There are a lot of misconceptions about hosting out there. But perhaps the most damning is about its price. Many people tend to believe that the more expensive the better, and that cheap services must be of low quality.
Sure, premium priced hosting usually includes premium features. However, many users, especially beginners, will not make use of such features. So why pay for them?
That being said, cheap can be very good when you know what you’re looking for. For example, Hostinger comes with all the necessary features like a domain, SSL, generous storage, and good speeds for a well-functioning site.
So, in this post on the best cheap web hosting, I will not only go over the proven providers listing their pros and cons, but I will also talk about what is important when choosing a cheap host.
Choosing the best cheap web hosting service
If you’re new to the world of hosting, it’s all too easy to be tricked into opting for an unnecessarily expensive plan with features you may never use. To avoid that, we have identified the main factors to consider when buying cheap web hosting:
Small print matters:
Many web hosts will look cheap at first glance. However, before you choose, consider a few things: How long is the billing period for the lowest price? Can you pay the full amount in advance? Are there features/tools automatically added to your cart that you don’t really need? How high are the renewal rates?
Resources and features:
Make sure your chosen plan includes the resources you really need and will use. If you are planning a single smaller website, your project will not need more than 10 GB of storage and 50 GB of bandwidth. As for the features, this will depend entirely on your personal needs. However, make sure that at least the basics like a custom domain, SSL certificate, and business email accounts are included. The inclusive security packages and automatic backups are also a nice bonus.
Good performance:
A fast website has a better chance of ranking higher on the search engine results page. Additionally, bounce rates also tend to be lower. If you want reliable performance, there are 4 factors to consider: response time (should stay under 600ms for best results), uptime (should be as close to 100%), site load time ( keep it under 3s for best results), and the ability to handle higher site traffic (should be as close to 50 VU as possible).
7 Best cheap web hosting providers – our detailed list:
Finding a cheap but high-quality web host can seem time consuming and complicated. That’s why we’ve done the evaluation and testing for you, so you can choose from the 7 best affordable hosting solutions.
Hostinger – the overall best affordable hosting solution
Features: | Free SSL, weekly backups, SSD storage, LiteSpeed web server |
Uptime: | 100% |
Avg. response time: | 511ms |
Best for: | Small business websites |
Current deal: | 🔥 Get Hostinger with 75% OFF 🔥 |
Hostinger tops the list of the best cheap web hosts not only because of its cheap prices but also because of what it offers. For just $2.99/month, the provider offers fast performance with the latest technology, as well as a user-friendly interface. Hostinger is ideal for those building small to medium-sized websites.
Price: The provider offers 2 shared and 1 cloud hosting plans with prices starting at $2.99/month. To secure the lowest price, you’ll need to choose the longest billing term, which is 4 years. Full prepayment will be required.
Features: Hostinger’s cheapest shared plan comes with a free custom domain, the ability to host up to 100 websites, 100GB, unlimited bandwidth, and up to 100 business email accounts. Plus, free SSL and weekly backups are also included.
Performance: Hostinger offers top notch technology such as a fast LiteSpeed web server with caching and the latest PHP versions for fast performance. Throughout our testing, uptime was 100% perfect, server responsiveness averaged 511ms, site load time took just 0.9s, and the host was able to handle 50 concurrent site visitors. In addition, you can also choose your data center in the US, Europe, or Asia.
Customer support: Hostinger offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, a ticket system, and email. In our experience, the agents are well trained and quick to help. However, the initial connection time may take a few minutes.
All things considered, Hostinger is too cheap for its own good. It’s amazing to see generously equipped plans and very reliable performance for such a low fee.
DreamHost – affordable WordPress-oriented hosting provider
Features: | Free SSL, domain name, daily backups, domain privacy |
Uptime: | 99.99% |
Avg. response time: | 231ms |
Best for: | Reliability and security |
Current deal: | 🔥Get DreamHost with 79% OFF🔥 |
A WordPress-centric host, DreamHost is also one of the cheapest web hosting providers, with prices starting at $2.59/mo. The provider is well known for its generous WordPress features and a very special 100% uptime guarantee. This makes DreamHost perfect for those looking for reliable WordPress hosting.
Price: The provider offers 2 shared hosting plans, with prices starting at just $2.59/month. While the lowest rates can be secured by opting for a 3-year billing period, the provider also offers very affordable monthly billing. Plus, there’s a very generous 97-day money-back guarantee if you pay with a credit card.
Features: DreamHost’s shared hosting entry plan allows hosting 1 website and comes with a free custom domain, an SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, 50 GB storage, automated daily backups, domain privacy and WP Website Builder. A commercial email has an additional cost.
Performance: DreamHost comes with an impressive 100% uptime guarantee. And our tests showed that the host is really reliable and fast. With just one minute of downtime, uptime increased to >99.99%, average. the response time was a very fast 231 ms, the load time took 1.6 s, and lastly, the host also managed to handle 50 concurrent visitors to the site. However, please note that all DreamHost servers are located in the US only.
