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Websites are a vital component in building and growing a business, and web hosting is a crucial part of building a quality website. With so many different providers and plans on the market, choosing a web host can be daunting. To make your decision easier, we narrowed down the 10 best web hosting platforms based on key features that matter most, such as price, performance and security, as well as extras such as a free domain name and free business email

$1 per month
(billed annually; renews at $10 per month)
10GB of storage and unlimited traffic
Free domain, free SSL certificate, daily backups, one email account
IONOS is a top-rated web host that offers a wide variety of hosting plans to start,and manage your business website. All plans include a free domain name for one year, a free SSL certificate and 24/7 support. Enjoy 99.99% uptime, DDoS protection, scalable plans, geo-redundant infrastructure, unlimited storage and websites

**IONOS pricing
Startups that are cash-strapped can appreciate its ultra-low first-year pricing at $1 per month. Pricing goes up to $10 per month after the first year. Even at $10 per month, its optimized CPU and MEM resources make it a great option beyond the initial term

If you’re not sure which plan to choose, IONOS has expert recommendations for which to pick—for example, starting an online store or finding a better host for your WordPress website

**Learn more: **Read our full IONOS review. **Who should use it: **
Due to its ultra-low introductory pricing, it’s the best web hosting service for cash-strapped startups looking for a high-quality web host with a minimal investment

$2.75 per month
(three-year term)
Unmetered
Free domain registration for a year, free website and domain transfer, free SSL certificate, $500 in Google Ads spend match credit, $100 Microsoft Advertising credit, free email

HostGator is one of our top picks for best web hosting service because of its exceptional value for money, reliable performance and generous features perfect for small and medium businesses in any industry. Hosting options include shared, WordPress, website builder, dedicated, virtual private server (VPS) and reseller hosting. It offers unmetered disk space, unmetered bandwidth and a 99% uptime guarantee. You’ll also get 24/7 support and a 30-day money-back guarantee

**HostGator pricing: **
Plans start at $2.75 per month for your first term. Each plan comes with one-click WordPress installation, unmetered bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, a free domain name and free WordPress/cPanel website transfers. For its mid-tier shared hosting plan, you can have unlimited websites for $3.50 per month for your first term

**Learn more: **Read our full HostGator review. **Who should use it: **
HostGator’s shared hosting plans are a great fit for individuals and small businesses who need an affordable plan with flexible hosting options

$2.95 per month
(billed annually, renews at $9.99 per month)
Unmetered bandwidth and SSD storage starts at 10GB
Free domain name and SSL for a year, free CDN, Google Ads/Bing credits for higher-tiered plans
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting platforms, and for good reason. It offers a wide range of features at competitive prices, making it perfect for people just getting started with web hosting. For its Basic plan, you’ll have 10GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, a free domain for your first year and up to 25 subdomains. Its Plus plan doubles your storage, gives you $200 in Google Ads/Bing credits and provides unlimited primary domains, parked domains and subdomains

**Bluehost pricing: **
Bluehost plans start at $9.99 per month, but you can get its Basic plan for as little as $2.95 per month for your first term. Its Plus plan is $14.99 per month, or $5.45 per month for your first term. Choice Plus costs $5.45 per month for your first term, and renews at $18.99 per month. Its most expensive plan is Pro, and costs $28.99 per month, though your first term is $13.95 per month

**Learn more: **Read our full Bluehost review. **Who should use it: **
Bluehost is an ideal option for website owners who need a reliable and affordable hosting service that offers a wide range of features and tools to help them manage their site

$2.59 per month
(three-year term)
50GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth
Free domain, free SSL certificate, one-click WordPress installation, great support

DreamHost has quickly become one of the leading web hosting providers. It’s reliable and affordable with feature-rich plans that include everything you need to build a new website, from a domain name and SSL certificate to one-click WordPress installation. In addition to its great value for the price, it also offers a beginner-friendly site builder and, best of all, very helpful support that is there no matter the type of issue you are having with your hosting or site

**DreamHost pricing
Plans start as low as $2.59 per month for a basic package. Its Shared Starter plan renews at $5.99 per month. This comes with a single website, unmetered bandwidth, 50GB of storage, up to five subdomains, six MySQL databases, free domain name privacy and 24/7 support via ticket

The best deal is the Shared Unlimited plan, at $3.95 per month with a long-term 36-month contract. After the promotional period ends, this increases to $10.99 per month. This plan includes unlimited websites, unlimited domain email, unlimited storage and unlimited MySQL databases

