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With a CSS definition, you can alter the styling of layout formats, such as the headings and paragraph text.

The hypertext markup language (HTML) is a coding standard that informs Web browsers on how to layout a Web page. The HTML page conventions include standard formatting for different styles, such as the font, font size, font weight, line spacing, background, and text color to use when rendering an HTML document into a Web page.

Web developers use CSS to create a unique livery for a new website. The cascading style sheet can be added to each HTML page developed for a site, making a standard appearance flow through every Web page.

Specifying a CSS formatting convention adds value because it makes the appearance of a website unique.

Background on HTML

HTML is not a programming language. It defines the layout of a page. Each instruction within HTML has standard formatting, which is implemented through HTML elements. The syntax of HTML elements uses a system of tags. These tags are contained in angle brackets and most of them have opening and closing tags, such as:

<p>This is a paragraph of text</p>

The HTML standard is maintained by a non-profit body called the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). That organization is headed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web and HTML.

How a browser works

A Web browser is a viewer for HTML code. When a user enters a Web address (which is called a “URL”) into the address bar, the browser requests the code for the page from the Web server that hosts the site.

The Web browser receives the HTML code in a stream. It reads through the code and takes actions based on the instructions within the HTML. Different elements and their attributes have different effects on the processing of HTML.

The layout of an HTML document includes a header and a body. The body section contains the code that generates objects to place on the visible Web page; the header contains internal instructions, which never appear on the visible page.

Background on CSS

Although Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented HTML, he didn’t come up with the idea for CS. Rather, it was a colleague of Sir Tim who invented cascading style sheets – a Norwegian, called Håkon Wium Lie.

Lie first made his proposal in 1994. However, there were a number of other style sheet languages proposed at the time and it wasn’t until 1996 when the idea was adopted as an official W3C standard. Lie worked with Bert Bos, the inventor of the Argo browser, and Thomas Reardon of Microsoft to get the CSS definition finalized.

As it is a separate standard, it isn’t just HTML that can use CSS. The CSS style sheet language is also used in XML, XHTML, XUL, and SVG. Like HTML, the definition of CSS syntax and conventions is free to access.  

The World Wide Web Consortium set up a CSS Working Group to examine shortfalls in the CSS system and develop improvements. This resulted in CSS 2, which was published in November 1997, and then CSS 3, published in May 1998.

The current CSS version

CSS 3 is still the current version of the CSS standard. The CSS definition started to split out into several different parallel versions with the publication of CSS 3 Selectors and CSS 3 Text. This has created complexity over the definition of CSS because the CSS 3 system is all defined in modules.

Although CSS 3 is still current, there is a CCS 4. In CSS parlance, new releases of the standard are not called “versions,” they are called “levels.” This means that different versions, can, in theory, all be valid simultaneously. The CSS Level 4 concept is to define add-on modules.

CSS Level 3 is still the current core definition of CSS but there are also a number of module definitions, which are deemed to be CSS Level 4 standards. However, there are no Level 4 standards that have been officially adopted by W3C. When a W3C standard becomes definitive, it is called a “Recommendation.” There are two pre-live statuses for standards, which are “Working Draft” and “Candidate Recommendation.” CSS Level 4 proposals are all still at these pre-endorsed stages.

CSS vs CSS 3

If you worry about which version of CSS you are working with, don’t. If you get the latest version of the CSS standard, you are using CSS 3. If you use a developer environment, it will be using CSS 3. If you look at the CSS contained in web pages by opening the Developer Tools of your browser, you are looking at CSS 3.

As CSS 3 has been around since 1997, there is very little chance of coming across web pages written with an earlier version. All currently active browser versions work with CSS 3.

Different types of CSS

CSS can be implanted in three different ways:

• Inline CSS
• Internal CSS
• External CSS

Let’s look at what each of these terms means.

Inline CSS

It is possible to integrate a style change within a tag. This is thanks to global attributes that can slot into most HTML tags.

For example, a style attribute in a <p> tag that denotes a paragraph alters the appearance of just that paragraph.

Here is a paragraph that has blue text instead of the default color for text in that HTML file:

<p style=”color:blue;”>The text in this paragraph will be blue.</p>

Internal CSS

The internal CSS method involves creating a declaration of CSS values in the header of an HTML page. These CSS rules then apply to the entire document, overriding any default formatting for the entire HTML document. Keeping both CSS and HTML on a single page has its advantages.

An example of this would be:

<head>
<style>
    body {background-color: yellow;}
    h1   {color: green;}
    h2   {color: red;}
</style>
</head>

External CSS

An external CSS declaration is stored in a separate file and then read into the HTML stream as the browser works through the HTML code that it receives from the host of the website. The advantage of this method is that it can reduce clutter in the header of the HTML code for a page. This method also makes it very easy to add the same CSS properties to every page in a site or group of sites. It also makes changing the look and feel of a site easy to achieve just by working on the CSS file instead of on all the pages of a site.

The CSS file should have the extension .css. It is referenced within the header of a page thus:

<head>
   <link rel=”stylesheet” href=”styles.css”>
 </head>

The layout of the CSS rules in the CSS files can afford to be a little roomier. It is conventional to put more carriage returns in the layout.

So, the code shown for the inline CSS method above would look like this in an external CSS file:

body {
    background-color: yellow;
}
h1 {
    color: green;
}
h2 {
    color: red;
}

Why “Cascading?”

The concept of “cascading” gave this style sheet language its name and also an advantage over the rival style sheet languages that were under consideration for adoption by the World Wide Web Consortium.

Cascading refers to an inheritance concept that is built into HTML styles. For example, the style body, or “body text” refers to all text styles, such as that for H1 headers, H2 headers, paragraph format, and so on. So, if you define CSS parameters for that style, all of the subordinate styles will acquire that style’s properties.

Cascading also involves a concept of context. It is possible to have several declarations for a particular style, but the one that is more local will prevail. So, for example, you can declare a setting for H2 in the header then all instances of H2 in the document will have those CSS properties. However, if you declare different settings within the tag for an H2 text, that heading will look different.

For example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
     body {background-color: yellow;}
     h1   {color: green;}
     h2   {color: red;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Let’s Play with Header Color</h2>
    <h2>This First Heading is Red</h2>
    <p>The paragraph text hasn’t been altered so it will have the HTML page default color but with a yellow background, as have both the above titles.</p>
    <h2 style=”color: blue;”>This Second Heading is Blue</h2>
    <p>I forced a text color change for that heading with an inline CSS style declaration but the background color for it and this paragraph is yellow.</p>
    <h2>This Third Heading is Red</h2>
    <p>The text color change to blue didn’t apply to the whole page, just that one element. The background color for both the heading and this paragraph is still yellow.</p> </body>
</html>

CSS syntax

You have already seen a few examples of CSS. You might have noticed that the format for the inline CSS system is slightly different from that for the other two types. Both the internal and external CSS layout includes curly brackets ({}). Apart from that one difference in syntax, the format of all three systems is the same.

The syntax of a CSS rule looks a little like JavaScript and it has two parts, a selector and a declaration block. The selector is the name of the object that will be modified by the declaration. The declaration is the part in the curly brackets. 

h1 {color: green;}

The declaration has a property name terminated by a colon, followed by a value terminated by a semi-colon. Several declarations can be contained in the same brackets.

For example:

h1 {color: green; font-size: 14px;}

or

h1 {
    color: green;
    font-size: 14px
}

CSS selectors

There are five categories of CSS selectors:

1. Simple selectors
2. Combinator selectors
3. Pseudo-class selectors
4. Pseudo-elements selectors
5. Attribute selectors

Within each category, there are several methods possible, as explained below.

Simple selectors

This category of selectors identifies elements by name, id, or class. There are a couple of other methods in this category.

Element

• What it is: This is a CSS declaration that uses the name of the element.
• Example:

h1   {color: green;}

ID

• What is it: This format sets up a user-defined identifier that can be used to trigger the new format. It is prepended by a pound sign (#) and must start with a letter.
• Example: 

#myHeading   {color: green;}

You would access this class in the HTML document as:

    <h1 id=”myHeading”>Let’s Play with Header Color</h1>
    <h2 id=”myHeading”>This First Heading is Green</h2>

Class

• What is it: This sets up a format as a class that can be applied to many elements. Starts with a period (.).
• Example: 

.quotation {
    text-align: center;
    font-style: italic;
}

You would access this class in the HTML document as:

<p class=”quotation”>Procrastination is the thief of time</p>

It is also possible to apply several classes at once.

<p class=”quotation bordered”>Procrastination is the thief of time</p>

Element and class

• What is it: A class creation that will only be applied to a specified element. Effectively this is called in the same way as the class selector but it will only work with the specified element.
• Example:

p.quotation {
    text-align: center;
    font-style: italic;
}

Wildcard

• What is it: A universal CSS rule that applies to every element on the HTML page.
• Example:

Group

• What is it: A declaration that will apply to several named elements.
• Example:

h1, h2, p {
    text-align: center;
    font-style: italic;
}

Combinator selectors

Combinator selectors identify elements by a relationship between them.

Descendant

• What is it: A declaration that will apply to all instances of the second named element that are descendants of the first-named element.
• Example:

Child

• What is it: A declaration that will apply to all instances of the second named element that immediately one level down from the first-named element.
• Example:

div > p {
    text-align: center;
    font-style: italic;
}

Adjacent sibling

• What is it: A declaration that will apply to the first instance of the second named element that immediately follows the first element and both have the same parent.
• Example:

div + p {
    text-align: center;
    font-style: italic;
}

Sibling

• What is it: A declaration that will apply to all instances of the second named element that share a parent with the first element.
• Example:

div ~ p {
    text-align: center;
    font-style: italic;
}

Pseudo-class selectors 

This category of selectors applies CSS element when it is in a specific state. Statuses that can be used are whether a link has been visited or not or when a mouse rolls over an object.

The format of these selectors is:

selector:pseudo-class {

     property: value;

 }

The big difference between this type of CSS rule and the simple selector category is the pseudo-class part. This is a very powerful facility and can change the appearance of objects on a web page according to events. Pseudo-class selectors are not case sensitive.

