Why we love DreamHost (and others)

Sites that employ WordPress as their content management system account for about 30% of websites online right now. Simple to set up, keep secure, and use on a regular basis, it makes sense it’s such a popular content management system to use. Even those only accustomed to using word processing tools can quickly get to grips with what’s expected of them with WordPress. 

Initially built as a blogging platform, numerous themes and plugins have helped WordPress become about so much more than just writing, allowing many to run their own businesses or portfolios through the software. Now, there are plenty of different WordPress hosting providers out there keen to streamline the process even further by dealing with the security side of things, leaving you to focus on the content. 

When looking for somewhere to host your WordPress-based site, there are a ton of different web hosting companies out there, thus giving you lots and lots of options — so it’s important to pick the right one. Typically involving a subscription plan and financial commitment, you want to make sure you’re receiving the best service possible — whether you’re simply running a personal blog or providing your business with an online presence. Early impressions count, after all. 

When choosing a web hosting provider, be sure to look at the kinds of templates it offers, determine what their customer support is like, determine whether they do daily backups, and compare plans.

Our favorite WordPress hosting provider is DreamHost, but there’s plenty of room for other great alternatives. We’ve looked at many of the most popular hosting providers, narrowing them down to what works best for different situations such as for your business needs, a small vanity project, or somewhere in between. Regardless, there are many great WordPress hosting services out there. 

Here are our 10 favorites:

HostGator: Best for the finer features

What HostGator offers: It’s the little things that make HostGator stand out in a busy market. Utilizing a CDN (Content Delivery Network) and offering multiple caching layers means it’s hard to beat this hosting service when it comes to speedy load times. Designed with WordPress cloud hosting in mind, it’s particularly fast with one-click scalability for those times when there’s a traffic spike. That makes it perfect for a growing business that’s keen to go viral from time to time. 

Auto-backups are implemented with one-click restores, thus streamlining any need to go back to one earlier point. A free migration service takes out all the effort when transferring your existing WordPress setup to HostGator, with free automatic malware removal, domain privacy, and $100 of Google AdWords credit also included. 

The price: A starter plan currently costs $5.95 for one site, monthly average site traffic of 100,000 and unmetered storage space. A business plan is on offer at $9.95 per month and boasts up to three sites and 500,000 average site traffic per month. 

DreamHost: Best all-around web hosting service

What DreamHost offers: Recommended by WordPress itself, DreamHost is a fully capable web hosting service that offers shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting solutions. No matter what your needs are, DreamHost should have you covered. The hosting service automatically updates WordPress as and when needed — often within hours of release — with a preconfigured installation for when you’re starting out. A number of themes and plugins are recommended through the service, with hosting optimized for maximum speed and efficiency. 

Email hosting is available, and there’s 1-click SSL certification for your visitors so they know their data is always safely encrypted. Like any great web hosting provider, DreamHost simply just works. A series of different plans means it’ll easily adapt your freelance or business’s growing needs. 

The price: The Starter plan costs $7.95 per month for shared hosting and 1-click WordPress installation, so it’s perfect for low requirements. $16.95 provides a fast cloud server with up to 10k monthly visitors, WordPress pre-installed, and daily backups. Most one site customers will be happy with the Plus service at $24.95 per month with its premium themes that allow for 30K monthly visitors.

1&1 Hosting: Best for a tight budget

What 1&1 Hosting offers: If you’re running a small business and your budget is low then 1&1 Hosting has some ideally priced packages and is our pick for the best cheap WordPress hosting. Its managed WordPress functions include a setup wizard and preinstalled plugins, as well as automatic updates, so limited technical knowledge is no issue here. 

All its packages offer unlimited visitor support as well as an SSL certificate for the security conscious. A free domain name for 12 months is also included, saving some much needed cash when setting up. 

The price: The basic package costs a mere $0.99 per month billed annually. That allows for one site and 50 GB of storage. $4.99 per month buys the Plus service, allowing for up to 5 sites and 250 GB storage. The unlimited package costs $8.99 per month and offers exactly what the name suggests. 

What TMDHosting offers: Fast becoming a popular favorite amongst many users looking for WordPress hosting, TMDHosting deserves major props for its speed. Optimized for WordPress, it promises loading times up to 16 times faster than its competitors, thanks to three layers of caching. Regularly updated so it keeps on top of things, it’s ideal if speed is of the essence for your business, or if you have an image heavy personal blog such as a photography portfolio. 

Other useful features include automatic free installation, free transfers from existing sites, and a free domain name.

The price: The starter plan costs $2.95 per month with unlimited space and bandwidth, as well as a free domain. Faster speeds can be purchased with the Business account, which offers two times the performance at $5.95 per month and the Enterprise plan with three times the performance at $12.95 per month. 

Hostinger: Best for unlimited storage and bandwidth*

What Hostinger offers: Hostinger is solidly dependable, offering exactly what anyone could need from a WordPress hosting provider. It has a one click WordPress installation process, before using pre-installed caching plugins to ensure your site runs as fast as possible. Alongside that is extensive security technology courtesy of BitNinja, meaning you don’t have to worry about any automated cyber attacks or malware either.

Thanks to an almost unlimited hosting plan, Hostinger is ideal if you have a growing business and you want your hosting to accommodate that without any worries of hitting a bandwidth limit out of the blue. 

