**Our recommendation for most people is Hostinger because itâÃÂÃÂs an affordable, fast, and reliable web hosting service. Sign up with Hostinger for as low as $1.99 per month
Go with the wrong web host and youâÃÂÃÂll end up paying for more than bad service. You have to get this right because a reputable web host keeps your site online and helps you avoid unnecessary downtime
This guide explains the best types of web hosting for different situations. Use these reviews to find the best web host without breaking the bank
## The Top 10 Best Web Hosting Providers
The best web host for the majority of our readers is Hostinger because it includes everything your website needs at a great price. Save up to 80% on Hostinger web hosting today
HostingerâÃÂàBest overall DreamHostâÃÂàBest value for shared hosting BluehostâÃÂàBest for new WordPress websites HostGatorâÃÂàBest for simple websites GreenGeeksâÃÂàBest eco-friendly hosting SiteGroundâÃÂàBest WordPress-certified host for speed and security A2 HostingâÃÂàFast & reliable shared hosting InMotionâÃÂàBest VPS hosting WPEngineâÃÂàBest managed WordPress hosting NexcessâÃÂàBest for ecommerce hosting
Our research team reviewed and tested dozens of web hosting providers to narrow it down to the 10 on this list
Each review covers the highlights and pricing for each web host. After the reviews is a buying guide to help you compare the best options
**Hostinger** âÃÂàBest Overall
- Starts at just $1.99 per month
- Free weekly backups
- Free SSL certificate
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Hostinger offers dependable web hosting at a incredible price. Shared hosting plans start at $1.99 per month, which includes free weekly backups and enough bandwidth for 10,000 visitors to your site
Normally you have to back up your site yourself or pay extra, but you get that peace of mind for free with Hostinger
The most popular option is the Premium Shared Hosting plan which costs $2.59 per month. This lets you create up to 100 websites and host 25,000 visitors. YouâÃÂÃÂll also get a free domain for one year and a free LetâÃÂÃÂs Encrypt SSL certificate to secure your website
The Premium Shared Hosting plan provides 100 GB SSD storage, which is enough for various website content. Should you need more space, upgrade to one of their VPS or cloud hosting plans
Hostinger uses its own control panel called hPanel. Thanks to the eye-catching and well-organized navigation icons, itâÃÂÃÂs user-friendly and easy to navigate. It also comes with an auto installer that lets you set up WordPress or other content management systems using only a few clicks
Another great feature is their dedicated WordPress dashboard on hPanel
You can manage several tasks, such as updating the core WordPress version, activating or deactivating plugins, and enabling maintenance mode from the hPanel. A navigation button lets you access your WordPress dashboard via hPanel with a single click
LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress (LSCWP) is automatically installed when you set up WordPress. Its server-level cache and other optimization features help you accelerate the website for a better user experience
Hostinger ensures your maximum online presence with its 99.9% uptime guarantee. Quick-response 24/7 live chat support will also assist you whenever you need help
**DreamHost** âÃÂàBest Value for Shared Hosting
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free Privacy Protection
- Recommended by WordPress
- 24/7 In-house Support
**DreamHost** is home to more than 1.5 million websites. People trust DreamHost because they provide fast websites, at great prices, in clear terms
The company has a 100% uptime guarantee and will compensate you if your site goes down. After signing up, if you are not happy with the performance, you can cancel within the first 97 days to receive a full refund
There are no surprises, just a streamlined web hosting experience that beginners can master quickly. Advanced users will be happy to find that they can access anything they need without having to upgrade plans
As far as shared hosting goes, DreamHost provides the most value of any web host out there
Free daily backups of your site? Unlimited traffic? It sounds too good to be true, but itâÃÂÃÂs not
As long as youâÃÂÃÂre running a legitimate website, you never have to worry about bandwidth or backups, even on DreamHostâÃÂÃÂs most budget-friendly hosting plans
Dreamhost keeps your contact information from being registeredwith your domain. Almost all of web hosts charge a fee for this, but itâÃÂÃÂs free with DreamHost
ItâÃÂÃÂs also a great option for WordPress hosting. DreamHost is one of three web hosts that is officially recommended by WordPress. ItâÃÂÃÂs virtually hassle-free with one-click WordPress installation and automatic updates
