Choosing the right web hosting service is vital for business success. It brings benefits such as high performance, improved security, good user experience, stability, and the ability to scale when needed.
If you choose the wrong web hosting service for your business, it can lead to revenue loss or a customer’s breach of trust due to poor security measures.
Based on your business type and level of scalability, you can choose from 5 major types of web hosting.
- Shared Hosting: Ideal choice for businesses that are new and have low traffic, such as blogs or personal portfolios. They are cheap, with multiple sites hosted on a single server (sharing resources).
- VPS Hosting: Perfect for growing businesses with medium-level traffic. It offers affordability and performance with excellent scalability.
- Dedicated Hosting: Suitable for businesses with high traffic or enterprises that need dedicated servers to run intensive/complex tasks or apps. Ideal for businesses with technical and regulatory compliance needs.
- Managed WordPress Hosting: Best for businesses that use WordPress and require a hosting provider to handle hosting complexities, including updates, configuration, and maintenance.
- Cloud Hosting: Provides stable and reliable hosting with a pay-as-you-go model, good for high-traffic eCommerce sites.
It’s crucial to opt for web hosting services that are compatible with your business requirements. This will ensure you’re not overpaying for services you don’t need. At the same time, your site will be secure, with minimal downtime and maximized stability.
The Geekflare team has researched and chosen the best web hosting services for scalability, security, and reliability by carefully evaluating each hosting provider in the list. We also tested their uptime, performance, support, and refund policies to provide transparent evaluations.
- Google Cloud Hosting – Best for Scalable, Cloud-Native Web Applications
- A2 Hosting – Affordable Shared Hosting
- Kinsta – Premium Managed WordPress Hosting
- Bluehost – Best Hosting for WordPress Sites
- Wix – Best for eCommerce Sites
- Hostinger – Inbuilt Powerful AI Website Builder
- SiteGround – Best for Small WordPress Site
- DreamHost – Offers Unlimited Traffic
- GoDaddy – Small Business Hosting Solutions
- HostGator – Cheap Shared Hosting
- InMotion – Provides Free Domain
- IONOS – Suitable for Beginners
- Hostwinds – Offers Unlimited Disk Space
- Web.com – Inbuilt Drag-and-drop Website Builder
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You can trust Geekflare
At Geekflare, trust and transparency are paramount. Our team of experts, with over 185 years of combined experience in business and technology, tests and reviews software, ensuring our ratings and awards are unbiased and reliable. Learn how we test.
Google Cloud Hosting
Best for Scalable, Cloud-Native Web Applications
- Storage20 GB
- Bandwidth1 Gbps (E2 instance)
- Website BuilderNo
About Google Cloud Hosting
Google Cloud Hosting (GCH) is an excellent choice for businesses that host scalable and cloud-native web applications such as WordPress, eCommerce web apps, or Firebase apps. To provide optimal performance, GCH offers a variety of solutions, including:
– Single-node WordPress Deployment → For blogs or simple websites.
– Pre-configured WordPress → For WordPress blogs (low to medium traffic).
– Firebase App Hosting → For continuous deployment through GitHub.
With GCH, you can serve a global audience through data centers in 40 regions, including Norway, Finland, Toronto, Salt Lake City, Delhi, and Tokyo. They offer 121 zones with 187 network edge locations, available in 200+ countries and territories.
Google’s cloud infrastructure is inherently secure, with excellent vulnerability management, malware prevention, monitoring, and incident management. Performance-wise, it optimizes its service for fast load times. For backups, you need to use third-party solutions and customize them for daily or weekly backups.
They offer customer service via chat (working hours) and phone.
Google Cloud Hosting Features
Offers a variety of solution types for easy implementation and maintenance.
Comes with robust and scalable infrastructure
99.99% uptime SLA for compute and storage services
Includes Linux and Windows support
Impressive AI/ML and analytics integration
Google Cloud Hosting Pros/Cons
Secure global server fleet
Uses pay-as-you-go pricing model
Seamless integration with Google services
Doesn’t offer website builder
Unreliable hard-to-reach customer support
Google Cloud Hosting Pricing
Google Cloud Hosting offers a pay-as-you-go model. Depending on your needs, the cost for different types of GCH solutions include:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress on Compute Engine | $13.17 | 1 shared vCPU, 2 GB memory, 20 GB persistent disk | Blogs, simple websites, low-to-medium traffic |
| LAMP Stack on Compute Engine | $13.17 | Same as above | LAMP sites, dynamic content |
| Firebase | Pay-as-you-go | Customizable requirements | Global CDN, web apps with static content |
| Cloud Run | Pay-per-use | Custom requirements | frontend/backend services, host LLMs, batch jobs |
| Compute Engine C4 Standard | $73.54 | 2 vCPUs and 7 GB RAM | Complex applications with full control, specific app requirements |
Note: Google Cloud Platform offers $300 in free credits for new accounts (must use the credit within 90 days of account creation).