There are a number of pseudo-classes that relate to links. These all start with the selector “a.”

a:link

• What is it: A declaration that will apply the original unvisited state of a link.
• Example:

a:link {
    color: red;
}

a:visited

• What is it: A declaration that will change the appearance of a link after it has been clicked.
• Example:

a:visited {
    color: green;
}

a:hover

• What is it: A declaration that will change the appearance of a link when the pointer moves over it. This CSS rule will only work if it is preceded in the file by an a:link and an a:visited rule.
• Example:

a:hover {
    color: yellow;
}

a:active

• What is it: Alters a link when it is active. This CSS rule must have an a:hover CSS rule ahead of it in the file.
• Example:

a:hover {
    color: tomato;
}

A language pseudo-class can implement changes in the appearance of elements according to the language of the prevailing language.

:lang

• What is it: This pseudo-class takes a two-letter language code as a parameter and will alter the appearance of an element where that language is specified.
• Example:

q:lang(fr) {
    color: blue;
    font-style: italic;
}

The above CSS rule would alter the text in a quote if it is specified as French. For example:

<p>Louis XV is famous for predicting:
    <q lang=”fr”> Après moi, le déluge.</q>
    He wasn’t wrong.</p>

There are many pseudo-classes to try out. In fact, there are 31. You can try a tutorial specifically about pseudo-classes to master this topic.

Pseudo-element selectors

A pseudo-element selector isolates part of the contents of an element. These are definitions that don’t really exist in HTML. For example, it is possible to treat the first letter or first line of a text that is formatted with the <p> tag differently from the rest of the content.

The format of pseudo-element rules is:

selector::pseudo-class {

     property: value;

 }

Here are all of the pseudo-elements available in CSS 3.

::after

• What is it: This pseudo-element adds content to the end of every instance of an element. The only property you can use in this structure is content.
• Example:

p::after {
    content: “ – CHECK THIS”;
}

::before

• What is it: This pseudo-element adds content in front of every instance of an element. The only property you can use in this structure is content.
• Example:

h2::before {
    content: “CHAPTER ”;
}

::first-letter

• What is it: This pseudo-element alters the first letter of the target element’s content.
• Example:

p::first-letter {
    color: red;
    font-size: xx-large;
}

::first-line

• What is it: This pseudo-class takes a two-letter language code as a parameter and will alter the appearance of an element where that language is specified. First-letter and first-line can both be active on the same element.
• Example:

p::first-letter {
    color: yellow;
    font-size: large;
}

::marker

• What is it: This option selects the markers, or bullet-points, of a list for manipulation. You don’t put an element name in front of it.
• Example:

::marker {
    color: blue;
    font-size: large;
}

::selection

• What is it: This pseudo-element influences an element when it is selected by the user – for example, when text is selected for copying.
• Example:

p::selection {
    color: blue;
    background: yellow;
}

Attribute selectors

This category of selector identifies elements with specific attribute values. The typical format of an attribute within an HTML tag is:

attribute=”value’

CSS attribute selectors use the same format and alter the equals sign to create different operators. The specification of the attribute to identify is contained in square brackets ([]). It follows the name of an element. The element name is optional and if it isn’t present, the selector applies to all elements that include the named attribute with the specified value.

There are seven formats for this category of selector.

[attribute]

• What is it: This format selects all elements of the named type with the specified attribute. If no element name is given, all elements that have that attribute active will be affected.
• Example:

p[style] {
    color: blue;
    font-style: italic;
}

or

[style] {
    color: blue;
}

[attribute=”value”]

• What is it: Applies a change to elements that include the named attribute and it has the specified value. Again, the inclusion of an element is optional.
• Example:

p[style=”text-align:right”] {
    color: blue;
    font-style: italic;
}

[attribute~=”value”]

• What is it: Applies a change to elements that include the value somewhere within the attribute, such as a word in a text field. The element name is optional.
• Example:

table[title~=”2020”] {
    border: 5px solid blue;
}

[attribute|=”value”]

• What is it: Applies a change to elements that include the value at the beginning of the attribute. This has to be a whole and complete word that is immediately followed either by a space or a hyphen. The element name is optional.
• Example:

table[title|=”2020”] {
    border: 5px solid blue;
}

[attribute$=”value”]

• What is it: Applies a change to elements that include the value at the end of the attribute. This can be a partial word. The element name is optional.
• Example:

table[title$=”202”] {
    border: 5px solid blue;
}

[attribute*=”value”]

• What is it: Applies a change to elements that include the value anywhere in the attribute. This can be a partial word. The element name is optional.
• Example:

table[title*=”202”] {
    border: 5px solid blue;
}

CSS color names

CSS uses the same list of color names as HTML. There are 140 of them. Colors can also be specified by RGB codes, HEX numbers, HSL, RGBA, and HSLA values. Access the full list of HTML colors at the World Wide Web Consortium website.

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Finding the best web hosting companies in Australia is no easy task. There are dozens of different hosts to choose between, technical terminology, plus hosting packages that seem the same between hosts.

Choosing the right host for a new website is incredibly important. The right host will help offer a fast and seamless experience for website visitors. But, the wrong host can hinder the success of a website. 

This post will highlight the reasons why someone would need an Australian web host, how to determine when it’s time to invest, and how to choose the best web host in Australia for a new venture. 

Why you need Australian web hosting

The need for website hosting depends on the type of business being run. For some, a website might be an add-on service or a way to create a footprint in the online world. The real driver of revenue exists in the real world.

Still, a website can enhance existing operations and even create a new revenue stream by adding eCommerce functionality to an existing storefront.

By working with an Australian web hosting provider costs of managing and running a website are kept as low as possible. The lower the associated costs, the more profit can be earned from the website.

Whether the website is an add-on to an existing business or an entirely new business in and of itself, an Australian web host can help make the process easier on all fronts. 

When you need Australian web hosting

Third-party hosting providers are the best fit for small to medium-sized businesses who are just starting or looking to scale online. 

A high-quality web host will accomplish web-related tasks like:

• Server management and optimization
• Server and website security
• Easily site scaling when traffic spikes
• Domain name management services

Compare having these tasks taken care of for a small monthly fee to the costs of hosting a website in house. Large scale companies may have the funds to build a server, hire and manage IT and technical staff, and more. Even today, most large organizations outsource hosting to third-party providers. 

How to choose the best Australian web hosting services and what to look for

It’s a big decision choosing the right Australian web host. The host needs to match the feature set of the website.

Here are some of the most common forms of hosting around today:

• Shared web hosting
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting
• Reseller hosting
• Managed WordPress hosting 
• Dedicated server hosting
• Enterprise hosting

Most businesses will be a great fit for shared hosting. However, larger enterprises or companies with complex needs may require a more advanced form of hosting, like cloud or VPS.

Most websites will need the following in order to operate effectively:

• A business email address
• A domain name
• Enough bandwidth and storage
• One-click CMS (Content Management System) install
• A site builder
• Shopping cart system (for e-commerce)

Before searching for a hosting provider make a list of the must-have features.

The best web hosting providers in Australia

Price shouldn’t be the sole determining factor in choosing a web host. Instead, the features of the host need to match the website’s goals.

Here are basic non-negotiable features:

• An uptime guarantee (or low recorded downtime)
• A responsive support team
• An affordable price
• Security and firewall features
• Hosting plans with the features you require

Although not necessary, there are some additional features that may be useful and can enhance website performance:

• A CDN to improve global website performance
• A free domain name
• A free SSL certificate
• Automated daily backups
• A bundled website builder

Finally, it’s important to have a web host with Aussie-based servers or utilize a CDN, so the website is cached around the globe.

The Australian web hosts reviewed below feature all of the above features and more.

Here are the nine best Australian web hosts:

• Bluehost
• HostGator
• Hostinger
• HostPapa
• SiteGround
• Crucial
• GreenGeeks
• A2 Hosting
• Cloudways

---

Bluehost

Bluehost is a beginner-friendly host that has a very long track record in the hosting space. Plus, it’s one of the few hosts that’s recommended by WordPress. 

There are a variety of hosting types offered by Bluehost including shared, cloud hosting, VPS, WordPress hosting, and dedicated hosting.

Bluehost doesn’t have any servers located in Australia, but it still manages fast load times and high performance for Australian users. 

There are a lot of freebies for new accounts including a free domain name, unlimited email accounts, SSL certificate, and unlimited bandwidth.

Customer support is available 24/7 and is offered via live chat, phone support, and an email ticketing system. 

Pros

• Free domain name
• Free SSL certificate
• Free migration for WordPress sites
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No server locations in Australia
• Cloudflare CDN isn’t free
• Linux online, no Windows-based servers

See the full review of Bluehost here.

---

HostGator

HostGator has been in the hosting solutions business for a long time. The majority of the focus is on small business owners, but there are a variety of hosting packages to cater to sites of all kinds.

Hosting account management will be done through the beginner-friendly control panel called cPanel. This allows beginners to accomplish all kinds of technical tasks much more easily. 

HostGator has two major data centers that are located in the US. However, the web servers are optimized so that hosting sites within Australia won’t lead to any lags in performance. 

The free integration with Cloudflare will ensure that performance is never an issue, no matter where in the world the site is being viewed.

Support is available through live chat, phone, a dedicated support portal, and an email ticketing system. Plus, there’s a helpful knowledge base for troubleshooting issues. 

Pros

• Unmetered bandwidth
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name

Cons

• No servers in Australia
• Loading times aren’t the best

See the full review of HostGator here.

---

Hostinger

Hostinger is known for its affordability and fast speeds. It offers a variety of types of hosting like shared, VPS, cloud, and WordPress hosting. The hosting performance is very impressive and utilizes SSD servers, with server-level caching built-in. WordPress sites also get access to a custom plugin to help speed up loading times. 

Hostinger doesn’t have any servers in Australia, but there is one in neighboring Singapore. There is Cloudflare integration for website owners who need to reach an audience outside of Australia.

Customer support is incredibly helpful and available 24/7/365. Support is available through live chat, and there’s an in-depth knowledge base as well. 

Pros

• Speedy worldwide hosting
• Singapore-based server
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Fast support team

Cons

• No free SSL

See the full review of Hostinger here.

---

Crucial

Crucial is a web host based in Australia. They’re more expensive than other hosts on this list, but they offer a ton of features, plus are very eco-conscious. 

The entire range of servers is focused on Australia, but if for those who need to reach a worldwide audience, there’s an included CDN plugin from Cloudflare. 

There are a variety of different hosting types including, shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and reseller hosting. 

On every plan, there’s a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Plus, free SSL certificates and protection from online risks, like DDoS attacks.

New accounts don’t include a free domain name, but there is domain registration functionality through the host. Advanced SSL certificates are also available, which may be a necessity for some types of websites and eCommerce stores. 