If you have a WordPress site, DreamHost will migrate it free of charge
They also include a no-code WordPress website builder with every hosting plan. Roll out a new site quickly and make changes going forward, even if youâÃÂÃÂve never built a site before
DreamHost shared hosting starts at $2.59 per month for one website with a Shared Starter plan. This is a great price for everything many small organizations will ever need
Ticketed customer service is available 24/7, and you will always communicate with one of DreamHostâÃÂÃÂs in-house team. Phone support is an add-on for shared hosting plans, but you will be able to get help through email and live chat
Sign up with DreamHost today for low-stress, high-value web hosting
**Bluehost** âÃÂàBest for New WordPress WebSites
- Normally $8.99/month
- Free domain and SSL certificate
- Recommended by WordPress
- 30-day money-back guarantee
**Bluehost** is one of the most popular web hosting companies in the world, especially among people launching their WordPress websites. Bluehost is one of three hosts that is officially recommended by WordPress, and we agree
They offer great rates and a beginner-friendly platform that makes every aspect of running a WordPress website easy. You can certainly build other types of websites on Bluehost, but it is definitely set up to work best with WordPress
Most of the time Bluehost will walk you through a task the first time, like setting up a blog or email account on your site
If you get stuck or have a problem, Bluehost has 24/7 support by phone or live chat. The support number and live chat options are listed right on the site, so you can reach out for help within two clicks
Installing WordPress takes one click, as do hundreds of other apps available in BluehostâÃÂÃÂs deep app marketplace
Bluehost also offers fantastic analytics and SEO tools to track how well your website is ranking for specific keywords. This gives you a good idea of how you should optimize your site for the best search rankings
The Basic shared hosting plan is usually $8.99 per month, but there are major discounts if you are a new customer. If you sign up for three years and lock in the price, you can get it at $4.95 per month
With a 12-month commitment, the price drops to $3.45 per month. Like other hosts, renewal pricing is higher than promotional pricing, so I recommend signing up for a longer contract to lock in the low price
Quick Sprout readers an even bigger discount on Bluehost. New customers can click here to get a rate of $2.75 per month when they sign up for a new three-year contract
If your site keeps growing and you want to upgrade, Bluehost gives you lots of options: managed WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. When you are ready for more server power and control, you canand stick with the same provider
Bluehost is a very safe play for people who want to build their site with WordPress. If you want to use another content management system besides WordPress, there will probably be a little extra legwork and backend maintenance
Check out Bluehost today and test-drive their web hosting with a risk-free, 30-day, money-back guarantee
**HostGator** âÃÂàBest for Simple Websites
- Normally $8.95/month
- Month-to-month at $10.95
- Free domain and SSL certificate
- 45-day money-back guarantee
**HostGator** offers all the hosting essentials you need at a great price, plus comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee. If you just need a standard business info website with products, services, âÃÂÃÂour storyâÃÂÃÂ, and so on, HostGator makes it as easy as possible
HostGator offers an extensive list of how-to guides for technical support. If you donâÃÂÃÂt find the answers you need, you can turn to phone, live chat, and email support
Unlike some hosts, HostGator does include support in all its plans. If you want a hosting plan thatâÃÂÃÂs cheap and includes support, this is the host for you
If you want to get your handsthere is a bit of a learning curve to taking advantage of their advanced options
HostGator does offer Windows hosting in addition to Linux, as well as a variety of options to upgrade, including cloud hosting, VPS hosting, managed WordPress, and a dedicated server. Shared hosting plans start at $2.64/month with a three-year contract
QuickSprout readers can get up to 66% off new HostGator plans using the link
If youâÃÂÃÂre interested in trying HostGator, I recommend taking full advantage of the 45-day money-back guarantee and testing out their support thoroughly before committing
Overall, this is a great web host for simple deployment and uses like a company website that doesnâÃÂÃÂt necessarily see a ton of traffic each month. However, with VPS options, itâÃÂÃÂll allow you to scale if you need
