WordPress hosting is the perfect way to start a small business. With a little bit of effort, you can build an online presence for your business that will be remembered long after you’re gone. There are two main types of WordPress hosting: hosted and self-hosted. Hosted WordPress hosts come with pre-installed software, so you don’t need to worry about anything. Self-hosted WordPress hosts require some extra work, but they offer more flexibility and control over your website. If you want to start a small business, self-hosted WordPress hosting is the way to go.
Best Hosting for WordPress
How to Choose a WordPress Hosting Company
There are a variety of WordPress hosting companies to choose from, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. It can be tough to decide which company is the right fit for your small business. Here are five tips to help you make a decision:
1. Consider your budget. Do you want to pay a high price for a great service or save money by using a lower-cost option?
2. Check the company’s reputation. Make sure you read reviews before choosing them, and compare their prices against other WordPress host companies.
3. Choose a location that’s easy to find and access. Don’t let location be an obstacle to your online presence – choose a company with easy-to-use website pages that emphasize your local community or city (or country if you have one).
4. Research their customer service experience. Make sure you know how long it will take for your questions to be answered, and whether they offer 24/7 support!
5. Compare features and options before making a purchase – not just when deciding which WordPress hosting company to choose!
Best Hosting Sites
1. Bluehost
Bluehost maintains a stellar reputation in a crowded field, and is not only our pick for the best web hosting service, but also the best VPS hosting(opens in new tab) and the best unlimited web hosting(opens in new tab).
It offers shared, dedicated, and managed and unmanaged WordPress(opens in new tab) hosting, with shared offering unmetered bandwidth at reasonable prices. Its cheapest plan comes in at $2.75 a month for 36 months, and includes 50GB storage, five email accounts, and a free domain.
Bluehost provides 24/7 support through phone and live chat, and while not the most customizable, we found its feature-packed plans to be well-configured and supported. Its strongest selling points are speed and uptime, key for any growing site, and an advanced yet simple dashboard for all levels of competence.
For WordPress hosting(opens in new tab), it offers the most support out of the box for WordPress and WooCommerce(opens in new tab) sites, and is one of only three hosts officially recommended by WordPress. This instils a great deal of confidence, alongside extra features including automatic updates, custom themes, a free domain for the first year, a free SSL certificate, and a free CDN.
Finally, it has its own website builder for WordPress(opens in new tab), the Bluehost WordPress website builder(opens in new tab), which allows you to utilize drag-and-drop(opens in new tab) functionality.
2. HostGator Web Hosting
4.5 Outstanding
Best for Shared Hosting
Bottom Line:
HostGator is an excellent web hosting service that offers an array of powerful tools, including a terrific website builder, for bloggers and small businesses.
PROS
- Numerous, feature-rich hosting plans
- Excellent shared hosting offering
- Good for novice webmasters
- Useful site-building software and e-commerce tools
- Helpful, 24/7 customer service
- Outstanding uptime
CONS
- Not all plans have a Windows Server option
Why We Picked It
HostGator is a fantastic web hosting service with a varied selection, including feature-rich WordPress, VPS, dedicated, and cloud server packages. It also includes useful tools, such as the terrific Gator website builder. In a nice touch, HostGator lets you select a Windows-based server, something not offered by every web hosting service.
Who It’s For
Small and midsize businesses that want to quickly build a Linux- or Windows-based website, and have room to grow. And you can do that, as HostGator’s shared hosting packages have unlimited disk space, monthly data transfers, databases, and email addresses across the board.
3. Hostinger – Best 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 great 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 Premium Shared Hosting plan which costs $2.59 per month. This lets you create up to 100 websites and host 25,000 visitors. You’ll also get a free domain for one year and a free Let’s 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, it’s 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 their 99.9% uptime guarantee. Their quick-response 24/7 live chat support will also assist you whenever you need help.
4. InMotion Web Hosting
4.0 Excellent
Best for a Lengthy Money-Back Guarantee
Bottom Line:
InMotion Hosting has numerous, robust features that satisfy nearly every web hosting need. Whether you’re looking for shared, cloud, VPS, or reseller hosting, InMotion has the pricing and flexibility to make your website goal a reality.
