How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting Provider – What’s the Difference?
Have you ever wondered what is the difference between various web hosts? Do you know how to choose the best WordPress hosting provider for your needs? If so, this article is for you. Here we will discuss the differences between the most popular hosting providers for WordPress. We will also cover a few tricks that you can use to find the best value for your money’s worth.
Features
One of the first things you will want to consider is the features of the web host you choose. There are many features that you can look for in a web host, but not all of them are of equal value. The most popular features are:
- Disk Space
- Bandwidth
- E-mail Accounts
- Transfer Limits
- Free Hosting
- Dedicated IP Addresses
The more of these features you get, the better. Always look for a web host that provides plenty of disk space and a lot of bandwidth. Having a dedicated IP address means your site will always be available when you need it. Having more than one e-mail account is essential if you run a business online. Finally, transferring limits are great if you plan on doing a lot of site hosting. The more you spend, the more you will get back. This is called a “worth while investment”. Having free hosting is great for anyone who is just getting started and does not want to spend a lot of money on web space. Free hosting is usually coupled with a low disk space and traffic limit. However, it is still a great option for people who want to experiment or review sites. Lastly, having a dedicated IP address coupled with free hosting is also a great option as it makes your site a little less vulnerable to outside attacks. A dedicated IP address allows your site to have a unique online identity that is not shared with other websites. Having a unique IP address makes your site easier to find by search engines since they can map the IP address to its domain name.
Performance
Another important factor to consider when choosing a web host is its performance. How fast does it load websites? How much information can I put on the site before it becomes unresponsive? The performance of a web host is usually measured in “page load speed” and “site performance”. These are separate measurements, but they are related. Faster page load speeds mean you can display more content to your visitors in a single page. An unresponsive site is frustrating for users and can cause them to leave quickly. Having a fast page load speed is essential for a successful online store. Most people are impatient and want everything quick and painless. However, having a fast page load speed does not always mean the site will be useful. If you are looking for a powerful web host that is also fast, you might want to look at another provider.
Reliability
You also need to consider the reliability of the web host you choose. Is it stable? Can I rely on it to deliver information on time? The reliability of a web host is usually measured in terms of how many “outages” or “unavailable days” it has had in the past. The fewer outages that a web host has had, the more reliable it is. Outages are usually brief, but sometimes they can be frustrating. Having a reliable web host allows you to launch your business or website with confidence since you know it will be available when you need it. The best web hosts are reliable and available 24/7.
Customer Support
Another important factor to consider when choosing a web host is its customer support. Do they offer a live chat feature? Do they respond to tickets submitted via email within 24 hours? The level of customer support that a web host offers is usually measured in terms of how quickly it responds to requests. The best web hosts are always available to provide assistance to their customers. If you need something, they will usually have someone online who can help you.
Value For Money
As we mentioned above, value for money is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a web host. When you sign up for a web host, you will be presented with a number of options. Some of these options might be coupled with free services such as email marketing or free domain name registration. Other options might bundle together a number of features that you might not need (such as a feature that automatically creates thumbnail images for your blog posts). When you are comparing different web hosts, take into account how much you are paying for each option. The key is to get the best value for your money’s worth.
With this in mind, let’s compare the most popular web hosts based on affordability, value for money, and features:
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is the oldest of the web hosts we will discuss here. They were first to offer “all inclusive” hosting solutions, meaning you could launch a website with one click and automatically have the web host handle all of the technical stuff for you. This is a great solution if you are just getting started and do not have the time or expertise to learn how to manage your own website. Free hosting is available with Bluehost as well as the standard shared hosting package. The difference is that with free hosting, you will have limited disk space (usually between 2 and 5 GB) and bandwidth. In addition, there is also a paid option that gives you a lot more space and bandwidth. Finally, Bluehost offers a fantastic customer support option that allows you to contact them via live chat. This is a great choice for people who want to get their questions answered immediately.
2. Hostgator
Hostgator is the second most popular web host we will discuss here. They are a reliable service with a good reputation which is confirmed by the number of 4 and 5 star reviews that their shared hosting plans receive. The best shared hosting plans from Hostgator start at $2.95 per month and include a free domain name and SSL certificate. In addition to the shared hosting plan, Hostgator also offers a free one-click installation for WordPress. This means you can launch a professional-looking website with no technical experience whatsoever. As with Bluehost above, Hostgator also offers a paid option that gives you a lot more disk space and bandwidth. Most people choose to go with the free version since it is very affordable. In fact, Hostgator is even cheaper when you compare it to some of the other web hosts we will mention below.
3. Dreamhost
Dreamhost is the third most popular web host. All of their shared hosting plans start at just $2.95 per month and include a free domain name, free backups, and free support (via email). In addition to the standard shared hosting package, Dreamhost also offers a number of different VPS hosting plans starting at $12.45 per month. A VPS (virtual private server) is an intermediate option that gives you the power to host a single website or a whole “virtual organization” (i.e., company) from the comfort of your home. Some great features of a VPS are:
- Full root access
- All dedicated IP addresses
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free backups (via their Cloud Storage service)
- Free domain name registration (via their inhouse GoDaddy affiliate)
As with Hostgator and Bluehost above, Dreamhost also offers a paid option that gives you a lot more disk space and bandwidth. However, unlike the other two web hosts we have discussed so far, Dreamhost does not provide any customer support through their website. Instead, you will have to contact them via email to get assistance.
4. Hosteurope
Hosteurope is the fourth most popular web host. All of their shared hosting plans start at just $2.45 per month and include a free domain name, free backups, and free support (via email). In addition to the standard shared hosting package, Hosteurope also offers four different virtual private server (VPS) hosting plans starting at just $12.45 per month. A VPS (virtual private server) is an intermediate option that gives you the power to host a single website or a whole “virtual organization” (i.e., company) from the comfort of your home. Some great features of a VPS are: