1. Hostinger
- Quite affordable
- SSL included
- Lots of disk space
- Quality custom control panel
- Data centers in seven countries
- Doesn't have the power for the most demanding websites
- Weekly backups only with the cheapest shared plans
- Limited SSD storage
Hostinger, a well-established name in the hosting market, offers a variety of hosting plans to meet different users' needs. Our attention was piqued by their shared hosting plan, known for its affordability and a solid set of features. After thoroughly testing and analyzing the service, here's our comprehensive review.
Affordability
Hostinger stands out for its exceptionally affordable shared hosting plans. The basic plan starts at just $1.99 per month, making it an accessible option even for those on a tight budget. The plan supports a single website, with 100GB bandwidth and 30GB disk space, which is a generous offer considering the price. For users needing more resources, the $2.79 plan offers support for up to 100 websites, unlimited bandwidth, and a substantial 200GB disk space. The value-for-money proposition with Hostinger's pricing is evident, making it a compelling choice for startups and small businesses.
Performance and Power
Despite the low prices, Hostinger doesn't skimp on performance. The premium $3.99 plan comes with four times the processing power and memory, a significant boost for websites requiring more resources. The provider's servers are spread across seven data centers around the globe, which ensures minimal latency and contributes to a seamless user experience.
However, it's important to note that Hostinger might not be the best fit for highly demanding websites requiring intensive resources, as indicated by their disk space limitation compared to some competitors. Still, for most average to moderately sized websites, Hostinger's shared hosting should more than suffice.
Security and Backup
Security features are an integral part of Hostinger's shared hosting. All plans include a free SSL certificate – a crucial component in today's security-conscious online environment. Additionally, Cloudflare protection adds an extra layer of defense against online threats.
On the backup front, weekly backups are included with the most inexpensive plans. While daily backups would have been a more reassuring offer, the included option still provides a safety net for users. For those who require daily backups, Hostinger includes this feature in their higher-tier plans, further solidifying its comprehensive offering.
User-Friendly Interface and Support
One of the standout features of Hostinger's shared hosting is the quality custom control panel. This intuitive interface allows even the most novice users to navigate and control their hosting environment efficiently.
Support is another area where Hostinger shines. They offer 24/7 support to ensure any issues or concerns are addressed promptly, and a 99.90% uptime guarantee is a testament to their commitment to keeping your website accessible.
2. Domain.com
- Good performance levels
- High-quality control panel
- Exclusive discount
- Unlimited storage
- Below average speeds
- Limited control panels and 1-click installer
Established nearly two decades ago, Domain.com has carved out a significant niche in the hosting market. Offering services across both Linux and Windows servers, this veteran provider claims to power over 1.2 million websites worldwide. Our attention was drawn to their shared hosting services, and we've put it through its paces to offer a comprehensive review.
Pricing and Value
Domain.com's basic shared hosting plan comes at an attractive $2.82 per month (applying the code TECHRADAR at checkout) on an annual contract. Notably, the pricing does not decrease with longer-term contracts, which deviates from common industry practices. The basic plan includes unlimited storage for a single website and a free Let’s Encrypt SSL – a commendable bundle for the price.
If you're looking to host multiple websites, you'll need to upgrade to the Deluxe plan, starting at $6.75 per month. Premium tech support, however, is only available with the higher tier Ultra plan. The absence of a monthly subscription and discounts for longer-term contracts might deter some users, but the robust features offered provide value for the investment.
User Experience and Control Panel
One of the highlights of Domain.com's shared hosting is their customized vDeck control panel. The panel is intuitively designed and packed with potent features, offering experienced users plenty to explore. The learning curve might be slightly steep for beginners, but the control panel's powerful functionality compensates for this.
Support and Uptime
Basic support is readily available and bolstered by a high-quality online knowledge base, making troubleshooting and problem-solving relatively straightforward. On the downside, premium tech support is only accessible to Ultra plan users, which might be a drawback for some.
Domain.com's uptime guarantee stands at an impressive 99.99%, backed by 24/7 network monitoring. Our review found that Domain.com indeed offered solid performance levels, contributing to a reliable hosting experience.
Limitations
Despite its strengths, Domain.com's shared hosting does come with some limitations. Their website builder, a tool often included for free by competitors, is provided as a separate paid service. This could increase the overall cost for users wanting to leverage a website builder.