The price: The basic plan costs $2.15 per month for one site, 10GB space, and 100GB bandwidth. The package that shines though is the premium WordPress hosting plan at $3.49. For that extra buck, you get unlimited websites, space, bandwidth, and databases. There’s also 2x WordPress Optimized speed and a free domain name. 

GoDaddy: Best for the hands-off approach

What GoDaddy offers: WordPress hosting solutions are typically very straightforward and easy, but GoDaddy has made the process even simpler. Besides offering automatic setup and updates, it also includes pre-built sites and a drag and drop page editor. Its quick start service means it takes minutes to set up a site, with thousands of high-quality images available to import too.

For the complete website design newbie, it’s hard to fault such a plethora of features. On top of that, there are extensive expansion features such as an SEO wizard, ecommerce facility, and social media features. GoDaddy is perfect if you want something akin to a website builder but with the power of WordPress. 

The price: The basic plan costs $3.99 per month for one website, 10 GB storage and 25,000 monthly visitors. The deluxe plan costs $4.99 allowing for 100,000 monthly visitors and adding an SEO wizard tool. SSL certificates and domain names need to be purchased separately. 

Bluehost: Best premium hosting provider

What Bluehost offers: Bluehost keeps things simple for those who aren’t picky about the finer details of web hosting, while still offering a professional level of service. Its dedicated WordPress hosting is specifically optimized for WordPress, meaning a speedier experience for your customers and you. 

Its hosting platform makes it simple to install WordPress with one click, with a huge wealth of themes and plugins to quickly install. Features like SiteLock Pro are exclusive to Bluehost, ensuring your website is free from malware. The cheapest package can accommodate up to 100 million visits a month, so it’s ideal for higher end business needs.

The price: The WP Standard package costs $19.99 per month for 100 million visits a month and 30gb storage. The packages available gradually ramp up in size, with the WP Ultimate plan costing $49.99 per month and providing unlimited visits and an impressive 240gb storage. 

SiteGround: Best for the geeky touch

What SiteGround offers: SiteGround offers WordPress hosting plans for every need, but it’s the GoGeek plan that makes it stand out the most. The plan includes features we’ve seen elsewhere like a staging area, and pre-installed Git which allows you to create a repository of your WordPress installation for later use. It goes further still though, with command line management support, giving the technically minded even more control over what they’re doing. 

If you’re keen to get a little more down and dirty with what you’re doing for your business site, SiteGround‘s expansive plans are ideal as a WordPress hosting site that lets you get more involved.

The price: SiteGround’s StartUp plan costs $3.95 per month for one site and 10 GB web space. The GoGeeky plan costs $11.95 month for multiple sites, 30 GB web space, and those all important extra technical features. 

Liquid Web Hosting: Best for professional level service

What Liquid Web offers: If you require a high end, fully managed hosting package for multiple sites, Liquid Web is the best hosting provider for you. It offers staging and testing areas as standard so there’s never any risk of downtime, making it perfect for mission critical websites. There are automatic plugin updates as well as core WordPress updates, site management tools, and even automatic image compression. 

It’s more expensive than its competitors but that’s because it’s more powerful. Liquid Web monitors your site uptime, Google Analytics data, SEO status, and even if any plugins conflict with each other. For the high end user, it’s unbeatable. 

The price: The standard plan costs $99 for up to 10 sites, 50 GB storage, and 5 TB bandwidth, with the Business plan costing $149 per month for 100 GB storage and 25 sites. 

WordPress.com: Best for a personal blog

What WordPress offers: Going straight to the source is a smart move if you simply want a quick and easy personal blog to commence writing on. Signing up and creating a site via WordPress takes seconds to get started and you hardly have to worry about a thing.

That’s because it’s much like signing up to any social networking site: enter a few details and you’re good to go. With a locked down system, security issues aren’t your concern as the WordPress installation is updated on a regular basis automatically. 

There are some limitations though, many which indicate that WordPress is really just an effective option for personal sites but not for business owners. Notably, there’s only email forwarding rather than full email hosting, making this no good for a business site. Monetization options and Google Analytics are only available at a hefty price, making WordPress a less attractive option if flexibility is key to your hosting needs. 

The price: An ad-supported free service is available with basic design customization and dozens of themes. $4 per month billed yearly provides a custom domain name, more storage space and no ads. Businesses will be more interested in the $8 per month premium service which provides monetization support, with $25 per month being the business plan that offers custom uploads and Google Analytics integration. 

What to consider when purchasing a WordPress hosting provider plan

A WordPress hosting provider package isn’t for everyone. Consider why you need it. Are you able to use a regular (often cheaper) hosting plan instead? Such options mean you may need to install WordPress manually but various hosting companies still offer an installation process that only takes a few clicks. You’re only a Google search away from finding solutions to most minor issues that you may run into. 

Oftentimes, it’s cheaper to do it this way but that depends on your technical ability and the amount of free time you possess. Something like the Dragify WordPress Builder and Hosting Bundle may also be just right for your needs.

If a WordPress hosting package is easier for you, consider what you want to do with it beforehand. Is it just for a personal blog or portfolio of your work? Something with low bandwidth needs may be fine for your services, unless you’re expecting a lot of people to view the site. 

In contrast, if you’re running a business, you need a plan that will grow with you. Check the small print and opt for a hosting plan that has high bandwidth offerings so that your site doesn’t go down at a pivotal moment.