Top Month-to-Month Web Hosting Companies To Consider

Here are the best month-to-month web hosting services right now that let you pay per month, instead of all at once up-front. And do you want to know the best part? Most monthly web hosting plans aren’t really that much more expensive than paying for a year or two upfront.

It’s not always practical to pay for a year of web hosting upfront. While doing so is nearly always cheaper overall, you’re stuck with that provider until the payment term expires.

This is problematic for a bunch of reasons. First, you may not like your chosen hosting service and want to move to a different one. Secondly, if your project or idea doesn’t work out, you’re stuck with a hosting service you no longer need. 

Lastly, many people just starting out don’t have hundreds of dollars spare to splash out on web hosting.  

Over the years, hosting providers have realized this and have finally started offering their customers month-to-month payment options for web hosting services.

The advantages are that you pay a low monthly amount for the service and are not locked into a contract. This ensures you have complete flexibility if your needs change.

As always, there are plenty of providers vying for your business. I’ve looked at them all in detail, so you don’t have to, and I have narrowed them down to the top seven.

Hosting Service	Plans From	Free Domain?	Free Trial or Money-Back Guarantee?	Best For…
DreamHost	$4.95/mo	No	97-days	Best Overall
HostGator	$8.96/mo	No	30-days	Beginners
Hostinger	$9.99/mo	No	30-days	Businesses planning to scale
SiteGround	$12.99/mo	No	30-days	Speed and performance
GreenGeeks	$10.95/mo	Yes	30-days	Carbon neutrality
A2 Hosting	10.99/mo	No	Anytime	Bloggers
Bluehost	$9.99/mo	Yes	30-days	WordPress users
Cloudways	$10/mo	No	3-days	High-traffic WordPress sites

What Are the Best Month-to-Month Web Hosting Services?

I’ve hand-picked seven of the latest and greatest to help you decide which month-to-month hosting service provider is best for you. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of each of them.

1. DreamHost: Best Overall Monthly Web Hosting

DreamHost is arguably the best hosting provider on the market today. Having been around for more than 20 years, it has established itself as the main go-to for people who use WordPress and is one of only three hosting providers that WordPress endorses.

The platform is known for its ease of use and accessibility for non-technical individuals and small businesses looking to enter the online world. Currently, it has over 1.5 million blogs and websites hosted on its platform. That’s huge!

With guaranteed 100% uptime, 24/7 support, and managed services available, DreamHost is designed to help you succeed. 

DreamHost Key Features

Since DreamHost is one of the most seasoned hosting providers out there, it has been able to perfect and refine its features over the years.

DreamHost focuses on what really matters to its customers and doesn’t bog the user down with unnecessary tools. 

• A 97-day zero-risk money-back guarantee: No other provider offers a guarantee anywhere near as good as this.
• WordPress preinstalled: Get to work on WordPress right away without trying to navigate complicated integration processes.
• 1-click installer: Migrate your existing website at the touch of a button.
• 24/7 unlimited live chat support: No chatbots here. Get proper human-powered help exactly when you need it.
• Free SSD storage: Compared with HDD storage, your website, caching, and database queries will be up to 200% faster.
• 100% uptime guarantee: No losing out on customers or traffic – your website will always be available.
• Custom control panel: Intuitive and EASY! Perfect for both complete newbies and seasoned pros.
• Unlimited traffic: Want to be the busiest website in the world? DreamHost can handle it.
• Free SSL Certificate: Keep your web data safe with an encrypted connection.
• Check out my review of DreamHost.com here.

Are There Any Downsides to DreamHost?

Honestly, this provider is so good it’s hard to find any issues with its hosting services. There is, however, one slight downside to the month-to-month payments option.

DreamHost offers a free domain to users paying upfront for a one or two-year shared plan or an annual paid DreamPress plan. A free domain is sadly not available on monthly payment options.

Who Is DreamHost For?

While DreamHost is for everyone, it is particularly well-designed for bloggers, freelancers, and small businesses. This is largely due to its very affordable prices and ease of use.

DreamHost is also the preferred hosting solution for those who use WordPress. Indeed, for an additional fee, you can opt to have managed WordPress services alongside your web hosting.

DreamHost Pricing

DreamHost has two available pricing plans to choose between

• Shared Starter: $4.95/mo (one website, unlimited traffic)
• Shared Unlimited: $8.95/mo (unlimited websites, unlimited traffic)

The Shared Starter plan allows you to host one website and you must pay an additional fee to add email (prices to add on email start at $1.67/mo). The Shared Unlimited plan allows unlimited website hosting, and email is included in the price.