Support is available 24/7/365 via a ticketed help system and an in-depth knowledgebase is available for those who prefer to trouble on their own. 

Pros

• Based in Australia
• Environmentally-friendly hosting
• Can pay in AUD

Cons

• More expensive than other hosts

---

HostPapa

HostPapa is a value-packed host that brands itself as catering to a worldwide audience. The hosting is very high quality while remaining at an affordable price point.

There are a variety of hosting types offered including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and reseller hosting. A free .com.au domain name is included with a new account as well.

The site setup process is very straightforward, and there are a variety of options for site construction including the one-click install of WordPress, Joomla, and other popular CMS.

HostPapa offers fast loading speeds and is backed with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. For website owners who are targeting audiences outside of Australia, the Cloudflare CDN integration is available for free. 

Customer support is offered in multiple languages and is available 24/7 via live chat, phone, and email ticketing. For those who want additional help, there’s the option to set up a one-on-one session with a technical professional.

Pros

• Affordable web hosting plans
• Free SSL certificates
• Free CDN
• Free website migration
• Australia-based servers

Cons

• Automated backups not on every plan
• The interface can be clunky

---

SiteGround

SiteGround is known for its fast performance and stellar support. The WordPress hosting plans are also officially endorsed by WordPress, so the hosting is very high quality.

SiteGround has a worldwide network of servers, one of those locations in Sydney, Australia. Sites that have a global audience can utilize the Cloudflare CDN integration, which caches versions of the site on the server cluster closest to the website’s visitors. 

SiteGround offers shared WordPress, WooCommerce, cloud, reseller, and enterprise-level hosting. Most users will be well-suited for the shared hosting plans. 

Also included are unlimited bandwidth and email accounts, plus a free SSL certificate and website builder. 

Support is available 24/7 via live chat, phone, and an email ticketing system. The support is very fast and customers can expect a near-instant reply. 

Pros

• WordPress recommended host
• WooCommerce plugin support
• Free SSL certificate
• Free CDN
• Free website builder
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No servers based in Australia
• A free domain isn’t included

See the full review of SiteGround here.

---

GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks is known for its environmentally-friendly hosting services, putting 300% of the energy they consume back into renewable energy sources. 

GreenGeeks offers standard hosting packages like shared, WordPress, VPS, and reseller hosting. All plans offer unlimited disk space. 

There aren’t any server locations near Australia, however, the servers are optimized for speed and run PHP7, along with custom-built caching technology to ensure fast loading no matter where in the world people happen to be. 

Customer support is offered via live chat and phone 24/7. 

Pros

• Environmentally-friendly hosting
• Unlimited disk space
• 24/7 support team
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• SSD storage

Cons

• High prices upon renewal
• Refunds aren’t all-encompassing

---

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting is a smaller hosting company with a global audience. The servers are optimized for speed and performance. Plus, there are a variety of great free add-ons like a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth and storage space, plus an anytime money-back guarantee. 

A2 Hosting offers shared WordPress, VPS, reseller, and dedicated server hosting. There isn’t a free domain name included on account signup, but there are domain registration services offered to handle new domain registration. 

Plus, there are servers available in Singapore which are perfect for site owners serving the Australian audience. 

Customer support is available 24/7/365 via live chat and phone. Plus, there’s a bundled website builder for website owners who don’t want to use a CMS like WordPress to build out their sites. 

Pros

• Very high uptime
• Fast loading speeds
• Free SSL certificate
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• Free website builder
• Great anytime money-back guarantee

Cons

• No free domain included
• No servers in Australia

See the full review of A2 Hosting here.

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Cloudways

Cloudways is a cloud-based hosting company that uses other company’s servers to help user’s deploy apps and websites. 

Cloudways has partnered with companies like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and more. This means users have over 60 different data centers to choose from, spread across the globe.

The setup is going to be more technical, due to the nature of cloud hosting, so it’s not for complete beginners. However, it is a learnable process. 

Sites that utilize Cloudways are incredibly fast due to the server architecture and the internal tools that are deployed. The real reason to use this style of hosting is due to its speed and scalability. 

Plus, the support is very responsive and helpful and can be reached via live chat 24/7. There’s also the option to upgrade for advanced support. 

Pros

• Pay as you go pricing
• Incredibly fast and scalable
• Helpful support team

Cons

• Server setup can be more technical

The post Best Web Hosting in Australia (2023) first appeared on Chamber of Commerce.

	Hostinger	99.9% uptime guarantee Free SSL and domain 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit Hostinger
	Bluehost	All in one website platform Free consultation Marketing credit for Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads	Visit Bluehost
	HostGator	Unlimited bandwidth and storage Free domain for a year 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit HostGator

Every business that’s building a website needs a web hosting plan to go with it. But, the search for web hosting means a lot of decisions have to be made. Running a business in the UK means the hosting company needs to support that region. 

There are hundreds of different hosting providers to choose from. Plus, there are various types of hosting, and technical terms that are easy to get lost in. Every business is different, and the needs and goals one company has won’t be the same from another.

As a business owner just getting started with hosting this guide will answer questions like:

• Is it the right time to invest in web hosting?
• What kind of hosting is best for UK businesses?
• What web hosting features are non-negotiable?

This guide will walk UK business owners through the process of finding the best website hosting. 

Why you need UK web hosting

For some businesses, a website won’t be the hub of their business activities. Instead, it might be a marketing channel, a place for customers to find out about location, services, and more. 

Or, with an online business expanding rapidly today, it could be expanding an existing store into the online world.

Signing up for UK web hosting services is equivalent to renting a portion of a server where website files are stored. 

The cost of renting server space through a hosting company is incredibly low. Compare this to the cost of running an in-house website and server, hiring IT staff, and more and the costs get prohibitively expensive. 

When it comes to getting a website online, using a web hosting company is the only way to go.

When you need UK web hosting

As a small business owner or a new startup, there’s a lot on your plate. Growing and running a business is already a lot of work, then adding website tasks to the plate, and the workload only multiplies. For example:

• Creating a website
• Building an online presence
• Learning how to market a website (via SEO)
• And much more

Plus, none of these tasks matter if your website can’t be accessed online. By choosing the right UK website hosting solution there’s no more worry about maintaining and optimizing a server, ensuring website uptime, protecting against viruses, and more. 

How to choose the best UK web hosting

There are all kinds of hosting companies and plans to choose from. Even though all these companies offer web hosting, they’re oriented towards different users and niches. Plus, some are better suited for businesses and website owners in the UK, while others aren’t. 

There are a variety of different plans, styles, and even UK hosting companies to choose from. Here are the most common type of hosting:

• Shared server hosting
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting
• Cloud hosting
• WordPress hosting
• Dedicated hosting
• Reseller hosting

When signing up for hosting there are a lot of considerations on what type of website will be built.

For example, will it be:

• A website representing a business like a restaurant?
• A content-heavy website designed to rank in the search engines and get a lot of traffic?
• An eCommerce store that sells products in-house and online?

The type of website being built will influence the requirements of a UK web host. 

However, regardless of the site, the following elements are necessary (most of which will be provided by the hosting company):

• A domain name
• A CMS like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla (WordPress is the most common choice)
• Sufficient bandwidth and storage space
• A free website builder (or a CMS)
• Business email support
• Firewalls, backups, and security features

One final consideration for UK business owners is having a host that supports the UK market. Most hosts today are global hosts, but it’s important to seek out a host that has servers in the UK, or within close proximity.

The website files are stored in the physical server, so the closer this location is to your website visitors, the faster the website will load. 

Before we jump into the list of best UK web hosts below make a list of all the requirements: 

The best web hosting providers in the UK

There are a lot of different features that web hosts provide. Here’s a list of requirements to look for in a web host:

• An uptime guarantee of at least 99.9%, or historical uptime levels 
• Fast loading speeds and ability to scale 
• A price range that’s within your budget
• Extras like a free domain name, SSL certificate, and CDN
• A responsive and helpful customer support team

In this UK web hosting review, we’ve researched the best UK web hosting providers that have all the above features and more. Every host in the list below is also GDPR compliant (which is very important these days).

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Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the oldest and most respected web hosts on the market today. They currently power over 2,500,000 websites today and are one of the top recommended hosts from WordPress.org.

The WordPress recommendation carries a lot of weight since it currently powers over one-third of the web.

There are a variety of types of hosting offered by Bluehost, including shared, dedicated server, VPS hosting, and WordPress hosting. The WordPress hosting plans include one-click install, automatic updates, along with access to a library of plugins and themes. 

Bluehost serves a worldwide user base, including the UK, which makes it a great choice for those looking for reliability in the UK. It doesn’t have the fastest servers, however, the uptime is an impressive 99.99%.

The Bluehost support team is very helpful and responsive, even with the large number of sites being hosted. Support can be reached via live chat, phone, and support tickets.

Pros

• Managed WordPress hosting are some of the best
• Free CDN included
• Free domain name
• A variety of hosting plans available
• Fast and helpful customer service
• Free migration for WordPress sites
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Cloudflare CDN isn’t free 
• Email accounts are a paid add-on
• Only Linux support, no Windows

See the full review of Bluehost here.

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HostGator

HostGator is a long-running web host that offers a variety of different hosting packages. Overall, it’s more beginner-focused, but there are a variety of plans for scaling sites like cloud hosting, VPS, WordPress hosting, and even dedicated servers.

The basic shared hosting plan is equipped with a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and unlimited storage and bandwidth.

Server and hosting account management will be done via the industry-leading cPanel control panel, which helps beginners navigate the complex world of server and website management. 

Within cPanel, there are a variety of CMSs that can be installed with a single click, plus the bundled website builder.

In terms of performance, the speeds are reasonably fast, coupled with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. 

Pros

• Servers based in the UK
• Free domain name and SSL certificate
• Free site migration
• Multiple CMS support
• Multiple types of hosting available
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee

Cons

• Expensive price renewals
• Average customer support
• Backups are an additional fee

See the full review of HostGator here.

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Hostinger

Hostinger powers over 30 million websites around the world and provides extremely cheap pricing to users in the UK, making it a great value for money. 

Regardless of the hosting plan, there’s a 99.99% uptime guarantee and users have access to real-time monitoring to see how the server uptime and downtime is performing. 

They have server locations spread around the globe, including a big network of servers located in the UK. 

Even with incredibly affordable hosting plans, site loading speeds will never be a worry. The most basic shared hosting plans have great server response times 

In terms of support, the technical team can be reached via support ticket, live chat, and email. 

