Best Web Hosting Providers: Top 5 Services Reviewed

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We love to recommend website builders because these platforms handle hosting for you and we know it can be hard work to pick the best web host for your website. But, we’re here to help!

Our number one recommendation for web hosting is Bluehost, which earned the highest average rating in our research. It has a ton of features to utilize, cost-effective plans, and is the best option for dedicated hosting.

GoDaddy comes in second, offering top-level server response time to its users and generous help and support which is beneficial for growing businesses. And hot on its heels in third place is IONOS, beating out all other hosting providers in our site speed and uptime testing.

But there are more than just three hosting platforms to choose from. Below, we’ll lay out the five best hosting providers on the market, giving you insights into key areas such as pricing, features, uptime, and help and support.

The 5 Best Web Hosting Providers of 2024:

  1. Bluehost Best overall hosting provider
  2. GoDaddy Hosting Speedy server response time
  3. IONOS Best site speed and uptime
  4. SiteGround Good option for startup sellers
  5. Hostinger Great for ecommerce hosting
This list of our top hosting provider recommendations was carefully compiled based on our thorough research and testing process to ensure we’re providing you with the most accurate and useful information on the criteria of hosting products that are important to you.

Every web host on the list has been tested (among tens of others) and analyzed on the following criteria to calculate our ratings:

  • Pricing – price range, number of plans, money back guarantee, billing cycle, and more.
  • Performance – server response time, storage space, bandwidth, cores, threads, RAM, and more.
  • Features – migration, backups, security, domains, control panel, green hosting, and more.
  • Help and support – knowledge base, support options available.
  • Market analysis – competitor reviews, search volume, and more.

There are so many forms of hosting to dive into, but we’ve focused on those that we’ve found to be the most popular and practical for you, our readers. After all, the importance of the chosen hosting type can vary greatly depending on the business.

With this in-depth testing, we can fairly rate and compare the best hosting providers to help you feel equipped and ready to make an informed decision.

Whether you’re looking for a new web host, or you want to switch providers, this article will help you move forwards. Browse the best web hosts and read reviews for each one, or compare them side-by-side in our comparison chart.

Use the left-hand menu, or scroll down, to discover the best providers and for bonus advice on how to choose the best one for you!

Compare the 5 Best Web Hosting Providers

Use this chart to compare each host side-by-side – we’ve included all of the most important information, from uptime to value for money.

Swipe right to see more
0 out of 0

Bluehost

GoDaddy

IONOS

SiteGround

Hostinger

Overall rating
4.8
Overall rating
4.0
Overall rating
4.0
Overall rating
3.7
Overall rating
3.6
Starting from

$2.95

Starting from

$6.99

Starting from

$0.50

Starting from

$2.99

Starting from

$2.99

$2.49 + 3 months free (with the 48-month plan)

Uptime

99.98%

Uptime

99.97%

Uptime

99.99%

Uptime

99.99%

Uptime

99.99%

Free backups
Free backups
Free backups
Free backups
Free backups
Free domain
Free domain
Free domain
Free domain
Free domain
Storage space

10GB – Unlimited

Storage space

25GB – 100GB

Storage space

25GB – Unlimited

Storage space

10GB – 160GB

Storage space

30GB – 200GB

Bandwidth

Unmetered

Bandwidth

Unmetered

Bandwidth

Unlimited

Bandwidth

Unmetered

Bandwidth

100GB – Unmetered

RAM

2GB – 16GB

RAM

512MB – 32GB

RAM

512MB – 12GB

RAM

16GB – 64GB

RAM

768MB – 16GB

Visit Bluehost Visit GoDaddy Visit IONOS Visit SiteGround Visit Hostinger

Heads up: promotional prices

Every web hosting provider advertises low introductory prices, which usually last for the first year or so of each plan. After that, you’ll be paying steeper renewal prices. The price jump will vary by provider and hosting type, but it’s something that every web host does, and we want to make sure you avoid any unwanted surprises!

You can read all about our top-rated hosting providers below, but we know that hosting can be confusing to wrap your head around! If you want a quick answer, we recommend using our time-saving quiz to discover your ideal hosting plan in just one minute:

What kind of website(s) do you have?

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What are the different types of web hosting?

