I have painstakingly developed hundreds of WordPress websites over the past few years.
And before any of those can ‘go live’, they need to be moved to a ‘production’ server on a good hosting provider.
That means I’ve interacted daily with hosting providers of all shapes and sizes. Probably most in the industry.
WEB HOSTING – is actually the most important factor in how your site performs online.
Poor web host? Your website will be down a lot of time. Visitors will hate how long it takes for pages to load. And your bottom line will take a direct hit as a result.
In this data-backed, unbiased hosting comparison, I’ll share my own best web hosting recommendations based on live test websites.
But first, it’s helpful to understand the different types of web hosting available.
Before you choose a WordPress host:
- It should be easy. A no brainer.
- You should be able to simply select a hosting option and get started ASAP.
Unfortunately, it’s not like that.
Although they’re all pretty similar, there are a few key differences to note with each:
- Shared Hosting : It’s affordable, simple and scalable. Cost is also low ($2.50 to $7.50/mo).
- Dedicated Hosting: Perfect for large, heavily trafficked sites that get over 100k+ monthly visitors.
- Virtual Private Server: Virtual private servers are similar to shared ones in that many websites can be hosted together (so resources are split). But this option gives you more control.
- Cloud Hosting: Relies on pulling resources from several different servers (so performance can be better with less risk for a single server bringing down your site).
If you’re just starting out (i.e. looking to use web host for the first time), look no further than shared hosting.
Cloud hosting is the next step for many, while dedicated hosting and virtual private servers are great for advanced users (who know what they’re doing and know how they want a specific set up to look).
Don’t worry, though. I’ve already pulled the best options from each type and compiled them below. (So don’t worry about having to manually research those types… unless you want to of course!)
Alright. Ready to get started?
Here’s what I did to uncover Best WordPress Hosting:
Let’s be honest about something.
Google many hosting providers, read a few reviews online, and you’ll quickly find out this little dirty secret.
They didn’t even test the hosting provider!
How are you supposed to write an honest, unbiased, and no-BS review about a product… without ever using it?!
What you’re left with is a bunch of fluff
I, instead, pulled out my credit card, signed up for each hosting provider listed below, and then even setup a WordPress website on each.
Each option was vetted, researched, and analyzed.
Here’s how I compared them.
1. Cost vs. Features
First I compared the quantity and quality of features you got with each plan vs. the cost you have to pay.
2. Money back Guarantee (& hidden fees)
Next, I went through all of the fine print to make sure what you were getting actually lined up with what was promised. (You’d be amazed at the half-truths many hosting providers like to tell.)
3. Site’s performance using WordPress (uptime and speed)
Then I set up WordPress websites on each to make sure the process of setting up a website was user-friendly.
And then I’ve been closely monitoring the performance of each website (and its host) since September 2016 with the help of HostingFacts.com and the Pingdom.com service (which checks your site health after 5 minutes intervals – each day). If you wish to check your own site uptime too, I recommend going with Pingdom or Host-Tracker.com (cheaper).
4. FREE domain (optional)
Lastly, I checked if they offered a free domain for new hosting users.
Read on below to find out which hosting providers give you the best bang for your buck (and which you should avoid like the plague).
Best WordPress Hosting 2017 (Review)
The most important factor you should grade a web host is their uptime (or the percentage of time your website is up, live, and available for visitors). Because a website that’s down or offline all of the time is practically worthless.
The second criteria is speed. This is measured in the amount of time it takes for a page to fully load all of the content, images, etc. Next includes customer support and extra goodies.
Here’s how the top ten stack up:
| WEB HOSTING | COST | MONEY BACK | LOAD TIME | UPTIME | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bluehost Cloud | $6.95/mo | 30 days | 422ms | 99.97% | ★★★★★ |
| 2. HostGator Cloud | $4.95/mo | 45 days | 468ms | 100.00% | ★★★★ |
| 3. SiteGround | $3.95/mo | 30 days | 539ms | 99.99% | ★★★★ |
| 4. A2 Hosting | $3.92/mo | 30 days | 364ms | 99.93% | ★★★ |
| 5. InMotion Hosting | $2.95/mo | 90 days | 615ms | 99.98% | ★★★ |
| 6. Dreamhost | $7.95/mo | 97 days | 686ms | 99.98% | ★★★ |
| 7. GreenGeeks | $3.99/mo | 30 days | 942ms | 99.99% | ★★★ |
| 8. Site5 | $4.95/mo | 90 days | 701ms | 99.94% | ★★ |
| 9. iPage | $1.99/mo | 30 days | 846ms | 99.95% | ★ |
| 10. Arvixe | $4.00/mo | 60 days | 3,342ms | 99.95% | ★ |
Perfect. Ready?
