how-to
Advertiser Disclosure
There are a ton of reasons to build a personal website. For job seekers, it’s become almost a necessity, as 56% of employers are more impressed with candidates who house résumés on their own sites. Whether it’s a collection of pages announcing your wedding, a food blog broadcasting the best burger spots in the neighborhood, or just a way to keep in touch with loved ones, personal websites are ideal platforms to show the world who you are and what you’re up to.
No matter the topic your personal site covers, it’s important to choose a host that meets your specific needs.
Many with no coding experience may look at web development and site creation as daunting activities. However, most hosting providers make the experience pain-free with intuitive web builders and professionally designed templates. Here, we’ll take a look at the top 10 hosting services for personal websites.
1-3. Best Overall: Personal Website Hosting
Most people seeking to create personal websites want to be able to quickly and easily get their ideas online, and the pros provide some best practices on how to do it. TheMuse advises avoiding burying your message’s lead and getting right to the heart of your story. This can be done through text, videos, photos, and other media. But you’re going to need a host that allows the flexibility to house large files and provides visitors fast page load times without emptying your wallet.
Our favorite hosts offer free web builders, unlimited disk space and bandwidth, simple management with intuitive control panels, quick load times, and high availability. Security and backup functionalities are also important items to consider when choosing your hosting provider. To ease the decision-making process, we’ve compiled the three best overall hosts that provide some of these features. Be sure to click on the full reviews below to see all they have to offer.
1and1.com
- $1/month for six or 12 months
- No hidden costs - pay just $6 or $12 at checkout
- Easy setup and 24/7 support from a personal consultant
- FREE domain or transfer, plus FREE SSL certificate
- Up to 500 GB storage, 500 databases, 500 email accounts
- Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
1&1: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB - 500 GB | FREE (1 year) | www.1and1.com/shared |
Bluehost.com
- Known for performance at a low price
- Endorsed by WordPress.org team
- FREE Weebly site builder
- FREE Cloudflare CDN
- Get 63% off today (was $7.99/month)
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/shared |
HostGator.com
- $0.01 for 1 month, then plans from $4.47/mo to $10.95/mo if you don't cancel
- Unmetered disk space & bandwidth
- Unlimited email addresses & free SSL certificate
- One-click WordPress install & free blog tools
- New domain costs $12.95, or use existing domain free
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 days | Unlimited | New or Transfer | www.hostgator.com/shared |
See more of the best hosts overall »
4. Best “Cheap” Personal Website Hosting
Some businesses shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to build highly complex eCommerce sites with functionalities akin to giants like Amazon. Personal websites are a bit different. You want to have the seamless capability to create optimal experiences for your audiences, but you don’t want to break the bank in the process.
Don’t fret — all you budget-savvy site owners out there are in luck. Budding webmasters can blast professional-looking sites to the masses for just a few dollars per month. The costs shouldn’t fool you. Even though the rates are low, some cheap hosts offer feature-rich plans that include site builders, domain names, and lots of bandwidth and disk space, among many other options. Below are our top picks for cheap hosting providers. Feel free to peruse the full reviews to see just how many features you get at such low price points.
1and1.com
- $1/month for six or 12 months
- No hidden costs - pay just $6 or $12 at checkout
- Easy setup and 24/7 support from a personal consultant
- FREE domain or transfer, plus FREE SSL certificate
- Up to 500 GB storage, 500 databases, 500 email accounts
- Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
1&1: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB - 500 GB | FREE (1 year) | www.1and1.com/shared |
5. Best “WordPress” Personal Website Hosting
Even if you’re new to the website-building game, odds are pretty good you’ve heard of blogging software legend WordPress. The platform currently powers roughly 27% of the sites on the web and an estimated 76.5 million WordPress.com blogs.
WordPress software is open-source and free to use, but you’re going to need a host to get your site online once it’s built. The top WordPress hosts offer tools, such as BoldGrid, to make using the CMS even more intuitive than it already is. It’s important to also look at other factors, including the ability to run multiple WordPress sites, whether the platform comes pre-installed, and if the host offers SSDs for optimal performance. Our top choice to run a personal WordPress site is below. We’ve included a comprehensive overview of all the benefits offered, so be sure to click on the review.
InMotionHosting.com
- WordPress pre-installed with NGINX and PHP 7
- FREE SSL certificate and unlimited bandwidth
- Optional automatic plugin, theme, and core updates
- Features a FREE drag-and-drop WP page editor
- Premium themes and plugin subscriptions
- Get started on InMotion now.
InMotion: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 40 GB SSD - 120 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | www.inmotionhosting.com/wordpress |
6. Best “Website Builder” Personal Website Hosting
Compelling web design matters. In fact, it’s so important that 94% of a visitor’s first impressions are dictated by design, and that same percentage of people will leave your site if the aesthetic is off. There are almost countless examples on the web of artfully crafted sites, but not everyone has the creative skill set of a professional designer.
Not to worry — most hosts include easy-to-use website builders as part of their packages. An effective builder grants users the ability to produce professional-grade personal websites without the need to code or attend a four-year degree program in fine arts. In addition to web-building tools, the hosts with the best design solutions also offer hundreds of templates that can be customized to your site’s topic — whether that be a wedding-related theme or a family blog. The host below is our top pick, presenting the best website builder to get your site off the ground.
Wix.com
- No coding skills needed with drag-and-drop website builder
- 100s of templates with industry-specific designs
- Add features via the App Market
- Build an eCommerce store easily
- Build small sites on a budget
- Get started on Wix now.