A2 Hosting
Affordable Shared Hosting
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthFair-bandwidth Usage
- Website BuilderYes
About A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is an affordable shared hosting provider optimized for performance and security. It utilizes premium hardware that is available 24/7 and has a 99.99% uptime commitment, offering the reliability that most businesses desire.
Performance-wise, A2 Hosting provides 40% faster CPU and 3x faster NVMe storage in its Turbo Plan with advanced LiteSpeed Turbo Caching. It offers 4 data centers: 2 in the USA (Arizona and Michigan, 1 in Asia (Singapore), and 1 in Europe (Amsterdam).
Security is taken care of with free SSL, 2FA, DDoS protection, firewall, brute force defense, and an in-built virus scanner. As for backups, you get Core Automatic Backup (smaller backup) in its cheapest plan, with Enhanced Automatic Backups (full server backup) in all other shared plans.
A2 Shared Hosting plans come with a free website builder (limited to a 1-page site). For unlimited use, you’ll need to get the website builder’s paid version. All plans come with unlimited bandwidth, subject to fair-bandwidth usage.
A2 Hosting Features
Offers speed-optimized Turbo plans, including 40% faster CPU and 3x NVME speeds
Customers can contact A2 Hosting 24/7 through phone, email, and chat support.
Free SSL certificate and free migration for new plans
Unlimited bandwidth for all plans (fair-use policy)
Provides free website builder (limited to 1-page websites).
A2 Hosting Pros/Cons
Offers free migration
Comes with cPanel for easy site management
30-day money-back guarantee
Doesn’t offer a free domain
High renewal rates
A2 Hosting Pricing
A2 Hosting offers 4 shared plans, including:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignite | $2.99 | 1 website, 10 GB SSD storage, core automatic backups | Small or new website or portfolio |
| Accel | $5.99 | Unlimited websites, unlimited storage | Small businesses or blogs |
| Turbo Velocity | $7.99 | Same as Accel, plus Unlimited NVMe storage, fast CPU and LiteSpeed Pro | Small businesses with low to medium traffic requirements |
| Turbo Nitro | $14.99 | Same features as Turbo Velocity, plus LiteSpeed Plus and 200% more resources | Small to medium-sized businesses with decent traffic requirement |
Kinsta
Premium Managed WordPress Hosting
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthNo Limitation
- Website BuilderNo
About Kinsta
Kinsta is a premium managed WordPress hosting provider that uses Google Cloud Platform as its infrastructure provider. Due to this, Kinsta can handle high-traffic websites, but at a premium price.
As it is a managed service, Kinsta provides support for issues like site backup, redirects, PHP versions switching, staging sites and other server issues. It also handles performance, troubleshooting, and updates.
The service offers strong performance and can handle traffic spikes up to 200%. This makes it an ideal pick for eCommerce sites. As for servers, businesses can pick from its 35+ data centers spread across 5 continents, including Tokyo, Frankfurt, Sydney, and Auburn. These are powered by C2 and C3D machines capable of offering 20% to 50% faster response time.
Kinsta doesn’t offer any website builder or SEO tools. It also lacks domain registration and has no free domain to offer. However, it excels at providing optimized managed plans.
To ensure reliability, Kinsta offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee with enterprise-grade security, including DDoS protection, fully managed WAF, and SOC 2 compliance. It only supports the latest PHP 8.x and above, as they are patched.
Kinsta Features
Highly knowledgeable professionals available 24/7 via live chat support.
Provides a secure hosting environment with DDoS protection, WAF and free SSL.
Comes with continuous MySQL optimization, edge caching, and image optimization for optimized performance.
Offers developer-friendly tools such as one-click staging, application monitoring tool, Kinsta REST API and site preview tool.
Free automated daily backup with 14-day backup retention (on all plans).
