Best Cheap Web Hosting Services Of 2024
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Website hosting and upkeep can be costly, but there are plenty of reliable, budget-friendly options available. In this guide, we’ll feature the best cheap web hosting services in 2024.
Forbes Advisor compared the best web hosting providers and found 10 great options that balance performance with affordability. If budget isn’t an issue, check out our guide to the best web hosting services overall.
- Featured Partners
- Best Cheap Web Hosting Of 2024
- 10 Cheapest Web Hosting Providers
- MilesWeb
- GoDaddy
- Hostinger
- BigRock
- BlueHost
- A2 Hosting
- Namecheap
- InMotion Hosting
- Interserver
- MochaHost
- Comparison of Cheapest Web Hosting Services
- Best Cheap Hosting Service Runner-Ups
- Methodology: How We Select Cheap Web Hosting Services
- How To Choose the Best Cheap Web Host
- Premium Vs. Cheap/Affordable Web Hosts
- What Does Web Hosting Cost?
- Promotional vs. Renewal Costs
- How To Reduce Your Hosting Cost
- Paid Hosting Alternative: Consider a Website Builder
- Next Up In Business
Featured Partners
1
Bluehost
Price per month
INR 169 onwards
Features
Affordable hosting plan, free domain name, free CDN, free SSL
Storage and bandwidth
Unmetered bandwidth, SSD storage starts at 10GB
2
DreamHost
Starting at
INR 216/month ($2.59)
Extras and Inclusions
Free automated WordPress migrations, free domain and SSL certificate, fast SSD storage
Uptime guarantee
100%
3
IONOS Web Hosting
Price starts from
INR 334 ($4) per month
Storage
25 GB of SSD storage
Extras and inclusions
Free domain, free SSL certificate, daily backups, one email account
4
Hostinger
Price
INR 69/month
Features
Unlimited free SSL, free domain and email
Money Back Guarantee
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Best Cheap Web Hosting Of 2024
- MilesWeb: Best and cheapest hosting overall
- GoDaddy: Best cheap hosting for beginners
- Hostinger: Best affordable hosting with an easy website builder
- BigRock: Best affordable hosting for existing sites
- Bluehost: Best and cheap hosting for peace of mind
- A2 Hosting: Cheap hosting for a single site
- Namecheap: Cheap hosting for multiple sites
- InMotion Hosting: Best cheap hosting for shared hosting
- Interserver: Best for unlimited email accounts
- MochaHost: Cheap web hosting with monthly pricing
10 Cheapest Web Hosting Providers
BEST AND CHEAPEST HOSTING OVERALL
MilesWeb
Introductory Price
INR 60 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
50GB NVMe storage, free SSL certificate, daily backup, 1-click installation, malware scanner, etc.
Introductory Price
INR 60 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
50GB NVMe storage, free SSL certificate, daily backup, 1-click installation, malware scanner, etc.
MilesWeb is a homegrown website hosting company with servers located in India, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Singapore, Canada, and Australia. The web hosting service is best for entrepreneurs who are already web-savvy and don’t need a lot of support to get their business online. Their lowest-tier plan starts at INR 60 per month for three years and offers free email, unmetered bandwidth, one-click WordPress installation, and migration. You also get a free SSL certificate, which is required for any website that accepts payments.
The company guarantees server uptime of 99.95% and 24/7/365 support via phone and online chat. One of the best features that sets it apart from its competition is its VPS plan, which is designed to serve the developer’s unique and high-end hosting needs.
Miles Web Pricing
- Shared Hosting: MilesWeb’s lowest plan is Ignite, which starts at INR 60 per month for a 3-year plan after applying an 80% discount on the original price. There’s also an Elite plan at INR 121 per month and INR 248 per month, which vary according to the number of websites for hosting, storage, support for WooCommerce, and enhanced DDoS protection, among other features.
- WooCommerce Hosting: The e-commerce plan for WordPress sites is built on a cloud-based platform with the lowest-tier plan starting at INR 248 per month for a 3-year plan, with 200 GB NVMe storage, 3 GB RAM, unmetered bandwidth. It comes with a managed WooCommerce plan, with support for multiple payment solutions and security upgrades such as a vulnerability scanner.
