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Finding out how to choose the best shared web hosting service is a challenging and confusing process. There are so many web hosts to choose from, and they each offer a similar set of features. We rank the seven best shared web hosting service providers based on reliability, affordability, ease of use, and feature offerings.
Best Shared Web Hosting
- HostGator – Best for Overall Shared Web Hosting Services
- Bluehost – Best for Beginner-Friendly Shared Web Hosting Services
- Namecheap – Best for Domain Name Registration
- IONOS – Best for Affordable Shared Web Hosting
- WP Engine – Best for Managed WordPress Shared Web Hosting
- Weebly – Best for Ecommerce Businesses
- Zyro – Best for Affordable Website Building
Software
Pricing
Storage
Bandwidth
Backups
Uptime %
Customer Support
Starts at $3.95/month on an annual subscription
Unlimited
Unmetered
Automated daily backups
99.9%
24/7/365 support
Starts at $2.95/month on an annual subscription
50 GB on the Basic plan, all other plans have unlimited
Unmetered
Automated backups are included on the Choice Plus and Pro plans
99.98%
24/7 hosting support
Starts at $1.88/month on an annual subscription
20 GB on Stellar plan, unlimited on Stellar Plus plan, and 50 GB on Stellar Business plan
Unmetered
Twice a week
100%
24/7 live support
Starts at $0.50/month on an annual subscription
10 GB on Essential plan and unlimited on others
Unmetered
Automatic daily backups
99.9%
24/7 customer service
Starts at $25/month on an annual subscription
Starts at 10 GB storage on Startup plan
Starts at 50 GB/month on Startup plan
Automatic daily backups
99.95%
24/7 chat and phone support
Starts at $12/month on an annual subscription
Unlimited
Unmetered
Manual backups
99.97%
Live support 9 AM – 9 PM EST
Starts at $4.90/month on an annual subscription
Unlimited
Unmetered
Manual backups
99.99%
24/7 support team
HostGator: Best Overall Shared Web Hosting Services
Pricing: $3.95/month to $7.25/month on an annual subscription
HostGator is one of the largest web hosting service providers in the world and it specializes in shared web hosting services. Although HostGator has expanded to offer different types of hosting and even a drag and drop website builder, its shared web hosting is still effective for most businesses.
Why we chose it: HostGator is the best overall shared web hosting service provider because of its value pricing. This means that the features HostGator offers for its pricing packages surpasses all of its competitors. To learn more about its features and pricing, read our HostGator review.
- Unlimited storage space across all plans
- Unmetered bandwidth across all plans
- Premium free email marketing tools
- Dashboard can be confusing
- More expensive than other shared web hosts
- Slow customer support response times
Pricing:
HostGator carries three different shared web hosting plans:
- Hatchling – $3.95 per month for the first 12 months, then $8.95 per month
- Baby – $5 per month for the first 12 months, then $11.95 per month
- Business – $7.25 per month for the first 12 months, then $16.95 per month
HostGator’s main differentiating factor is how many features you get access to for an extremely affordable price point. On each of HostGator’s shared hosting plans, you receive unlimited storage space and unmetered bandwidth. Furthermore, HostGator provides a free SSL certificate on all of its plans.
Although HostGator offers month-to-month shared web hosting plans, it’s more affordable to signup for a longer-term subscription. With the Hatchling plan, you can host a single website and use HostGator’s one-click WordPress installation tool. HostGator also provides a free WordPress and cPanel website transfer.
With the Baby and Business plans, you are allowed to host unlimited websites. The Business plan also offers Cloudflare CDN with up to 2.5x faster page load times. This premium plan also grants you access to free SEO tools and a free dedicated IP address. You also receive $150 in Google Ads spend match credit and $100 in Microsoft Advertising credit on each plan.
Overall, you can’t go wrong when you choose to host your business’s website with HostGator. The 45-day money-back guarantee gives you enough time to test out the platform before completely committing to it.
