The Best Cheap Web Hosting of 2024

Updated


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Bluehost is the best cheap web host based on our testing. See our picks for other great, inexpensive web hosts.

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Hostinger

The easiest option

Starts at $2.49 per month

  • Fail-proof setup
  • Great for beginners
  • Free AI tools

Bluehost

For new WordPress sites

Starts at $2.95 per month

  • Guided onboarding
  • Recommended by WordPress
  • 24/7 support

HostGator

Best security and scalability

Starts at $3.75 per month

  • All types of hosting
  • Enhanced security tools
  • Affordable as you grow

Best Cheap Web Hosting: Our Shortlist

Web hosting makes your site accessible on the internet, and it’s one of the main factors contributing to site performance. While more expensive hosting plans offer better performance and additional features, you don’t need to break the bank to get reliable hosting.

Looking for cheap web hosting is about balancing your budget with your site’s needs. The following options can help you narrow the field and find the web host that best meets your needs.

Our Top Picks

Bluehost

Best Cheap Web Hosting

Jump to Review

Hostinger

Best For Locking Cheap Rates For Years

Jump to Review

DreamHost

Best Cheap Web Hosting Uptime Guarantee

Jump to Review

IONOS

Best Cheap Hosting Introductary Rate

Jump to Review

Hostwinds

Best Cheap Web Hosting For Unlimited Bandwidth

Jump to Review

Digital.com dives deep into every topic it covers to offer trusted and reliable recommendations for the best business tools. See how we review cheap web hosting.

Tips From an Expert

“If you need a website but are on a strict budget, you must invest some time into finding the best cheap web hosting option. Knowing what features you can sacrifice and what ones are essential will help you to get a great hosting service at a low price. For most people, the key things to look for will be uptime, site loading speed, and customer service. Other features like disk space, web templates, and even automatic backups can be given up in order to save some money.”

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Tired of worn-out business advice? Us too. We want to make the internet a better place for entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone else who’s as do or die as we are.

The Top Cheap Web Hosting Plans

Bluehost Logo

Bluehost

Best Cheap Web Hosting

Read Review

Features

  • 1 website
  • 50GB SSD storage
  • Custom themes

#1 Top Pick

Why it’s best overall: Bluehost offers competitive pricing, industry-leading features, quality security, notable support, and an easy and excellent integration of WordPress.

Price
$2.95 per month

Free SSL Certificate
Yes

24-7 Support
Yes

Free Domain
Yes

Read More

Reasons to choose Bluehost

  • Hugely popular
  • Variety of hosting options
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Official partner of WordPress

Reasons to avoid

  • No automatic daily backup
  • No monthly billing on shared hosting

Bluehost, a popular web hosting company, has millions of sites running on its servers. This company has provided hosting at an affordable price since 2003. Bluehost continues to innovate and expand to meet the ever-changing needs of its customers. 

Bluehost home page showing a woman measuring fabric at a table

It’s often difficult to predict how different hosting providers will work, but Bluehost stands out from others due to its strong overall performance across the board. Consumers report reliable uptime, fast speeds, and relatively few slowdowns. In our testing and research, we found that Bluehost servers had an average uptime of 99.854% over the past 30 days, with an all-time uptime over 99.94%.

Additionally, my testing showed Bluehost averaged time to first byte (TTFB) of 22 ms, which means your site will load quickly. This is just the speed at which Bluehost’s servers and CDN integration will respond to a web request. Your site’s load times will also depend significantly on how you make your site and what you include.

Another key advantage for Bluehost over other hosting providers is the platform’s offer of up to $150 in Google Ads credit through a matching program. Unfortunately, the Bluehost website doesn’t provide any additional details for this service other than that it’s only valid for new Google Ads customers in the U.S.

  • Who is Bluehost best for?
    After extensive testing and a review, I found it a capable hosting option for individuals, small businesses, bloggers, and others needing a reliable website. Bluehost makes it easy to create and manage a site with its diverse tools, templates, and WooCommerce options, so it’s easy for those new to running websites. 
  • Recent upgrades to Bluehost
    Bluehost is constantly innovating and upgrading its systems. For example, Bluehost started offering an advanced new site migration tool for WordPress sites and a full marketplace for great site templates. 
  • Bluehost pricing
    Bluehost has options at many different price points. The basic shared hosting account starts at $2.95 per month. If you need a dedicated server, on the other hand, you can pay up to $119.99 per month for the top-end option. 