- VPS: Six plans are available for virtual private server (VPS) hosting, categorized to serve the unique requirements of web admins and developers. Customers can choose from managed and unmanaged VPS plans, a Windows VPS plan with remote assistance, and a Forex VPS plan for efficiently carrying out trading activities, among others. These plans start from INR 450 to INR 650 per month for a 3-year hosting tenure.
Customer Support
With MilesWeb, you can access customer support 24/7, its knowledge base, and step-by-step interactive tutorials. Support is available via live chat, ticket, and phone.
Server Uptime
MochaHost has a 100% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
Web-savvy entrepreneurs who don’t need a lot of help getting their website up and running.
- 100% uptime guarantee
- E-commerce options
- Lock in your renewal price
- Free SSL for life
- Automatic backups
- Unlimited traffic and storage space
- Must commit to multi-year terms for best pricing
BEST CHEAP HOSTING FOR BEGINNERS
GoDaddy
Intro Price
INR 79 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30-days
Inclusions on the lowest-tier plan
Top-rated tech support, 10 GB NVMe storage, etc.
Intro Price
INR 79 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30-days
Inclusions on the lowest-tier plan
Top-rated tech support, 10 GB NVMe storage, etc.
GoDaddy is widely regarded as one of the best web hosting providers. Its competitively-priced, feature-rich plans include everything you need to build and manage a website. The shared hosting plan starts as low as INR 79 per month. This consists of one database, 10 GB NVMe storage, and a WordPress migration tool. If you upgrade the shared hosting plan to its mid-tier plan at INR 199 plan, you get a free email and a free SSL certificate. Its industry-leading technical support is available for all of your website hosting-related questions and needs.
GoDaddy Pricing
- Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 79 p/m for a 3-year term.
- WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 279 p/m for a 3-year term.
- Managed WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 429 p/m for a 3-year term.
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 649 p/m for a 3-year term.
Customer Support
GoDaddy offers 24/7/365 customer support via live chat.
Server Uptime
GoDaddy has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
GoDaddy is one of the best cheap hosting service providers for new users, and it offers some of the best technical support in the industry.
- Free website migration
- Top-rated tech support
- 10 GB NVMe storage
- The lowest plan doesn’t include a free domain and SSL certificate
- Price multiplies upon renewal
BEST AFFORDABLE HOSTING WITH AN EASY WEBSITE BUILDER
Hostinger
Intro Price
INR 69 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
Unlimited free SSL certificate, weekly backups, free email, etc.
Intro Price
INR 69 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
Unlimited free SSL certificate, weekly backups, free email, etc.
Hostinger is best for those who want to create a simple site but don’t need unlimited storage or bandwidth. The shared hosting plans start from INR 69 to INR 699 per month for a 36-month commitment. The cheapest plan comes with 50 GB NVMe storage, unlimited free SSL certificates, weekly backups, and 100 GB bandwidth. This package is perfect for businesses or entrepreneurs who only need a simple site (for example, a brick-and-mortar store giving store hours and contact information).
Hostinger offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, as well as 24/7/365 chat support. The best feature, however, is its 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Hostinger Pricing
- Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 129 p/m for a 3-year term.
- WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 129 p/m for a 3-year term.
- Managed WooCommerce: Starts from INR 249 p/m (+ 2 months) for a 3-year term.
- Cloud Hosting: Starts from INR 699 p/m (+ 2 months) for a 3-year term.
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 439 p/m for a 3-year term.
Customer Support
24/7/365 support is available via live chat.
Server Uptime
Hostinger has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
Businesses or entrepreneurs who need a way to quickly and easily build a professional business website.
