Best Web Hosting Providers In 2024
Last updated on September 5th, 2024 at 12:23 pm
Every website has its unique requirements and challenges. Thus what kind of web hosting a particular website needs might differ. If you want to create a genuinely rewarding website, then it becomes imperative that you consider what type of web hosting will check the maximum boxes on your list.
Since the hosting marketplace is more competitive than ever before, there are a lot of genuinely good companies providing some extremely secure and feature-rich hosting services. Along with the hosting, companies provide side perks as well, which only strengthen your working experience on your website.
To rank the best web hosting services out of so many currently available, we have to go through a rigorous process of performance testing, feature and add-on testing, etc. Here is how we test the best services for you:
- Sign up with the hosting plan and set up a website
- Test performance, monitor uptime, and load time.
- Feature and add-on comparison
- Comparing different price levels
- Testing customer support for response time and query resolution
We will rank the best web hosting services in a short while. As we said, first, it is essential to understand what we need to select the best host. So we will quickly glance through different kinds of hosting services that are available and which one of them you require.
Types of hosting services you can get
There are five basic types of hosting plans.
- Shared
- VPS
- WordPress
- Cloud
- Dedicated
1. Shared Hosting
If you have a small business or running a small website, you might consider using Shared Hosting. It is the most prevalent and cheap hosting service. On a shared hosting plan, multiple websites are hosted on the same server. This might reduce the cost, but this also means that you need to share RAM, processing power, and Bandwidth. Initially, this kind of hosting is a good option, but as you grow and receive more traffic and share more of the resources, you will have to upgrade to a better hosting plan.
2. VPS Hosting
This is where VPS Hosting comes into the picture. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. It gives you the benefit of increased performance without an expensive plan. It gives you more control over the server and is more secure than shared hosting.
3. Clouds Hosting
Cloud Hosting pools together the resources of multiple servers into a single virtual network. Cloud Hosting is extremely fast and gives you the flexibility to expand or reduce your server size as per the demand. In many ways, cloud hosting is more secure than other kinds of hosting services. If you want to pay for only what you use, then this is the best option. Companies and entrepreneurs who are running on a lean budget might want to consider cloud hosting.
4. Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting is an expensive option, but one of the most secure and climate-controlled data centers. A dedicated team of engineers is available on-site for any issue the servers face. Though the plans for dedicated hosting are expensive, it also means that all the resources of the server are yours to use.
Since you don’t have to share disk space, hardware, internet connectivity, etc. it equates to better uptime. If your business is large and your site is handling a massive load of traffic, then you must consider this option.
There is no substitute for clarity. Ask yourself the right questions. Look at what your website needs and then only decide to go for a particular hosting service. If, by now, you have some idea of what you are looking for, then you can better appreciate these amazing web host providers. Without further ado, let us look at the top 10 best web host providers.
Best Web Hosting Providers for your Website
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is considered one of the best hosting providers, and we share the same thought. It is overall an excellent hosting service provider. Currently, powering more than 2 million websites worldwide, it is also an officially recommended host by WordPress.org.
Bluehost has the best uptime of all the providers we have tested so far. Bluehost promises a 99.99% uptime on its website, and it has stood true to the test. An average TTFB on Bluehost servers clocks at 0.45 seconds and takes less than a second to render a page fully.
If you are a small business or building a website all by yourself, then Bluehost is a perfect choice for you. Its beginner-friendly website builder makes it super easy for beginners to work on Bluehost. Here is a list of features it provides with its basic shared hosting plan which currently costs $2.95/mo* :
- Best Uptime
- A fast TTFB
- Free SSL Certificate
- 1-click WordPress install
- 30 days money-back guarantee
- 24/7 live customer support
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- 1 Included Domain
You can consider more advanced plans and also look for VPS and Dedicated hosting, which costs more than shared hosting plans.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger is one of the cheapest hosting providers in 2020. Though the service is inexpensive, it has not compromised the quality. The TTF B clocks in at 0.19 seconds, which, by all means, is extremely fast, and it takes nearly half a second to render a page completely. You can say that Hostinger is the fastest provider.
Hostinger’s plans start at $ 0.99 /mo (USD). Compared to Bluehost, the features that Hostinger offers are a tiny bit less. If you are a beginner and do not require any advanced features yet, you can start with Hostinger’s basic plan and gradually upgrade to a more advanced plan. Here is a list of features that come with Hostinger’s basic plan which starts at $0.99/mo.