Pros

• Easy to use hosting interface
• 30-day-money-back guarantee
• Fast loading speeds
• Affordable low prices
• Free SSL certificate and domain name
• 99.9% uptime guarantee

Cons

• Website builder is an additional fee
• Cloudflare CDN is a paid add-on

See the full review of Hostinger here.

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Siteground

Siteground is a solid choice for WordPress website owners in the UK. It’s even recommended by WordPress.org, who founded the WordPress CMS system that powers over one-third of the internet. 

SiteGround offers a unique custom-built caching plugin that can boost site speeds while increasing the number of visitors a website can handle. 

The performance is impressive, with uptime averages of 99.99% and fast loading speeds. On the two higher-level hosting plans users will get access to the advanced plugin to improve these even further. 

Beyond the hosting performance, the customer support team is fast and very helpful. Support can be reached via live chat, phone, and email support ticket. 

Siteground has data centers around the world, but there’s also one located right in London. 

The only real drawback is there’s no free domain included. This will have to be purchased separately through a registrar like GoDaddy.

Pros

• One of the hosts recommended by WordPress
• Global datacenters including one in the UK
• SuperCacher plugin
• Dedicated and helpful support team
• Fast SSD storage
• Free CDN and website builder
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• High renewal costs
• No free domain name

See the full review of SiteGround here.

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GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks stands out with their commitment to the environment by putting three times their energy consumption back into wind power. Aside from its commitment to green energy, GreenGeeks provides high performance hosting with a great 99.99% uptime guarantee. 

Now, GreenGeeks is one of the hosts on this list that doesn’t have physical servers in the UK. 

But, they take great lengths to ensure this doesn’t affect performance, including having a server location close by in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Even though there isn’t a web server physically in the UK, they continuously monitor website traffic to ensure there aren’t any delays or lapses in service. There’s also real-time security monitoring to ensure all websites remain free from the risks lurking online. 

GreenGeeks also offers unlimited disk space, email accounts, and bandwidth on every single hosting plan. There’s also a free domain name, which is great for new businesses on a budget.

Pros

• Environmentally-conscious hosting service
• Free CDN included
• Domain name included with every plan
• Unlimited storage and bandwidth

Cons

• No UK-based servers
• Lack of 24/7 phone support

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Kinsta

Kinsta is one of the leaders of the WordPress hosting space. Most WordPress site owners will either upgrade or consider upgrading to Kinsta at one point in time. 

Kinsta offers a full range of hosting services to WordPress site owners who want performance, but don’t want to manage everything themselves.

With managed hosting, things like updating WordPress, keeping up with security, removing malware, server optimization, and more are all taken care of. 

Kinsta doesn’t utilize physical servers but instead relies on third-party hosting services. So, your server’s location will always be chosen from the closest Google Cloud server location, including the UK.

There are also a variety of unique features like daily backups, and a hack guarantee, to protect and restore sites if any hacking occurs.

Pros

• Expert WordPress site management
• Google Cloud has UK server locations
• Fast speeds and performance
• High-level security features

Cons

• WordPress-only sites
• Lack of phone support 

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DreamHost

DreamHost is a long-running hosting company that currently hosts over 1.5 million websites. The plans are well-suited for those on a budget and are equipped with features like unlimited bandwidth, a 100% uptime guarantee for a reliable web hosting experience.

There are a variety of plans available, but most are built for WordPress site owners. Even on the basic plans, WordPress comes pre-installed. 

For those who want assistance building the best website, there are a variety of website builders included with every plan, including Remixer, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace. 

A lot of hosts charge much higher fees after the initial hosting plan expires, but DreamHost has very low-renewal rates, which is rare in this industry. There’s also a 97-day money-back guarantee that gives users plenty of time to test out the service. 

Pros

• Industry-leading 100% uptime guarantee
• Very fast loading speeds
• Money-back guarantee
• Great choice for WordPress sites
• Affordable hosting packages
• Free SSL certificate
• Recommended by WordPress.org

Cons

• Limited live chat support

The post Best Web Hosting in the UK (2023) first appeared on Chamber of Commerce.

	Hostinger	99.9% uptime guarantee Free SSL and domain 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit Hostinger
	Bluehost	All in one website platform Free consultation Marketing credit for Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads	Visit Bluehost
	HostGator	Unlimited bandwidth and storage Free domain for a year 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit HostGator

Finding the best web host in Canada can be a difficult process. There’s a lot of technical terms, different web hosts, pricing, features, and more. Plus, a lot of web hosts offer very similar packages.

Web hosting is the most crucial piece in having a website live on the internet. 

The right web hosting company will deliver a seamless experience, fast loading speeds, and the right tools for the type of website being run.

This post highlights the reasons why someone would need Canadian web hosting, how to determine when it’s time to purchase hosting, and finally how to choose the best Canadian web host, along with our recommendations. 

Why you need Canada web hosting

Depending on the type of business, a website might not be the core generator of revenue. Instead, the website is a support system for the main business.

There may be additional revenue streams that are available online, like adding an e-commerce site or generating leads via content marketing and SEO. 

But, if it’s not the main driver of revenue, then a website and associated hosting are overhead. By outsourcing hosting costs to a third-party company, businesses can keep costs as low as possible, while maximizing the income-generating potential of the site.

Existing business owners and people launching new businesses can all benefit from working with a high-quality Canadian web hosting provider. 

When you need Canada web hosting

Small businesses and new startups are most likely to benefit from website hosting through a third-party company.

The right web host can act as a partner in business, by taking care of tasks like:

• Server management
• Server and website security
• Website building by providing add-on builders
• Site scaling if traffic levels increase
• Domain management

Some hosting companies even offer additional SEO, digital marketing, online business, and design services, acting as an all-in-one website partner.

Compare this to the pricey alternative of building a server in-house, hiring technical staff, along with additional team members for website management. This option is prohibitively expensive for most small to medium-sized businesses. 

How to choose a Canada web host and what to look for

The decision of choosing the right Canada web host is a big one. There are many different hosting companies and hosting packages to choose from. The hosting type and feature-set need to match the kind of site that’s being run.

Here are the most common forms of web hosting:

• Shared web hosting
• WordPress managed web hosting
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting
• Dedicated server hosting
• Enterprise-level hosting
• Reseller hosting

The type of business being run will influence the hosting needs. However, for most businesses shared hosting will be the most common place to start. In time, other forms of hosting make more sense as traffic levels and hosting needs grow. 

Every business will need different software and tools to run effectively online. However, most websites will need the following elements to launch effectively:

• A domain name (free or through a domain registration site)
• Business email address
• Security features like a firewall and malware prevention
• Enough disk space for site files
• Enough bandwidth for traffic levels (ideally unlimited bandwidth)
• A CMS for content management
• A site builder for easy site creation
• A shopping cart system (if running an e-commerce store)

Before the hosting search begins make a list of the must-have requirements from a Canada hosting company. 

The best Canada web hosting providers

It can be tempting to go with the cheapest web host when launching a website. But, often this will be a mistake. There’s a lot more that goes into making this decision than price alone.

The goal should be to find the best web hosting services to fulfill the needs and goals of a website.

Here are some important basic features:

• Fast loading speeds
• An uptime guarantee or very low reported downtime
• A high-quality and responsive support team
• A variety of hosting plans for site scaling
• Security features and malware protection
• A price that fits your budget

Once those are covered we can dig deeper into additional features that might not be necessary, but are nice to have, like:

• A CDN like Cloudflare to improve site speeds
• Hardware like SSD drives
• A free domain name
• A free SSL certificate
• Automated backups 
• A bundled website builder

The final area of importance is having servers located in Canada. Or, at the very least the servers are optimized so there aren’t any lags in performance when being accessed from Canada. 

The Canadian web hosting reviews below have all of the above features and more. Some are based out of Canada, while others serve the Canadian market by having a presence as a global host.

Here are the eight best Canada web hosts:

• Bluehost
• HostGator
• HostPapa
• GreenGeeks
• A2 Hosting
• SiteGround
• Web Hosting Canada
• HostUpon

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Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the longest-running hosting companies in the world. It’s also one of the few hosts recommended by WordPress to host WordPress websites. 

Since it’s such a large company there are a variety of different hosting options available including shared, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated hosting.

There are no servers directly in Canada, but still offers fast loading speeds and high uptime for Canadian users. New accounts also include a free SSL certificate, free email accounts, a free domain name, and unmetered bandwidth. 

The customer support options are available 24/7 and include live chat, email tickets, and phone. Plus, there’s an in-depth knowledge base that includes video tutorials. 

Pros

• Unlimited bandwidth (except on entry-level plan)
• Free domain name and SSL certificate
• Free migration for WordPress site owners
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day-money-back guarantee

Cons

• No server locations in Canada
• Cloudflare CDN is a paid add-on
• Servers are all Linux-based, no Windows servers available

See the full review of Bluehost here.

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Hostgator

HostGator is a long-running host that places a focus on small business owners. The most popular plans are the shared hosting plans, but there’s a variety of additional styles of hosting offered for growing websites, including cloud, VPS, WordPress, Windows hosting, and dedicated servers.

Hosting account management is done through a beginner-friendly cPanel control panel, which makes it easy for non-technical site owners to manage their sites. 

There are two main datacenters, neither of which are located in Canada, but there are a variety of tools that will ensure high levels of performance across Canada, including Cloudflare CDN integration. 

There are a variety of support channels available including live chat, email tickets, a support portal, phone chat, and an in-depth knowledge base and helpful blog. 

Pros

• Free SSL certificate, domain, and site migration
• Unlimited bandwidth available
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Not the fastest load times
• WordPress hosting plans aren’t unlimited
• No servers in Canada

See the full review of HostGator here.

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Web Hosting Canada

Web Hosting Canada is the ultimate hosting solution for business owners that primarily have an audience across the Canadian region, with server locations in Vancouver and Montreal. 

WHC offers shared WordPress, cloud, and dedicated server options. Every plan uses SSD servers, which are much faster than traditional HDD servers. 

Another unique feature is that they offer digital marketing and SEO services to users who are just launching and growing websites. This is a great add-on that can simplify the need for businesses to invest in outside resources. 

There are a variety of support options available, including live chat, email ticketing, and in-depth knowledgebase.

Pros

• Servers in Canada
• Affordable pricing
• High performing servers
• 24/7 support
• Daily backups
• Variety of one-clicks installs available

Cons

• No SSL certificate on the basic plan

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HostPapa

HostPapa is a web host with its headquarters in Toronto and a great choice for people who want to host their site with a local provider. They offer a variety of hosting types including shared hosting, VPS, WordPress hosting, and reseller hosting packages.