**GreenGeeks** âÃÂàBest Eco-Friendly Hosting
- Normally $10.95/month
- Free Domain Name
- Free Wildcard SSL
- Unlimited Web Space
GreenGeeks is an eco-friendly alternative to other web hosting providers
WhatâÃÂÃÂs that mean? It means the company uses renewable energy to power its web hosting services. So you can feel good about creating your website while showing your support for environmental sustainability
Aside from being good to the planet, GreenGeeksâÃÂàweb hosting services are top-notch. They offer fast speeds, solid uptime, and great solutions for:
- WordPress Hosting
- WooCommerce Hosting
- Reseller Web Hosting
- Virtual Private Servers
- Shared Hosting
Bottom line: This is a fantastic option for eco-conscious businesses and websites
HereâÃÂÃÂs a look at its prices for shared hosting
Like other hosts, GreenGeeks provides an automatic one-click WordPress installer and auto-updates to keep your WordPress site up to date
It also provides daily backups and advanced security features in order to help you keep your data safe and secure
GreenGeeks also stays up to date with the latest technology like PHP7, SSD, CDN, and more. This helps make sure your website always stays fast and secure
Finally, 24/7 support is available by phone, chat, or via a ticket system. GreenGeeks support reps are typically very quick to respond and can assist with a wide range of issues
IâÃÂÃÂm a big fan of GreenGeeks for its great service and dedication to helping the planet with environmentally-friendly web hosting plans. If youâÃÂÃÂre looking for a âÃÂÃÂgreenâÃÂàhosting company, GreenGeeks is just what you need
**SiteGround** âÃÂàBest WordPress Certified Host For Speed and Security
- Starts at $3.49/month
- Free SSL, email, CDN, & backups
- Recommended by WordPress
- 30-day money-back guarantee
**SiteGround** is built to deliver top-class speed and rock-solid security for WordPress hosting. Currently itâÃÂÃÂs running a huge promotion. You can get **80% off all annual hosting plans and a free website transfer It makes a good deal even better
Hosting on SiteGround means you wonâÃÂÃÂt have to worry about speed or security at all. It starts with the technology the hosting is built upon. SiteGround utilizes Google Cloud to maintain swift and stable connections, and SSD persistent data storage to ensure low latency
Of course, youâÃÂÃÂre not on the hook for any of thisâÃÂÃÂyou just have to sign up for SiteGround and launch your WordPress siteâÃÂÃÂtheyâÃÂÃÂll take care of the heavy lifting on the backend
SiteGround security is on constant alert. It runs server health checks every 0.5 seconds and its AI-driven anti-bot system blocks between 500,000 and 2 million brute force attack attempts every hour
This combination of speed and security can work for most sites. But as one of WordPressâÃÂàrecommended web hosts, SiteGround is particularly skilled at delivering this performance for WordPress sites and includes an extra layer of security just for those sites
Plus, all SiteGround plansâÃÂÃÂnot just the WordPress hosting optionsâÃÂÃÂinclude one-click WordPress installation, the WP Starter site builder, and auto-updates for both the WordPress platform and its plugins
For a limited time, you can receive up to 80% off all annual Site Ground hosting plans:
StartUp:$3.49/month for one year, paid annually GrowBig:$5.99/month for one year, paid annually GoGeek:$9.99/month for one year, paid annually
Keep in mind that each plan will renew at a higher rate after one year. SiteGround also gives you options at checkout to pay for a 24-month or 36-month term insteadâÃÂàand gives nice discounts on renewals longer than one year. Two-year renewals get a 20% discount on the base renewal rate and three-year renewals get 30% off
So, in terms of long-term value, youâÃÂÃÂre still getting the best deal by capitalizing on their great intro rate for one year up front
Altogether, SiteGround offers the best technology and services to host your WordPress site and keep it fast and safe for all visitors
**A2 Hosting** âÃÂàFast and Reliable Shared Hosting
- Normally $10.99/month
- Month-to-month pricing at $9.99
- Free domain and SSL certificate
- 30-day money back guarantee
**A2 Hosting** stands out for its great speed and low prices. ItâÃÂÃÂs what the company is known for
At every hosting tier (shared, VPS, dedicated), A2 Hosting beats other hosts on speed. If youâÃÂÃÂre coming from another shared web host, youâÃÂÃÂre likely going to see an improvement in loading speed once you migrate to A2
With their Turbo Boost and Turbo Max plans, youâÃÂÃÂll get access to their Turbo Servers. They boast that itâÃÂÃÂs 20x faster than their other servers and includes:
