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Want to get right to the point? My top pick for the best cheap web hosting service is definitely Bluehost.
You can start a website for less than the cost of one Starbucks latte a month.
Especially if you’re just getting starting. How? By bootstrapping your web hosting. In fact, I highly recommend it because your brand new website doesn’t need anything fancy.
However, choosing the right web hosting isn’t an easy task.
Over the years, I’ve managed hundreds of websites hosted by various companies. And I’ve narrowed down the massive list of choices to the seven best cheap web hosting services available.
Yes. They’re affordable. Cheap. Economical. Whatever you want to call it.
But that doesn’t mean they lack the functionality or performance your brand new website deserves.
In this article, I talk about when it makes sense to bootstrap, my top recommendations for cheap web hosting services (< $8/month), and a strategic method you can use to make the right decision for your new website.
Bluehost
Best Overall Hosting Service
Recommended by WordPress. Get 24/7 customer support and a free domain for one year. Pricing starts at $3.95 per month. All plans backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The Best Cheap Web Hosting Options to Consider:
- Bluehost – Best overall cheap web hosting
- Hostinger – Most affordable web hosting service
- DreamHost – Best month-to-month web hosting
- A2 Hosting – Fastest cheap web hosting provider
- GreenGeeks – Best cheap and eco-friendly web hosting
- HostGator – Best for budget-friendly scalability
- SiteGround – Best-in-class customer service and support
When Does It Make Sense to Go With Cheap Web Hosting?
One of my favorite WordPress web hosting providers is WPEngine. It’s fast, reliable, and you get a ton of other perks (like managed hosting vs. shared hosting).
The catch? It’s $30+ per month on the cheapest plan. Ouch.
However, when your website is new, you don’t need all those fancy add-ons, and you probably don’t need managed hosting, either.
You need cheap web hosting that’ll get you up and running as fast as possible without breaking the bank.
Which… is where shared hosting comes in. It’s an affordable option for small or new websites with little traffic and a limited number of files, images, and pages.
The good news is that you can start with a shared hosting plan (to save money). And upgrade to better hosting services when you can justify the added expense.
The bottom line: if you’re just getting started, cheap web hosting is just fine. And I highly recommend it. But, don’t forget to think about where you want to be in five years and choose a hosting provider that can scale alongside you.
#1 – Bluehost — The Best Overall Cheap Web Hosting
Bluehost
Best Overall Cheap Web Hosting
WordPress partner for 15+ years. Get 24/7 customer support and a free domain for the first year. Cheapest plans start at $2.95 per month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bluehost is one of the most popular cheap web hosting services powering over 2 million websites worldwide.
Furthermore, they’ve been WordPress partners for the last 15 years. So, you can rest easy knowing you have a 24/7 support team of WordPress experts ready to help you build your new website.
It’s hard to go wrong with built-in features like:
- 24/7 live chat and phone support
- One-click WordPress installation
- A free domain name for the first year
- Complimentary SSL certificate
- 30-day money-back guarantee
The best part? You get instant access to these features on their cheapest plan, starting at $2.95/month. And you can upgrade for more space and improved performance as your website grows.
However, keep in mind that your renewal price jumps up to $7.99 per month after your initial term. And you have to pay for at least one year in advance.
Get started for $2.95 per month today!
#2 – Hostinger — The Most Affordable Web Hosting Service
Hostinger
Most Affordable Cheap Web Hosting
Get started for as little as $0.99 per month. Easy to use plus get a free SSL certificate and 24/7 customer support with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If you’re looking for something even cheaper than Bluehost, Hostinger is a great option.
You can get started for less than a dollar per month ($0.99) on the single shared hosting plan which includes:
- One website
- One email
- 100 GB of bandwidth
- Free SSL certificate
- 24/7 customer support
- Two subdomains
- 99.9% uptime
The only thing missing from this plan is a domain name. So, you’ll have to buy one elsewhere. I highly recommend Domain.com for domain registration.
Or check out our list of the best domain registrars of the year to see a complete review.
Note: You can get a free domain name for the first year if you go with Bluehost (my #1 recommendation) instead.
But if you decide to go with Hostinger, remember the price goes up to $2.15 per month after your initial contract period. So I recommend signing up for two years in advance to lock in this highly discounted price.
At $47.52 for four straight years of hosting, the price is unbeatable.
Get started with Hostinger for $0.99 per month today!
#3 – DreamHost — The Best Cheap Month-to-Month Web Hosting
DreamHost
Best Cheap No-Contract Web Hosting
Try it zero-risk for 97 days. 24/7 email support. 100% uptime guarantee. Month-to-month plans starting at $4.95 per month.
If the idea of committing to several years in advance isn’t an option, DreamHost offers the most affordable month-to-month pricing (at $4.95 per month).
On top of that, they don’t offer promotional pricing. So if you decide to sign a contract (starting at $2.95 per month), you don’t have to worry about the price doubling or tripling when it’s time to renew.
Note: a free domain name is only included in their 1-year or 3-year plans.