Let’s jump into the best hosting providers first, and move on down the list to see which ones you should avoid.
1. Bluehost Cloud ($5.95/mo)
BlueHost is an experienced hosting site with over 2 million websites. I decided to test whether or not all this popularity lived up to the hype. That meant setting up a basic WordPress website, analyzing its performance, and then comparing its statistical data to other hosting sites.
How did BlueHost compare? Turns out BlueHost performed well!
BlueHost had great uptime at 99.97% which means the site was up and running most of the time.
Pages loading time, or speed, is the second criteria in a good host. So I measured Bluehost’s performance over the same time and the results were pretty awesome. The industry average in page loading time is 700 ms, and I found that BlueHost had an average load time of 422 ms. This is one of the better speeds I saw out of everyone.
BlueHost has 24/7 customer service available for any questions you may have regarding website setup. They’re not cheap, though. Prices start at $5.95 per month, but they throw in a free domain name plus site migration for new accounts, too.
BlueHost has improved tremendously as a hosting site and I would definitely recommend that you use it for your website setup.
- Customer support: 24/7 support
- Usability: User-friendly
- Performance: Uptime – 99.97%, Load Time – 422ms
- Cost: $5.95/mo + Free Domain + Free Site Builders
2. HostGator Cloud $2.99/mo
HostGator’s Cloud Hosting option has some of the best uptime and speed money can buy.
HostGator touts their 100% uptime. Which is a pretty bold claim to be honest. So I decided to put this to the test. There’s no point in purchasing a hosting site if their uptime doesn’t show stellar results.
I tried out their service for 5 months and I can assure you that what they’re saying is true. After testing uptime from October 2016 to February 2017, they only had 11 minutes of downtime.
I also tested their page speed over the 5 month period. Overall, they came out third in speed (behind A2 Hosting and BlueHost Cloud, with an average of 468 ms load time). People don’t like to browse a slow website, and speed is important if you want people to stick around and hopefully buy something.
HostGator has a very user-friendly website and will provide simple explanations of what you’re getting with their service in easy-to-understand terms. I even tried out their customer support live chat option, and they were good!
All those things are fine and dandy… but what people really want to see is price.
HostGator Cloud delivers here too.
Their lowest plan starts at $4.95 per month and can go up to $9.95 a month.
There’s also a 45-day money back guarantee in case you want to try them out for a little while without getting locked in.
You’ll be pleased with their uptime and speed.
- Customer support: Knowledgeable
- Usability: Most straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 100.00%, Load Time – 468ms
- Cost: $2.99/mo + $0.01
3. SiteGround Hosting $3.95/mo
Since 2007, SightGround has grown to a large network of over 450,000 domain names around the world.
I started out by testing SiteGround’s “Start Up Plan” in September 2016 to see what all the hype was about. For over 5 months I watched their speed, uptime, and other performance behavior.
In terms of uptime, SiteGround maintained an average of 99.9% over a twelve month period. This is among the best I saw out of all hosting providers. They only had 8 outages in the 5 months that I measured uptime.
SiteGround’s speed didn’t disappoint either.
Their average page loading time came out to 539ms. That put them in third vs. the competition’s average 700ms.
I then connected with their live chat and asked several questions to evaluate their support team. They were friendly and helpful, answering questions quickly.
Additionally, SiteGround offer free transfers for existing websites and a free domain name.
The good news is that SiteGround is also currently price-matching some of the more cheaper hosting sites with a $3.95 per month. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee.
Overall, SiteGround offers so many great features with strong performance for a relatively cheap price. Customer support is helpful and user-friendly. You can tell they care about quality customer care, great speed, and consistent uptime.
- Customer support: Quick and Simple responses
- Usability: Most straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 99.99%, Load Time – 539ms
- Cost: $3.95/mo
4. A2 Hosting $3.92/mo
Once again, I broke my the credit card in order to see if A2 Hosting lived up to the bold hype on their website (touting “99.9% uptime” and blazing fast speeds).
They mostly did.
Unfortunately, their uptime has slipped over the past few months to an average of 99.93% from September 2016 to February 2017. This showed a total downtime of 3 hours. Which places A2 Hosting in the bottom half of the hosting sites I reviewed.
