Writer: Alexandra Anderson
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
Serving as a gateway to a vibrant online world of information, the best domain hosting services roll out the red carpet to your site’s readers and potential customers.
Whether you’re setting up your first website or managing a portfolio of domain names, finding the right registrar and hosting provider can save loads of time and headaches. While many services offer similar features or free registrations, you’ll want to find a plan that is optimized for your specific needs.
Your domain can determine your search engine rankings and your success as a brand in general. It all starts with a domain, but it really begins with a domain host — so let’s go over the best in the business.
Best Overall: Hostinger (Free Domain for 1 Year w/Hosting Purchase)
When we reviewed the best domain hosting companies, we expected providers to bring value, ample resources, and a hassle-free site-building and management experience.
Our top-recommended domain host checks all of the above boxes and includes a free domain name for your first year:
1. Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Lowest domain prices in the industry
- FREE registration on most plans
- Host up to 100 domains on most plans
- Domain privacy protection safeguards your info
- 99.9% uptime guarantee and automatic backups
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Laura Bernheim
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 25 GB SSD – 100 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
I can’t get enough of Hostinger’s sleek, intuitive hPanel interface for managing websites. It’s a smart solution for beginners because it makes domain name transfers between Hostinger accounts a piece of cake. Hostinger also throws in free WHOIS privacy protection — something you don’t want to pass up.
Cheap Domain Hosting
Building your first site is exciting! You want to talk themes, color schemes, and the content for your first blog post — not agonize over uptime rates and other server stats.
Your web host should make managing your domains and websites simple by providing a popular control panel and easy-to-reach customer support.
The two hosts highlighted in this section score high marks in all these categories, and all for less than $3 per month. Bluehost and IONOS, represent the global hosting providers that carry stunning value.
2. IONOS.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.00
- Register domains for $1 (or FREE with hosting)
- FREE domain privacy to protect your information
- Easy setup with domain lock and 2GB email inbox
- 99.9% uptime, plus daily backups and recovery
- FREE SSL certificate for safer data transfers
- Get started on IONOS now.
Alexandra Anderson
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB – Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
3. Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $3.95
- FREE domain registration and site-building tools
- Unlimited domains, emails, and bandwidth
- Up to $200 in offers with Google, Bing, and Yahoo!
- Top-ranked WordPress host with tons of perks
- 24/7 customer support and online tutorials
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Ryan Frankel
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Neither company cuts corners to justify its low prices. You’ll find impressively fast hardware, reliable uptime, and the full set of features you can expect with plans with much higher price tags.
After reviewing the most affordable hosts on the market and evaluating their price, support, and feature sets, we can confidently say these are the best web hosts in terms of bang for your buck.
Best Domain Hosting With Email
Your website’s domain name not only functions as the label and point of reference to direct web browsers to your site, but it can also serve as the basis for email accounts.
Whether for personal or professional use, having an email address hosted on your own custom domain bodes well for your brand identity.
Certain hosts specialize in domain and email hosting services with features such as spam filtering, auto-responders, the ability to host unlimited email accounts at a free domain, and a free control panel license for managing it all.
If this particular domain hosting niche strikes your fancy, check out the best web hosting services for domain and email hosting.
4. HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.29
- Unlimited email accounts and storage
- FREE migration, domain, and SSL certificate
- Webmail access via Horde and Roundcube
- FREE SpamAssassin and weekly backups
- Seamless G Suite upgrade for more productivity
- Get started on HostGator now.
Ryan Frankel
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
5. Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- FREE software for webmail, newsletters, contact forms, list management, and spam filtering
- Unlimited inboxes, forwarding, and autoresponders
- Secure POP3, IMAP, and SMTP messaging
- Unlimited storage and transfer with FREE SSL
- Get more than 85% off today (was $7.99/month)
- Get started on hosting.com now.
Alexandra Anderson
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
Hosting.com runs the gamut of powerful managed hosting for your email account. The web hosting company provides a comprehensive range of compatibility to dozens of webmail clients, spam filters, and a free SSL certificate.