The most basic shared plan has great extras like a free domain name, free SSL, a free site migration, and 100GB of storage space. 

For site owners looking to reach people beyond Canada, there’s a Cloudflare CDN integration that will cache versions of your website on servers around the world. This helps to speed up websites with a global user base tremendously. 

There are a variety of support options as well, phone, email, live chat, and a huge knowledge library. There’s also the option to set up one-on-one training options with a technical professional to assist with site setup. 

Finally, HostPapa was one of the first hosts to go green and offset 100% of its energy consumption through renewable energy offsets. 

Pros

• Canadian-based 
• Affordable plans
• Free SSL certificate
• Free website migration
• Free Cloudflare CDN

Cons

• Not the most user-friendly 
• Automated backups on only higher plans

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GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks is an eco-friendly hosting company that puts back three times of the energy they consume into green energy initiatives. This commitment to the planet attracts a lot of customers with the same values. 

GreenGeeks has servers all over the world, including servers right in Canada. With the large server network, you can choose which server locations to cache your website. For example, a business could be based in Canada, but find the majority of its visitors come from the UK. In this case, it would make more sense to cache the site’s files on the UK server. 

The SSD servers ensure the loading speeds are fast. Plus, they’ve developed a caching technology employed on their servers that makes speeds even higher. 

Another plus is the 24/7 support. No matter what time or day, there’s a support representative ready to assist. Support can be reached via live chat and phone. 

Pros

• Eco-friendly hosting
• 24/7 support
• Unlimited disk space
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Great server performance

Cons

• Refunds don’t include domains or setup fee
• Renewal price increases

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A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting is a hosting company that’s dedicated to high-performance servers. The servers are very reliable, have high uptime, and offer some of the fastest speeds out there.

There are several hosting packages available including shared hosting, WordPress, VPS, dedicated, and reseller hosting. This host supports a wide range of hosting solutions for content platforms including WordPress, Joomla, OpenCart, and Drupal.

There are no servers based in Canada, but there is a data center in Michigan, USA which puts it in very close proximity. 

Customer service is top-notch and responsive and can be reached 24/7 via live chat and phone. 

Pros

• High uptime
• Fast loading speeds
• 24/7 customer support
• Anytime money-back guarantee
• Free SSL certificate
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• Free website builder

Cons

• High renewal rates
• No free domain
• No servers directly in Canada

See the full review of A2 Hosting here.

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SiteGround

SiteGround is one of a handful of companies that are recommended by WordPress as a preferred host. WordPress powers over one-third of sites across the internet, so this recommendation holds a lot of weight.

Beyond managed WordPress hosting there’s shared hosting, cloud hosting, WooCommerce hosting, enterprise hosting, and reseller hosting. 

SiteGround is known for its helpful customer service team and powerful servers. There aren’t any servers located in Canada, but the high-performing servers will deliver fast loading speeds, even being located in Canada. 

There are other benefits as well, including a high focus on security. SiteGround developed proprietary security systems and monitoring to detect and act on security threats before they become serious issues. 

Support is available via live chat, phone, and email ticketing, and customers can expect nearly instant replies. 

Pros

• Very fast servers
• WordPress recommended
• Free SSL certificate
• Free website builder
• Free CDN
• WooCommerce plugin supported
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No Canada-based servers
• No free domain name

See the full review of SiteGround here.

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HostUpon

HostUpon is a Canada-based host with servers spread across Canada. Canadian-based site owners will be able to deliver fast loading speeds to their visitors across Canada and the US.

There are a variety of hosting types available including shared hosting, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated servers. The servers are optimized for speed and utilize SSD storage, along with database optimization, and caching optimization for WordPress sites.

The pricing is competitive and includes a locked-in rate, which means the monthly rate will never go up, even as prices increase on the site. This can help with site owners who want to maintain a fixed cost on web hosting. 

Accounts utilize the WHM control panel for server management, which is easy to use. Plus, there’s a free migration service for existing site owners coming over to the service. 

There are a variety of support methods including, a ticket system, live chat, phone, and in-depth knowledgebase. 

Pros

• Canada-based team
• Canada and US-based servers
• Locked-in pricing
• Unlimited disk space
• Free website domain

Cons

• No technical live chat support
• Shared plans can run into CPU memory limits

The post Best Web Hosting in Canada (2023) first appeared on Chamber of Commerce.

	Hostinger	99.9% uptime guarantee Free SSL and domain 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit Hostinger
	Bluehost	All in one website platform Free consultation Marketing credit for Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads	Visit Bluehost
	HostGator	Unlimited bandwidth and storage Free domain for a year 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit HostGator

Small business owners don’t enjoy the power that large corporations have when negotiating prices with suppliers so they have to take every opportunity to cut costs in all areas of their operations. Getting the best web hosting deal possible is part of that drive for value.

Why you need web hosting

Web hosting costs can vary greatly depending on the nature of your business and the purpose of its sites. Small business websites are good publicity channels Ecommerce enterprises could not exist without an online store and so their business website hosting needs are of primary importance.

When you need web hosting

Unless your small business revolves around IT, you are better off opting for a web hosting plan for your business websites right from the start of operations. The activities of small businesses usually center on the key skills of their founder and there is no point in a non-technical entrepreneur trying to learn enough about web servers and all of the software they need.

The best web hosting providers supply all of the server resources, software, and an expert support team while still keeping business hosting costs down. It is a waste of time and money for any entrepreneur to try to perform all of the website hosting tasks.

Check out our roundup of the Best Cheap Web Hosting Plans

How to choose web hosting

Web hosting providers offer many different configurations of small business web hosting plans. Web hosting services were very early entrants into the cloud services market and so some web hosting companies term themselves cloud hosting solutions. The many hosting options described in different ways make choosing a small business hosting plan very difficult and time-consuming.

Here are some terms to look out for when searching for a business hosting package:

• Cloud hosting – Strictly speaking this is a managed server that includes cloud platform software but it can also describe any remote server accessed across the internet
• Control panel hosting – The control panel is a graphical interface that enables the user to perform all website administration tasks without going down to the operating system
• Dedicated server – A hosted server rented out in its entirety to one customer
• Domain registration – Many web hosting providers started in business offering domain names for sales and still run that service
• Linux web server – A server that runs the Linux operating system and usually deploys the Apache Web Server software
• Reseller hosting – A rented web server that the customer divides up and sells on to many sub-account holders
• Shared hosting plan – Web hosting plans that give many customers separate accounts on the same server, sharing a common operating system. Access to the operating system is blocked
• Server hosting – Can refer to a dedicated server plan or a VPS hosting plan
• Virtual private server – A server that is segmented for rental to several customers. The separation goes right down to the bare metal server, requiring a separate operating system for each account
• VPS hosting – The management of virtual private server accounts
• Windows web server – A server running the Windows Server operating system and uses the Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) to manage website delivery tasks
• WordPress website hosting– A web hosting plan that is tailored towards the management of websites that use WordPress and the plugins associated with that CMS package.

As a general rule of thumb, if you are just running a company with less than ten workers, you should aim for a shared hosting plan. If your business is very web intensive and you have lots of employees that need to access the server for their work, go for a dedicated server or VPS hosting.

Very large businesses would probably prefer a dedicated server. VPS hosting and dedicated server plans usually come with the option of a managed service, which includes all of the technical staff needed to maintain the webserver. Those companies that already have IT skills would probably prefer to go without that service and opt for an unmanaged dedicated server or VPS hosting plan.

The best web hosting providers for small businesses

This web hosting review focuses on the web hosting needs of small businesses. We have examined the web hosting plans that are available on the market today and arrived at a list of the best web hosting services for small businesses. As always, attempt to avoid common mistakes when choosing web hosting. 

Here are the key features we looked for:

• Good customer support
• Extras included, such as a free domain name and a free SSL certificate
• Unlimited server resources to account for business expansion
• Free site migration for those small businesses that already have a site but want to move it
• A good reputation
• A money-back guarantee

Here is our list of the eight best web hosting providers for small businesses:

1. Hostinger
2. Bluehost
3. HostGator
4. GoDaddy
5. InMotion Hosting
6. AccuWeb
7. SiteGround
8. A2 Hosting
9. DreamHost

You can read more about each of these hosting options in the individual web hosting reviews below.

Hostinger

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Unlimited bandwidth (except for the basic plan)
• Email accounts included
• SSD storage
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Website builder is an add-on

Hostinger is an employee-owned company based in Lithuania. The business runs a domain registration service as well as web-hosting.

The web hosting requirements of small businesses are better served by the company’s shared hosting plans and WordPress plans. The company also offers an email hosting plan. However, customers of the shared hosting plans don’t need to buy email hosting as an add-on because email account management is included with all plans. Hostinger also includes a free SSL certificate and a free domain name with each hosting account.

It isn’t necessary to opt for the WordPress plan because the shared hosting environment has an installer that will set up the CMS. Joomla and Drupal are also options. The WordPress system has direct access to a library of plugins, which includes WooCommerce. There isn’t a website builder included in the shared hosting plans – it is a separate offer.

See the full review of Hostinger here.

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Bluehost

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited SSD storage space with higher plans
• Unlimited subdomains with higher plans
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No native email account manager

Bluehost offers VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and shared hosting plans. WordPress site hosting plans including a managed hosting plan with a support team included are also available. However, WordPress can be easily installed for free on a standard shared hosting plan. Once WordPress is activated on an account, it is easy to install the WooCommerce plugin to create an e-commerce online store.

All shared hosting plans get the cPanel control panel and include unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, and a free SSL certificate. The basic shared hosting plan is just for one website and it has limits on server resources. The two higher plans get unlimited SSD storage space.

None of the shared hosting plans get an email account manager. Instead, Bluehost recommends Office 365. That is an expensive service and buyers would have to factor that cost into their calculations. Cloudflare CDN is available as a paid add-on. This will improve web page load time and cover for server downtime. All plans get $100 for Microsoft Advertising and $100 for Google Ads 

See the full review of Bluehost here.

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HostGator

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited storage space
• Unlimited subdomains
• Unlimited email accounts
• cPanel control panel
• Customer support around the clock
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Disks are not SSD

HostGator is one of the oldest web hosting providers. It started out as a domain registration service and still carries on that business alongside its web hosting services. HostGator gives each customer a free domain name as part of the web hosting package. Other bonuses in the web hosting plans from HostGator are a free SSL certificate.