Kinsta Pros/Cons
Optimized for WordPress out-of-the-box
Easily handles high-traffic websites
Offers multi-user access management
No free domain
Expensive plans
Kinsta Pricing
Kinsta offers 3 plans, including:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-site | $30 (1-year plan) | 1 WordPress site, 10 GB storage, 25K visits, 100 GB CDN, 14 days backup retention | Single sites such as business, medium-traffic blogs |
| Multiple-site | $59 (1-year plan) | 2 WordPress sites, 20 GB storage, 50K visits, 250 GB CDN, unlimited free migrations, 14 days backup retention | Two sites with medium-level traffic |
| Agency Program | $285 | Starts at 20 WordPress installs, 400K visits, 50 GB storage, and 800GB CDN | agencies handling multiple websites. |
Note: Kinsta offers add-ons that improve server functionality. For example, you can order extra backups at $20 or use Redis caching at $100.
Bluehost
Best Hosting for WordPress Sites
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthNo Limit, 50 Mbps Transfer Rate Limit
- Website BuilderYes
About Bluehost
Bluehost is the best option for businesses looking for affordable WordPress website hosting. It is a WordPress.org recommended host and offers a complete package where you can select a unique domain and get access to beginner-friendly WordPress Suite tools, including:
– WonderThemes: Customizable templates and themes
– WonderBlocks: Customize the premade themes with easy block editing
– WonderAssists: AI-powered content creation
– WonderCart: Offer promos and find products directly from the cart
Its WordPress Suite is AI-powered, which helps accelerate site development and deployment.
Bluehost offers a robust infrastructure with servers available in Utah (US) and Mumbai (India). These servers offer excellent performance with support for Cloudflare CDN, NVMe drivers, Rapid TTFB, built-in dynamic caching, and object caching.
For site stability, Bluehost offers 99.9% uptime and compensates you for any downtime beyond that. They also provide daily backups (free for the first year) and automated real-time backups by Jetpack.
Bluehost Features
24/7 responsive customer support via live chat and phone.
Supports professional email hosting and comes with a free domain (for the first year).
Provides Let’s Encrypt Free SSL, DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall (WAF) for complete security.
Comes with a feature-rich WordPress Suite, which eases site creation and deployment
Offers performance-optimized features, including Rapid TTFB, Cloudflare CDN, and built-in dynamic and object caching.
Bluehost Pros/Cons
Provides professional email accounts
Affordable shared hosting plans
Offers WordPress-focused tools
Traffic spikes can lead to slow load times
Higher renewal rates
Bluehost Pricing
Bluehost offers 4 plans, as listed below.
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $2.85 | 10 websites, 10 GB NVMe storage, 100 concurrent visitors | 40K visits/mo. |
| Choice Plus | $5.45 | 50 websites, 50 GB NVMe storage, 500 concurrent visitors | 200K visits/mo. |
| Online Store | $9.95 | 50 websites, 50 GB NVMe SSD, 500 concurrent visitors, automated real time backups | WooCommerce sites, up to 200K visits/mo |
| Pro | $13.95 | 100 websites, 100 GB NVMe SSD, 1000 concurrent visitors | 400K visits/mo |
Wix
Best for eCommerce Sites
- Storage2 GB
- BandwidthUnlimited
- Website BuilderYes, AI-Powered
About Wix
Wix is ideal for eCommerce sites, as it simplifies the process of selling products and services, even for non-technical users. It is also completely managed, taking care of updates, maintenance, and security.
The service offers an AI website builder to help you create a site that meets your needs. During the site creation process, it asks specific questions about the business name, target audience, location, and so on. The AI is advanced enough to generate site structure, site description, and images.
You can also select from its 900+ fully customizable website templates, including themes for Business, eCommerce, Blog, and others. For customization, Wix.com offers a drag-and-drop website editor, which can be used to change visuals, including buttons, forms, or entire sections.
Additionally, Wix.com offers tools for SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing. It also provides payment solutions for easy payments and invoice generation.
Wix.com has 3 data centers spread across Europe and North America, along with AWS and GCP multi-cloud networks to ensure proper global distribution.
Wix Features
Comes with a 99.98% uptime guarantee and data backup protection.
Get insights and make data-driven decisions with customized reports.
Provides 24/7 customer support via phone.
Offers excellent design features, including Mobile Site Editor, Custom Fonts, Sections, and more.
Excellent business management features, including Automation, Built-in CRM, Invoices, Price Quotes, Mobile POS, and more.
Wix Pros/Cons
Easy to use for beginners
Excellent AI-powered drag-and-drop website builder
Free domain (for the first year)
Closed ecosystem with limited customizability
Doesn’t allow backup to third-party cloud storage apps
Wix Pricing
Wix offers 3 plans, as shown below:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | $17 | 2 collaborators, 2 GB storage space, light marketing suite | Small single-page site businesses |
| Core | $29 | 5 collaborators, 50 GB storage, basic marketing suite, payments support, basic eCommerce and site analytics | Best for starting eCommerce business |
| Business | $36 | 10 collaborators, 100 GB storage space, standard marketing suite, site analytics, and eCommerce | Best for growing businesses |
Note: All plans come with a 1-year free domain. All plans except the Light plan offer payment options.