PROS
- Excellent uptime
- Many hosting types
- All plans offer unlimited email
- Unlimited data transfers with all Shared and WordPress plans
- Lengthy, money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use website-building software
CONS
- Lacks Windows servers
- Not all plans have month-to-month payment options
Why We Picked It
InMotion is a top-tier web hosting provider that delivers reasonably priced shared, dedicated, VPS, and cloud hosting plans. Whether you need WordPress-specific plans or reselling options, InMotion has a well-rounded feature set that appeals to nearly every web hosting need.
Who It’s For
This is the web host that you should check out when comparing features, as the company casts a wide hosting net. The big exception here is Windows servers, as InMotion uses Linux-based servers to host websites. InMotion also offers an excellent, 90-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting plans, which gives you plenty of time to kick the tires.
5. DreamHost – Best Unbeatable Value On a Month-to-Month Hosting Plan
- UNLIMITED TRAFFIC AND FREE SITE MIGRATION
- MONTH-TO-MONTH PRICING STARTS AT $1.99
- RECOMMENDED BY WORDPRESS
- FREE SSL CERTIFICATE
DreamHost offers huge savings for their month-to-month pricing along with very solid hosting performance.
In fact, their month-to-month plans start at $1.99/month. This plan includes one website with unlimited traffic, unmetered bandwidth, and a free SSL Certificate—a great deal.
This is just the promotional pricing though. This price goes up after the first month. You’ll then be paying the current monthly rate, which is $7.99 per month. That’s still a lot lower than you’d be paying month-to-month compared to other top web hosting providers.
Of course, DreamHost also offers one-year and three-year contracts that start as low as $2.95 per month which allows you to save more money in the long run. Even though it’s not the lowest on this list (check out Hostinger for the lowest contract hosting plans), it’s still a good deal.
If you run a nonprofit, I highly recommend DreamHost. They offer one free unlimited shared hosting plan for 501(c)(3) organizations. That’s a deal you cannot beat.
It’s also a great option for WordPress hosting. DreamHost is one of three web hosts that is officially recommended by WordPress, and they also offer managed WordPress hosting called DreamPress. That is one of the most hassle-free ways to run a WordPress site.
Customer service is a little less traditional: email support is available 24/7, but live chat is only on during business hours. If you want technical support over the phone, you have to pay an additional $9.95.
However, if you spring for either the DreamPress Plus or Pro-managed WordPress plans, phone support is included along with other premium features.
6. A2 Web Hosting
4.0 Excellent
Best for Stellar Customer Service
Bottom Line:
A2 has a strong foundation, with a host of excellent features. If you’re keen on using WordPress as your website’s foundation, this is the place to start.
PROS
- Robust hosting packages, particularly WordPress
- Excellent customer service
- Terrific uptime
- Good money-back refund plan
CONS
- No Windows server options
- Relatively expensive
Why We Picked It
When shopping for web hosting, a strong foundation makes a good first impression. A2 Hosting offers just that with robust hosting packages, excellent uptime, and superb WordPress plans (for which it is a PCMag co-Editors’ Choice winner). In addition, the company has an incredibly helpful customer service team that quickly addresses your problems or questions.
Who It’s For
If you have WordPress in mind, and don’t mind utilizing Linux-based servers, A2 is a host you should scope out first. Its plans include highly optimized environments specifically designed for WordPress, plus managed options that deliver 24-hour support and supervision.
7. GreenGeeks – Best 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.
What’s that mean? It means they’ve used renewable energy to power their web hosting services. So you can feel good about creating your website while showing your support for keeping the environment sustainable.
Aside from being good to the planet, their web 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: They’re a fantastic option for eco-conscious businesses and websites.
Here’s a look at their prices for shared hosting.
Like other hosts, they provide an automatic 1-Click WordPress Installer and auto-updates to keep your WordPress site up to date.
They also provide 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.
They also offer 24/7 support available by phone, chat, or via their ticket system. They are typically very quick to respond and can assist with a wide range of issues.
Best Web Hosting For Beginners
1. Bluehost
| Features | Functional interface, cPanel, WordPress staging |
| Uptime | 99.99% |
| Speed | 361ms |
| Best for | Beginner-focused WordPress hosting |
Bluehost is one of the biggest names when it comes to beginner web hosting, and for a good reason. It offers a beginner-friendly and functional panel, plus it comes with automatic WordPress setup, and management tools.
Here’s why Bluehost is a solid pick for web hosting beginners:
- Bluehost offers an easy setup process. It launches a WordPress setup tool upon your first login and immediately starts the domain and SSL activation process. The host is one of the best WordPress hosting solutions out there.
