Category: Web Hosting

Hosting more than 8 million domains, HostGator is one of the oldest and most popular web hosting service providers out there. It primarily offers different types of hosting but has also added a website builder and domain registration to its services. If you’ve come across one of HostGator’s cheeky ads and are wondering whether it’s a suitable option for you, here’s all you need to know. 

Our Verdict 

HostGator

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With shared hosting plans starting from as low as $2.75 per month, HostGator offers affordable hosting services with some quality features. These include unmetered bandwidth and disk space, one-click WordPress installation, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 live chat support.

HostGator is a reliable web host as it performs well if you’re getting high traffic. Its plans comprise shared, WordPress, VPS, reseller, and dedicated hosting so there are options for businesses of all types and sizes. When it comes to page load time, HostGator sits at 660 ms which isn’t the fastest but isn’t bad either. 

• Solid uptime
• 24/7 support
• Unmetered storage and bandwidth 

• Higher renewal prices
• Relatively slower site speeds
• Aggressive upselling

HostGator at a Glance

A jack of all trades is a master of none. HostGator seems to do reasonably well in all aspects from uptime and site speed to pricing and customer support. However, it doesn’t stand out from the crowd for any particular feature. 

HostGator has been in the web hosting game since 2002 and has developed a reputation for being a reliable service provider. It has some of the best shared hosting plans that give you more features than the industry standard and at an affordable price. 

You get a free domain name, SSL certificate, professional email, $150 and $100 worth of Google Ads, and Microsoft Advertising credit with the cheapest HostGator plan. Although HostGator’s plans look low-cost, they’re only affordable if you’re in it for the long haul. 

The attractive monthly prices you see on their site apply if you commit for three years. If the lowest tier (Hatchling plan) costs $2.75 per month in the 36-month plan, the price hikes up to $10.95 for the 6-month plan. 

Who HostGator is Best For

HostGator has hosting plans for all types of websites. It also has a website builder package that gives users an all-in-one solution to create ecommerce sites. With its data centers located in Utah and Texas, HostGator is best if you want to attract primarily US traffic to your site. 

That said, HostGator is a good choice if you’re willing to make a long-term commitment i.e. three years. You can always check if it works for you risk-free as it offers a 45-day money-back guarantee for its shared, reseller, and VPS hosting plans. 

Pricing – HostGator Review

Although HostGator offers shared, VPS, reseller, and dedicated hosting, we’re going to focus on the most widely-used shared hosting. This comes in three plans: Hatchling, Baby, and Business.  

Plans

Hatchling Plan

Baby Plan

Business Plan

Price (Total initial payment for 36-months)

$99 (renews at $250)

$126 (renews at $358)

$189 (renews at $538)

Website allowed

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unmetered bandwidth

Free SSL certificate

Free domain

$150 Google Ads spend match credit

$100 Microsoft Advertising credit

Cloudflare CDN with up to 2.5x faster page load times

FREE Dedicated IP

FREE Positive SSL upgrade

Note that the quoted prices apply if you pay for three years upfront. They increase significantly if you pay for a shorter period. 

The Hatchling plan is an amazing choice if you’re new to website development and want to create one site only. But if you want web hosting for ecommerce, the Business plan is a much better option. 

HostGator also offers VPS and dedicated hosting. Check out the pricing plans for other hosting types on its website if you’re interested.

HostGator Features

Let’s take an in-depth look at HostGator’s features and how they match up to some of the best web hosting sites out there. As we mentioned above, HostGator is the jack of all trades so you’ll see it doing reasonably well in all departments but no stand-out performances.

HostGator Review of Performance – Loading Time and Uptime

Your website’s loading time plays an important role in your rankings and user experience. Expert webmasters prefer web hosts that offer optimal page loading speeds to maximize site performance. 

The average page loading time for sites hosted by HostGator is 660 ms. This is not as fast as Bluehost or A2 Hosting, but it’s definitely not a bad speed. The Business plan comes with Cloudflare CDN with up to 2.5x faster page loading times. 

When it comes to uptime, HostGator upholds a 99.9% uptime guarantee. The guarantee says if your site experiences an uptime of less than that, you may receive a month of credit on your hosting package. We can conclude that the web host maintains pretty solid uptime with a 99.98% average uptime over the last four years.

HostGator Server Network

HostGator has two data centers in Provo, Utah and Houston, Texas. While there are no servers located outside the US, this web hosting service is a good choice if you’re targeting an American audience. 

The data centers are equipped with modern infrastructure that includes strong cybersecurity as well as physical security, advanced cooling systems, and backup power. HostGator uses powerful servers that users can rely on. The servers maintain their performance even if the traffic spikes to 50 users using a site simultaneously. 

Unmetered Disk Space and Bandwidth

Note that unmetered doesn’t mean unlimited. You get unmetered disk space and bandwidth with all HostGator plans, but it just means that it doesn’t track how much data you upload or bandwidth you use. 

While this sounds like unlimited disk space and bandwidth, HostGator doesn’t forget to mention it ‘requires all customers to be fully compliant with their Terms of Service.’ It says customers using more than 25% of their system resources for more than 90 seconds would be violating their ToS. Such users are often sent an email requesting them to reduce usage. 

Site Security

HostGator offers basic website security on the Hatchling and Baby plans. You get a free SSL certificate with all plans, so that’s something to start with. There’s also a server-level firewall, but that’s about it as far as the basic plans are concerned. If you want advanced security like a positive SSL upgrade, SiteLock, or automatic backups, you’d have to lighten your wallet. 

Positive SSL is set to cost you $39.99 a year, but it comes free with the Business plan. The SiteLock feature, starting at $5.99 per month, keeps your site safe from malware and other forms of cybercrime. You can get automatic backups starting at $2.75 per month with CodeGuard.

Ease of Use

If you’re a beginner, HostGator is a good choice for you as it offers a resourceful knowledge base you can use to figure stuff out. You get access to a lot of tutorials and walkthroughs, plus live chat support is always available to help you out.

Features like one-click WordPress installation make it easy to set your site up with ease. But not just WordPress, it’s as easy to set up other platforms like Magento, Joomla, Drupal, and phpBB. 

The HostGator website comes with an intuitive interface. It’s easy to navigate between different pages and find what you’re looking for. When it comes to site management, HostGator uses the cPanel which is very simple and functional, but has a few snags.

HostGator Customer Support

Apart from 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket-based email support, HostGator has a robust knowledge base full of helpful articles and video tutorials. Most customers are happy with its customer service as it has quick response times and the support agents almost always have the answers you’re looking for.

Since HostGator’s customer service is outsourced, we found some customer reviews expressing discontentment with the help they received. Not all support agents are fully invested in solving customers’ problems and not all of them have fluent English skills. But this is rare and can be disregarded. Overall, HostGator does a good job in this department. 

Alternatives to HostGator

HostGator is good, but it’s not the best web hosting company. Can you find a better set of features at an even more affordable price tag? You very well can if you look in the right place. You could even go for free web hosting services if they meet your requirements.

Here are some of the best alternatives to HostGator, how they compare to it, their pros and cons, and pricing: 

Bluehost

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Just like HostGator, Bluehost is one of the most popular hosting providers. It offers premium quality features at affordable prices making it a worthwhile choice. With shared hosting plans starting at $2.95 per month, Bluehost offers almost the same feature set as HostGator plus free CDN and its website builder in the most basic package. 

Bluehost is best for hosting WordPress websites. What makes it a better option than HostGator is that its per month cost is the same if you buy a one year plan. So while HostGator offers its basic plan for $2.75 if you buy a 3-year plan, you can get a similar deal from Bluehost without having to commit for that long. 

• 24/7 customer support
• Reliable uptime
• Best for WordPress & WooCommerce

• Additional costs
• Higher renewal prices
• Servers are located in Utah, US only

Hostinger

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We’ve ranked Hostinger the best hosting service as it delivers the most value for your money. Starting at $1.99 per month, it has one of the cheapest hosting plans in the market, but that doesn’t mean it lacks features. 

Hostinger gives you ultra-fast page load speeds with an average page loading time of 143 ms. This is truly remarkable given the low price. It also boasts a reliable 99.99% uptime. The most basic includes free SSL, Titan email, and 30GB SSD storage. Read our Hostinger review for an in-depth look at its services.