Before we take a closer look at each provider, here’s an overview of the main types of web hosting that you’ll encounter:

  • Shared hosting: Multiple websites are housed on one physical server and share its resources.
  • VPS hosting: One physical server is partitioned into multiple virtual servers so each website gets more resources and space as needed without committing to a dedicated server.
  • Dedicated hosting: An entire physical server, along with all of its resources, is used to house one website.
  • WordPress managed hosting: Tailored specifically for WordPress sites, providing extra support and features such as automatic updates.
  • Cloud hosting: Similar to shared hosting, except that a network of multiple servers is used to pool resources and maximize uptime.
  • Reseller hosting: The owner of a reseller hosting plan can effectively lease out server space to third parties. In other words, you would be the middleman between a hosting provider and a website.

#1. Bluehost

Best overall hosting provider

Pricing plans from: $2.95 per month

Flash sale! Save up to 70% on selected plans!

Editor's Choice

Bluehost

Best overall hosting provider

Excellent

4.8

out of 5
  • Consistently affordable
  • Strong features
  • Free migration

Paid Plans: $1.99 - $119.99 / month

Pros

  • icon yes svg Excellent WordPress integration
  • icon yes svg Responsive support team
  • icon yes svg Best price for dedicated hosting

Cons

  • icon no svg Unreliable site speed and uptime
  • icon no svg Limits on backups for cheaper plans
  • icon no svg No in-house reseller hosting
Read Review

Bluehost Features

Bluehost is our top-rated hosting provider with the highest average score of 4.8 out of 5, beating its competitors in the majority of our research categories. But why did it perform so well? Let’s take a look:

Pros Cons
Affordable prices – especially for dedicated hosting Poor site speed and uptime
Feature heavy provider No backups available on shared plans unless you upgrade to Choice Plus or above
Strong support options – 24/7 phone, live chat, and email No green hosting
Money back guarantee for 30 days

Bluehost’s cheapest option comes in the form of four shared hosting plans: Basic, Choice Plus, Online Store, and Pro. Signing up to any of these will guarantee you 99.98% uptime and plenty of features to utilize, including unmetered bandwidth, a free domain, and access to cPanel, which is very handy for managing your site hosting.

Bluehost also proved itself to be a strong option if help and support are a priority for you, with 24/7 phone help, live chat, and email support available.

If you need a little more power, Bluehost offers VPS and dedicated hosting plans. In fact, our research found it to be the best provider for dedicated hosting, scoring 4.9 out of 5, because of its affordability and strong performance.

And, if you’re running an online store, then Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting plans are hard to beat. The option for unlimited websites and free third-party backups from CodeGuard push Bluehost ahead of its competitors to secure the number one spot.

Bluehost is also a fantastic option if you’re looking to integrate with a WordPress site – especially with its free WordPress migration service.

Once you’ve signed up to a plan, Bluehost’s in-house team reviews your site and, if it meets their criteria, then they’ll transfer your existing WordPress site to Bluehost for you – free of charge!

Bluehost is ideal for new WordPress sites, too. It’s been optimized for WordPress since 2014, and offers one-click setup. Our guide on how to install WordPress with Bluehost will show you just how simple the setup is!

Bluehost Lets You Switch For Free!

Okay, we know a lot of other web hosts offer free migration as well, but Bluehost is our top-rated provider, and its free WordPress migration service just helps to sweeten the deal. All you have to do is sign up to your chosen plan, fill out the free migration form, and then let Bluehost’s team of migration experts take care of the rest!

Bluehost’s professional migration service usually costs $149.99 (for up to five sites), so having your WordPress site migrated free of charge is a real steal. It’s safe, it’s quick, it’s easy – and it’s free!

Bluehost Pricing

What we loved most in our testing of Bluehost is that you can access numerous features for consistently cheap prices, no matter what plan you choose to go with.

Take a look below at the cheapest introductory prices for each hosting type:

Hosting Type Monthly Cost (12-month term)
Shared $2.95
VPS $24.99
Dedicated $99.97
WordPress Managed $2.95

Bluehost’s Basic shared plan might not accommodate all of your needs, especially if you’re a larger site, but for most, it’s a great and cheap option. SSL, unmetered bandwidth, 99.98% uptime, and 24/7 support come with each plan, so it’s really just a question of how much scalability you need.

Save Up to 70% On Selected Plans In Bluehost’s Exclusive Sale!

