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Want to get right to the point? My top pick for the best web hosting service is definitely Bluehost.
A good web hosting service allows you to easily (and painlessly) get your site live without wanting to pull your hair out or throw your laptop out the window.
But there are different types of web hosting—like shared hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting, and dedicated server hosting. Plus, there are hundreds of hosting providers to choose from.
So, how do you know which one’s right for you?
We’ve managed hundreds of websites throughout our online careers. And using our first-hand experience in addition to extensive research, we’ve narrowed it down the top seven web hosting services.
This guide contains an in-depth review of each hosting service, the best web hosts for certain scenarios, and our methodology for choosing the right host for your next website.
Bluehost
Best Overall Hosting Service
Recommended by WordPress. Get 24/7 customer support and a free domain for one year. Pricing starts at $2.95 per month. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The 7 Best Web Hosting Options to Consider:
- Bluehost – Best overall web hosting service
- Dreamhost – Best web hosting with month-to-month plans
- HostGator – Best web hosting service for scaling on a budget
- A2 Hosting – Best web hosting service for speed
- Hostinger – Best cheap web hosting service plans
- InMotion – Best VPS web hosting service
- SiteGround – Best customer support for web hosting service
#1 – Bluehost Review — Best Overall Web Hosting Service
Bluehost
Best Overall Hosting Service
Recommended by WordPress. Get 24/7 customer support and a free domain for one year. Pricing starts at $2.95 per month. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
More than two million websites across the globe trust Bluehost for web hosting, making it one of the most popular and reputable hosting providers on the market today.
And it’s easy to see why. They offer fantastic 24/7 customer support via phone or live chat, super affordable pricing, and full scalability for growing businesses.
While their shared hosting is most popular, they also offer VPS hosting, and dedicated servers as well.
But the shared plans are the best option if you’re just getting started.
You can upgrade to better hosting or higher plans as your business grows and your website starts to see more traffic.
Furthermore, WordPress recommends Bluehost as a top hosting provider for their CMS. As such, they automatically install the latest WordPress version when you sign up.
You also get automatic WordPress updates to keep your hosting secure and your website up to date.
Bluehost’s shared hosting plans include:
- Basic — $2.95 per month (renews at $7.99)
- Plus — $5.45 per month (renews at $14.99)
- Choice Plus — $5.45 per month (renews at $14.99)
- Pro — $13.95 per month (renews at $23.99)
While it seems extremely affordable, there’s a catch. To get the lowest introductory rates, you need to commit to a 36-month contract and pay upfront in-full.
If you’re interested in more advanced hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers start at $18.99 per month and $79.99 per month, respectively.
All plans come with a free domain for one year, a free SSL certificate, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
#2 – DreamHost Review — Best Web Hosting Service with Month-to-Month Plans
DreamHost
Best Month-to-Month Plans
Trusted by 1.5+ million websites. 24/7 support and 100% uptime guarantee. Pricing starts at $2.59 per month.
DreamHost powers more than 1.5 million websites. And it’s another top hosting recommendation by WordPress with an impressive 750,000 WordPress installations to date.
Like most web hosts, DreamHost has a wide range of hosting options to consider, depending on where you’re at in your blogging journey.
You can choose from:
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- Managed WordPress hosting
- Dedicated server hosting
- Cloud hosting
But the shared hosting plans are definitely the most popular and perfectly suitable for brand new websites.
DreamHost also offers a one-click installation for Joomla and other CMS platforms you might be using if you don’t want to use WordPress. So, it’s incredibly easy to get started.
Plus, you also get a custom control panel, award-winning 24/7 support, and a 100% uptime guarantee.
DreamHost’s annual shared hosting plans include:
- Shared Starter — $2.59 per month
- Shared Unlimited — $4.95 per month
- DreamPress — $16.95 per month
- DreamPress Plus — $24.95 per month
- DreamPress Pro — $71.95 per month
Furthermore, VPS plans and dedicated servers start at $10 and $149 per month, respectively if you’re looking for something more advanced.
However, their month-to-month pricing plans are where they really stand out from the crowd. While other providers charge upwards of $10 for no-contract plans, Dreamhost’s plans start at just $4.95 per month.
