Writer: Alexandra Anderson
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Cristian Lopez
With all the plans and technologies swirling around the marketplace, those looking to start their first website may be left wondering: How much should I pay for web hosting?
Fortunately, hosting services are probably cheaper than you might expect. Even though you can find free hosting services online, the trick is finding the provider that offers the most value. You’ll definitely want to shop around for the hosting company that provides the most useful features, helpful support, stringent security, and high-powered performance for the most reasonable price.
Whether you’re setting up your first website or your 50th, you’re smart to compare your options across the marketplace. In this ultimate guide to web hosting expenses, we’ll look at some of the most competitive pricing structures, plus additional costs to be aware of and opportunities to save.
How Much Should I Pay for Shared Hosting?
First, we have the cheapest of the hosting types. Shared hosting is a service in which the company owns X number of servers and hosts multiple client websites on each physical machine. Users share server resources and enjoy lower prices as a result. Rather than covering all costs of operating your server and its supporting infrastructure, customers can typically expect to pay around $5 per month for a solid shared hosting plan.
We took the liberty of reviewing the most popular shared hosting providers based on their affordability. Take note of the hosts that deliver utmost price-vs-quality value to users below.
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.24
- Unlimited everything, from storage to databases
- FREE site builder & WP performance upgrades
- FREE daily or weekly backups
- Custom control panel and auto-installation scripts
- SSH access & unlimited FREE SSL certificates
- Get started on Hostinger now.
As the shared hosting market becomes increasingly saturated, unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts have become surprisingly average. Hostinger, however, extends the routine, expected metrics to greater lengths — the number of websites, databases, FTP users, subdomains, and parked domains are all unrestricted for most customers. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
IONOS.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.00
- $1/month for 12 months
- No hidden fees, pay just $12 at checkout
- Easy setup and 24/7 expert support
- FREE domain or transfer, plus FREE SSL certificate
- Unlimited storage and databases with most plans
- Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
If budget is the main factor on your mind when searching for your next web host, search no more. 1&1 IONOS has an impressive range of robust web hosting and website building packages for what may be the best price we've ever seen in the world of hosting. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.75
- FREE Cloudflare CDN and SSD speed boost
- Optimized caching and 1-click installs
- Unlimited email, domains, and databases
- Advanced security and FREE HackScan
- 24/7 support via phone, chat & tickets
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
There are plenty of excellent cPanel shared hosting providers out there, so what sets A2 Hosting apart from the rest. Not only does the company offer a ton of features, but it has custom-built its packages for enhanced performance, speed, and security — putting your priorities above pricing. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
See more cheap shared hosting plans »
How Much Should I Pay for a Website Builder?
Aside from the costs of hosting your website, someone has to orchestrate its design and development. There are several ways to skin this cat, but one of the latest trends is to use some sort of drag-and-drop interface that allows you to visually plan and construct your site layout without fussing with HTML, CSS, or programming languages. The aptly named site builders strip away the coding component of web development and deliver a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) experience instead. Web builders tend to come in two flavors.
Option #1: There are editing environments you access at a website, such as Weebly.com or Wix.com, that are hosted by a company you have zero interaction with. You mock up, customize, and publish your own site directly from your browser. These builders typically start off free, but you’ll quickly become annoyed by the storage and traffic limitations, the ads that appear on your site, and the lack of flexibility in general. Should you choose to upgrade to a paid plan, it may cost you anywhere from $8 to $28 per month.
Option #2: There are similar site-building tools offered as a free perk to signing up with a host. You pay the monthly hosting fee and enjoy the design simplicity the likes of Weebly or another WYSIWYG interface have to offer.
We recommend choosing a hosting plan that includes a powerful site builder in its feature list. These website builder packages typically fall in the $5 to $10 ballpark, and you’ll find reviews of our favorite website builder services from either option below.
Wix.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.00
- No coding skills needed with drag-and-drop builder
- 100s of templates with niche-specific designs
- Add features via the App Market and Wix Events
- Easily create ecommerce functionality easily
- Great way to build small sites on a budget
- Get started on Wix now.
