If you run your own WordPress website, you know how crucial web hosting is to your site’s performance and overall health. In this article, we’ll share our thoughts on the best web hosting services for WordPress and help you decide which one will work best for your website, based on your needs and budget. Whether you need reliable hosting at an affordable price or want access to all of the bells and whistles that come with some of the pricier options, we’ve got you covered! Check out our list of the 10 best web hosting services for WordPress below, followed by detailed reviews of each one.
1) Fast servers
Because your site will be loading pretty quickly, you’ll have more time to interact with users. In fact, recent reports indicate that 53% of internet users won’t wait more than 3 seconds for a page to load. Faster hosting can have an impact on your search engine rankings as well: Google has stated that they now use page-load speed as a ranking factor in their algorithm. Having faster servers also makes it easier to run analytics, which means you can take better advantage of SEO.
2) Speed up your website with best web hosting services
Choosing web hosting is a crucial step in starting a new website, and is something you really should think through carefully. There are many different types of services out there, and most people will tell you that having your site hosted on a local server (rather than in the cloud) is best. This can be more cost-effective, faster and safer for your site’s visitors. As we’ve discussed before, go big or go home is usually a good rule of thumb when choosing a provider—you don’t want to skimp on speed or bandwidth!
3) They have to have plugins
Not all web hosts support every plugin, and with thousands of options out there—including basic ones like Akismet, as well as more advanced ones like Yoast SEO—it’s not realistic to expect that all web hosts will have all plugins. However, it’s still a good idea to start looking at your prospective hosts from a plugin standpoint. If you intend to heavily customize your site, then you should be sure that you’re working with a host that supports plugins in general.
4) Good support in best website hosting
There are tons of web hosting companies out there, but not all of them offer support around your WordPress sites. If you’re running a business or want to be seen as a serious blogger, you should pick a host that has 24/7 support available over live chat and phone lines. Most hosting providers will either offer dedicated (24/7) support or at least have agents that work in shifts. That way, if you ever have an urgent question about your site, someone will always be on hand to help!
5) Free trials
There are several companies that offer free trials, which is a great way to test out your options. Bluehost offers a free domain and web hosting setup that can be canceled at any time (they’ll even let you keep your domain name). WP Engine provides an unrestricted 30-day trial, so you can start small and scale up if you need to.
6) Good documentation
A key aspect of your best web hosting provider will be ease of use. You want an online interface that’s clean and intuitive. Be sure to look at what kind of on-screen documentation is provided by each service, as well. Your host should make it easy to know how to install and update WordPress, find themes and plugins, and troubleshoot any issues that come up. A 24/7 chat option will also help if you run into problems at odd hours.
7) Security
One of the most important parts of hosting a WordPress site is keeping it secure. Some web hosts will add a free SSL certificate to your site, but you may need to upgrade to their more expensive plans if you want unlimited domains and other advanced features. Just make sure that whatever plan you choose has all of these essential security features.
8) Free domain name
Many people think that when you host a website, you need to buy your own domain name. This isn’t necessarily true. You may be able to get a free domain name from your hosting company if you sign up with them for more than one year, although there are other restrictions as well.
9) 24/7 customer support
Having a web host that offers 24/7 customer support is imperative to your site’s security and performance. No matter what time of day it is, you should always be able to reach a member of your host’s team in case you need assistance. Companies with round-the-clock support will also have more knowledgeable staff at their disposal. This translates into fewer issues as well as reduced downtime for your website.
10) File transfer protocol (FTP) access
FTP is a network protocol used to transfer files from one computer to another, over a TCP-based network such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and uses separate control (command) and data connections between computers. The control connection carries commands, such as GET, PUT, DELETE, and LIST that determine what actions are to be taken on remote files in relation to your computer.
Best web hosting for beginners
if you’re new to web hosting, start with InMotion. It’s one of our favorite hosting companies overall, and among our favorites for WordPress users. They offer excellent service at an affordable price—you can get started with a shared plan for as little as $3.95 per month—and have streamlined their installation process specifically to make it easier on those using WordPress.
The Top 5 Best Web Hosting Providers
Best Web Hosting Services for WordPress
Hostinger
Bluehost
DreamHost
Hostgator
GreenGeeks