7 Best Cheap Shared Hosting Providers in 2020
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Budget-busting websites are a thing of the past – and so too is paying a premium for quality web hosting. These days, anyone can host their own website without breaking the bank – and we’re here to show you how.
Shared hosting is a great way to send your website out into the online world. It’s cheap, easy to set up, and can work for just about any personal or modestly-sized website.
What Is Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is where your website sits on a server with lots of others, and shares resources (like bandwidth and storage space) with them. It’s the most cost-effective way to host a website, and providers’ plans usually come jam-packed with useful features.
At Website Builder Expert, we’ve been hard at work researching the top providers. So, let’s take a quick look at which shared hosting services are the best in the business.
Best Cheap Shared Hosting Providers
- Hostinger – Starting Price: $0.99/month
- InMotion – Starting Price: $2.49/month
- DreamHost – Starting Price: $2.59/month
- HostGator – Starting Price: $2.75/month
- Bluehost – Starting Price: $2.95/month
- GreenGeeks – Starting Price: $2.95/month
- A2 Hosting – Starting Price: $2.99/month
The cheapest shared hosting plan is Hostinger‘s at an incredible $0.99 per month, closely followed by InMotion’s Lite Plan, an exclusive plan for WBE users. DreamHost is hot on its heels with a starting price of $2.49 per month.
These prices are discounted first-term prices for three year contracts*. The price you’re seeing here is the equivalent monthly price, but the total is paid upfront.
Three years sounds like a big commitment, but it really needn’t be when you consider:
- Most hosting providers offer a money-back guarantee for the first month or so. So if it’s really not working out, you can leave.
- Signing up for a three year hosting plan costs around a third of paying month-to-month, sometimes even less. So while you’re paying for three years, it’s not a daunting financial commitment.
* Hostinger doesn’t offer three-year contracts, so this is the four-year plan price per month.
In this article, we’ll review each one of the above providers, tell you their shared hosting strengths and weaknesses, and compare them all head-to-head.
Who Are the Best Cheap Shared Hosting Providers?
Cheap Shared Hosting Providers: Head-to-Head Comparison
| Price (monthly) | Storage Space | Free Backups / Domains | Uptime | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $0.99 | Unspecified | X | 99.90% |
| InMotion | $2.49 | 10GB | ✔ | 99.97% |
| Dreamhost | $2.59 | 50GB | ✔ | 99.95% |
| HostGator | $2.75 | Unlimited | X | 99.99% |
| Bluehost | $2.95 | 50GB | ✔ | 99.98% |
| GreenGeeks | $2.95 | Unlimited | ✔ | 99.98% |
| A2 Hosting | $2.99 | Unlimited | X | 99.95% |
If you’re not clued up on technical hosting terms, don’t worry. Here’s some quick explanations of what these features are:
- Visitor Limit – The number of times your website can be accessed and browsed per month.
- Sites Included – How many websites you can host for the price shown.
- Storage Space – How much file space you have for content and media on your website.
- Backups/Domains – The ability to recover a previous version of your website/the URL of your site, e.g. websitebuilderexpert.com
- SSL Security – A certificate that protects your visitors’ data and information. Symbolized in the form of a little padlock next to your URL.
- Uptime – How regularly your website is working online. For example, 99.97% uptime is the equivalent to your site being down for a mere two and a half hours each year.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at these providers individually. We’ll also review a few more – seven in total – to give you a comprehensive idea of which providers really do offer the best cheap shared hosting.
Hostinger ($0.99/month)
Cheapest shared web hosting
Hostinger offers a drastically cheaper shared hosting plan than other providers on this list, but has some drawbacks.
Hostinger Pros and Cons
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Hostinger Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
Hostinger’s shared plans range from $0.99 to $15.95/month, depending on the plan and the timeframe. Like most of the providers on this list, Hostinger offers three different shared plans to choose from. Each plan gets cheaper as you commit more time to it.
Like most providers, Hostinger offers a 30-day money back guarantee. But less common is Hostinger’s student discount, which could save you 15% on your plan if you’re eligible!
Hostinger Shared Hosting Features
Every Hostinger shared plan comes with at least one email account and 100 GB of bandwidth. To get unlimited email accounts and bandwidth, you’ll have to upgrade from the Single Shared plan to either the Premium or Business Shared plans.
On the Premium and Business Shared plans, you also get a free domain and Secure Shell (SSH) access. However, Hostinger lacks a good uptime percentage – at 99.90%, Hostinger’s promise is well behind that of its competitors. And while its existing customer services, from live chat to multilingual options, have been met with rave reviews, Hostinger is behind the times in that it doesn’t currently offer phone support.
Further Reading
Hostinger Review – Learn more about Hostinger’s overall ranking.
Best Managed WordPress Providers – The top platforms for easy WordPress hosting.
