Writer: Jordan Sprogis
Editor: Austin Lang
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
When you’re looking for advice on the “best of” anything, credibility is the only thing that should matter. Too often, I’ve come across “best of” lists that were thrown together by someone who hasn’t consulted experts in the field, let alone tried the products themselves.
But that’s not the case here. We had a simple question: What’s the best web hosting service for beginners? To answer this, we turned to three experts: ScalaHosting founder Hristo Rusev and seasoned tech journalists James Capell and Christian de Looper.
Together, they bring decades of experience in the web hosting space. Their recommendations center around some of the best beginner-friendly options that are not only easy to use but also packed with features — all at prices that won’t break the bank.
So, if you’ve been spiraling down Google rabbit holes searching for “the best web hosting for beginners,” fret no more because I’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in and see what the experts have to say.
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Hristo Rusev From ScalaHosting
As the CEO and co-founder of 18-year veteran ScalaHosting, Hristo Rusev is no stranger to the hosting space. In fact, Hristo also co-founded SPanel.io, an all-in-one cloud platform designed to simplify site management on the cloud.
“Those new to web hosting can benefit significantly from SPanel’s ease of use and the patience and expertise of our 24/7 technical support team,” Hristo said.
“To back this up, I’d like to mention Trustpilot — where we’ve held the #1 position in Web Hosting for the past three years, and on G2, where we’re ranked #1 for VPS Hosting with the highest user satisfaction.”
As ScalaHosting’s proprietary cloud management platform, SPanel works seamlessly with its hosting services. While Hristo may be biased in his recommendation, the dogfooding principle comes to mind. This phrase means that a company should use its own products and services to experience their quality and reliability.
ScalaHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.95
- Simple, fast, and reliable hosting services
- Full-service account management with SPanel
- FREE domain name, SSL certificate, and CDN
- Custom-built servers and self-healing cloud setup
- Unlimited emails, databases, and bandwidth
- Managed VPS options with top-tier support
- Get started on ScalaHosting now.
Perfect for those looking for the best value for shared or cloud hosting, ScalaHosting offers a soft place to land. Even if you’re taking your first steps into the world of virtual private servers, the company’s modern hardware and attentive support teams will make your experience enjoyable. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 50 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 6 minutes |
“Additional features that make ScalaHosting beginner-friendly include one-click installers and managers for WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal,” Hristo said.
“Plus, the Spectra website builder simplifies website creation, and our affordable pricing ensures an excellent value for those just starting out.”
The Spectra website builder was introduced in the October 2024 SPanel update. With affordable pricing and an easy-to-use platform, the builder is a great perk — especially for beginners. When a hosting provider offers other relevant solutions, it lets newcomers focus on what matters most: learning how to build and manage their own sites.
About the Expert: As the CEO and co-founder of ScalaHosting and SPanel.io, Hristo Rusev has been featured in some of the most trusted media outlets, including The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, and CNN. He’s also a member of the invitation-only Forbes Technology Council, where he regularly shares his expertise on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and optimization.
James Capell From TechRadar
To say James Capell knows his way around the web hosting space would be an understatement. As the B2B Editor for Web Hosting at TechRadar Pro, he’s researched and written about countless companies — making his insights on the best options for beginners that much more invaluable.
When it comes to his top recommendation, Hostinger takes the lead.
“Hostinger offers the best overall value for beginners, with plenty of AI tools and great support to help you get started and grow,” James said.
“A beginner hosting a blog has different needs than one hosting a web application or their first store. So it’s important for beginners to choose providers experienced in the type of hosting they need that also come with excellent support.”
