site is safe and may block sites without it, so potential visitors can't even load the page. Google may also penalize sites without SSL certification.
- Firewall: A firewall is software that scans data sent to your site and filters out malware attempting to infiltrate your site. Some web hosting companies use the open-source Mod Security firewall, while others have custom firewalls to protect against more advanced threats like distributed denial of service attacks.
Other common security measures include distributed denial of service protection to prevent malicious traffic from flooding your site, traffic from flooding your site, malware scanning to detect harmful software that gets through the firewall and automated backups so you can quickly restore your site if anything goes wrong.
Uptime
Uptime is the amount of time your site spends online. The industry standard site uptime is 99.9%, which means your site won't go down for more than nine hours per year. Some hosts provide uptime guarantees as high as 99.99%, which means your site won't go down for more than 56 minutes per year. Note that this guarantee refers only to server performance; your site may still go down due to other reasons, such as being hacked or a botched WordPress update.
Site speed
Bounce rate -- the percentage of people who leave after only viewing one page of your site -- increases by 32% when loading time goes from one to three seconds, making it essential to optimize your site for speed. The best web hosting companies use top-notch server hardware and software to give your site a strong baseline. Many hosting companies also let you choose the data center your site will be stored on, allowing you to select one close to your primary audience's physical location to improve site speed in that region.
Furthermore, many web hosts use the following storage techniques to reduce loading times:
- Caching: A method of improving site speed by placing data in "fast-access" layers connected to the server's CPU instead of the RAM traditionally used for data storage. The CPU is often faster than the RAM, allowing the server to compile data stored in these fast-access layers more quickly. Some caching tools also store static data -- information that rarely changes, like site menus -- on visitors' browsers, reducing load times when they revisit your site.
- Content delivery network: An interconnected network of servers used to improve site speed for international users by storing data in multiple geographical locations. When someone visits a site with a CDN, their device can pull data from the server closest to them, which can be faster than retrieving information from a server on the other side of the world.
Additional services
The best web hosting companies offer free site migration services to easily transfer an existing site to a new host. They may also offer additional services like email hosting, which allows you to create custom email addresses (like yourname@yourdomain.com), bundled into their plans. They may also offer these services, or even more advanced services like design consultations, for additional fees.
Customer service
You could run into an issue with your site at any time, so choosing a web hosting service that can give you 24/7 customer service is vital. Email support is good, live chat support is better and phone support is best. Addressing any issues or outages as quickly as possible ensures your site is reachable and your visitors have a good experience.
Pricing
Web hosting pricing can be confusing. For example, a service might list its lowest shared hosting price as $5 monthly. That price is a promotional rate and comes attached to a one-year contract. At the end of the contract, the price reverts to its regular price of $10 a month, double what you were paying. With that in mind, shared hosting can cost anywhere between $2 and $23 per month, VPS can cost between $2-$110 a month, and dedicated hosting can cost between $47 and $540 a month on average.
Is shared, VPS or dedicated hosting best for me?
The best hosting type for you depends on your experience level, budget and needs.
Shared hosting is best for hobbyists, bloggers and small businesses. The host sets up and maintains the server for you, there are often guided site setup tools and you’ll only pay for the resources (like bandwidth and storage) you need because you’ll be sharing the resources and the cost of a server with other sites. You can further simplify things with WordPress hosting, shared hosting optimized for the popular content management system, WordPress. WordPress hosting typically includes auto-updates for the core CMS and may also include auto-updates for themes and plugins.
VPS (virtual private server) hosting is best for medium-sized business websites, long-running blogs or complex hobby sites, as a virtual private server generally offers more resources than shared hosting. You may also be able to customize certain aspects of your virtual server, like the operating system, to meet specific technical needs. However, you’ll need to either manage the server yourself or pay a premium for managed VPS hosting.
Dedicated hosting is best for medium to large business websites requiring storage for tens of thousands of large files (like images and videos), as you’ll get the full resources of a physical server. Dedicated hosting also gives you more control over your server’s software configuration, especially if you choose an unmanaged option where you’re in charge of all software setup and updates. However, it’s more expensive than VPS hosting, especially if you choose a managed hosting package where the host maintains server software for you.
Are there any good free web hosting services?
There are some free web hosting services available. However, they often have strict limitations on storage and bandwidth. They may also require you to use a subdomain (like yoursite.hostname.com) rather than your own custom domain (like yoursite.com), which can come across as unprofessional to some viewers. Moreover, some free web hosting services place ads on your site, either for the host or for third-party services that pay the hosting company, not you. This makes free hosting unsuitable for professional or business websites.