Website building is where Wix shines. The thousands of templates, the intuitive editor, the industry-leading designs that cater to a variety of specific fields and use cases — all these facets represent a platform that excels at facilitating easy web design for the non-tech-savvy user. 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 |
IONOS.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.00
- No coding skills necessary with MyWebsite Creator
- Free domain name or transfer your existing site
- FREE social media and marketing widgets
- Pro templates with pre-filled text and images
- Multilingual support and tools for SEO
- Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
If you're in need of a one-stop shop for designing and launching a website, you should be pleased to hear that 1&1 IONOS offers its own custom website building tools for both desktop and mobile devices. In addition to a free domain and email address, along with unlimited storage space, the 1&1 IONOS MyWebsite platform includes all the essentials for starting a site from scratch. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Drag-and-drop design from custom tools
- FREE access to hundreds of specialized templates
- Built-in eCommerce and payment processing
- Easily switch among widescreen, desktop, tablet, and mobile previews
- Support for 31 languages and 99.9% uptime
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Whether you're taking your first foray into website hosting or are a developer looking to save some time, a strong website builder can dramatically streamline the creation process and enable users to launch a website in five minutes or less. Fortunately for customers, Hostinger has invested heavily in crafting an impressive visual editor sure to appeal to users of all levels of experience. 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 |
See more website builder plans »
How Much Should I Pay for WordPress or Other CMS Hosting?
While the first three sections of this behemoth guide outline the traditional hosting avenues — shared, virtually private, or dedicated servers — the 2000s brought on a new wave of marketing these options. Application-specific hosting is more commonly known as WordPress hosting, Joomla hosting, Magento hosting, and so on.
On the surface, these services are no different than conventional shared hosting (unless specifically labeled as VPS, dedicated, etc.), but deeper inspection will reveal features that cater to whichever platform you’re hoping to use to manage your web project. The companies that excel in delivering application-specific hosting don’t just push the buzzwords that appeal to those audiences to the top of the landing page (e.g., shoving “one-click installations” and “automatic plugin updates” down our throats). The best WordPress, Joomla, Magento, or other platform hosting providers customize plans to include exclusive features that benefit these application users. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to pay for plans of this class and caliber.
Best Deals on WordPress Website Hosting
First, we have the queen of blogging and all-around website management. WordPress powers almost one-third of the world’s websites, and hosting companies have been wise to capitalize on this popularity. Basic WordPress hosting plans typically offer single-click installations for the software, unlimited disk storage and traffic allowances for your WordPress site, and perhaps a free domain name registration to get you started. Sound familiar? Yes, the basic plans described are remarkably similar to generic shared hosting offerings, which can be had for $2 to $10 per month, as discussed above.
Preferred WordPress hosts go above and beyond with bonus features such as complementary software installations, WP-optimized caching tools, staging environments, and updates to the core and/or plugins conducted by experts. These are the premium WordPress hosting features we look for — and they can still be had for as little as $5 per month. Sure, you’ll pay extra for advanced management features, but we’ll get to that later. First, check out our favorite hosts to recommend to WordPress users.
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.75
- FREE Cloudflare CDN and 1-click WP installs
- Turbo Server, SSD speed, and optimized caching
- A2-optimized plugins for performance and security
- FREE SSL certificates and 24/7 support
- FREE HackScan and KernelCare
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
As experts in performance optimization, A2 Hosting is a top choice for powering resource-heavy WordPress websites. The company offers shared or managed plans for the ultra-popular content management system, with the benefits extending to Joomla, Drupal, and other platforms. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Officially endorsed by WordPress.org
- Managed WordPress hosting & free site migration
- 1-click WP install, PHP 7+, HTTP/2, and LiteSpeed
- All-in-one security protections from BitNinja
- No price markup for WordPress services
- Daily backups, FREE SSL certificates, and AI Tools
- Get started on Hostinger now.
As much as we love WordPress, one of our biggest pet peeves is when hosting providers exploit the popularity of the world's most-used content management system by offering so-called WordPress hosting that, in reality, is exactly the same as the host's shared server plans. Fortunately, Hostinger's ultra-fast infrastructure and easy access to SSL certificates and backups sets up the company to outperform the vast majority of the violators of our admittedly made-up rule. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- 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.
Bluehost's WordPress hosting packages are aimed at first-time site owners and personal bloggers. These services come at a premium compared to the standard Bluehost web hosting (basic shared hosting) plans, but the WordPress optimization and platform-specific resources are arguably worth the cost. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 7 minutes |
See more hosts for WordPress »
Best Deals on Joomla Website Hosting
Developers love Joomla, a content management system (CMS) that owns the second-largest share of the market. As is the case with WordPress, we look for Joomla-specific perks, such as optimized hardware configurations or official partnership with the Joomla development team, when recommending a host to this user base.
