Based on our research, Bluehost is the best overall web hosting provider. It offers a great blend of features, support, and value for money – plus, it’s recommended by WordPress as well.
Of course, it’s not the only web host out there and you need to find what works best for your website. Below, we directly compare the market’s leading hosting providers in the areas that matter most. Find out which is cheapest, which offers the type of hosting you need, and more…
 |  |  |  |  |
| Bluehost | Hostinger | GoDaddy | IONOS | SiteGround |
| Overall rating 4.8 | Overall rating 4.0 | Overall rating 4.0 | Overall rating 4.0 | Overall rating 3.7 |
| Best for Best overall hosting provider | Best for Great for ecommerce hosting | Best for Speedy server response time | Best for Best site speed and uptime | Best for Best option for startup sellers |
| Starting from | Starting from
$2.99 + 2 months free (with the 48-month plan) | Starting from | Starting from | Starting from |
| Shared hosting | Shared hosting | Shared hosting | Shared hosting | Shared hosting |
| WordPress hosting | WordPress hosting | WordPress hosting | WordPress hosting | WordPress hosting |
| VPS hosting | VPS hosting | VPS hosting | VPS hosting | VPS hosting |
| Dedicated hosting | Dedicated hosting | Dedicated hosting | Dedicated hosting | Dedicated hosting |
| Free backups | Free backups | Free backups | Free backups | Free backups |
| Free domain | Free domain | Free domain | Free domain | Free domain |
| Storage space 10GB – 3,000GB | Storage space 100GB – 200GB | Storage space 25GB – 100GB | Storage space 10GB – Unlimited | Storage space 10GB – 40GB |
| Bandwidth Unmetered | Bandwidth 100GB – Unlimited | Bandwidth Unmetered | Bandwidth Unmetered | Bandwidth Unmetered |
| RAM 4GB – 128GB | RAM 0.7GB – 32GB | RAM 2GB – 16GB | RAM 1GB – 24GB | RAM 16GB – 64GB |
| What we like
| What we like
| What we like
| What we like
| What we like
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| What we dislike
| What we dislike
| What we dislike
| What we dislike
| What we dislike
|
| Visit Bluehost | Visit Hostinger | Visit GoDaddy | Visit IONOS | Visit SiteGround |
Which Hosting Platform is Best?
Still struggling to decide using only our web hosting comparison table? Here’s a quick summary of need-to-knows about each provider:
Bluehost
- Hosting rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Starting price: $3.99 per month (36-month term)
Bluehost is our top-rated hosting provider, thanks to its cheap plans, 24/7 support, and array of hosting features. Here are the key reasons we recommend Bluehost:
- Dedicated hosting: Bluehost is our top dedicated hosting recommendation and is the only provider on this list to offer it
- Weekly backups: Bluehost offers free weekly backups with Codeguard, which are worth upwards of $36 per year
- Seamless integration with WordPress: If you’re running an online store, Bluehost provides top tier WooCommerce hosting plans
However, in our web host testing, we were unimpressed by Bluehost’s unreliable site speed and uptime, which is something to keep in mind.
Hostinger
- Hosting rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Starting price: $2.99 per month + three months free (48-month term)
For those on a budget, Hostinger is an affordable – yet still powerful – alternative to Bluehost. Here are the key features:
- Great for online stores: Hostinger is one of our top ecommerce hosting providers, offering hosting plugins for WooCommerce
- WordPress hosting plans: If you use WordPress, it recommends both Bluehost and Hostinger for hosting
However, Hostinger falls short of Bluehost due to its lack of dedicated hosting and more limited storage (up to 200GB compared to Bluehost’s unlimited storage).
GoDaddy
- Hosting rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Starting price: $5.99 per month (36-month term)
While GoDaddy’s pricing is on the more expensive side, its feature-rich plans performed well in our testing. Standout features include:
- 24/7 phone support: Meaning you can speak directly to a real person whenever you have an issue
- Daily backups: GoDaddy offers free backups on the daily, which is a step up from the weekly backups offered by most hosting providers
IONOS
- Hosting rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Starting price: $1 per month for first six months (12-month term)
IONOS is another affordable option that we found to be great value for money. It has the cheapest introductory deal at only $1 per month for its Plus plan, and it offers great dedicated hosting plans. Here are the other notable features:
- Best site speed and uptime: IONOS beat every other hosting provider we tested in these areas, making it reliable for sites of all sizes
- Daily backups: Rest assured that IONOS will automatically back up your data every day
- Green provider: IONOS is carbon neutral with a commitment to sustainability
- Great intro offers: When signing up to a 36-month term on any hosting plan, you’ll get the first year free. Just be aware that prices will raise considerably when you renew
However, while the cost of hosting with IONOS may seem cheap, it comes with steeper prices for Windows users. Plus, we found its help and support to be the poorest of all the providers on this list.
SiteGround
- Hosting rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Starting price: $2.99 per month (12-month term)
The types of hosting SiteGround offers are limited, since it doesn’t provide VPS or dedicated hosting solutions. However, it offers three shared hosting plans, as well as hosting for WordPress and WooCommerce. Here’s what it does well:
- Free daily backups: Daily backups are carried out automatically
- Speedy help and support: SiteGround offers very strong phone, ticketed, and live chat support
- Green provider: SiteGround uses renewable energy sources for its hosting
Despite its pros, SiteGround had the worst server response time and a slow site speed in our testing, which makes it a less reliable solution than IONOS or GoDaddy.
How We Test Web Hosts
The table above showcases some of the top hosting providers on the market, but how did we narrow down the list? We’ve tested dozens of providers so we can make the most useful recommendations to you, our readers.
Our rigorous testing process means these products have been analyzed and evaluated in five key investigation areas and 30 subcategories. In total, we cover 282 areas of investigation. Our main testing categories for hosting providers are:
- Price – the cost associated with the hosting services provided by the web host, such as subscription plans, pricing tiers, and any additional fees or charges
- Performance – the speed, reliability, and overall performance of a hosting provider’s servers
- Features – the specific functionalities and capabilities provided by a host, including storage space and server location
- Help and support – the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues
- Market analysis/customer score – the assessment of the web host’s position and reputation in the market
Comparing Website Hosting Providers: My Recommendation
Our website hosting comparison chart gives you a snapshot of our top five providers: Bluehost, Hostinger, GoDaddy, IONOS, and SiteGround. That said, there are plenty of alternatives out there and what works for one site owner might not work for another. It’s important to research (with useful guides like our own comparison chart) and shop around until you find your perfect match.
What features are most important to you? Do you need lots of storage space? Or, maybe you need a top-quality WordPress host? Are you looking for a cheap web host? As a reminder, Bluehost is our top choice overall because of its flexibility and range of features so I recommend this web host for most website types.
Alternatively, Hostinger is a good fit for online stores with its time-saving AI tools and cheap plans. And, rounding out the top three is GoDaddy, which is ideal if you’re looking for a responsive site.
Let us know how you get on no matter which hosting provider you pick!