- 40% faster AMD EPYC CPU performance
- 2x faster to first byte
- Manage 9x more traffic
- 3x faster read/write speeds with NVMe drives
A2 Hosting also has a 99.9% uptime commitment on all plans so you know youâÃÂÃÂll have a reliable host that wonâÃÂÃÂt be down often
They offer free site migration with each plan too. If youâÃÂÃÂve set your site up on a bad host and want to migrate, this is a fantastic deal. ItâÃÂÃÂll save you dozens of hours trying to get your site rebuilt. The A2 Hosting team takes care of it for you
Like many of the other web hosts, there are 1-click installs for all the popular CMS tools like WordPress, Magento, and Drupal
Note: Their startup plan includes only one website
If you plan on hosting multiple websites, youâÃÂÃÂll need to get the Drive plan which is an extra $2/month after the promotional period ends
One trick to save money with A2 Hosting: the promotional prices end on renewal. To lock in the 63% discount for as long as possible, go for the tri-annual billing which will bill for three years at once. YouâÃÂÃÂll get 2 years of hosting for free
**InMotion Hosting** âÃÂàBest VPS Hosting
- Normally $17.99/month
- Free domain and SSL certificate
- Free and unlimited email
- 90-day money back guarantee
**InMotion** is the host for you if youâÃÂÃÂre looking for a virtual private server (VPS). They have the best pricing around, along with top-notch customer support as an added value. Something you usually have to sacrifice for a better price. But not with Inmotion
With VPS hosting, you get more control over the server than you do with shared hosting. This is great, but you definitely need to know what youâÃÂÃÂre doing configuring a server
If youâÃÂÃÂre not super confident in the command line, you can opt for a managed VPS plan from InMotion. TheyâÃÂÃÂll handle the technical side of things and keep an eye on security for you
For the developers out there, InMotion VPS includes optional root access with every plan. You wonâÃÂÃÂt have to upgrade to make the changes you want to the server
Whenever questions come up, you can reach out to the companyâÃÂÃÂs excellent customer support team. DonâÃÂÃÂt believe it? Try for yourself. InMotionâÃÂÃÂs 90-day free trial period gives you plenty of time to test out the quality of support
Managed hosting, great support, and the latest technologyâÃÂÃÂthese are the reasons people choose to go with InMotion
I highly recommend this option for ecommerce. Online shoppers like a fast experience with no hiccups. With InMotion VPS you can ensure that your site has the resources it needs to handle any traffic spike
There are also a number of fail-safes built into the hosting platform. If anything happens to your server, InMotion will automatically spin your site back up almost instantly on a server in the same cluster
You also wonâÃÂÃÂt have to worry about SSL certificates, which keep your shoppersâÃÂàcredit card info private. All InMotion VPS plans include AutoSSL, which lets you enable this crucial protection for every website visitor with a single click
VPS hosting with InMotion gives you the speed you need along with the peace of mind that your site will always be safe and secure
Managed VPS hosting starts as low as $17.99 per month. Visit InMotion to find out if you can get an even better deal today
**WP Engine** âÃÂàBest Managed WordPress Hosting
- Normally $30/month
- Month-to-month pricing
- Free domain and SSL certificate
- 30-day money back guarantee
**WP Engine** is one of the best (if not the best) WordPress hosts out there. Full stop
They provide a truly excellent product, thatâÃÂÃÂs highly optimized for WordPress websites. If you want all the storage and speed you can get for your WP blog or online store, this is the host for you
It does come at a price though. A fully managed WordPress host is noticeably more expensive than shared hosting providers
WP EngineâÃÂÃÂs lowest-priced plan is $23/month, and thatâÃÂÃÂs only for one 10GB site with max 25,000 visitors/month. You get two months free when you sign up for a year, however, and can get an even better deal signing up through Quicksprout
Yes, the price tag is higher than other hosts, but when you factor in what WP Engine does, itâÃÂÃÂs an incredibly appealing option for WordPress site owners
As a managed WordPress host, WP Engine only provides service to WordPress users, which means its entire infrastructure can be optimized for WordPress. Your site will be wicked fast, thereâÃÂÃÂs virtually no downtime, and lots of maintenance tasks get taken care of automatically
It also offers special plans for people who are running an online store with WordPress. These are much more expensive than managed WordPress hosting, but youâÃÂÃÂll get access to premium WordPress ecommerce themes and other tools that would cost hundreds of dollars sold separately