Aside from pricing, DreamHost does something else a bit differently as well.
Rather than using a standard cPanel to control your site, you get access to a customized control panel that makes managing your website more accessible than ever.
You can also enjoy 100% guaranteed uptime, 24/7 email support, free WordPress migration, and a free SSL certificate on every plan.
Furthermore, WordPress itself recommends DreamHost as a preferred hosting partner. And each of DreamHost’s packages includes 1-click installation making it incredibly easy to get up and running.
As your site grows, you can upgrade to VPS, cloud, managed, or dedicated hosting when you need to.
Snag month-to-month hosting at $4.95 per month today!
#4 – A2 Hosting — The Fastest Cheap Web Hosting Provider
A2 Hosting
Fastest Cheap Web Hosting Service
Get started at $2.99 per month. Free migrations, automated backups, and 24/7 customer support plus an anytime money-back guarantee.
47% of web users expect your website to load in less than two seconds. And 40% of people will hit the back button if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
Improving your site speed is essential, and your hosting provider plays a role in how fast your site loads.
So if you’re looking for the fastest cheap web hosting service, A2 Hosting is a solid choice. You can get started on their most affordable plan for $2.99 per month (as long as you sign up for three years in advance).
That price goes up to $4.39/month on a two-year plan and $6.99/month on an annual plan.
Aside from enhanced speed, you get:
- 99.9% uptime
- 24/7 customer support via email, phone, and live chat
- Free account migration
- Free SSL certificate
- Automatic backups
- Anytime money-back guarantee
Plus, with 1-click installation for the leading CMS platforms in the industry, you can get your site up and running in no time.
And you can always upgrade to a better hosting plan as your site grows, so you never have to worry about outgrowing your hosting provider.
Remember: At the end of your initial contract period, the price goes up to $8.99 per month.
Get started with A2 Hosting for $2.99 per month today!
#5 – GreenGeeks — The Best Cheap, Eco-Friendly Web Hosting
GreenGeeks
Best Cheap, Eco-Friendly Hosting
300% green energy match, 40,000+ customers worldwide, and 24/7 support. Free domain name and unlimited email accounts.
GreenGeeks is a cheap web hosting provider you may not have heard of. But with 40,000+ happy customers around the world, they’re not new by any means.
They’re unique because they offer a 300% green energy match on every plan.
In case you’re wondering why green hosting is a thing…
Data centers (the things that power the internet) account for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions, equal to that of the aircraft industry.
And that number is expected to grow to 14% by 2040.
In response to this, GreenGeeks offsets carbon emissions put off by their services by 300%. So they’re literally leaving the world 3x better than they found it.
The best part? Going green with GreenGeeks doesn’t cost any more than the other providers on this list. You can get started for as little as $2.95 per month with features like:
- Unlimited web space
- Free domain name, SSL, nightly backups, CDN, and email accounts
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- One-click WordPress install
- 24/7 support via chat, phone, and tickets
- Custom security and zero-day vulnerability fixes
Keep in mind that they’re promotional prices end after your initial contract period. The price jumps up to $9.95 per month after that.
Get green hosting for $2.95 per month today!
#6 – HostGator — The Best Cheap Cloud Web Hosting
HostGator
Best Cheap Cloud Hosting
High-speed cloud hosting starts at $4.95 per month. Plus, enjoy a free domain for the first year, 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support, and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly host with a bit more speed and allocation of resources, HostGator’s cloud web hosting plans are a great option.
While HostGator offers standard shared hosting plans, their cloud hosting packages are perfect for small, fast-growth businesses that need an extra boost.
Plus, you can easily upgrade to a better package in one click with no down-time.
For a few dollars extra a month (starting at $4.95 per month), you can enjoy faster speeds and more resources. So you can rest easy knowing your website won’t slow down on high-traffic days.
Which… is crucial for businesses expecting fast growth over a short time.
All of HostGator’s cloud hosting plans include:
- 24/7 phone and live chat support (no email)
- 99.9% uptime
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Free domain name
- Complimentary SSL certificate
To get their promotional $4.95 per month price, you have to sign up for three years upfront.
Which… sounds like a long time. But if you’re serious about starting and growing your business, three years fly by pretty quick.
For shorter contract terms, expect to pay a few more dollars per month. And remember, their promotional pricing goes away after your initial contract term.
Get cloud hosting starting at $4.95 per month today!
#7 – SiteGround — The Best Customer Service and Support
SiteGround
Best Customer Service
Recommended by WordPress and Yoast. 30-day money-back guarantee plus 24/7 support and the happiest customers in the industry.
SiteGround isn’t the cheapest option on this list but don’t write them off just yet.
WordPress recommends them as a trusted hosting provider and they’re known for having the happiest customers in the industry.
As a recommended WordPress host, each plan comes with:
- Free migration
- Automatic updates
- One-click installation
- A team of WordPress experts
- Top-notch security
Furthermore, you get a free SSL certificate, free email accounts (as many as you want), and a free CDN (“content delivery network” which speeds up load times).