• Fast page load times
• Very affordable
• Easy to use

• No phone support with basic plan
• Slows down in high traffic
• Doesn’t use industry standard cPanel

WP Engine

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As the name suggests, WP Engine is specifically designed to host WordPress websites. Its user-friendly interface and handy workflow tools allow you to set up stellar websites even if you’re a complete beginner. 

It’s not as affordable as HostGator. The most basic plan will cost you $20 per month, and the price only goes up if you go for more advanced plans for ecommerce or any other large website. Check out our WP Engine review to find more about it.

• Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
• 60-day money-back guarantee
• 24/7 customer service

• Expensive
• No free domain
• Caters to WordPress sites only

Bottom Line on HostGator Review

HostGator hosts over 8 million domains, and for good reason. It has all the features of a quality web host and offers them at a very low cost. With solid site speeds and uptime, HostGator is known for its reliability. Plus, it has plans for all types of websites and businesses. If you’re looking for a simple and trustworthy hosting for your site, jack of all trades, HostGator is not a bad choice at all. 

Bluehost makes it a breeze for you to build and manage business websites, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. It matches any level of web hosting budget and needs, thanks to its flexible options, easy to use features, and strong customer support.

Get ready to dive deeper into the pricing, features, pros, and cons of this famous, flexible web hosting service in our Bluehost review. Discover if Bluehost is the perfect fit for your business.

Our Verdict

Bluehost

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Bluehost is a potential match for your business no matter what your web host requirements are, due to its versatility, user-friendly interface, and solid support. First, it provides a broad range of plans which you can choose from.

Plus, the platform is easy to use and navigate whether you’re a newbie or a veteran of web hosting. Last but not least, you gain access round-the-clock customer service regardless of your package.

While Bluehost comes with a lot of perks, it does have certain limitations too. For instance, the pricing presentation isn’t straightforward so it’s challenging to figure out how much exactly you’ll pay each month. Also, the low-tier plans lack some advanced features of high-tier plans. Lastly, all plans only come with one free domain, even the expensive ones.

Overall, Bluehost is one of the best web hosting companies for small businesses that you can find in the market at present.

Pricing: Starts at $9.99/month

• Wide variety of available plans
• Simple, streamlined UI
• 24/7 support for all plans

• Confusing pricing
• Limited features of basic plans
• Single free domain only for all packages

Bluehost at a Glance

Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider that offers multiple levels of hosting services. It guides you in the various stages of the website creation and maintenance process. To start with, it equips you to register a domain name and design a business site. Afterwards, it enables you to manage your website via insightful analytics and data protection. Moving forward, the scalable tools allow you to upgrade your site as your business grows.

In 2003, the web hosting company was established by Matt Heaton and Danny Ashworth in Provo, Utah. Today, Bluehost powers more than 2 million websites all over the globe. Plus, the Bluehost team is currently composed of over 750 employees who are committed to meeting the hosting needs of customers.

Bluehost shines among web hosting sites because its flexibility gives you room to pick the perfect plan. You can benefit from its features, such as website hosting, domain registration, server support, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, speed, website tools, security certification, and customer service.

Who Bluehost Is Best For

Bluehost is actually a viable option for a wide range of business users because of its versatile alternatives, unlike other hosting services that cater to certain users only. At the end of the day, it all boils down to which plan and tier is suitable for you.

For example, the Shared Hosting packages are ideal for startups and small businesses that have a limited budget for hosting solutions. Aside from this, the VPS Hosting plans work well for mid-sized or growing businesses with developing hosting needs. The Dedicated Server Hosting packages are ideal for large companies and corporations who can afford premium services for advanced hosting requirements.

Pricing

Bluehost offers three main types of web hosting plans, which are divided into several tiers with different rates and features. Check out the chart below to get an overview of the hosting packages.

Plans

Shared Hosting

VPS Hosting

Dedicated Server Hosting

Price

Starts at $9.99/month

Starts at $29.99/month

Starts at $124.99/month

Website Hosting

1 to unlimited websites

Unlimited websites

Unlimited websites

Domain Registration

1 free domain registration

1 free domain registration

1 free domain registration

Server Type

Shared server

Virtual private server

Dedicated single-tenant server

Traffic Management

Low-traffic websites & blogs

Expanding websites w/ growing traffic

High-traffic websites

Bandwidth

Unmetered

1 TB to 3 TB

5 TB to 15 TB

Storage

50 GB to unmetered website space

30 GB to 120 GB SSD SAN Storage

2 x 500 GB to 1,000 GB RAID Level 1 Storage

Speed

Standard to high performance

2.2 Ghz CPU

2.3 to 3.3 Ghz CPU

Website Tools

WordPress website builder + Custom themes

cPanel + WHM w/ Root

cPanel + WHM w/ Root

Security

Free SSL certificate + SpamExperts & CodeGuard Basic for higher tiers + Premium SSL certificate for highest tier

Free SSL certificate + Premium SSL certificates & SpamExperts as add-ons

Free SSL certificate + Premium SSL certificates & SpamExperts as add-ons

Customer Support

24/7 customer support

24/7 VPS support

24/7 customer service + Dedicated, expedited support

To sum things up, Bluehost has three main categories of hosting plans. Each category has its own range of tier levels:

1. Shared Hosting
   1. Basic: $9.99/month
   2. Plus: $13.99/month
   3. Choice Plus: $18.99/month
   4. Pro: $28.99/month
2. VPS Hosting
   1. Standard: $29.99/month
   2. Enhanced: $59.99/month
   3. Premium: $89.99/month
   4. Ultimate: $119.99/month
3. Dedicated Server Hosting
   1. Standard: $124.99/month
   2. Enhanced: $169.99/month
   3. Premium: $209.99/month

Aside from the varied tier alternatives, Bluehost is also generous when it comes to contract length options. Bluehost contracts can be as short as one month or as long as 36 months, unlike most providers which only give you a choice between monthly or annual arrangements. The current rates we included in this review are applicable for annual billing agreements. Lower rates are available for longer contracts, while higher rates apply for shorter contracts.

Just be careful as you review the pricing terms of the Bluehost plans you’re interested in. The pricing scheme can be confusing because the Bluehost website usually highlights the promo price for each package, even if this discounted rate is only applicable to the first month. Head to the list of regular rates to learn how much you’ll really pay on a regular basis.

Bluehost Features

Bluehost is a well-balanced hosting provider because it’s got most bases covered when it comes to hosting services. In this Bluehost review, let’s take a closer look at the most important features of this hosting solution. These features include website hosting, domain registration, server type, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, speed, website tools, security options, and customer support.

Website Hosting

Through website hosting, Bluehost provides you a secure virtual space where you can post your business site so internet users can access it. There’s probably a fitting Bluehost website hosting service for you, no matter what kind or how many websites you’re planning to put up.

The cheapest tier of the Shared Hosting plan includes hosting for a single website, while the pricier tiers allow you to host unlimited websites. Similarly, all tiers of the VPS Hosting package come with hosting services for as many websites as you like. Finally, it’s up to you how many websites you wish to host via Dedicated Server Hosting since you have full control over the system.

Domain Registration

The domain name is the URL address of your website which is associated with an IP address. All the plans and tiers of Bluehost uniformly come with a single free domain registration. While it’s a good perk for the low-end plans, it’s a shortcoming for the high-end plans since you won’t get more free domains even if you’re paying more expensive rates.

Server Type

The type of server which hosts your business website is the main difference among the Bluehost plans. For instance, the Shared Hosting plan entails sharing a server with other websites. While it’s a clever way to cut down on expenses, it means you’ll be splitting server resources with other users.

As an alternative, the VPS Hosting package gives you the advantage of your own virtual server. Although it costs more than shared hosting, it does come with fully dedicated server resources and computing power.

Last but not least, the Dedicated Server Hosting plan grants you the benefit of your very own single-tenant server. Just be prepared to shell out major bucks for dedicated hosting. Still, there’s no limit to the ways you can optimize or customize your exclusive server resources.

Traffic Management

The level of website traffic your business websites can handle will depend on the Bluehost plan you sign up for. For example, the Shared Hosting plan is meant for simple websites and blogs, which typically encounter fairly light traffic.

In addition to this, the VPS Hosting package is appropriate for expanding sites with growing traffic that require more control and power. Finally, the Dedicated Server Hosting plan is designed to handle high traffic for complex sites that call for maximum performance and speed.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth describes the maximum data which can be transmitted over the internet during a particular period of time. The bandwidth capacity of Bluehost varies based on the plan you select.