Customer support is also laser-focused on WordPress, which makes for highly competent knowledgeable support staff available through tracked tickets and on live chat 24/7
Bottom line: If you want a blazing-fast WordPress site where everything is taken care of automatically, youâÃÂÃÂll want WP Engine. YouâÃÂÃÂll be paying more in order to get a lot more
**Nexcess** âÃÂàBest for Ecommerce Hosting
- Managed web hosting for 9 CMS
- Great for ecommerce sites
- 24/7 customer service
- Choose from 9 different plans
**Nexcess** is a web hosting solution from Liquid Web âÃÂàa provider IâÃÂÃÂve featured on my lists for best dedicated web hosting, best VPS hosting, and best WordPress hosting
So itâÃÂÃÂs no real shock that Nexcess makes my list of best web hosts. Where it really shines is managed ecommerce hosting. This is ideal for people who need a speedy site, but donâÃÂÃÂt want to be the one configuring the backend
Nexcess really specializes in these managed hosting arrangements, and offers a great selection of ecommerce platforms to build on:
- Magento
- Woocommerce
- WordPress
- Drupal
- BigCommerce
- Sylius
- ExpressionEngine
- Craft CMS
- Orocrm
Again, all of these are
*managed ecommerce hosting* plansâÃÂÃÂyou wonâÃÂÃÂt be on the hook for configuring the server or troubleshooting issues that pop up
Need more speed? Not a problem. The Nexcess Cloud AcceleratorâÃÂÃÂa feature that adds a layer to the cloud stackâÃÂÃÂincreases the speed of your websiteâÃÂÃÂs loading time. ThatâÃÂÃÂs a huge boon because speed is everything when it comes to keeping your customers on your website and browsing
Here are the three most popular ecommerce plans from Nexcess
There are many more plans available for each type of hosting, it just depends on the resources you need
This makes Nexcess perfect for any growing business looking to scale. No matter where you are with your business, thereâÃÂÃÂs likely a plan for you with Nexcess
On top of that, it has a dedicated support team available 24/7 to help you address any technical issues as they occur
If youâÃÂÃÂre running an ecommerce website or if you have a startup that you know willquickly, Nexcess should definitely be in consideration
Prices vary depending on which CMS platform you want to use. But WordPress plans start at $13.30 per month
## Additional Web Hosting Reviews
In a broad top list post like Best Web Hosting, I considered how different options stack up against one another and how they fit within the general category
But there are more things to think about, like taking a deeper dive into individual hosting providers to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, you also want to think about the different types of web hosting available, and check out reviews of the providers that excel in those different categories
The following information will be helpful to you as you make your decision about the best hosting provider for your unique needs
Hosting Company Reviews
Narrowed your list to a few top options? Before you make that final decision, check out our detailed company reviews on some of the most popular web hosting services out there today
- Hostinger Review
- Bluehost Review
- Dreamhost Review
- HostGator Review
- A2 Web Hosting Review
- InMotion Review
- SiteGround Review
- iPage Review
- GoDaddy Review
- Whogohost Review
- NameCheap Review
- Bluehost vs Dreamhost Comparison
- Bluehost vs HostGator Comparison
Types of Web Hosting
Not clear on the different kinds of web hosting available? Wondering who is the best in a given category? No matter which criteria is most important to you, be sure to read up to learn more about it all in the following posts
- Understanding Different Types of Hosting
- Best Free Web Hosting Plans
- Best Cheap Web Hosting Plans
- Best Cloud Web Hosting Plans
- Best Cpanel Hosting Plans
- Best Dedicated Hosting Plans
- Best Reseller Hosting Plans
- Best Shared Hosting Plans
- Best VPS Hosting Plans
- Best WordPress Hosting
## How To Find the Best Host for You
You do not have to know anything about web development to get hosting
But knowing how to assess a few key factors helps a lot
IâÃÂÃÂll hit on each one in this section. YouâÃÂÃÂll be able to assess your options, get something that works for you, and not have to worry about hosting again for a while
Featured Web Hosting Partner
**Hostinger** offers the most affordable premium hosting plans. With plans starting as low as $1.99/month you will not find a better deal. Plus get a FREE domain name and SSL certificate when you sign up for premium today
Get The Best Deal
So how do I evaluate web hosts? What actually matters?