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- 24/7/365 ticket and live chat support
- 99.9% network uptime guarantee
- FREE domain, site builder, backups, SSL certificate, and AI tools
- Unlimited bandwidth, databases, and email accounts
- Speedy NVMe SSDs optimize performance
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Behind a mission to make life easier for website developers and their customers, Hostinger provides fast, stable, and streamlined services at a price that is very hard to beat. Founded in 2004, the bootstrapped company hit the 10 million websites mark a decade later, achieving ICANN accreditation and localizing services in 39 countries. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD – 200 GB NVMe SSD | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
James also makes a great point about reviews on forums and those “best of” listicles I mentioned earlier. One of the biggest challenges for beginners is sifting through the sheer volume of opinions online: Hosting forums and review sites often focus on advanced critiques, which can be overwhelming for someone just starting out.
“If you go on forums and read reviews about some of the biggest hosts, a beginner might easily be put off by experienced users criticizing them for things like slow speeds or poor value,” James explained.
“While someone with more experience might know how to optimize performance and get better value, beginners don’t have that luxury. Compared to paying someone to host for you, these hosts still offer good value for money.”
As a final note, James offered some reassurance to beginners. He emphasized that they should focus on starting simple and learning as they go, rather than getting caught up in advanced hosting features right away.
“As a beginner, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you really need, so my advice is to take advantage of a low starter price and get as much as you can. Then, as your needs and knowledge grow, you can adjust your hosting,” he said.
“Over time, you’ll also realize that paying extra for backups as an add-on might be unnecessary since you can find the same feature in a more affordable package elsewhere. Or, you may find that you don’t need to pay extra for a hosting package that includes a content delivery network (CDN).”
In short? While Hostinger takes the cake, James encourages beginners to start simple, learn as they go, and upgrade when they’re ready.
About the Expert: As TechRadar Pro’s dedicated B2B Editor for Web Hosting, James Capell has earned his spot as a trusted voice on the latest trends in web technologies. Having extensively covered key hosting types from shared hosting to dedicated hosting and everything in between, he’s also delved into critical topics such as AI ethics, cybercrime, and natural language processing (NLP). James also regularly attends data center summits and WordPress conferences — and keeps a few web and software developers on speed dial.
Christian de Looper From Forbes and AP Buyline
With years of experience writing for various tech blogs and news outlets, Christian de Looper shared two of his top recommendations for beginners — depending on their needs, that is. For managed hosting, he’s a fan of Hostinger’s WordPress website hosting, while for web building, he recommends Wix.
Hostinger: Christian’s Best for Managed WordPress Hosting
It’s no surprise that Hostinger appears again on this list. Christian shared that there are two key reasons for this recommendation: its ease of use and its affordability compared to many competitors in the space.
“Hostinger offers great managed services for WordPress, plus it offers an easy-to-use website builder,” Christian said. “It’s a great choice for those who aren’t ready to go all-in on a platform like Wix or who still want a little more control over their hosting plan without needing to manage every aspect of hosting.”
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- 24/7/365 ticket and live chat support
- 99.9% network uptime guarantee
- FREE domain, site builder, backups, SSL certificate, and AI tools
- Unlimited bandwidth, databases, and email accounts
- Speedy NVMe SSDs optimize performance
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Behind a mission to make life easier for website developers and their customers, Hostinger provides fast, stable, and streamlined services at a price that is very hard to beat. Founded in 2004, the bootstrapped company hit the 10 million websites mark a decade later, achieving ICANN accreditation and localizing services in 39 countries. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD – 200 GB NVMe SSD | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
What we especially love about Hostinger is the pricing and flexibility. Christian thinks so too, adding: “Hostinger still offers excellent self-managed plans, too. In general, its plans are far cheaper than much of the competition.”
Starting at just $2.69 per month, Hostinger is definitely among the cheapest web hosts you’re going to come across. What’s even better is that it quite often has coupons and sales so that you can bundle and get a discount for even more savings.
Wix: Christian’s Best for Easy Website Building
This beginner’s list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Wix at least once. Founded in 2006, Wix is one of the first and greatest website builders in the entire web hosting game.
“Wix has become known for its ease of use and website builder that allows customers to build the exact website they’re looking for,” Christian said.
“Wix’s website builder has gotten more advanced over the years, allowing users to spend as much or as little time as they want on their website.”