You can now save up to 70% on Bluehost’s plans, meaning you can get its cheapest shared plan for just $2.95 per month for a 12-month subscription. Don’t miss out on this amazing deal!
I have been using Bluehost since April 2022.
One of my favorite things about Bluehost is how it seamlessly integrates with WordPress. I bought the three-year plan and found it to be quite affordable, which is always a plus when you’re starting a new blog or business.
If there was anything I could change with Bluehost, it would be the process of setting up your emails with your specific web domain and the amount of storage space on these emails. Bluehost offers five free emails with your domain, but there is a very limited amount of storage.
In general, I would recommend Bluehost. That being said, your site does slow down over time as you receive more traffic and add more content. Thus, I would say that Bluehost is a great platform for new bloggers.
Bluehost is our top-rated web hosting provider, scoring 4.8 out of 5.

More Information

  • Bluehost Review: Read our full review if you want to look further into this host
  • Bluehost Pricing: Check our article on Bluehost’s prices to find the right plan for you

#2. GoDaddy Hosting

Speedy server response time

Pricing plans from: $6.99 per month

GoDaddy

Speedy server response time

Very Good

4

out of 5
  • Great features
  • Not great value for money
  • Impressive support

Paid Plans: $6.99 - $469.99 / month

Pros

  • icon yes svg 24/7 phone support
  • icon yes svg Free Microsoft 365 email
  • icon yes svg Unmetered bandwidth

Cons

  • icon no svg More expensive than competitors
  • icon no svg Restricted migration
  • icon no svg Favors Linux users over Windows
Read Review

GoDaddy Hosting Features

GoDaddy has four shared hosting plans: Economy, Deluxe, Ultimate, and Maximum. All plans come with unmetered bandwidth, guaranteed 99.9% uptime, daily automatic backups, 24/7 network monitoring, free SSL, and a free domain. It takes second place in our list of the best web hosting providers, scoring 4 out of 5. This is thanks to its positive performance in our server response time, but GoDaddy misses out on the top spot because of its poor site speed.

GoDaddy’s support has also improved in recent years. Its 24/7 live chat and phone service are very good, but it doesn’t offer any email support. If help and support are a must-have for you, consider HostGator, which came out on top in our research.

Pros Cons
High server response time Poor site speed
Quality help and support available Not the cheapest plans – and not ideal for Windows users
99% uptime guarantee Can only migrate to GoDaddy
Daily automatic backups

GoDaddy Hosting Pricing

GoDaddy is definitely a feature-rich hosting provider and a solid option to choose, but its cost does let it down. Pricing between plans and hosting types can be erratic, and Windows users have to pay more than Linux users, which isn’t ideal for all customers.

GoDaddy’s cheapest introductory prices are below:

Hosting Type Cheapest Monthly Cost (Annual Plan)
Shared $6.99
VPS $9.99
Dedicated $159.99
WordPress Managed $11.99
GoDaddy’s hosting platform came second in our research for server response time, performing just below IONOS.

More Information

#3. IONOS

Best site speed and uptime

Pricing plans from: $1 per month

IONOS

Best site speed and uptime

Very Good

4

out of 5
  • Top site speed + uptime
  • Very affordable plans
  • Great dedicated hosting

Paid Plans: $0.5 - $35 / month

Pros

  • icon yes svg Excellent WordPress integration
  • icon yes svg 99.99% uptime
  • icon yes svg Best price for dedicated hosting

Cons

  • icon no svg Unreliable help and support
  • icon no svg Additional charges to consider
  • icon no svg More costly for Windows users
Read Review

IONOS Features

In third place is IONOS, scoring 4 out of 5 in our recent research. IONOS came first in our testing for both site speed and uptime – and by quite a gap! It beat every hosting provider in all of our checks. Efficiency and reliability when hosting are critical, so the guarantee of a stable connection can offer users some peace of mind.

Of course, it’s not at the very top of our overall list for a reason because, unfortunately, IONOS is lacking in help and support options. It also pushes a number of additional charges on users, from a setup fee ($50 for dedicated hosting plans) to extra costs for Windows users. However, IONOS does provide three cheap shared hosting plans: Starter, Plus, and Ultimate. Its shared hosting plans start at $1 per month (billed annually). All guarantee unlimited bandwidth, 99.99% uptime, automatic backups, and a free domain.