- Fast loading speed
- TTFB at 0.19 seconds
- Free SSL Certificate
- 24/7 customer support
- Easy to use, interactive control panel (cPanel)
- 1 Free Email
- 1x allocated resources
If you are a more seasoned developer and require more advanced and powerful features, then Hostinger has more robust plans that offer advanced features like MySQL databases, unlimited bandwidth, etc.
3. SiteGround
SiteGround is powering nearly 2,000,000 domains and is a recommended host by WordPress.org. It offers one of the best-shared hosting services with Joomla and WordPress Optimization. SiteGrounds TTFB clocks in at 0.39 seconds, and it takes less than a second to render a page completely. It is incredibly reliable, with a 99.99% uptime.
However, SiteGround stands apart when it comes to impeccable customer support. They have strong, technically sound, and exceptionally responsive customer support. They have one of the top-rated customer care squads online.
SiteGround’s StartUp plan comes at $6.99/mo when bought for 12 months. It is slightly higher than the basic plans of other hosting providers, but the plan is feature-rich and robust for both beginners and advanced users. Let us look at the exceptional features SiteGround offers with its StartUp plan.
0.39 seconds TTFB
- 99.99% uptime
- Unbreachable account isolation
- Proactive server monitoring
- Automated daily backups
- 10 GB web space
- 10,000 visits/mo
- Unmetered traffic
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free CDN
- Free Email
- Managed WordPress
- Unlimited Databases
- 30-Days Money-Back
If you cross 10,000 visits monthly and need more than 10 GB of web space, then you can consider upgrading to more advanced plans like GrowBig and GoGeek, which come with even more robust features.
4. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is a confident and excellent hosting provider. They promise a 99.99% uptime on their website. They take 0.46 seconds to respond to a query and nearly one second to render a page completely. A2 hosting offers multiple hosting services like shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS, and dedicated hosting. They have a friendly and knowledgeable support team that is available 24/7/365 to help.
With their inexpensive and feature-rich plans, it becomes a conducive place for people to grow their website. Once you begin to grow, you can look for their more advanced plans, which scale up evenly. A2 is not a hosting giant if compared to its other counterparts, that’s why it caters to each customer with appropriate attention and care.
A2 Hosting’s STARTUP Plan comes at $2.99/mo. As you move to more advanced plans they provide more robust key features, growth features, and turbo features. A2 Hosting offers the following features with its STARTUP Plan:
- 100 GB SSD Storage
- Free site migration
- Anytime money-back guarantee
- Unlimited Email accounts
- 24/7/365 customer support
- Easy cPanel Control Panel
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free CloudFlare CDN
- 99.99% Uptime Commitment
- Free Website Builder
- Website staging
- Choice of data center locations
5. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is one of the largest hosting providers worldwide. It has a 1-click install for over 125 applications, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc. With GoDaddy, you can be assured of decent security and 24/7 customer support. The hosting provider has an easy-to-use cPanel control panel.
The provider has a choice of global data centers making the load times even faster. It also guarantees a 99.99% uptime on its website. Its TTFB hits the clock at 0.60 seconds, which is pretty fast. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hosting plan that covers all the standard features, then GoDaddy is an appropriate choice.
If you are beginning with your website, then the basic plan will get you covered. However, it doesn’t provide quality support and advanced features. GoDaddy is more renowned for its domain hosting, for which it has an expert technical support team.
The beginners’ plan called Economy starts at $1.99 a month. Here are the features it offers with its introductory plan.
- 0.60 TTFB
- Unmetered bandwidth
- 100 GB storage
- Free professional Email – 1-year trial
- Free domain with annual plan
If you are not satisfied with their Linux hosting plans then you can also opt for Windows hosting plans, which are slightly more expensive than the former.
6. Dreamhost
Dreamhost has been there for a while and currently hosts 1.5 million websites. It has successfully brought together the best pricing, security, support, and performance. Their hosting plans will work for you irrespective of your expertise level.
Dreamhost has been tested for one of the best response times. Its TTFB clocks at 0.24 seconds and renders your site entirely in a mere 0.76 seconds. It also has one of the fastest query response times of 0.37 seconds. If you are still unsure, then you will be glad that it offers a 97-day money-back guarantee. It provides quality shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and excellent WordPress hosting.
Dreamhost has a blazing fast 1-click install for WordPress. Its Shared Starter Plan comes at $3.95/mo if purchased for 12 months. The hosting provider’s features are aligned for technically inclined people and beginners who seek to grow and learn. There is not much difference in its two shared hosting plans apart from one website and unlimited websites, respectively.