Bluehost: Best for Beginner Friendly Shared Web Hosting Services
Pricing: $2.95/month to $13.95/month on an annual plan
Bluehost is another shared web hosting provider used by millions of users around the world. However, Bluehost is the best small business web host because of how easy it is to use and set up. When you sign up for Bluehost, you’ll have access to all the tools you need to get your company’s website off the ground. Each plan includes a free domain and SSL certificate.
Why we chose it: Bluehost is one of the best beginner-friendly shared web hosting service provider because it provides extensive guidance and help tools to set up your website.
- Heavily discounted first term
- Ample storage space
- Extensive onboarding features
- Bothersome marketing upsells
- Server speeds could use improvement
- Basic plan has limitations
Pricing:
Bluehost provides four unique shared web hosting pricing packages:
- Basic – $2.95 per month for the first 12 months, then $9.99 per month
- Plus – $5.45 per month for the first 12 months, then $14.99 per month
- Choice Plus – $5.45 per month for the first 12 months, then $18.99 per month
- Pro – $13.95 per month for the first 12 months, then $28.99 per month
Bluehost is the best web hosting solution for beginners setting up a website for the first time. If you’re on a limited budget and new to web hosting, Bluehost should be your go-to shared web hosting service.
The core features Bluehost offers are an all-in-one dashboard, fast and reliable performance, and a wide selection of themes and plugins. Furthermore, Bluehost offers comprehensive ecommerce and WordPress integrations.
Bluehost’s award-winning 24/7 customer support is always ready and able to answer all of your pending questions. Right from the get-go, Bluehost will hold your hand through the entire website setup process. This means zero web design and web hosting knowledge is required to make the most out of Bluehost.
The Basic plan comes with 50 GB of SSD storage and one website, which is more than enough for most small businesses and startups. Furthermore, every other plan comes with unlimited websites and unlimited storage. As your company grows, or if you want to start a new website, you can easily upgrade your plan.
Namecheap: Best Shared Web Hosting Services for Domain Name Registration
Pricing: $1.88/month to $4.98/month on an annual plan
Since its founding date in 2000, Namecheap has been a dominant player in the domain name registrar field. However, Namecheap also offers reliable shared web hosting services with an uptime score of 100%. This means that your website will potentially never encounter unforeseen downtime. Each Namecheap plan offers unmetered bandwidth and a free CDN.
Why we chose it: Namecheap is the best shared web hosting provider for domain name registration because this platform specializes in domain name registrar. Each hosting plan comes with steep discounts on a new domain name. If you’re interested in their services, check out our in-depth Namecheap review to learn more.
- 100% uptime guarantee
- Free 24-hour site migration services
- Affordable shared web hosting with many features
- Unpolished website builder
- High traffic and lower site speeds
- No phone support
Pricing:
Namecheap offers three shared hosting plans, depending on what your business needs:
- Stellar – $1.88 per month for the first 12 months, then $3.88 per month
- Stellar Plus – $2.98 per month for the first 12 months, then $5.88 per month
- Stellar Business – $4.98 per month for the first 12 months, then $9.88 per month
Widely used by many businesses around the world, Namecheap hosts over 1.5 million different websites. Namecheap is such a popular hosting provider because it offers affordable packages that contain all the features businesses need to get their websites up and running.
All of Namecheap’s shared hosting plans include unlimited bandwidth, a free domain and SSL certificate, and free backups. This means that your website’s privacy is secured, and your files are safe when you choose Namecheap as your shared web hosting provider.
Similar to Bluehost, Namecheap is also easy to configure and set up. As soon as you subscribe to Namecheap, you’ll receive an initial welcome email that guides you through everything you might need to know about website hosting.
To round things off, Namecheap is proven to offer above-average speeds compared to its competitors, making it an incredibly robust web host for those who want a more affordable hosting solution.