Pros Cons
Best for site speed and uptime Lacking in help and support
Great value for money Windows users face additional charges
2nd best provider for dedicated hosting Set up fee of $50 on dedicated hosting plans
Carbon neutral provider Use its own control panel rather than the popular cPanel

IONOS Pricing

Despite the additional charges we’ve touched on, IONOS is great value for money. The plans are cheap and competitive, and its prices are unbeatable for ecommerce hosting. Its WooCommerce hosting plans start at $8 per month (billed annually), and IONOS scores 4.4 out of 5 for price in our ecommerce hosting research. In comparison, Bluehost – our top-rated ecommerce hosting provider – scores 3.2 out of 5 for price, with its WooCommerce hosting plans costing $9.95 per month (billed annually). We’ve summarized IONOS’ cheapest monthly costs below:

Hosting Type Cheapest Monthly Cost
Shared $1
VPS $2
Dedicated $90
WordPress Managed $1
IONOS came top in our research for site speed and uptime.

More Information

  • IONOS Review: Everything you need to know about IONOS’ hosting plans

#4. SiteGround

Good option for startup sellers

Pricing plans from: $2.99 per month

SiteGround

Good option for startup sellers

Good

3.7

out of 5
  • Great updates and backups
  • Good security features
  • Limited types of hosting

Paid Plans: $2.99 - $400 / month

Pros

  • icon yes svg Free, automated daily backups
  • icon yes svg Automatic WordPress updates
  • icon yes svg 24/7 live chat support

Cons

  • icon no svg No VPS or dedicated plans
  • icon no svg More expensive than competitors
  • icon no svg Worst server response time
Read Review

SiteGround Features

SiteGround is not as well-rounded as other hosting providers on this list, scoring 3.7 out of 5 overall. For shared hosting, it offers three plans to choose from: StartUp, GrowBig, and GoGeek. But, it’s also one of the leading providers for WordPress-managed hosting, recommended by WordPress itself, which we think is pretty impressive! With this type of hosting, you’ll unlock automatic WordPress updates, expert WordPress support, and free installation.

SiteGround’s shared hosting features have seen a boost from our previous research, scoring 4.5 out of 5 instead of 4.3. The daily backups, free SSL, and tools to help you grow your website or store, make it a particularly ecommerce-friendly hosting provider.

Pros Cons
Recommended for startups Worst server response time and poor site speed
2nd best for help and support Limited hosting plans
Affordable provider

SiteGround Pricing

Its limited plans make it difficult to scale, but we recommend starting with a shared plan – SiteGround promotes its most popular plan, GrowBig, as a good place to begin. For a 12-month plan, GrowBig will set you back $4.99 per month (billed annually). Take a look at the introductory prices below:

Hosting Type Monthly Cost
Shared $2.99
WordPress Managed $2.99
With a score of 4.5 out of 5, SiteGround’s features make it suitable for ecommerce hosting.

More Information

#5. Hostinger

Good for ecommerce hosting

Pricing plans from: $1.99 per month

Hostinger

Great for ecommerce hosting

Good

3.6

out of 5
  • Cheap introductory prices
  • Good for ecommerce sites
  • Mediocre uptime

Paid Plans: $2.99 - $109.99 / month

Pros

  • icon yes svg Data centers on four continents
  • icon yes svg Free migration
  • icon yes svg Wide range of VPS plans

Cons

  • icon no svg No dedicated plan
  • icon no svg Limited storage space
  • icon no svg No green hosting
Read Review

Hostinger Features

Hostinger completes our list of the best web hosting providers, scoring an average rating of 3.6 out of 5.

Like SiteGround, Hostinger is great for ecommerce hosting. Though Bluehost takes the number one spot in our ecommerce research, Hostinger secured third place with a score of 4.5 out of 5. As a result, we think it’s a great and affordable alternative to the top provider.

Hostinger offers shared, VPS, and WordPress hosting, but it doesn’t have dedicated hosting plans – effectively putting a cap on scalability. That being said, its top VPS plan is fairly advanced and we don’t believe any small to medium-sized sites would have any trouble growing with the features provided on this option.

Though Hostinger has servers spread out across seven countries, our testing found its site speed and uptime to be average, despite its advertised uptime of 99.99%.

Pros Cons
Affordable ecommerce hosting option No dedicated hosting plans
Stable site speed and uptime No green hosting initiatives
Free migration Lack of storage

Hostinger Pricing

Hostinger offers shared hosting plans from $1.99, which is incredibly cheap, especially in comparison to many other providers in the list. GoDaddy, in comparison, offers plans from $4.99 per month. The catch? You won’t have as many free features as, say, Bluehost’s cheapest plan. Hostinger is a good, cheap alternative if price is a key factor.