Many of the leading Joomla hosts work hand in hand with the open-source community of developers actively working on the platform. The companies develop custom tools to meet the ever-evolving needs of Joomla users.
On average, you can expect to pay what you would for any shared hosting plan — but be sure to vet the features list to ensure the service is truly Joomla-optimized (or as much so as you’re hoping for). Our favorite Joomla hosting plans are outlined below.
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.24
- Optimized servers for fast Joomla hosting
- Annual plans come with FREE domain and SSL
- 1-click Joomla installer and custom control panel
- Modern versions of PHP, MySQL, and other tech
- Pay less than $2/month for four years
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Hostinger’s low-cost plans seem too good to be true — but they’re the real deal. Enjoy shared hosting servers that have been tweaked to the fastest and most secure standards you’ll find at this price point. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- Simplified Joomla installation and configuration
- 24/7 US-based support with Joomla experience
- Up to $200 in search engine ad credits available
- Shared platform is trusted by millions of site owners
- FREE SSL certificate and domain registration
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost offers everything you need to get a Joomla-built online store live quickly. Starting with a free domain and 1-click Joomla installation, you can easily customize a professional-looking online marketplace and get noticed in search results. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.29
- Dependable hosting with modern technologies
- FREE Joomla site migration to your new plan
- Unmetered bandwidth and 1-click installs
- FREE email marketing tools to connect with visitors
- Join thousands of users already using HostGator
- Get started on HostGator now.
We already consider HostGator as our favorite and most trusted host to help build a website, and supporting a Joomla environment is no different. The company balances forward-thinking tech with user-friendly Joomla tools like an automatic one-click installation wizard. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Best Deals on Drupal Website Hosting
Third on the list of well-known CMS platforms, Drupal is favored by technically savvy users for its robust security. The learning curve may be steep, but those who love it have specific aspirations in mind for their hosting provider.
Drupal hosting is not as commonly advertised as WP hosting or other niches, but we’ve found these plans to still fall within the same ballpark: $5 to $10 per month. Be sure to read our reviews of the following expert-approved hosts before signing up for a Drupal hosting plan.
Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- FREE domain, site builder, and 1-click Drupal
- Unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email
- Includes cPanel and FREE SSL certificate
- Get up to $200 in FREE marketing credits
- US-based customer support available 24/7
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Get started on Drupal with Bluehost in as little as one click. Bluehost provides everything you need to get rolling with this increasingly popular content management system — including a free domain, unlimited email, storage, and bandwidth, and US-based customer support to help every step of the way. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.24
- Optimized HTTP/2 plus latest PHP and MariaDB
- Custom control panel with easy Git integration
- Drupal acceleration with custom NGINX caching
- Unlimited websites, email, and bandwidth
- FREE domain registration and regular backups
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Hostinger perfectly blends budget-friendly web hosting with premium modern technologies to deliver top-notch Drupal hosting services. The CMS is available through a custom control panel’s automatic installation service, and support staff will be on hand to assist with setup. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.75
- Optimized hosting recommended by Drupal
- Drupal pre-installed and configured for speed
- Turbo servers feature 20x faster page loads
- FREE account migration and SSD storage
- Enjoy 87% off when you sign up today
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
We love A2 Hosting when it comes to launching and scaling high-powered websites. The web host takes a strong approach when it comes to performance, featuring all-SSD hardware, multiple layers of caching, and the Cloudflare CDN. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
Best Deals on Magento Website Hosting
Magento is unique to this application-specific hosting section because it’s geared toward eCommerce site owners. If you’re looking to display and sell products online, Magento should certainly be on your short list of tools to help you do so. Many of our favorite eCommerce hosting providers cater to online store owner needs with free shopping carts, PayPal integrations, and marketing credits.
We find eCommerce hosting to be on the more expensive end of the shared hosting price spectrum, given the performance and security requirements when dealing with customers’ personal and financial information. You also may find yourself paying for add-on services to customize your online marketplace.
All that said, you don’t need to pay $15 per month for a premium service like Shopify. Choose a shared hosting plan that will support your growing customer base and give you options to customize your Magento-powered store. See reviews of the top Magento hosts below.
