Not All Web Hosts are Created Equal

SiteGround makes my top 3 for several reasons, primarily their excellent support when things go wrong. Good service is worth paying more for, as it’s the support that will make the biggest difference in the long run.

I currently host one of my biggest sites with SiteGround. I’ve had minor issues, but nothing alarming. This site was previously hosted with HostGator, another good provider, but moving it to SiteGround was a great decision. I plan to stay with them as long as they maintain their service quality. My support tickets have included help with transferring from HostGator and SSL certificate issues, along with a few live chats for minor concerns. I made a big screwup when adding some database changes and had to restore the site. I have several weeks of backups that I was able to select from. The one-click restore was lovely.

SiteGround offers a range of services, from shared hosting to advanced options. Updated to 2024 – My current cost is $302 per year. This has gone up substantially, but you can sign up for several years at a much lower cost. Plus, I needed the next level up from when I started.

HawkHost offers exceptional value with comprehensive features at an unbeatable hosting price. They provide unlimited addon domains and a highly efficient support service. I’m currently hosting 10 sites on two different accounts with Hawk Host, and I’ve encountered no major issues. The user-friendly CPanel and backend systems enhance the overall experience. They offer various hosting options and domain purchasing services.

My only support interaction involved adding SSL certificates, which was straightforward and hassle-free. HawkHost deserves a spot in your top three hosting choices. Currently, my annual cost is just $53.00.

I wasn’t familiar with Interserver until I created a site with them, and I’ve been pleased with the experience. I currently host five different sites, and the uptime has been excellent. Additionally, I get unlimited addon domains.

My support history is minimal. I needed to increase my resources due to high CPU usage, and they resolved it quickly without any downtime. For the price, I feel like I’m getting a great deal. My current cost is $54.00 per year.

HostGator was the first host I ever used. You can read my post about why I eventually left HostGator. I started with their reseller account and had some good years, but I also encountered many issues. By the time I decided to leave, I was fed up and realized there were many other hosting options available.

When I signed up, HostGator was the top choice for small businesses. I felt confident choosing a trusted company, and for the most part, they delivered. However, their pricing was higher compared to other hosts, and it remains one of the more expensive options today. I’m not saying you shouldn’t use HostGator, my experience may differ from yours, but I wanted to share what I found. When I left, I was paying $29 per month for a reseller account.

BlastPort was one of the first affordable hosts I tried after realizing there were other options available. A major benefit is the unlimited add-on domains included with my original purchase. Their pricing may have changed, so it’s a good idea to check the current rates.

My experience with BlastPort has been straightforward. Over the eight years I’ve used them, I only had one request to update the PHP versions, which they handled efficiently. If you’re looking to host a simple blog or a site requiring minimal resources, BlastPort could be a good option. My current cost is $14.00 per year.

At the time, this was a more affordable alternative to using a HostGator reseller account. I wanted a new block of IP addresses for my sites. This company was much smaller, with customer support based in Eastern Europe. The support team was always friendly, and in my early years, I had to interact with them frequently. Over time, their service improved significantly.

I currently host around 7 websites with them. Although I could transfer these sites to my other hosts, $60 per year is an excellent deal for a reseller account. I believe new reseller accounts now start at $11 per month, so I was grandfathered in at a lower rate. Their servers and services have consistently improved over the years and could be a good choice for you. My current cost is $60 per year.

In 2014, I was looking for cheap hosting for a small project that wouldn’t need frequent updates. I found hostripples.com and signed up for their $12-a-year hosting package, which allowed for a single domain.

I did experience a site hack, likely due to my neglect of WordPress updates. However, they restored it from a backup quickly. While I wouldn’t recommend them for high-traffic production sites, they are a great option for running tests and smaller projects. My current cost is $12 per year.

For one of my projects, I needed European hosting. I chose VidaHost, which was later acquired by TSOHost. I opened the account in 2013, paying an average of $5.00 per month. Although I had decent service with a few frustrating moments, I eventually decided to part ways with TSOHost as I no longer needed European hosting.

Transferring my sites to another hosting account was straightforward. I submitted a cancellation request, and the process was completed before the next billing cycle. I still maintain servers in various countries today. My cost when I left was $5.00 per month.

This is one of my least favorite hosts. They provided nothing but trouble, and I closed the account years ago. Their services were overpriced for the quality offered. Additionally, they did not support PayPal as a payment method.

My simple WordPress sites were frequently hacked, and they blamed my theme and plugins. Eventually, they acknowledged their server’s lack of security. It was a frustrating experience, and I wouldn’t recommend them for web hosting. My cost at the time was $11.95 per month.

Around the same time I signed up for Hostripples, I needed more cheap hosting for other projects. I discovered MyTrueHost through cheap hosting reviews. In 2014, I signed up for $12 per year. Looking back at all my support tickets, I realized I didn’t have any with MyTrueHost.

My hosting experience with them has been excellent. In the hosting world, no problems mean everything is working well. I highly recommend them as a cost-effective hosting solution. My needs were minimal resources and low cost. My current price is $12 per year.

