A website is an essential aspect of your brand. Unlike social media pages and YouTube channels, you have complete control over what you post on a website. With so many available options, you might have a hard time picking the best one for your online venture. Before determining the best web host in 2024, let’s talk a little more about web hosting and what you need to look for before picking one.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a service that enables you to basically rent space on the cloud, which makes your website accessible online. Although Wix, Squarespace and similar content management systems include hosting as part of their web building solutions, they’re more expensive than self hosted WordPress websites.
What to look for in a web host
In addition to cost, here are 5 essential considerations when looking for the best web host:
- Reliability
An ideal web host should be able to guarantee at least 99.9% uptime for your website. That means people visiting your website will always find it online. The best web hosts rarely suffer outages. Your host should also have an intuitive user interface that one can easily understand even without coding experience.
- Security
Unfortunately, bad actors such as malicious hackers regularly target websites to try and steal data. Your web host should provide anti-malware protection as part of the hosting package. They should also offer SSL certificates and protect against DDoS attacks, among other security features.
- Customer service
If your website is online 24 hours a day, then the web host should also be available 24/7 to help you with any problem. Most top notch providers allow you to contact them via email, chat, phone, social media, and tickets.
- Bandwidth and storage
Storage and bandwidth are two of the most essential considerations of a hosting package. Higher storage means you can upload more videos, photos, and other media to your website. It allows for scalability when your online business expands. Bandwidth determines how fast your web pages load. The ideal web host should offer the highest possible bandwidth and storage at an affordable cost.
- Backups
In the unlikely event of a malware attack, your entire website could be wiped off the internet. A reliable web host should provide regular, automatic backups to avoid such eventualities. You can also consider third party backup services for extra convenience.
Which is the best web host in 2024?
After doing thorough reviews of various excellent web hosts, we have finally settled on 5 solutions:
5. Hostgator
Founded in 2002, Hostgator has established itself as one of the world’s most dependable web hosts. It’s ideal if you’re looking for affordable all-in-one hosting deals for your blog or online business. Hostgator has three main pricing plans: Hatchling, Baby, and Business. Over the years, Hostgator has also invested heavily in its customer care resources, such as its knowledge base which answers the most asked questions. Other resources include live chat, blog, ticketing system, and social media pages.
4. Bluehost
Whether you’re starting a personal blog or ecommerce site, Bluehost has web hosting solutions to fit your budget and needs. Bluehost also promises 100% network uptime for its cloud hosting service. This host places high emphasis on WordPress hosting, given that the platform powers over 40% of all websites. Bluehost is best for newbies who are just getting into web building and want an intuitive solution.
3. Namecheap hosting
You probably know Namecheap as an affordable domain name registrar, but did you know they also offer hosting? As the name suggests, it offers the most affordable shared hosting plans on this list. For the first year, you’ll pay as low as $2.38 per month for unlimited websites. Other features include free SSL certificates and 24/7 customer care support. In our honest opinion, this host is ideal if you’re looking to spend as little as possible on hosting.
2. TMDHosting
At a glance, TMDhosting’s UI gives it the look and feel of a high quality web host. This provider has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the highly competitive web hosting industry. With thousands of positive ratings across the web from satisfied clients, this Florida-based company has established itself as a reliable provider. Its products include Linux-based shared, WordPress, VPS, dedicated, reseller, and cloud hosting. Although it’s not the cheapest option in this list, the services are well worth the price.
This website is hosted on TMDHosting and so far, the service has been superior. We have never had a problem with our hosting package. Plus, it’s easy to contact customer care any time we need help setting up our websites.
1. Interserver
Despite being in business for a while, InterServer doesn’t advertise as much as heavily as peers such as Bluehost and Hostgator. However, it remains one of the best web hosting companies. Interserver has a large user base, great ratings by third-party sources, and is regularly recommended on several user forums.
In summary, Interserver offers great value for money. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced webmaster, they have a hosting package that you’ll be happy with. Some of their features include:
- Unlimited hosting on entry-level hosting plans.
- LiteSpeed servers for blazing fast speeds.
- Variety of hosting packages, including shared, VPS, and dedicated servers.
- Automatic weekly backups.
- Guaranteed 99.9% uptime.
| Best Web Host Pros and Cons | ||
| Pros | Cons | |
| Hostgator | Has a variety of customer support tools.Offers all-in-one hosting | Slightly more expensive compared to similar web hosts. Has a clunky, dated user interface. |
| Bluehost | Officially recommended by WordPress.orgOffers free SSL certificate.Great customer support. | Charges higher when renewing domains and hosting plans. |
| Namecheap | Super affordable.Easy to use interface.Free SSL and domain. | Slower website response time compared to competitors. |
| TMDHosting | Intuitive dashboardFocus on securityFast and effective customer support. | Higher renewal prices |
| Interserver | Affordable pricing for unlimited hosting.Responsive customer care. | Only has data centers in North America. |
Online rating comparisons for the top 5 web hosts
| Host Name | Trustpilot rating |
| Hostgator | 4.3/5 (8,500 reviews) |
| Bluehost | 4.1/5 (15,000 reviews) |
| Namecheap | 4.4/5 (16,000 reviews) |
| TMDHosting | 4.4/5 (1,100 reviews) |
| Interserver | 4.1/5 (1,800 reviews) |
Final Thoughts on the best web host in 2024
This list of best web hosts gives you the perfect starting point if you’re looking for a reliable home for your website. While every hosting provider has its advantages, we recommend Interserver for an all-round positive experience. Although they only have servers in the US, customers in Europe and other continents still report fast website load speeds. Read our blog for more in-depth articles about web building and hosting.