We also frequently recommend HostGator domain and email services as one of the best providers to grow with. The company can easily take your domain portfolio through the cloud hosting and dedicated server hosting ranks.
Best Domain Hosting for Small Business
The domain you choose matters; It can have a dramatic impact on your brand identity and business success.
The key to being an exemplary domain hosting provider is not just providing domain names but simplifying the registration and renewal process in general.
Small business owners can’t afford to mess around, so read up on experts’ tips for choosing a domain, and sign up with the hosts we recommend for online brands looking to grow:
6. GoDaddy.com
Monthly Starting Price $6.99
- World’s largest domain registrar with 80+ million domains under management
- FREE domain included with annual plans
- Manage your domains via cPanel
- FREE email hosting at your domain
- 99.9% website uptime guaranteed
- Get started on GoDaddy now.
Ryan Frankel
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 25 GB – 100 GB | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
7. SiteGround.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.99
- Get your domain when signing up for hosting
- Web hosting powered by Google Cloud
- Easy domain registrations and transfers
- Get domain privacy to protect your info
- FREE SSL certificate and CDN performance
- Get started on SiteGround now.
Alexandra Anderson
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 Year) | 6 minutes |
These days, most shared hosts will offer a free domain to entice entry-level customers. Not every provider, however, carries a reputation as the largest domain name registrar — supporting 83 million domains.
Yes, I’m talking about GoDaddy, a popular host with a flair for domain and email services. Get a complimentary domain registrar when you sign up for a yearlong plan.
SiteGround, our other recommended web host in this (and many other) categories, is a perfect hosting option for business owners looking to merge their shared web hosting and domain experiences.
The web hosting provider seamlessly merges domain and email services with free domain privacy protection.
Best Domain Hosting for WordPress
If you’ve already decided a WordPress site is what you want, and you just need a domain host to help you launch it, you’ve reached your section.
WordPress hosting is a powerhouse platform trusted by the likes of TechCrunch, TED Talks, and the one-and-only Beyoncé. Heck, you’ll even see the HostingAdvice domain sits comfortably on WordPress!
We thoroughly vetted the web’s most popular hosting plans for WordPress and recommend you consider the #1 host to get started. Choose your domain, download and install the WordPress software with a single click, and you’re on your way.
8. Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $3.95
- Recommended by WordPress.org since 2005
- Automatic WordPress updates and initial install
- FREE WordPress themes in the Bluehost Marketplace
- 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email
- Get exclusive discounts on WordPress plans
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Ryan Frankel
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 7 minutes |
9. SiteGround.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.99
- WordPress performance optimizations
- FREE migration plugin or automated installation
- Pre-installed Git, 3 caching levels, and FREE CDN
- FREE WP setup wizard, staging, and auto-updates
- Fast, 24/7 support via custom chat system
- Get started on SiteGround now.
Alexandra Anderson
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 Year) | 6 minutes |
Bluehost and SiteGround are titans of the WordPress hosting industry, with both carrying the coveted recommendation of the WordPress leadership team.
We especially appreciate the companies’ approach to managed WordPress hosting, ensuring site owners have ample access to customer support through phone, tickets, and live chat.
How Do I Buy a Domain Name?
Like a lot of things in the web hosting world, buying a domain name may seem a little daunting if you’ve never done it before. However, I’m here to assure you it’s really not that hard.
Here are the steps to take to buy your first domain name with GoDaddy:
- Visit GoDaddy.com/domains to use the registrar’s domain lookup tool.
- Type the domain you want into the search bar and click the Search Domains button.
- If the domain is available, select the Let’s Go button and continue with your purchase. If the domain is already taken, search for another.
- On the next page, you can choose to purchase add-ons. I highly recommend domain privacy protection, as it keeps your personal and contact information private in the WHOIS database.
- Confirm the duration of your domain registration and any add-ons you selected, and finalize your purchase!
*Before you finish checkout, be sure to double-check the renewal price of your domain name. Renewals are typically higher than your first year of registration, so you want to avoid unpleasant surprises!