**Who should use it: **
DreamHost is overall a solid choice for web hosting that will suit most businesses’ needs. However, where it really shines is its helpful support, making it ideal for WordPress beginners who might need expert assistance at their fingertips

$2.49 per month with a 36-month contract
or $3.49 per month with a 12-month contract
100 GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth
90-day money-back guarantee, automatic backups (for a fee), DDoS protection
InMotion Hosting is a leading web host that stands out for its ultra-low pricing, reliability and security. It offers a long, 90-day money-back guarantee, automatic backups, DDoS protection and malware protection to help further safeguard your site and protect the sensitive information it processes, such as payment information and user data

**InMotion Hosting pricing
Plans start at $2.49 per month with a 36-month commitment, $2.99 with a 24-month commitment or $3.49 with a 12-month commitment. This includes 100GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth, as well as a free SSL certificate, up to 10 business email addresses and security features

**Learn more: **Read our full InMotion Hosting review. **Who should use it: **
InMotion Hosting is ideal for businesses that prioritize reliability and peace of mind as well as value for price, given its lengthy money-back guarantee and famously high uptimes

$1.95 per month
(three-year term)
Unlimited disk space and traffic
100% uptime guarantee, free website transfer assistance, website builder
$1.95 per month
(three-year term)
Unlimited disk space and traffic
100% uptime guarantee, free website transfer assistance, website builder

MochaHost is an all-around great pick for nearly any business given its highly competitive price for its feature-rich plans. For as little as $1.95 per month, you get great unlimited storage and bandwidth, making it ideal for businesses building content-heavy sites and high-traffic sites alike, a money-back guarantee, a website builder and a number of extras, such as a free domain name, a free SSL certificate and unlimited business email with WebMail

It also offers a number of high-value features for an industry-low price. To give you peace of mind, plans come with highly rated, unlimited SSL certificates for life, 24/7 tech support, and to make your life a bit easier, it offers free website transfer service for those changing web hosts. Additionally, it has the Mocha Lightning Fast Guarantee, which promises that it loads sites faster than any other cloud hosting service, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee

**MochaHost pricing
MochaHost is one of the most competitively priced web hosting providers on the market for feature-packed plans. It offers three main hosting plans, ranging in price from $1.95 per month to $5.78 per month with a long-term contract. Every plan includes unlimited disk space, making it one of the most cost-effective hosts for content-heavy sites, as well as unlimited traffic, making it a good choice for those with a high number of website visitors

**Who should use it: **
With MochaHost’s impressive range of features at such an affordable price, most businesses will find it to be a good value. However, based on its inclusion of unlimited storage and bandwidth, it’s ideal for those who are building content-heavy sites, such as sites that display a portfolio, an e-commerce site with a large product catalog or any site with a high volume of website visitors

$3.99 per month
(three-year term)
10GB storage, unmetered bandwidth
Daily backups, one-click WordPress installation, free SSL certificate
GoDaddy is the best web hosting service for businesses that need an easy setup and don’t require a lot of storage. It’s also ideal for setting up WordPress websites, as it offers one-click installation and daily backups. Plus, its plans include a free SSL certificate to keep your site secure. With its DDoS protection, it also offers an added layer of protection against malicious attacks

**GoDaddy pricing: **
Pricing starts at $3.99 per month with a three-year contract, then renews at the same rate. Its Economy plan is $5.99 per month with a three-year term and renews at $8.99 per month. Deluxe costs $7.99 per month for a three-year term and renews at $11.99 per month. If you’ve got a high-traffic website, its Ultimate plan is ideal and runs $12.99 per month with a three-year contract, and renews at $16.99 per month

**Learn more: **Read our full GoDaddy review. **Who should use it: **
GoDaddy is ideal for small businesses that want to easily set up WordPress websites with one-click installation, and want to lock in low pricing that does not increase upon renewal

$3.74 per month
(three-year term)
Unlimited
Unlimited storage, free dedicated IP address, unlimited business email, free site migration
Hostwinds is one of the few web hosting providers that includes unlimited storage and bandwidth with every plan, making it the best web hosting service for content-heavy sites. It also offers unlimited business email, a free SSL certificate, a free dedicated IP address, free site migration, WordPress auto-install for easy installation and 24/7 support. It also uniquely offers three server locations to choose from (Dallas, Seattle or Amsterdam) to give you more control