This is another budget host I signed up for back in 2014. My main requirement was affordability, and they met that need. In five years, I’ve only had one support incident due to a maintenance issue.

With HostSo, you get what you pay for. I was able to host only one site with their basic plan, but they offer several other plans. I can’t guarantee their service on a larger scale since I haven’t used it, but their bigger plans are still affordable and provide more server power if needed. Their largest plan offers a lot of resources and is much better than HostRocket. My current price is $12 per year.

Cheap hosting was a strong choice back in 2014, and I still pay the same rate today, which is rare. With hosting at this price, you aren’t looking for top-tier service. If your needs are simple and you want to pay a minimal amount, this is a good option.

Looking at my ticket history, I only had issues with a billing situation and never experienced downtime. My use of this host has been minimal, and the package allows only one website. It has met my needs for over five years. Unlike some other providers, they offer a range of hosting packages, including dedicated servers. I did cancel my service since my site wasn’t being used anymore.

This host was recommended to me many years ago for one of my larger sites. Although their customer service responds quickly, there are a few aspects of NameCheap that I didn’t like.

The backend dashboard for managing billing and tickets is complicated. I couldn’t even find my old invoices. While the support team was fast to respond, they often had trouble fixing my issues and frequently blamed WordPress.

I had a business-class service that cost $218 per year, but at times, my cheaper hosts performed better. I discontinued this plan in 2018.

Although they offer a variety of service plans, I wouldn’t recommend them. Currently, I have their base package for a different project, which includes three domains. It hasn’t been foolproof. For the money, I would suggest looking elsewhere. My current cost is $38.88 per year.

This host is similar to HostRocket, and I believe they have the same owners. They hosted one of my larger sites for a while, but I left in 2016 after they raised their prices. Small annoyances made the experience frustrating, like having an extra step to access CPanel and needing another username and password in my database.

They also have predatory first-year terms. Although the initial sign-up deal is attractive, the cost triples after the first year. I got tired of paying the higher rates and switched to other hosts. My last price with them was $143 per year.

This is a host I can fully support. They offer a wide range of services, including basic shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. Many hosting providers give you the option to pay monthly, yearly, every two years, every three years, and more. I decided early on that I didn’t like monthly bills, so I purchased a two-year plan. This decision saved me around $70. Over the past five years, their service has only had minor interruptions.

The backend appears to be custom-built, but it’s generally easy to navigate. However, I wish I could host more domains for the price I pay. Currently, I can only have four domains in total, which is why they didn’t make my top three hosts. My current price is $107 per year.

I set up an account with 1and1 back in 2012 when I was moving sites off my reseller account. I created a personal blog and a strong site in the trading niche. The trading site performed well, and I didn’t want to risk disrupting it. The server performance was satisfactory, and I had only a couple of support tickets.

However, there were a few issues. They charged me an additional $5 per month for using an unsupported older PHP version, which I wasn’t aware of at the time. I had to contact them to get refunds for these charges. Their backend was custom-built and not as user-friendly as CPanel.

The price was above average, but they were one of the biggest hosts back then. While I wouldn’t say not to use them, I’m no longer a customer. The service allowed me to host up to five domains. I left in 2016, and my last price was $83 per year.

I started using StudyHost back in 2015 and still have an account with them today. They are a UK-based host offering a fairly cheap hosting plan. While they may not be the strongest on my list, they have provided decent results.

Looking at my support cases, I’ve had a few issues, including sites not loading and some CPanel problems. Despite these issues, they’ve performed adequately for the price. I wouldn’t recommend them for a primary site, but they are a reasonable option for secondary projects. My current cost is $18.91 per year.

This host has been a nightmare. The good news is I only paid once in 2015 and haven’t paid since. They suffered from DDoS attacks and other hacking incidents. I definitely wouldn’t recommend signing up with LevelHosting.ca.

My support tickets are filled with frustration. If you can’t rely on your hosting provider, it’s not worth it, even at a low rate or for free. I’m currently trying to access one of my sites, and it’s taking forever. Luckily, I don’t really need these sites anymore. My current cost is free per year.

I currently host a less important site with Hostnine. Once my annual service is up, I will likely remove them from my list of web hosts. They are a bit overpriced for what you get. While my service has been good, I feel like I should get unlimited addon domains, but I would have to pay over $120 to get that level of service.

I haven’t had many issues with my site, so I can’t comment on their support. I suppose that’s a good thing. However, you don’t get much value for your dollar with Hostnine. My current price is $47.88 per year.

I used GoDaddy hosting for about two years. The price for hosting one site is above the industry average. I didn’t need the site anymore, so I dropped them as a host. Overall, the service was fine, and I never had to contact support.

My honest opinion of GoDaddy is that they are a huge conglomerate that often tries to nickel and dime customers. There were many occasions when I felt pressured to sign up for services I didn’t need, especially during checkout.

Despite this, I still use GoDaddy Auctions to find well-aged domains, though the service could be better. They are also my domain registrar for over 150 domains, and between yearly renewals and domain privacy, I spend a significant amount of money with them. My price when I stopped hosting was $134.04 per year.