- Beginner-friendly website builder
- Weekly backups included
- Webmail access
- One-click installation
- 24/7 support
- Storage limits on each plan
- Daily backups are only available on higher-tiered plans
- Month-to-month plans have a setup fee
BEST AFFORDABLE HOSTING FOR EXISTING SITES
BigRock
Intro Price
INR 149 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
20 GB storage, free SSL certificate, 100 GB transfer, five email accounts, etc.
Intro Price
INR 149 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
20 GB storage, free SSL certificate, 100 GB transfer, five email accounts, etc.
BigRock is one of the cheapest and best web hosts in India, and for good reason. The web host offers Indian users data centers located in India and the U.S.A. The base plan starts from INR 149 per month for a 3-year term, including 20 GB storage and 100 GB transfer.
Depending on your hosting requirement, there are plans available for Linux hosting, WordPress, e-commerce, Windows, CMS, VPS, and Cloud, as well as reseller hosting plans. Renewal fees vary depending on the length of your contract, but a three-year term will break down to a very affordable INR 199 per month.
The company also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 support. It’s important to note that if you register a free domain through BigRock but cancel your account, there’s a fee to keep your domain. This prevents users from host-hopping to maintain a free domain.
BigRock Pricing
- Linux Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 149 p/m for a 3-year term.
- Windows Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 149 p/m for a 3-year term.
- WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 199 p/m for a 3-year term.
- VPS Plan (self-managed hosting): Starts from INR 329 p/m for a 2-year term.
- Managed VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 839 p/m for a 2-year term.
- Cloud Hosting: Starts from INR 899 p/m for a 3-year term.
Customer Support
Each BigRock plan comes with 24/7/365 live chat and phone support.
Server Uptime
BigRock offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
Businesses or individuals who already have a live website but are looking for a new web host.
- Choose from data servers in India and in the U.S.A
Pricing differs according to server location. - One-click WordPress installs
- Free website and domain transfers
- Includes five email accounts
- Storage limit on shared hosting capped on the lowest tier plan
BEST AND CHEAP HOSTING FOR PEACE OF MIND
BlueHost
Intro Price
INR 169 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on the lowest-tier plan
50 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain for one year, malware scan, etc.
Intro Price
INR 169 p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on the lowest-tier plan
50 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain for one year, malware scan, etc.
Plans start at INR 169 per month with a 36-month contract and increase to INR 299 per month upon renewal. This includes 50GB of storage, a free SSL certificate, an unmetered bandwidth, a free domain name for a year, a malware scan, and 24/7 customer support. Datacenters are located in both India and the U.S., from which users can choose. For businesses that also want to manage and create professional email that uses their domain name, this can be seamlessly done, so you don’t have to worry about paying separately for your staff’s email.
Bluehost Pricing
- Shared/ WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 169 p/m for a 3-year term.
- Managed WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 1,259 p/m for a 3-year term.
- WooCommerce Hosting: Starts from INR 599 p/m for a 3-year term.
- Dedicated Hosting: Starts from INR 8,499 p/m for a 3-year term.
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 1,649 p/m for a 3-year term.
Customer Support
You can access Bluehost live chat 24/7/365. You can also email support and get a quick response, or you can be connected via call.
Server Uptime
GreenGeeks has a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
BlueHost is a popular web hosting service for businesses that want peace of mind.
Read more: Bluehost Review 2024: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons
- Datacenters in India and the U.S
- 50 GB storage on the lowest plan
- All plans come with unmetered bandwidth
- The low plan includes a free domain for 1-year
- Malware scan on all plans
- Free SSL certificate
- Excellent phone support
- Daily backup only on mid-to high-tier plans
- No website builder
CHEAP HOSTING FOR SINGLE SITE
A2 Hosting
Intro Price
INR 163.09 ($1.95) p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
10 GB SSD storage, free migration, etc.
Intro Price
INR 163.09 ($1.95) p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions on lowest-tier plan
10 GB SSD storage, free migration, etc.
A2 Hosting has lowered the pricing of its significant plans by up to 84%. The basic shared hosting plan starts at INR 163.09($1.95) per month with a 36-month contract; however, it renews at INR 1,086.78 ($12.99) per month. Additionally, it is offering some of the cheapest (unmanaged) VPS hosting plans available, with pricing starting at under INR 250.15 ($2.99) per month.