You won’t find a better monthly rate from such a reliable host anywhere else on the market today.
#3 – HostGator Review — Best Web Hosting Service For Scaling on a Budget
HostGator
Best For Scaling on a Budget
Pricing starts at $2.75 per month. Free domain registration for one year. 99.9% uptime promise and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
HostGator is another well-known name in the web hosting industry. It’s a popular choice for new websites and small businesses.
This award-winning web host has 24/7 phone and live chat support, a 99.9% uptime promise, and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
HostGator offers shared hosting plans, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated servers. But their cloud hosting services are arguably the brand’s biggest standout.
HostGator Cloud is up to two times faster and four times more scalable than its shared hosting plans. And with just one click, you can ramp up your resources on-demand without any downtime, reboots, or data migrations.
HostGator is a smart option for small but growing sites that want a hosting service that can scale with them.
HostGator offers three different cloud hosting plans, including:
- Hatchling Cloud — Starting at $4.95 per month
- Baby Cloud — Starting at $6.57 per month
- Business Cloud — Starting at $9.95 per month
These rates are affordable for any business. And cloud hosting is very reasonable, compared to HostGator’s shared hosting plans:
- Hatchling Shared — $2.75 per month
- Baby Shared — $3.95 per month
- Business Shared — $5.95 per month
Like most web-hosting providers, the advertised rates are only for the introductory offer. You have to commit to a long-term contract to get the lowest possible price.
For example, the entry-level shared plan starts at $2.75 per month with a 36-month contract. And the plan renews at $6.95 per month.
But if you wanted that same plan on a month-to-month basis, it costs $10.95 per month.
HostGator also offers one year free for domain registration on most annual plans.
#4 – A2 Hosting Review — Best Web Hosting Service For Speed
A2 Hosting
Fastest Web Hosting
Plans starting at $2.99 per month. Shared and managed hosting options available. Free migrations and anytime money-back guarantee
A2 Hosting is best known for having the fastest web hosting speeds in the industry.
With every hosting type (shared, VPS, dedicated), A2 Hosting edges out other web hosts in terms of speed. So if you’re looking for the fastest site loading speeds, this is a top option to consider.
A2 Hosting has a 99.9% uptime commitment, free automatic backups, and an industry-leading anytime money-back guarantee.
This web host offers simple one-click installations for the most popular CMS platforms on the market—WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Magento. It’s also compatible with OpenCart e-commerce software.
For WordPress users, A2 Hosting offers both shared and managed WordPress hosting options to consider.
Here’s a closer a look at some of the introductory pricing rates from A2 Hosting:
- Shared Hosting — Starting at $2.99 per month
- VPS Hosting — Starting at $5.00 per month
- Reseller Hosting — Starting at $13.19 per month
- Dedicated Server — Starting at $99.59 per month
In addition to the blazing-fast speeds, A2 Hosting also has exceptional customer support. They’re available 24/7/365 via phone, email, and live chat.
And if you’re looking to switch to A2 Hosting from another web host, you can take advantage of a free account migration as well.
A2 Hosting has one month, 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month contract options. To save some money, the long-term contracts provide the best rates. However, you have to pay upfront in-full.
#5 – Hostinger Review — Best Cheap Web Hosting Service Plans
Hostinger
Best Cheap Web Hosting
Pricing starts at $0.99 per month. User-friendly control panel, simple setups, and live chat support 24/7/365. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hostinger may not be as well known as some of the other web hosting providers on our list. But if you’re looking for a reputable web hosting service at the lowest possible price, Hostinger should be at the top of your list.
The entry-level shared hosting plans start at just $0.99 per month.
Keep in mind; these are promotional rates. They’ll increase upon renewal. But with that said, the renewal rates still beat the promotional pricing for other web hosting providers.
For a single site, you can lock in $0.99 for 48 months. That’s right—$47.52 for four years of web hosting. Then renew at just $2.15 per month.
Hostinger also offerf cloud hosting, VPS hosting, and WordPress hosting plans. However, I only recommend Hostinger to websites looking for a cheap shared plan.
