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The number of websites rose to more than 1.2 billion in 2017, and their purposes run the gamut — from blogs on how to wrap the most efficient trout fishing fly to eCommerce giants selling the products we rely on every day. It’s more important now than ever for brick-and-mortar businesses to build a web presence, as upward of 20 million shoppers are online at any given moment looking for goods and services. And, if you’re a fishing guide who wants to share fly-tying expertise with fellow field-and-stream enthusiasts, it’s no longer likely you’re going to do it in print.
Not to worry — there are a number of hosts in the industry that deliver the tools and features necessary for web novices to affordably get sites online. Whether you’re looking to run a blog, a personal site to house your résumé, or a fully functional eCommerce business, there’s a provider out there to make your web dreams come true. Here, we’ll take a look at the top hosts beginners can turn to to power their visions and get their messages out to the masses.
Best “Cheap” Web Hosting for Beginners (Top 3)
In the 1990s, the internet began to take the world by storm. As someone who was in college at the time, I witnessed first-hand how the web was changing the way information could be disseminated and accessed. However, getting a site online was cost-prohibitive for most and mainly reserved for tech-savvy programmers and the businesses with the capital to hire them.
Today, the story’s much different. There are a multitude of hosts on the market that offer wallet-friendly plans aspiring webmasters can take advantage of to get their ideas and businesses online. However, don’t be fooled by the word “cheap.” Sure, we look at price when we rate hosting plans for those on a budget — but value is a more accurate way to view the hosts listed below.
These providers offer a winning combination of low prices and feature-rich hosting packages perfect for any budding site owner to get an online brand off the ground. Read the full reviews in the tables below and get the complete picture of how the top three recommended hosts for affordability can help power your ideas without breaking the bank.
1.
1and1.com
- $1/month for 6 or 12 months
- No hidden costs - pay just $6 or $12 at checkout
- Easy setup and 24/7 support
- FREE domain and FREE domain transfer
- Up to 500 GB storage, 500 databases, 500 email accounts
- Get started on 1&1 now.
1&1: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100-500 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | www.1and1.com/shared |
2.
Bluehost.com
- Known for performance at a low price
- Endorsed by WordPress.org team
- FREE Weebly site builder and templates
- 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 |
3.
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 |
Best “Website Builder” Hosting for Beginners (Top 3)
“Healthy alternatives to hamburgers” — As a lover of all things burger and someone trying to watch his fat intake, this is invariably the first suggestion that populates whenever I put my cursor in Google’s search field. Looking through the list of results, I never seem to find the sandwich I’m looking for — not to mention a well-designed site that presents more than just cluttered lists of hamburger clickbait links.
Almost 95% of online consumers cite poor design as the main reason they don’t trust a website. So, it’s important that your online presence engages visitors in a way that keeps them coming back. But you don’t have to have a master’s degree in graphic design to construct a compelling website. The three hosts below offer the best tools that allow novice website owners to build professional-grade sites without the need to code.
These providers offer tons of templates covering an array of subjects and business types, as well as intuitive web builders with drag-and-drop environments that make site creation simple. Be sure to click on the reviews in the tables below to explore the beginner-friendly site-building features available in each of the top plans.
4.
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 |
5.
iPage.com
- Choice of Weebly or WebsiteBuilder by iPage
- #1 Pick for WYSIWYG site building with FREE domain
- 100s of professionally designed, customizable themes
- Start your personal blog or business site in minutes
- Get +75% off your first month
- Get started on iPage now.
iPage: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Website Builder Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.ipage.com/site-builder |
6.
HostGator.com
- Drag-and-drop design with the Gator™ website builder
- Hundreds of mobile-friendly, industry-specific templates
- FREE hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate
- Easily add a blog, ecommerce, and social media marketing
- Analytics portal helps you gauge your site’s performance
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Website Builder Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.hostgator.com/site-builder |
See more website builder reviews »
Best “WordPress” Hosting for Beginners (Top 3)
Even if you’re a beginning site owner, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard of WordPress. The open-source blogging software currently powers nearly 30% of websites and enjoys a 60% market share in the CMS space. This popularity is mainly attributed to WordPress’s ease of use and more than 52,000 plugins that have been created by developers to enable complete website customization.
