Best Web Hosting Services In 2020

#1 Best Web Host – Bluehost | Best Overall

On paper, BlueHost has an impressive offering. They are also one of the oldest and most instantly recognizable names in the web hosting industry. But how does their service stack up under real-world conditions?

One of the most important statistics for any web hosting service is their overall uptime. All major providers now advertise uptimes of 99.9%+. Under real-world conditions, sustaining a 100% uptime over the course of a month is considered impressive. Most providers will average 99.98% or more for the month. In the case of BlueHost, a test conducted by hostingfacts.com revealed that BlueHost had hit the fabled 100% mark seven out of the last 12 months.

Another important metric for web hosts is their load speed. Google has conducted audits in the past that have revealed a significant portion of mobile websites aren’t loading anywhere near as efficiently as they should. Google gives a lot of weight to mobile optimization when determining SEO scores, a poor load speed because of a bad host will hurt a website’s visibility. In this aspect, BlueHost isn’t quite top of the pack, but it is definitely in the top 10 of all providers and is probably skimming the top 5, depending on the specific data used to compare them.

Other than performance, BlueHost is also one of the most reasonably priced hosting providers we have come across. Their introductory packages begin at just $3.95/month, which is itself a reduction from their old asking price of $7.99/month. That introductory package isn’t too shabby either, it comes with 50 GB of SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, an SSL certificate on the house, and everything else that a budding website needs to start growing. All things considered, it’s a pretty good deal.

BlueHost offers industry-standard security, which is a good thing when it comes to web hosts. Some hosts will boast about their encryption protocols, but the reality is that any modern encryption standard is going to stand up to the kind of cyber vandalism that most new websites are worried about.

BlueHost is officially recommended by WordPress, which is always good to know if you plan to build your site on the WordPress platform. BlueHost also supports a range of other integrations, apps, and other features and platforms, you will have plenty to choose from.

Important Points:

• Features: Unmetered bandwidth and storage, email accounts, free domain 1st year
• Support: 24/7 live chat
• Hosting plans: Dedicated, shared, VPS, Cloud

#2 Best Web Host – HostGator | Best Value Cloud

HostGator is another instantly recognizable name in the field of web hosting. Their shared hosting package has received an upgrade in the form of the ‘Cloud’ edition, which HostGator claims is faster and better for scaling than regular shared hosting.

HostGator Cloud comes in very strong in the key metrics. Over a period of four consecutive months, hostingfacts.com tested HostGator’s uptime and it hit 100% every time. That’s not something that you see very often, even when you test these things as part of your job. The same website also noted that, over a 24-month testing period, HostGator’s uptime dipped below that all-important 99.90% mark, the minimum uptime guarantee that most web hosts offer. What does dipping below that figure mean? In the case of HostGator, it means the user is entitled to a refund for the entire month. Overall, HostGator is one of the more reliable hosts out there and they stand by their guarantees.

The biggest benefit to HostGator’s Cloud service compared to their regular shared hosting is the speed gain. The company claims that its cloud service is up to twice as fast as regular shared servers. This claim is borne out by the data, which shows HostGator’s cloud service offering speeds that place them well within the top five fastest web hosting services available.

HostGator also benefits from excellent customer service and one of the most intuitive control panels we have seen. Organizing all your admin tools is a breeze and they even offer free cPanel migration if you need to move over from another host. Unfortunately, there are many types of websites that HostGator cannot migrate for you. If you do run into any difficulties then the customer support is fantastic, you can usually resolve your problem within a reasonable amount of time. 

Important Points:

• Features: Unmetered bandwidth and storage, email accounts, free domain 1st year
• Support: 24/7 live chat
• Hosting plans: Cloud, VPS, dedicated, shared, WordPress

#3 Best Web Host – Hostinger | Cheapest Price Host

Hostinger is among the cheapest hosting providers on the market today. If you are looking to keep your costs as low as possible than Hostinger is the way to go. Don’t let the low price fool you, though. Hostinger is a well-established web hosting provider with a solid reputation and while their cheap package doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of its more expensive competitors, it still provides everything you need to get your website going.

First of all, the important stuff. Hostinger’s uptime is easily 99%+, but in the world of web hosting, even 99.65%, which is the lowest monthly uptime that we measured for Hostinger, is considered low. However, in practice, this is still a reliable figure and visitors to your website are still unlikely to have difficulty accessing it.

Important Points:

• Features: 100 GB bandwidth, 10 GB storage, website builder, 1 email account
• Support: 24/7 live chat support
• Hosting plans: VPS, shared, cloud

#4 Best Web Host – DreamHost | Pay Monthly, No Higher Renewals

DreamHost has been in the business since the mid-’90s, so you know that they know their stuff. Over the last couple of decades, DreamHost has amassed over 1.5 million websites, blogs, and online applications across the 100 countries that it is operating in. DreamHost’s current hosting service is one of the better mid-tier services out there.

Their average uptime is just below the all-important 99.95% figure, which is considered low, although it is statistically above average. It is also worth noting that DreamHost has also achieved 100% uptime for three of the last 12 months and 99.99% on three more.

However, in practical terms, this is still a reliable enough service that your website will be down for around half an hour over the course of a month. In terms of speed, DreamHost comes in just above average at 648ms over a 24-month period.

Overall, DreamHost offers a good service at an affordable price. It isn’t a pack leader in any regard, but it does everything well enough to justify its price tag. The standout feature of DreamHost is that its subscription costs don’t increase when the plan renews.

Important Points:

• Features: Unlimited bandwidth and storage, free SSL, free domain 1st year
• Support: Ticketing and call back system
• Hosting plans: Dedicated, shared, VPS, cloud, WordPress

#5 Best Web Host – SiteGround | Best Customer Support

SiteGround is by far the best host to go with if you value comprehensive customer support. If you are choosing your very first web host then it might help you to have access to a robust customer support system. They also have an average uptime rate of 99.99%, they are one of the most reliable hosts out there.

The speeds that SiteGround offers aren’t bad, but it is a shame that they remain in the 600ms or more range. If the speeds were better, SiteGround would truly be offering the whole package. These relatively slow speeds are part of what hinders the most basic plans that SiteGround offers. Overall, we would still recommend SiteGround as the best option for beginners who are likely to need to utilize the customer support available.

Important Points:

• Features: Unmetered bandwidth, 10 GB storage, website builder, and free email
• Support: 24/7 live chat system
•  Hosting plans: Shared, WordPress, Cloud, Reseller, Enterprise, and Dedicated Servers

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