On one hand, the Shared Hosting package has an unmetered bandwidth within reasonable use so there’s no need to worry about overage fees. On the other hand, both the VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting plans have bandwidth limitations. The monthly caps of VPS Hosting ranges from 1 TB to 3 TB, while the limits of the Dedicated Server Hosting extend from 5 TB to 15 TB.

Storage

Bluehost provides storage for your websites so you can upload and store data like text, media, documents, and files. However, both the amount and type of storage differs according to your plan and tier.

The Shared Hosting plan comes with 50 GB or unmetered website space, but you can only keep a maximum of 200,000 to 300,000 files. While the VPS Hosting package only includes 30 GB to 120 GB space, you get faster access to your files because of the snappy SSD SAN storage. To round things up, the Dedicated Server Hosting gives you 2 x 500 GB to 1,000 GB RAID Level 1 Storage which makes data recovery possible.

Speed

Speed matters when it comes to web hosting since it determines how productive you are in web maintenance and how engaged your audience is in site browsing. Bluehost assures users that the Shared Hosting plan is capable of standard to high performance, although it doesn’t give exact speed measurements.

With better detail, the VPS Hosting package promises lightning fast performance because it combines a 2.2 Ghz CPU and a quick SSD hard drive. To top it off, the Dedicated Server Hosting plan is built for extremely swift performance because it’s powered by 2.3 to 3.3 Ghz CPU. Also, you have the flexibility to upgrade the system for more impressive performance in the future.

Website Tools

Bluehost equips you to create your own business sites through website tools, although the platform you’ll be using depends on your plan. On one hand, the Shared Hosting package comes with an intuitive WordPress website builder. On the other hand, both the VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting plans come with cPanel plus WebHost Manager (WHM) with root access.

Security

All Bluehost plans have security features which protect the privacy of your websites. The lower tiers of Shared Hosting come with a free SSL certificate, while the highest tier includes a premium SSL certificate. Also, the upper tiers give you limited access to SpamExperts and CodeGuard Basic services.

You might be disappointed to learn that both VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting only grant you a free SSL certificate, especially if you’re expecting more because of the premium pricing. As a consolation, you do have the option to purchase premium SSL certificates and SpamExperts as add-on security options.

Customer Support

Bluehost has exceptional customer service because all plans come with 24/7 hosting support. If you signed up for Shared Hosting, you may call or chat with the support team anytime if you have questions about your website or account. On top of this, VPS Hosting comes with expert VPS support, while Dedicated Server Hosting includes expedited support from agents who specialize in dedicated hosting issues.

Alternatives to Bluehost

Bluehost works well as a web host provider for you if you prioritize elasticity when it comes to selecting a hosting plan. Still, there are other options you can consider if other factors are more important to you.

AWS Web Hosting

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Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud web hosting provider which boasts over 200 web services. Our AWS Web Hosting review explains how it lets you build your own personalized plan by mixing and matching hosting services. Plus, it supports many platforms like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Java, PHP, Ruby, .Net, and Node.js.

AWS Web Hosting is ideal for business owners that prefer a pay-per-service arrangement. You only have to pay for the services you use, in contrast to Bluehost which has bundled features per plan. Nevertheless, AWS requires more technical skills than Bluehost since you must know how to put together the right services to optimize your plan. Also, Bluehost has an edge over AWS in terms of 24/7 customer service and built-in cPanel support.

• Scalable pricing
• Customizable services
• Multiple platform compatibility

• Technical expertise needed
• Payment needed for advanced customer service
• cPanel tools only available as add-ons

Pricing:

1. Amazon Lightsail: Starts at $3.50/month
2. AWS Amplify: Starts at $0
3. Amazon S3: Starts at $0
4. Amazon EC2: Starts at $0

WP Engine

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WP Engine is a WordPress hosting solution for small businesses and enterprises. Our WP Engine review elaborates how it equips you to maintain websites, boost performance, and safeguard your privacy. On top of this, it showcases ecommerce solutions which prepare you to start an online store so you can sell products and services over the internet.

WP Engine is appropriate for entrepreneurs who exclusively use WordPress to create websites. Although Bluehost does support WordPress, WP Engine has a greater focus on this web platform. However, Bluehost is better than WP Engine when it comes to free domains, affordable hosting pricing, and number of plan options. Other than WP Engine, here are other web hosting services for ecommerce.

• Specializes in WordPress
• Dedicated ecommerce services
• Strong security features

• No free domain registration
• Higher starting price than Bluehost
• Limited plan alternatives

Pricing:

1. Managed WordPress: Starts at $25/month
2. eCommerce Solutions: Starts at $30/month
3. Advanced Solutions: Contact WP Engine to get quote

*Rates for annual billing

InfinityFree

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InfinityFree is one of the best free web hosting services for startups. After all, you don’t need to pay anything to take advantage of website hosting with PHP and MySQL. Aside from having no time limits, you can also set up as many ad-free websites as you wish.

InfinityFree is suitable for small business owners who have little to no budget for web hosting. It offers a completely free web host plan without hidden charges, compared to Bluehost which only has paid packages. Still, Bluehost is miles ahead of InfinityFree in terms of storage space, server power, and advanced features.

• Free web hosting platform
• Unlimited websites
• Zero ads

• Small 5GB disk space only
• Limited server resources
• Lacks features for power users

Pricing:

1. InfinityFree: $0
2. Super Premium: $3.99/month
3. Ultimate Premium: $6.90/month

Bottom Line on Bluehost Review

Bluehost gives you freedom to create and maintain websites for your business according to your basic or advanced hosting needs. It’s easy for you to pick a plan that perfectly suits your hosting requirements and budget, given the abundant plan alternatives, intuitive features, and reliable support.

We hope our Bluehost review has enlightened you if this famously flexible and flexibly famous web host service is the best match for your business or not.

Hostinger, formally known as Hosting Media, is a popular web hosting service that offers cloud, VPS, and shared hosting. Since its rebranding in 2011, it has given brands like Bluehost a run for its money. Affordable pricing, user-friendly interface, and solid performance are just a few of the things we cover in this Hostinger review. 

Our Verdict

Hostinger

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Hostinger is a reputable web hosting service known for its competitive pricing and fast loading time. The company accommodates both simple and complex, picture-heavy websites, and you don’t have to worry about a high bounce rate caused by a slow website loading pace. However, you will have to contend with low storage space especially in the basic plan. 

• Low prices and a free web builder (Zyro)
• Fast server speed and 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Effective cache manager for faster loading speeds

• User-friendly and intuitive dashboard 
• Unlimited bandwidth in top-tier plans and free domain name with higher priced plans
• 30-day money-back guarantee and responsive WordPress support in over 20 languages

• No free daily backup in single and premium plans
• Money-back policy has exceptions not available for refund
• Free domain name only for one website

Hostinger at a Glance

Hostinger, formally known as Hosting Media, was formed in 2004. In 2007, the company launched a free web hosting service and then rebranded in 2011, when it began offering paid hosting plans.

Today, it is one of the most popular brands that offers complete web hosting services. Through Hostinger, you can build, manage, and run a website quickly, affordably, and conveniently.

Who Should Use Hostinger?

In our Hostinger review, we found it’s an excellent option to consider if you are looking for well-balanced web hosting and want value for your money. The service provides the perfect blend of fast server speed, well-thought-out features, reliable customer support, and affordable plans. 

Hostinger Pricing & Features

For a first-timer building a website, choosing a service package can be confusing. The company offers four unique services to ensure you can get all your hosting needs catered for under one roof. You only need to choose a web hosting type and plan that suits your business needs.

The four primary Hostinger services include:

• Shared Web Hosting
• WordPress Hosting
• Cloud Hosting
• VPS Hosting

Hostinger Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting involves sharing the resources of a single server with multiple websites. This makes the service plans more pocket-friendly and ideal for small and medium-sized websites.

Depending on factors such as whether you have a picture-heavy website or a simple site that only requires limited bandwidth, or whether you need one or multiple professional email addresses, you can choose from the Single, Premium, or Business shared web hosting plans.

Hostinger offers a tier-based service where the introductory prices are pretty enticing. For example, the basic Single Shared Plan costs $1.99 per month for the first year and $3.99 once you renew the service. The Premium and Business plans offer nearly identical specifications and performances as other web hosting services but for roughly half the cost.

Who Is Shared Hosting Best For?

Hostinger’s shared hosting service is an affordable option ideal for beginners. The only catch is that you share server resources with other websites. If you run a small or medium-sized site, you are likely to find one of the three plans suitable for your business needs.