Customer support: DreamHost offers 24/7 customer support via live chat (5:30 AM to 9:30 PM PT), phone, and email tickets. In our experience, the agents were very slick and prompt, even when contacted through a ticketing system.
Overall, DreamHost is not only cheap, but also offers feature-rich plans. It is ideal for both first-time users and businesses that want fast, high-quality performance.
Bluehost – budget and beginner-friendly hosting for WordPress
Features: | Free SSL, domain name, staging, CDN |
Uptime: | 99.99% |
Avg. response time: | 361ms |
Best for: | Small business websites |
Current deal: | 🔥Get Bluehost with 75% OFF🔥 |
On this list is one of the most popular providers, Bluehost. It offers cheap web hosting with shared plan prices starting at $2.95/month. The host has one of the most impressive dashboards with tools like staging and two-click Cloudflare CDN integration. Also, cPanel is there if needed.
Price: Bluehost comes with 4 shared hosting plans that range from $2.95/month to $13.95/month in terms of price. The lowest monthly rate is available with a 12-month billing term, plus there’s also a standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
Features: Bluehost’s cheapest shared plan comes with the ability to host 1 website and includes a free domain name, SSL certificate, CDN, 10GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, 5 email accounts, and a test environment.
Performance: Throughout our tests, the host maintained 99.99% uptime, even without an official uptime guarantee. The average response time was just as impressive at just 361 ms and the full charge time was also good at 1.8 s. However, its ability to handle heavy traffic was a bit low at only 15 VUs. Lastly, the host offers servers only in the US, but a free CDN is available.
Customer support: Bluehost support can be reached via live chat and phone 24/7. In our experience, communication was quick and very helpful. However, if you want a more thoughtful approach, you can purchase Bluehost’s premium support package: Blue Sky.
All things considered, Bluehost is a pretty unique provider on this list. Only one plan can be considered cheap, but the features it includes make it very attractive. Especially for beginners and small business owners.
A2 Hosting – performance-focused hosting for affordable pricing
Features: | Free SSL, caching, DDoS protection, cPanel |
Uptime: | 99.99% |
Avg. response time: | 597ms |
Best for: | Speed-focused hosting |
Current deal: | 🔥Get A2 Hosting with 72% OFF🔥 |
A2 Hosting is known primarily for its performance-based features, such as its A2 Optimized software. This makes it the ideal provider for those looking for affordable plans that offer plenty of speed-boosting features. Their shared hosting starts from $2.99/mo.
Again, long billing terms are unavoidable and renewals are higher.
Price: A2 Hosting offers 4 affordable and feature-rich shared plans. And with the 36-month billing option, prices start at just $2.99/mo. Best of all, A2 Hosting not only gives you a standard 30-day money-back guarantee, but also an anytime money-back policy for unused services.
Features: The cheapest provider’s plan allows you to host a single site and includes 100 GB of storage, unlimited email accounts, bandwidth, DNS and subdomains. Plus free SSL, DDoS protection, automated backups, server-level firewall, and much more. However, a custom domain is not included.
Performance: A2 Hosting is known for its many performance optimization features on its more expensive plans. However, even the cheapest options with less managed to show good results. The host maintained a reliable 99.99% uptime, a very fast site load time of 1.4s, and even managed to handle all 50 concurrent VUs on the site. Lastly, the host allows you to choose a server in Michigan (USA), Arizona (USA), Amsterdam (Netherlands), and Singapore (Singapore).
Customer support: A2 Hosting offers support through a 24/7 ticket system, phone, and live chat. Since we contacted support via live chat, our experience was very smooth and fast with the issue resolved within a few minutes.
All in all, A2 Hosting is a great option for small business websites. Generous storage, performance-focused features, and strong security make it a good workhorse for some of the cheapest web hosting prices around.
HostGator – inexpensive and all-inclusive hosting for beginners
Features: | Free SSL, domain name, website builder |
Uptime: | 99.99% |
Avg. response time: | 525ms |
Best for: | Beginners and small websites |
Current deal: | 🔥Get HostGator with 65% OFF🔥 |
HostGator is another very popular provider that targets both personal and small business users. With its cheapest plan costing just $2.75/mo, the host is the perfect entry into the world of hosting for newbies. Furthermore, the provider also becomes an attractive option with its user-friendly interface and other features for beginners.
Price: HostGator offers 3 affordable shared hosting plans with prices starting at just $2.75/month. However, to get this price, you must choose the 36-month billing cycle. However, if you change your mind, there is a standard 30-day money-back guarantee to use.
Features: HostGator’s cheapest entry-level plan comes with very generous server resources. While you can only host a single site, storage, bandwidth, and email accounts are unlimited. In addition, necessities such as a free domain, a free SSL and website builder for up to 6 pages, and a server-level firewall are also included.
Performance: To test the performance of HostGator, we ran some tests and the results were pretty impressive. The host kept the site active >99.99% of the time, their average. response time rounded up to 525 ms and the site loaded in just 1.2 s. In addition, HostGator also handled the full 50 VUs on the website. However, please note that all of the provider’s servers are located in the US only.