- Free Domain included
- Unlimited Traffic
- WordPress Pre-Installed
- Free Automated WordPress Migrations
- WP Website Builder
- Fast SSD Storage
- Free SSL Certificate
7. HostGator
HostGator is a fantastic hosting provider that guarantees 24/7/365 Support, 45-day Money-Back Guarantee, and 99.9% Uptime. It is a trusted and reliable hosting provider that is value for your money.
HostGator has a unique HostGator Cloud, which provides actual cloud flexibility and on-the-go resource management. HostGator is an award-winning hosting provider. It is considered as one of the top-notch hosting providers of 2020. Their website builder is as smooth as butter, and your level of expertise is never an impediment in designing an excellent website with HostGator.
Their renewal rates are a bit high standing at $10.95.
HostGator’s introductory plan is called the Hatchling Plan, which comes at $2.75/mo. Their list of features with their basic plan is:
- Single Domain
- One-Click WordPress Installs
- Free WordPress/cPanel Website Transfer
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free Domain Included
8. BigRock
BigRock is an excellent choice for small businesses, professionals, and individuals. Along with the hosting, BigRock provides customers with a complete suite of products that helps a website establish and grow.
They offer hosting plans at a stunning price of just $1.32/mo* if you purchase the services for five years. Their TTFB is blazing fast and clocks at 0.44 seconds. It takes about 0.72 seconds to render a page entirely and their backend can handle nearly 300 requests in just 0.74 seconds. This is impressive by all standards.
With 10+ years of investment and experience in R&D, they offer the best features and resources. Especially with their Intel Xeon-E5 Dual Quad-Core Processors w/HyperThreading, the kind of performance is unreal. Their support with WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla is simply flawless as they run on CloudLinux. With their STARTER plan, which comes at $1.32/mo* for five years, they offer the following features:
- 0.44 seconds TTFB
- Blazing fast load time
- 20 GB storage
- 50,000 monthly visitors capacity
- 100 GB Transfer Bandwidth
- 5 Email Accounts
- Over 300 applications
- CloudLinux servers
- Varnish
- 30-day money-back guarantee
9. iPage
iPage is astonishingly fast hitting a TTFB at 0.17 seconds and less than a second to render a page completely. Their speed is one of the most seductive aspects of their service. However, iPage is also repulsive to some as it loads you up with unnecessary offers and upsells.
With a super crazy speed, their rates are tempting too, starting at just $1.99/mo*. However, there are a few limitations to their service as well. Their backend has a vDeck control panel that is easy to use, but in terms of functionality and control, it is not as good as a cPanel. Many features taken for granted across the board simply are missing from iPage. Also, the support team is not as good compared to other providers on the list.
Let’s look at the features that come with their basic plan.
- Unlimited disk space
- Scalable bandwidth
- Unlimited domain names allowed
- Unlimited MySQL databases
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free domain for 1 year ($14.99 value)
- iPage Website Builder (6 pages)
- Mobile-optimized site builder
- WordPress 1-click installer
- Hundreds of templates and themes
- Optimized for WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 phone and chat support
10. BigCommerce
Many businesses choose BigCommerce as it offers a robust and powerful set of e-commerce features along with the standard hosting service and online design tools. BigCommerce is not just a hosting provider or a website builder; it is an entire e-commerce CMS by itself.
They guarantee a 99.99% Uptime on their website. It is fast, but also it is highly secure with multiple layers of security added to your site. You don’t have to hassle with the frustration of writing code, with its easy-to-use website builder; you can build a dynamic website that is ready to sell. Stores on BigCommerce leverage industry-leading infrastructure and tools like Google Cloud Platform, Google AMP, and Akamai Image Manager to boost page load speeds, conversions, and customer experience.
However, they are not just for everyone. Their pricing might cut a hole in your pocket. Their standard plan starts at $29.95/mo. This is extremely high than other providers in the list, but what BigCommerce offers in the price range is a set of powerful tools that equip developers to create a ready-to-sell website.
- Unlimited Products, file storage, and bandwidth
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Multiple sales channels
- Responsive website
- BigCommerce mobile app
- Single-page checkout
- Professional reporting tools
- Free Sitewide HTTPs and Dedicated SSL
- 24/7 live agent support and much more
Final thought
Rating a web host provider is not a piece of cake. There are so many metrics to consider and so many variables. A good hosting provider is not only fast but also secure and always up and running. Many providers lure customers by providing needless features that you probably won’t use even once.
If you are investing in a hosting service, then it is essential to gauge your own needs and look for providers that check the maximum boxes out of your list. Do not compromise on speed and security. A website that is slow to load has maximum bounce rates and is rated very low by search engines. I hope our list of best web host providers was informative and will help you make the right decision for your website.