Plans

Single Shared Hosting

Premium Shared Hosting

Business Shared Hosting

Introductory Price

$1.99/month

$2.99/month

$4.99/month

Renewal Fee

$3.99

$6.99

$8.99

Number of Websites

1

100

100

Free SSL

Yes

Yes

Yes

SSD Storage

30GB

100GB

200GB

Bandwidth

100GB

Unlimited

Unlimited

Backups

Weekly

Weekly

Weekly

MySQL Database

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

WordPress Acceleration

Yes

Yes

Yes

Free Domain Name (1 year)

Yes

Yes

Yes

24/7/365 Support

Yes

Yes

Yes

FTP Account

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

Hostinger WordPress Hosting

The WordPress Hosting service is optimized for maximum WordPress website performance. The service offers machine-level plugins, adjustments, and memory enhancements to ensure your WordPress site works more flawlessly. 

WordPress hosting is ideal for bloggers, small and medium-sized stores, big ecommerce stores, and entrepreneurs with picture or video-heavy websites. You must first choose a plan that best suits your website needs. The main difference between the plans is their pre-configured settings that make top-tier packages ideal for sites with more significant demands.

Who Is WordPress Hosting Best For?

If you have a WordPress site, the WordPress Hosting option is likely to best align with your needs. The service has plans tailor-made to ensure your website’s running smooth and gets maximum performance.

Plans

WordPress Single

WordPress Starter

WordPress Business

WordPress Pro

Price

$1.99/month

$3.99/month

$6.99/month

$11.59/month

Renewal Fee

$3.99/month

$5.99/month

$11.99/month

$19.99/month

Number of Websites

1

100

100

300

Monthly Visitors

10,000

25,000

100,000

200,000

Subdomains

2

100

100

300

Free SSL Certificate

Free Domain

Cloudflare Protection

SSD Storage

30GB

100GB

200GB

200GB

Bandwidth

100GB

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

FTP Account

One

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

Backup

Weekly

Weekly

Daily

Daily

JackPack

Free C Plug-in

Free Plug-in

Personal

Personal

Email Accounts

1Q2

100

100

100

Free CDN

Hostinger Cloud Hosting

With the Cloud Hosting service, you enjoy dedicated server resources, which reduce the risk of downtime. Hostinger uses CloudLinux with LVE containers to make setting up the cloud hosting service, managing it, and account migration simple. 

Even first-time website owners with little or no training in web development don’t have to worry about bumping into unexpected technicalities. Hostinger’s admins manage the back end and significantly reduce your workload. 

Generally, the Cloud Hosting service is a worthwhile step up from Shared Hosting if your website demands have grown bigger, calling for more server resources. They are ideal for entrepreneurs who want enough resources to power multiple heavy ecommerce websites and still be assured of dependable speeds.

Who Is Cloud Hosting Best For?

An upgrade from the shared hosting option may be imperative if your website requires more resources. The Cloud Hosting service is powerful, user-friendly, and best for resource-intensive projects like large ecommerce stores.

Plans

Cloud Startup

Cloud Professional

Cloud Enterprise

Price

$9.99/month

$18.99/month

$69.99/month

Renewal Fee

$18.99/month

$38.99/month

$84.99/month

Renewal With 1 Year Commitment

$12.99/month

$22.99/month

$79.99/month

Number of Websites

100

100

100

Dedicated Server Resources

Free Dedicated IP

Free SSL Certificate

Free Domain Registration

SSD Storage

200GB

250GB

300GB

Bandwidth

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

CPU Cores

2

4

5

RAM

3GB

6GB

12GB

Daily Backups

24/7/365 Support

VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting

If you are looking for speed and no downtime, Hostinger’s VPS Hosting is an option you should consider. Cloud and VPS Hosting are similar, only that the latter is not a fully managed service.

You can manage your back end for enhanced customization, which is a major plus point if your company relies heavily on your websites to generate profits or run other resource-intensive projects. Having access to your back end also means you must have some tech know-how or an in-house tech specialist to handle server updates and maintenance.

Who Is VPS Hosting Best For?

If you have ample technical knowledge, you will like the flexibility offered by VPS hosting. With access to your back end, you will have complete management freedom to take on larger, resource-intensive projects.

Alternatives to Hostinger

Hostinger is well-known for its low prices, fast servers, and reliable customer support. While these aspects make it a popular option for entrepreneurs with small and mid-sized websites, it might not be right for you. If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for after reading this Hostinger review, here are some alternatives you might want to consider.

InMotion

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InMotion is a top choice for first-timers using web hosting services. The platform offers a host of website tools to make it easy to get your personal or business site up and running. Each service package is reasonably priced, and users enjoy excellent uptime and customer service. 

InMotion Pricing

InMotion Hosting prices highly depend on the type of hosting you need. Shared Hosting will cost you $2.29 monthly, while Managed WordPress hosting costs $4.99 per month. The VPS hosting option, ideal for high-traffic sites like online stores, will cost you $17.99.

If you want more customization flexibility, you could opt for Reseller hosting for $15.39 monthly. The most advanced hosting option is the Dedicated server, which offers the highest customizability levels.

Also, you can choose a plan depending on the number of websites you want to host and the resource intensiveness of your projects. The Core plan costs $2.29 monthly, where you can host two websites and have up to 10 email accounts. The Launch and Power plans cost $4.99, while the more advanced Pro plan goes for $12.99.

Who Is Inmotion Best For?

InMotion is best for those looking for reliable enterprise solutions with dedicated and VPS hosting options. While the company does not offer the cheapest web hosting services, it is a top choice for entrepreneurs who want to enjoy the security and convenience of having a host with their own-operated data centers.

How InMotion Compares to Hostinger

Hostinger and InMotion may provide nearly similar services. However, there are differences in the performance and pricing of both companies. Hostinger offers more competitively priced services. In terms of performance, InMotion offers 99.98% uptime while Hostinger provides 99.99% uptime. This could be a make or break factor, especially for ecommerce sites.

• Excellent uptime and fast page loading time
• Dedicated and VPS hosting are available 
• Shared and WordPress plans come with unlimited data transfers
• Unlimited emails with all plans
• 90-day refund guarantee and user-friendly website builder for WordPress (BoldGrid)

• Prices are on the steeper end of the spectrum
• No free automated backups
• Some plans lack a monthly subscription option

Bluehost

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Bluehost is a reputable web host best known for its solid plans that are ideal for beginners. With the basic plan, you get a free domain name registration, a free drag-and-drop page builder, automatic WordPress installation, and detailed guidance to get your WordPress up and running.

Bluehost Pricing

Bluehost is designed to give WordPress users an all-rounded experience. The company offers dedicated Hosting, shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and multi-tiered plans to suit the needs and budgets of diverse personal and business site owners.

The Shared Hosting plan ranges between $2.95 per month and $13.95 under a 36-month commitment or $4.95 and $18.95 under a 12-month commitment. Bluehost also offers an Online Store plan where the standard package costs $15.95 per month under the 12-month option or $12.95 on the 36-month commitment option. The premium package costs $32.95 or $24.95, depending on the terms you choose.

If you go for the Managed WordPress Plan, you can choose from the Build, Grow and Scale packages. These cost $9.95, $14.95 and $27.95 respectively. Dedicated Hosting plans range between $79.99 and $119.99, depending on the package you choose.

Who Is Bluehost Best For?

If the process of setting up a WordPress website feels daunting, you should give Bluehost a try. Even the basic plan comes with all the essentials to build, run and manage a website. If you are not a tech-nut, the slightly steeper price is just a small price to pay for a more simplified web hosting experience.

How Bluehost Compares to Hostinger

Although Bluehost isn’t a free web hosting service, it offers a broader range of free features with each hosting plan than Hostinger. For instance, even the basic plans provide a free website builder, automatic WordPress installations, free WordPress themes, free domain name registration, $200 Marketing credits, and free CDN. 

Also, Bluehost’s basic plans come with 50GB SSD storage, while Hostinger’s basic plans provide as low as 10GB SSD. As we pointed out in this Hostinger review, it offers relatively lower prices to compensate for the few shortcomings. Read the Bluehost review to learn more about its features and pricing.