Wix: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Website Builder Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 500 MB - 20 GB | Transfer | www.wix.com/site-builder |
See more website builder hosts »
7. Best “eCommerce-Friendly” Personal Website Hosting
People start personal websites for a number of reasons, but many use their sites as a springboard to turn passions into rewarding careers. That was certainly the case for Kieran Stone who was able to quit his job and become a professional photographer after getting his work online.
If entrepreneurship is part of your goal in setting up a personal site, you’re going to need a host that supports a robust eCommerce platform, complete with secure shopping carts and checkouts. The most effective eCommerce-friendly hosts provide intuitive web builders that allow site owners to showcase products in their online storefronts. Support is also a factor to consider, as eCommerce functionalities can be complex, especially for those new to selling online. Check out our pick for the top eCommerce host below. This host offers all the functionalities mentioned above and then some.
SiteGround.com
- 1-click installs for eCommerce tools like WooCommerce
- FREE eCommerce plugin for WordPress
- Daily backups, a CDN, and FREE Weebly site builder
- Test changes to your online store within the staging area
- 24/7 support delivered by eCommerce gurus
- Get started on SiteGround now.
SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | eCommerce Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB - 30 GB | New or Transfer | www.siteground.com/ecommerce |
8. Best Personal Website Hosting with Free Domain
Location. Location. Location. The old real estate mantra also rings true for personal websites. Your domain name is not just your online address; it’s also one of the first things your audience will notice. There are a number of expert tips on choosing the right name for your site, including making it memorable, pronounceable, and easily brandable. Most SEO gurus agree that it’s highly important to secure a .com domain, as it works wonders to lend your site credibility and helps it rank higher in search results.
Whatever the aim of your personal site, you’re going to need a simple way to find, secure, and register your domain name. And some hosts make this easier than others. Free domain registration and transfer should be included in the cost of entry of a hosting package. Below, we’ve found the host that makes securing your idyllic web real estate a piece of cake.
iPage.com
- FREE domain registration and transfer
- Unlimited disk space, domains, and MySQL databases
- $200 toward Google AdWords and Bing advertising
- Unlimited bandwidth and email addresses
- FREE online store and website builder
- Get started on iPage now.
iPage: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Domain Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.ipage.com/domain |
9. Best Personal Website Hosting with Free Email Accounts
There’s no doubt a personalized email domain is integral to establishing credibility for people doing business online. Not many consumers will trust someone trying to sell them something with a hotmail.com or gmail.com extension. The same goes for personal websites. If I’m blogging about my favorite hamburger restaurants, I’d much rather reach out to people with an email address that gets right to the heart of what I’m doing, like, say, [email protected]
Domain registration and email go hand in hand. That’s why you’ll need a host that provides free unique domain names and the added perks of email hosting. Other important features to keep an eye on include email forwarding, autoresponders, and webmail. Here’s our top pick for a host that provides free email accounts as part of its package. And, if you take a peek at the full review, you’ll see this host offers much more than just premiere email functionalities.
Bluehost.com
- FREE domain and unlimited emails
- 1-click WordPress install and FREE site builder
- $200 in advertising credits with Google, Bing, and Yahoo!
- Google app integration available
- POP3 and IMAP secure email, with 3 WebMail solutions
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Email Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/email |
10. Best “Free” Personal Website Hosting
Famed 20th-century fashion designer Coco Chanel was once quoted as saying, “The best things in life are free. The second best things are very, very expensive.” While that may ring true in some walks of life, it’s not the case with personal website hosting.
With Wix, new site owners can get personal sites up and running at zero cost. The host’s free package includes access to a web builder, a vast collection of stock art, and beautiful templates to make your site look like it was designed by a pro. You’ll also get 500MB of storage and bandwidth, but you’ll be required to use a Wix.com subdomain and house Wix-branded ads on your site.
While Wix’s free plan is a great way to get started, spending just a few bucks on one of its premium hosting packages may be a better way to go. Starting at just $0.00 per month, site owners can connect a unique domain name. And, by moving up the price tiers just a bit more, you’ll enjoy unlimited bandwidth, massive amounts of disk space, no Wix-branded ads, and upgraded support. Below, we’ve outlined everything Wix has to offer. By checking out our full review, you may find Wix to be the way to go.
Wix.com
- Start designing for FREE
- FREE domain with most plans
- Drag-and-drop templates, specific to industry or design need
- Help Center with exhaustive knowledge base of articles
- Huge App Market available
- Get started on Wix now.
Wix: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 500 MB - 20 GB | Transfer | www.wix.com/site-builder |
Read Our “Personal Website Hosting Reviews” Before Signing Up!
Whether you’re looking to impress a prospective employer with an online résumé, announce your registry to wedding guests, or blog about cheeseburgers, setting up a personal website is a great way to connect with the world in the digital age. Depending on your site’s purpose, there are hosts that can fill just about any need — from managed WordPress services to eCommerce solutions and website builders.
Personal websites are ideal platforms to broadcast your passions to the world, and our top-rated hosts are here to help.
It’s important to make informed choices when looking for hosts that offer the features you’re seeking at the best prices. Our web hosting reviews provide effective resources to help you make data-driven decisions on the host that best fits your personal web mission.
Was this helpful? Tell Us Thanks.
About the Author
Questions or Comments? Ask Sean!
Ask a question and Sean will respond to you. We strive to provide the best advice on the net and we are here to help you in any way we can.