Pricing
- Shared/ cPanel/ Email Hosting: Starts from INR 163.14 ($1.95) p/m for a 3-year term.
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 250.15 ($2.99) p/m for a 3-year term.
- Dedicated Hosting: Starts from INR 16,731.81 ($199.99) p/m for a 3-year term.
- Reseller Hosting: Starts from INR 1,334.43 ($15.95) p/m for a 3-year term.
Customer Support
A2 Hosting offers 24/7 support via live chat.
Server Uptime
A2 Hosting has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
Since A2 Hosting’s cheapest plan includes hosting for one website, it’s the ideal solution for individuals looking to host their websites on a budget.
- Limited introductory offer at INR 163 ($1.95) p/m
- Site migration included
- 24/7 support
- Money-back guarantee
- Renewal price increases by 84 per cent
CHEAP HOSTING FOR MULTIPLE SITES
Namecheap
Intro Price
INR 165.67 p/m with a 1-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
20 GB SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, 100% uptime, etc.
Intro Price
INR 165.67 p/m with a 1-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
20 GB SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, 100% uptime, etc.
Namecheap is a leading domain name registrar and web hosting provider known for its low pricing. Plans are available for monthly, yearly, and biannual subscriptions. The lowest tier plan starts at INR 165.67 per month with a 12-month contract (renews at INR 374.84 per month) and supports up to three websites, with 20GB of storage, free domain names, as well as website builders and essential AI tools. It stands out as one of the best values for those who need hosting for more than one site, such as a business with multiple locations or brands, as even its cheapest plan comes with hosting for up to three sites.
Pricing
- Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 165.67 p/m for a 1-year term.
- WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 243.20 p/m for a 1-year term.
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 575.65 p/m for a 1-year term.
- Dedicated Server Hosting: Starts from approximately INR 4,517.94 ($54) p/m for a 3-year term.
Customer Support
Namecheap offers 24/7 support via live chat.
Server Uptime
Shared plans receive a one-day service cycle prolongation for each hour its service is down.
Who should use it:
Since Namecheap’s cheapest plan includes hosting for up to three websites, it’s the ideal solution for those hosting multiple sites on a budget.
Read more: Namecheap Review 2023: Hosting Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons
- Host up to three sites
- Website builder included
- Site migration included
- 24/7 support
- Free domain name
- Plans are only available on a monthly, one-year, and two-year basis
- Pricing increases upon renewal
BEST CHEAP HOSTING FOR SHARED HOSTING
InMotion Hosting
Intro Price
INR 191.52 ($2.29) p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
90 days
Inclusions on the lowest-tier plan
100 GB SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth, dedicated IP, free SSL, etc.
Intro Price
INR 191.52 ($2.29) p/m with a 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
90 days
Inclusions on the lowest-tier plan
100 GB SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth, dedicated IP, free SSL, etc.
InMotion is one of the popular web hosting providers on the market. While it’s not the cheapest on our list, it is an excellent all-around web host that offers just about everything most businesses need to build, host, and manage a professional website. The lowest-tier plans start at INR 191.52 ($2.29) p/m with a 3-year commitment and a money-back guarantee of 90 days. Plans include hosting for up to two websites, 100 GB SSD storage, ten email addresses, a dedicated IP address, a website builder, chat and ticket support.
InMotion Hosting Pricing
- Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 191.59 ($2.29) p/m for a 3-year term.
- WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 233.42 ($2.79) p/m for a 3-year term.
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 835.80 ($9.99) p/m for a 3-year term.
- Dedicated Hosting: Starts from INR 2,928.21 ($35) p/m for a 1-year term.
Customer Support
Access customer support 24/7/365 via live chat.
Server Uptime
InMotion offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
InMotion is a popular web host for businesses that are looking for an excellent all-around web hosting service.
Read more: InMotion Review 2024: Pricing, Plans And Features
- Beginner-friendly
- 100 GB SSD storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Dedicated IP
- Free SSL certificate.
- Price doubles upon renewal
- The tiered plan has storage limits
BEST FOR UNLIMITED EMAIL ACCOUNTS
Interserver
Intro Price
INR 209.16 ($2.50) p/m with 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Unlimited storage and email accounts, free website migration, free SSL certificates, etc.