Moving to speed, A2 hosting came out as the #1 hosting site. They averaged 364 ms in a period of twelve months (which is blazing fast). That is basically instant page loading, making impatient people happy because they won’t have to wait for pages to load. A2 Hosting implements caching, which stores data in a visitor’s browser, so they won’t have to request information from your website every time someone tries to access it.
A2 offers 24/7 customer support through their live chat, email, phone, and ticketing systems. I checked this out by contacting their live support and they responded instantly with easy-to-understand responses.
A2 hosting is a little on the pricey side when compared to other hosting sites. Their lowest plan starts at $3.92 for 24 months. I contacted A2 hosting and with my special code, you can get a little discount of $3.77. They offer a 30-day money back guarantee for you in case you do want to cancel.
A2 hosting has some of the best speed hosting performance, but not the best uptime. There are better hosting site options out there but A2 Hosting does offer great speeds and customer service
- Customer support: Instant and Detailed Responses
- Usability: Most straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 99.93%, Load Time – 364 ms
- Cost: $3.92/mo
5. InMotion Hosting $5.99/mo
InMotion is one of the most well-known hosting providers, with a customer base of over 300,000 domains.
I purchased one of InMotion Hosting’s plans to compare them to the rest and they performed well.
InMotion delivered average uptime of 99.98% over the last five months. That’s pretty strong and consistent.
In addition to uptime, I looked at page loading times over the same 5 month period and was very happy with what I saw.
Keep in mind that the average speed in the hosting industry is about 700 ms, and with InMotion Hosting I found an average page loading time of 615 ms. So it may not be as fast as someone like A2 Hosting, but still good enough to beat the hosting industry average.
Customer support was the final test. I chatted live with one of their customer support agents and they happily responded with detailed answers.
Pricing is pretty simple with InMotion.
Their lowest hosting option starts at $2.95 per month. This is actually on the lower end of pricing across most hosting providers.
One of the drawbacks with InMotion Hosting is that there’s no instant account access. That means if you’re an international customer, outside the North America for example, there might be a delay and hassle when attempting to verify your new account.
But overall, you’ll be very happy with InMotion’s service.
- Customer support: Quick, Friendly and Knowledgable
- Usability: Most straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 99.98%, Load Time – 615ms
- Cost: $2.95/mo
6. Dreamhost $7.95/mo
The next hosting site that I looked at was DreamHost, who has another huge network of over 1.5 million sites (they’ve also been around since 1996).
The WordPress website I setup on DreamHost had reliable uptime with an average of 99.98% over the five month period. Good start!
Their average page loading times came in at an average of 686ms over the same period. Reliable uptime and a tiny bit faster than average page speed.
DreamHost also throws in a few other nice little add-ons.
First, you get unlimited bandwidth. They’ll credit your account for every hour that there was an issue with uptime. And when I contacted customer support to ask a couple of questions, I got a fairly quick response.
One of DreamHost’s big drawbacks is their pricing. Their lowest plan is still almost double some other hosting sites at $7.95 per month. On the plus side, however, you get the longest money back guarantee from DreamHost (97-days) to test drive their service before getting locked into a lengthy contract.
DreamHost is a reliable hosting site with excellent uptime and okay page loading speeds. Just keep in mind of the price!
- Customer support: Quick & Straightforward
- Usability: Good
- Performance: Uptime – 99.98%, Load Time – 686ms
- Cost: $7.95/mo
7. GreenGeeks Hosting $3.99/month
GreenGeeks now hosts over 300,000+ websites over their nine years in business.
They claim 99.9% uptime on their website. That’s almost zero downtime. And it’s a bold claim to make. Can they live up to the hype?
When I tested uptime from October 1st to February 1st, I found that GreenGeeks… delivered 99.99% uptime.
That equates to only 16 minutes of downtime in a single outage! This is one of the best uptimes (tied for second) out of all the hosting providers reviewed.
Next up: page loading times.
Unfortunately, GreenGeeks did not show the same great results in speed as they did in uptime.
Their average loading time was only 942 ms over October 1st to February 1st. This puts GreenGeeks in second to last when it comes to page loading speeds.
GreenGeeks has 24/7/365 U.S. based support via live chat, phone, or email support. Some of their other features are free data transfers, free domain name, and free site migration.