The configurations of web hosting options from HostGator are shared hosting plans, VPN hosting, and dedicated servers. Small businesses are more likely to go for shared hosting plans. The hosting service has specialist WordPress hosting plans but the WordPress CMS is available for installation on any standard plan. The general shared hosting plans work out cheaper than the service for WordPress sites. They also include a library of plugins for WordPress, such as WooCommerce and other CMSs are available for free, including Joomla and Drupal.

The top plan gets a dedicated IP address and free SEO tools, as well as other benefits that are available to all three, shared hosting plans, such as free email accounts, free site migrations, and unlimited bandwidth.  

See the full review of HostGator here.

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GoDaddy

Pros

• Free domain name
• WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla can be installed on demand
• Choice of Linux or Windows servers
• cPanel control panel
• Uptime guarantee of 99.9%
• DDoS protection
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Free SSL certificate only with the top two plans
• Money-back guarantee only 48 hours
• No email manager in the plan control panel

GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain registration company and also the largest web hosting provider in the world.  The web hosting service offers its customers a choice of Linux or Windows Server operating systems. It is able to provide shared hosting plans, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers.

The shared hosting plans of GoDaddy don’t include a website builder. However, content management systems such as WordPress with WooCommerce, Drupal, and Joomla are available for free and will be installed by the GoDaddy control panel on demand. These environments have website builders that have drag-and-drop layout creation options and templates and wizards to make site creation easy.

The basic plan of GoDaddy’s shared hosting options only hosts one website and has limits on access to server resources. All plans get unlimited bandwidth and a free domain name. The other plans, though, get unlimited disk space. Only the top two plans get a free SSL certificate.

Like Bluehost, GoDaddy expects customers to rely on Office 365 for email management utilities. However, GoDaddy does include a free subscription to that package for one year in all its shared hosting plans.

See the full review of GoDaddy here.

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InMotion Hosting

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Free website builder
• Free site migrations
• Free website builder
• Spam protection for email accounts plus malware protection for the hosting services
• Unlimited SSD disk space
• Unlimited email accounts
• WordPress and 400 other applications for free
• 90-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• No CDN service

InMotion Hosting offers a complete range of web hosting solutions: dedicated servers, virtual private servers, and shared hosting plans. Other hosting options from InMotion Hosting are managed WordPress accounts and reseller hosting. The company also provides a domain registration service.

The InMotion Hosting plans that are most likely to interest small businesses are its WordPress hosting packages and its shared hosting plans.

As with the other options in this hosting review, the shared hosting plans offer better value for money than the WordPress hosting plans. This is because account holders of the shared hosting plans can get WordPress installed, which gives them just about all of the facilities that they would otherwise get with a WordPress plan.

Shared hosting account holders can also opt for Drupal or Joomla. InMotion Hosting customers get access to a library of more than 400 software packages and an installer to set any of them up. Web hosting services also integrate easily with external utilities, such as Google Apps. This utility makes the shared hosting plans very flexible and easy to use for those who have little technical knowledge. The interface for hosting and domain management is the cPanel control panel.

There are three shared hosting plans. The basic plan is limited to hosting two websites, the second plan can host six sites, and the top plan offers hosting for an unlimited number of sites. In motion includes a free domain name and a free SSL certificate with all plans.  InMotion Hosting allows unlimited email accounts and unlimited bandwidth. Plans also include and malware protection.

See the full review of InMotion here.

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AccuWeb Hosting

Pros

• Budget-friendly plans
• Both Windows and Linux plans available
• Wide selection of hosting products
• Free site migration
• Excellent uptime
• Helpful customer service
• Excellent dedicated hosting plans

Cons

• Windows plans do not come with unlimited email
• No month-to-month payment option (6 month minimum for shared plans)
• No free domain name on basic plans

AccuWeb is an award-winning web hosting provider that has been in business for over 18 years. They boast more than 100,000 customers and currently host more than 1 million websites, from small portfolio websites to large eCommerce operations. 

AccuWeb Hosting offers a broad range of hosting services, including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, cloud VPS hosting, reseller hosting, and dedicated VPS hosting. For most products, they offer both Linux and Windows hosting versions. 

Perhaps the most unique hosting plan they offer is a Forex trading VPS, which is specifically designed for Forex traders. 

The Windows plans use a custom AccuWeb cPanel back-end interface, which is easy to navigate. From there, you can use Softaculous to install WordPress and other CMS’ in one click. 

AccuWeb is also budget-friendly. Shared Windows hosting starts at just $3.52 per month, while VPS plans start at $10 per month. Linux hosting is even cheaper, starting at just $3.09 per month. However, to get the best pricing possible, you need to prepay for 3 years in advance. 

All plans from AccuWeb hosting come with 24/7 dedicated support via chat, phone or support ticket. Response times are excellent, with initial chat response in a matter of a few seconds, and the average ticket response time being just 11 minutes. They even offer phone support, which is rare among budget web hosts. 

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SiteGround

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Free website builder
• Free CDN
• Fast SSD storage
• WordPress hosting
• WooCommerce plugin available
• Weebly website builder
• 24/7 customer support
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee

Cons

• Doesn’t include a free domain name

SiteGround is recommended by WordPress.org. Those who don’t want to use the CMS can create a unique website with the Weebly website builder, which is included in the SiteGround shared hosting plans.

There are three shared hosting plans at SiteGround. The top two plans can host an unlimited number of sites and the basic plan is organized just for one site. Bonuses in all three plans include a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, free CDN, and free email accounts. The content delivery network (CDN) holds the protected site’s content on servers in data centers around the world so that they can be delivered faster to website visitors no matter how far away they are from the original host of the website.

See the full review of SiteGround here.

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A2 Hosting

Pros

• Free Cloudflare CDN
• Free website builder
• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• SSD storage space
• Choice of data center location
• WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla included
• A no-hassle anytime money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• No free domain name offer

A2 Hosting provides dedicated servers, VPS hosting, and shared hosting plans. Small businesses would be better off with these value-for-money web hosting solutions.  Of the four plans, the Startup plan hosts one website, while the others all have no limit on the number of sites they can host.

Unusually, none of the shared hosting plans get a free domain name. All plans can host WordPress and they all get a free SSL certificate included. The plans all get SSD storage space and a webmail interface for email accounts, Cloudflare CDN to improve load times and cover for server downtime, and security features that include malware and DDoS attack protection.

See the full review of A2 Hosting here.

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DreamHost

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Recommended by WordPress.org
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited email accounts on most plans
• 100% uptime guarantee
• Customer support team available 24/7 with live chat support
• 97-day moneyback guarantee

Cons

• No malware protection

DreamHost has some interesting cloud hosting options for those small businesses that develop software or offer remote services. These include a customizable cloud server package, which is a dedicated server plan but with cloud platform software installed on it. The hosting provider also has a plan called DreamObjects, which is specifically aimed at those who develop applications or offer WordPress customization services. This service is a host for program object storage.

Other small businesses would probably be more interested in the shared hosting plans of DreamHost. The company also offers a regular dedicated server plan and also VPS hosting.

The shared hosting plans are also offered in a dedicated WordPress package. However, the standard web hosting plans can all include WordPress for free and the CMS will be installed automatically on demand in any shared hosting account.

All shared hosting plans get unlimited bandwidth and good data transfer speeds. Email account management is included in these plans as are a free domain name and a free SSL certificate.

The post Best Web Hosting Providers for Small Businesses (2023) first appeared on Chamber of Commerce.

	Hostinger	99.9% uptime guarantee Free SSL and domain 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit Hostinger
	Bluehost	All in one website platform Free consultation Marketing credit for Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads	Visit Bluehost
	HostGator	Unlimited bandwidth and storage Free domain for a year 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit HostGator

Taking out a web hosting plan makes financial sense and is a better option than hosting websites in-house. Website hosting packages grew out of the services of domain registration businesses and were providing managed services before cloud servers and managed service providers became common in other fields of IT. Find out about the best web hosting services on the market today.

Web hosting companies have refined their services to produce bundles of software and hardware that include everything that companies and individuals need to create and run websites. Replicating all of those services privately would take time, a lot of money, and a team of specialist employees.

Only the very large corporations in the world can provide the volume of work that could justify keeping a web server support team on the payroll. It makes more economic sense that the highly skilled experts needed to create and manage business websites successfully should centralize their skills in web hosting services, enabling specialist companies to provide all of the talent needed for the endeavor of eCommerce to many companies as a service.

Why you need web hosting

For most businesses, running a website is not a core activity. It is a communication channel that supports the central purpose of the company. As it is not in itself the main income generator for most businesses, it is an overhead.

Outsourcing web hosting means that each customer of the web hosting platform contributes just one part of the payments needed to cover all of the costs of running the webserver and maintaining all of the supporting software and services. The efficiency created by this specialization of a business function generates enough income for the web hosting service that it can reap a profit while still providing the web hosting service at a much lower price than any of its customers could achieve individually.

When you need web hosting

Small businesses and startups particularly benefit from the use of hosting solutions. A busy entrepreneur usually ends up having to run all aspects of the new business.

Trying to become an expert on search engine optimization (SEO), how to choose a domain name, what server resources are needed, and other server hosting issues is just too much extra work for one person. The task of setting up a hosting solution is more than a hassle; it is a diversion from the true aim of the small business and a diversion of resources away from the important activities of the enterprise.

How to choose the best web hosting

Once you have decided to take out a business hosting plan instead of running your own web server, you next need to work out the type of hosting account that is best for your needs. The cloud hosting options are:

• Shared server hosting
• Dedicated servers
• VPS hosting (virtual private server)
• Reseller hosting
• WordPress hosting

Consider whether you are just going to use the business website to encourage customers to contact your business or whether you intend to actually sell goods and/or services from the website, following an eCommerce model and creating an online store.

Depending on your business plan, you will need different software and services and it is more economical to get these bundled in with a web hosting plan than trying to source all of the infrastructures that you will need piece by piece.

You will certainly need:

• A domain name
• A content management system (CMS), such a WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal
• A shopping cart system, such as WooCommerce, or Magento
• Disk space for software and record-keeping
• A website builder
• Email accounts
• Security features, such as malware protection

List your requirements before starting your search for a web hosting plan. Only consider those plans that include all of your essential requirements.

