You may have found yourself skipping ads for web hosts like GoDaddy and Wix. But when it comes down to picking a host, there are thousands to choose from, and they aren’t all right for you. Companies that do wonders for one project, might be the wrong fit for others. Consequently, needs differ, and quite frankly budgets too. Fear not. We’ve analyzed all-round features like uptime, reliability and tech support to bring you 10 of the best web hosting companies out there, so you can choose what works best for you.
BluehostÂ
Bluehost is a Utah-based company owned by web giant Endurance International Group. They are the most dependable hosting service for small, startup businesses. Including a free domain for a year and 50GB SSD storage, the cheapest plan starts at $2.95/mo (if you pay for 3 years in advance).
You can host one website on their basin plan. Bluehost offers fast install options for free CMS platforms, such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and more. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 5 email accounts. When you sign up to Bluehost, you’ll get a free custom domain name for the first year, along with a free SSL certificate (allowing you to operate a secure website for your personal use or business). While their managed WordPress hosting is pricier than basic shared hosting, the company offers both specific WordPress and WooCommerce hosting plans. For an additional fee, they also grant a site migration service.
Bluehost gets brownie points for its policy of performing regular daily backups, even on the lowest-priced shared hosting accounts and offers 24/7 customer support, a 30-day money-back guarantee and SSH access for certain plan options. WordPress plans start at $20 per month (also a discounted introductory rate). A cPanel-based area even provides more skilled users to remodel things. Additionally, Bluehost offers a Weebly website builder which lets you create a website up to six pages long. However, there are no extra site templates included. Still, more functionality is in the process of being developed.
Hostinger
Hostinger is a Lithuanian hosting provider, with 29 million users in 178 countries. They are one of the cheapest web hosting options and its most affordable offer at the moment is a $0.80 (per month) web hosting package, if you take a four-year contract. Along with the capability of hosting 1 website, the plan includes 10GB SSD storage, 100GB bandwidth. It even has a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, Hostinger doesn’t include free SSL or domain name bundles.
The service has a fine selection of plans that can be optimized for WordPress. Even the least expensive plans offered some level of SSH access if needed, and regular backups for some. The company has live chat lines available 24/7. Keeping with their preference to use their own technology, they use a customized control panel instead of a cPanel so as to have tighter control on performance.
SiteGround
SiteGround is far from the cheapest option (high renewal cost), but they do have clear strengths. Versatile across multiple CMSs with one-click installation, they offer free email accounts and daily backups. Their customer service is unparalleled, offering 24/7 phone and live chat support and a comprehensive knowledge center.
The cheapest plan starts at $3.95/month (given a 12-month commitment). Capable of hosting 1 website, the plan includes 10GB SSD storage, free SSL and unmetered bandwidth. You’re even backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, the hosting service does not offer free domain names.
SiteGround is one of the best web hosting companies out there. Their emphasis on reliability and customer support makes them a wise choice for beginners and professionals.
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is a stable, independent company with global data centers, SSDs and custom server technology. At every hosting tier (shared, VPS, dedicated), A2 Hosting beats others on speed and reliability. So if you’re looking for pure speed, this is your best pick. A2 Hosting also offers outstanding uptime on all plans so rest assured knowing you’ll have a dependable host that won’t be down often. The cheapest plan starts at $2.96/month, with a 24-month commitment.
A2 Hosting lets you host 1 website and comes with bandwidth, infinite storage, and free SSL. If things couldn’t look better, they even offer a risk-free refund guarantee. Compared to other web hosts, they also offer 1-click installs for all CMS tools such as WordPress, Magento, and Drupal. They offer robust hosting packages, particularly WordPress. A2 Hosting is popular for its excellent customer service too. However, there are no Windows server options and are expensive compared to most services out there. Many technical options might even be confusing to some users. Still, they offer free site migrations with every hosting package. So should you find yourself set up on a bad host, this is a terrific deal.
HostGator
HostGator is a hosting company with plans for practically any need. Whether you’re starting out and need a very basic shared site, or need to operate your own machine dedicated solely to your company, HostGator has a service that can help. They offer an array of feature-driven hosting plans and excellent shared hosting. HostGator not only allows expert site builders to customize dedicated or virtual servers but also offers the choice of Linux or Windows hosting. While they don’t support SSDs across all plans, it is possible to equip many of their servers with faster drives.
HostGator gets extra credit for uptime monitoring and frequent backups, in addition to their free cPanel. SSH is also available for more technically inclined site operators and dedicated IP addresses can be attained. However, the difficulty arises once promotional plans are over as prices often fluctuate. That being said, Hostgator offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
InMotion
InMotion is a 15-year-old hosting service that offers a remarkable selection of plans including shared hosting that starts at $3.99/month. The company provides free backups, SSL and SSH access, even on its cheaper plans. WordPress support with integrated WP-CLI is also available, even tying in an all-SSD infrastructure. They offer basic site migration. Customer support is 24/7 through 5 channels: phone, email, chat, Q/A and tutorials, available at entry-level too. Their full 90-day money-back guarantee knocks the competition out of the park. While promotional pricing does increase after the offer period, their “Loyal Customer Discount” can bring prices back down.