Hostinger
Inbuilt Powerful AI Website Builder
- Storage100 GB
- Bandwidth100 GB
- Website BuilderYes, AI-powered
About Hostinger
Hostinger offers a powerful AI website builder that enables small businesses to build SEO-friendly sites. It comes with a drag-and-drop editor with the option to generate unique content, including copy and images.
Its beginner-friendly web hosting solutions also offer unlimited free SSL, daily backups, unlimited bandwidth, and free email. The service’s web hosting plan uses hPanel (its custom control panel).
Despite its low pricing, Hostinger offers good security with features like a Web application firewall (WAF), enhanced DDoS protection, malware scanner, and free WHOIS privacy protection.
Hostinger has data centers across the world, including France, the USA, Brazil, India, and others.
Hostinger Features
24/7 customer support via live chat and email.
Offers managed hosting with LiteSpeed WordPress acceleration.
Comes with an AI website builder with 150 templates.
Free CDN, domain, automatic website migration, and free email.
Ensures complete security with WAF, DDoS protection, and Malware scanner.
Hostinger Pros/Cons
Affordable plans
AI-powered website builder
Comes with custom hPanel control panel
No phone support
Cannot handle large traffic without slowdowns
Hostinger Pricing
Hostinger offers 3 web hosting plans:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | $2.49 (3-year term) | 100 websites, 25K monthly visits, 100 GB SSD | Small and new websites |
| Business | $3.49 (3-year term) | 100 websites, 100K monthly visits, 200 GB NVMe storage | For medium-scale business with decent traffic |
| Cloud Startup | $7.59 (3-year term) | 300 websites, 200K monthly visits, 200 GB NVMe storage | For higher-traffic sites that need priority support |
SiteGround
Best for Small WordPress Site
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthUnmetered
- Website BuilderNo
About SiteGround
SiteGround is a perfect pick for running a small WordPress site. It is affordable and provides tailor-made managed solutions for eCommerce as well. The service takes care of automated setup, migration, and upgrades.
Infrastructure-wise, it depends on Google Cloud. This makes its servers reliable (99.99% uptime) and available worldwide, with the option to choose from 11 data centers, including Ashubrn, Singapore, Los Angeles, and London.
Additionally, SiteGround offers 1-click CDN, optimized MySQL, and built-in caching that lets sites load 5x faster.
It also offers free WP Auto-Migrator, Auto-Installer, Optimizer, and other WordPress tools.
SiteGround Features
Offer complete peace of mind with 30-day daily backup retention and an easy restore option.
Security features include WAF, SSL, and anti-bot system.
24/7 knowledgeable customer support via phone, ticket, and live chat.
Provides easy website management tools, such as 1-click software installs and domain management.
Offers free domain, free SSL, and free email
SiteGround Pros/Cons
24/7 responsive customer support
Beginner-friendly interface
Affordable plans with free email, CDN, SSL, and domain
No website builder
Higher renewal prices
SiteGround Pricing
SiteGround offers 3 pricing plans, listed below:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| StartUp | $2.99 | 1 website, 10 GB Web Space, 10K monthly visits, unmetered traffic | Small or personal projects. |
| GrowBig | $4.99 | Unlimited sites, 20 GB web space, 100K monthly visits, unmetered traffic | Growing business |
| GoGeek | $7.99 | Unlimited sites, 40 GB web space, 400K monthly visits, unmetered traffic | High-traffic sites |
DreamHost
Offers Unlimited Traffic
- Storage50 GB
- Bandwidth100% Uptime
- Website BuilderYes
About DreamHost
DreamHost excels as a reliable host that offers unlimited traffic on all its web hosting plans.
It also comes with an AI website builder, the Dreamhost LiftOff AI Website Builder. The builder offers one-click WordPress installation, with the option to use AI to generate design and text. Businesses can also take advantage of its vast library of page templates, stock images, and block patterns to customize every aspect of the site.
DreamHost offers a 100% uptime guarantee with 24/7 customer support via the dashboard. Furthermore, its shared web hosting plan comes with a 97-day money-back guarantee.
As for servers, DreamHost has a small data center fleet of Virginia, Ashburn, Hillsboro, and Oregon.