Intro Price
INR 209.16 ($2.50) p/m with 3-year commitment
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Unlimited storage and email accounts, free website migration, free SSL certificates, etc.
Interserver is the perfect solution for anyone who needs an unlimited number of email accounts. This web host offers a variety of plans and services, including asp.net, reseller, boost, and cloud VPS, but shared plans are almost always the cheapest, no matter which host company you choose.
Interserver plans start at INR 209.16 ($2.50) p/m with a 3-year commitment and comes with unlimited ULTRA SSD storage, 450-plus cloud apps, free site migration, free SSL certificates, unlimited email accounts, a website builder, and global content caching. Plus, InterShield Security helps protect your site from attacks, viruses, and malware.
Pricing
- Shared Hosting: Starts from INR 209.16 ($2.50) p/m for a 3-year term.
- Windows ASP.NET Hosting: Starts from INR 669.31 ($8) p/m for a 3-year term.
- Cloud VPS: Starts from INR 669.31 ($6) p/m for month-on-month billing.
Customer Support
Your plan comes with 24/7 managed support.
Server Uptime
Interserver has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
Interserver is the perfect host for businesses that need many email accounts or hosting for multiple websites.
Read more: InterServer Review: A Powerful Hosting Platform At A Solid Price
- Unlimited email accounts
- Unlimited SSD storage
- Free SSL certificate
- Guaranteed email delivery
- Domain registration costs an extra
- Domain privacy costs extra
CHEAP WEB HOSTING WITH MONTHLY PRICING
MochaHost
Intro Price
INR 265.84 ($3.18) p/m (billed monthly)
Money-Back Guarantee
NA
Inclusions
Unlimited Bandwidth, 30 GB NVMe storage, free SSL certificate, etc.
Intro Price
INR 265.84 ($3.18) p/m (billed monthly)
Money-Back Guarantee
NA
Inclusions
Unlimited Bandwidth, 30 GB NVMe storage, free SSL certificate, etc.
At INR 265.84 ($3.18) per month, MochaHost offers some of the lowest monthly plans for web hosting. There are no limits on bandwidth or speed, so you won’t have to worry about uploading too many media files or getting too much traffic. Plus, get a free SSL certificate, free domain, and free email with any of its hosting plans.
The lowest hosting plans also include free migration and SSL certificates, weekly backups, and server location choices from nine countries. However, there’s no money-back guarantee or free trial period, and all plans are available for monthly billing.
MochaHost Pricing
- Shared/ cPanel/ WordPress Hosting: Starts from INR 266.05 ($3.18) p/m (billed monthly)
- Windows Hosting: Starts from INR 291.15 ($3.48) p/m (billed monthly)
- Reseller Hosting: Starts from INR 501.98 ($6) p/m (billed monthly)
- VPS Hosting: Starts from INR 2,049.75 ($24.50) p/m (billed monthly)
Customer Support
Each MochaHost plan includes 24/7 support. During business hours, you can also chat with a sales representative.
Server Uptime
MochaHost has a 99% uptime guarantee.
Who should use it:
Startups with a small initial budget.
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Choose from nine server locations
- Free weekly backups
- No free trial or money-back guarantee
- Free domain not available on the lowest-tier plan
Comparison of Cheapest Web Hosting Services
Last updated as of July 19, 2024.
Best Cheap Hosting Service Runner-Ups
- FastComet: FastComet offers shared, dedicated, and cloud VPN hosting solutions. Its lowest-tier plan is a shared hosting that starts from INR 149.71 ($1.79) p/m with a 3-year commitment. Plus, it offers a free plan for up to three months.
- ResellerClub: The web host provides resellers and users with shared Windows, WordPress, VPS, and cloud hosting solutions. The basic plan has an introductory offer of INR 235 per month and renews at the same price.
- IONOS: The web host has priced a shared hosting plan at INR 334.65 ($4) per month for a 3-year plan. The plan includes 10 GB storage, 10 databases, and a free domain for a year, among other features.