While there is no free trial, the month-to-month payment plans also include a 97-day money-back guarantee.

DreamHost Verdict

In my opinion, this is the best month-to-month web hosting service available. It’s simple to get to grips with and highly affordable. You also cannot ignore the generous 97-day money-back guarantee. 

Ultimately, you can try out DreamHost with little to no risk and its high-quality features make it easy to see why so many websites and blogs choose DreamHost as their hosting provider.

2. Hostgator: Best for Beginners

HostGator is one of the most easily recognized hosting platforms around. It currently hosts over eight million domains, which is ridiculously huge and is one of the oldest players in the hosting arena. 

Hostgator is known for its low prices, unlimited features, and for being particularly good for newbies. A 99.9% uptime and 45-day money-back guarantee sweeten the deal.

HostGator Key Features

Unlimited is the highlight here, as Hostgator is very generous with what it provides. You certainly get a lot of bang for your buck with the platform’s features:

• 45-day money-back guarantee: Get a feel for the platform before you commit.
• Free domain name: Available on ALL plans
• 99.9% guaranteed uptime: Never face the frustration of being offline.
• Free site migration: Bring that existing site over at no extra cost.
• Unmetered bandwidth: Let that traffic endlessly flow.
• Unlimited storage: Host as much as you need.
• One-click installs: Integrate apps and plugins like WordPress with the touch of a button.
• Extensive knowledge and training base: Don’t know what you’re doing? Let HostGator guide you.
• Live round-the-clock assistance: Speak to a human to get the info you need.
• Free SSL certificate.
• Simple and intuitive interface: Easy for beginners and newbies to learn.
• Superfast speeds: Ensure your webpages load in nanoseconds.
• Free website builder: Create a stunning new site with an easy drag-and-drop tool.
• See my 2024 review of HostGator.com for more features, and pros and cons.

Who Is HostGator For?

HostGator is suitable for any sized business, but it is particularly great for those new to web hosting and building websites. The control panel and interface are the most user-friendly of the lot plus all the build features use an ultra-simple drag-and-drop method. 

Are There Any Downsides HostGator? 

There have been some reports that the customer service reps are not technically skilled enough to deal with complicated queries. So, while you can easily reach someone for help, you may not get the expertise you need.

HostGator is cheap, but like all budget services, you do have to watch out for sneaky upselling tactics. Before you press the “buy” button, make sure you haven’t accidentally added something extra that you don’t need.

HostGator Pricing

HostGator isn’t upfront with its month-to-month pricing. You have to dig a little to find it.

First, select the “Buy Now” option of your preferred plan. On the signup page, you’ll see “Billing Cycle” with a drop-down box next to it. Click on the drop-down and select “1-month” billing.

Here are all the month-to-month prices for HostGator:

• Hatchling Plan: $11.95/mo (single website)
• Baby Plan: $12.95/mo (unlimited websites)
• Business Plan: $17.95/mo (unlimited websites with additional tools and faster speeds)

HostGator Verdict

Any beginner will be able to pick up HostGator and run with it, so I recommend this provider as an option to anyone just starting out.

However, keep in mind that you may want to pick a provider that is known to provide better technical support.

3. Hostinger: Best for Businesses That Plan to Scale

Hostinger is not far behind DreamHost in terms of its user base. Boasting over 1.2 million clients, this provider is well-established and has been in business since 2011.

Hostinger prides itself on the comprehensive range of features included with its product. While it may be a little complicated for the average newcomers, it’s perfect for anyone planning to scale their business.

The platform promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee, offers live support, and is fully optimized for WordPress websites.

Hostinger Key Features

Hostinger is definitely comprehensive with its features. This is fantastic as you get a lot for your dollars.

Plus, Hostinger is renowned for providing quality to its clients. Here are the platform’s top features:

• 30-day zero-risk money-back guarantee: Try without worrying about losing your investment.
• Up to 200GB SSD storage: Generous storage ensures faster web query load times.
• Unlimited free SSL: Keep all your web data communication safe.
• WordPress Optimized: Use WordPress without any hitches or integration problems.
• 24/7 live chat support: Talk to a real human and get help instantly.
• One-click WordPress installation: Press a button and get going on your WordPress website.
• Free migration: Transfer your existing website from one platform to Hostinger for free.
• Weekly Backups: Never lose your web data.
• 99.9% guaranteed uptime: Always be online and never lose out on potential business.
• Unlimited databases and unmetered traffic: Scale your business without limitations.
• Read my review of Hostinger here.

Are There Any Downsides to Hostinger?

Like DreamHost, Hostinger does not offer a free domain with any of its monthly-paid options. If you want a free domain you must pay upfront for a year or more.