InMotion bundles some extras into their plans – services that are often charged for, such as DDoS protection and ‘spam-safe’ email. Their hosting also provides both cPanel and Softaculous panels. As you upgrade, you’ll get faster servers and extra databases, websites, and subdomains. Their straightforward approach is best for websites and businesses that aren’t complex given you’ll get all the help you need. Offering upgrades to managed WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers, InMotion may not look flashy. But, they are a web host with truly excellent technology.
GoDaddyÂ
GoDaddy is a US-based hosting service and one of the largest in the game. Probably the best known to given they’ve invested a lot into brand recognition. The biggest domain name registrar in the world, this provider offers free backup and restore, free Microsoft Office 365 Business Email for one year, fantastic uptime, and a free domain with the annual plan. All of their packages feature the ability to increase hosting capacity (should you experience a sudden surge in traffic). The cheapest plan starts at $4.33/month (with a 36-month commitment). You can host 1 website and it includes 100GB storage (unlimited on pricier packages), unmetered bandwidth, but doesn’t come with free SSL. They also provide Windows and Linux-based servers. GoDaddy offers a standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
On the downside, they have a long legacy of needless charges and big discounts that come with serious downsides. Additionally, they do not offer cloud hosting and default email plans are inadequate. However, their emails are tightly integrated into Microsoft apps. GoDaddy represents the best all-in-one service.
Hostwinds
Hostwinds is a flexible web hosting service and offers an array of shared, dedicated cloud, WordPress, and reseller hosting packages designed to appeal to bigger businesses. However, not all plans come with the Windows server option. Hostwind’s cheapest plan starts at $4.50/month and they offer discounts if you sign up months ahead. They place your website on a server with other websites, thus resources are divided within the sharing system. Because of this, you pay less but definitely get your worth. However, if your site mates endure traffic surges, your site could slow down. Hosts do their best to prevent this from happening, but that in itself could mean that if your site is successful, they might see the benefit in deliberate sabotage. Putting this aside, Hostwinds offers unlimited monthly data transfers, unlimited storage, a free dedicated IP address, and the ability to host a single domain.
Dreamhost
DreamHost is a top website host for multiple reasons. The company uses speedy SSDs storage, has a free SSL certificate (for more protected web browsing) and provides SSH access for plans intended for more skilled users. The company’s pricing is pretty transparent; their basic shared plans and monthly plans start under $3/month if you pay annually. Plus, they provide a 97-day money-back guarantee (one of the longest in the industry).
Dreamhost doesn’t use the standard cPanel; they have built a completely custom panel that you’ll use to manage. It could make things much more difficult should you ever need to migrate, and it’s more likely that migrations into Dreamhost won’t fair any easier. So, it’s a great option for brand new sites. In addition to shared hosting and managed WordPress hosting, DreamHost offers upgrades to VPS and cloud hosting, as well as dedicated servers if needed.
DreamHost’s ongoing offer provides a free shared website to 501(c)(3) organizations: one free unlimited shared hosting plan (which includes unlimited storage, bandwidth and sites, and email hosting). Dreamhost loses points on its customer support: email support is available 24/7, but live chat is only on during business hours, and you have to pay $9.95 to get phone support. They have strong security features, extensive domain-management tools, excellent cloud hosting, unlimited data transfers per month.Â
WP Engine
The thought of managed WordPress hosting doesn’t come without mention of WP Engine. They solely host WordPress sites, implying their service is 100% optimized for performance. Incredible speed, virtually no downtime, real-time threat detection and lots of maintenance tasks get taken care of automatically. They even offer daily backups and a choice of either Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform Cloud Hosting. It doesn’t include an email or domain. Phone support isn’t available on startup plans either. Despite this, customer support is amazing and makes for highly competent support staff available through tracked tickets and 24/7 live chat.
A fully managed WordPress host is naturally costlier than shared hosting providers, and WP Engine is the most expensive option on our list. Their lowest-priced plan is $35/month, and that’s only for one 10GB site with a maximum of 25,000 visitors per month. Given what the service does for that price, however, it’s an incredibly attractive option.
Thus, the process of picking the right host is simplified, to an extent. Small businesses will usually move towards a shared or managed service. They offer low prices, but your business will have to share its server with several other enterprises, and this isn’t always pleasant. However, you can always move if you need to. Try buying server space that you can expand into. You don’t want to find that you’ve outgrown. Use the cloud; it is a powerful alternative to traditional hosting methods, its ultimate beauty lying in the flexibility it holds. By the time you’ve made it, you’ll be happy with the host that you get and won’t have to switch any time soon.
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