The best web hosting providers

Once you are ready to start your search. Save time by focusing on reliable web hosting providers. You need to avoid unplanned downtime by getting an uptime guarantee because you don’t want to lose customers through your websites going offline. Look at the web hosting plans of our recommended web hosting services. Check off all of your must-haves and then compare those few web hosting plans that remain on the list.

For the next round of comparison, look at the price of each suitable web hosting plan and check out any cost-saving benefits, such as a free domain name or a free SSL certificate.

In the final selection stage, look to see whether there are some extra features that you don’t need immediately but would help your businesses to grow without hassle. These services would include:

• A content delivery network (CDN), such as Cloudflare to speed up your website’s response times
• A pledge of unlimited bandwidth to make sure the web hosting service can cope with increased demand
• Innovative and fast hardware, such as SSD disks with unlimited storage
• A good customer support team, preferably that offers chat support facilities so that you can get solutions to your problems quickly

For this web hosting review, we have researched the best web hosting providers that are capable of furnishing all of the above services. Here is our list of the eight best web hosting services.

1. Bluehost
2. HostGator
3. GoDaddy
4. Hostinger
5. SiteGround
6. DreamHost
7. A2 Hosting
8. InMotion Hosting

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Bluehost

Bluehost offers shared hosting plans, VPS hosting, and dedicated server options. Each hosting plan has several web hosting service levels and there are a number of specialist hosting services, such as reseller hosting accounts and WordPress hosting options.

WordPress sites can be hosted on a standard shared hosting plan or the specialist managed WordPress hosting plan. The customer doesn’t need to download the CMS software from wordpress.org because the WordPress system gets set up automatically by the Bluehost installer. Plugins for WordPress, such as WooCommerce are also available directly from the Bluehost software library and will be installed on demand. Most hosting plans include the cPanel control panel for system managers. 

Pros

• Unlimited bandwidth except with entry-level plans
• Unlimited SSDdisk space with all but the basic plans
• Unlimited subdomains with higher service levels
• Free domain name
• Free SSL certificate
• Marketing credit for Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads
• Free site migration for WordPress sites
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• WordPress hosting
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Email accounts are a paid addon
• Cloudflare CDN is an addon and not included for free
• All servers have CentOS Linux and there is no option to switch to Windows

See the full review of Bluehost here.

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HostGator

HostGator is one of the longest-running web hosting providers in the world. Except for its VPS hosting and dedicated server packages, all of HostGator’s plans include one free domain name registration, a free SSL certificate, and unlimited bandwidth. The WordPress CMS can be added to any standard hosting account automatically and HostGator also offers specialist managed WordPress site hosting plans. The regular shared hosting and the WordPress site hosting categories of service from HostGator are both offered in three plan levels. In both cases, the basic plan hosts just one website and the two higher plans have no limit on the number of websites that can be hosted.

All hosting plans get a free domain name and a free SSL certificate. They all also have unlimited bandwidth. As well as hosting WordPress sites, any of these plans can host Drupal, Joomla, or Magento. In all of these cases, a built-in installer in the service will set up the CMS software. Servers run on Linux and support MySQL, PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby on Rails, and FFMpeg.

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Free site migration
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited secure FTP accounts
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Doesn’t offer unlimited websites with WordPress hosting plans

See the full review of HostGator here.

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GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the biggest web hosting company in the world. It is also the biggest domain name registrar in the world. GoDaddy’s biggest volume hosting services are shared hosting plans, which customers can choose to have on servers running Windows or Linux with four plans on each operating system. All plans include a free domain name and unlimited bandwidth. GoDaddy provides its own user-friendly control panel.

There are a couple of points in the shared hosting plans of GoDaddy that fall short of the offers of its greatest competitors. The web hosting service doesn’t include a free SSL certificate with its two cheapest shared hosting plans. It also doesn’t provide a web interface for an email system on the domains that it sells. Instead, each hosting plan includes one year’s free subscription to Office 365 for email management. While this is a very high-value productivity suite, it obliges hosting account holders to pay for the expensive Office service after the first year in order to continue to get access to email accounts.

Pros

• Free domain name
• WordPress hosting plan available
• Choice of Linux or Windows servers
• Uptime guarantee of 99.9%
• Security features
• DDoS protection
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Free SSL certificate not included with cheaper plans
• Money-back guarantee only 48 hours
• Customer have to use Office 365 to manage email accounts

See the full review of GoDaddy here.

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Hostinger

Hostinger has been in operation since 2004. It is an employee-owned company and one of the leading competitors in the web hosting services sector. The most accessible web hosting plans from Hostinger are its shared hosting category. The company also offers VPS hosting plans for businesses. All of Hostinger’s web hosting plans include a free SSL certificate and a free domain name.

WordPress sites can be hosted on any Hostinger plan. The environment includes a library of software that will be made operational on each account on demand. Within the WordPress environment, plugins can be added easily, including the WooCommerce plugin, which turns a standard WordPress account into an online store for eCommerce.

Pros

• Unlimited bandwidth on all but the basic plan for shared hosting
• Unlimited Email Accounts (except for the Single Web Hosting plan)
• Unlimited storage space on all higher shared hosting plans and all VPS hosting services
• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Cloudflare CDN as a paid addon
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• The website builder costs extra

See the full review of Hostinger here.

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SiteGround

SiteGround is a very good choice for those who want to host a WordPress site because it has a commendation from WordPress.org, which is the owner of the WordPress CMS system. SiteGround also has the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress in its library, so it is very easy to create an eCommerce online store with any SiteGround web hosting plan. WordPress with WooCommerce offers a guided site creation process. For those who aren’t going to be using WordPress or woo commerce on their sites, SiteGround provides a website builder, which is the Weebly system.

The most affordable hosting options are its shared hosting plans – it has three. The basic plan hosts only one website, but the other two will allow the web hosting of an unlimited number of sites. All of these plans offer unlimited bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, a free CDN, and free email accounts.

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Free website builder
• Free CDN
• Fast SSD storage
• Unlimited email accounts
• WordPress hosting
• WooCommerce plugin available
• Weebly website builder
• Customer support is available around the clock
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee

Cons

• Doesn’t include a free domain name

See the full review of SiteGround here.

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DreamHost

DreamHost offers a wide range of web hosting options that include shared hosting plans, WordPress site hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. The dedicated servers and VPS hosting plans can be used by resellers. The company also offers cloud server options that include the management of dedicated servers loaded with the OpenStack cloud platform. This is called DreamCompute. Another cloud hosting option from DreamHost is DreamOjects, which can be used for the storage of an object library or for general backups of all files.

The DreamHost menu of options covers all possible business needs from a web hosting service. Of these, the shared hosting plans are the web hosting provider’s biggest sellers. Despite also offering specialist WordPress site hosting solutions, these shared hosting plans can also be used for WordPress sites because DreamHost makes the CMS available for automatic install on demand.

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Recommended by WordPress.org
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited email accounts on most plans
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• 100% uptime guarantee
• Customer support team available around the clock
• 97-day moneyback guarantee

Cons

• No malware protection

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A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting offers VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and shared hosting. As with most shared hosting services, the basic plan can only host one website and has limits on the amount of disk space, bandwidth, and other server resources allocated to it.

The remaining three shared hosting plans can all host an unlimited number of websites and have unlimited access to SSD disk space, and automatic updates.

All plans get a free SSL certificate, unlimited email accounts,  the cPanel control panel, free Cloudflare CDN and DDoS protection, malware protection, and a free website builder.

Pros

• SSD disk space
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• Free website builder
• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Unlimited email accounts
• WordPress hosting option
• A no-hassle anytime money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• No free domain name offer

See the full review of A2 Hosting here.

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InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers as web hosting solutions. InMotion Hosting also has a specialized hosting option for WordPress sites. The shared hosting options are the more economical of these types of servers. The company offers three shared hosting plans for websites. All plans include a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, and SSH access. Unusually for shared hosting services, the entry-level plan gets unlimited email accounts, unlimited bandwidth, and malware protection the same as the higher plans.

The basic plan can only host two websites. The middle plan, which is the most popular, can host up to six sites and the top plan has no limit to the number of sites that it can host.

All plans also get a free website builder, SpamSafe protection for email accounts, free site migrations, Google Apps integration, and access to 400 free applications. The hosting platform includes an installer that can seamlessly install any of the software bin the library, including WordPress, on-demand.

Pros

• Free domain name
• Free website transfer
• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Free website builder
• Unlimited SSD disk space
• Unlimited email accounts
• Unlimited bandwidth
• WordPress available for free
• More than 400 applications for free
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support
• 90-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No CDN offer

See the full review of InMotion here.

The post Best Web Hosting (2023) first appeared on Chamber of Commerce.

	Hostinger	99.9% uptime guarantee Free SSL and domain 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit Hostinger
	Bluehost	All in one website platform Free consultation Marketing credit for Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads	Visit Bluehost
	HostGator	Unlimited bandwidth and storage Free domain for a year 30-day money-back guarantee	Visit HostGator

Shared web hosting plans offer the cheapest way to get a website up and running. In this hosting review, you will find out about the best cheap web hosting services that offer shared hosting plans.

Web hosting providers have developed a range of website hosting solutions to cater to a variety of customers, including individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. Startups and eCommerce businesses are obvious target markets for web hosting companies.

The three main configurations of web servers that web hosting services offer are:

• Shared servers
• Virtual private servers
• Dedicated servers

The difference between these three systems is that in both the shared plans and the virtual private server (VPS) systems give customers space on a server but the dedicated server gives each customer its own server. The difference between shared server hosting and VPS hosting solutions is that the VPS is segmented by virtualization right down to touch the underlying hardware – even the operating system is separately installed for each account.

Although shared hosting plans put customers on the same server and a common operating system, each customer has a secure account and an individual file directory structure. Customers have to be prevented from getting access to the operating system because that would make it easier for one to get down to the root directory and then get access to the directories that serve the other accounts.

Two other options that you might see are cloud hosting and reseller hosting. A reseller plan is usually a dedicated server with the virtualization software that creates the VPS hosting plans installed on it. The reseller account holder divides up the server and sells it on those segments.

The cloud server term can be applied to any web hosting configuration. However, a more precise definition applies to a dedicated server plan that has a cloud platform, such as OpenStack, installed on it.

Why you need a shared hosting plan

Shared web hosting plans offer the best web server access for those individuals and businesses that have very little money to spare. These hosting plans cost very little – some are even free and ad-supported.

Bigger businesses can afford much more bespoke solutions and don’t have to pay attention to cost as much as small entrepreneurs. The inclusion of many of the tools that any individual would need to create a website makes these web hosting services particularly attractive to those who want to put together a website without hiring a web development company.