LetâÃÂÃÂs go through all the key items
Site Uptime
Uptime is the most crucial component of a good web host. If your site isnâÃÂÃÂt up, you wonâÃÂÃÂt make money or gain an audience
First and foremost, you want a web host with great uptime. This means your site is always available and never goes down
To try to avoid the âÃÂÃÂjust trust usâÃÂàpromise of near-perfect uptime, most hosts provide some sort of guarantee of at least 99.9 percent uptime. However, that guarantee isnâÃÂÃÂt much of a guarantee. It just means your bill can be discounted in the event of any unplanned downtime
HostGator, for example, will credit you one free month of hosting if your uptime ever dips below 99.9%
ThereâÃÂÃÂs a lot of fine print on these guarantees, too, including not accepting self-reported or third-party uptime data, and not providing refunds for downtime that was out of the hostâÃÂÃÂs control (for example, a hurricane)
Site Speed
Site speed impacts everything related to your site. Want search rankings? Get a fast site. Want conversions on your site? Make it fast. Want happy users? Speed it up
Every part of your business is impacted by the speed of your site
When looking at different web hosts, make sure youâÃÂÃÂre choosing a host that can serve every page lickety-split
There is some nuance with site speed
In the early days, you need a host thatâÃÂÃÂs fast âÃÂÃÂenough.âÃÂàIt doesnâÃÂÃÂt have to be blisteringly fast, but it needs to be fast
Think of Amazon. Back in the day when Amazon just sold books, its site needed to be fast but it didnâÃÂÃÂt need to be instantaneous
But now that many people use it for all their shopping, AmazonâÃÂÃÂs site canâÃÂÃÂt be fast enough
In other words, the bigger you get, the faster youâÃÂÃÂll want to be. If youâÃÂÃÂre planning on building a high-traffic site, youâÃÂÃÂll want a host that can maintain crazy-fast speeds on large sites
Customer Support
When running your own site, web host customer support is the single most important thing a web host can offer
Digging through use reviews doesnâÃÂÃÂt always give you a conclusive answer on the quality of support at a particular web host
Watch out for glowing reviews on top publications, they donâÃÂÃÂt always reflect reality
There is one true test for assessing the customer support quality at any host
The free trial customer support test
Pretty much every web host has some sort of money-back guarantee on their shared hosting plans, which means you can set up your website and see what you think of the service with relatively low stakes âÃÂàjust your time and any add-on fees you opt into, like paying for domain registration
I recommend going to town with customer support during that trial period. Get on live chat, open tickets, and hop on the phone as much as possible to see if you like what youâÃÂÃÂre being served up
Most web hosts offer some sort of free trial period. I recommend using this time to really dig into your hostâÃÂÃÂs customer support âÃÂàits knowledge center and especially support staff across all channels. ThatâÃÂÃÂll tell you the real story
Traffic Volume
The amount of traffic that you get has a huge impact on the hosting that you need
For a site that gets 300 visitors every month, pretty much any standard hosting package will be good enough. As long as your web host has strong customer support, youâÃÂÃÂre good to go
As you get bigger, all sorts of small details start to matter a lot more
Is the PHP on your server being updated regularly? Do you have a CDN for your content?
Is your site being backed up daily and can you restore it within 15 minutes if something goes wrong?
Do you have an SSL certificate? Can your server handle a giant traffic spike during a marketing promotion?