IONOS.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.00
- Cloud servers optimized for Magento stores
- Build your store with help from a dedicated expert
- Global datacenters with PCI and GDPR compliance
- Transparent hourly or monthly pricing
- Secure backups and SiteLock security
- Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
Boasting three Magento configurations, 1&1 IONOS serves all types of online businesses. We found the company’s cloud servers to be the perfect mix of price and performance, blending immense scalability with the affordability and support needed when building an online store. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 30 GB SSD - 480 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $11.99
- Support for Magento 2 and LiteMage caching
- Turbo Server upgrade included for FREE
- Unlimited websites with high-speed NVMe Storage
- FREE account migration and automatic backups
- DDoS and brute force protection, plus dual firewall
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
No one delivers high-speed page loads quite like A2 Hosting, which drastically impacts your store’s conversion rates. Every component of the company’s infrastructure is optimized for performance, from storage to caching. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
InMotionHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- Magento installed for you during checkout
- Drag-and-drop online store building and FREE SSL
- Your store can load up to 20x faster with SSDs
- Connect with customers with FREE email
- Get up to $250 in ad credits with Business Hosting
- Get started on InMotion Hosting now.
InMotion Hosting has long since been one of our favorites for quick and powerful sites and online stores. Magento users will love how simple InMotion makes site setup and how fast products will load with free SSDs. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
How Much Should I Pay for VPS Hosting?
Merging the concepts of shared and dedicated server hosting, a virtual private server (VPS) is a machine that’s been partitioned to act as several independent server units. While multiple accounts may be hosted on a single physical machine, your VPS and its allotted resources are yours to use as needed. It’s essentially a happy medium between the frugality and scaling limitations of shared hosting and the robust performance potential and financial burden of hosting a dedicated server
The average costs fall where expected — just north of shared hosting but way below the cost of a dedicated server — at around $20 per month for a basic VPS. We frequently explore VPS plans to compare the best value propositions in the industry. Check out our top host recommendations below.
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.49
- NVMe SSD storage and malware scanner
- Automatic weekly backups and an AI assistant
- FREE dedicated IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
- Custom control panel for reboots and OS installs
- 1-click operating system template
- HostingAdvice readers enjoy more than 50% off
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Hostinger's laser focus on providing affordable hosting solutions shines brightest with the company's VPS packages. The company provides four different virtual server plans, including one that costs less than $5. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 50 GB NVMe - 400 GB NVMe | 1 - 8 cores | 4 GB - 32 GB |
LiquidWeb.com
Monthly Starting Price $5.00
- High-speed hosting that's faster than AWS, Rackspace, and Digital Ocean
- FREE backups, CDN, and DDoS protection
- Up to 16 processors with all-SSD storage
- Choice between cPanel, Plesk, or InterWorx
- Real-time monitoring and 100% uptime guarantee
- Get started on Liquid Web now.
It's no secret by now that Liquid Web is known for best-in-class technology and reliability that exceeds expectations. The company's cloud VPS environments embody that reputation to its fullest — including managed WordPress and WooCommerce products. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 30 GB SSD - 150 GB SSD | 1 - 8 cores | 1 GB - 8 GB |
Kamatera.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.00
- Cloud VPS that's more flexible and affordable
- Load balancer, firewall, and managed services
- Premium Intel CPUs with 300% more power
- Choose between monthly or hourly billing
- Sign up today for a 30-day FREE trial
- Get started on Kamatera now.
Backed by cutting-edge cloud computing technology, Kamatera adds instant and limitless scalability to the VPS hosting marketplace. Each cloud or virtual server is equipped with blazing-fast SSD storage and Intel Xeon Platinum CPUs. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 20 GB SSD - 4 TB SSD | 1 - 32 cores | 1 GB - 128 GB |
How Much Should I Pay for Dedicated Server Hosting?
The exact opposite of shared hosting, dedicated hosting means exactly what you think. Your server is yours to do with as you please (within reason), and all the hard disk storage, RAM, bandwidth, and other resources are exclusive to your hosting needs. You can host one or multiple accounts on the server you lease or own, and this hosting type is typically suited to customers who are expecting upward of 100,000 site visitors per month.
As you can imagine, dedicated servers are the most expensive of the three traditional hosting types (shared, virtual, and dedicated) — with monthly rates ranging from $100 to $2,000. Even when assessing the most costly of hosting company offerings, we take price, performance, security, and all-around bang for your buck into consideration. Check out our picks for affordable, powerful, and reliable dedicated hosting services below.