DreamHost Features
AI-powered website builder that helps launch the site in minutes.
Offers multiple security features, including multi-factor authentication, free Let’s Encrypt SSL and auto-enable sFTP.
Includes free WHOIS privacy and a strong anti-spam policy.
Free automated WordPress migration.
Easy-to-use DreamHost control panel.
DreamHost Pros/Cons
100% uptime guarantee
Feature-rich LiftOff website builder
Unlimited traffic on all shared plans
Limited data center locations
DreamHost Pricing
DreamHost offers 2 shared web hosting plans:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Starter | $2.95 | 1 website, free domain included | New websites |
| Shared Unlimited | $4.95 | Unlimited websites, free domain included | Businesses with multiple sites or email hosting needs |
GoDaddy
Small Business Hosting Solutions
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthUnmetered
- Website BuilderYes
About GoDaddy
GoDaddy is one of the best small business hosting solution providers. It offers high-performance hosting servers (up to 40% better response time) located in Asia, the US, and Europe. It also provides a 99.9% uptime guarantee with free SSL for all your sites.
GoDaddy has no limitations on bandwidth. Moreover, it offers 1-click WordPress installs and an easy-to-use cPanel control panel. The server fleet includes 9 data center locations, including Los Angeles, Singapore, Phoenix, and Amsterdam.
Furthermore, GoDaddy provides a Website Builder with drag-and-drop functionality. All you need to do is pick a template and customize it. It supports creating mobile and SEO-friendly websites.
GoDaddy’s customer support is available 24/7 via live chat and phone.
GoDaddy Features
Automatic daily backups for complete peace of mind.
Up to 40% better server response time, leading to faster site load times.
Robust dashboard with access to one-click resource optimization tools.
Access to 150+ useful apps with 1-click installs.
AutoSSL automatically renews SSL certificates.
GoDaddy Pros/Cons
Easy to use cPanel control panel
30-day money-back guarantee
Unmetered bandwidth
No free website migration
Higher renewal rates
GoDaddy Pricing
GoDaddy offers 4 web hosting plans:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Hosting Economy | $5.99 (3-year term) | 1 website, 10 databases, 25 GB NVMe storage, free domain, free email, free SSL certificate | For personal websites or small startups |
| Web Hosting Deluxe | $7.99 (3-year term) | 10 websites, 25 databases, 50 GB NVMe storage, free domain, free email, free SSL certificate | For growing businesses with email requirements |
| Web Hosting Ultimate | $12.99 (3-year term) | 25 websites, 50 databases, 75 GB NVMe storage, free domain, free email, free SSL certificate | Businesses with multiple websites and high-traffic requirements |
| Web Hosting Maximum | $17.99 (3-year term) | 50 websites, 100 databases, 100 GB NVMe storage, free domain, free email, free SSL certificate | Enterprises with high-traffic requirements |
HostGator
Cheap Shared Hosting
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthUnmetered
- Website BuilderYes
About HostGator
HostGator offers cheap shared hosting, making it a good choice for businesses with limited budgets. Despite being cheap, it offers plenty of features, including free SSL, free domain for the first year, and automated backups.
Additionally, HostGator provides unmetered bandwidth and excellent scalability for growing businesses.
To build trust, HostGator has a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Its customer support is also available 24/7 via live chat and phone.
HostGator Features
Easy-to-use dashboard powered by popular cPanel.
Provides access to eCommerce tools (Bookings, gift cards, wish lists) for optimal eCommerce site setup and management.
One-click installs for popular software such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
Ensure complete security with SSL, SiteLock protection, and automatic backups (with one-click restoration).
Unmetered bandwidth for all the plans.
HostGator Pros/Cons
Beginner-friendly hosting solution
Free domain (for the first year)
Good eCommerce support
Higher renewal rates
Limited storage on plans
HostGator Pricing
HostGator comes with 3 web hosting plans:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchling Plan | $3.75 | 10 websites, 10 GB SSD storage, chat support | Low-traffic websites |
| Baby Plan | $4.50 | 20 websites, 20 GB SSD storage, phone & chat support, Cloudflare CDN | For sites serving a worldwide audience |
| Business Plan | $6.25 | 50 websites, 50 GB SSD storage, phone & chat support, increased performance, domain privacy | Businesses with multiple websites and high-traffic requirements. |
InMotion
Provides Free Domain
- Storage100 GB
- BandwidthUnlimited
- Website BuilderYes
About InMotion
InMotion offers a complete package with a free domain, free migration, 99.99% uptime, and a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Businesses can choose between Shared, VPS, Dedicated, and WP hosting plans according to their needs. All plans come with US-based 24/7 customer service and flexible billing (change anytime).