The Bottom Line

Customers praise Bluehost’s uptime and features, though some say that the shared hosting options don’t have the fastest speeds and they wish they didn’t have to pay for some extras. Users also say the support staff is friendly and helpful and that the UI is easy to use.
Hostinger logo

Hostinger

Best Best For Locking Cheap Rates For Years

Read Review

Features

  • 50GB storage
  • 100GB bandwidth
  • Unlimited free SSL

Price
$2.99 per month

Free SSL Certificate
Yes

24-7 Support
Yes

Free Domain
Yes

Read More

Reasons to choose Hostinger

  • Popular
  • Affordable hosting options
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Free domain and SSL certificate for Premium subscribers

Reasons to avoid

  • No dedicated servers
  • hPanel isn’t as useful as it should be

Hostinger is one of the best hosting companies for people starting with a website and seeking low prices. Its beginner-friendly interface, low hosting rate, and reliable uptime make it the go-to provider for shared hosting.

Online store tools inside of Hostinger. Includes domain names, enterprise email accounts, and business email accounts.

Hostinger isn’t the cheapest option on this list (IONOS has a nearly unbeatable introductory rate). But it has one of the most affordable paid plans on this list and offers the most bang for your buck. It’s one of our favorite hosting providers of 2023 for a good reason — what it does, it does well. Hostinger offers multiple hosting plans, from entry-level optionsfor beginners to virtual private server (VPS) solutions for small business hosting.

Most plans even qualify for a free domain name for the first year of service, a great addition for those just getting started. All hosting packages also come with a free shared SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt SSL that will provide your site with significant security. It also ensures your site follows best security practices, which Google confirms is important for proper search engine optimization (SEO).

No matter the plan you pick, Hostinger is a rock-solid option for hosting your next project at an affordable rate.

  • Who is Hostinger best for?
    Hostinger is great for various users, though business owners may be particularly drawn to it. Small businesses and entrepreneurs will find a highly-polished, affordable service, with excellent options for scaling as your business grows.
  • Recent upgrades to Hostinger
    While Hostinger has been around for over a decade, it is still committed to continuous improvement with new technology and features to meet your needs. It added improved WordPress migration, so it’s easier to import your site from another service and update WordPress security.
  • Hostinger pricing
    You have plenty of choices when looking for a plan with Hostinger. Choose the Single Web Host plan for only $1.99 per month, with one website, 50GB of storage, 100GB of bandwidth, and weekly backups. For $2.99 per month, the Premium plan offers double the storage, more websites, unlimited bandwidth, and a free domain. The last tier caters to Businesses and runs for $3.99 per month, doubling the amount of storage and offering you daily backups.

The Bottom Line

Customers praise Hostinger’s ease of use, particularly if you’re just getting started, saying that it’s reliable and has a lot of great features. WordPress support was a high point. Some users are critical of the technical support, but those voices are almost always countered by those who have had a great experience with the support team.
DreamHost logo

DreamHost

Best Cheap Web Hosting Uptime Guarantee

Read Review

Features

  • 1 website
  • SSD storage
  • Unlimited traffic

Price
$4.95 per month

Free SSL Certificate
Yes

24-7 Support
Yes

Free Domain
Yes

Read More

Reasons to choose DreamHost

  • Excellent privacy
  • 97-day money-back guarantee
  • 100% uptime guarantee
  • Environmentally friendly hosting

Reasons to avoid

  • Extra costs for certain features
  • You may pay for some levels of support

DreamHost is one of the oldest and most reliable hosting services. Offering top-class hosting packages at bargain prices, it is an excellent choice for everyone from small businesses to large e-commerce websites.

DreamHost's web hosting landing page

DreamHost offers a unique guarantee of 100% uptime, immediately setting it apart from other providers. It can’t guarantee your site will never go down, but it offers some compensation for downtime — you’ll receive credit for a free day of service on your next renewal for each hour your site is down. Furthermore, with shared hosting, you can request a full refund within 97 days of subscribing if you have any issues.

DreamHost also provides several other digital services, including WordPress design, Google Workspace subscriptions, marketing, and website management. All DreamHost subscriptions come with live chat support and 24/7 customer service through support tickets.

DreamHost provides its customers with top-of-the-line hosting plans at bargain prices. Regardless of the hosting plan, you can access excellent features, including pre-installed WordPress and a free domain for one year. The most affordable hosting plan costs only $4.95 monthly and supports one website.