Featuring a drag-and-drop editor, premade templates, custom themes, mobile optimization, and so much more, Wix allows users to create HTML5 websites in mere minutes. It’s also a super popular choice for eCommerce shops thanks to the online store, booking system, and event management features.
Wix.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.00
- FREE signup with email or Facebook
- Drag-and-drop designing is super easy
- 1-year domain free with most plans
- Up to $300-worth of ad credits
- Access to 1,000s of templates and additional tools in the App Market
- Get started on Wix now.
As a web builder, Wix is an industry leader when it comes to ease of use, setup time, and available features. The browser-based, WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) site-building service is hands down one of the foremost brands in this industry niche, and that’s not without just cause. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-day FREE trial | 2 GB – Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
While Wix’s features are now standard for most website builders, it deserves a mention as the pioneer in revolutionizing how everyday users create and manage websites. Within minutes, its intuitive platform lets beginners craft responsive, interactive sites that look professionally designed.
As a final note, Christian said it best: “As far as hosting goes, Wix is a little more expensive than some alternatives — but the tradeoff is ease of use and access to its well-regarded website builder.”
About the Expert: Christian de Looper began his career with a degree in music technology and a passion for writing. Over the years, Christian has contributed to leading tech publications, including Digital Trends, TechRadar, Business Insider, Forbes, and AP Buyline. With extensive experience covering consumer technology, AI trends, and all things web building, Christian has earned his stripes as a trusted tech journalist in the web hosting space.
Best Web Hosting for Beginners Compared
We’ve spoken with top experts in the field who shared their insights on the best hosting company for beginners, with ScalaHosting, Hostinger, and Wix named at the top. Now, I’m here to answer the big question: Which one really takes the cake?
That’s up to you to decide — but here’s the TL; DR of it, broken down into the most important specs:
| Host | Price | RAM | Rating | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScalaHosting | $2.95/month | 10 GB SSD – 50 GB SSD | 4.7 | Free domain name (1 year), SPanel control panel, and unlimited bandwidth. |
| Hostinger | $2.69/month | 100 GB SSD – 200 GB NVMe SSD | 4.8 | Free domain name (1 year), AI site builder, and backups. |
| Wix | $0.00/month | 2 GB – Unlimited | 4.6 | Free domain name (1 year), marketing suite, and eCommerce tools. |
OK, let’s get into the thick of it.
Hostinger comes out on top because it earned praise from experts James Capell and Christian de Looper. With its affordability, strong support for managed WordPress hosting, and a variety of scalable options, Hostinger is perfect for beginners who want room to grow.
Plus, its round-the-clock customer support and extra web hosting services, like email hosting and free website migration, make it even better.
But that’s not to say ScalaHosting, as recommended by its CEO Hristo Rusev, isn’t a solid choice. In fact, I’ll dare to say it’s an awesome hosting option for those who want more control and advanced features over their hosting experience.
Why? The standout here is SPanel, ScalaHosting’s user-friendly cloud hosting management platform. It simplifies site management, with one-click installations for popular content management system (CMS) platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, as well as 24/7 technical support.
Wix, on the other hand, is great for those who want a design-forward platform. Christian recommended it for users who need an intuitive AI website builder that’s easy to use and allows them to create polished, professional sites without coding.
While Wix’s pricing is a bit higher ($16/month), its all-in-one platform — which includes free domain registration for the first year and access to email hosting — can save you quite a few headaches in the long run.
The Consensus: Hostinger offers flexibility on a budget; ScalaHosting provides control and growth with tools like SPanel; and Wix is ideal for beginners seeking an easy setup with a premium builder.
What Features Should I Look for in Beginner Web Hosting?
This is the million-dollar question every beginner faces. Let’s make it simple with a quick rundown of what to look for in a web hosting provider when you’re just starting out:
- Uptime: Most web hosting providers will guarantee at least 99% uptime, which translates to a maximum of 3.65 days of downtime per year. The bottom line is the higher the uptime, the more reliable your hosting service will be. Look for hosts that guarantee 99.9% and above.