GreenGeeks goes for $3.99 per month and they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. Each pricing plan is all inclusive too!
Although GreenGeeks has excellent uptime, their speed is slow. Which is kinda a deal breaker. I suggest you look at some of the better hosting options reviewed (like #1 and #2 above) that go for around the same price.
- Customer support: 24/7/365
- Usability: Straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 99.99%, Load Time – 942ms
- Cost: $3.99/mo
8. Site5 Hosting $4.95/month
Site5 delivered below average site time of only 99.94%. Unfortunately, below average performance didn’t end there.
Site5 also delivered slightly slower than average loading times of 701ms.
They do provide good support through live chat, email, and phone support in case you have questions, along with a 90-day money back guarantee if you’d like to try them out anyway.
Site5 offers 3 pricing plans. The first, “hostBasic” is $4.95 per month, which allows you to have one website and free migrations. The second plan, “hostPro+Turbo” is $11.95 per month, which offers 24/7 live chat support, free migrations, and a free dedicated IP. The last plan, “hostPro” is $8.95 offers unlimited websites and free migrations.
To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend Site5. It’s among the more expensive options, despite posting below average uptime and loading times. Check out BlueHost Cloud, HostGator Cloud, or SiteGround for better uptime and speeds at a cheaper rate.
- Customer support: 24/7 Support Not Available with cheapest plan
- Usability: Most straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 99.94%, Load Time – 701ms
- Cost: $4.95 month
9. iPage $1.99/mo
iPage was started in 1998 and has since grown to serve over one million websites. They’re owned by the Endurance International Group (EIG) brand, and with a big company comes some misleading advertisements and disappointing facts.
I gave iPage Hosting a chance by setting up a WordPress test site under their “Essential” shared hosting plan. I began tracking their uptime, speed, and user-friendliness in October 2016 and have been tracking it ever since.
During this time they’ve only managed to deliver 99.95% uptime. There was also a total of 32 outages!
Speed wasn’t much better unfortunately.
The average loading time was 846ms. Well below the competition’s average.
iPage is cheap, though!
They’re one of the cheapest hosting options I saw (behind one other hosting option) at $1.99 a month. This is the rate for 12-36 months, so you would technically be locked into a super long term deal to get that price. And, as you can see, you get what you pay for with speed and performance.
iPage is probably not the best option in hosting sites. Although the customer support and prices are nice, you don’t want to struggle with speed and uptime.
- Customer support: Easy-to-understand, Quick
- Usability: Simple
- Performance: Uptime – 99.95%, Load Time – 846ms
- Cost: $1.99/mo
10. Arvixe (not recommended)
Arvixe was originally founded in 2003 before later being acquired by EIG.
Things didn’t start off great, with below average uptime of only 99.95% (vs. industry average 99.90%).
That wasn’t even the worst part. This is.
The industry average for speed is 700ms. That’s not even very fast to be honest, as some of the fastest hosting providers load within ~300ms (or almost twice as fast).
How did Arvixe perform?
An abysmal 3342ms. That is unbelievably slow. Nearly impossibly slow.
Seems like Arvixe is just slow period. Because that’s what customer support was too.
I tried reaching out to ask a few basic questions and it took over an hour for a response.
Arvixe’s pricing is also on the expensive side of the fence at $4 a month. Upfront and in advance for a full two years. Any shorter plans means paying much more per month.
Arvixe does offer unlimited bandwidth and a free domain name for life to their credit.
But you can do so much better than Arvixe. Once again, take a look at the first few names in this review to for companies that exceed across the board in uptime, page loading times, customer support, and price.
- Customer support: Slow, but can be helpful
- Usability: Most straightforward
- Performance: Uptime – 99.95%, Load Time – 453ms
- Cost: $4.00/mo for 24 months
WordPress Review Conclusion
There you have it.
A detailed, no-BS review of the top ten hosting providers.
Each review was based on actual data and experience (not just stealing the words directly from their website).
Third-party sources, like Pingdom, were used to monitor and analyze performance. So you know the data is legitimate.
So who came out on top?
You can’t go wrong with BlueHost Cloud, HostGator Cloud, or SiteGround. They all offer strong uptime, fast page loading times, great customer support, and unbeatably low prices.
You can go very wrong with some of the others on the list (so much so that I won’t even mention their names again).
Do yourself a favor.
Stick to BlueHost Cloud, HostGator Cloud, or SiteGround. You can trust their performance. And you’ll thank me later.
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