InMotion ($2.49/month)
Best Value for Money
InMotion came out of our research with a whopping 4.7 for its shared hosting service – the best score of any provider:
InMotion Pros and Cons
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InMotion Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
InMotion kicks things off with an exclusive plan for WBE users, the $2.49/month Lite plan.
WBE users can also choose from three exclusively discounted shared hosting plans – Launch, Power and Pro – the most expensive of which retails at $12.99/month. InMotion really is as good as it gets for shared web hosting.
InMotion Shared Hosting Features
Firstly, InMotion is one of only a handful of providers that allows you to host multiple websites on its most basic shared hosting plan. Not only that, it pretty much covers all the bases when it comes to features, too.
Free backups, domains and SSL security are provided as standard, as are unlimited email accounts, a website builder service, and 24/7 dedicated support. There is a limit on monthly visitors (360,000), although it’s highly unlikely you’ll exceed the limit. In short, InMotion is hands down the best shared hosting provider, and well worth the extra buck or two a month if you can stretch.
Further Reading
InMotion Review – Take a closer look at InMotion.
InMotion vs Bluehost – How do they compare?
Best Node.js Hosting Providers – Find out who takes the cake for this niche type of hosting.
DreamHost ($2.59/month)
Ideal for media-heavy sites
DreamHost’s high storage levels and unlimited traffic allowance is the perfect combination for a bigger, media-heavy project on a budget.
DreamHost Pros and Cons
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DreamHost Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
If price is your main concern, then DreamHost is for you. Its Shared Starter plan begins at just $2.59/month, although you will need to commit to a three year term to get that price.
Annual prices cost $3.95/month, while month-on-month rates are $4.95. You can also upgrade to its Shared Unlimited plan, which costs $10.95/month.
DreamHost Shared Hosting Features
The most enticing feature is perhaps that DreamHost doesn’t put a limit on how many people can visit your site each month. Although most small websites won’t attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, it’s nice to know you don’t have to worry either way.
The downsides are its modest uptime, and the lack of 24/7 support. That said, customers can still access DreamHost’s help center and submit support tickets.
Free backups and domains are another two big selling points, while an SSL certificate and a website builder are nice touches. The main difference between DreamHost and its competitors is that DreamHost doesn’t use cPanel – an industry standard dashboard. It does have its own bespoke dashboard, however, which is pretty easy to get to grips with.
Further Reading
DreamHost Review – Learn all there is to know about this top money-saving provider.
DreamHost Pricing Review – Our in-depth look at DreamHost’s costs.
Best Web Hosting For Students – The budget-friendly, student-oriented hosting providers.
HostGator ($2.75/month)
Best for Uptime
Coming in with a score of 4.5 out of 5 for shared hosting, few can rival HostGator across the key areas:
HostGator Pros and Cons
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HostGator Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
HostGator has been snapping at its competition for years, and is now seen as being top of the web hosting food chain. Its shared hosting service can cost you as little as $2.75/month on a three year deal, but annual prices start at $5.95/month.
There are three shared hosting plans in total, each offering up to 60% discount for long-term sign-ups. HostGator is generally famed for dedicated hosting, but its shared hosting service is still one of the very best on the market.
HostGator Shared Hosting Features
Looking past the clear flaw that there are no free backups or domains, HostGator’s offerings rival just about anyone’s. Getting unlimited email accounts is a big plus, as is having 24/7 dedicated support. The real draw, though, is HostGator’s uptime – at 99.99%, it’s the best out there.
You may only be able to host one site on HostGator’s Hatchling plan, but upgrade to the Baby or Business shared hosting packages and the world is your oyster, with unlimited website hosting. There’s also a very generous 45-day money back guarantee on offer, so you’ve got nothing to lose by giving HostGator a try.
Further Reading
HostGator Review – A closer look at this popular provider.
HostGator Pricing Review – How much does HostGator cost? We’ve analyzed all the factors.
HostGator vs Bluehost – Compare these top providers from all angles, including affordability.
Bluehost ($2.95/month)
Best Quality Features
Despite being in fifth place, Bluehost still gained an overall 4.1 stars from our shared hosting research, and performed admirably across the key areas:
Bluehost Pros and Cons
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Bluehost Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
Similar to the other providers in this article, you can pick up a shared hosting plan with Bluehost for just $2.95/month. You will be tied into a three-year plan, though.
That price jumps to $4.95/month for annual plans, or $7.99/month when paid on a monthly basis. There are four shared hosting plans to choose from, the most expensive of which retails at $23.99/month.
Bluehost Shared Hosting Features
Bluehost is better known for WordPress hosting, and there are cheaper shared hosting providers out there. That said, the company really does put a premium on quality. Aside from the brilliant uptime and free backups/domains, there’s also 24/7 support, plus an inclusive SSL security certificate.