InMotion’s data centers are located in Amsterdam and the USA, making it a good option for US- and European-based businesses.
The service also provides a free BoldGrid WordPress website builder (for WP plans only) that lets you quickly build WordPress sites. It comes with 200 mobile-friendly and SEO-friendly starter sites.
As for backups, InMotion doesn’t offer any free automated options. However, it does offer a paid cPanel backup option.
InMotion Features
Unlimited bandwidth on shared web hosting plans.
Free domain and free SSL.
Performance-focused NVMe SSDs for fast load times.
Comes with full protection, including DDoS protection, hack and malware protection, and Monarx Security protection (available on higher-priced plans only).
Supports web development tools for easy development and deployment.
InMotion Pros/Cons
Email hosting included
Unlimited bandwidth and NVMe SSD (only select plans)
Free SSL and DDoS protection
No free automated backups
No content delivery network
InMotion Pricing
InMotion hosting offers various types of hosting, listed below:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Hosting | Starts at $1.99 | 100 GB to unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, 10 email to unlimited email addresses, unlimited bandwidth, 2 websites to unlimited websites | Small businesses |
| VPS Hosting | $4.99 | 4 – 16 vCPU, 8-32 GB RAM, 160 – 460 NVMe SSD, 5 TB to unlimited bandwidth, | High-traffic and large websites |
| Dedicated Hosting | $35 | 16 GB – 128 GB DDR3 RAM, 1 TB to 2x 2TB storage, 4 core to 8 core processor, 1 dedicated IP to 16 dedicated IPs, 10 to 250 GB free backup storage | Custom projects and large sites |
| Essential WP | $2.49 | 2 – unlimited websites, 100 GB to unlimited NVMe SSD, 10 to unlimited email addresses, 2 to 6 PHP workers per site. | Basic WordPress site |
| Managed WP | $4.17 | 1 website, 2vCPU to 8 vCPU, 2 – 8 GB RAM, 50 – 250GB NVMe SSD, 8 – 35 PHP workers, 1 TB – unmetered bandwidth, 32MB – 12 MB+ Redis cache. | Busy and non-technical businesses |
IONOS
Suitable for Beginners
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthUnmetered
- Website BuilderYes
About IONOS
IONOS is a great pick for beginners as it offers a complete package with a free domain, email, 24/7 customer support, and an easy-to-use website builder.
The service has a strong presence in Europe, with servers in London, Frankfurt, Lognoro, Lenexa, Newark, Paris, and Las Vegas. This makes it ideal for European businesses. Due to its geo-redundant infrastructure, it ensures a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
IONOS offers advanced security with free wildcard SSL and malware scanner. As for performance, it uses HTTP/2 network protocol with header compression for SSL traffic to ensure fast website load times.
IONOS Features
Offers instant stability to handle increased traffic.
Every plan comes with a professional email with 2 GB inbox capacity.
1-click installs for 70+ software such as WordPress, Drupal, etc.
Daily backups and recovery.
Unlimited redundant storage and databases (for Plus and Ultimate plans).
IONOS Pros/Cons
Easy-to-use custom control panel
Drag-and-drop builder
99.99% uptime guarantee
Doesn’t offer free migration
No presence outside Europe
IONOS Pricing
IONOS offers 4 web hosting plans:
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $4 (1-year term), then $6 | 1 website, 10 GB redundant storage, 10 database | New websites |
| Starter | $6 (1-year term), then $8 | 10 websites, 100 GB redundant storage, 50 databases | Growing websites |
| Plus | $1 (1-year term), then $12 per month | Unlimited websites and unlimited redundant data | Memory-intensive sites |
| Ultimate | $10 (1-year term), then $16 | Same as Plus plan, with maximum CPU and MEM resources | Websites looking for peak performance, such as eCommerce sites. |
Note: All plans come with a free domain, free SSL, and 2 GB of professional email.
Hostwinds
Offers Unlimited Disk Space
- StorageUnlimited
- BandwidthUnlimited
- Website BuilderWeebly Site Builder
About Hostwinds
Hostwinds is an ideal pick for businesses that need unlimited disk space. It offers high-performance web hosting powered by SSD, LiteSpeed web server, and Cloudflare CDN.
The service includes a Weebly Site Builder that lets you build sites without coding. You can use its drag-and-drop feature to customize already-available professional themes.