  • Who is DreamHost best for?
    I think DreamHost is a great choice for most: from small businesses to large e-commerce websites. It also has hosting plans that fit personal website builders’ needs. It’s particularly good for those just trying out shared hosting, as you’ll have a full 97-day money-back guarantee.
  • Recent upgrades to DreamHost
    DreamHost continuously upgrades its services. Many changes were made to the websites section of DreamHost, including a new tech stack, the ability to change domains, WordPress Migrations feature, and Domain Name System (DNS) Propagation Check to evaluate DNS status. DreamHost also revamped its user interface (UI) and redesigned the control panel.
  • DreamHost pricing
    DreamHost’s lowest price plan is its “Shared” one, which includes shared hosting for entry-level websites at $4.95 per month. If you outgrow this plan, though, there are plenty of ways to increase your service at a reasonable rate.

The Bottom Line

Customers find DreamHost to be a reliable and affordable hosting provider, DreamHost offers great customer service and a variety of plans. It is easy to use, though there are some complaints that the speed and webmail could be improved.
IONOS logo

IONOS

Best Cheap Hosting Introductory Rate

Read Review

Features

  • One website
  • 10GB storage
  • Free 24/7 support

Price
$4 per month

Free SSL Certificate
Yes

24-7 Support
Yes

Free Domain
Yes

Read More

Reasons to choose IONOS

  • Proven track record
  • Automatic daily backups
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Reasons to avoid

  • Only one free SSL certificate per plan
  • No cPanel or Plesk

IONOS excels in innovation, reliability, and user experience. No matter which IONOS web hosting plan you choose, you’ll get great features, including a free domain name for one year. But the introductory rate will probably get you through the door.

IONOS hosting landing page

While some other cheap hosting providers offer lower prices than IONOS over the long haul, you can’t beat its $1 per month introductory offer on the Business subscription. This mid-tier option comes with unlimited storage, databases, and domains, plus professional email and a free domain for just one year.

No matter which IONOS web hosting plan you choose, you will get great features, including a free WordPress guide and a no-cost domain name for one year. Those just starting out can opt for one of the MyWebsite packages, which comes with free hosting, plenty of templates, and an intuitive editor that’s seamless to operate.

IONOS has also recently revamped its WordPress hosting service with a new emphasis on providing an isolated environment for increased speed and security.

  • Who is IONOS best for?
    After extensive testing I found IONOS is ideal for fledgling companies, providing a good balance between cost-effectiveness and dependability. Plus, it’s super easy to scale when ready.
  • Recent upgrades to IONOS
    IONOS just revamped its WordPress hosting service with a new emphasis on providing an isolated environment for increased speed and security. It is also developing a new feature that will simplify importing pre-existing projects.
  • IONOS pricing
    Like most services, IONOS offers a one-year introductory rate at all levels. However, unlike most others, the mid-tier “Business” plan is the cheapest, which is only $1 a month for the first year. You can still opt for the “Essential” plan, though you’ll pay $4 monthly for less storage, websites, and hosting resources. 

The Bottom Line

Customers feel that IONOS is a low-cost and simple web host ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It offers a lot of customization options and provides top-notch customer support. Its server speed and uptime also receive good marks.
Hostwinds logo

Hostwinds

Best Cheap Hosting For Unlimited Bandwidth

Read Review

Features

  • Depth of hosting plan customization
  • Application-specific hosting
  • Fast and knowledgeable live chat

Price
$5.24 per month

Free SSL Certificate
Yes

24-7 Support
Yes

Free Domain
Yes

Read More

Reasons to choose Hostwinds

  • Depth and breadth of options
  • Free migration
  • Application-specific hosting

Reasons to avoid

  • Backups are not included
  • Some plan options can be confusing

Hostwinds may be one of the lesser-known providers on this list, but its service is still excellent. It caters to the small-scale audience, and the no-nonsense plans and pricing mean you’ll know exactly what you’re getting before you pay.

Hostwinds cloud control options

You’ll pay a little more with Hostwinds. But all its website hosting plans (shared, business, and reseller) offer unlimited bandwidth and storage even at the base levels. Each plan has three price points: one, four, and unlimited domains. Having unlimited storage and bandwidth is great because it’s often difficult to guess how much of these things you’ll need when starting out. Most (other) hosting providers use these factors to create different pricing tiers, but Hostwinds makes everything unlimited from the start.

The business plan adds features like SSD disks, CloudFlare, constant monitoring, and the LiteSpeed HTTP server (a highly customized version of Apache). For virtual private server (VPS) hosting and dedicated, choices are similarly precise: Do you want managed or unmanaged, Linux or Windows, and how many servers do you want? It’s all laid out clearly, and selecting an option takes you to a customization page with your option filled in for you.