If you’re one of the millions of people getting started with WordPress, note that all hosts aren’t created equal when it comes to running the blogging platform. When shopping around for the most effective provider, it’s important to look at hosts that offer one-click WordPress installations, optimized plugin performance, and top-notch support, among other features.
Below are our top three expert-rated hosts with ideal environments for managing sites with WordPress. The bullet points in the tables provide a quick glance at some of the benefits, but the full reviews will give you a comprehensive overview of just how effective these packages can be to optimize your WordPress web presence.
7.
InMotionHosting.com
- WordPress pre-installed with NGINX server caching
- FREE SSL certificate and unlimited bandwidth
- Optional automatic plugin, theme, and core updates
- Host unlimited WordPress sites on one account
- 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 | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.inmotionhosting.com/wordpress |
8.
Bluehost.com
- Recommended by WordPress since 2005
- Automatic installation and updates
- FREE SSD storage and SSL certificate
- FREE domain registration and email
- 63% discount exclusively for HostingAdvice shoppers
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB SSD - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/wordpress |
9.
A2Hosting.com
- FREE Cloudflare CDN and 1-click installs for WordPress
- Turbo Server, SSD speed boost, and A2-optimized caching
- A2-optimized WP plugins for performance and security
- SSL certificates, PayPal integration, and 24/7 support
- FREE HackScan and KernelCare
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anytime | Unlimited RAID-10 | $14.99 | www.a2hosting.com/wordpress |
See more WordPress host reviews »
Best “Personal Website” Hosting for Beginners
While it may sound strange in today’s digital-centric landscape, fewer than 10% of people have a personal website. For individual professionals, including photographers, artists, and freelancers, a lack of web presence can make their businesses virtually invisible to prospective clients. And, for job seekers, a personal site can work wonders to help stand out from the field of candidates trying to impress interviewers.
With the slew of effective and cheap hosts in the industry today, there’s really no excuse not to build your personal brand online. For just a few dollars per month, creatives and freelancers can showcase portfolios online, and interviewees can send links to résumés to potential employers.
The provider below is our top choice for personal site hosting. With an easy-to-use site builder and monthly premiums coming in at next to nothing, this host will put you on the fast track to meeting your online goals — whether that means better shots at employment, improved exposure to clients, or widened revenue streams. Check out the full review in the table to see all the features this host has to offer your personal website.
10.
1and1.com
- $1/month for 6 or 12 months
- No hidden costs - pay just $6 or $12 at checkout
- Easy setup and 24/7 support
- FREE domain and FREE domain transfer
- Up to 500 GB storage, 500 databases, 500 email accounts
- Get started on 1&1 now.
1&1: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100-500 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | www.1and1.com/shared |
See more hosts for personal sites »
Best “eCommerce & Business” Hosting for Beginners
Nearly 80% of modern consumers will research a business online before visiting a physical store or making a purchase online. So, even if you’re solely selling products in a brick-and-mortar location, it’s imperative your business has a wide-reaching presence on the web.
And, for eCommerce businesses, the importance of reaching online audiences is an obvious top-of-mind concern. The eCommerce space is growing at a year-over-year rate of 23%. It’s not getting any easier to compete online. And, if you’re new to the art of online sales, you’re probably going to need some help getting off the ground.
The top eCommerce hosts offer marketing and SEO tools to help your business get noticed in a crowded market, and the host below leads by example. If you’re a budding online merchant, take a gander at the full review that follows. You’ll learn how this host can act as the launching pad to skyrocket your online storefront.
11.
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 |
See more eCommerce host reviews »
Best “Blog” Hosting for Beginners
You may think that a fly-tying blog on a professional fishing guide’s site might not do very much to grow his or her trout-seeking business — but you’d be wrong. Including a blog on your site helps it rank better in search results. In fact, depending on the quality and relevance of content, a site with a blog is 434% more likely to experience a boost in search rankings.
So, whether you’re trying to get your message heard or are looking to scale web traffic to sell products and services, employing an effective blog platform has become almost imperative in today’s web environment. While almost every host in the industry claims to offer the cheapest and easiest means to broadcast a blog, some are more effective than others.
Below is our hosting choice for beginning bloggers. All it takes is a few dollars per month and a passion for your subject matter to get started. Read our comprehensive review linked in the table and see how this host’s plans can help make your blog the talk of the web.
12.
