What is Shared Hosting
When numerous websites are hosted on the same server, the server’s resources (including CPU time, RAM, and data storage) are shared across the sites. This implies that numerous different websites may coexist on the same physical server, and that the server partitions its storage space such that each website has its own directory. When you sign up for shared hosting, your host will take care of the server and provide you access to a dashboard where you can handle all of your website’s configuration and file management. By dividing the cost of the server among all the clients that utilise it, shared hosting is able to provide the lowest per-customer rates.
Advantages of Shared Hosting
- Cost-effective: Inexpensive and easy to set up, shared hosting is perfect for startups and small companies.
- Easy to manage: A control panel is a feature provided by your shared hosting service that allows you to easily manage your website’s files, email accounts, and other settings.
- Technical support: Technical assistance is available around the clock from most shared hosting companies to assist clients with any problems or inquiries they may have.
- Scalability: When your website expands and more resources are needed, you may often change to a more powerful plan within your shared hosting provider.
Disadvantages of Shared Hosting
- Limited resources: Disk space, data transfer, and RAM are just some of the hosting resources that are metered out in shared hosting packages. Website speed and load times might suffer if too many resources are needed to run it.
- Security risks: There is an increased possibility of virus and security breaches when numerous websites use the same server. To counteract this, nevertheless, the majority of shared hosting services also provide security features.
- Limited control: Customers of shared hosting packages have restricted administrative access to the server since it is shared with other websites. This might prevent you from installing certain programmes or altering some settings.
Who is Shared Hosting Suitable For ?
Shared hosting customers have limited server administration capabilities since the server is also used to host the content of other customers’ websites. There’s a chance that this will stop you from installing specific software or adjusting certain preferences.
Conclusion
If you or your company are seeking for a low-cost and simple-to-manage hosting service, shared hosting is a fantastic choice. It’s a good option for low- to medium-traffic tiny websites because of its reasonable price and useful features. Consider the reliability, availability of technical assistance, and robustness of the hosting provider’s security protocols before settling on a shared hosting package for your website.
DreamHost
DreamHost prioritises ease of use and low prices. The cheapest of their two services costs only $2.95 per month when paid yearly, and both boast unlimited storage and a 100% uptime guarantee. It’s our top pick since its price-to-quality ratio is so high (4.4/5.0).
DreamHost Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
DreamHost’s affordability has greatly increased, from 3.5 stars before the year 2023 to 4.4 stars after.
If you’re willing to sign up for a year, DreamHost’s Shared Starter plan might cost as little as $2.95 per month. This is a significant discount in comparison to other service providers, and if you choose, you can even pay on a month-to-month basis for only $4.95. This is ideal if you’d want greater control over your membership.
The Shared Unlimited plan likewise has a low starting price of $2.95 per month. It’s the better value since you can host an unlimited number of websites and files for only $2.95 a month. Nevertheless, when the first year is over, the Sharing Unlimited plan automatically renews at the higher price of $12.99 per month.
These renewal charges might be devastating if you aren’t prepared.
| Pricing | Shared Starter | Shared Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Deal price: $4.95 Renewal price (after three months): $7.99 |
Deal price: $8.95 Renewal price (after three months): $13.99 |
| 1 Year | Deal price: $2.95 Renewal price (after one year): $6.99 |
Deal price: $2.95 Renewal price (after one year): $12.99 |
| 3 Years | Deal price: $2.59 Renewal price (after three years): $5.99 |
Deal price: $3.95 Renewal price (after three years): $10.99 |
DreamHost has a 97-day money-back guarantee after account creation, so you may try it out risk-free if you aren’t satisfied.
Sharing the Benefits of DreamHost
Maybe DreamHost’s most appealing quality is that it does not restrict the number of monthly visitors your site receives. It’s reassuring to know you’re covered either way, because most tiny websites probably won’t have hundreds of thousands of visits.
Also, it has an excellent uptime guarantee of 100%. Although 99% uptime is a realistic claim for most websites, no one can ever guarantee 100%. DreamHost is so sure in its reliability that it offers money back guarantees if your site goes down while it is being hosted by the provider.
Other selling features include free backups and domains, as well as a website builder and an SSL certificate. DreamHost stands itself from rivals like BlueHost and HostGator in large part because it does not use the usage of cPanel, the hosting industry’s standard control panel. It does, however, come with a custom dashboard that’s not too difficult to learn.
There isn’t much of a selection of plans, and there’s no phone support. DreamHost still provides its customers with 24/7 access to live chat, email, a knowledge base, and a community forum.
iPage
Affordable ($2.99/month) and ideal for tiny websites.
iPage only provides a single shared hosting package that can handle a single site. There is no hard limit on the bandwidth you can use since it is expandable.
Shared Hosting Rates at iPage
Just iPage has stayed put on this ranking, maintaining its position at number two. This is because it provides just one shared hosting plan, which begins at $2.99 per month for an annual plan. iPage only accepts annual payments, there is no monthly alternative. The skinny is as follows:
- Prices at $2.99/month for 12 months ($35.88 total)
- At $2.49/month over 24 months, you’ll pay $59.76 altogether.
