Ihave learned a few important things about hosting while building business websites since 2005. Below are my top small business web hosting recommendations based on practical considerations, plus some warnings.

This article applies to “shared” and managed hosting for WordPress, where the hosting company manages all technical aspects of running the web servers.

I first tried SiteGround in 2017 to host a group of websites for a new startup. I was lured by the low 12 and 24 month pricing, but found the support, stability, and other tools (such as WordPress site migrator and 1-click staging) were worth far more. I now consider it the overall best web hosting for WordPress.

SiteGround for WordPress hosting

SiteGround’s key strength is streamlined WordPress hosting and custom tools to simplify WordPress installation, migration, setup, and performance. It’s the only hosting I would recommend to a WordPress beginner (as well as experts), because it automates security, daily backups, and WP core plus plugin updates in a sensible way.

• 1-click WordPress installer: it creates the folders, installs the most recent WP version, creates and configures the database & user,
• WP site migration tool: If you have WP sites hosted anywhere else, SiteGround provides a free migration plugin tool that actually works very well. I’ve migrated dozens of sites with zero issues. Site migration is the biggest hurdle to switching to better hosting, and this tool fixes it.
• Free SSL: Amazingly, many big hosts still don’t offer free SSL, or they make it very difficult to set up and maintain. SiteGround does it automatically (Let’s Encrypt SSLdomain, subdomain, or wildcard using Let’s Encrypt SSL), and you can change settings.
• Caching plugin: SiteGround developed their own caching/optimizer WP plugin which is actually very good. It has all the options you’d want, and is designed to work with their environment (for example: memcache options).
• WordPress optimized: SiteGround seems overall well-optimized overall for WordPress performance, and it’s faster than several competitors in the same price range in my own speed testing, and all plans include free CDN.
• Unlimited sites: While you can create “unlimited” WordPress (or other) sites, the file storage and inode usage creates practical limit. See below for details. (GrowBig plan and up)
• 1-click staging sites: When you need to install a new plugin, theme, or make major site changes, it’s a good idea to not do it on your live site. Staging creates a perfect duplicate of your site on a subdomain where you can safely make changes. When done, either discard the staging, or 1-click copy it to your productions site. (GoGeek plan and up)

SiteGround for general hosting

SiteGround hosting is a perfectly capable all-purpose hosting, and I’ve used it for custom app sites (PHP/Laravel), Wikimedia hosting, and ecommerce sites. Here are my favorite features:

• Excellent help: It’s not important until you really need it! And SiteGround deserves an award for this. I’ve had to contact support several times with urgent issues and have always connected in less than 3 minutes. Support is expert level.
• Excellent email: Their email quotas are more generous than most hosting companies (several hundred per hour), and deliverability is also very high, so your website notifications won’t land in spam. Their webmail solution is also good enough to actually use for business, and I do.
• Completely separate sites: SiteGround has a complete firewall around each site on your account, which is great because it prevents problems with one site (malware, attacks, or your own mistakes) from affecting your others. It also lets you share account access on a site-by-site basis.
• Automatic daily backups: All plans backup daily and save up to 30 days. This is managed beautifully, because backups are site-based, meaning you can restore just one domain (plus all subdomains) on your account, instead of needing to roll back all sites you host. Choose between restoring files, database, email accounts, or all three.
• SSH access & GIT: If you’re installing custom applications, you’ll want the GoGeek plan to get full SSH access, including GIT.
• Cross-account site transfers: Another huge time-saver. 1-click transfer your entire site (files, DB, email, configs) to another SiteGround account (like a client’s) with zero downtime.
• Upgrade pathway: If one of your sites (or a client’s) blows up with traffic, you can simply upgrade from shared hosting to VPS, and choose the number of CPUs, memory, storage, etc.

SiteGround Warnings

While SiteGround is my personal top choice for best wordpress hosting, please be aware of these things:

• Custom control panel: SiteGround used cPanel® when I started with them in 2017. So when they developed their own panel, I was concerned. Surprisingly, their custom panel is better (in my opinion) in terms of ease of use, features, and user interface.
• Site separation: Each site you make on an account is firewalled from your others, which is great from a security and management perspective. But if you’re developing a custom app that requires multiple domains to share the same filesystem and database, it may not be possible.
• Storage and inode limits: All plans except the cheapest allow “unlimited sites”, but in my experience, the inode quota will limit you before the storage quota will. The limits are currently: On StartUp plans: 200,000 inodes per account, GrowBig plans: 400,000 inodes, GoGeek plans: 600,000 inodes. A basic WordPress installation takes about 10,000 inodes, and a large WP site could be 60,000.
• Pricing: Like many hosting companies, SiteGround sometimes offers large discounts (around 80% off, check here) on your initial purchase. So I recommend getting the 12 or 24 month period, making your monthly cost as low as $3.50. Otherwise, it’s around $18 to $45 if you pay monthly, which is still well-worth it for their expert support alone. I currently host 29 business sites on a single GoGeek plan, making my actual cost under $1/month per site.