Hostwinds offers a robust infrastructure utilizing tier 3+ data centers in Seattle, Dallas, and Amsterdam. It provides extensive redundancy with automatic network failover.
The deal is sweetened with full management through its 24/7 customer support via ticketing, live chat, and email.
Hostwinds Features
Utilizes route-optimized networking to fast-load websites.
Provides nightly backups to ensure smooth operations in unforeseen circumstances.
Uses LiteSpeed web server for fast website delivery.
Offers the latest PHP version for a secure hosting environment.
Access to 400+ applications via Softaculous.
Hostwinds Pros/Cons
Intuitive cPanel dashboard
Budget-friendly
Unlimited resources and storage
Limited data center locations
Refund period is short (72 hours)
Hostwinds Pricing
Hostwinds offers 3 web hosting plans.
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $8.99 | 1 domain | New business |
| Advanced | $10.49 | 4 domains | Thriving company with multiple businesses |
| Ultimate | $12.74 | Unlimited domains | Agency handling multiple clients |
Web.com
Inbuilt Drag-and-drop Website Builder
- Storage10 GB
- BandwidthUnmetered
- Website BuilderAI-powered Website Builder
About Web.com
Web.com comes with a built-in drag-and-drop website builder to create professional sites with ease. It’s the sister company of Bluehost and offers the same data center locations in the US.
It offers a complete hosting package that includes domain registration, unmetered bandwidth, and an open exchange email solution. Additionally, web.com supports multi-site control.
The service includes WordPress-focused managed web hosting with automatic updates, installation, and expert support.
Web.com’s customer service is available 24/7 via live chat.
Web.com Features
Boost 99.99% uptime and unmetered bandwidth for reliable site operations.
Comes with SSL security and daily malware scans to ensure complete security.
Offers daily backups and one-click restoration.
Unmetered bandwidth and stability to handle high-traffic situations.
Ability to use business email without relying on third-party tools.
Web.com Pros/Cons
Drag-and-drop website builder
Free domain and business email
Supports WordPress and eCommerce
Doesn’t offer a free plan
Only a 3-day refund window
Web.com Pricing
Web.com’s pricing plans are shown below.
| Plan Type | Pricing (Monthly) | Offerings | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $2.75 (3-year term) | 1 website, 10 GB web storage, 15K visitors, 25 FTP accounts | New web projects |
| Plus | $3.95 (3-year term) | 5 websites, 20 GB web storage, 50k visitors, 50 FTP accounts, SSL certificate | Thriving business |
| Premium | $5.95 (3-year term) | 10 websites, 40 GB web storage, 200K visitors, | eCommerce or fast-growing sites. |
What is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is the process of storing and serving website files to the public on the internet. It allows businesses and individuals to showcase their presence on the internet.
A web host provider stores the website files (text, images, and videos) on pre-configured physical or virtual servers. Each website has assigned resources (RAM, disk space) to serve requests based on the subscription plan.
It is essential for websites to use hosting services as they excel at securely storing and serving the sites to target audiences worldwide.
Features to Consider for the Best Web Hosting Provider
Before you choose a web hosting provider for your business, you must look for the following features:
- High Uptime Guarantee (99.9% or Above): A good hosting provider must offer a 99.9% or above uptime guarantee. It shows robust infrastructure with proper planning and execution for the best possible uptime.
- Fast Loading Speed (SSD Storage, CDN): The hosting provider must offer performance features like SSD storage (for fast data access), Content Delivery Network (for fast load times across the world), and built-in caching.
- Free SSL Certificates: The hosting provider must offer free SSL certificates (such as via Let’s Encrypt). The SSL protects and encrypts the data transferred across the internet.
- Daily or Regular Backups: For additional security, the hosting provider must offer regular or daily backups (free or at an additional cost).
- Scalability Options: The hosting plans must be scalable with easy options for adding resources such as RAM, CPU, and storage.
- 24/7 Customer Support (Live Chat, Email, Phone): To ensure uninterrupted hosting, the host must provide 24/7 customer support via any of the 3 channels: live chat, email, or phone. Some providers may opt for ticket service.
- User-Friendly Control Panel (cPanel, Plesk): A user-friendly control panel can help non-technical audiences manage a site easily. Some of the user-friendly control panels include cPanel, hPanel, and Plesk.
- One-Click Installers for CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.): Look for one-click installers (such as Softaculous) that let you install popular CMS or software such as WordPress, Joomla, etc.
- Free Domain with Hosting Plan: Many hosting providers offer free domains with hosting plans. While this is not a crucial feature, it is helpful for new businesses.