An example of the tools included with shared hosting packages is the content management system (CMS). The offer to provide these platforms pre-installed, or accessible through an installer from a software library for free cuts out the need for expert skills.

Examples of CMSs that many share web hosting providers include for free are WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. These CMs can be adapted or extended with plugins such as WooCommerce, which is an eCommerce framework. An eCommerce alternative that is frequently made available by shared hosting providers.

Another feature available from shared web hosting providers is a website builder. Some shared hosting companies offer this as a separate hosting plan, while others include a website building platform as a free bonus with their shared web hosting packages. Examples of widely-used website builders include Weebly, Wix, Zyro, and Prestashop. WordPress hosting plans also make it very easy to create and manage a website.

The inclusion of a website builder makes shared web hosting packages ideal for individuals with no technical knowledge and no money to hire skills.

Check out our roundup of the Best Website Builders

When you need shared hosting plans

Shared hosting plans are better suited to small businesses, particularly when they are startups. Larger, more established businesses with a significant web presence are more likely to opt for a dedicated server package or Amazon Web Services options.

Almost all shared hosting services are run on Linux web servers. You don’t need to worry about the issue of the operating system. So, if all of your computers run Windows, you won’t need to wait until you renew your hardware and replace it all with Linux machines. Your own computers don’t need to be compatible with the webserver.

How to choose a shared hosting plan

The account security measures of shared hosting systems mean that there is nothing fundamentally risky about this category of hosting packages. However, in a cost-cutting race to be cheap, many shared web hosting services skimp on security measures and a number of data breaches have occurred in this sector.

You have to be careful about which shared server hosting companies you decide to go with. Shared plans offer great value for money and present almost no risk if you know where to look. Risk can be further enhanced by selecting a shared plan that includes a money-back guarantee.

The best cheap shared hosting plans

When looking for a shared web hosting plan, check out all of the free bonuses included with the hosting service, and evaluate the price with those benefits included. For example, a website needs a domain name and that costs money. Therefore, if one shared hosting plan is slightly more expensive, but includes a free domain name, it would represent better value. Here is our list of the best shared hosting providers.

1. Bluehost
2. HostGator
3. GoDaddy
4. DreamHost
5. Hostinger
6. A2 Hosting
7. GreenGeeks
8. WP Engine
9. InMotion Hosting
10. SiteGround
11. HostPapa
12. iPage

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Bluehost

Bluehost is a great choice for those seeking a shared hosting plan. The shared hosting services are available as three hosting packages. Bluehost also offers WordPress hosting plans, including a managed WordPress plan, which includes a human support team and the plugin library includes WooCommerce, which converts WordPress into an eCommerce platform.

Shared hosting accounts include an installer which makes it easy to set up the free software available with the plans. Features of all shared hosting plans include the cPanel control panel, a free domain name, and a free SSL certificate. Bluehost also offers a VPS hosting package and a dedicated server hosting option.

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Unlimited bandwidth with higher plans
• Unlimited SSD disk space with higher plans
• Unlimited websites with higher plans
• Unlimited subdomains with higher plans
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• WordPress and WooCommerce platform available
• Cloudflare CDN available as a paid addon
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Email accounts cost extra

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HostGator

HostGator has three shared hosting plans. It also has three specialist WordPress hosting plans. The shared hosting plans include the entry-level Hatchling plan for one website. The other two plans, Baby and Business, allow unlimited websites.

All plans include the option to include WordPress, which gets set up by an automatic installer. All plans include the cPanel control panel, a free SSL certificate, and a free domain name. All plans can get free site migration and the Business hosting plan also includes free SEO tools and a dedicated IP address. HostGator also offers VPS hosting plans and dedicated servers. The company also performs domain registration.

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited disk space
• Unlimited websites with all but the basic plan
• Unlimited subdomains
• Unlimited FTP accounts
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• Unlimited email accounts
• PHP 5 support
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• WordPress add-on is free
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No free website builder – it costs extra

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GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the world’s largest web hosting company and also the largest domain name registrar in the world. The web hosting service offer shared hosting plans run either on Windows or Linux with four plans on each operating system. All plans include unlimited bandwidth and a free domain name, however, only the two top plans include a free SSL certificate. 

The email system is implemented through Office 365, which all shared hosting clients get free access to in the first year. The Economy plan only hosts one website, while the other three plans host unlimited websites and provide unlimited disk space.

Pros

• Free domain name
• WordPress hosting plan available
• Choice of Linux or Windows servers
• Uptime guarantee of 99.9%
• Security features and DDoS protection
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Free SSL certificate not included with cheaper plans
• The cancellation window is only 48 hours

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DreamHost

DreamHost offers two shared hosting plans: Shared Starter and Shared Unlimited. The basic plan is for one website and the higher plan allows unlimited websites. The features of the two shared hosting plans from DreamHost are exactly the same except that email accounts are a paid addon in the basic plan and included in the unlimited plan.

Pros

• Free Domain included 
• Unlimited Bandwidth 
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• WordPress pre-installed 
• Free website migration for WordPress sites
• Free website builder for WordPress
• Fast SSD storage
• Support for PHP 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3
• Free SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt SSL)
• 100% uptime guarantee
• 97-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Free website builder only applies to WordPress hosting

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Hostinger

Hostinger’s web servers fulfill the hosting needs of 29 million customers. It’s shared hosting services are available in four plans. The basic plan, which is called Single Web Hosting caters to one website. This plan includes one email account and has limits on the amount of storage space and bandwidth. The other three plans host unlimited websites, unlimited bandwidth, and a free domain name. All plans get a free SSL certificate source from Let’s Encrypt SSL. Cloudflare CDN is available as a paid addon. Hostinger has specialized WordPress hosting plans and also offers VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and domain registration.

Pros

• Unlimited bandwidth on all higher plans
• Unlimited email accounts (except for the Single Web Hosting plan)
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• Unlimited FTP accounts
• Fast SSD storage
• Free SSL certificate
• 24/7 customer support
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• No free website builder

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A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting offers four shared hosting plans. While the Startup plan is for one site, the other three plans can host unlimited websites. The upper plans also include unlimited SSD storage space, a free SSL certificate, and unlimited email accounts. All plans include the cPanel control panel, free Cloudflare CDN and DDoS protection, security features, such as malware, unlimited email accounts, and a free website builder. A2 Hosting also offers VPS hosting and dedicated server hosting plans.

Pros

• Unlimited SSD storage space (except for on the Startup plan)
• Unlimited email accounts
• Unlimited SSD disk space
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• Free website builder
• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• MySQL 5.6
• Choice of data center location
• WordPress hosting option
• A no-hassle anytime money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Server Rewind backups not included in the Startup plan

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GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks has an eco-friendly angle on its web hosting services and has WordPress hosting, reseller hosting plans, and VPS hosting as well as shared hosting plans. The data centers located in the USA, Canada, and Amsterdam operate web servers with SSD disks arrays, high-speed technology, and advanced security features. 

Technical support is available around the clock and the company gives a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee.  The shared hosting services of GreenGeeks is presented as three plans. These are Lite, Pro, and Premium. Lite only hosts one website and the other two plans allow unlimited websites on each hosting account.  All plans include a free domain name, unlimited SSD disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and a free SSL certificate.

Pros

• Free domain name
• Free website transfer
• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Free CDN
• Free website builder
• Unlimited email accounts
• Unlimited SSD disk space
• WordPress hosting option
• Magento 2 available
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Support only available in English

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WP Engine

WP Engine is a specialist managed WordPress hosting service. The hosting company has four hosting plan levels. These start with the Startup plan, which hosts one website. The Growth plan hosts 10 sites and the Scale plan hosts 30 sites. The top plan is a custom service that also hosts up to 30 sites. Unlike most of the shared hosting plans on this list, WP Engine doesn’t offer unlimited server resources or a free domain name. However, each plan does include a free SSL certificate, a free CDN, and a library of free WordPress themes and plug-ins.

Pros

• Free site migration
• Free SSL certificate
• Free CDN
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Limits on server resources
• No free domain name
• No uptime guarantee

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InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting offers secure and manageable shared hosting plans. It has three plans, called Launch, Power, and Pro. All plans include some very good security features, including a free SSL certificate, SSH access, Spam Safe protection for email accounts, and malware protection. All plans also get a free website builder, free site migrations, Google Apps integration, and access to 400 free applications.

Pros

• Free domain name
• Free website transfer
• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Free website builder
• Unlimited SSD disk space
• Unlimited email accounts
• WordPress and 400 other applications for free
• 90-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• No CDN service

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SiteGround

SiteGround is recommended by WordPress.org for WordPress hosting and the ease of adding the WooCommerce plugin makes SiteGround a good option for eCommerce startups. The web hosting provider has three shared plans called StartUp, GrowBig, and GoGeek. The hosting service promises 99.9 percent uptime and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. The StartUp plan hosts one website and the other two plans allow unlimited websites. All of the plans include managed WordPress, a free CDN, free email accounts, a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, and daily backups.

Pros

• Free SSL certificate
• Free FTP accounts
• Free website builder
• Free CDN
• Fast SSD storage
• Unlimited email accounts
• WordPress hosting
• Weebly website builder
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• No free domain name offer

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HostPapa

HostPapa specializes in web hosting for small businesses. The company offers three shared hosting plans, called Starter, Business, and Business Pro. The Starter plan hosts a maximum of two websites and the other two plans host unlimited websites. All plans get a free domain, a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt SSL, a free CDN, and a free website builder.

Pros

• Free domain name
• Free SSL certificate
• Free CDN
• Free website builder
• WordPress hosting available
• Uptime guarantee of 99.9%
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Free SSL certificate not included with cheaper plans
• The cancellation window is only 48 hours

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iPage

The iPage offers one shared hosting plan that hosts unlimited domains and includes a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, a free website builder, free site migration, and a free unlimited email accounts. The shared plan is a great choice for WordPress hosting. An installer in the hosting account will set up WordPress and import templates and plugins from the iPage free library.

Security features include SiteLock security scans Other benefits are unlimited storage space and unlimited MySQL databases.

Pros

• Free domain name
• Free website builder
• Unlimited disk space
• Unlimited email accounts
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• Free eCommerce software
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 24/7 phone and chat support

Cons

• Only one shared hosting plan

The post Best Shared Hosting Providers (2023) first appeared on Chamber of Commerce.