What Is Domain Hosting?
Domain hosting is similar to web hosting, where a server stores all your website’s files and makes them accessible on the web. The difference with domain hosting is that DNS (Domain Name System) servers connect your domain name to your website’s IP address.
This process lets your site visitors type your domain name, such as www.HostingAdvice.com, into the browser instead of an IP address, which is a long string of hard-to-remember numbers.
Most web hosts offer domain name registration when you purchase a hosting plan, which makes the process of domain hosting seamless.
What Key Features Should I Look for in a Domain Host?
These days, web hosts offer so many features and perks that it’s hard to keep things straight. From free email accounts to one-click installs and free domain names, separating the nice-to-haves from the must-haves is essential.
Consider these your must-have features:
- High uptime guarantees: An uptime guarantee is an assurance from your hosting provider that your website will be online for a minimum amount of time in a given period. This is usually reflected by a percentage of 99.9%, which is the minimum industry standard. But higher uptimes are better. With fully redundant cloud infrastructure, you can get an uptime of 100%.
- Strong security measures: Your web host should offer security features that include SSL certificates, DDoS protection, a firewall, and domain privacy protection. Domain privacy protection is essential for domain hosting. It ensures your personal information isn’t published in the WHOIS database, where anyone can see your name, phone number, and email address.
- Scalability options: Most site owners aim to grow their online presence. Make sure your provider offers multiple tiers of shared hosting or VPS/cloud server options that let you upgrade when you outgrow your plan.
- High-quality customer support: I cannot emphasize the importance of customer support enough. Having a host that prioritizes customer support and satisfaction is worth paying extra for. Read reviews on web hosting customer support to see which hosts go the extra mile for their customers.
Once these essentials are checked off, you can consider less critical features in your search.
How Much Should Domain Hosting Cost?
The price you pay for a domain name depends on several factors, but mainly the type of domain extension and hosting plan you choose. Most shared web hosting plans come with a free .com domain name when you purchase at least one year of service upfront.
These one-year web hosting deals can save you $10 to $20 in annual domain registration fees. IONOS, for example, gives you a free domain name when you sign up for its entry-level web hosting plan. Its pricing starts at just $1.00 per month, making domain hosting incredibly accessible to those on a tight budget.
Is Domain Hosting Better on Squarespace or GoDaddy?
Squarespace is mostly known for its site-building tools, but you can host your domain name there, too. It’s just as good as any web host/domain registrar. But, of course, there are always certain things one registrar may do better than the next — mainly pricing and add-ons.
While my personal choice for domain hosting has to be GoDaddy, you might feel differently. Here’s a comparison chart to break down each registrar’s main features:
| Squarespace | GoDaddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Cost | $14.00/year | FREE (1 year) |
| Renewal Cost | $20.00/year | $21.99/year |
| Domain Privacy Protection | FREE | FREE |
| Duration of Domain Registration | 1 – 10 years | 1 – 10 years |
Squarespace is pretty enticing with its free domain privacy protection. This service makes it so that hackers and spammers can’t access your personal information when they use domain lookup tools. However, it’s tough to compete with GoDaddy when it comes to domain names. After all, it’s the world’s most popular domain registrar, and you get your first year completely free.
Choosing the Best Domain Host for Your Next Project
I hope you found the ideal hosting provider for your next project. Whether you’re looking to sell online or share your own literary witticisms, I urge you to head on over to our domain hosting page for further guidance and information.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for one of the hottest marketing tactics in shared hosting: the free domain name registration at signup. Typically costing $10 to $15 per year, domains are a highly sought signup bonus.
Many hosts add to this value even further by offering free email accounts, unlimited storage, or a free website migration to your new host’s services.
Business website owners are no strangers to the significance of a domain name. Your hosting needs transcend the desire for a simple domain registration process and an intuitive cPanel interface for managing accounts.
Your site’s page load times need to be blazing fast and your site being persistently available is non-negotiable. Perhaps you own multiple domains. The need for speed, power, and performance doesn’t diminish with more sites under your belt.
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