When you look for the cheapest plan, make sure the web host provides you with features to run functions on your existing website efficiently and is security compliant. There are various types of hosting plans to choose from, such as shared, VPS, cloud, Windows, Linux, and dedicated servers. Remember, each provider’s pricing varies according to the plan you choose. You can lower the plan by signing up for a longer-term subscription. Many companies provide discounts from time to time if you sign up for 12 months or more of service.
Methodology: How We Select Cheap Web Hosting Services
To find the best cheap web hosting services of 2024, we considered various factors, including price, features, uptime, and customer service. We also compared features such as term length, storage, bandwidth, response time, and whether a free domain name is included. After comparing these data points, we looked at actual customer reviews to see if experiences live up to marketing hype.
Here’s a glance at the various factors we considered in our evaluation:
- Pricing, including pricing for introductory rates and renewal rates
- Key features, such as storage and bandwidth
- Freebies and inclusions, such as a free domain, SSL certificate, and business email
- Customer reviews
- Money-back guarantees
- Uptime guarantees
- Number of sites
- Customer support
Most plans should cost a few dollars per month, offer 24/7 support, a money-back guarantee, an uptime guarantee, and provide domain names (preferably free or at a meager cost).
How To Choose the Best Cheap Web Host
Our list of the best cheap web hosting companies focuses on monthly costs, term lengths, and overall value. When choosing the best host for your website, affordable or otherwise, keep a few factors in mind.
Unlimited vs. Unmetered Storage and Bandwidth
Web hosting services shift between unlimited and unmetered in regard to storage and bandwidth, with little explanation. If you read the fine print of the Terms and Conditions from each host, you’ll usually find the answer.
If your storage is unlimited, it often comes with conditions. For example, if you use too many resources on a shared server, as it relates to others on the server, the web host may ask you to remove files from your site.
Unmetered bandwidth usually means that the hosting company isn’t paying much attention to your site visitor numbers. However, if they exceed a certain amount, say, 300,000 in a month, the host may ask you to upgrade to a virtual private server (VPS).
Companies Can Change Terms
Even when you find a web host that promises 100% uptime, unlimited storage, or INR 80 per month, it can change the terms at any time. It’s a good idea to read any changes a web host makes to its policies to make sure it’s still a good fit for your website needs.
Server Uptime
It’s common to see 99.90% to 100% uptime in web host marketing. What difference does 0.10% make? First, those uptime guarantees don’t apply to scheduled downtime for maintenance. If you notice your site is down, but the web host let you know it was going to happen, it doesn’t count. Unplanned downtime is when hosting companies scramble to get service back up because, otherwise, they owe a lot of people free months.
If your website is up only 99.90% of the time, it’s about the equivalent of 44 minutes of downtime per month. Bump that uptime to 99.99% of the time, and you might have four minutes or so of downtime per month.
Does Server Location Matter?
Server location can impact the speed of one’s website for some users. If you have a bakery in Chicago, most of your site visitors are likely to be local, so you would want to choose a host with servers in the central United States. Server location shouldn’t impact search engine optimization (SEO), so it shouldn’t affect your ranking in search engines. Some experts disagree, though, and believe server location can affect rankings.
Inode Limits
If you’re doing your due diligence, you might have noticed the word inodes in a web hosting company’s policies. An inode is a data structure that includes all the attributes of a file. It provides information about a file or directory, such as file name, permissions, and time of last change. Sometimes, web hosts won’t limit storage but will limit the number of inodes (HostGator limits inodes to 100,000 for shared plans).
Watch Out for Changing Terms
Be sure to read the fine print of any web hosting company’s terms of service. Many companies will change their terms over time, and some of those changes could have an impact on your website. For example, a company could change its policy on unlimited storage and bandwidth to limit the amount of storage and bandwidth you can use.
Additionally, some companies will change their terms to allow themselves to increase prices after you’ve signed up for service. Be sure to read the terms of service carefully and pay attention to any changes that are made.