You can get better performance elsewhere if you need additional resources. Because unlike other web hosts on the market, Hostinger doesn’t offer dedicated hosting.
However, the best part about Hostinger is that it doesn’t feel like a cheap service.
We’ve all tried to cut corners and save some money at one point or another in our lives. And in many instances, we end up regretting it. But Hostinger is a secure and reliable web host.
They do have a handful of annoying upsells, but it’s not that bad in comparison to other services.
Hostinger has 24/7/365 support via live chat, easy setups, a user-friendly control panel, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
#6 – InMotion Review — Best For VPS Web Hosting Service
InMotion
Best VPS Web Hosting
Plans starting at $2.49 per month. Free site migrations. 99.9% uptime promise and a 90-day money-back guarantee.
InMotion is far from a household name. But it’s an exceptional web hosting provider with top of the line technology, a wide range of hosting plans, and thousands of happy customers.
If you’re looking for a reliable and dependable web host, InMotion is a company you can trust. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a CNET certification for the last 17 years.
They also have a 99.9% uptime rate and a 90-day money-back guarantee. Here’s a closer look at some of the other top features and benefits:
InMotion offers shared hosting rates starting as low as $2.49 per month.
And if you outgrow shared hosting and need to upgrade, I recommend InMotion as a top consideration for VPS hosting. Their VPS plans include:
- VPS-1000HA-S — $22.99 per month
- VPS-2000HA-S — $49.99 per month
- VPS-3000HA-S — $83.99 per month
While these VPS plans are a bit more expensive compared to some of the shared hosting rates in this guide, the performance is unmatched.
These plans are ideal for larger websites and e-commerce sites with higher volumes of traffic. InMotion provides you with the resources needed to ensure your site runs smoothly.
You have optional root access, unlocked CPU cores, cPanel & WHM, free site migrations, and the ability to choose your own data center.
If you outgrow your shared web hosting service and need to upgrade to a reliable VPS, InMotion should be at the top of your list.
#7 – SiteGround Review — Best Web Hosting Service For Customer Support
SiteGround
Best Customer Support
Trusted by 2+ million domains. Free WordPress installations and automatic WordPress updates. Regular plans start at $14.99 per month.
Alongside Bluehost and Dreamhost, SiteGround is the third WordPress recommended web host. Free WordPress installation and automatic WordPress updates come standard with each shared hosting plan.
More than two million domains use SiteGround, making it one of the most popular web hosting services on the market.
SiteGround offers shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, managed WooCommerce hosting, reseller plans, cloud hosting, and enterprise hosting solutions.
And if you value exceptional customer support, SiteGround is a top choice to consider.
In addition to phone, live chat, and ticket support, SiteGround customers have a 99.7% happiness rating. This provider is an industry leader in terms of customer satisfaction.
The one downside of SiteGround is pricing. Like most web hosting services, the introductory rates are lower than the renewal rates. But SiteGround nearly quadruples renewals after the promotional period expires.
Since the promotional rates change so frequently, here’s a look at the normal prices:
- StartUp — $14.99 per month
- GrowBig — $24.99 per month
- GoGeek — $39.99 per month
You can try StartUp for three months at just $0.99 per month. The plan renews at 50% of the regular rate. To get the best bang for your buck, you can lock in a 36-month contract for as low as $6.99 per month when you pay-in-full.
The GoGeek plan is a popular choice for developers. It comes with extra tools and resources that are extremely helpful if you know your way around the backend of a website.
This plan also accommodates roughly 100,000 monthly visits.
But most starter websites and small business sites are fine with StartUp or GrowBig. Those can handle about 10,000 and 25,000 monthly visitors, respectively.
When it Makes Sense to Invest Into Web Hosting Services
If you need a website, you need a web hosting service.
If you’ve purchased a domain name or you’re ready to buy a domain and launch your site, you’ll need a web hosting service to get your website live on the web.
Some of you might already have a website, and you’re looking to switch web hosting providers. It makes sense to switch web hosts if you’re unhappy with your site’s performance, and you’re getting poor support from the hosting provider.