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $79.99
- Root access and 3 levels of server management
- Expertly managed servers deployed instantly
- Choose from 4 datacenters across 3 continents
- FREE redundant SSD storage in RAID-1 arrays
- Choice of 13 Linux operating systems
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
Whether you're looking for managed or self-managed hosting, A2 Hosting offers three extremely reliable dedicated server plans to meet your needs, depending on your levels of comfort and experience. With A2 Hosting's Unmanaged Flex Dedicated Server plan, users get administrator-level control with root access and their choice of Linux operating system. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 1 TB SSD (RAID-1) | 4 - 16 cores | 16 GB - 256 GB |
LiquidWeb.com
Monthly Starting Price $75.00
- Linux or Windows with choice of 3 control panels
- 100% network and power uptime guarantees
- Custom configurations and instant provisioning
- Auto-migrations, backups, and real-time monitoring
- Block/object storage and load balancer add-ons
- Get started on Liquid Web now.
Liquid Web's strong suit is managed dedicated server hosting. The company owns and operates five state-of-the-art datacenters in the US and Europe works tirelessly to build and maintain custom solutions for added performance and security. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 minutes | 480 GB SSD - 960 GB SSD (+ 2 TB SATA) | 4 - 16 cores | 16 GB - 64 GB |
IONOS.com
Monthly Starting Price $32.00
- Explore server deals to find the best rates
- High powered modern AMD and Intel processors
- Unlimited traffic and 1 Gbit/s network connectivity
- 8-minute deployment with full API control
- Auto backups, DDoS protection, and RAID-1 storage
- Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
If you need blazing-fast speed, optimum uptime, top-notch flexibility, and full control over the fate of your website the dedicated servers from 1&1 IONOS have you covered. The company offers an assortment of entry-level, performance-focused, and business-class server options. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 480 GB SSD - 2 TB HDD | 2 - 32 cores | 12 GB - 256 GB |
See more dedicated hosting plans »
How Much Should I Pay for Managed Hosting?
Getting deeper into the weeds of premium hosting features, managed services involve the hosting company overseeing some, most, or all aspects of your hardware and infrastructure. The host acts as your IT department while you focus on your blog content, web design, and/or product roadmap. It’s a white-glove service that can provide ultimate peace of mind, so naturally, it ups the price.
FYI: Shared hosting is inherently managed. Do not fall prey to a marketing ploy that upcharges for managed hosting on a shared server account!
Depending on the base cost of the hosting, the level of management offered (semi- vs. fully managed), and the acts of service the company chooses to include, managed hosting can cost anywhere from just under $100 to upward of $250 per month for a dedicated managed server. Do your homework before signing up for managed services, added fees, and the comfort of knowing someone more knowledgeable than you is handling the hardware nonsense. Our experts have reviewed the most popular managed server plans, and you can see our top picks listed below.
LiquidWeb.com
Monthly Starting Price $5.00
- Choice of self-, semi-, or fully managed
- Enterprise-grade Intel hardware
- Linux or Windows operating system
- RAID SSD storage for added speed
- 100% network uptime
- Get started on Liquid Web now.
It's no secret by now that Liquid Web is known for best-in-class technology and reliability that exceeds expectations. The company's cloud VPS environments embody that reputation to its fullest — including managed WordPress and WooCommerce products. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 30 GB SSD - 150 GB SSD | 1 - 8 cores | 1 GB - 8 GB |
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $26.95
- Affordable and fast managed VPS hosting
- Minimum 2 dedicated IP addresses per plan
- Daily, automatic, and rebootless kernel updates
- 24/7/365 live chat, phone, email, or ticket support
- FREE Cloudflare CDN and New Relic monitoring
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
A2’s managed VPS hosting plans are loaded with premium features. Powerful Turbo Servers yield 20 times faster performance and are combined with the expertly managed services of the engineers and Guru Crew support personnel. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 20 GB SSD - 450 GB SSD | 1 - 10 cores | 1 GB - 32 GB |
InterServer.net
Monthly Starting Price $3.00
- $0.01 for the first month using code HOSTINGADV
- Then $6 monthly with no contracts, no changes
- Latest of PHP, MySQL, Perl, Python, and Ruby
- 7 operating system options for Linux or Windows
- Full root access and choice of datacenter
- Get started on InterServer now.
InterServer's on-site datacenter and hands-on involvement with configuring and provisioning virtual private servers give customers a level of flexibility not seen with many other hosting providers. InterServer rations VPS and cloud resources through slices. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 30 GB SSD - 480 GB SSD | 1 - 16 CPUs | 2 - 32 GB |
See more managed hosting plans »
How Much Should I Pay for Managed WordPress Hosting?