IONOS: Best for Affordable Shared Web Hosting
Pricing: $0.50/month to $8/month for the first 12 months
IONOS is a web hosting solution built for businesses on a strict budget. Each of IONOS’s plans are discounted for the first 12 months before returning to the regular price. This gives your company time to grow before paying full price. What’s interesting about IONOS is that the middle-tier plan, Business, offers unlimited storage while the top-tier plan, Expert, doesn’t.
Why we chose it: IONOS offers the most affordable shared web hosting plan available, which starts at $0.50 per month for the first 12 months. Here’s a complete IONOS review to help you decide if it’s the right choice.
- Access to a personal success consultant
- Most affordable shared web hosting service
- All-in-one website builder
- No free trial to test website builder
- Not the most beginner-friendly shared web host
- Only the top plan offers the fastest server speeds
Pricing:
IONOS features three different affordable pricing packages:
- Essential – $4 per month for the first 12 months, then $6 per month
- Business – $0.50 per month for the first 12 months, then $10 per month
- Expert – $8 per month for the first 12 months, then $16 per month
IONOS is the best web hosting service for those who need an affordable hosting solution right from the start. The Business plan is $0.50 per month for the first 12 months, giving your business ample time to grow and expand.
Each shared hosting plan from IONOS includes 99.9% uptime, SSL and DDoS protection, free backups, and PHP 8.1 with JIT compiler. You also get access to additional features such as a drag and drop website builder, online marketing tools, and WordPress hosting integration.
WP Engine: Best for Managed WordPress Shared Web Hosting
Pricing: $25/month to $241/month when paid annually
WP Engine is a powerful web hosting solution for businesses with WordPress websites. This web host features maximum reliability and robust security protocols among its extensive set of additional features. If you built your website on WordPress and want excellent performance for it, WP Engine is your best choice.
Why we chose it: WP Engine is the best shared web hosting service for WordPress websites because it offers development, staging, and production environments to optimize your website.
- All-in-one shared web hosting solution for WordPress websites
- Global server locations
- Outstanding customer service
- Only built for WordPress websites
- Visitor limits on all plans
- More expensive than other options
Pricing:
WP Engine carries five different pricing plan options:
- Startup – $25 per month when paid annually
- Professional – $49 per month when paid annually
- Growth – $96 per month when paid annually
- Scale – $241 per month when paid annually
- Custom – Inquire for pricing
WP Engine features reliable customer support, excellent uptime, and dedicated WordPress hosting services for all WordPress websites. Many businesses create their initial websites with WordPress, and WP Engine makes it easy to bring your website to life.
Every shared hosting plan WP Engine offers includes a content delivery network (CDN) for faster page load times. Speed is an essential factor for any website and WP Engine provides the fastest speeds found on shared web hosting plans.
WP Engine is specifically made for WordPress installations, plug-ins, and themes. If your company’s website isn’t built on WordPress, WP Engine isn’t the right solution for you. Read our WP Engine review to learn more.
Weebly: Best Shared Web Hosting for Ecommerce Businesses
Pricing: $12/month to $38/month when paid annually
4.9
Weebly is a popular web hosting service provider for ecommerce businesses because of its browser-based, drag and drop website editor. You can use the website builder to customize your entire ecommerce website from top to bottom. Weebly also gives you access to customizable email templates and various SEO and website statistics to track performance.
Why we chose it: Weebly offers all the features necessary to maintain your online store from one comprehensive platform. This is why Weebly is the best shared web hosting provider for ecommerce businesses.
- Impressive website speeds
- Customizable and responsive themes
- Affordable ecommerce shared web hosting solution
- Unreliable customer service
- Difficult to migrate to a new platform
- Exclusively for ecommerce businesses
Pricing:
Weebly offers three different plans for online stores:
- Pro – $12 per month when paid annually
- Business – $25 per month when paid annually
- Business Plus – $38 per month when paid annually
You can expect outstanding reliability and performance when you host your ecommerce website on Weebly. Weebly’s servers power millions of websites and pageviews per day and has a great track record as a shared web host.
All of Weebly’s hosting plans come with unlimited storage, a customizable shopping cart, and free SSL security. If you’re learning how to start an online store, you can use Weebly’s drag and drop website builder and its wide selection of store themes.