A setup fee is included for those who want to pay monthly. It doesn’t really explain what exactly the fee is for other than “set up,” so I suspect it’s a ploy to get you to pay annually. I say this because there is no such fee for annual paid options.

Who Is Hostinger For?

I’d say Hostinger is less for beginners and more for businesses that are already established and are planning to scale without a need to switch providers.

Due to its features, Hostinger is a great option for higher-traffic and fast-growing websites.

Hostinger Pricing

Hostinger really wants you to pay upfront. As such, it doesn’t easily display its monthly pricing information. To get the details you have to pick a plan and select “add to cart.”

Once you have done this, you will be presented with a range of pricing options, including paying monthly.

Here’s the rundown of Hostinger’s month-to-month prices:

• Single Shared Hosting: $9.99/mo (one website, 50GB storage, 10k/mo visitors)
• Premium Shared Hosting: $12.49/mo (100 websites, 100GB storage, 25k/mo visitors)
• Business Shared Hosting: $16.99 (100 websites, 200GB storage, 100k/mo visitors)

All month-to-month paid plans have a one-off $4.99 setup fee.

The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to all plans.

Hostinger Verdict

While still highly affordable, Hostinger is more expensive than DreamHost but it does offer more features and opportunities to scale. It’s a great choice for anyone who doesn’t want to switch providers later down the line.

I do think that the $4.99 setup fee is a little cheeky though, and may put some people off.

4. SiteGround: Best for Speed and High Performance

SiteGround hosts over 2.8 million domains and is the third hosting service on this list endorsed by WordPress. 

The platform prioritizes speed and boasts performance capabilities of up to 500% faster than other hosting providers. Also incorporating speedy server setup and WordPress performance, SiteGround will make your website fly.

As well as being impressively fast, SiteGround has the ability to integrate with the latest technologies and has stellar customer service.

SiteGround Key Features

SiteGround has a good range of features to satisfy most web-hosting needs:

• Ultrafast website speeds: Did I mention this provider likes to be fast?
• 30-day money-back guarantee: Try SiteGround without risk.
• Simple, intuitive interface: Get to grips with SiteGround’s platform with ease.
• Top-rated customer care: Never be stuck without help.
• Free email – even on its lowest-priced plan: No need to pay extra for email services.
• Daily Backup: Never lose a single byte of data.
• E-commerce enabled: Integrate with your favored E-commerce provider.
• Free SSL and unlimited databases.
• 100% renewable energy match: Keep your hosting needs carbon-neutral.
• Build websites fast: A full site building solution is included.
• Automated migration: Instantly transfer your website over from another provider.
• Read my 2024 SiteGround review here.

Are There Any Downsides to SiteGround?

Compared with other hosting providers on this list, the SSD storage on all shared plans is somewhat stingy. You only get 40GB of storage on its highest plan, whereas most other providers offer 100GB upwards.

Who Is SiteGround Best For?

SiteGround is best for anyone who wants a high-performance website at a great price. The service can be fully scaled and white-labeled and therefore suits anyone from bloggers to large organizations.

Like other hosting platforms, SiteGround is fully set up for users of WordPress.

SiteGround Pricing

SiteGround offers three different hosting plans, all of which have monthly pay options:

• StartUp: $12.99/mo (one website. 10GB storage, 10k/mo visits)
• GrowBig: $22.99/mo (unlimited websites. 20GB storage, 100k/mo visits)
• GoGeek: $34.99/mo (unlimited websites. 40GB storage, 40k/mo visits)

Before you buy, you can enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee on all SiteGround plans.

SiteGround Verdict

If speed and performance are your top priorities, then you can’t get better than SiteGround. However, keep in mind that at some point, you may get frustrated with the SSD storage limitations.

All-in-all SiteGround is a great choice for just about any type of business.

5. GreenGeeks: Best for Carbon-Neutrality

More and more individuals are citing carbon neutrality as a key concern where web hosting is concerned. The internet is responsible for 3.7% of total emissions and that figure is expected to double by 2025.

Enter GreenGeeks, an eco-responsible hosting service built to be as energy efficient as possible. For every amperage of power that it uses, GreeGeeks matches three times that in the form of renewable energy.

Besides its green credentials, GreenGeeks is also a superb hosting platform.