While managed hosting means the host handles the hardware while you handle the software, design, and content, managed WordPress hosting means the host handles the software. Just as there are various levels of management services (self-, semi-, and fully) and each company may do the three types differently, the description of managed WordPress hosting services varies dramatically from host to host.
Typically, we like to see complementary WordPress updates, plugin management, and other troubleshooting and support services. And you can expect to pay north of $10 to $15 per month for such luxuries. The potential for human error is the biggest security risk involved with WordPress, so being able to kick those dev needs over the wall is an increasingly popular choice. Fret not, however, because many hosts are working hard to make managed WP hosting more affordable, and a few top-recommended plans are reviewed below.
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Officially endorsed by WordPress.org
- Managed WordPress hosting & free site migration
- 1-click WP install, PHP 7+, HTTP/2, and LiteSpeed
- All-in-one security protections from BitNinja
- No price markup for WordPress services
- Daily backups, FREE SSL certificates, and AI Tools
- Get started on Hostinger now.
As much as we love WordPress, one of our biggest pet peeves is when hosting providers exploit the popularity of the world's most-used content management system by offering so-called WordPress hosting that, in reality, is exactly the same as the host's shared server plans. Fortunately, Hostinger's ultra-fast infrastructure and easy access to SSL certificates and backups sets up the company to outperform the vast majority of the violators of our admittedly made-up rule. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD - 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $9.95
- Get started with WordPress with a single click
- TurboHub dedicated WordPress dashboard
- Ultimate power & performance with Turbo Lightspeed web servers
- Automatic updates and backups
- Up to unlimited websites, storage, and transfers
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A2 Hosting’s managed WordPress plans pair lightning-fast Turbo Servers with hands-on support from WordPress experts at an affordable price. Its plans come with built-in speed optimization and security features to deliver a fast, secure experience to users. Go to full review »
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SiteGround.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.99
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The SiteGround team touts fully managed services across all hosting plans, including WordPress. The company caters its managed WordPress plans to customers in search of speed, performance, scalability, and support. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
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| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 Year) | 6 minutes |
See more managed WordPress hosting plans »
Get Discounted Rates for Popular Hosting Plans
The consensus: Web hosting doesn’t have to leave you on a diet of Ramen noodles and PB&Js. It’s actually rather affordable, so long as you know which features to look for and when you’re being taken advantage of. Web hosting is an investment, however, especially since most companies bill annually, and we’re here to set you and your business up for success.
We’ve negotiated special deals with many of the most trusted hosts on the market today. Click here to sort by category and find the largest discounts on shared, VPS, dedicated server, WordPress, and site builder hosting services, or click to activate any one of the coupons below. For convenience, we’ve selected a few of our most popular bargains:
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Other Website Costs to Consider: Domains, Design, and Marketing
Technology continues to amaze. All around the world, companies are coming out with new developments that render humans obsolete, and it’s kind of awesome. For example, companies like Wix are leveraging artificial intelligence to automate web design. Search engine advertising makes your company’s name appear on the radar of potential customers all around the globe without the need for one-on-one marketing efforts. Pre-made templates cut design and development time in half, and the list goes on.
Of course, these futuristic innovations can’t all be free. Other costs of creating and scaling a website include:
- Domains: Registering a .COM domain is typically around $15 per year; many domain hosts offer a one-year registration for free, but be wary of renewal fees!
- Design and Development: Whether you hire a graphic design and web development team or select a theme and adopt a DIY attitude, design has to be factored into your budget. A website designer or developer might charge $50 to $150 an hour, or you can work out a contract that meets both parties’ needs. Alternatively, free and premium themes for WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal abound on the web. These may cost as little as $25 for a one-site license.
- Marketing: As is the case with any business launch, you have to get your brand out there. Whether you choose pay-per-click (PPC) advertising or a more organic approach, it’s an investment. Some hosts, such as iPage or Bluehost, will start you out with free marketing credits to be applied toward Google AdWords, Yahoo, or Bing.
As your website needs grow, so do the maintenance costs involved. Fortunately (or hopefully), your brand’s reach and revenues should be growing alongside. For more on which hosting type is best for your next project and how to know when to scale to a more expensive infrastructure, click here. Did you find a statistic I may have missed? Let me know below!
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