Statista estimates that as of January 2023, there are more than “5.16 billion internet users worldwide,” meaning it’s impossible to imagine a world without the internet. To keep your business running, you need to find a way to catch all of these users’ attention, creating a website that they want to interact with. That all starts with a web hosting service.
With dozens of providers available, how do you pick one that matches the vision you have for your website? To help answer that question, we scoured the market to find the best hosting offers on the internet today.
Paying close attention to product and pricing options, features you may need, and important pros and cons, we created a guide to help you pick the best web hosting service for your needs.
Our Methodology: How We Reviewed the Best Hosting Services
Because there are several features to consider, such as server space and bandwidth, it can be challenging to make one-to-one comparisons. To compile our list of the best hosting sites, we reviewed all of the features and weighed them against their costs.
For our main comparison chart, we reviewed features provided by each web host at its most affordable tier. However, if you’re willing to spend enough money, almost every host will offer whatever you need.
Our methodology is based on these factors:
- Uptime guarantees
- Server speed and load time
- Disk space
- Bandwidth limits
- Reliability
- Security features
- Customer support
Comprehensive hosting plans with perks included
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosts to build a WordPress (WP) site, thanks to its one-click installation process, strong CMS (Content Management System) platform, and multiple hosting plans.
While the company offers other services—including shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting—Bluehost’s reputation for being straightforward and easy to use may be their biggest benefit. They also deliver expedited setup of WooCommerce, a popular e-commerce plugin that runs on the WP engine. Security features like SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates and daily backups also add to their appeal.
“I love Bluehost as a hosting platform,” says web strategist and coach Wes Mcdowell. He also calls Bluehost “super reliable” and adds that “it’s a snap to get [your site] up and running” with this service.
Why we chose Bluehost: As one of today’s most versatile hosting providers, Bluehost features a beginner-friendly setup process and a range of affordable solutions. These offerings make them a good option for a variety of customers with diverse needs.
Our experience: We like Bluehost’s simple site design, navigation, and emphasis on WordPress products. These features gave us enough flexibility to build many different types of websites. The transparent pricing and product info also make it easier to sort through options and identify what’s best for you and your budget.
Web and cloud hosting with all the perks
HostGator is a smart choice for larger organizations that need multiple email addresses. This web hosting company includes unlimited email addresses with the plans offered. They also guarantee at least 99% server uptime and unmetered bandwidth.
In his book WordPress in easy steps, Darryl Bartlett, freelance web developer and technical writer, explains that “[to] install WordPress, you are going to need some space online.” He adds, “I recommend a company called HostGator. It is very well priced, has a 24-hour support team, and is very simple to set up WordPress on.”
The introductory $2.75/month plan requires a commitment of three years, but the price doesn’t increase to the usual $7.99/month rate until after the introductory period ends. In addition to standard shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS, HostGator also offers reseller hosting for those who want to provide their own hosting services.
Why we chose HostGator: HostGator has won awards for everything from web hosting to customer service. Its unlimited email addresses, offered even with the most basic plans, impressed us. Organizations with a lot of personnel will particularly appreciate this feature, especially because you can set up your email preferences for optimal performance (e.g., capping at 500/hour to minimize IP blacklisting).
Our experience: We appreciate that HostGator doesn’t force you to pay for additional email addresses or use a third-party email provider. Instead, they keep business in-house. We also liked that they deliver some of the fastest and most affordable hosting options on the market.
Wide choice of hosting options
IONOS is ideal for small businesses that need an online presence. At $1/month for the first year on their Business plan, they have one of the most affordable web hosting offers on this list. They give you a lot for that low price: 99.9% uptime, unlimited bandwidth, 50GB of SSD (Solid State Drive) storage, five email addresses, and advanced security features like DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection and geo-redundancy.
Web developer and HowExpert writer Liz Kazandzhy says in her book Freelance Web Developer 101, “For the sake of simplicity, I recommend 1&1, now known as IONOS. I’ve found that [their service] is affordable and fully satisfies my needs.”
Like the other web hosts on this list, IONOS has WordPress hosting plans. But they also have options for standard web hosting, Drupal hosting, and even Joomla hosting. Although the Business plan’s cost increases to $8/month after the first year, IONOS is still one of the best website hosting platforms on the market, thanks to how much they offer at this low price.
Why we chose IONOS: IONOS has the most affordable pricing options of all the products we reviewed. Plus, their comprehensive catalog of web hosting services makes it easy to include them in our list.
Our experience: We appreciated IONOS’s straightforward pricing structure and product selections. We also found the live chat helpful for learning more about the provider’s available solutions.