- The price each month for a 36-month commitment is $1.99 ($71.64 altogether).
While iPage’s discounted rates are very low, you should also look at the company’s renewal rates. After the first year of the 12-month plan, for instance, the monthly cost will increase from $2.99 to $9.99. Value for money is excellent overall.
Functions Included on Every iPage Shared Hosting Plans
Our most recent ratings for iPage’s value for money show a significant increase from our previous ratings (3.7 out of 5 before 2023) to our current ratings (4.2 out of 5). Value-wise, iPage’s shared hosting package is excellent, since it includes:
- Unrestricted storage space
- Create as many email accounts as you like
- Many child domains
- Free use of a website address generator
- There is no cost for the SSL certificate.
- Able to scale bandwidth
iPage also features excellent customer service, including 24/7 live chat and phone assistance.
One of iPage’s few flaws is that it charges extra for backups. One daily backup costs $2.58 per month, and five costing $3.67 per month. That’s terrible news, given that Hostinger and many other providers provide daily automated backups.
Having just one option is also limiting. While its ease of use is appreciated, we are concerned that it may force you to settle on a package that isn’t ideal for your situation. It’s excellent when a hosting platform offers a range of features, since there are so many possible uses for it.
IONOS
The best option for lightning-fast page loads and low monthly costs ($4).
Three shared hosting options are provided from IONOS, with a fourth accessible to UK residents. IONOS’s speedy loading and dependable site performance are included in all of their plans at a price that won’t break the bank.
IONOS Shared Hosting Pricing Breakdown
IONOS provides three distinct shared hosting packages, plus an additional UK-only option. While IONOS does not currently provide free trials, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with your service. There is no penalty for early termination.
The Essential plan is the most affordable option for us Yanks, starting at only $4/month for the first year. Up next is the Business plan, which begins at only $0.50 per month for the first year! Nevertheless, after the first year, the price increases to $10 per month.
The highest monthly cost for the Expert plan is $8, while the lowest cost is $6 per month for 12 months. Keep reading if you want a summary of the various plan costs that IONOS provides.
- Essential:
- Six dollars a month for a one month commitment.
- Initial $4/month for 12 months (renews at $6/month).
- Business:
- One month for $1 (then $10/mo.) on a monthly contract basis.
- Starting at $0.50/month for 12 months (renewing at $10/month)
- Expert:
- Cost of the contract per month is $16.
- For the first 12 months, pay $8/month (the renewal rate is $16/month).
As compared to other providers, IONOS has very affordable costs. Although low costs are always welcome, it’s important to know exactly what you’re buying. With a value score of 4 out of 5, our analysis shows that IONOS provides excellent value across all of its pricing tiers.
The Advantages of IONOS’s Shared Hosting
The efficiency of IONOS is its greatest strength. As compared to other shared hosting services, IONOS’s load speeds are like those of a Lamborghini Aventador among a sea of Toyota Camrys. According to our findings, it has the greatest performance of any web host on our list, earning a score of 3.9 out of 5.
In case the high data transfer rates weren’t enough to convince you, IONOS also offers a wide range of other appealing benefits. Only $4 USD a month will buy you the Essential plan, which includes hosting for one site, 50 GB of storage space, and a free domain name for a whole year.
The Business plan is an upgrade above the Basic one, since it provides limitless websites, unlimited storage, and unlimited databases for just $0.50 per month.
You get “Maximum CPU and MEM resources” as well as everything else with the Expert plan. As a part of any of the packages:
- Zero-dollar domain registration for a year
- SSL Certificate with Wildcard Support for Free
- Free Business E-Mail
- Every day, you may restore your data (for up to six days!
- Help is available for free at any time
IONOS has certain flaws, however. We said that it had round-the-clock help, but that only applies to phone calls. Those of us who like quiet conversation can’t use email or a live chat feature. On the other hand, it still has a community hub and Knowledge Base.
One other blemish on its report card is the existence of secret fees. There are a number of upfront costs associated with IONOS, such as the estimated cost of migration, the cost of initial set up (currently $50), and extra monthly fees (currently $60) for Windows customers.
Hostinger
Cheapest alternative to Bluehost ($2.99/month)
Hostinger used to top this ranking but now sits smack dab in the centre. Its inexpensive selling pitch has been taken by other builders, which makes it a somewhat poorer value alternative compared to providers like DreamHost. Hostinger still has its virtues compared to other hosting services – but its faults are more obvious today.
Hostinger Shared Hosting Price Breakdown
Hostinger has taken a terrible drop via our research scores. It used to have a 4.1 out of 5 value score for shared hosting cost but has since slipped to 3.7 out of 5! Why did this happen? But, tragically it merely been surpassed by younger, cheaper upstarts in the hosting market, including IONOS and DreamHost.
Hostinger still provides quite a reasonable pricing with a lot of useful features, but it’s no longer the stallion it used to be.
