The Best Cheap Web Hosting in 2021
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Hosting a website doesn’t have to break the bank! At WebsiteBuilderExpert, we’ve been hard at work researching the top web hosting providers, and we’re ready to show you the best hosts with the lowest prices. We’ll focus on shared hosting prices the most, since it’s the cheapest type of web hosting (although other types, like VPS and dedicated hosting, are also offered by most of the providers on this page).

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. Sharing server resources makes this the most cost-effective way to host a website.
Best Cheap Web Hosting Providers
- Hostinger – Cheapest shared web hosting.
- InMotion – Best value for money.
- DreamHost – Ideal for media-heavy sites.
- HostGator – Best for uptime.
- Bluehost – Best quality features.
- GreenGeeks – Best for green hosting.
- A2 Hosting – Best for customer service.
The cheapest 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 hosting.
What Other Types of Cheap Web Hosting Are There?
In this article, we’ve taken a close look at shared hosting plans, because it’s the cheapest type of hosting. Sharing a server’s resources with other websites is cost-effective and great for smaller websites, like personal portfolios and blogs.
But if you find that your website is outgrowing a shared server – if you’re starting to upload more content or receive more monthly traffic, for example – then it’s probably time to upgrade to a hosting type with more resources. Fortunately, you don’t have to dive straight off the deep end! There are a few different tiers of web hosting to choose from:
- VPS, or Virtual Private Server, hosting is the next step up from shared hosting. You’ll be given your own “virtual” server within a shared server, with more resources specifically allocated to your website. Prices typically range from $10 – $90/month. Learn more with our guide to Cheap VPS Hosting.
- Dedicated hosting is pricier and more powerful than VPS, because it means you get an entire web server solely dedicated to your website and its needs. You’ll have more control over your hosting experience, but we don’t recommend starting with a dedicated plan unless you’re running a website that needs a lot of power and security, like a large online store. Prices typically range from $79 – $520/month. Learn more with our guide to Cheap Dedicated Hosting.
- Cloud hosting is slightly different from your other options. It’s a lot like shared hosting, except your site is stored on multiple servers – which means this is a more flexible option should anything ever go wrong (like if one server were to go down). Because Cloud plans are so flexible, prices typically range all the way from $4 – $80/month. Cloud hosting is already a pretty cheap option, and you can learn more with our guide to the Best Cloud Hosting.
What about WordPress-specific hosting?
We’re glad you asked! If you’re running a WordPress site, then you have two more options to consider. Shared WordPress hosting is essentially the same as shared hosting, just tailored to WordPress websites. In other words, you’ll get tools like one-click WordPress installation and automated updates. Cheap WordPress hosting options range from $0.99 – $6/month.
Managed WordPress hosting is WordPress-specific hosting for larger sites. It usually comes with higher storage and traffic allowances, plus handy features like staging environments for testing website changes. If you’re stuck between VPS and dedicated hosting, and your site is built on WordPress, then this could be a great option. Prices typically range from $9 – $35/month.
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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