  • Who is Hostwinds best for?
    After putting it through its paces, I think that Hostwinds will work well for those in the market for small-scale focused hosting. This includes SMBs, individuals, or entrepreneurs.
  • Recent upgrades to Hostwinds
    Hostwinds is constantly working to improve its services. It has made some quality-of-life improvements to the cPanel. The provider also removed a lot of outdated legacy equipment, making room for better and more reliable systems.
  • Hostwinds pricing
    There are a ton of plan options with Hostwinds — which can be great if you’re looking for something incredibly specific, but can also be a little overwhelming. The lowest-priced hosting plan starts at $5.24 per month but is geared toward those who might resell the plan. A more traditional shared hosting plan runs for $6.99 per month.

The Bottom Line

Customers give Hostwinds top marks for its customer service and fast loading speeds. It backs its affordable offerings with a 99.9999% uptime guarantee. They find the UI is easy to use, and the Hostwinds include free SSL with its web hosting.

Compare Cheap Web Hosting

Cheap Web Host

Best Features

Pricing

Bluehost Logo

Bluehost

Best Cheap Web Hosting

  • 1 website
  • 50GB SSD storage
  • Custom themes

$2.95 per month

Hostinger logo

Hostinger

Best For Locking Low Rates

  • 50GB storage
  • 100GB bandwidth
  • Unlimited free SSL

$2.99 per month

DreamHost logo

DreamHost

Best Cheap Hosting Uptime Guarantee

  • 1 website
  • SSD storage
  • Unlimited traffic

$4.95 per month

IONOS logo

IONOS

Best Cheap Hosting Intro Rates

  • One website
  • 10GB storage
  • Free 24/7 support

$4 per month

Hostwinds logo

Hostwinds

Best Cheap Hosting For Unlimited Bandwidth

  • Depth of hosting plan customization
  • Application-specific hosting
  • Fast and knowledgeable live chat

$5.24 per month

What You Need to Know

What kind of hosting is the cheapest?

Typically shared hosting is the most economical hosting option. Shared hosting is where you share a server (and its resources) with other clients (websites). This type of hosting is cheaper but may have slower performance compared to other types.

Are there services that offer free hosting?

Yes, free hosting services exist. However, these typically come with some big limitations, including storage limits, bandwidth throttling, or difficult customer support. Even if you find a free host, you’ll probably still need to pay for the services you want, such as a domain name.

Is cheap web hosting worse than dedicated web hosting?

Not necessarily. While most providers do up their services and support for higher paying customers, many of the options on this list provide excellent features and services even at cheaper tiers. Some of the best inexpensive web hosting providers offer a variety of features, including domain names, email addresses, website builder services, storage and bandwidth, performance, SSL certificates, and 24/7 support.

Are there limitations to shared web hosting?

Since most cheap web hosting is shared web hosting, it’s good to know its restrictions. These include limited resources like storage space, bandwidth, and central processing unit (CPU) power. A sudden spike in traffic from neighboring sites can negatively impact your website’s performance.

Can I upgrade later if my website grows?

Absolutely. Almost every provider offers higher service tiers, granting you more resources for your website. In most cases, you can even migrate your website to an entirely different service, though this may take a little more work.

If I no longer want my website, can I get a refund?

Possibly, depending on the host you picked. Most hosts offer a money-back guarantee, though the length of that span can vary, with some as short as 14 days and some lasting up to 100. If you’re unsure how committed you are to your website, prioritize a host with a great money-back guarantee.

How We Review Cheap Web Hosting Services

I rated web hosts on specific plans and prices, what features are offered, the performance of a hosting company, what type of security is included, and whether the hosting provider is engaging in ongoing improvements.

I signed up for a plan with each provider to test:

  • Plan value: What plans are available, and do they offer a good value?
  • Ease of use: Is the dashboard easy to navigate?
  • Support: How fast can you get help when needed, and is support genuinely helpful?
  • Features: What features does the host offer, and how do they compare to similar competitors?
  • Security: Does the host offer SSL certificates, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack protection, backup services, and scans for viruses and malware?
  • Speed and uptime: Does the provider offer a fast, stable environment for your website? How does it perform in tests, and what kind of servers does the hosting company use?
  • Recent improvements: What has the host done lately to update its technology and services?

I uploaded a basic static site to my web space, including HTML and CSS files and images, and configured Uptime.com to check my site’s availability and server response time at five-minute intervals. This test gave me a general indication of the speed and uptime you will likely experience when you decide on the best web hosting provider for you.

Learn more about our review methodology.

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