Check out the introductory prices of Hostinger’s cheapest plans:

Hosting Type Monthly Cost
Shared $1.99
VPS $4.99
WordPress Managed $2.99

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Hostinger scores highly in our ecommerce hosting research.

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Which Is the Best Web Hosting Company for Me?

The size and type of website you own will dictate what hosting plan you need. Your budget, the features you require, and how you built your site will also play a part in your decision. But, ultimately, it’s best to choose one priority that you value most and base your decision on that feature.

For example, if good customer service and impressive help and support features are both important to you, then GoDaddy is your best bet. But, if site speed and uptime are your non-negotiable priority, then IONOS could be the best option for you. And if you’re looking for a WordPress-focused hosting solution, then Bluehost is our number one choice.

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The Verdict: Who Is the Best Web Hosting Provider?

This decision ultimately depends on what you want in a hosting provider. You can’t really go wrong with any of the five providers listed above, but some will be a better fit than others. Looking for ecommerce hosting? Consider Hostinger. Want reliable site speed? Choose IONOS.

That being said, the provider that consistently delivers across all of our research is Bluehost. Its plans are very affordable and they all boast impressive features – that’s why it earns the number one spot in our research. Try it out for yourself, and let us know what you think!

Bluehost is our top-rated web hosting provider.

FAQs

Web hosting is how your website or web page gets live on the internet. You essentially purchase space online to house all the files that make up your website. Hosting providers, like Bluehost or GoDaddy Hosting, handle the technical side of things and supply the servers to keep your site running smoothly.
Our top hosting service, overall, is Bluehost! It’s great value for money, rich in features, and offers reliable support. You’ll need to assess what you need though – Bluehost may be the best overall, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the best for you.
First off, you’ll want to know what types of hosting they offer – you should be looking for a specific type (e.g. shared hosting). You’ll also want to know what features they offer, the cost of the service, and whether it integrates easily with your site.
Although most have similar offerings, there are certain elements that matter. For example, if you use PHP to build any of your pages, you’ll need a provider that has a PHP processor module. Some have better uptime, while some lend themselves better to certain CMSs, like WordPress.
Every website will require some form of hosting. If you use a website builder, the majority will include hosting as part of your monthly fee, meaning you don’t have to do anything. For everything else, you’ll need to set up hosting separately.
A web host is a service that allows your website to be put live online for others to see. A website builder is a platform that helps you create the website itself. Most website builders will have hosting included as part of their service.
There are numerous types of web hosting. The main ones are shared, dedicated, VPS, and WordPress-managed hosting. The size and type of website you have will dictate the type of hosting you need, but all serve different purposes.
There is no one universal regulator of web hosting, but most providers are easy to get in touch with. If you’re having issues with their own support – like over email or live chat – you can try contacting providers on social media, or reach out to forums.
Some platforms have a free site migration process. This is the easiest and simplest way to transfer, as all you need to do is provide your account details. For manual transfers, use FTP. Download your files onto your computer, then upload them to your new hosting provider.
Many providers use the terms web hosting and domain hosting interchangeably, but they can relate to separate things. Domain hosting refers specifically to your domain name (used in your URL) and can be purchased alongside web hosting, although it is not mandatory.
Written by:
Lucy Carney is a Content Manager at Website Builder Expert, specializing in website building, ecommerce, and digital marketing. Previously working as a Writer and then Senior Writer on the brand, Lucy has 6 years of hands-on experience testing web building platforms including Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify. Lucy is passionate about using her knowledge to help small business owners build their online presence and achieve their goals. She’s reported on industry trends over the years, attended events such as the eCommerce Expo, and advised readers directly with over 400 comment replies on the site to date. Her work has also featured on other online publications such as the Shopify Partners Blog, Usability Geek, Serpstat, and Open Source, and has over 100 articles published on the Website Builder Expert blog.
Researched by:
natasha_willett
I love to understand human behavior and the cognitive biases that drive us to do what we do. For over nine years I have worked as a mixed method researcher – research using a mix of numerical data and personal experiences – across a range of sectors, from insurance and policy development to finally arriving at Website Builder Expert five years ago. Fascinated by consumer decision-making, I meticulously built our leading ranking methodology to explore where providers like Wix sit within a competitive industry and what value they truly bring to our audience.
As a member of the Market Research Society, I’m an advocate for high ethical, commercial, and methodological best practices. All of this combines to give you the most ethical recommendations based on real data.