Hosting.com is the new name of A2 Hosting since 2025. Its shared plans use LiteSpeed caching and NVMe storage and include daily backups, free managed migration and 24/7 support by chat, phone and ticket.
SiteGround has been independently owned since 2004 and runs its hosting on Google Cloud. Plans include free daily backups, a CDN, unlimited email accounts and 24/7 support by chat, ticket and phone.
Hostinger was founded in Lithuania in 2004 and hosts about 5% of all websites tracked by W3Techs. It is listed on WordPress.org's hosting page and offers LiteSpeed servers, free migrations and 24/7 support.
HostPapa is a Canadian host founded in 2006 with local sites for the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Plans include NVMe storage, a free CDN, staging and 24/7 phone, chat and email support.
Namecheap began in 2000 as a domain registrar and also sells low-cost shared hosting. Its Stellar plans include 30 mailboxes, free SSL for the first year, a 100% uptime guarantee and 24/7 live chat.
IONOS, formerly 1&1, belongs to the German IONOS Group, which reports around 6.9 million customers. Its web hosting includes unlimited websites, NVMe storage, daily backups and 24/7 phone support.
GreenGeeks is an independent host that buys renewable energy certificates equal to three times its yearly power use. Plans include a free domain for year one, daily backups, LiteSpeed servers and free migration.
DreamHost has hosted websites since 1997 and describes itself as independent and employee-owned. Its shared plans include NVMe storage, daily backups, unlimited free SSL and a 100% uptime guarantee.
GoDaddy, founded in 1997, is a publicly listed US company best known for domain names. Its hosting includes NVMe storage, daily backups and 24/7 phone and chat support, with local sites for the UK, Canada and Australia.
Our Top Picks for 2026
Rating Verdict
Daily backups, NVMe storage, free migration and 24/7 support by chat, phone and ticket.
Rating Verdict
WordPress.org's longest-running recommended host, with data centers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
Rating Verdict
Free daily backups, a CDN and managed WordPress updates on every plan, plus 24/7 phone support.
FAQ - Everything you need to know about web hosting
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a service that stores your website's files on a server that is permanently connected to the internet, so visitors can reach your site at any time. You could run a site from your own computer, but a hosting provider keeps the server online, maintained and reachable, usually for a monthly or yearly fee.
Which type of hosting is best for WordPress?
WordPress runs on most hosts: WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or later, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or later, and HTTPS support. For a new blog or small business site, a shared or WordPress hosting plan with one-click installation, automatic updates and backups is usually enough. WordPress.org lists Bluehost, Hostinger and Pressable on its hosting page, though it calls its listing "completely arbitrary". Busy sites and online stores may need a managed WordPress or cloud plan with more resources.
What is the difference between shared, VPS, cloud and managed hosting?
With shared hosting, many websites run on one server and share its cost and resources; it is the cheapest option and enough for most small sites. A VPS (virtual private server) is an isolated virtual machine with its own operating system and usually root access, for sites that need more control. Cloud hosting pools resources from a network of servers, so capacity can be increased quickly and is often billed by use. With managed hosting, the provider takes care of server maintenance, security updates and backups for you.
Do I need my own domain name?
Yes, if you want visitors to find your site at your own address, such as yourbusiness.com. You register a domain through a registrar for a set period, typically one to ten years, and renew it to keep it. Many hosts include a domain free for the first year with an annual or longer plan; after that, it renews at the regular price.
Why is the renewal price higher than the introductory price?
Hosts advertise discounted introductory prices that usually require you to pay for a long term, often 12 to 48 months, in advance. When the term ends, the plan renews automatically at the regular rate, which can be several times higher. For example, in November 2026 Bluehost's Starter plan cost $3.99 a month for 36 months and renewed at $9.99 a month. Check the renewal price, the renewal date and how to turn off auto-renewal before you buy.
How do money-back guarantees work?
Most hosts refund the hosting fee if you cancel within a set period after signing up. On annual plans, all ten hosts in this comparison offer 30 days. Domain registrations and add-ons are usually excluded, some hosts exclude monthly plans or offer a shorter window for them, and if your plan came with a free domain, its fee is often deducted from the refund. Read the provider's refund policy before you buy.
How do I move my website to a new host?
Many hosts move your site for free or offer a migration tool, so check this before you sign up. A move usually means backing up your files and database, copying them to the new host, testing the site and then pointing your domain's DNS or nameservers to the new server. You don't have to transfer the domain itself: ICANN notes that you can change hosting providers without changing registrars. If you do transfer a domain, the registrar may refuse within 60 days of its registration or a previous transfer, and you will need an authorization (AuthInfo) code.
Do I need an SSL certificate?
Yes. An SSL/TLS certificate enables HTTPS, which encrypts the connection between your visitors and your site. Since Chrome 68 in July 2018, Google Chrome marks all HTTP pages as "Not secure". All ten hosts in this comparison include a free certificate, often from Let's Encrypt, a free, automated and open certificate authority; at GoDaddy (Economy plan) and Namecheap the free certificate covers the first year only.