Customer Support
When you’re choosing a web hosting company, customer support is an essential factor to consider. If you have a problem with your website, you’ll want to be able to contact customer support and get help resolving the issue.
Be sure to read customer reviews of web hosting companies to get an idea of their customer support. You can also test out a company’s customer support by contacting it with a question before you sign up for service.
Make sure the company you choose offers 24/7 customer support. You never know when you’ll need to contact customer support, and you don’t want to have to wait for a response. Additionally, make sure the company offers multiple ways to contact customer support, such as by phone, email, and live chat. This will give you the flexibility to choose the best method for you.
Ease of Setup
When you’re choosing a web hosting company, you’ll want to make sure the company offers easy setup and use. You don’t want to sign up for a company that is difficult to use or set up. Be sure to read customer reviews of web hosting companies to get an idea of their ease of use. You can also test out a company’s control panel to see how easy it is to use.
Server Location
The location of the server can affect the speed and performance of your website. If the server is in a different country than your target audience, it can take longer for your website to load, or your audience may need help accessing your website. For these reasons, it’s essential to choose a web hosting company with servers located in the same country as your target audience.
Additionally, if you’re targeting a global audience, you’ll want to choose a web hosting company with servers located in multiple countries. This will ensure that your website is accessible to as many people as possible.
Free Trials and Money-Back Guarantees
A free trial can be a great way to test out a web hosting company before you commit to paying for service. Be sure to read the terms of the free trial carefully, as some companies will require you to enter a credit card number.
Additionally, many web hosting companies offer money-back guarantees. This means you can sign up for service and get a refund if you’re not satisfied. Be sure to read the terms of the money-back guarantee carefully, as some companies will only refund your money if you cancel within a certain period.
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What Does Web Hosting Cost?
When it comes to web hosting, the cost can vary greatly depending on the type of hosting you need. Shared hosting is usually the most affordable option, but it can also be the least reliable. This is because your website will be hosted on a server with other websites, meaning the performance of other websites can impact its performance.
Dedicated hosting is more expensive but offers better performance and reliability. Dedicated hosting means that your website is the only one hosted on a server, so you don’t have to worry about the performance of other websites impacting yours.
Cloud hosting is also an option and can offer more flexibility than dedicated hosting, but it typically costs more than shared or dedicated hosting.
No matter what type of hosting you choose, be sure to compare the features and prices of different web hosting companies before making your decision. This will help you find the best deal for your budget. And remember: Choosing a web hosting company with excellent customer service and reliable servers can be worth the extra cost.
Sample shared hosting introductory pricing
Promotional vs. Renewal Costs
The cost of web hosting can vary depending on the company you choose and the features you need. Most companies offer promotional pricing for new customers. Read the terms of the promotional pricing carefully, as some companies will require you to sign up for a long-term contract to get the promotional price. Compare the promotional price to the company’s regular price to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
Many companies will increase the price of your web hosting when you renew your service. Be sure to compare the renewal price to the promotional price to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
The cost of web hosting can also vary depending on the type you choose. Shared web hosting, for example, is typically less expensive than VPS or dedicated web hosting.
How To Reduce Your Hosting Cost
There are a few things you can do to reduce the cost of web hosting.
First, try to sign up for a longer-term contract. Many companies will give you a discount if you sign up for 12 months or more of service.
Second, try to find a company that offers discounts for paying upfront. Many companies will give you a discount if you pay for 12 months or more of service upfront.
Third, find a company that offers a free trial. This will allow you to test out the company’s service before you commit to paying for it. Finally, you can try to negotiate a lower price with the company. If you’re bringing over multiple websites, the company may be willing to give you a lower price.
Paid Hosting Alternative: Consider a Website Builder
If you only need a primary, one-page sales funnel or website, consider using a website builder instead of web hosting. Website builders are typically much cheaper and easier to use than web hosting.
With a website builder, you typically get everything you need to create and launch your website in one package. This includes a domain name, website templates, and hosting.
However, there are some downsides to using a website builder. The most obvious downside is that you won’t have as much control over your website. Additionally, website builders rarely offer the same level of customer support as web hosting companies.
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