GreenGeeks Key Features

GreenGeeks places an emphasis on providing enhanced security and speed. Here are its main features:

• 30-day money-back guarantee: Try before you buy.
• Unlimited web space: No limits on space on GreenGeeks’ two higher-priced plans.
• Email accounts included: No need to pay additional fees for your email accounts.
• 300% green energy match: By far the most eco-friendly option on this list.
• Free web domain: Available on all plans, get your domain name for free during the first year.
• One tree planted: For every new subscriber, GreenGeeks will plant one tree.
• Solid state RAID-10: For speedy page loading and max redundancy.
• High-speed technologies: No lagging or buffering to be found here.
• Built-in scalability: No need to change providers when you grow.
• Advanced security: Custom-created security rules keep your data extra safe.
• 24/7 support: Whether by phone, online chat, or email, full support is always available.
• Check out my 2024 GreenGeeks review here.

Are There Any Downsides to GreenGeeks?

GreenGeeks is an excellent basic hosting platform, but it lacks some of the more advanced features found on more comprehensive platforms.

Businesses that experience sudden growth may find they outgrow GreenGeeks and need to go elsewhere.

Who Is GreenGeeks For?

Anyone who wants quality hosting combined with sustainability will be happy with GreenGeeks’ hosting service. 

However, the platform’s capabilities are not designed to cope with large organizations. Therefore, this provider is best suited for smaller businesses and individuals.

GreenGeeks Pricing

Three different month-to-month price plans are offered with GreenGeeks:

• Lite: $10.95/mo (One website, standard performance, 50GB web space)
• Pro: $15.95/mo (Unlimited websites, better performance, unlimited web space)
• Premium: $25.95/mo (Unlimited websites, best performance, unlimited web space)

GreenGeeks Verdict

This is definitely the best option if you take environmental impact seriously. Furthermore, this plan is generous when it comes to the number of unlimited features you get for the price. The free domain is also a great addition.

For small businesses or individuals, GreenGeeks is overall a very nice choice. Large organizations will be better off with a different provider.

6. A2 Hosting: Best for Bloggers

Independently owned, A2 was established in 2001 after it started off as a hobby/side venture for its owner. Now a fully-fledged business, A2 offers some impressive features to its clients.

The platform has chosen to focus on improving the speed and loading rates of WordPress making this option particularly advantageous for those who use the software. 

As well as fast speeds for WordPress, A2 users can also enjoy an anytime money-back guarantee and a 99.9% uptime commitment.

A2 Hosting Key Features

There is lots to discover with A2 hosting. Some of its best features are as follows:

• Full money-back guarantee: As far as I can make out, there is no time limit on this guarantee.
• Unlimited storage: Enjoy no storage ceilings on all but the cheapest plan.
• Turbo-boosted speeds: Experience better loading times for your website.
• One-click WordPress installation: Get up and running in minutes.
• Full 24/7 support: Talk to A2 “gurus” for expert support and assistance.
• 99.9% uptime: No one wants downtime and thankfully you won’t find it here.
• Free site migration: Shift your existing website over to A2 for free.
• Create a new site: Use the A2 website builder to create a custom website.
• Choose your data storage location: Know exactly where your data’s at.
• Unlimited email accounts: Available on all plans.
• Higher SEO rankings: Google likes fast, well-performing websites and will boost your ranking.
• Check out my detailed review of A2 Hosting here.

Are There Any Downsides to A2 Hosting?

If you want the heavily promoted turbo-speeds, you can only get them if you pick one of the two highest plans. The cheapest plans only come with standard speeds, which is a bit disappointing.

Who Is A2 Hosting For?

A2 Hosting is perfect for freelancers and bloggers that use WordPress. Also, thanks to the anytime money-back guarantee, this service is also great for anyone nervous about trying out hosting for the first time.

A2 Hosting Pricing

You can choose between four different pricing plans from A2 Hosting:

• Startup: $10.99/mo (one website, 100GB storage)
• Drive: $12.99/mo (unlimited websites and storage)
• Turbo Boost: $15.99 (unlimited websites and storage with turbo-boost speed)
• Turbo Max: $22.09 (unlimited websites and storage with turbo-boost MAX speed)

Verdict

While A2 Hosting can happily accommodate businesses of all sizes, bloggers that use WordPress will particularly appreciate the super-fast loading capabilities. However, be prepared to pay more for the privilege.

The anytime money-back guarantee is worth another mention too. What a great benefit!

7. Cloudways: Best for Hosting High-Traffic Websites

Last but not least, we have Cloudways. In terms of client base, this hosting provider is relatively small compared to other platforms but is no less mighty. Cloudways places an emphasis on high performance hosting and providing flexible options. 

What I like here is that Cloudways is the one and only truly month-to-month hosting provider, and you get five different cloud-storage providers to choose from.