I signed up with WebhostingPad back in 2015 and got a great deal at $23.94 for the first year. I figured if they didn’t meet my needs, I could move my sites before the higher-priced renewal. I was pleasantly surprised and was able to add four sites using their CPanel.

In 2018, I experienced some downtime when my sites weren’t loading. However, as soon as I contacted support, the issue was resolved quickly. They have a ticketing system, which I appreciate. My current price is $71.88 per year.

I needed this host back in 2015 to get more sites online. The backend client-side is simple to use. For the past four years, my price has remained the same. They use CPanel, which makes things easier. I get 10 addon domains with the package I signed up for.

I had an issue with a second account that led to my sites being suspended, but we resolved it quickly. The service has been running optimally for many years. I pay annually for my service. My current price is $36.00 per year.

In 2015, I signed up with another big hosting company, ASmallOrange. This is a straightforward host that provides everything you need. I get unlimited domains within their CPanel, and the fact that I keep adding domains to my account is a good sign.

Looking back on my support tickets, I was pleasantly surprised to have had only a billing issue during my first of four renewals. I had paid the bill upfront but later realized my PayPal account was set to auto-renew. This was easily resolved with a refund. Although this host doesn’t handle much of my heavy lifting, their uptime has been excellent. They might break into my top three hosts one day. My current price is $50.00 per year.

In my spreadsheet of all my hosts, I wrote “Garbage Host” next to HostMetro, and for good reason. I initially got one addon domain with my account, but I soon moved it to another web host. By the end of 2019, I decided to get rid of them. There’s no need to keep a host at this price for just one domain.

My support tickets were problematic, with frequent server latency issues. I would recommend staying away from HostMetro. At the time of sign-up, I paid $33.00 per year, but after the first two years, my price went up. My current price is $41.00 per year.

This was one of those hosts that seemed like a good idea at the time. Fast forward a few years, and I’m questioning that decision. Although they provide CPanel and reliable uptime, they limit me to only one addon domain. Recently, I renewed my account without fully realizing this limitation—a user error on my part.

There are better deals available worldwide. They moved their hosting system to Australia, and even though I’m in a US data center, there’s no reason for me to stay with them. I signed up for a three-year billing cycle, which is more expensive than most of the hosts I use today. If you only need to host one site, this host might work for you, but consider the price and the lack of addon domains. My current price is $96.00 per year.

I created this host just like the rest, as I was expanding my portfolio and needed a new host to handle additional weight. I host some significant sites with Arvixe and based on my support tickets, it’s a good thing. I don’t see any tickets indicating my sites were offline, and I’ve been very pleased with their service.

With CPanel, I get five addon domains, which is a good setup for the basic hosting plan. I pay on a two-year cycle, which works for me, and the current price doesn’t feel burdensome at billing time. You can choose them and feel confident about your purchase. My current price is $48.00 per year.

The good news about HostUpon is that I was recently migrated to newer and better equipment. They offer 250 addon domains, and they use CPanel, which is my favorite. I currently host seven domains with them. There is plenty of storage and bandwidth for my needs. The price is fair, and it could be a good option for you.

Looking back at my support tickets, I experienced minimal downtime. One instance was during the migration, and another was a downtime issue that was resolved within an hour. The ability to host this many domains is a great advantage. I had just renewed my plan as I wrote this post. It’s a three-year billing cycle. My current price is $47.00 per year.

I added HostWinds back in 2016. They use CPanel, and the service I’m using allows for four total domains. While this is a bit less than I’d prefer, it’s still adequate. The big bonus with HostWinds is AutoSSL, which saves both money and time over the long run.

The support backend isn’t the cleanest, but it’s functional. About a year after hosting with them, I experienced some downtime, but it was resolved quickly. The SSL support is a standout feature and they installed SSL for one of my new domains with a simple request. My current price is $60.00 per year.

The only reason Site5 isn’t in my top three is due to the price. They allow me to do everything I need without any issues. I get unlimited addon domains and a CPanel to manage them. They offer services ranging from regular hosting to fully managed VPS. Prices vary based on your needs, but if you find a price close to mine, Site5 is worth considering.

Looking back at my support tickets, I hardly had any issues worth mentioning. If you have the budget and want solid service, Site5 is a great choice. I host one of my big sites with them and plan to add more domains in the future. My current price is $108.00 per year.

Probably the most expensive host I’ve used, WPEngine saw a good run. I opened a big site with the expectation of high traffic and needed a solid WordPress hosting provider. Among the big names, I chose WPEngine. It was steady overall, and issues were resolved quickly with their live support.

Since WPEngine is focused on WordPress, they don’t offer some of the features that a typical CPanel host would. For example, you need to set up email through a third-party service, which is a bit disappointing given the cost. If email isn’t crucial for you, this might not be a big deal. They recommend using services like MailChimp for newsletters or marketing plans. I use MailChimp for the Afternoon Grind newsletter, which I’ll discuss in a future post. For now, if you want solid WordPress hosting, WPEngine is a good place to start. My last price was $245 per year, and you save two months if you pay annually.