**Hostwinds pricing
Pricing starts at $3.74 per month with a 36-month contract, $5.24 per month with a 12-month contract or $6.74 per month with a month-to-month contract. Plans are feature-rich, however, while they include a lot that other web hosts don’t, such as a free dedicated IP address and the ability to choose your location, plans do not include a domain name

**Learn more: **Read our full Hostwinds review. **Who should use it: **
Hostwinds is ideal for businesses that have outgrown their existing web hosting provider and need more storage without paying a ton for it. It’s also ideal for new businesses setting up content-heavy sites, such as a portfolio website

$2.50 per month
(no contract)
Unlimited
Unlimited business email, free website migration, free SSL certificate, website builder, 30-day money-back guarantee
For a low price, InterServer provides a lot of tools with a number of useful features that help keep a website secure and protected. For example, plans include InterShield Security to help protect your site from web attacks, and it also has an in-house malware database, a machine learning firewall and an automatic virus scanner so the health of your site is always upheld. This makes it great for businesses that handle sensitive information, such as customer contact info

**InterServer pricing
InterServer offers one straightforward web hosting plan that costs $2.50 per month—no contract required. It comes with unlimited storage and bandwidth and a number of industry-leading security features including Inter-Insurance, which will clean up any messes made should there be a security breach attack, and InterShield Security. In addition to its top-notch security, its plan comes packed with extras, such as 24/7 managed support, unlimited storage, free site migration, unlimited business email and a 30-day money-back guarantee


Learn more: Read our full InterServer review

**Who should use it: **
InterServer is the best web hosting service for businesses on a budget that need to ensure website security, such as those that handle sensitive information and process online payments. For example, an online store, a medical practice or a financial services provider

$2.95 per month
(three-year term)
Unlimited SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth
Free domain, free SSL certificate, free site transfer, website builder, unlimited business email
TMDHosting offers a wide variety of plan options towith your business, such as web, cloud, WordPress, VPS and reseller hosting. Some plans even offer dedicated servers. Smaller companies typically start with web or cloud hosting before upgrading to VPS, which is a virtual private server, or dedicated servers

Access support via phone or email 24/7/365 with response times as little as 15 minutes. There is an extensive knowledge base for self-help. However, it hasn’t been updated since 2018

**TMDHosting pricing
Plans start at $8.95 per month (paid monthly plus a $9.95 setup fee), but TMDHosting offers regular discounts of up to 45%, so it’s usually available for as little as $2.95 per month with a 36-month contract. When paying for an annual contract or longer, there is no setup fee. A 12-month contract costs $4.95 per month and a month-to-month contract costs $9.95 per month

All plans include unlimited SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth, as well as money-saving extras such as a free domain name, free account set up and a free SSL certificate. Plans also come with 24/7 support and a 60-day money-back guarantee, giving you a way to try it risk-free

**Learn more: **Read our full TMDHosting review. **Who should use it: **
Businesses looking for high-quality and affordable web hosting plans that canwith them. Since its plans come with everything a business needs to build and launch a website (e-commerce sites included), it’s the ideal solution for those who are in the early stages of building a website

|Company||Forbes Advisor Rating||Best For||Starting price||Storage and bandwidth||LEARN MORE|
|Ionos||
|
|4.6||
|
|Best for Startups1 per month (billed annually; renews at $10 per month10GB of storage and unlimited traffic||Learn More||Read Forbes' Review|
|HostGator||
|
|4.4||
|
|Best perks2.75 per month (three-year termUnmetered||Learn More||On HostGator's Website|
|Bluehost||
|
|4.3||
|

|Best for new websites2.95 per month (billed annually, renews at $9.99 per monthUnmetered bandwidth and SSD storage starts at 10GB||Learn More||On Bluehost.com's Website|
|DreamHost||
|
|4.3||
|
|Best for WordPress Beginners2.59 per month (three-year term50 GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth||Learn More||On DreamHost's Website|
|InMotion Hosting||
|
|4.1||
|
|Best for Reliability2.49 per month with a 36-month contract, or $3.49 per month with a 12-month contract||100GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth||Learn More||Read Forbes' Review|
|MochaHost||
|
|3.9||
|
|Best for lifetime SSL certificates1.95 per month (three-year termUnlimited disk space and traffic||View More|
|GoDaddy||
|
|3.7||
|
|Best for easy site setup3.99 per month (three-year term10GB storage, unmetered bandwidth||Learn More||On GoDaddy's Website|
|Hostwinds||
|
|3.7||
|
|Best for content-heavy sites3.74 per month (three-year termUnlimited||Learn More||On Hostwinds.com's Website|
|Interserver||
|
|3.7||
|
|Best for website security2.50 per month (no contractUnlimited||Learn More||On Interserver's Website|
|TMDHosting||
|
|3.7||
|
|Best for fast-growing businesses2.95 per month (three-year termUnlimited SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth||Learn More||Read Forbes' Review|
Web hosting is a service that allows anyone to essentially rent space on the internet, and websites must have web hosting in order to be accessible online. Some content management systems (CMS), such as Squarespace and Wix, include web hosting as part of their monthly fee, whereas if you’re building a site on WordPress, you’ll need to purchase web hosting from a web hosting provider, such as MochaHost or IONOS. Learn more about what web hosting is