I’ve used Bluehost for various web projects over the years, and while an overall good choice for WordPress hosting, it lacks in some areas I feel are important: knowledgeable support, website isolation, and email deliverability.

Bluehost for WordPress hosting

A good overall performer, Bluehost offers:

• 1-Click WordPress Install: Allows users to set up WordPress with a single click, eliminating manual setup steps.
• Free SSL Certificate: Provides a free SSL certificate, ensuring encrypted data transfer and boosting website trustworthiness.
• Staging Environment: Allows users to create a replica of their website to test changes before pushing them live.
• Automatic Daily Backups: Daily backups of your website to ensure data safety and easy restoration in case of issues.

Bluehost for general hosting

For years I hosted some custom PHP applications on Bluehost. Performance was acceptable, but when I ran into server problems, support was hard to get.

• Unmetered Bandwidth: No strict limits (“fair use” limits) on the amount of traffic your website can handle.
• cPanel Access: Gives users a robust control panel to manage their hosting settings and tools.
• Scalability: Offers easy options to upgrade resources as your site grows, such as more storage or bandwidth.
• Security Features: Comes with built-in malware detection, spam protection, and other tools to ensure your site’s safety.

Bluehost Warnings

While Bluehost is a fairly safe choice, please note these points:

• Renewal Rates: After the promotional pricing period ends, hosting renewal rates can be significantly higher. During the sign-up and even later, Bluehost often tries to upsell additional services or higher-tier plans.
• Site Migrations: Unlike some competitors, Bluehost might charge for site migrations, depending on the scenario.
• Performance Variability: Some users have reported inconsistent server performance, which can affect site speed and uptime.
• Support Quality: While many find their support helpful, some users feel the quality and responsiveness of customer service can be hit or miss.
• Backup Limitations: The free backups are not guaranteed, and there might be limitations. It’s always a good idea to maintain your own backup routine.

GoDaddy Hosting

GoDaddy, originally known for domain registrations at godaddy.com, has grown into a comprehensive web hosting provider.

Strengths:

• Vast array of services from domain registration to dedicated hosting.
• User-friendly interface ideal for beginners.
• 24/7 customer support.

Potential Concerns:

• Aggressive upselling tactics during checkout.
• Significant renewal rates post the initial period.
• Inconsistent server performance reported by some users.

DreamHost

DreamHost, found at dreamhost.com, has been offering a wide range of hosting services since 1996.

Strengths:

• Excellent uptime guarantee.
• Transparent pricing without significant renewal hikes.
• Generous 97-day money-back guarantee.

Potential Concerns:

• Absence of cPanel might be off-putting for some.
• Phone support isn’t available 24/7.
• Site migrations from other hosts may have fees.

WP Engine

WP Engine, accessible at wpengine.com, specializes in managed WordPress hosting services.

Strengths:

• Highly optimized for WordPress performance.
• Daily backups and robust security features.
• Expert customer support on WordPress.

Potential Concerns:

• Pricier than many shared hosting providers.
• Exclusively for WordPress sites.
• Visit limits per plan can be constraining.

HostGator

HostGator (hostgator.com) provides a broad array of hosting solutions for WordPress and general hosting.

Strengths:

• Offers a range from shared to dedicated server hosting.
• 45-day money-back guarantee.
• Commendable uptime and performance metrics.

Potential Concerns:

• Rates can jump after the promotional period.
• Some features might come with extra costs.
• Occasionally slow customer support response times.

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting, available at a2hosting.com, is known for its “turbo servers” and emphasis on speed.

Strengths:

• Renowned for its speed-optimized servers and performance.
• Environmentally-friendly, with a carbon-neutral footprint.
• Anytime money-back guarantee, offering peace of mind.

Potential Concerns:

• Turbo features are limited to specific plans.
• Renewal rates can increase significantly after the introductory period.
• Some users report issues when trying to access their customer support.

InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting (inmotionhosting.com) is best-known for its reliable business hosting solutions.

Strengths:

• Provides a wide range of hosting options, catering to diverse needs.
• 90-day money-back guarantee, which is quite generous in the industry.
• Free website migration without downtime.

Potential Concerns:

• Prices can be higher than some competitors.
• Strict policies against overuse might affect heavy websites.
• Phone verification for international clients can be cumbersome.