Customer support: You can reach HostGator support agents via live chat and phone 24/7. To test the competence of the agent, we contacted them via live chat and received the help we needed instantly.
As a whole, HostGator is among the best cheap website hosting providers. For a very low price, it manages to deliver in terms of ease of use, performance, and even features offered. It is an all-inclusive option for beginners.
HostPapa – an affordable, reliable, and resource-rich hosting solution
Features: | Free domain, free SSL, cPanel, Cloudflare CDN, server firewall |
Uptime: | 99.99% |
Avg. response time: | 1.19s |
Best for: | Generous beginner-friendly hosting |
Current deal: | 🔥Get HostPapa with 80% OFF🔥 |
HostPapa isn’t the cheapest entry on the list, but it sure has a lot to offer. It does this here by including very generous server resources with even its cheapest plan. Plus, the rest is covered -you get a domain, SSL, email accounts, and a cPanel control panel. All that for $2.36.
Price: HostPapa features 4 shared hosting plan options. And the cheapest one sells for just $2.36/mo with a 36-month billing period. Plus, if you want, you can also make use of their 30-day money-back guarantee.
Features: The cheapest HostPapa plan allows you to host 1 website and includes 100 GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, Cloudflare CDN, firewall and server monitoring, DDoS attack prevention, an SSL certificate, free domain registration, and email 10 domain accounts.
Performance: In terms of performance, HostPapa is highly reliable, but the speed department could use a little help. The provider demonstrated a perfect 100% uptime, while its average. response time took 1.19s. Furthermore, the traffic handled was on the lower end. Despite that, the site load time was very fast, 1.5 s. Lastly, HostPapa allows you to choose a server in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Customer support: HostPapa has many support channels available: live chat, phone, ticket system, and fax. Regardless of which you choose, you can expect knowledgeable and educated agents at your service. Best of all, support is available in English, Spanish, and French.
Taken together, HostPapa is a great affordable web host for users who need some guidance at first. That’s covered with one-on-one training. HostPapa also packs a ton of generous features that can cover quite large websites.
InterServer – budget-friendly month-to-month hosting
Features: | Free SSL, unlimited sites, cPanel |
Uptime: | 99.99% |
Avg. response time: | 662ms |
Best for: | Month-to-month hosting |
Current deal: | 🔥Get InterServer with 65% OFF🔥 |
InterServer has made a name for itself by offering high-quality, affordable hosting. The provider has only one shared hosting plan, the price of which can be as low as $2.50/mo. Both business and personal projects would work well with the provider. But, I would recommend it mainly for smaller projects.
Price: InterServer has 3 shared hosting plans to offer. And they come at very reasonable prices, starting at $2.50/month. To lock in this rate for longer, it is recommended that you choose the 36-month billing cycle. However, even if you want to purchase a single month, the fee will remain the same. Plus, you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Features: All InterServer plans come with unlimited websites, storage, bandwidth, and email accounts. In addition, a free SSL, weekly backups, and a Cloudflare CDN are also included. However, a custom domain has an additional price.
Performance: InterServer performance is a bit hit and miss. While the host is very reliable in terms of uptime, the responsiveness of the server and site load time could be much better. Despite that, InterServer is capable of handling quite heavy traffic on the website. However, please note that all of the provider’s servers are located in the US only.
Customer support: InterServer customer support can be reached 24 hours a day via live chat, phone, email, and even Messenger. Based on our experience, wait times were very short and the agents proved to be knowledgeable and friendly.
All in all, InterServer is a very universal host. The fact that you’re not limited by the number of sites you can build is great, and monthly hosting can become a lifesaver for tight budgets.
Cheap web hosting: final recommendations
Without a doubt, it is now obvious that there are many good quality providers offering cheap web hosting solutions. But, in this article, I have shortlisted the 7 best cheap web hosting options.
And there you have it! You would be fine with any of these providers. But, I recommend reading this article thoroughly. Each has its Pros and Cons, and ultimately the right provider will depend on your needs, wants, and preferences.
FAQs
What is cheap web hosting?
Web hosting costs differ greatly from provider to provider. However, for a web hosting solution to be considered cheap, the monthly fee must not be more than $5 and the plan must include all the requirements, such as a domain name, SSL and additional security features.
What is the cheapest domain host?
You can get a cheap domain name from a registrar or even from your web host like Hostinger. The host not only offers a free domain name for the first year, but also offers very reasonable purchase prices.
Can I host my website for free?
Yes, you can host your website for free with certain providers. But keep in mind that most of the free providers restrict their features and resources to the bare minimum. On top of that, you’ll likely see less-than-optimal performance as well. Therefore, it is better to stick to low-cost web hosting options.
What type of accommodation is better?
There is no one-size-fits-all hosting solution, which means the best type of hosting for you will depend entirely on your personal needs. However, the most popular option is still shared hosting. It is easy to use and is suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
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