You can use free hosting if you’re building a hobby website or you’re just looking for a space to learn how to build a website. I recommend InfinityFree if you want to use WordPress and Wix if you want to use a website builder. You can learn more about these companies in our guide to the best free web hosts.
How we test the best web hosting services
My testing process begins with analyzing web hosting companies' plans and packages to determine their value. If the plans look good, I move on to checking reviews on sites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau to get a feel for the level of service they provide to customers and their overall reputation.
Next, I create an account with each web host and build a test website. I spend one week using my test site to evaluate the host's effectiveness in five key areas:
- Ease of use - This starts with evaluate how simple the purchase process is and how easy it is to navigate the account management area. I also consider how intuitive the site building tools are, guided WordPress installation processes if they exist and the host's server management tool, comparing it to the industry-standard cPanel. Hosts that make most or all of these processes beginner-friendly receive high marks in this category.
- Performance - I spend one week monitoring uptime and performing regular speed tests to determine how fast and reliable the host's servers are. Hosts with under 10 minutes of downtime and site speed averages under three seconds receive a high ranking in this category.
- Security - I comb through each host's plans to determine whether they offer the most essential security systems, SSL certification and firewall protection, on their basic plan. I also consider additional security protocols like DDoS protection, malware scanning, automated backups and security monitoring. Hosts with both the essentials and three or more of the optional security protocols receive top marks in this category.
- Customer support - I explore the knowledge base to determine how intuitive the navigation is and how helpful the resources are for various types of learners. I also test each method of direct communication -- live chat, email and phone if it's available -- and evaluate each one based on how fast the responses are and how capable the representatives are. Companies with comprehensive multimedia knowledge bases and fast, helpful support on all of their direct communication channels receive the highest rankings in this category.
- Value - I compare the host I'm testing to our highest-ranking web hosts to determine how their features and pricing stacks up against the competition. Companies that offer significantly better features than other hosting options in a similar price range receive high marks in this category.
I average out the rankings from each category to give the host an overall ranking out of 10. You can read our full web hosting test framework for more information.
Other web hosts we've tested
Data centers are filled with servers that can house hundreds of websites.
The following web hosting services aren't as robust as our top picks, but they're still reasonable offerings. Some specialize in one type of hosting, like WordPress hosting, so they're not ideal for hosting a non-WordPress site or accommodating its long-term growth. Others have extremely high renewal costs or lack certain types of customer service. Pay close attention to the details when choosing one of these hosts.
Namecheap
Namecheap offers some of the cheapest pricing plans. Month-to-month plans in particular are less expensive compared with monthly plans from other services. Some other services might offer monthly shared hosting plans for $20, but all Namecheap monthly shared hosting plans cost less than $10. Namecheap also offers VPS, dedicated, WordPress and reseller hosting plans. Namecheap has a 99.9% uptime guarantee for VPS and reseller plans, as well as a 100% uptime guarantee for most shared, VPS and dedicated plans.
Each Namecheap plan comes with a free virus scanner, two-factor authentication and DDoS protection to help secure your data and your visitors' data. SSL certificates are free for one year. After that year, you can buy SSL certificates through NameCheap for $6 per year with a five-year contract.
Namecheap offers 24/7 email and chat support but no phone support.
Namecheap plans start at $2 per month.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy offers shared, VPS, dedicated and WordPress hosting plans, a 99.9% uptime guarantee and 24/7 customer support by phone or chat. GoDaddy is also the only web host on this list you can contact via text, and we found customer service highly responsive during our GoDaddy review. GoDaddy also had impressive server performance.
The big drawback of GoDaddy is that some security features are inconsistent. For example, SSL certificates are included with all shared hosting plans, but with the lower-tiered shared plan, you have to purchase an SSL certificate after one year no matter how long your hosting contract is. SSL certificates are also a paid option in lower-tiered VPS and dedicated hosting plans, but they're included in the higher-tiered options.
GoDaddy Web Hosting plans start at $6 a month.
HostGator
HostGator offers shared, VPS, dedicated, WordPress, eCommerce and reseller hosting plans with tiered options.
Most of HostGator's plans include a firewall with DDoS protections and SSL certification for at least one year. Some plans come with automated backups, but HostGator writes that anyone with "critical business information or important data are STRONGLY encouraged to seek a third-party backup service…" (emphasis theirs). Undermining your own backup system is an odd choice.
In theory, customer support from HostGator is available via chat, email or phone 24/7. Some plans limit the types of customer service you can access and we experienced inconsistent service across support channels during our HostGator review.
HostGator pricing starts at $3.75 a month.
HostPapa
HostPapa has global data centers, so you can choose the best data center to reach your visitors the quickest. Hosting options include shared, VPS, managed and unmanaged WordPress hosting, reseller hosting and PapaCare, which is similar to managed shared hosting.
