If you’re looking for cheap web hosting, chances are budget is a primary concern for your business. However, besides a low bill, you need your website to function and stay live. With so much variation between plans and hosts, it can be hard to choose.
I always suggest starting out by making a list of must-haves and would-like-to-have features. For example, monthly billing might be a must-have because you don’t have the extra cash to pay a year or more upfront. Or, you might have a website builder on your must-have list because you can’t afford to pay a web designer right now.
Essential Cheap Web Hosting Features
When the budget is tight, you need a web host that includes the extras without charging an arm and a leg. Picking a host with basic features costing extra can easily eat into your bottom line.
Look for a host that includes the following features as part of your hosting plan:
- Unlimited Bandwidth. Limits on how much data you can transfer to and from your website could lead to extra costs during traffic spikes.
- Large Storage Limits. Storage for website files, customer data and media add up quickly.
- SSL Certificates. Especially for e-commerce, encrypted communication is nonnegotiable.
- Security Tools. Cybercrime continues to rise, so security features such as two-factor authentication, DDoS protections and zero-trust protocols are a must.
- Automatic Backups. Automatic backups help reduce human error and your time investment while protecting your website in case of natural disasters, ransomware or power failures.
- Support. Customer and tech support are your lifeline when things go wrong. You need a fast and reliable way to reach out when things break.
Overall, several hosts on our list serve as strong all-around generalists, such as TMDHosting, Hostinger and Namecheap.
Value
Budget matters, but so does getting a functional website. If your website is down frequently, loads slowly or managing your account is a nightmare, that ultra-low cost isn’t a bargain after all. Balancing cost, features and quality to find the biggest bang for your buck is necessary.
Each host on our list offers reasonable values, but you’ll often have to pay a year or more upfront to realize the biggest savings. When looking at overall value, DreamHost, Namecheap, and Hostinger stand out.
Portability
While many of the hosts on our list have relatively stable pricing, sometimes prices rise from market pressures or when hosts are sold. Being locked into a single host can result in unexpected extra costs. A portable website is one you can copy the files from and move them to a new host.
WordPress and other open-source CMS-built sites are usually considered the most portable, as are sites managed through cPanel. Website builder websites can be trickier. Most website builder plans don’t provide access to the files you’d need to migrate to another host.
Hosts with strong WordPress hosting where you can create portable websites include Hostinger, Namecheap and TMDHosting.
Website Creation
Most small businesses are watching every penny, and hiring outside web design help isn’t feasible for many. Finding a web host that includes an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder that works from templates makes it possible to create your own website without incurring extra costs.
While website builders aren’t always as portable as other website systems, they’re great for getting online fast. Hosts with website builders include IONOS, GoDaddy and Hostinger.
Technical Help
Even if you’re an experienced techie, sometimes you have to choose between spending time coding and managing your website or managing your business. Picking a web host with strong tech support might cost a little more upfront but save you more down the road than cheaper options.
Hosts that stand out for technical help include Kinsta and GreenGeeks.