Conclusion
In summary, Domain.com offers a balanced shared hosting service, aligning reasonable pricing with a decent set of features. While it doesn't necessarily excel in any specific category when compared to competitors, the service delivers a satisfactory performance. The absence of monthly plans and free website builder might deter some users, but the solid uptime, user-friendly control panel, and overall reliability make Domain.com a viable option to consider. The 30-day money-back guarantee adds to the risk-free proposition, allowing users to test the service confidently.
3. HostGator
- Plenty of choice
- Marked lack of annoying limits
- cPanel hosting management
- Advanced features
- ecommerce support available
- Some downtime during the review
- US-only data centers
With a well-established reputation in the web hosting space, HostGator offers various hosting plans designed to cater to a range of user needs. In particular, their shared hosting service has gained significant traction among budget-conscious beginners and small businesses. Here's a detailed review of their shared hosting offering.
Pricing and Commitment
HostGator shines in the affordability department, with the cheapest shared hosting plan priced at just $2.64 per month on a 36-month commitment. For those seeking a shorter commitment, the same plan is available at $3.58 per month on an annual contract. It's noteworthy that the cheapest rates apply to longer term commitments, meaning a certain level of investment is required upfront to benefit from the best savings.
Features and Flexibility
The appeal of HostGator's shared hosting isn't just limited to its budget-friendly pricing. Even the basic plan offers an impressive range of features such as unlimited bandwidth, web space, and email accounts. In addition, they offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, assuring a reliable hosting experience.
The Hatchling plan, ideal for a single website, provides 10GB of disk space, unmetered bandwidth, one-click app installs, and a free domain for the first year. Email and chat support are also included, ensuring assistance is available around the clock.
If you're looking to upgrade, the Baby plan introduces advanced features like $500 worth of Google ads and $100 Microsoft advertising credits. The eCommerce plan steps it up even further with additions like Cloudflare CDN, a dedicated IP address, Positive SSL upgrade, SEO tools, and professional website migration services.
Ease of Use and Support
HostGator's intuitive interface simplifies setup and ongoing management of your website. Their cPanel control panel is user-friendly and comprehensive, making website management a breeze even for beginners.
In terms of customer support, HostGator generally delivers prompt and effective assistance. However, it's worth noting that their web help forums aren't moderated by the company itself, which might impact the quality of peer support.
Performance
Our tests found that HostGator offers better than average performance in terms of site loading times. This robust performance, combined with their excellent uptime guarantee, ensures your website remains accessible and responsive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, HostGator's shared hosting is a commendable choice for those seeking budget-friendly hosting without compromising on features and performance. While the requirement for a long-term commitment to access the cheapest rates might be a deterrent for some, the host's range of features, solid performance, and 30-day money-back guarantee make it a risk-free and worthwhile consideration.
4. ScalaHosting
- Plenty of features even in the cheapest plans
- Low cost plans
- Offers NVMe SSD storage
- Helpful ticket and live chat support
- No telephone support
- Shared hosting speeds are fractionally below average
Established in the web hosting arena, ScalaHosting has managed to carve out a space for itself through the delivery of high-quality services packed with essential features. This review provides an in-depth look at ScalaHosting's shared hosting service, evaluating its offerings from pricing to performance and everything in between.
Pricing and Value
Starting with the Mini shared hosting plan, ScalaHosting offers unmetered bandwidth, free SSL certificates, a 1-click installer, unlimited emails and databases, and daily offsite backups for a single website. This makes it an excellent entry point for newcomers looking for a simple and reliable hosting service.
However, ScalaHosting doesn't stop at the basics. More advanced plans come with a free domain, real-time malware protection, and support for unlimited websites. For those who demand the best, the Entry Cloud plan is the cream of the crop, providing the highest levels of speed, security, and additional privacy features.
Ease of Use and Support
One of ScalaHosting's standout qualities is its user-friendly setup process. This straightforward approach, coupled with the inclusion of essential add-ons, makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
In addition, ScalaHosting offers a website migration service at no additional cost. This service allows customers to migrate all their websites to a new server by choosing a date and time that suits their needs. This thoughtful addition enhances the overall user experience and simplifies the transition process.
Performance and Reliability
ScalaHosting's shared hosting service excels in performance, courtesy of its NVMe SSD storage housed in its New York data center. This innovative technology provides faster website speeds compared to traditional SATA SSDs.
Furthermore, ScalaHosting uses LiteSpeed web server technology and a proprietary SShield security system, ensuring fast, reliable, and secure performance. The host also provides a 99.9% uptime guarantee, underlining its commitment to delivering a reliable hosting experience.