• Easy-to-use platform
• Fast site load speeds and server response time
• High-performance servers maintain 99.99% uptime and highly responsive support reps
• Excellent security features like CodeGuard Basic, SiteLock and SpamExperts

• No uptime guarantee
• Site migration isn’t free

A2 Hosting

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A2 Hosting is a web host best known for speed. While “Blazing Fast Hosting” is arguably nothing more than a marketing gimmick, real users claim that the brand offers pretty dependable and fast servers for all their plans. A2 Hosting has extra Turbo, and Turbo Boost servers that play a fundamental role in making the service rank as a speedster.

A2 Hosting Pricing

A2 Hosting has five types of web hosting services. The Shared Web Hosting service costs between $2.99 and $14.99 per month, depending on your plan. A2 Hosting’s WordPress Hosting service also offers a Tier-based plan, with the basic Startup costing $2.99 and the advanced Turbo Max plan going for $14.99.

Also, the company offers a VPS Hosting service for $5 to $50 monthly. The Reseller Hosting service costs between $13.19 and $40.91. If you want more freedom for customization, you could opt for the Dedicated Server Hosting, which costs between $99.59 and $290.49 monthly for the Mach plan.

Who is A2 Hosting Best For?

A2 Hosting is best for enterprises that emphasize page loading speed. If you want the best chance of maintaining a low bounce rate and giving your visitors a smoother user experience, A2 Hosting is a service you could consider.

How Does A2 Hosting Compare to Hostinger?

A2 Hosting and Hostinger are a close match in terms of performance. However, Hostinger plans go for nearly half the price. Even though A2 Hosting offers slightly more enhanced security and more storage space, these added benefits hardly justify the exorbitant cost of the top-tier plans.

• Fast page load speed and 99.9% uptime commitment
• Free daily backups
• 30-day money-back guarantee

• Expensive top-tier plans
• No unlimited SSD storage and free daily backups with the Starter Plan

Final Thoughts on Hostinger Review

So, is “cheap” web hosting worth it? We can confidently conclude from our Hostinger review that the brand’s competitive pricing is a smart business strategy that genuinely sets it apart. Hostinger offers dependable web hosting solutions where you don’t have to worry about your site’s speed, performance, downtime, or hefty recurrent fees.

GoDaddy is a web hosting platform that goes above and beyond with a slew of additional tools. From website creation to online payments and social media connections, GoDaddy seems to have it all. In this GoDaddy review, we’ll go over the good, bad, and everything in between.

Our Verdict

GoDaddy

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GoDaddy’s web hosting service has caught the eye of many entrepreneurs and is currently the world’s largest domain registrar. Business owners across the globe are using GoDaddy to construct online companies and start selling. Just about anyone can take advantage of its simple interface and friendly website builder with no previous experience required.

• Built-in tools for online selling
• Domain included in a paid subscription
• Comes with an easy-to-use website builder

• Plans are on the expensive side
• Prices increase significantly when you renew
• Software offers a lot of upsells

GoDaddy at a Glance

GoDaddy knows how to do web hosting well, with a ton of features to kick your online business off in the right direction. Each plan comes with an SSL certificate to keep your clients safe, and all but the free plan throw in a custom domain for the first year.

It shines in the payment department, allowing customers to pay with credit card, debit card, or link up through PayPal. If you have a physical store, GoDaddy’s payment systems extend there with smart terminals. Higher-tier paid plans allow you to sell on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or Google.

Pricing for each tier is a bit on the expensive side to begin with, and these introductory rates disappear when it’s time to renew. Keep in mind you’ll have to start paying for your domain at this point also. In the midst of fee confusion, GoDaddy seems quick to try to upsell add-on features you may not need.

The platform really stands out with its website building software, making it easy to create the site of your dreams. Drag and drop systems simplify the process for anyone, with no programming skills required. You’ll also receive a professional email address for the first year to make your business look that much more legit.

Who GoDaddy is Best For

The web hosting service has a plan for everyone, from new entrepreneurs to veterans of the business world. It’s easy to choose the one you need and upgrade as you need more functionality. GoDaddy also offers smart terminals and card readers for brick and mortar businesses looking to sync seamlessly with an online store.

Pricing

GoDaddy has five different pricing models for its plans, each adding a bit more sustenance as the price point goes up. It is possible to sign up for a free version with limited functionality, but this trial lasts only 30 days. Beyond monthly fees for paid plans, you’ll pay online or in-person credit/debit card rates and costs for in-person terminals if necessary.

Plans

Free

Basic

Premium

Commerce

Commerce Plus

Price

$0

$6.99 per month

$13.99 per month

$14.99 per month

$29.99 per month

Website Builder

Custom Domain

Website Chatbot

Listings on Online Store

5,000

Unlimited

Online Pay Links

Marketing Emails

100

100

25,000

25,000

100,000

Post to Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

Five different plans can make signing up feel like an overwhelming process, but each tier has unique features you can use to gauge your purchase. Each plan comes with GoDaddy’s stellar website builder, but you’ll have to shell out some cash to get a custom domain.

Free, Basic, and Premium plans work best for businesses offering a service, as these platforms allow minimal online payment options. You can make use of GoDaddy’s marketing emails at any price point, although the number you can send goes up significantly once you hit premium.

The Commerce Plans are all about online sales. You can list a large number of products on your online store and extend these listings to popular eCommerce sites like Amazon and Etsy. GoDaddy makes it possible to take advantage of marketing and sales opportunities on social media as well.

GoDaddy Review: Features

GoDaddy has a long list of features contained in its web hosting plans. Let’s look at what the web hosting service does well with some of its top tools.

Website Builder

One of GoDaddy’s premiere features is a comprehensive website builder that starts with one of a long list of available templates. From there, you can add your products, services, and business information to personalize it just the way you like. Thanks to a drag and drop approach, it doesn’t take much computer know-how to set up the perfect site. Linking between pages and adding in sales information is a breeze.

Bandwidth and Disk Storage

In our GoDaddy review, we found it doesn’t overtly share information about disk storage or bandwidth on its pricing page. However, there’s no limit to the amount of data you can upload when building your site. All GoDaddy plans offer unmetered bandwidth, so all your clients can shop without fear of your site reaching a monthly limit.

Domains

All paid plans include a year of domain service at no extra charge. After that year is up, you’ll have to pay an average of $20 to keep the address. Through this single domain, you can build up to 100 subdomains to fully flesh out your site.

Analytics

GoDaddy has a dashboard you can use to track all your important metrics in one convenient place. From this command center, it’s possible to view website traffic and engagement from social media. You can also see orders and sales to discover what’s selling and what isn’t.

Payment Options

An online business isn’t much without payment options. Even with the limited free plan, you can send payment links directly to your customers for payment on goods and services. You’ll need to upgrade your service to accept credit or debit card purchases through your site. GoDaddy does subject you to credit card rates for these purchases.

If you have a physical store, you can connect payments with your online business through GoDaddy smart terminals and card readers. These devices handle multiple payment types and have the capability to print receipts.

Marketplaces

Certain tiers allow your online business to sync up with popular social selling marketplaces like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Etsy. GoDaddy communicates across all these platforms to ensure inventory numbers remain accurate from location to location.

Marketing Tools

You can use GoDaddy’s built-in marketing campaigns to reach current and potential customers with sales, new products, and the like. While you’re limited to 100 emails with the Basic plan, more expensive tiers allow up to 100,000 each month. You can generate more business credibility with GoDaddy’s professional email directly tied to your domain name.

Social Media Connections

Because GoDaddy links up with social media applications, you can create and launch social ads straight from the web hosting platform. As you upgrade, you can customize these posts more and add in shoppable links.

Customer Support

GoDaddy uses 24/7 web chat and phone service for customer support inquiries. Wait times can pick up during busy parts of the day, but the team is responsive and informative for the most part.

GoDaddy Review: Fine Print

GoDaddy’s fine print isn’t quite as hard to discover as other web hosts out there. To make things even easier, we’ve listed a few pertinent points below.

Refund Policy for GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s refund policy differs depending on whether you pay for a monthly or annual membership. Month-to-month members can request a full refund within 48 hours of signing up, where those signing up for annual plans have an entire month to change their minds.

GoDaddy Contact Info

Many companies hide contact information behind forms or multiple layers of web pages, but GoDaddy isn’t one of them. If you visit GoDaddy’s “Contact Us” page, you can start a web chat or call 1-480-366-3550 for help.

Alternatives to GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a popular web hosting service with all-in-one functionality, but it may not appeal to everyone. There are some GoDaddy competitors that may work better for your business needs.

Bluehost

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Bluehost looks to mirror GoDaddy with its new website builder, featuring over 300 templates to choose from. It similarly offers a free year of domain service and no cap on data or bandwidth usage. Bluehost has an impressive built-in gallery you can use to your heart’s content if you’re short on pictures.

