Web hosting companies provide server space for businesses to store their website files, which can be accessed by the public via a domain name like www.yourcompany.com. We reviewed dozens of top web hosting companies and chose the six best—including the best overall—based on price, storage, uptime, and extras like free domains.
Tip: If you’re in the beginning stage of building a new website, start by getting all the information you need, from which platform is best for you to how to create a site that acts as a marketing machine, by checking out our guide on building a small business website.
Top Web Hosting Comparison 2020
Web Hosting Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
(Best overall) For businesses looking for turnkey web hosting plans that come with everything you need for as little as $2.95/month | |
Businesses looking for a host with unmetered storage and bandwidth on all plans | |
Those who want comprehensive, commitment-free hosting | |
Businesses whose priority is super-fast website load times | |
Businesses with existing ecommerce sites that use WooCommerce | |
Startups needing to launch a site quickly |
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How We Evaluated the Best Web Hosting Companies
In the digital age, every business needs a website to maintain an online presence, and to have a site online, you need web hosting. However, with so many hosting providers available, it can be difficult to determine which is right for you. That’s why we researched web hosting companies to find the best web hosting companies based on the factors that matter most to small businesses, such as reliability, affordability, and money-saving extras.
The criteria we used to evaluate the best web hosting companies include:
- Affordability and value for price
- Storage and bandwidth limits
- Average uptime and uptime guarantee
- Inclusions and extras (e.g., free domain, free SSL certificate, and business email)
- Customer service
- Customer reviews
Based on the criteria above, we believe the best web hosting company is Bluehost, a low-cost and feature-rich provider with plans that include everything a business needs to build and maintain a professional site. Plans start as low as $2.95 per month for 50GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, 24/7 customer support, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and many extras such as a free domain name, business email, and a free SSL certificate.
Bluehost: Best Overall Web Host for Small Businesses
Average rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Bluehost is a leading web host with plans starting at $4.95 per month on a 12-month contract, or as low as $2.95 per month with a long-term contract. It stands out as the best web host for its feature-rich, low-cost plans with high uptimes and quality support. It’s best for those looking for one of the best WordPress hosting services that includes everything you need to launch and maintain a website.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Low-cost plans starting at $2.95/month | Month-to-month plans are not available |
Includes a free domain and SSL certificate | The checkout process includes a lot of upsells |
Includes business email for free | Users report occasional downtimes |
Bluehost Pricing
Bluehost offers web hosting plans starting at $4.95 per month on a 12-month contract or as low as $2.95 per month with a 35-month contract. Its entry-level plan includes hosting for one site, 50GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, a free domain, a free SSL certificate, one-click WordPress installation, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 support. Unlimited storage is available on its mid-range plan for $7.45 per month on a 12-month contract.
Bluehost Tiered Features
Basic | Plus | Choice Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $4.95/month with a 12-month contract | $7.45/month with a 12-month contract | $7.45/month with a 12-month contract (due to current promotional pricing) |
Websites Supported | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | 50GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unmetered* | Unmetered* | Unmetered* |
Free Domain | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free SSL Certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Business Email Accounts Included | 5 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Money-back Guarantee | 30-day | 30-day | 30-day |
Customer Support | 24/7 via live chat and phone | 24/7 via live chat and phone | 24/7 via live chat and phone |
*Unmetered bandwidth, while not tracked by the host, can be limited based on terms of service. Check your hosting contract for details.
HostGator: Best for Unmetered Storage & Bandwidth
Average rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
HostGator is a leading web hosting company that stands out for its inclusion of unmetered storage and bandwidth on all plans, starting at $5.95 per month for 12-month contracts, and as low as $2.75 per month with 36-month contracts. Plans also include extras such as instant backups, one-click WordPress installation, and affordable dedicated IP address add-ons. It’s the best option for established businesses with media-heavy sites with high traffic volumes.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
All plans include unlimited storage and bandwidth | Backups are not automated |
Free WordPress website transfer service | Low price for dedicated hosting is reflective of introductory pricing |
Ultra-low cost with long-term contracts | Users report that server maintenance is occasionally unannounced |
HostGator Pricing
HostGator plans start at $5.95 per month on a 12-month contract and go up to $8.95 per month for the Business plan. All plans come standard with unmetered storage and bandwidth, one-click WordPress installations, instant backups, a free SSL certificate, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 customer support.