Conclusion
ScalaHosting's shared hosting service impresses with its robust feature set, user-friendly approach, and competitive pricing, making it a solid choice for businesses of all sizes. The availability of an anytime money-back guarantee for unused time further demonstrates the company's confidence in its offerings and commitment to customer satisfaction.
Overall, ScalaHosting's shared hosting service strikes a winning balance between quality, performance, and price. Whether you're a beginner setting up your first site or a seasoned pro seeking a reliable and feature-rich host, ScalaHosting is a provider worth considering.
5. InMotion Hosting
- Excellent performance
- Great tech support
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Wide range of features
- Powerful cPanel management Softaculous auto-installer
- US data centers only
- No backups included with shared hosting plans
- No uptime guarantee
InMotion is a reputed name in the web hosting industry, known for its high-quality services suitable for businesses and individual users alike. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of InMotion's shared hosting services, highlighting its offerings, pricing, and performance.
Pricing and Value
InMotion's shared hosting plans start at a budget-friendly price of $2.29 per month. What sets InMotion apart is its approach to value-added features—many of which other providers charge extra for—are included in its plans. These features include hack and DDoS protection, a system of basic backups, and a WordPress website builder.
InMotion provides an array of shared hosting plans, each clearly outlined on their website. The straightforward presentation of its services simplifies the comparison process, enabling users to make an informed decision more easily.
Ease of Use and Support
InMotion's user-friendly interface and intuitive control panel streamline the process of managing websites and domains. It offers cPanel and Softaculous-powered hosting, providing users with access to numerous applications and tools.
InMotion's support team provides excellent technical assistance, ensuring users get help when they need it. The company's commitment to customer service complements its robust hosting solutions, contributing to a smooth user experience.
Performance and Reliability
InMotion Hosting boasts high-performance servers powered by SSD storage and advanced caching technology, leading to fast and reliable website loading speeds. Its free Content Delivery Network (CDN) integration optimizes website performance for visitors worldwide, contributing to an improved user experience and potentially better SEO rankings.
Features and Add-Ons
InMotion's shared hosting plans come loaded with features that provide excellent value for money. These include free SSL certificates, unlimited bandwidth, ample storage, a comprehensive security suite, marketing tools, and automated backups.
Conclusion
InMotion's shared hosting offers a comprehensive solution that combines affordability, feature-rich packages, and robust performance. Whether you're an individual user or a growing business, InMotion's shared hosting service is a worthy contender in the hosting market. A 90-day money-back guarantee further instills confidence in their services, offering a risk-free way for users to test out their hosting plans.
Overall, InMotion's shared hosting service stands out for its solid performance, an extensive range of features, and exceptional value for money, making it a top choice for anyone seeking reliable web hosting.
6. SiteGround
- Lots of nifty features
- Great tech support
- Lots of custom low-level speedup technologies
- Powerful cloud hosting
- Limited amount of web space
- No free domain
- Shared hosting prices shoot up after the first term
SiteGround is a recognized name in the web hosting landscape, offering a range of solutions tailored to different user needs. This review will delve into the specifics of SiteGround's shared hosting service, examining its pricing structure, feature set, performance, and overall value proposition.
Pricing and Value
SiteGround's shared hosting plans start at $3.99 per month for the initial term, renewing at $14.99. While these prices may be somewhat higher than some budget competitors, the plans include numerous core features that other hosts may charge for as add-ons. Such features include unlimited traffic, email accounts, databases, and one-click installation of apps like WordPress, not to mention extras like daily backups and CDN capabilities via Cloudflare.
The pricing might seem steep to some users, but it's essential to consider that SiteGround offers a substantial return on investment, particularly for business users with demanding or high-traffic websites.
Features and Add-Ons
SiteGround's StartUp plan supports a single website and offers a broad feature set, including unmetered traffic, free SSL, daily backups, and free email, among others. It allows up to 10,000 visits monthly. The more advanced GrowBig and GoGeek plans support unlimited websites and provide additional web space, allowing for 100,000 and 400,000 monthly visits, respectively. These plans also include on-demand backup copies and 30% faster PHP, among other advanced features.
One standout feature is SiteGround's SuperCacher system, which caches frequently accessed data in RAM to improve site performance. This feature could significantly benefit high-traffic websites.
Ease of Use and Support
SiteGround offers a shopping cart installation of your choice, free of charge. Additional free features such as SSL and daily backups add value to the offering. A website-building option using WordPress or Weebly is also included in all plans, making it easy for beginners to get their website up and running.
The customer support experience via the company's knowledge base could use some improvement, but other support channels offer more reliable assistance.