You’ll have email marketing at any price point, but you’ll need to choose appropriately if you’re hoping to generate an online store. Online payments happen through WooCommerce and its plugin.

Web hosting comes in cheaper, starting at only $2.95 per month. Tools for building an online store run $24.95 monthly but lack the reach to social media and online marketplaces that GoDaddy has access to. Read the Bluehost review to learn more about its features and pricing.

• Budget-friendly basic plan
• Website builder with over 300 templates
• Built-in photo gallery

• No social media connections
• No access to online marketplaces
• Online payments only through WooCommerce

HostGator

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HostGator rises to the challenge with its own suite of website building plans. It uses artificial intelligence to build a site for you based on answers to a series of questions you’ll receive on sign-up. From there, throw on a logo and a few products, and you’ll be on your way. Instead of hours, your site could be up and running in just minutes.

Along with web hosting, you’ll receive a free domain name for a year and unmetered bandwidth. The service also includes email marketing campaigns and eCommerce tools to monitor inventory and orders.

Plans start as low as $3.84 per month, but you’ll want to upgrade to the Store plan at $9.22 if you’re building an online store. If you’re not happy with your service in the first 45 days, you’ll be able to cancel for a refund of hosting fees – no questions asked. To learn more about its features and pricing, read our HostGator review.

• 45-day money-back guarantee
• Intelligent website builder
• Budget-friendly plans

• Upcharges for most features
• No social media tools
• Limited customer service hours

Wix

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Wix has a free forever web hosting plan for those on the tightest of budgets. Unsurprisingly, there are several limitations regarding storage space, bandwidth, and eCommerce tools. You’ll still be able to use Wix’s website builder and hundreds of templates to create the website you’re looking for.

Its comprehensive design features meld well with any type of business, from eCommerce to restaurants or an online photo gallery. When upgrading to a paid plan, you’ll have at least 50GB of storage space to work with alongside unlimited bandwidth and a custom domain. Wix handles all payments securely through its dashboard.

With several plans to choose from, pricing can get a bit tricky. They’re not a cheap hosting platform either, with the lowest eCommerce plan starting at $27 per month. If you want to maximize the feature set, monthly fees could total $59.

• Easy to scale and upgrade as needed
• Over 500 customization options
• Drag-and-drop builder

• Minimal storage and bandwidth
• No custom domains
• Wix ads

InfinityFree

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If you’re hunting for a website you can design through programming software, look no further than InfinityFree. The web host supports Perl, PHP, Python, and Ruby on Rails alongside DNS management and mail support. The platform is entirely ad-free, and the only branding customers see will be your own.

InfinityFree’s free web hosting provides unlimited bandwidth and 5GB storage space for your data. Should you need email accounts or more space, you’ll need to consider switching to paid plans that top out at $6.90 per month.

Because of its open nature, InfinityFree doesn’t have any built-in business features for you to use. The sky and your programming skills are the limit when it comes to what you want your site to be.

• Unlimited domains and bandwidth
• Ad-free
• Can import a domain name

• Limited server power
• No email accounts
• Maximum 50,000 daily hits

Bottom Line on GoDaddy Review

GoDaddy is an excellent foundation for any type of website, from informational to eCommerce. Beginners or otherwise, the web hosting service works for anyone who can stomach the costs.

Its website building tools stand out among the competition with hundreds of templates and a drag and drop system. Add in payment options and ways to connect to customers through email and social media and you have a well-rounded platform for your business to thrive.

In this Dreamhost review, you’ll see how it makes it easy and affordable for you to create and manage WordPress websites for your business. This web host service transforms your web development dreams into reality through dynamic WordPress tools, generous bandwidth allotment, and budget-friendly pricing.

Our Verdict

Dreamhost

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Dreamhost is a smart choice for you if you plan to build, manage, and promote websites for your business using WordPress. After all, this provider equips you with web creation tools that let you maximize the possibilities of the WordPress platform. Plus, it allows bountiful amounts of data transfer so you can upload a lot of content to your websites. Finally, the available plans are accessible no matter what your budget is, thanks to the cost-effective rates.

Although Dreamhost is a well-rounded web host, it has certain drawbacks too. For instance, you need to pay extra to register “.com” domain names if you go for the monthly version of the shared or WordPress plans because it is only free for the annual plans and VPS plans. Also, the shared starter plan doesn’t come with email unlike the higher tiers, although you can purchase email services for a monthly fee. Finally, the customer service is only strong in terms of chat support, but not in terms of phone support.

• Rich WordPress features
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Very economical pricing

• Additional payment required for domains for monthly shared or WordPress plans
• Email not included in the most basic monthly plan
• Support is chat-based, not phone-based

Pricing: Starts at $1.99 / month

Dreamhost at a Glance

Dreamhost is a web host service that focuses on digital content creation and sharing. It showcases a suite of WordPress tools that make it simple for newbies and tech experts alike to build and manage sites. It aims to improve the WordPress platform through coding, community collaboration, and advanced support.

Established in 1997, it now boasts more than 400,000 users in over 100 countries. It currently hosts more than 1.5 million websites, blogs, and applications on the internet. At present, it offers a variety of services, such as WordPress hosting, website hosting, VPS hosting, WP website builder, dedicated hosting, and cloud hosting.

Dreamhost shines among web host providers because it fuses together WordPress expertise and fairly cheap pricing. It comes with features like web hosting services, domain name registration, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, WordPress tools, migration assistance, customized control panel, web management tools, email, security certification, and customer service.

Who Dreamhost Is Best For

Dreamhost is the ideal web host solution for entrepreneurs and content creators who plan to create business websites using the open-source software WordPress.org. We recommend it for you if you have a limited budget because it seamlessly combines competitive pricing with strong functionality. It is also a terrific fit for you if you need to upload abundant text, photos, videos, and documents because it comes with a high or unlimited amount of data transfers.

Pricing

Dreamhost offers three types of web hosting plans that differ in terms of rates and features. Check out how these Dreamhost monthly plans stack up against each other:

Plan

Shared

DreamPress

VPS

Price

Starts at $1.99 / month

Starts at $12 / month

Starts at $15 / month

Web Hosting

Buy “.com” domain for $7.99 each

Buy “.com” domain for $7.99 each

Unlimited domains

Traffic Management

Unlimited traffic

100,000 visits / month

Unlimited traffic

Bandwidth

Unmetered

Unmetered

Unmetered

Storage

Fast SSD storage

30 GB to 120 GB SSD storage

30 GB to 240 GB SSD storage

WordPress Tools

Pre-installed WordPress or 1-click instant WordPress install plus WP website builder

Pre-installed WordPress or 1-click instant WordPress install plus WP website builder

1-click instant WordPress install

Migration Assistance

Free automated WordPress migrations

Free automated WordPress migrations

Contact Dreamhost for details

Control Panel

Custom

Custom

Custom

Web Management Tools

Automated backups

Automated plus on-demand backups w/ 1-click restore, free pre-installed Jetpack & 1-click staging

Unlimited MySQL databases & sub account creation

Email

Add email starting at $1.67 / month for Shared Starter or free unlimited email for Shared Unlimited

Unlimited email

Unlimited email

Security

Free SSL certificate

Pre-installed SSL Certificate

Free SSL certificate

Customer Support

24/7 chat & email support

24/7 WordPress chat & email support

24/7 chat & email support

To sum it up, there are three main kinds of Dreamhost web hosting plans with various tiers:

1. Shared (Starts at $1.99 / month): Entry-level shared hosting for new websites which is suitable for business owners with a limited budget and basic requirements
2. DreamPress (Starts at $12 / month): Specialized WordPress hosting for entrepreneurs who prefer to build websites using the WordPress platform
3. VPS (Starts at $15 / month): VPS hosting for content creators who wish to establish business websites on their own Virtual Private Servers for optimal privacy and performance

On top of this, Dreamhost also provides other types of services, such as:

• WP Website Builder (Starts at $1.99 / month): Design tools for easy WordPress website creation
• Dedicated Hosting (Starts at $169 / month): Dedicated hosting on fast web servers with root access
• Cloud Hosting (Starts at $0.0075 / hour): Cloud hosting on speedy servers with root access, SSD storage, and open API-powered networking

Take note that these rates are applicable only to the contract-free monthly plans, while different rates are available for annual plans. Since Dreamhost gives you a broad range of options to choose from, you can pick the plan that matches the web hosting budget and needs of your business team.

