For business owners and digital creators, web hosting isn’t a mere option; it’s a necessity. People turn to the internet when searching for products or services, so your business needs a reliable and easily accessible website for potential clients to find. Even a simple page that details your business location, contact information, and hours of operation is invaluable.
Gone are the days when businesses were listed on yellow pages; if you can’t be found in a search engine, your business doesn’t exist. Businesses need a sharable website to build an online presence. Without a website, your business lacks discoverability and will earn little money. Granted, web hosting isn’t exclusively a business investment; if you’re aiming to host a personal site, blog, or project, hosting services are also highly valuable. Regardless of your website target, the services listed here have you covered.
Best for Shared Hosting
DreamHost Web Hosting
Why We Picked It
When it comes to delivering dependable, Linux-powered servers, DreamHost ranks as one of the best services that we’ve tested. The company offers valuable website-building tools, as well as excellently priced hosting plans for all of your needs, including shared, VPS, and WordPress-specific servers. DreamHost’s cloud-based servers are also extremely affordable and flexible, earning the host an Editors’ Choice nod for the subcategory.
Who It’s For
With its easy-to-use tools, DreamHost is a great host if you’re new to building websites. It also has fantastic cloud-based hosting with highly competitive rates and a feature-packed toolset that includes site-building software and unlimited data transfers across the board.
A2 Web Hosting
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.
AccuWeb Hosting
Why We Picked It
Fantastic web hosting plans and helpful customer service aptly describe AccuWeb’s services. However, the company’s excellent dedicated hosting plans make it stand out in a crowded field. In fact, its dedicated packages are so robust that they earned our Editors’ Choice award. What’s more, AccuWeb has Windows Server options alongside the common Linux OS, so you have an another potential foundation for your website.
Who It’s For
Companies seeking high-powered dedicated hosting. Dedicated plans costs more money than shared, VPS, WordPress, or cloud options, but the steeper price tag comes with storage and data transfer privileges that are second to none. If you’re on the prowl for enterprise-level business hosting, AccuWeb will serve your company well.
Liquid Web Hosting
Why We Picked It
There’s the serious muscle behind LiquidWeb’s wide range of cloud, dedicated, VPS, WordPress, and reseller server packages. It lacks a low-cost, shared hosting tier, making this web host more appealing to larger businesses rather than smaller ones. Despite that limitation, you can expect white-glove treatment with LiquidWeb’s packages, so your web hosting needs will be handled with exceptional care and attention.
Who It’s For
LiquidWeb offers premium hosting, at a premium price point. The host provides excellent, managed, enterprise-class service, with the muscle to power the website of your dreams. If you want powerful hosting options and impeccable, around-the-clock support, LiquidWeb is a good place to start.
Hostwinds Web Hosting
Why We Picked It
Shared hosting is a great starting point, but as your traffic and demands grow, so will your hosting needs. VPS is the next step up, and Hostwinds handles VPS hosting extremely well. The versatile web host also has strong reseller hosting plans for people who want to open their own hosting businesses.
Who It’s For
Hostwinds is an appealing hosting choice for a wide range of clients, from mom-and-pop shops to big business, as its services are attractively priced and fairly robust. Give Hostwinds a try if you want to migrate your website to a beefier VPS server, or wish to sell hosting of your own.
Hostinger Web Hosting
Why We Picked It
Hostinger is a versatile web host that combines excellent uptime, great customer service, and a mix of traditional and cloud-based hosting. The company’s services are fairly customizable, too, letting you create private video game servers for CS: GO or Minecraft.
Who It’s For
Gamers who want to create their own private servers. Of course, Hostinger serves non-gamers, too. The web host constantly adds features to its excellent hosting options or improves accessibility to make those options easier to use. Check out Hostinger’s customizable packages if you need a web server that requires a specific build.
Ionos by 1&1
Why We Picked It
When it comes to scaling, Ionos by 1&1 is a powerhouse. The web host has many well-rounded packages, including shared, VPS, WordPress, and dedicated servers. However, its cloud hosting plans are particularly feature-rich offerings, making Ionos an Editors’ Choice pick for the subcategory.
Who It’s For
Enterprises looking to open up shop online. Ionos’ cloud-based services are reliable and powerful, and let you easily scale server specs as your company grows.
Bluehost Web Hosting
Why We Picked It
Bluehost strikes a balance between pricing and features, offering services that appeal to hobbyists and business professionals. Great uptime, WordPress-enhancing tools, e-commerce add-ons, and overall flexibility make Bluehost a web host you can count on for a rock-solid website. Its website builder delivers drag-and-drop simplicity as well, making it all the more appealing.
Who It’s For
A massive portion of the internet is powered by WordPress (more than 40 per cent!), so there’s a good chance that you may go that route, too. Fortunately, Bluehost excels at WordPress hosting, offering plans that let you build nearly any website you wish. Plus, Bluehost has custom tools that make building a WordPress site an even easier affair.
HostGator Web Hosting
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.