Think of web hosting as the process of finding your website a home. The contents of your website—the domain name, HTML code, images, text, etc.—all need a place to live. Web hosting provides a place for this content to live on a server

In short, a server is a computer that connects users to your website. In other words, the server is like a large condo building or office building and web hosting is the process of renting office space or buying a condo in that building

Before you can find a home for your website via web hosting, you first need a domain name. While related, web hosting and domain hosting are very different services. Web hosting is the process of connecting your website to a server, whereas domain hosting is the process of securing a domain name or web address for your website


Following our earlier analogy, if web hosting is akin to renting space in a building then domain hosting is like putting a nameplate outside your door with your name and address. The domain is what people use to navigate to your address on the Internet

Many service providers provide both domain hosting and web hosting, which can provide one-stop shop convenience, but depending on your needs, you may want to consider separating the services. Regardless, before you can even consider web hosting, you first need a domain name via a domain registrar

When choosing the best web hosting service, consider factors such as pricing, storage space and bandwidth limits, customer service, server location options, security features and whether it has automatic backups. Another thing you need to consider is its scalability. Migrating a website, even when a web hosting service does it for you, isn’t an easy task. Does the host offer a wide range of options that will scale with your site? Additionally, how easy is your web host to use?
We recommend that you look for a web hosting provider with the following key features, regardless of your specific website needs:
Look for a web hosting provider with an intuitive user interface and control panel. This will save you time in the long run if you need to make changes or updates to your website. A good web host should offer one-click installations for popular content management systems (CMS), such as WordPress or Drupal, and a drag-and-drop website builder if you’re not comfortable with coding

Finally, it’s important to consider scalability when choosing a web hosting service. How will youyour website in the future? Will your host’s services be able to keep up with your growth? Does the host offer an easy way to scale up, such as offering VPS and dedicated hosting options? A good web host should be able to handle the growth of your website. Similarly, if you’re taking a break for a while, can you drop to a lower-tiered plan?
There are several different types of web hosting available. While there may be a tendency to favor the cheapest option, depending on your needs, this can lead to problems down the road. For this reason, it’s important to look not just at cost, but customer service, security, speed and customization options as well

Shared hosting is most popular with small businesses and websites that don’t need a lot of customization or expect a lot of traffic. Shared hosting provides space for several websites—dozens, hundreds or thousands—on one server

Because the costs are relatively low, it is an economical option, but there could be service disruptions or slower connection speeds because several clients/websites are all accessing the same server’s resources, including disk space, RAM and central processing unit (CPU) power

A step up from shared hosting is VPS hosting. Similar to shared hosting, various websites are all housed on the same server, but each website’s files and content are housed in their own dedicated space on the server. You will pay a little more than with shared hosting, but you also have your own section of the server isolated from other clients on the server. For this reason, VPS hosting is more secure. Additionally, VPS hosting is scalable to your needs and you’ll be able to modify the server and install any software that you need

VPS hosting can be managed or unmanaged. If you choose managed VPS hosting, the host will provide all maintenance and services necessary to keep the website and server up and running. You’ll pay a little more for managed VPS hosting, but you won’t be responsible for maintenance

Conversely, using unmanaged VPS hosting will mean you are responsible for configuring and maintaining the server yourself, monitoring security threats, installing software upgrades and backing up your data. Unmanaged VPS hosting is a good option for website developers, businesses with a dedicated IT department and individuals with a technology background

Because WordPress is such a popular content management system, many web hosting providers offer WordPress-specific hosting. In addition to web hosting, these providers also offer services such as technical support and software updates specific to WordPress. It offers advantages like scalability, speed and security, but it comes at a price with a cost of about $2 to $30 per month. Additionally, there are less customization options since it is limited to WordPress features