- It has a user-friendly dashboard and cPanel for painless server and website management.
- Bluehost comes with an AI-based website builder that generates a site based on a few questions. You can then add customization later on using WordPress or, if you’re happy with the result, you can leave it as is.
If you’re looking for the best host for personal website use, Bluehost’s easy management, WordPress tools, and website builder make it a formidable contender.
Bluehost performance
Bluehost is a fast hosting solution but not too powerful. Over the 2-month testing period, the host managed to score a 99.99% uptime result and it took less than 2 seconds to load a sample website. However, Bluehost wasn’t the best at handling huge levels of traffic, but it can surely keep great performance results on a small website.
The host has servers located in the US and nowhere else. It means that if you’re interested in targeting the US audience, the provider might be one of the top picks for you.
All in all, Bluehost is a solid choice for websites that don’t receive high levels of traffic. You can also check how the provider performed in all of the tests in our in-depth Bluehost review.
Bluehost pricing
Bluehost has 4 shared hosting plans from $2.95/mo to $13.95/mo. Compared to other providers, the prices are satisfactory as the plans offer a few freebies as a cherry on top.
With every plan, you get a free domain, free SSL, email accounts, and unlimited bandwidth. Here’s how the subscriptions differ:
- Basic ($2.95/mo) – 1 website, and 50GB storage.
- Plus ($5.45/mo) – unlimited sites and unmetered storage.
- Choice Plus ($5.45/mo) – everything in the Plus plan, domain privacy, and automated backups for a year.
- Pro ($13.95/mo) – everything in the Choice Plus plan, except the automated backups last the whole subscription. You also get a dedicated IP and optimized CPU resources to improve website performance during high-traffic occasions.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger offers cheap web hosting for beginners with a unique twist:
The same company behind Hostinger also offers a 100% free hosting service called 000webhost. With 000webhost, you can register for an account and build a website without opening your wallet. If you’re just getting started, free hosting can be the best web hosting for beginners while you learn the ropes.
Now, there are some limitations with free web hosting, so we don’t recommend 000webhost as a permanent option. However, it is a great place to learn about what it’s like to host a website in a risk-free environment. Once you feel confident, it’s easy to upgrade your website to the paid Hostinger service without losing any data.
Top features for beginners
- Free hosting option – you can get started for free with 000webhost to learn the ropes. Then, upgrade to the paid Hostinger service when you’re ready to get serious.
- Affordable prices – Hostinger is one of the cheapest web hosts on this list.
- One-click installers – get easy one-click installers for WordPress and other website tools.
- Custom hosting dashboard – Hostinger built their own custom dashboard that’s easy to use – you’ll get the same dashboard with 000webhost.
- Email hosting – all of Hostinger’s plans include easy and free email hosting.
- 24/7 support – all Hostinger plans come with always-available support.
Pricing
Again, Hostinger has the cheapest prices on this list, though you’ll need to purchase multiple years upfront to get the best deals:
- Single Shared – from $1.99 per month for a single website and one email account.
- Premium Shared – from $2.99 per month for unlimited websites and email accounts.
- Business Shared – from $4.99 per month for unlimited websites, daily backups, and improved performance.
For most beginners, the Premium Shared plan is the best option to get started with because it allows for unlimited websites and email accounts.
Note – as with other hosts, make sure to pay attention to both the promotional and renewal prices.
3. HostGator
| Features | cPanel hosting, free website builder |
| Uptime | 99.99% |
| Speed | 525ms |
| Best for | Affordable and easy to use hosting |
HostGator is one of the most beginner-friendly shared website hosting providers. It offers a hassle-free hosting experience with an intuitive cPanel and a great customer support team – all this with competitive prices.
Here are HostGator’s key strengths:
- You’ll have a beginner-friendly cPanel and a native interface for effortless hosting management. All of the website setup fundamentals, including domain, email, SSL certificate, and WordPress, are accessible from the main dashboard.
- You get a free domain, SSL certificate, and email regardless of which plan you buy.
- If you need some hand-holding through your first experience, HostGator has many customer support options, video tutorials, and an extensive knowledge base.
Having lots of resources, cheap hosting plans, and an intuitive hosting management panel to offer, HostGator ensures that your beginner experience is as fuss-free as possible.