Dreamhost Features

Dreamhost exhibits a wide range of functions that empower you to establish and run your business websites. The features of Dreamhost include web hosting, domain names, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, WordPress tools, migration assistance, control panel, web management tools, email, security, and customer support.

Web Hosting

Dreamhost offers web hosting services that allow you to publish and maintain your business sites and blogs on the internet. It provides a secure virtual environment where you can store and tweak your content online.

The Shared Starter plan lets you publish a single website via shared hosting, while the DreamPress package equips you to establish one WordPress website on WordPress-optimized servers. On top of this, the VPS plan enables you to set up unlimited websites on Virtual Private Servers.

Domain Name

The domain is the name of your business website which is linked to a physical IP address on the internet. The most common kind of domain is “.com”, although other domain types include “.org”, “.edu”, and “.gov”.

The contract-free monthly versions of the Shared and DreamPress packages don’t include a free domain, although the annual versions come with complimentary domains. Nevertheless, you can still purchase “.com” domain names for $7.99 each if you go for the monthly plans. As an alternative, you can sign up for the VPS plan which provides unlimited domains.

Traffic Management

Dreamhost assists you in managing the regular traffic of your business websites. On one hand, both the Shared and VPS plans support unlimited traffic so you don’t need to worry about overage expenses.

On the other hand, the DreamPress plan can handle up to 100,000 site visits every month. Still, this is just a soft limit so Dreamhost won’t stop the operations of your website in case you surpass this amount, although it could potentially slow down the performance of your site.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of information which can be transferred over the internet during a certain period of time. All the Dreamhost hosting plans flaunt unmetered bandwidth so you can upload as much digital content as you wish to your business websites. Since there is no limit to your data transfers, there’s no need to be concerned about potential overage fees.

Storage

Dreamhost provides SSD storage with all its plans. Solid state drive (SSD) is around 200% quicker than hard disk drive (HDD) in terms of caching and database queries. As a result, it can reduce the website loading time of your visitors.

The Shared package includes fast SSD storage, although the exact storage amount is not indicated in the product website. The DreamPress plan offers 30GB to 120GB SSD storage along with its various tiers. Finally, the VPS package comes with high-performance SSD hard drives with storage that starts at 30GB and goes up to 240GB.

WordPress Tools

Dreamhost puts the spotlight on WordPress, which is why it’s not surprising that it packs a powerful arsenal of WordPress tools. If you subscribe to the Shared or DreamPress plans, you can let Dreamhost pre-install WordPress on your behalf or you can do it yourself through the easy 1-click instant WordPress installation tool.

You can take advantage of pre-assembled apps to avoid the hassle of designing a site from scratch. Plus, the WP website builder comes with a creation wizard, drag-and-drop editor, and professional templates. Keep in mind that the VPS package has less website creation tools than the Shared and DreamPress plans, but it does come with 1-click instant WordPress install. 

Migration Assistance

Dreamhost makes it simple for you to carry over your WordPress websites from your previous hosting provider without any downtime. Both the Shared and DreamPress packages include a free automated WordPress migration plugin that you can use regardless of the level of your technical skills. The VPS plan doesn’t list down any migration tools in its feature set, but you may inquire with Dreamhost to confirm if it comes with migration assistance or not.

Control Panel

All the plans of Dreamhost include a control panel which grants you admin access to your websites. This custom panel has advanced features which enable you to add new email accounts, update domain information, adjust email settings, and authorize new users.

Web Management Tools

Aside from web development tools, Dreamhost also includes other features that help you with web management tasks. If you sign up for the Shared plan, your WordPress websites will be automatically backed up on a daily basis.

In case you go for the DreamPress plan, you can request for additional backups on demand, plus you can restore your site with just a single click. In addition to this, you will also get free pre-installed Jetpack and 1-click staging.

If you select the VPS plan, you can set up unlimited MySQL databases using the control panel. On top of this, you can add sub accounts that allow you to manage client accounts, access websites of your clients and contractors, and handle FTP or billing matters.

Email

Email is an essential communication tool so having your own custom email bestows a professional touch to your work correspondence. Take note that the low-tier Shared Starter monthly plan requires you to shell out $1.67 per month for each email domain you purchase. Nevertheless, the next tier called Shared Unlimited plan, as well as all tiers of the DreamPress and VPS packages, include unlimited email with your own domain.

Security

No matter which plan you choose, Dreamhost protects the privacy of your websites through the free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate. The HTTPS technology safeguards your data by encrypting your web traffic. At the same time, it improves your SEO results on the Google search engine.

Customer Support

All the Dreamhost packages come with round-the-clock customer service. Both the Shared and VPS plans include 24/7 general web support, while the DreamPress package showcases 24/7 WordPress support that is specifically geared towards the open-source platform.

However, you should be aware that customer service mostly comes in the form of live chat and email support, instead of phone support. Actually, you even need to pay extra just to request for callbacks from the technical support team. For example, it will cost you $9.95 for a single callback, while you have the option to spend $14.95 each month for three callbacks.

Alternatives to Dreamhost

Dreamhost is a good fit for you if you need a web host provider that brings WordPress solutions within your reach regardless of your budget. Still, you may consider other options in case other aspects of web hosting are more important to you. These are some notable alternatives to Dreamhost:

WP Engine

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WP Engine is a web hosting service that centers around the WordPress platform. The web developer tools make it possible for you to create and manage WordPress websites for your business. 

WP Engine is ideal for you if you have a larger budget for expert WordPress services and strong customer support. In contrast to Dreamhost’s chat support, WP Engine provides accessible phone support for higher tiers. Still, Dreamhost is way more affordable than WP Engine so your choice will be influenced by how much you’re willing to allocate for hosting services. Read the WP Engine review to find out if it’s the perfect alternative for you.

• Specializes in WordPress sites
• 24/7 phone support for higher tiers

• Expensive pricing compared to Dreamhost
• Domains and emails aren’t included in plans

Pricing: Starts at $30 / month

Squarespace

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Squarespace is a website builder that provides a wide variety of ready-to-use templates. You can customize these flexible templates based on your preferred designer fonts and color palettes.

Squarespace is appropriate for you if you want to achieve a sophisticated site appearance with minimal effort. After all, it is more design-centric compared to Dreamhost. Nevertheless, Dreamhost offers more hosting solutions than Squarespace so your selection could depend on whether you prioritize design or web management more.

• Broad range of professional template options
• Unlimited bandwidth

• Pricier rates than Dreamhost
• Limited video storage

Pricing: Starts at $19

*Rates applicable to monthly plans. Lower rates available for annual plans.

Weebly

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Weebly is an ecommerce platform that enables you to set up online stores and websites. It lets you launch ecommerce shops with the help of the drag-and-drop builder, which comes with shipping, inventory, and SEO tools.

Weebly is suitable for you if you are interested in selling the products or services of your company to consumers through a virtual store. As you can see from its feature set, it concentrates more on ecommerce than Dreamhost does. Still, Dreamhost is more savvy when it comes to WordPress site creation. In the end, your choice will be based on whether you are focusing on building online shops or WordPress websites.

• Ecommerce expertise
• Free basic plan available

• No special WordPress support
• No free domains for basic plans

Pricing: Starts at $0

Bottom Line on Dreamhost Review

Dreamhost makes web hosting services accessible to you, whether you have a small budget or a big one. We recommend this well-rounded web hosting provider if you plan to create WordPress websites, thanks to its featured-packed WordPress tools, unlimited bandwidth, and cost-effective rates. After reading our Dreamhost review, we expect that you can now easily make up your mind if this affordable web hosting solution is a great match for your business.

As the name says, Namecheap offers cheap domain names, but you’ll learn in this Namecheap review that it offers much more. This web host also provides affordable shared hosting, managed WordPress, reseller, VPS, and dedicated server hosting solutions. Namecheap is the perfect inclusive website solution for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups.

Our Verdict 

Namecheap

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Namecheap is known as a domain name registrar, but it also offers affordable web hosting plans. Namecheap also offers a stack of additional features that allow you to create a new company website from start to finish. This means that Namecheap is the perfect all-in-one website creator and hosting provider for small businesses and startups.

• Affordable domain names and hosting
• Website migration and transfer services 
• Easy to use cPanel interface

• No telephone customer support
• Price increase upon renewal
• Low storage for basic plans

Namecheap at a Glance 

Namecheap is an excellent hosting provider because it provides precisely what the name suggests. Affordable domain and hosting plans are what Namecheap is known for. However, it doesn’t end there. Most inexpensive hosting providers offer the bare minimum. This is how Namecheap differentiates itself.