For those of you who are just thinking about starting a website, but haven’t finalized your decision yet, you can hold off on web hosting until you’re ready to proceed.
How To Choose The Best Web Hosting Service
Now that you’ve had a chance to check out the top web hosts on the market, it’s time to determine the best option for your website.
This is the methodology that we used when evaluating the potential choices for this guide. I’ll explain the specific considerations that must keep in mind during your search. Use this resource to weigh everything accordingly based on your personal needs.
Hosting Type
The first thing you need to do is determine what type of web hosting you want. Generally speaking, these are the options that you’ll have:
Shared Hosting
These are entry-level plans made for new websites and sites with low volumes of traffic. They are cheaper, but you’ll be sharing server resources with other websites. If another site on the same server gets a huge traffic spike, it can impact the performance of your website.
VPS Hosting
VPS stands for “virtual private server.” Like shared hosting, multiple sites will be on the same server. However, you’ll have dedicated resources that improve performance. It’s not quite the same as a dedicated server, but it’s an affordable option for websites that are outgrowing shared hosting.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting has recently become a popular alternative to VPS hosting. Rather than your server resources living on one virtual server, they are split across multiple cloud servers. Cloud hosting is resilient to traffic spikes and downtime. If one server in your cloud network goes down, the others can keep your site up and running.
Dedicated Servers
As the name implies, a dedicated server is just for you. You’ll have complete control over all of your server settings and won’t be impacted by other websites. Dedicated hosting is expensive and overkill for the majority of websites. That’s why I didn’t go into much detail about this type of hosting in the reviews above.
I’d recommend shared hosting to any website with less than 50,000 visitors per month. Once you get above that threshold, you can consider upgrading to a VPS or cloud plan.
Uptime
Uptime is arguably the most important element to consider when evaluating a web hosting service. If people can’t access your site because it’s down, it could be detrimental to your business.
Most web hosts promise a 99.9% uptime guarantee, or something along those lines. But you can’t always take their word at face value. In many cases, this promise just means that they’ll credit your account if they fail to deliver. There are also lots of stipulations in there about planned downtimes and circumstances out of the host’s control.
Speed
You want your website to be as fast as possible. This is especially true for ecommerce websites and sites trying to drive conversions.
As we previously mentioned, the type of hosting plan you have will impact your speed. But the hosting provider you choose will also have a significant impact on this crucial element.
For example, A2 Hosting has the fastest hosting speeds in the industry. So if that’s your top priority, I’d go with this option.
Site Traffic
From a hosting perspective, there’s a direct correlation between site traffic and the performance of your website.
If you’re getting 100,000 visitors per month, you can’t expect to run your site on an entry-level shared hosting plan. The servers will crash, your site will go down, and there will be painfully low loading times.
Make sure the plan you choose can accommodate your estimated traffic volume. For growing websites, you’ll want to choose a hosting provider that can scale with you as you grow. HostGator is a top pick for these circumstances.
Price
Price is always important when you’re evaluating anything—including web hosting services.
However, you shouldn’t choose your web host based on price alone. The majority of hosting providers out there offer enticing promotional rates. But those rates renew at prices that can be double, triple, or even quadruple your initial contract.
Expect to pay between $10 or $20 per month for a basic web hosting service upon renewal. The introductory prices will usually start for less than $5.
Avoid free web hosting at all costs. If you’re looking for a cheap plan, try Hostinger.
Support
At some point or another, you’re going to need some help. Whether it’s tomorrow, next month, next year, or two years from now.
When that happens, you want to make sure that your web host is there to support you. The best web hosts offer 24/7/365 support through multiple communication channels.
Other top indicators of good support include free migration features and managed services.
Bluehost
Best Overall Hosting Service
Recommended by WordPress. Get 24/7 customer support and a free domain for one year. Pricing starts at $2.95 per month. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Summary
Web hosting is the backbone of your website’s performance. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to evaluate the best web hosting service for your needs.
We recommend Bluehost as our top overall pick for most users.
However, there isn’t an umbrella option that meets the needs of every website in every situation.
So, if you have unique needs and circumstances, use the criteria we talked about as you go through the process.
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