HostGator performance
HostGator proved to deliver some admirable performance results. It scored a whopping >99.99% uptime and it took slightly more than 1 second for the largest content element to fully load. The results of the 50-virtual-users stress test were celebratory as well. You could barely see a difference in performance and HostGator passed the test with flying colors.
Keep in mind that HostGator’s physical servers are all located within the US. It means that for an international audience, this might not be ideal, but if you’re planning to target North American visitors, it’s a great option.
Altogether, for setting up a US-based small-to-medium-sized website that can handle the occasional influx of traffic, HostGator is worth looking into.
HostGator pricing
HostGator offers 3 shared plans with prices ranging from $2.75 to $5.25 per month. The subscriptions are affordable if you’re searching for an inclusive service.
All 3 plans offer a free domain, SSL certificate, email, unmetered bandwidth, and unlimited storage.
However, there are some differences between them:
- Hatchling ($2.75/mo) – 1 website, making it a good option for portfolio websites and personal blogs.
- Baby ($3.50/mo) – unlimited websites, allowing you to host bigger websites that require more resources, such as medium-sized blogs or small businesses.
- Business ($5.25/mo) – everything in the Baby plan, plus a dedicated IP, SEO tools, and a free upgrade to Positive SSL. It’s a great fit for big business websites that require higher security.
4. SiteGround
SiteGround is one of the most popular web hosts with a first-class reputation stretching far and wide, from Canada to Singapore. You know why? They tick all the boxes. Not only do they offer a custom-built beginner-friendly dashboard, but also an easy onboarding process, and excellent support.
Maybe that’s why SiteGround is a little pricier than Bluehost, but they make up for that with some of the best support in the hosting industry.
Top features for beginners
- Website setup wizard – after you sign up, SiteGround offers a simple wizard to help you launch your website.
- User-friendly custom dashboard – SiteGround built its own user-friendly hosting dashboard that makes it easy to manage your website(s) and access key tools.
- Free email hosting – SiteGround makes it easy to create your own branded email address.
- Automatic WordPress updates – if you’re using WordPress, SiteGround automatically updates the software for you.
- Automatic backups – SiteGround automatically backs up your data on all plans to keep for peace of mind.
- Excellent 24/7 support – SiteGround offers 24/7 support via phone, live chat, online tickets, and has top-rated support according to the 800+ users who participated in our WordPress hosting survey.
Pricing
SiteGround offers three hosting plans:
- StartUp – $2.99 per month for a single website.
- GrowBig – $4.99 per month for unlimited websites.
- GoGeek – $7.99 per month for unlimited websites with more resources and priority support.
For most beginners, we recommend the GrowBig plan because it gives you the ability to host unlimited websites and adds new features that speed up your site and help you more conveniently manage your site.
Note – as with Bluehost, you’ll get a special discount for your first billing cycle (up to three years). After that, the prices jump back to the regular price, which is a big difference. If possible, we recommend paying for three years upfront to lock in the cheap promo prices.
How to Get started with WordPress.
When starting out with WordPress, it’s important to choose the right theme. A good starting point is to check out our Themes Directory and select a theme that meets your specific needs and budget. You can also explore our Theme Gallery to find themes that are perfect for your small business.
Install the WordPress Engine
Once you have a goodTheme choice, it’s time to install the WordPress Engine. This plugin will allow you to create websites using WordPress, without having to learn any coding skills. After installation, go into your website’s Settings and enable the WordPress Engine so that all of your site’s functions work correctly.
Set Up Your WordPress Site
After you have installed the WordPress Engine and set up your site, it’s time to begin setting up your content! First, create a new article or post type called “headings” and put all of your content in there. Then, add anchor text around each of those headings so that readers can easily find what they need (and want) when visiting your site. Finally, add some images and videos to help sell your story!
Use the WordPress Forums to Get Help
The final part of getting started with WordPress is using the forums! On most sites, you can search for discussions about specific topics by topic or by keyword (e.g., “wordpress security”). In addition, many popular forum sections include tutorials on how to use different aspects of WPF orWordPress, as well as helpful discussions on specific topics related to small businesses (e.g., creating an eCommerce store with WPF). By using the forums effectively, you can get started quickly on building a successful website with little effort!
Conclusion
WordPress hosting is an important part of any website. It allows you to easily run your site and make it accessible from anywhere in the world. However, choosing the right WordPress Hosting Company can be difficult. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you make the best decision. By reading this guide, you will be able to get started with WordPress and build a successful website.