InMotionHosting.com
- FREE domain and transfer, with WordPress pre-installed
- Host unlimited WordPress sites on a single account
- Unlimited bandwidth, plus FREE data backups and SSL
- User-friendly, 3-step Wizard for Google apps integration
- SPAM Safe™ email with IMAP support
- Get started with InMotion now.
InMotion: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Blog Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.inmotionhosting.com/blog |
Best “Domain” Hosting for Beginners
“Location, location, location.” While the origins of the aphorism may be in question, there is no doubt the popular slogan holds a universal truth in the real estate industry. And the same is true of the web. A domain is arguably one of the most important aspects of a business website, as it acts as the first impression that can make or break a customer’s view of an organization.
While there are some hosts in the industry that offer free hosting plans, many of them require site owners to utilize a host-specific branded subdomain. There’s a lot of competition in the online business space, which is why it’s important to employ a domain tailored to your brand.
The host below tops our list when it comes to domains. For just a couple bucks each month, this provider will include a domain registration or transfer as part of your plan. Domains aren’t the only area where this host excels, however. Read our full review to find out why this provider may be the ideal partner to build your online real estate.
13.
iPage.com
- FREE domain registration and transfer
- Unlimited disk space, domains, and MySQL databases
- $100 towards Google AdWords and $100 in SEM credits
- 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 |
See more domain host reviews »
Best “Customer Support” Hosting for Beginners
Public opinion of the hosting industry’s customer service approach has long been, let’s say, less than stellar. When problems arise, a common complaint is that issues aren’t resolved quickly enough — if at all.
Although this has been the case for many years, some hosts are catching on that improved support means more word-of-mouth referrals, which translates to happier customers and more revenue for the providers.
SiteGround is one of the hosts changing the customer-service game. The host offers 24/7 support through an omnichannel approach. Representatives are available around the clock to answer tickets, live chats, and phone calls. And, with a vast online knowledgebase, video tutorials, and a webinar series, SiteGround customers are sure to have problems remedied without hesitation. Read how the host can help users at any level — from beginner to expert — manage their online properties by clicking the links in the table below.
14.
SiteGround.com
- FREE website transfer service to get started
- 99.9% uptime guarantee, Cloudflare CDN, and unlimited site traffic
- 1-click WordPress installs and cPanel with an all-inclusive UI
- 24/7 support featuring their custom Chat and Ticketing Support Systems
- SuperCacher with 4 caching options, plus staging and Git available
- Get started on SiteGround now.
SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB - 30 GB | New or Transfer | www.siteground.com/shared |
See more hosts with excellent support »
Best “Managed” Web Hosting for Beginners
While managed hosting may be more expensive than other entry-level hosting plans, it offers a wide range of advantages that allows site owners to concentrate on what matters most to them — their business missions. Essentially, in a managed plan, the host is responsible for configuring the hardware and software that powers your site, monitoring servers, and performing updates.
Most managed hosting plans come with increased site performance (page load speeds) and higher uptime guarantees. Customer support is also a crucial component of managed plans, which can alleviate the headaches beginning site owners sometimes encounter when technical issues arise.
The host below offers the IT expertise site owners need to keep their sites operating at optimal levels. If reliability and letting the pros handle the technicalities of your site sound appealing, this host delivers. Click on the full review in the table to learn how running your site on a managed server can give your online business the boost it needs to thrive in today’s competitive online marketplace.
15.
LiquidWeb.com
- Choice of self-, semi-, or fully managed services
- Enterprise-grade Intel hardware
- Linux or Windows operating system
- RAID SSD storage for added speed
- 100% network uptime
- Get started on Liquid Web now.
Liquid Web: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Managed Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 211 GB - 1,775 GB SSD | New or Transfer | www.liquidweb.com/managed |
See more managed host reviews »
Next Up: A Beginner’s Tutorial to Starting Your First Website
From an informative fishing blog to running a fully functional eCommerce site, powering your online presence is easy and cost-effective with the hosts discussed above. The plans are among the most affordable in the industry, and powerful web-building tools make it simple for beginners to get started.
Regardless of your development skill level, one of the top-rated hosts can help you broadcast your brand online.
If you’re seeking a comprehensive guide on the first steps of mixing the perfect website recipe from scratch, check out our tutorial on site creation for beginners. You don’t need to know how to code; you just need to be passionate about your project to take those first steps toward success.
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