Even with the most basic plans, Namecheap offers a few features you’d need to pay extra for with other hosting providers. From unmetered bandwidth and a free SSL certificate to free backups and ample storage space, Namecheap ensures a healthy and optimized website. 

Namecheap’s .com domain registrar service starts at $0.98 for the first year and then $13.98 per year thereafter. This means that your website domain costs less than $1 per month for the first year. Furthermore, Namecheap’s cheapest shared hosting plan starts at $1.88 per month for the first year and then increases to $3.98 per month thereafter. 

The cheapest shared hosting plan, called Stellar, offers 20GB SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, and allows you to host three different websites. For just under $2 a month, this amount of value for the price is unbeatable. 

Who Namecheap is Best For 

Companies of all types of sizes and industries use Namecheap to host their domains. This is because Namecheap offers plans for every type of business. However, Namecheap is exceedingly popular among small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups. Namecheap makes it easy to get your website up and running without needing any previous website experience.

Pricing 

Namecheap’s domain pricing varies based on what type of domain (.com, .net, etc.) you purchase and the length of your subscription. However, .com domains start at $0.98 for the first year if you subscribe for one year and .net domains start at $9.98 for the first year. Namecheap’s shared hosting plans range from $1.88 to $4.98 for the first year and $3.88 to $9.88 thereafter if you choose an annual subscription.

Here’s the pricing chart for Namecheap’s shared hosting plans.

Plan

Stellar

Stellar Plus

Stellar Business

Price

$1.88 per month for the first year, then $3.88 per month

$2.98 per month for the first year, then $5.88 per month

$4.98 per month for the first year, then $5.88 per month

Disk Space

20 GB SSD

Unmetered SSD

Unmetered SSD

Bandwidth

Unmetered

Unmetered

Unmetered

Hosted Domains

3

Unlimited

Unlimited

Backups

Twice a week

Twice a week & Autobackup

Twice a week, Autobackup, and Cloud Storage

Email Accounts

30

Unlimited

Unlimited

Personal Nameservers

No

No

Yes

Namecheap Review: Features

NameCheap offers all the standard features you want in a comprehensive web hosting provider. From ample storage space and unmetered bandwidth to free backups and inexpensive pricing, NameCheap will satisfy your business’s needs. Let’s take a closer look at what separates NameCheap from its competitors.

Feature-Rich Basic Plan

For $1.88 per month on the Stellar plan, you get access to 20GB storage space, unmetered bandwidth, and free backups twice a week. These are more than enough features to get your small business’s website active and fully functional. 

Furthermore, Stellar Plus and Stellar Business are only slightly more expensive than Stellar. As your business grows, you can easily and affordably upgrade your plan if needed. Having the option to upgrade your plan to access more sophisticated features is a necessity in a web hosting provider.

Ease of Use

As far as ease of use is concerned, Namecheap is straightforward and simple to use. In our Namecheap review, we found it uses a combination of its native management panel and cPanel. Both dashboards are uncluttered and easy to understand. For this reason, Namecheap is an excellent domain name registrar and web hosting provider for beginners.

Namecheap also offers access to a website builder on all of its hosting packages. This website builder features over 200 templates to help you find the perfect setup for your new website. Although the templates are not as modern as professionally designed contemporary websites, they give you a good starting point to get your website running.

In essence, Namecheap is easy to use for both beginners and veterans. Its clean dashboard and cPanel access remove all the challenges of learning how to use a website hosting provider.

Free Domain and Migration

If your website is currently hosted on another domain, Namecheap offers free migration from your current host to Namecheap. Namecheap guarantees a complete cPanel migration in less than 24 hours and only up to 15 minutes of downtime on your website. This ensures your customers still have access to your website as you migrate hosts.

Namecheap also offers a 61% discount on .com domains if you purchase a Stellar Plus or Stellar Business shared hosting plan. These discounts also apply to .co, .live, and .shop domains.

Website Speed and Reliability

Your website’s load time heavily impacts the user experience for your site visitors. Namecheap guarantees a 100% uptime with its shared and dedicated server plans and 99.99% uptime on its reseller and VPS hosting plans. This means you never have to worry about your website going down when you sign up for Namecheap hosting.

Furthermore, Namecheap offers excellent website loading speeds comparable with similar plans from other hosting providers. Since Namecheap is affordable and offers fast load speeds, it’s one of the best web hosts for small businesses. 

Customer Support

Namecheap offers 24/7 customer support to help you out whenever you need. Although Namecheap doesn’t offer a live call center, it does offer a live chat system with real customer service representatives. 

You can submit a support ticket at any time, and Namecheap will connect you with a live customer support agent via live chat. Then, the agent will thoroughly answer your questions and offer as much guidance as possible.

If the agent cannot solve your issue, they will forward the problem to somebody else who can provide a solution. You will then receive an email from the representative with the answer to your question.

Alternatives to Namecheap

If you’ve read through this Namecheap review and you’re still not sure about using Namecheap, let’s compare it to a few alternatives.

Bluehost

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Bluehost is another popular domain name registrar and hosting provider. Similar to Namecheap, this web host offers affordable packages and a complete website creation process from start to finish.

Who Should Use Bluehost

Bluehost is the best web hosting provider for complete beginners. This company offers an easy setup process, excellent performance, and great pricing plans for every type of business. Read our Bluehost review to learn more about its features and pricing.

How Does Bluehost Compare to Namecheap?

Bluehost stands out because it offers specialized ecommerce hosting solutions as well as website hosting and domain name registration. 

Pricing

Bluehost has four different shared hosting pricing packages:

• Basic: $2.95/month for the first year, then $9.99/month 
• Plus: $5.45/month for the first year, then $13.99/month
• Choice Plus: $5.45/month for the first year, then $19.99/month
• Pro: $13.95/month for the first year, then $28.99/month

• Affordable domain names and shared hosting packages
• Lots of storage space
• Ecommerce integration

• Obnoxious marketing upsells
• Speed needs improvement at times
• Limited features on entry-level plans

HostGator

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HostGator is a beginner-friendly web hosting provider that offers a free domain for one year when you register. Even though HostGator provides domain registration services, this platform focuses on web hosting. 

Who Should Use HostGator

Although HostGator offers shared hosting plans, this platform is best suited for midsize to larger companies that want the best hosting services possible. With HostGator’s VPS or dedicated server hosting, you’ll get access to the fastest website speeds available.

How Does HostGator Compare to Namecheap?

HostGator is unique because it focuses on web hosting first and domain registration second. This company offers an incredible customer support team that helps you succeed when you’re stuck. If you’re interested in their services, check out our in-depth HostGator review to learn more.

Pricing

HostGator offers a variety of pricing packages depending on what type of hosting you want:

• Shared Web Hosting: $6.95/month to $16.95/month
• WordPress Hosting: $9.95/month to $91.95/month
• VPS Hosting: $19.95/month to $149.95/month
• Dedicated Server Hosting: $189/month to $289/month

• Unmetered storage space on all plans
• Unmetered bandwidth on all plans
• Free email marketing features

• Bulky dashboard
• Less affordable than other web hosts
• Unreliable customer support

Ionos

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Similar to all the other products mentioned above, Ionos also offers domain registration and web hosting services.

Who Should Use Ionos

Ionos is the best web hosting provider if you want the most affordable pricing plan available. Small businesses can use Ionos at a price of $0.50 for the first 12 months and the $10 per month afterward. Read our complete Ionos review to learn more about this service.

How Does Ionos Compare to Namecheap?

What separates Ionos from the pack is its affordability. Along with its low price tag, Ionos provides various hosting options, SSL security, and WordPress and ecommerce integrations.

Pricing

Ionos offers one of the most affordable hosting packages available:

• Essential: $4/month for 12 months then $6/month
• Business: $0.50/month for 12 months then $10/month
• Expert: $8/month for 12 months then $16/month

• Provides a personal success consultant
• 30-day money-back policy
• Extremely affordable

• Not beginner-friendly
• No free trial
• Only the expensive plans offer the quickest load times

Bottom Line on Namecheap Review

Although the lower price may cause people to be suspicious, Namecheap is one of the best domain name registrars and hosting providers out there. If you’re building a new website for your small business, Namecheap is an excellent solution to get you up and running.