Bluehost’s Help and Support Performance
One of Bluehost’s best features is its customer support. We tested it out ourselves, and were very impressed by the speed and quality of the team’s live chat responses.
In fact, due to its quick live chat and extensive knowledge center, Bluehost exceeded our customer service expectations by 9% – beating HostGator, InMotion, and A2 Hosting!
The main limitation with Bluehost is storage. You’re capped at 50GB on Bluehost’s Basic plan, so it’s not recommended for media-heavy websites. Upgrade to any other shared hosting plan, though, and you get unlimited storage space. Topping things off is a full web design and marketing service, although you’ll need to book a consultation and get a quote first.
Further Reading
Bluehost Review – Find out more about this feature-rich provider.
Bluehost Pricing Review – Find out how to get the most bang for your buck.
GreenGeeks ($2.95/month)
Best for Green Hosting
GreenGeeks is not only an affordable hosting provider, but an eco-conscious one, too.
GreenGeeks Pros and Cons
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GreenGeeks Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
GreenGeeks’ shared hosting price starts out very competitive, but once you strip back the discounts, you’re left with a price range of $9.95 – $24.95/month, which is a little steep.
GreenGeeks Shared Hosting Features
GreenGeeks offsets its carbon footprint by 300% through investing in eco-friendly energy sources, making it the most eco-friendly hosting provider. It also offers entirely free site migration, with no exceptions.
The other key disadvantage is only getting one free backup per month – other’s will cost you $25 a time, which isn’t ideal for any website with regularly-changing content.
GreenGeeks is a good, reliable hosting provider, with features that match those of the providers higher in this ranking.
Further Reading
GreenGeeks Review – We’ve covered this unique provider inside and out.
A2 Hosting ($2.99/month)
Best for Customer Service
While not the cheapest, A2 Hosting holds its own among elite company with a shared hosting score of 4.4. See the scoring breakdown here:
A2 Pros and Cons
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A2 Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
As with most shared hosting providers, A2 offers three tiers of plans. Its cheapest plan is Lite, which is charged at $7.99/month (paid monthly), or you can save 10% if you sign up annually, and 20% if you sign up for two years.
Its most expensive shared hosting plan is Turbo, which will set you back $18.99/month. It’s important to note these are all prices for Linux server hosting, which is more commonly used. Windows hosting prices are a touch more expensive.
A2 Shared Hosting Features
One thing you notice immediately with A2 is the level of knowledge its support staff have. Having undertaken lengthy training, A2 has the best support team we’ve come across. There are free backups (only on the Turbo plan), but there’s no free domain.
The uptime isn’t fantastic, but you do get unlimited storage space, 25 email accounts, and an SSL security certificate. And, if you’re not totally won over by A2’s service after trying it, you can get an anytime money-back guarantee.
Further Reading
A2 Hosting Review – Everything you need to know about this supportive provider.
Best Hosting for Nonprofits – Which hosts are the most feature-rich and affordable?
Best Cheap Shared Hosting Providers: Summary
There you have it – an in-depth look at our top-rated cheap shared hosting providers. There are others out there who offer shared hosting at similar rates, but they didn’t stack up to this bunch when put through their paces.
To recap, here’s the cream of the shared hosting crop.
Cheap Shared Hosting Providers: Recap
- Hostinger – Starting Price: $0.99/month
- InMotion – Starting Price: $2.49/month
- DreamHost – Starting Price: $2.59/month
- HostGator – Starting Price: $2.75/month
- Bluehost – Starting Price: $7.99/month
- GreenGeeks – Starting Price: $2.95/month
- A2 Hosting – Starting Price: $2.99/month
While Hostinger is the cheapest provider, InMotion strikes the best value for money, in our experience. DreamHost is a great budget option for media-heavy websites, or expecting high traffic.
There’s only one way to know for sure if a provider is best for your site, however, and that’s by trying it out. All seven of these providers offer a minimum 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can always give one a whirl to see what you make of it.
Get out there, and find the right host to share your website with the world.
FAQs
Hostinger offers the cheapest shared hosting, with plans starting at the equivalent of just $0.99/month.
Yes, many! This article only focuses on the best cheap shared hosting providers, but you can find others – such as 1&1 IONOS, SiteGround, and GoDaddy – who all offer cheap shared hosting. If you’re just after the best hosts, head over to our comparison chart.
Most small business websites will find shared hosting is adequate for them. Others may outgrow it and opt for VPS hosting, which is generally considered the next step up. If you’re looking to host a small business website, see our guide on the best small business hosts here.
Shared hosting is where your website shares server space and resources with other websites. Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is where your site is hosted on a virtual shared server, but you have more flexibility over security and resources. Dedicated hosting is when you have your own personal server.
Cloud hosting is a more modern form of cheap web hosting that has been growing in popularity over recent years. One is not better than the other, but depending on your needs, there may be a clear winner. Learn more about the best cloud hosting providers here.
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