HostGator Tiered Features
Hatchling | Baby | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price w/Annual Plan | $5.95/month | $8.95/month | $8.95/month (with current promotional pricing) |
Websites Supported | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
IP Address | Shared | Shared | Shared |
Domain Name Included | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free SSL Certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Money-back Guarantee | 45-day | 45-day | 45-day |
Customer Support | 24/7 via live chat and phone | 24/7 via live chat and phone | 24/7 via live chat and phone |
Debating between HostGator and Bluehost? Get the full breakdown of Bluehost vs HostGator.
DreamHost: Best for Month-to-Month Plans
Average rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars
DreamHost is an award-winning web host that offers commitment-free plans for as little as $4.95 per month. Unlike most hosts that require contacts, DreamHost offers reliable hosting with unlimited bandwidth and an SSL certificate, without a contract. This makes it the best for those who want high-quality and cheap web hosting without a commitment.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Affordable, commitment-free hosting plans | Lacking customer support contact methods |
Free SSL certificate | Free domains are only available with long-term plans |
Ultra-low cost long-term plans | Unlimited storage is not included with entry-level plan |
DreamHost Pricing
DreamHost has month-to-month web hosting plans from $4.95 to $10.95 per month. It also offers discounts for long-term contracts, from $2.59 to $7.95 per month for a 12-month commitment. The Starter plan comes with 50GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, one-click WordPress installation, a free SSL certification, and 24/7 support.
DreamHost Tiered Features
Basic | Plus | |
|---|---|---|
Price w/annual contract | $4.95/month | $7.45/month |
Contract Lengths Available | Monthly, 12, 24, and 36 months | Monthly, 12, 24, and 36 months |
Storage | 50GB | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Free Domain | 1 | Unlimited |
Free SSL certificate | ✔ | ✔ |
Money-back Guarantee | 30-day | 30-day |
Customer Support | 24/7 via live chat | 24/7 via live chat |
Debating between DreamHost and Bluehost? Get the direct comparison of Bluehost vs DreamHost.
InMotion Hosting: Best for Fast Load Times
Average rating: 4 out of 5 stars
InMotion is a leading web host known for quality hosting and great customer service with plans starting at $7.46 per month. What sets it apart is its inclusion of a solid-state drive for storage on all plans, increasing site speed and making it one of the fastest web hosting services. Given this, InMotion is ideal for businesses with large, heavily trafficked websites that want to ensure consistent, top-level site performance.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Top performance with super-fast load times | Short-term contracts are not available on all plans |
Long, 90-day money-back guarantee | Low advertised pricing reflects introductory pricing |
Plans include unlimited business email | New accounts require verification, which adds steps |
InMotion Hosting Pricing
InMotion Hosting has web hosting plans from $7.46 to $14.71 per month on a 12-month contract. All plans include unlimited disk space, unlimited storage, a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, unlimited email addresses, automatic backups, 24/7 support, free solid-state drives for enhanced site performance, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
InMotion Hosting Tiered Features
Launch | Power | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price w/Annual Plan | $7.46/month | $9.56/month | $8.49/month |
Contact Lengths Available | 12 and 24 months | 12 and 24 months | 1, 6, and 12 months |
Websites Supported | 2 | 6 | Unlimited |
Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Free Domain | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free SSL Certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Business Email Accounts Included | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Money-back Guarantee | 90-day | 90-day | 90-day |
Customer Support | 24/7 via live chat, email, Skype, and phone | 24/7 via live chat, email, Skype, and phone | 24/7 via live chat, email, Skype, and phone |
SiteGround: Best for Online Stores Built With WooCommerce
Average rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
SiteGround is a highly regarded web hosting company offering web hosting for as little as $3.95 per month. Plans include Cloudflare content delivery network (CDN) for added site speed and security, as well as free WooCommerce site migration and extras such as an SSL certificate, daily backups, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. With these key features, it is an ideal option for businesses focused on online sales through WooCommerce-powered stores.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Free daily backups and restores | Plans do not include a domain name |
Plans include Cloudflare CDN | Unlimited storage is not available |
Free WooCommerce site migration | Unlimited bandwidth is not available |
SiteGround Pricing
SiteGround web hosting plans range from $3.95 to $11.95 per month on 12-month contracts. Plans come with the free Cloudflare content delivery network (CDN) for added site speed and security, free daily backups, a free SSL certificate, unlimited email, free WooCommerce site migration, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 support.