For even more convenience, you can use Weebly’s mobile app to build, manage, and edit your website through your mobile device. Additional ecommerce features include the ability to create a blog, make custom forms, and use SEO tools.
Zyro: Best Shared Web Hosting for Affordable Website Building
Pricing: $4.90/month to $18.90/month on a one-year plan
Zyro is a DIY website builder that offers an intuitive interface and robust tools that allow you to customize your website’s online presence. As such, Zyro’s main purpose is to be used as a website builder. A few of the tools it offers include an AI writer, AI background remover, AI slogan generator, and AI blog title generator.
Why we chose it: Zyro is the best shared web hosting provider for businesses that want to create a new website easily at an affordable price tag.
- Easy-to-use, drag and drop website builder
- Free SSL certificate
- Logo maker and AI powered tools
- No free tier
- Limited customizability
- Unreliable customer support
Pricing:
Zyro carries three different pricing packages:
- Website – $2.90 per month on a two-year plan, $4.90 per month on a one-year plan, or $8.99 per month regularly
- Business – $4.90 per month on a two-year plan, $6.90 per month on a one-year plan, or $11.49 per month regularly
- Advanced Store – $15.90 per month on a two-year plan, $18.90 per month on a one-year plan, or $25.90 per month regularly
Zyro is a website builder that comes with free shared web hosting services on each of its pricing packages. You can create any type of website with Zyro, including ecommerce stores. Although Zyro offers an impressive set of tools at an affordable price, we don’t recommend it for larger ecommerce stores. Weebly is a better shared web hosting service for big ecommerce stores.
One of the main advantages of Zyro is its ease of use. When you customize your website in Zyro’s drag and drop builder, a grid will appear. This makes it easy to position different elements like text and images. Zyro also integrates with Unsplash, a stock image website with millions of photos that you can use for free.
Methodology for the Best Shared Web Hosting Services
Selecting your web host is the first step of building an effective website for your business. Most shared web hosting services provide a similar set of features, and differentiating them can be confusing and difficult. There are a few criteria to consider when choosing the best shared web hosting services for your business.
Budget
Since you’re looking for the best shared web hosting service provider, it’s fair to say that pricing is a key factor to consider. Luckily, shared web hosting is the most affordable type of hosting available, and each service provider offers inexpensive basic plans. However, there are some shared web hosts that are more affordable than others.
Speed
Speed is a critical factor to consider when selecting a web hosting provider. You don’t want to pick a shared web host that has a track record of slow servers and response times. Poor loading times ruin the user experience of your website and can heavily impact your company’s bottom line. In fact, load page speed directly contributes to bounce rate; the longer the load time, the higher the bounce rate.
Usability
Not many individuals have an extensive amount of experience and knowledge with web hosting. Therefore, it’s essential to find a web host that’s easy to use and has an intuitive dashboard. You also need a shared web host that provides reliable customer support when you need help. This way, you can immediately troubleshoot problems when they arise.
Backups and Storage Space
Backing up your website is a critical task to complete to prevent a significant loss of data if something were to happen to your website. This is why you need a web hosting solution that offers backups. Furthermore, it’s important to choose a web host that provides ample storage space to hold all your business’s data and assets.
Reliability
Reliability is a core component of the web hosting services. Web hosts with a history of downtime should be avoided at all costs. Website downtime causes your company to lose potential customers and revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Shared Web Hosting
Below are a few of the most common questions surrounding shared web hosting services.
Bottom Line on Shared Web Hosting
The best shared web hosting services offer a premium set of features at an affordable price. HostGator, Bluehost, and Namecheap are the best shared web hosting service providers because they make it easy to get your company’s website up and running.
Larry is a finance graduate and entrepreneur who loves educating others on various business software through his own experiences. Larry loves to write about all topics, from fashion editorials to tax advice. On his days off, you can find him at a basketball court or gym working up a sweat.