With over 2 million hosted domains around the world and cutting-edge customer support, those few extra dollars a month are well worth it.
Especially if you’ve never worked with WordPress or need extra support and guidance along the way.
SiteGround offers 24/7 support via phone, live chat, and ticketing, so you’ll never have to go through the process alone.
Their cheapest plan starts at $6.99 per month but jumps up to $14.99 per month after your initial contract period. So, keep that in mind when making a decision.
Get started with SiteGround for $6.99 per month today!
Methodology For Choosing The Best Cheap Web Hosting
Now you know my top cheap web hosting recommendations. So, let’s talk about the metrics I considered and how I chose these specific hosting providers (aside from using them myself).
You can use the same methodology when deciding which one is right for you.
Price — Less than $15/month
Not all web hosting providers are suitable (or affordable) for new or small websites. So it’s easy to rule out some of them immediately.
And since you’re here, you’re looking for something cheap.
So every option on this list has a monthly promo fee of less than $8 per month. Plus, they all renew at less than $15 per month after your initial contract term.
Compared to dedicated or managed hosting, this is a steal (even at the renewal rate).
However, the cheapest web hosting service is Hostinger at $0.99/month for the first two years.
Included Features
Next, I looked at the features of each provider’s most affordable plans. The features I considered include:
- Free domain name
- SSL certificate
- Content delivery network (CDN)
- Storage space
- Bandwidth
- Email accounts
- Automated backups
Every host does things differently, and it’s hard to keep everything straight. But it helps to understand your priorities and preferences before digging into the details.
However, if you’re looking for a cheap web hosting provider with the most features and bang for your buck, go with GreenGeeks or BlueHost.
Speed
If you’re interested in optimizing for search engines or improving the overall user experience, site speed makes a difference.
So it’s important to choose a web hosting service that provides the performance you want.
Want people to stick around? Load faster than three seconds. Want to sell more products or generate more affiliate revenue? Don’t make them wait.
That said, most cheap (shared) web hosting plans offer similar site speed performance. The real difference comes when you upgrade to a managed plan or dedicated server.
However, A2 Hosting offers the fastest cheap web hosting in the industry.
Uptime
Every hosting service on this list promises at least 99.9% uptime. However, that’s not necessarily the case and that promise should be taken with a grain of salt.
Carefully read through the terms and conditions associated with each plan you’re considering.
Odds are, most of them include something about their uptime promise excluding planned downtime and situations outside their control. Which… covers nearly every situation in which your site would be down.
Check out this example from A2 Hosting.
Unexpected downtime could mean lost revenue or damaged trust with your audience. So it’s important to consider this when deciding which host to go with.
Scalability
As a blogger or business owner, you expect your blog/business/store to grow as fast as possible.
And even those shared hosting plans offering “unmetered” bandwidth can’t handle massive amounts of traffic at the same time, despite it sounding like an unlimited promise.
As your business grows and your traffic increases, you’ll need to upgrade to a better plan. So it’s important to choose a host with the capability to grow alongside you. Why?
Because upgrading is much easier than switching to a new host.
HostGator’s cloud hosting service lets you upgrade to a better plan in just a few clicks with no downtime. So it’s an excellent choice if you expect to grow quickly in the next few months.
Renewal Prices
Most hosting companies try to make their services as accessible as possible, so they offer special discounts for first-time users. But as you’ve seen, that discount goes away and the monthly fee doubles or even triples after your initial contract term.
Pay close attention to renewal rates, so you’re not met with any surprises in the future.
DreamHost offers the most affordable month-to-month plans (starting at $4.95 per month), so you don’t have to worry about promotional pricing or renewal rates later on.
Customer Support
If you’re migrating to a new host or have never set up a website before, reliable customer service is crucial.
And even if you know a thing or two, you’ll probably need support at one point or another.
The best way to test this is to take advantage of money-back guarantees. Sign up for an account, pay the initial fees, and get to know their customer support team.
Try every support channel they offer and take note of your experience.
If they’re unhelpful or you don’t get the help you need in a timely manner, cancel and move on to a host better suited to help you.
Just remember to cancel and request a refund before your trial period is up.
SiteGround is known for its exceptional customer service. So it’s a fantastic choice if this is your first time, or you’d like additional guidance along the way.
Refund Policy
Make sure you understand the full extent of a host’s refund policy before you sign up.
Most providers offer a refund within 30 days. However, DreamHost provides 97 days, and A2 Hosting gives an anytime money-back guarantee.
Bluehost
Best Overall Hosting Service
Recommended by WordPress. Get 24/7 customer support and a free domain for one year. Pricing starts at $3.95 per month. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Summary
Choosing the right cheap web hosting provider isn’t always easy, but it’s an essential consideration for your website’s future.
So, sit down and take the time to list out your requirements.
Then make an educated decision based on your priorities and specific needs.
If you’re still stuck, Bluehost is my #1 cheap web hosting recommendation. They’re usually a safe bet. But if Bluehost doesn’t check all your boxes, you can use this post as a guide while you go through the process of making your final decision.
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