SiteGround Tiered Features
StartUp | GrowBig | GoGeek | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price w/Annual Contract | $3.95/month | $5.95/month | $11.95/month |
Websites Supported | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | 10GB | 20GB | 40GB |
Bandwidth/Max. Monthly Visitors | 10,000 | 25,000 | 100,000 |
Free Cloudflare CDN* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free SSL Certificate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Daily Backups | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free WooCommerce Site Migration Service | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Professional WooCommerce Transfer Service | N/A | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Domain Name | No | No | No |
Business Email Accounts Included | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Money-back Guarantee | 30-day | 30-day | 30-day |
Customer Support | 24/7 via chat, phone, and tickets | 24/7 via chat, phone, and tickets | 24/7 via chat, phone, and tickets |
*Cloudflare CDN is a type of content delivery network that increases a site’s security and speed.
Debating between SiteGround and Bluehost? Check out this article on SiteGround vs Bluehost for a complete comparison.
GoDaddy: Best for Startups That Need a Site Live Quickly
Average rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
GoDaddy is best known for its domain name registration services, though it is also a web hosting provider. Its web hosting plans are competitively priced and come with a number of extras, but what sets it apart from competitors is that GoDaddy has its own easy-to-use site builder available for free with a web hosting plan. This makes it easy for new businesses to get their site up quickly, which they can later transfer to WordPress.
Tip: Interested in using the GoDaddy site builder? To see how easy it is, check out the step-by-step instructions on how to build a GoDaddy website
.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Plans include access to its site builder | SSL certification not included with all plans |
One-click site migration tools | Cloud hosting not available |
Includes one year of Microsoft 365 free | Website backups cost extra |
Pricing
The entry-level plan costs $4.99 per month with a 12-month contract, or as low as $4.49 for a 36-month contract. The plan includes use of its drag-and-drop site builder, 10GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, free Microsoft 365 for one year, and a domain name. This provides businesses with a low-cost plan with which they can scale as their business grows, given that businesses can quickly build a site with its site builder and later transfer it to WordPress.
GoDaddy Tiered Features
Economy | Deluxe | Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price w/Annual Contract | $4.99/month | $7.99/month | $8.99/month |
Websites Supported | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | 100GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
Access to the GoDaddy Website Builder | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Microsoft 365 Email | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Domain | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
One-click Site Migration Tool | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Automated Daily Malware Scans | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free SSL Certificate | N/A | N/A | ✔ |
Customer Support | 24/7 live chat and phone | 24/7 live chat and phone | 24/7 live chat and phone |
Not sure whether to choose GoDaddy or HostGator? Check out HostGator vs GoDaddy to find out which is best for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I get free web hosting?
There are a number of providers that offer free web hosting. However, there is a reason why most businesses opt for paid hosting services, as they tend to provide a lot more value in terms of storage, bandwidth, speed, security, and reliability. Get the full breakdown on the best free hosting providers.
Which is better: Bluehost or GoDaddy?
When it comes to Bluehost vs GoDaddy, it can be difficult to choose which offers better web hosting services as they each offer very similar plans. A couple of key differences are that Bluehost is cheaper with long-term plans, and GoDaddy offers a drag-and-drop site builder, making it best for those who need an easy way to launch a site in little to no time. Learn more about Bluehost vs GoDaddy.
Can I use Bluehost With Squarespace?
No, Squarespace is an all-in-one site builder that comes with everything you need to build a new website, including web hosting. This means there’s no need to get third-party web hosting from providers such as Bluehost if you’re building a site with Squarespace. If you’re on the fence between building a site with WordPress (using Bluehost) or Squarespace, get the complete breakdown of Bluehost vs Squarespace.
Sunil Gupta
The comparison looks nice with industry-top companies, offering multiple products and services globally.
However, there are lots of web hosting companies and many of them offer sometimes even better products and services if you compare with their prices and
technical support.
E.g. India based web hosting provider Domain & Server (domainandserver.com/) has many great features starting from beginners in the web industry and ending for high end online Business projects.
I’d suggest to check them and many other small but reputable hosting providers, which are best with their services.
Thank you.
Amanda Norman
Hi Sunil,
Thank you for the suggestion! We typically review and update our guides approximately once per year and can take a look at it before the next update.
You’re right that there are numerous options out there for web hosting; we even have an article listing free web hosting options.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Mandy, Moderator