Whenever I have a larger site, I look for premium hosting that takes care of all this for me. And if IâÃÂÃÂm planning on building a large site, I look for a host that can easily scale to millions of visitors per month. IâÃÂÃÂm happy to pay a premium price in order to guarantee easy upgrades in the future
DonâÃÂÃÂt skimp if youâÃÂÃÂre going big
And if you plan to stay under 50,000 visitors/month, get a standard shared hosting package. ThereâÃÂÃÂs no reason to worry about the advanced stuff
Price
While you donâÃÂÃÂt want to overpay on hosting, you definitely donâÃÂÃÂt want to underpay either
Avoid choosing a host exclusively on price
Most basic web hosting plans are in the $10-$20/month range. Yes, there are cheaper options. Some of them are promotional offers that go away at renewals. Others are hosting plans with terrible support and uptime
My rule is if the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is
I also donâÃÂÃÂt worry about chasing promotional offers to save a few dollars. For every site IâÃÂÃÂve ever managed, I used the same host without ever switching. Once you have a host youâÃÂÃÂre happy with, changing to save a few bucks isnâÃÂÃÂt going to be worth it. Promotional offers come and go pretty quickly
Migration Features
The ability to easily and quickly migrate an existing site will save you weeks of time
Even a basic WordPress site can be a real hassle to migrate. First you have to set up a new WordPress install on your new host. Then you need to export the database of content from your old site and import it into your new one. Finally, you have to re-configure everything in WordPress like the theme, plugins, and settings
ThatâÃÂÃÂs a real painâÃÂÃÂand itâÃÂÃÂs why I put together an entire guide on WordPress migration
Fortunately, it is possible to skip all these steps. Some hosts will offer a one-click migration for popular site builders like WordPress
If youâÃÂÃÂre switching hosts and handling the migration yourself, look for an easy migration feature. This is a great way to make the final decision once youâÃÂÃÂve narrowed it down to a few final options
If you are really concerned, A2 Hosting has a team of specialists that will migrate your site for you free of charge
Managed Hosting
HereâÃÂÃÂs how a normal host works:
- After you sign up, you get a login
- The login takes you to cPanel. The cPanel is an app on your server that lets you manage it through a UI without needing to know how to code anything
- You configure your server however you want
- ThereâÃÂÃÂs an FTP option to upload files manually to your server
- There are also quick options for installing WordPress and other site software if you want
- You get full access and can do anything you want. ItâÃÂÃÂs a âÃÂÃÂchoose your own adventure.âÃÂàInstall WordPress, Drupal, Magento, or code your entire site by hand
Alternatively, there are managed web hosts. These hosts customize the hosting environment and manage a lot more of it for you
WP Engine is the best example, theyâÃÂÃÂre a managed host for WordPress. Instead of getting a cPanel login that lets me do anything I want, WP Engine gives me a login to their custom interface thatâÃÂÃÂs built to manage WordPress sites specifically
When a web host is optimized exclusively for WordPress, three key things happen:
Faster-performingsites than shared hosting. Everything can be tailored to make WordPress work its best, whether thatâÃÂÃÂs optimizing website caching or tinkering with the command line tools. The host only needs to know how to support WordPress, as opposed to, say, Joomla and a Node server and some sort of custom-made site and on and on. More security and stability. A managed WordPress host can build a system that predicts, accommodates, and patches all of WordPressâÃÂÃÂs vulnerabilities. That means fewer malicious attacks and less downtime. Admin and site maintenance get a lot easier. And that service is vital because managed WordPress hosting is significantly more expensive than shared web hosting services
While I give up some flexibility from not having a basic web server like other hosts, a managed host takes care of a lot of ongoing tasks that IâÃÂÃÂd normally have to handle myself
If you have a small business site, a normal host is fine. If youâÃÂÃÂre building a larger site, a managed host will save you a ton of time in the long run and is worth the extra cost
## The Top Web Hosting Providers in Summary
The best hosting providers offer different types of web hosting, including shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting, and managed hosting. You also need to evaluate factors like uptime, site speed, and support
As your traffic grows, you need a hosting provider that can scale with your site. Whether youâÃÂÃÂre starting a new website or looking to switch providers, this guide has you covered
Featured Web Hosting Partner
**Hostinger** offers the most affordable premium hosting plans. With plans starting as low as $1.99/month you will not find a better deal. Plus get a FREE domain name and SSL certificate when you sign up for premium today
Get The Best Deal