HostPapa has free SSL certificates, DDoS protection and other security features included in each plan, a 99.9% uptime guarantee and 24/7 phone, chat and email support. The lack of a dedicated hosting option means that if your site grows too large, you'll have to migrate to another service. In addition, renewal pricing isn't listed on plan pages and can be quite expensive. Moreover, some features, like automated backups and a security tool, are automatically added for an additional charge during check-out. These features are included in higher-tier plans, but not in all plans.
HostPapa plans start at $2 per month.
Hostwinds
Hostwinds offers unlimited storage and bandwidth, as well as unlimited free business email accounts with each plan. It offers shared, managed and unmanaged VPS, dedicated, reseller and cloud hosting plans, as well as a business-centered shared hosting plan it calls business hosting.
Hostwinds has a 99.9999% uptime guarantee, which is above average, and it offers 24/7 support via live chat, email and support ticket; there are no hours listed for the support phone number. Hostwinds plans also come with free SSL certificates and free nightly backups.
In comparison with other services, Hostwinds isn't as forthcoming with information on other features or plan differences. Usually, services show detailed charts that lay out what features come with plans. Hostwinds' shared chart, for example, lists only bandwidth, disk space and how many domains come with each plan.
Hostwinds plans start at $5.24 a month.
Bluehost
Bluehost specializes in WordPress hosting and many of its plans include custom themes and other WordPress tools. It offers shared, VPS, dedicated hosting, managed and unmanaged WordPress hosting, as well as an option called Online Store that includes additional e-commerce tools with each plan. All plans include two-factor authentication and anti-spam protection. You'll also get an SSL certificate, but it's only free for the first year on the lowest-tier plan; after that, you'll be paying $90 a year.
Bluehost customers can call or chat with a customer support representative 24/7.
Bluehost doesn't offer an uptime guarantee but instead says it resolves issues within 15 minutes of them being reported. It doesn't say how many issues you should expect on average. If your site is down for about 15 minutes a week, your site could be down for about 13 hours a year, which is higher than standard.
Bluehost plans start at $3 per month.
Glowhost
Glowhost offers shared, cloud VPS, dedicated, semi-dedicated, reseller and what Glowhost calls elastic site hosting, which it compares to a managed VPS plan.
Security features include free SSL certificates and McAfee Secure, which is included for free, and customer support is available by phone or chat 24/7. Glowhost also promises 100% network uptime and 99.95% overall uptime. If it doesn't live up to those expectations, you can take advantage of the 91-day money-back guarantee.
Glowhost plans start at $3.50 per month.
Mocahost
Mochahost offers shared, VPS, dedicated cloud, WordPress and reseller plans and 24/7 live chat support. Phone support and ticket creation are also available.
Free SSL certificates are included in each plan as well, but other security features, like spam and malware filters, come at an additional cost or with more expensive plans.
Mochahost plans start at $4 per month, and the renewal prices are affordable too, with the lowest-tier plan renewing at $6.35 a month.
InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting offers shared, VPS, dedicated, WordPress and reseller hosting with different tiered options for each type of hosting. InMotion Hosting also offers managed hosting services. These services can be purchased for one hour for $90, or you can purchase these services for three months, six months or a year with prices starting at $48 a month.
Each plan comes with free SSL certificates, DDoS protections and hack and malware protections. Automatic daily backups are also available, but these are an additional $2.50 a month.
All of this looks great, but our review process revealed serious issues with InMotion Hosting, including slow server speeds and a massive one-hour and 12 minutes of downtime during our week of testing. InMotion Hosting customer support was also impossible to get in touch with.
Shared hosting at InMotion Hosting starts at $3 a month when you choose a three-year plan.
Liquid Web
Liquid Web: No shared hosting. Security features include an integrated firewall and standard DDoS protections. Offers 100% uptime and 24/7 chat or phone support plus you can create tickets. Prices start at $5 a month for VPS hosting.
Web Hosting Hub
Web Hosting Hub: Offers shared and WordPress hosting. Has free SSL certificates but other security features cost extra. Offers 99.9% uptime and has 24/7 chat and phone support as well as ticket submission. Prices start at $6 a month.
WP Engine
WP Engine: Offers WordPress hosting. Security features like free SSL certificates and daily backups. Only custom-managed WordPress plans have an uptime guarantee, and the company offers 24/7 chat support, phone support is offered at higher plan levels. Prices start at $20 a month.
Kinsta
Kinsta: Offers WordPress, web app, managed database and static site hosting. Security features like free SSL certificates and automatic backups. Has a 99.9% uptime and 24/7 chat support. Prices start at $30 a month for WordPress hosting, with a one-month free trial.