- Customer Support: As a beginner, having reliable support to guide you can be the difference between slamming your laptop shut out of frustration and sharing your new site with the world. Look for providers who are known for outstanding customer service and promise a response within at least 24 hours.
- Price: When you’re just starting out, price always matters. Most budget-friendly website hosting plans go as low as $2/month, while some more feature-packed options can go up to $10/month. It’s all about finding a plan that fits your budget and still offers the essentials (and maybe more if that’s what you’re into).
- Security: Look at your address bar. Do you see a little lock icon to the left of the URL? That’s an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, and that lock shows visitors and search engines that the site you’re on is secure. SSL ensures sensitive information, like passwords and credit card numbers, stays encrypted. Most good hosting providers include a free SSL certificate.
- Domain Management: If you want to look professional, you’ll need your very own domain and email address. Keep in mind that not all hosts offer email and domain management; if yours doesn’t, you’ll have to buy, register, and transfer them separately. While I wouldn’t call it a dealbreaker, choosing a hosting provider that offers everything in one place can save you lots of time and effort.
As expert James Capell pointed out, it’s important not to get overwhelmed by all the small details when you’re just starting your web hosting journey. While things like bandwidth and storage are essential down the line, you’ll likely be OK with a smaller amount at the beginning. You can always scale up as your site or business grows.
Complete List of Key Features to Look For >>
What Is the Easiest Web Host to Use?
Two of our experts named Hostinger as a great choice for beginners because of its user-friendly platform and extras like web builders and domain registration. But if you’re solely talking about ease of use, Wix is another hosting option I really think deserves to be in the spotlight.
Wix has been around for nearly 20 years and is now the world’s most popular website builder. It was one of the first platforms to make building websites without coding effortless — ultimately paving the way for many others to follow.
The fact is that Wix makes it super simple to create a professional-looking website. With its drag-and-drop builder, pre-designed templates, and all-in-one platform (which includes domain registration and email hosting), it takes a lot of the stress out of starting a site.
Keep in mind that Wix isn’t the most budget-friendly option. While you can sign up and create a website for free, the catch is an awkward domain (www.yourname.wix.com/yoursite) and ads. If that doesn’t bother you, then you’re all set! But for a custom domain, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, starting at $16/month.
If you’re looking to explore more options, providers like InMotion Hosting, A2 Hosting, Amazon Web Services (AWS), AccuWeb Hosting, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IONOS, and HostGator are highly rated on HostingAdvice and worth checking out.
GoDaddy also deserves an honorable mention, and for good reason: It hosts about 15% of all websites, mainly because of its super-user-friendly interface.
Which Web Host Is Best for a Single Website?
When it comes to hosting a single website, you have plenty of solid options to choose from, including top providers like Hostinger, Bluehost, HostGator, IONOS, ScalaHosting, Wix, and DreamHost.
That said, ScalaHosting definitely stands out with its beginner-friendly plan, which starts at just a couple of bucks per month.
This hosting plan includes everything you need to get started:
- A single website
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free one-click installers
- Free SSL certificate
- Unlimited emails and databases
- Daily offsite backups
ScalaHosting is really an awesome value for those just beginning their online journey and planning to stick around for the long run. Wix is another great choice for single sites, especially if you want an AI website builder that can have your site live in minutes.
Along with Wix and ScalaHosting, options like Hostinger, IONOS, Bluehost, InMotion Hosting, and A2 Hosting also have pretty unbeatable value and beginner-friendly tools to help you get started.
The Best Web Hosting Service for Beginners
At HostingAdvice, we understand that diving into web hosting can feel overwhelming. Our goal is to make the web hosting experience easier for you — which is why we’ve drawn on decades of combined industry experience to bring you expert-backed recommendations.
Whether you decide to go with the highly recommended Hostinger or explore other great options like ScalaHosting or Wix, you can trust the experts’ picks to guide you toward some amazing choices. Good luck, and happy hosting!
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