- Custom Email Hosting: Businesses must look for email hosting, which allows them to create and use email addresses via their domain name.
- Unlimited or Sufficient Bandwidth: Based on the plan, the provider must offer sufficient or unlimited bandwidth to serve the website visitors.
- Flexible Pricing Plans: Flexible plans give businesses the ability to expand or reduce resources when needed. For example, the pay-as-you-go model allows businesses to pay only for the required resources.
- Money-Back Guarantee: Look for hosting providers that offer at least a 14- to 30-day money-back guarantee. It gives you peace of mind and shows confidence on the provider’s part.
How to Choose the Right Web Hosting Provider
To make sure that you pick the right web hosting provider, you must consider the following 6 points:
- Determine Your Website Needs: Websites need resources like CPU, RAM, and SSD to run seamlessly. The requirements vary based on the business. For example, a new business or blog can use shared hosting with minimal resources. On the other hand, an eCommerce site needs access to dedicated resources depending on their traffic. By understanding your scope and traffic, you can then move to the next step.
- Types of Web Hosting: It’s crucial to understand the different types of web hosting and what they offer.
- Shared Hosting: for small/new businesses.
- Dedicated Hosting: for enterprises with regulatory and technical needs.
- VPS Hosting: for medium-level traffic
- Managed WordPress Hosting: for businesses using WordPress and requiring scalability
- Cloud Hosting: for high-traffic sites requiring stability
- Scalability: It is important for a web hosting provider to offer scalability, especially for growing businesses. It ensures you don’t have to change hosting providers and lets your site handle increased traffic almost instantly (via auto-scaling).
- Customer Support: The hosting provider must offer 24/7 customer support via chat, ticket, phone, or email.
- Ease of Use: The provider should also offer ease of use through popular control panels such as cPanel/Plesk or custom solutions such as hPanel. They should also provide an easy setup process.
- Pricing: The web hosting provider should offer different plans so that you can choose the plan based on your budget. In general, Shared hosting is the cheapest, whereas Dedicated hosting is the costliest.
How Much Does Web Hosting Cost?
Web hosting cost changes depending on multiple factors, including:
- Type of Hosting: Shared (cheapest), VPS, Cloud, Dedicated (costliest).
- Hosting Provider Reputation: the more reputed the hosting provider, the higher the pricing.
- Features: The more features the plan offers, the higher the prices.
- Plan Duration: The longer the plan, the lower the monthly price.
Typically, web hosting costs between $2 and $15 (monthly) for shared hosting and $60 to $500 (monthly) for dedicated hosting. Let’s look at the cost for each type of hosting below.
- Shared Hosting: $2 to $15 per month; the low cost is due to shared resources among different users.
- VPS Hosting: $18 to $100 per month; slightly higher cost as it uses virtualization to offer pre-defined allocated resources (CPU, RAM, SSD) to each user.
- Cloud Hosting: $12 to $200 per month; access to multiple virtual servers across the globe with easy scalability options.
- Dedicated Hosting: $69 to $500 per month; provides the entire physical server with complete control over resources.
What is the Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Hosting?
Managed hosting offers a controlled environment where the hosting provider manages different aspects, including updates, installations, security, and backups. They also provide technical support and solve problems as they arise.
In contrast, an unmanaged web hosting company requires the buyer to handle everything themselves, including installing operating systems (OS), updates, monitoring, security patches, and monitoring resources. Although unmanaged hosting provides users with full control of the hosting server, it requires technical expertise for setup and management.
What Is the Difference Between Free and Paid Web Hosting?
The difference between free and paid web hosting is as follows:
- Features: Free web hosting offers limited features, such as no subdomain access, less control over server configuration, and no scalability. Paid web hosting provides access to all essential features, including backups, firewalls, DDoS protection, SSL, email hosting, and more.
- Performance: Free web hosting services offer limited resources for plans, impacting site load times and increasing downtime. Moreover, they use advertisements to generate revenue, further slowing down a site and impacting user experience. The paid hosting services ensure you get the resources you need to provide an optimal user experience.
- Support: Free hosting lacks any customer support and proper documentation. However, paid options always offer customer support via live chat, phone, tickets, or email.
- Limitations: Free hosting always has limitations on customization, scalability, and control. For example, you cannot create unique websites or access advanced features like server-side scripting. Paid web hosting has no such limitations and provides resources depending on your chosen plan.
Overall, you should only use free web hosting services to try out new features or host small sites. If you plan to scale your business with multiple websites, paid hosting is the best option.