Hopefully you’re here to find the best shared web hosting out there.
You’re in the right place. I’m Jeremy and I’m here to offer some advice to match you up with the right shared hosting plan for you.
I’ve dealt with 50+ hosting companies in my years as an internet entrepreneur, so I have a pretty good idea on what should be expected.
Finding a great shared account for niche sites, personal blogs, or small business websites starts with what you hope to get from your hosting company.
Most shared plans are comparable to or a step above the cheapest hosting plans out there.
Figuring out if you need to host multiple sites, have really fast page loading speeds, and reliable guaranteed uptime are all things that will help you evaluate your options.
(If you need the most reliable hosting plans, check out VPS and dedicated.)
I compiled this list to help you find shared hosting that’s not only affordable, but has great support and features packed in to create a great overall experience.
So without further discussion, here are the top five shared web hosting providers:
#1: SiteGround
With a commitment to state-of-the-art hardware and equipment, SiteGround offers the best shared hosting plans on the market.
SiteGround got the best overall hosting option for a good reason (see the full rankings). The reviews by users are overwhelmingly positive and the features that are included make it the number one shared host as well.
The discounted rates are a great value, and the normal prices for their three shared plans are very reasonable so you can stay with them for a long time.
All SiteGround servers are solid state drives (SSD’s), which are the fastest available. You’ll get the power of that hardware on all of their shared plans to make your site(s) as fast as possible. The basic plan only allows for one site, so if you want multiple properties for the cheapest price you may have to look elsewhere.
You won’t have to worry about downtime either, SiteGround boasts a 99.999% monthly uptime and has several systems in place to keep your files online.
This is the best shared hosting provider for anyone who wants to host a blog, niche site, or small business website.
Unique features: Quality server equipment, free Weebly site builder, free nightly backups, and 99.99% uptime.
Pricing: Starting at $3.95.
#2: DreamHost
DreamHost is an excellent option for someone looking for excellent site speed and truly unlimited resources to host a small business site, portfolio, or ecommerce shop.
They have won several “best of” awards and boast solid state drives (SSD’s) that will help your site load 200% faster than traditional hardware. Speed can be an advantage in gaining organic traffic as site speed is now a ranking factor for search engines, like Google.
One of the favorite features of this host is their generous money back guarantee. While the industry standard for canceling your account is 30 days, DreamHost allows you to cancel within 97 days of activating your new account.
The generosity doesn’t end there, each new customer receives a free domain name for the life of your account.
Add in the 100% uptime guarantee and unlimited disk space and bandwidth for your files and you have one of the most generous hosting platforms available online.
Unique features: Unlimited domains and email accounts, automated malware scans, and free ecommerce tools.
Pricing: Starting at $7.95.
#3: InMotion
InMotion is a hosting company that has focused on helping small businesses find their place online by offering helpful tools and quality service.
To start, every account is hosting on SSD drives for maximum speed. You can also choose which location your files are hosted from to get faster page load speeds. Choosing the server is beneficial for local businesses due to the closer hardware, your site will be faster for your customers.
If you are new or transferring, you will get a free domain with your account and have a 90-day money back guarantee on all hosting plans. Data backups are also included with your account, which is a feature many other hosts charge an additional fee to provide.
There are over 310 web applications that only require one click to install and all accounts can be integrated with Google apps like drive, docs, and gmail to help you work faster.
InMotion is a great option for small businesses and individual site owners who want a ton of options and great service with their shared plan.
Unique features: Free data backups, zero downtime transfers, and SSD servers.
Pricing: Starting at $3.49.
#4: Hostwinds
If you’re looking for a caring host that wants you to get your website up and running, Hostwinds may be the option for you.
Their very affordable shared hosting was created for individual site owners and bloggers to work with someone who genuinely cares. This provider provides customer service any way you like including 24/7 phone, live chat, and a ticketing system that boasts some incredibly fast resolution time.
Every account comes with unlimited disk space and unmetered bandwidth so traffic can flow to your files freely without interruption. You will also receive free nightly backups that Hostwinds provides its customers.
The basic plan is a great value, but for only $2/mo more you can receive a dedicated IP address and an unlimited amount of domain names, which is a great value for multiple site owners.
Unique features: 24/7 support, unlimited disk space and domains, unmetered bandwidth, and free nightly backups.
Pricing: Starting at $4.50.
#5: GoDaddy
If you are looking to park a lot of domains or run multiple sites from the same shared hosting account, GoDaddy may be the host for you.
GoDaddy specializes in domain names and shared hosting for small businesses and personal sites.
With every plan you’ll receive one click installs of over 125 popular free web applications (WordPress, Joomla, etc.) and free security monitoring.
They are the world’s largest domain registrar with over 60 million domains under their management. This fact matters, because you can park an unlimited amount of domains on your new account, a feature that is popular among domain name sellers.
Their support team says they are available 24/7/365 by phone, email or chat but they can be difficult to reach at times. At least they offer award winning security.
GoDaddy is definitely geared for small businesses and can help you get a professional looking site loaded onto your shared account quickly.
Unique features: Unlimited domain parking, award winning security, and the world’s #1 domain registrar.
Pricing: Starting at $1.00.
Recap
Finding the right shared hosting shouldn’t be a complicated process.
When you lay out all the pros and cons, it’s easy to see which companies offer real value.
Best overall shared hosting for the value and quality of service? Go with SiteGround. Premium shared hosting with ecommerce tools? Try DreamHost.
Not saying there aren’t other valuable options out there, but like I said before, I’ve got a lot of skin in the game. Some companies simply aren’t worth dealing with, if customer service or speed isn’t on point.
If you are looking for the most affordable shared hosting with the fastest servers and best customer service, your choice is easy.