Want the short version? My current (and long-time) favorite hosting provider: SiteGround. My least favorite hosting provider: Godaddy. Read why below.
From my long, and sometimes painful experience dealing with a multitude of hosting companies, I can tell you one thing for sure: finding the right WordPress hosting provider is important. Using the right one will save you a huge amount of time, money, and frustration in the long run.
This is because when you sign up for a hosting provider for your website, you put a lot of responsibility in their hands. You entrust them with the maintenance, upkeep, and threat-protection of their servers which house your website, and you expect them to be able to help you whenever you need it. Additionally, and most importantly in my opinion, as a potential beginner in the arena of website-creation, you expect them not to take advantage of your naivety.
Unfortunately, there are many hosting providers that don’t maintain this level of integrity. In this post, I’ll walk you through an unbiased evaluation of the most popular hosting providers for WordPress websites. It can be confusing to sort out the hundreds of features each host provides, so instead, this post will be an overall review of the quality of their support and overall service.
Best Overall: SiteGround
After many years, I’ve come to depend on SiteGround. They are the most reliable, supportive, easy to use, and ethical host out there at a reasonable price point. This is why the majority of my clients are using SiteGround, and why I recommend the company to clients just starting out. Here’s why:
SiteGround’s interface is extremely intuitive, and everything about their interface works smoothly. With other hosts, I find myself frustrated with bugs and performance issues. With SiteGround, their hosting panel is seamless. On the rare occurrence that there is an issue that needs to be reported, their support is knowledgeable, 24/7, and genuinely helpful, unlike most other hosts.
The next biggest plus is their plans and pricing. All of SiteGround’s plans offer everything you need to set up and manage your WordPress website at a reasonable cost. They include features that most hosts offer as an addon for an additional cost.
Overall, I’ve never had a negative experience with SiteGround. For these reasons, I personally recommend it. You can learn more or sign up for their hosting here.
Best Budget: Hostinger
Hostinger’s web hosting is a great deal. As a very frugal person, I appreciate that they include most of what you need to get started on the web in all their plans.
That being said, their service is not as streamlined as SiteGround, their servers lack the attention to detail and speed, and their support isn’t quite as fast. However, if you are looking for a cheap website hosting provider, Hostinger is definitely the best out there that I have tried.
Bluehost, HostGator, Network Solutions, Domain.com, and Web.com
You may be wondering why I bundled all these hosting providers under the same section. The answer is simple: after changing hands a few times, they are all owned by the same conglomerate, Newfold Digital. Potentially due to their shared owner, these hosting providers all utilize a similar business model; their cost is usually mid-range, and they provide okay hosting, but pathetically poor support.
Back in the day, I used to have most of my websites hosted on Bluehost. This changed a few years ago when Bluehost was purchased by a larger company. Gone were the days of genuinely helpful support and considerate customer care. After spending days on the phone with representatives who weren’t trained properly to deal with important issues, I finally decided to leave their service.
Because of this, as well as many experiences with clients that started on these hosts, I wouldn’t recommend them to anybody.
WP Engine
Like SiteGround, I have many good things to say about the service that WP Engine provides. However, their price point is higher than what most people can afford, which is why I don’t use them very often.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy may have one of the biggest names when it comes to website hosting, but unfortunately, this is not a good indicator of the quality of service they provide.
Over the years, I’ve had many clients who have come to me with a website hosted on GoDaddy. To my dismay, they were paying hundreds of dollars more every year for services they either didn’t need or should have been included in the cost of their plan.
It is always obvious to me that GoDaddy puts their profits ahead of their customers, and their abuse of their customers’ naivety grosses me out.
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While this post may not be a comprehensive guide of all the features offered by every host out there, I hope it helps point you in the right direction from my personal experience. If you need help, or have any questions about your website, don’t hesitate to reach out.