Cloud hosting houses your website on multiple servers for maximum performance and connection speeds. It is more expensive than shared hosting, but it will minimize any connection or speed issues because it can handle traffic surges with ease. Cloud hosting also offers scalability, backups and disaster recovery. These additional services come with a price, however, and the pricing models of cloud hosting providers can be confusing, depending on customization of the plan

Dedicated web hosting is when a website has sole use of the entire server. Because you have your own dedicated server, you minimize security and connection issues. But it comes at a price


The costs may be justified, however, in a few situations. For instance, if you expect your website traffic to increase significantly, service disruptions and slow connection speeds could be detrimental to your business. In this case, the cost of a dedicated server would be worth it because it will provide uninterrupted service and quick connection speeds. A dedicated server will also provide additional security, which will be helpful if you are dealing with personal information like credit card information

|Type of Web Hosting||Pros||Cons||Appropriate For|
|Shared Hosting||Economical||Increased potential for service disruption and slower connection speeds||Small websites Personal blogs Startup websites|
|VPS Hosting||Additional security and customization, while still being relatively economical||More expensive than shared hosting||Medium-sized businesses Professional blogs|
|WordPress Managed Hosting||Security and speed Ease of use||More expensive than shared hosting Lack of customization||Medium-sized businesses Professional blogs|
|Cloud Hosting||Minimizes service disruptions Maintains quick connection speeds||Can be confusing to set up||High-traffic websites|
|Dedicated Hosting||Minimizes service disruptions Maintains quick connection speeds Offers additional security||Most expensive||High-traffic websites Websites that maintain personally identifiable information|
Web hosting can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars a month, so it’s important to find a plan that fits your budget. Consider the renewal cost of the hosting plan as well, since some providers offer a lower rate for the first term and then significantly increase the price when it’s time to renew. Additionally, keep in mind that there may be some hosting features that you don’t need or can live without, so look for a plan that offers the best value

For example, a cheaper plan doesn’t usually include a domain name, and often includes just one website. A more expensive plan may include multiple domains, more storage and bandwidth and other features

Pricing varies significantly between various types of web hosting services. Even within each type, there can be price differences between service providers depending on the level of customer service and the length of service plan chosen. In general, prices range as follows:
There are several factors that go into the cost of website hosting. These include:
Your web hosting provider may also charge additional fees, such as setup fees (often waived when signing a contract and paying up-front), domain registration fees or monthly support fees. Additionally, there may be add-on services you can purchase to enhance your website, such as SEO optimization or extra security features. Be sure to read the fine print of your contract and thoroughly understand what is included in your hosting plan before signing up


Having a website for your business or personal use is essential in today’s digital world. You can choose to build and host your site yourself, or you may opt for an all-in-one website builder that includes hosting. However, if you want more control over your site and access to additional features, using a separate web hosting service might be the better choice

|Website Builders||Offers Hosting As Part of Their Plans|
|Shopify||Yes, plans start at $29 per month|
|Wix||Yes, plans start at $16 per month|
|Squarespace||Yes, plans start at $16 per month|
|Weebly||Yes, offers a free plan|
|GoDaddy||Yes, plans start at $3.99 per month|
In addition to hosting, there are a few other items you may want to consider when setting up your website. These include website builders, domain registration, email hosting and ecommerce functionality

Website builders are tools or programs that allow you to create a website without the need for coding. They provide a variety of drag-and-drop templates and often include hosting, so you don’t need to purchase a separate plan

Your domain name is the URL or web address that users type in to access your website. You can usually purchase and register a domain name when signing up for hosting, though many web hosting companies have an additional fee for domain registration. A domain name is important for businesses as it helps to create a professional online presence

Having a dedicated email address is essential if you want to build customer trust. You can usually purchase email hosting from your web host, or use a separate service such as Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite). Other web hosts include email hosting for free in their hosting plans

If you plan to sell products or services online, then you’ll need to look for a hosting plan that offers ecommerce functionality. Hosts usually offer ecommerce hosting tools such as payment gateways, shopping carts and secure checkout pages to help you get started

Our staff researched over 50 of the top web hosting companies and compiled thousands of data points to narrow down our top 10 recommendations. The data collected were divided into five major categories—each with several subcategories of their own. These categories include:
We sorted through technical jargon to make sure you’re getting the basics plus noteworthy features, all to come up with the top contenders based on aspects your company actually needs

As the internet continues toand develop at an astounding rate, the web hosting industry has adapted to increased demands and greater expectations. These adaptations are apparent in the major 2023 web hosting trends we are seeing as we move into the new year