Hostinger’s shared plans run from $2.99 to $3.99 per month, when you pick a 12-month term. Like most of the providers on our list, Hostinger has three distinct shared plans to pick from:
- Single – $2.99/month (renews at $5.99 after 12 months)
- Premium – $2.99/month (renews at $8.99 after 12 months)
- Business – $3.99/month (renews at $11.99 after 12 months)
Each plan becomes cheaper as you devote more time to it. To receive the lowest cost possible – only $1.99 per month – you’ll need to commit to a four-year plan, which is a rather big commitment!
Hostinger provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, like most of the hosting platforms on our list. Yet less popular is Hostinger’s student discount, which may save you 10% on your plan if you’re qualified!
Hostinger Shared Hosting Features
If storage be what ye desire, then Hostinger starts at 50GB for the Single Shared plan and moves on to 100GB for the Premium and 200GB for the Business Shared plan. This also ties to how much storage you receive in automatic backups for each plan, so you can relax assured that you’ll never lose a version of your site.
To receive unlimited email addresses and bandwidth, you’ll have to subscribe to either the Premium or Business Sharing plans. Every Hostinger shared plan comes with at least one email account and 100GB of bandwidth, but on the Premium and Business Shared plans, you also receive a free domain and Secure Shell (SSH) access. Nevertheless, Hostinger lacks a respectable uptime percentage – at 99.90%, Hostinger’s claim is significantly below that of its rivals. And although its present customer services, from live chat to multilingual choices, have been received with wonderful reviews, Hostinger is behind the times in that it doesn’t currently provide phone support or a Community centre.
HostGator
Excellent value ($3.95/month) for shared hosting.
With a shared hosting rating of 4.7 out of 5, HostGator is a top pick among our recommended hosts. It’s a good choice overall, with dependable hosting and helpful customer service, but at $3.95 per month when paid yearly, it’s more costly than some other options.
Comparison of Shared Hosting Rates at HostGator
While HostGator swims gracefully in the hosting pool, it devours everything in its path. Crikey! HostGator’s 12-month plan is its most affordable choice, with the $3.95/month Hatchling Plan being the cutest name ever.
Long-term subscriptions will save you up to 70% on any of our three shared hosting options. This package is for a year and costs:
- Newborn Plan: $3.95/mo. (renews at $8.95/month)
- Costs just $5.00 per month (regularly $11.95 per month) with the Baby Plan.
- $7.25/mo. for the Business Plan (which renews at $16.95/mo.)
While HostGator is best known for its dedicated hosting, our testing has shown that their shared hosting is superior than that of any competitor.
Functionality of HostGator’s Shared Hosting
If you sometimes host crocodiles, HostGator’s shared hosting plans should meet your needs. One of the benefits is limitless email addresses, and another is access to specialist phone and chat assistance around the clock.
A major selling point of HostGator is that all of their plans come with unlimited disc space and transfer. When it comes to larger websites, HostGator is your best option since it offers the lowest plans and is one of the few that does this.
Unfortunately, not everything in the lagoon is relaxing. When it comes to backups, HostGator does not provide. CodeGuard is relied upon for backups instead. Users will need to pay an additional fee of $2.75 USD per month to use this feature.
While HostGator’s basic “Hatchling” plan only allows you to host a single website, the company’s “Baby” and “Biz” plans provide infinite space for all of your online endeavours. There is a 45-day money-back guarantee, so there is no risk in trying HostGator.
Bluehost
Popularity among internet users ($2.95 monthly)
When it comes to web hosting, WordPress recommends Bluehost more than any other company. With such a prominent profile comes a slew of useful extras included in each of the four shared hosting packages, but also a somewhat higher price, which is reflected in the slightly lower value score of 3.1/5 we’ve given them.
Sharing the Bluehost Price Structure
Bluehost’s 12-month package, which costs $2.95 per month, is comparable to HostGator’s. The price each month for the 36-month plan is $4.95.
The most costly of four available shared hosting plans is available for $13.95 per month on both 12- and 36-month contracts. The yearly plans are as follows in price:
- Pricing starts at $2.95/month and renews at $9.99/month for the Basic plan.
- Additional $5.45 per month (recurring $14.99)
- Costing only $5.45 initially, Choice Plus eventually escalates to $18.99 a month.
- The monthly cost for the Pro version is $13.95 (which automatically renews to $28.99).
Compared to the other shared hosting companies on our list, Bluehost’s renewal fees are somewhat higher. This is one of the reasons why, despite its low $2.95 per month beginning price, it only received a 3.1 out of 5 for value in our most recent analysis.
Advantages of Bluehost’s Shared Hosting
Whilst they are the most well-known WordPress host, Bluehost isn’t the cheapest option and there are many others. Yet, quality is really valued by the organisation. In addition to its impressive uptime and free backups/domains, SiteGround also provides round-the-clock help and an SSL certificate for further protection. You may even receive help with designing and promoting your website, however doing so will require scheduling a meeting and receiving an estimate.