Conclusion
While SiteGround's shared hosting plans might be pricier than some competitors, they offer a rich array of features and robust performance, which could be an excellent choice for users prioritizing quality service over the lowest possible price. The range of plans ensures scalability, allowing users to upgrade as their website grows. Overall, SiteGround offers a compelling shared hosting service that, despite the higher cost, delivers excellent value for money.
7. iPage
- Unlimited web space, domains, databases
- Simple website builder is provided
- 24/7 telephone and live chat support
- Low pricing
- No monthly billing on some plans
- Many underpowered products
- US-only data centers
iPage is a well-known player in the hosting landscape, known for its budget-friendly pricing and simplicity. This review focuses on iPage's shared hosting plan, exploring its features, pricing, performance, and suitability for various users.
Pricing and Value
iPage stands out for its affordability, with prices starting at just $1.99 per month for its basic shared hosting plan, making it an appealing choice for budget-conscious users or beginners. However, the plan's simplicity also means it lacks upgrade options, which could be a drawback for growing websites needing more resources or advanced features.
Features and Add-Ons
Despite its low price, iPage's shared hosting plan includes a host of attractive features. Users get unlimited web space, bandwidth, email addresses, MySQL databases, and even domains, offering great value for money.
In addition to these core features, iPage offers a drag-and-drop page builder, making it easy for users to design their websites. It also provides a basic shared SSL certificate, adding a layer of security to websites hosted with them.
Ease of Use and Support
iPage's hosting plan is straightforward, making it a suitable choice for beginners. Features like easy WordPress installation and a website builder can be particularly helpful for those who are new to website creation and management.
While iPage offers quality tech support via live chat and email, other support avenues are somewhat weaker.
Performance and Limitations
iPage provides a reliable performance level considering its price point, but it might not meet the needs of larger websites or heavy-duty projects. The plan lacks free backups, an essential feature for any website, and its hosting management tools could be improved. The interface and control panel, while simple to use, lack some features and can feel somewhat awkward.
Moreover, users should be aware that iPage does not offer free migration, a service many other hosts provide.
Conclusion
Overall, iPage's shared hosting service is an affordable, beginner-friendly solution. It's packed with features that provide excellent value for its low cost. However, the lack of upgrade options and certain limitations, like the absence of free backups, make it less suitable for large business websites or projects needing high-speed and reliability. If you're seeking a budget-friendly option for a smaller, lower-traffic website, iPage's shared hosting service might be a suitable choice.
8. IONOS
- Low pricing
- Easy-to-use
- SSL included across-the-board
- Daily backups
- Ten data centers in USA and Europe
- Awkward non-standard control panel
- Few introductory discounts
- No free migration
IONOS is one of the heavyweights in the global web hosting scene, known for its comprehensive range of services and competitive pricing. Based in Germany, IONOS is particularly dominant in Europe but has a significant presence worldwide. This review delves into the details of IONOS's shared hosting offerings.
Pricing and Value
IONOS kicks off its shared hosting pricing at a highly competitive $1 per month for the first year (VAT excluded), making it a compelling choice for those seeking budget-friendly hosting options. The price point, coupled with the array of features and freebies offered, delivers remarkable value to its customers.
Features and Add-Ons
IONOS's shared hosting plans are generous, offering a host of complimentary services. For starters, all plans come with a free domain and SSL certificates, providing an essential layer of security for all hosted websites.
Furthermore, IONOS provides free access to web design software (NetObjects Fusion 2013), helping users create professional-looking websites without extensive coding knowledge. This feature could be particularly advantageous for those new to website creation or small businesses without dedicated web design resources.
Also notable is IONOS's provision of 24/7 phone and email support, a comprehensive graphics archive, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, offering a safety net for users wishing to test their services.
Reliability and Performance
IONOS employs a transparent replication method known as geo-redundancy. This strategy aims to increase data availability and site reliability by duplicating your data and storing it in different locations. This strategy can increase your site's resilience against data loss or outages.
With a formidable 300Gbps network connectivity, IONOS promises impressive speed and performance levels for its shared hosting services.
Support and Consultation
In a unique touch, IONOS offers a free personal consultant to its shared hosting users. This service can provide invaluable guidance for customers, particularly those less experienced with web hosting, and adds a personal touch to their support services.
Conclusion
IONOS's shared hosting services stand out for their competitive pricing, a broad range of features, and robust performance. The inclusion of a free personal consultant sets them apart in the market, providing additional value. While their services might seem bewilderingly vast to some, the overall quality and value provided by IONOS's shared hosting make it a contender worth considering in the hosting landscape.
