Web hosting services

What web hosting services do

A web hosting company rents you space on a server connected to the internet. Your website's files, database and email live there, and the host keeps the server running, secure and backed up. Most hosting plans also include a free SSL certificate, a control panel, one-click WordPress installs and often a domain for the first year.

The difference between hosting companies shows up in speed, uptime, support quality and, above all, what you pay after the first term. Introductory prices are low across the industry, and renewal prices are often several times higher.

Types of hosting plans, from shared to dedicated server

• Shared hosting puts many websites on one server. It is the cheapest option and suits small business sites, blogs and portfolios with modest traffic.
• Managed WordPress hosting is tuned for WordPress, with automatic updates, caching, staging sites and support that knows WordPress well.
• VPS hosting gives you a slice of a server with guaranteed resources, for growing sites that need more control.
• Cloud hosting runs your site across several servers, so resources can scale with traffic. Many managed hosts now run on cloud infrastructure.
• Dedicated hosting gives you a whole server, for large or demanding sites with a technical team.
• Reseller hosting lets agencies and freelancers host client sites under their own brand.

Key feature checklist, from performance to security

• Performance. Server type, caching, a CDN and data centre locations near your visitors.
• Uptime. Look for an uptime guarantee and what the host offers if it misses it.
• Security. Free SSL, malware scanning, firewalls and automatic backups you can restore yourself.
• Developer tools. Staging, SSH, Git and WP-CLI matter if you or your developer make changes regularly.
• Email and domain. Check whether mailboxes and a domain are included, and for how long.
• Limits. Number of websites, storage, bandwidth and visits allowed on each plan.

Customer support from your hosting service

When a site goes down, support matters more than any feature. Check whether the host offers 24/7 live chat or phone support, how quickly it answers, and whether the team can fix WordPress problems or only server issues. Read recent customer reviews about support response times, migrations and billing, as service quality can change after a host is sold or restructured.

WordPress hosting or a website builder

Most web hosting services support WordPress, and many now add a website builder or AI builder for people who do not want to manage WordPress. If you would rather have design, hosting and domain in one paid plan without looking after a server, a hosted website builder may suit you better. Our website builders hub covers that route.

Hosting for agencies and professional developers

Agencies and developers hosting many client sites need different things from a single business owner. Look for plans that allow many sites, client billing or reseller options, staging for every site, SSH and Git access, and the ability to give clients their own logins. Professional web hosting for agencies often costs more per month but saves hours of admin across a portfolio of sites. Check how easy it is to move a single site out if a client leaves.

Comparing web hosting companies

Most hosting companies advertise similar features, so compare them on the things that are harder to fake: renewal prices, the support team's knowledge, backup and restore options, and how the company has treated customers after price rises or acquisitions. An affordable intro price is only a good deal if the web hosting service is still affordable at renewal and the support is there when you need it. Recent customer reviews and the host's own status page history are useful checks.

Domain names

Your domain is the address people type to reach your site. Many providers include a free domain for the first year, then charge the normal renewal rate. Keeping the domain at a separate registrar makes moving to new hosting plans easier later. If you want a brandable name with a matching .com, a premium domain marketplace such as Atom lists names for sale alongside new registrations.

Hosting pricing, renewals and lifetime deals

The headline price for web hosting is almost always an introductory rate that needs a long term paid upfront. Our SiteGround and Hostinger reviews both note renewal prices several times the first-term rate. Before you buy, work out the cost over three years, including renewal, domain and any paid backups or email.

Lifetime hosting deals exist, but hosting has real running costs, so a one-off price for unlimited hosting deserves extra caution. Read how to evaluate a SaaS lifetime deal before buying one, and keep your own backups.

Best web host for each kind of site

• Hostinger suits beginners and small sites on a tight budget who can pay upfront for a long term.
• SiteGround suits small businesses wanting managed WordPress hosting with good tools and 24/7 support.
• Levamo (formerly Rapyd Cloud) suits busy WooCommerce, membership and course sites that have outgrown cheap shared hosting.
• Atom suits founders choosing a brand name and premium domain.

How we review web hosting services

Our reviews are research based. We read each host's pricing and renewal terms, documentation, changelog and what customers report, then score it against the same criteria as every other product. How we score explains the method, and every deal on this page is checked against the seller's live price.