Similar to everywhere else, the cloud is becoming the number one choice for consumers in the web hosting industry. Companies are moving away from dedicated on-site servers and instead choose to base operations out of third-party, cloud-hosted servers

Servers that operate in the cloud provide a tremendous number of benefits, including increased scaling potential, more flexibility, lower costs, the ability to create backups, improved security, regular maintenance and better software capability. Cloud computing is here to stay, and we expect more entities to move operations onto the cloud in 2023

Multicloud hosting refers to the practice of delegating a site’s computing tasks to two or more different cloud computing platforms. Essentially, some functions of a site are performed by one vendor and other functions by another

Multicloud hosting has become increasingly popular in recent years. By using this model, a company is not dependent on a single vendor for all its needs, and it can take advantage of the unique benefits and areas of strength each host offers. We expect to see multicloud hosting becoming an even more popular choice in 2023 as companies try to stay competitive in the virtual world

If you’re searching for a web host that can support andyour business website,
**IONOS** is the perfect solution. With all of their plans, you’ll receive one year of complimentary domain name registration, an SSL certificate free-of-charge as well as 24/7 customer service should any unforeseen issues arise

**HostGator** has earned a place in our list of the best web hosting services due to its impressive value for money and dependable performance, as well as its abundant features tailored specifically to small-and medium businesses. It provides limitless disk space, unlimited bandwidths and even boasts a 99% uptime guarantee

**Bluehost** stands out as one of the most popular web hosting solutions, and there’s a reason why. It provides users with an impressive array of features at budget-friendly prices – perfect for novices in need of reliable web hosting

If you are planning to transfer your website from one host to another, the process is relatively straightforward but can vary depending on your current web hosting provider. Generally, you will need to create a backup of your website, download it from your current host and then upload it to the new hosting provider. You should also update your domain name record to point to the new server. Your web hosting provider may be able to help you or provide assistance with this process

If you want to ensure efficiency and reliability for your website, be sure to select a web hosting plan with an adequate amount of bandwidth. Bandwidth is the measure of data that can be transmitted between your site and its visitors, typically in megabytes or gigabytes per second. The higher it is, the more guests you can accommodate on your page without lagging speeds. Many hosts offer numerous levels of bandwidth so make sure to pick one tailored towards fulfilling all needs pertaining to your website!
Web hosting is a service that allows anyone to essentially rent space on the internet, and websites must have web hosting in order to be accessible online. Some content management systems (CMS), such as Squarespace and Wix, include web hosting as part of their monthly fee, whereas if you’re building a site on WordPress, you’ll need to purchase web hosting from a web hosting provider, such as IONOS or HostGator

There are a number of different web hosting services, but the most common are shared, VPS (virtual private server) and dedicated. Shared is the most popular choice as it’s also the most affordable. However, VPS and dedicated hosting offer more site security and enhanced website performance, making them a more popular choice amongst large and well-established websites

When choosing the best web hosting services for your business, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors. The most important include your website’s size, traffic and goals. You’ll also want to consider the type of hosting you need—shared, VPS or dedicated hosting. And finally, factors such as which come with the extras you need (e.g., a domain name or business email) and support in your preferred contact method (e.g., live chat, phone or email) should influence your decision

There are some web hosts offering free hosting and domain names, but you shouldn’t use them as a business. This is because you’ll have the web host’s domain after yours (mycoolsite.webhostname.com). Shared hosting is your cheapest option, and we have a list of the best cheap web hosting services to consider

Website hosting can be expensive because it’s a competitive market. Most web hosts offer similar features and resources, so the best way to stand out is to offer more features, which often come at an additional cost. Web hosts also have to pay for the servers and infrastructure that power their websites, as well as 24/7 customer support

Yes, you can host your own website but, for most, this doesn’t make the most sense. It will be more costly and time-consuming than using a web hosting company because you’ll need your own servers and software as well as the knowledge of how to maintain them

Shared hosting is the most affordable type of web hosting as multiple websites are hosted on the same server, thus sharing resources and reducing costs. VPS hosting is a more secure type of hosting as each website is hosted on a virtual private server with its own resources. This setup allows for more control over the server, making it ideal for larger and more established websites. However, VPS hosting is more expensive than shared hosting


Unlimited bandwidth means that your web hosting service doesn’t limit the amount of data you can use. Does this mean you can use as much bandwidth as you want? Not necessarily. Most hosting companies have fair usage policies, so while they may not limit the amount of data being used, they will monitor your usage and may ask you to upgrade if it becomes excessive.