9. Namecheap
- Temptingly low prices
- Helpful support
- Softaculous application installer
- Quality control panel and hosting tools
- Price spike upon renewal
- Stripped-down dashboard
- Some plans ask for a $1-a-month premium to use non-US data centers
Namecheap, as its name suggests, is renowned for its competitively priced web hosting services. Yet, low cost does not equate to low quality. The value-packed shared hosting plans from Namecheap offer an impressive suite of features. This review aims to explore the specifics of what Namecheap brings to the table.
Pricing and Value
Namecheap takes the lead in the budget-friendly web hosting category. Its starter ‘value' plan, offering 20GB of drive space and 30 email accounts, can be procured for as low as $1.44 per month over a 2-year contract. Despite its affordability, the plan delivers commendable value for money. The ‘value' plan is suitable for hosting up to three websites, surpassing the industry norm of single-site support for entry-level plans.
Features and Add-Ons
Namecheap's shared hosting plans include several noteworthy add-ons. Every plan offers unmetered bandwidth, a free domain name and privacy protection, free automated SSL installation, and a 24-hour website migration service.
The company employs Softaculous, which automates the installation, updating, and maintenance of WordPress and over 150 other applications. It's a valuable feature for users who wish to easily manage various applications.
Namecheap equips users with cPanel for full control of their websites via their browser. This robust control panel is a favorite in the hosting industry due to its versatility and user-friendliness. Additionally, all plans include at least twice-weekly backups, while advanced plans offer automatic backups for enhanced data security.
Reliability and Performance
Namecheap provides a 99.9% connectivity guarantee, underlining its commitment to reliability. In practice, this commitment manifests in above-average loading speeds compared to its rivals, as our testing showed. Fast loading speeds enhance user experience and can contribute to improved SEO rankings.
Support and Ease of Use
For users new to web hosting, Namecheap offers a smooth, hassle-free setup process. The initial welcome email provides clear directions, and their extensive FAQs offer further assistance. For more complex queries, Namecheap offers a comprehensive, searchable knowledge base. The support, coupled with the user-friendly nature of their service, makes Namecheap an excellent choice for both beginners and seasoned website owners.
Conclusion
Namecheap's shared hosting service offers exceptional value for money, combining affordability with a broad range of features. With reliable performance, superior customer support, and easy-to-use tools, Namecheap represents a robust choice for those seeking cost-effective web hosting without compromising on quality.
10. UK2
- Diverse range of plans
- Above average performance
- High quality support
- 30-day-refund policy for selected plans
- One-click installer with most plans
- The knowledgebase could be optimized
- UK-only data center
Based in London, UK2 is a hosting provider that's making its mark in the global web hosting market. It provides a robust range of services, backed by an impressive infrastructure of more than 200 servers worldwide. This review will examine UK2's shared hosting offerings in detail.
Pricing and Value
UK2 offers its shared hosting package starting from an appealing price point of $1.35 for the first month, before settling to a regular rate of $5.5 per month, excluding VAT. For a hosting plan that features unlimited emails, bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, a dedicated IP, and a free domain, this constitutes exceptional value.
Features and Add-Ons
UK2's shared hosting packages are feature-rich. All plans include a free domain, unlimited Wildcard SSL certificates for enhanced site security, daily backups, unlimited 10GB mailboxes, and access to over 400 one-click apps.
Their starter plan supports one website, offering 10GB of storage and 10 databases. Meanwhile, the Pro plan can support up to 10 websites, and the Enterprise plan accommodates unlimited websites, both with unlimited storage and databases.
UK2 also offers free migration and the industry-standard cPanel for easy app management and backups. Moreover, thanks to its partnership with Softaculous, UK2 users can quickly set up their preferred platform, like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla, with a simple one-click installation.
Reliability and Performance
UK2 promises an impressive uptime of 99.995%. The company's confidence in its reliability and performance is backed by a robust infrastructure of servers distributed worldwide, demonstrating its global reach despite being UK-based.
Support and Ease of Use
UK2 shines in its customer support. It offers 24/7 UK-based phone support on a freephone number, ensuring help is just a call away. The company also ensures transparency, with no hidden charges or setup fees, and provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, reinforcing its commitment to customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
UK2's shared hosting services offer a compelling blend of affordability, rich features, and dependable performance. With its excellent customer support and impressive infrastructure, UK2 is a solid choice for anyone seeking a reliable UK-based shared hosting provider. From individuals starting their first website to businesses seeking to expand their online presence, UK2's shared hosting offerings stand as a strong contender in the market.