Cloudways Key Features

Cloudways has a nice selection of features to entice you over to its service:

• Three-day free trial: Get started without fronting any payment details.
• Pay as you go: ALL plans are month-to-month payments.
• 100% cloud-based uptime: Always be present online.
• Peak website performance: Fast load speeds are included on all plans.
• Choice of Cloud Storage: Pick the provider that’s best for you.
• Free website builder: Get your website up and running within a matter of minutes.
• 1-click scaling: As your business grows, so can your hosting needs.
• 24/7 live support: With advanced support for increased technical assistance.
• Simple and clean interface: Find what you’re looking for with ease.
• Huge range of month-to-month price plans: Find what works for your requirements.
• Free SSL certificate and dedicated firewalls: For enhanced security.
• Automated backups: Don’t be concerned with losing your data.
• Check out my review of Cloudways here.

Are There Any Downsides to A2 Cloudways?

While Cloudways has a clean interface, its tools can be a little overwhelming for newcomers. 

Additionally, the sheer range of price plans can also be daunting, and hard to understand which one is best to pick.

Who Is Cloudways For?

Cloudways is almost certainly best for more advanced users that have a little technical knowledge under their belts. For simple websites and blogs, you’re better off going to a different provider.

With that said, Cloudways is also an excellent option for businesses that have high-traffic websites, as this provider can easily handle the load.

Cloudways Pricing

There are so many different options that Cloudways’ pricing could have a whole article all to itself. For now, I’ll just cover the basics.

First, from the tabs along the top, you choose your cloud provider. Then, decide if you want a standard or premium service, then finally, pick a plan.

The key difference between standard and premium is the speed and power of the servers on which your data is stored. Note that not all cloud providers have this option available.

Here’s a brief overview of pricing:

• Digital Ocean: The cheapest plan is $10/mo. The most expensive plan is $96/mo.
• VULTR: The cheapest plan is $11/mo. The most expensive plan is $100/mo.
• Linode: The cheapest plan is $12/mo. The most expensive plan is $90/mo.
• AWS: The cheapest plan is $36.51/mo. The most expensive plan is $274.33/mo.
• Google Cloud: The cheapest plan is $33.18/mo. The most expensive plan is $225.93/mo.

Cloudways Verdict

On one hand, I love that this is the only hosting service that has month-to-month pricing as standard. In fact, there are no annually paid options available (but you can pay on an hourly basis if you want).

On the other hand, it is overly complex and, to the untrained eye, really tough to understand what you need. This is certainly a product for the more experienced user.

8. Bluehost: Best for Using WordPress

Bluehost is the second hosting provider on our list that is endorsed by WordPress and currently hosts over two million websites.

To help you with WordPress, there is a dedicated team of WordPress specialists who are on hand to provide customer support in this area. And, of course, you can expect your WordPress site to be fully supported and hosted by Bluehost.

A free domain is included with all its plans, and all but the cheapest plan allow you to host unlimited websites. 24/7 chat, email, and daytime phone support are also available.

Bluehost Key Features

Bluehost knows what its customers need and it has a great range of features to satisfy anyone with hosting needs:

• 30-day money-back guarantee: Try for a month without any financial risk.
• Up to 100GB storage depending on the plan you choose.
• Free domain for one year.
• Resource protection: Keep your site’s performance protected and unaffected by issues.
• Free SSL certificate.
• Domain Manager: Transfer, update, and purchase domains from your dashboard.
• Google Ads credit: Up to $150 of matched credit for your first ad campaign.
• Store builder: Get your shop up and running within minutes.
• Dedicated WordPress experts: Get the exact help you need for your WordPress site.
• 24/7 general support: Get help for other types of websites when required.
• Check out my review of Bluehost.com here.

Are There Any Downsides to Bluehost?

While you do get a 30-day money-back guarantee, there is no free trial available for Bluehost.

Additionally, compared with other providers, the amount of SSD storage you get is a little low, particularly on the cheaper plans.

Who Is Bluehost For?

While Bluehost is a great all-around hosting option for most, it is specifically geared toward users of WordPress. This is largely down to its dedicated WordPress help team.

Since the platform also boasts a shop-building tool, if you plan to get into e-commerce, you will find this feature very useful. It’s not for large commerce though, as the storage you get is too limited.

Bluehost Pricing

There are four different price plans available with BlueHost:

• Basic plan: $9.99/mo (one website, 10GB storage)
• Plus plan: $14.99/mo (unlimited websites, 20GB storage)
• Choice Plus: $18.99/mo (unlimited websites, 40GB storage)
• Pro plan: $28.99/mo (unlimited websites, 100GB storage)

Unfortunately, there is no free trial available with Bluehost but you can take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bluehost Verdict

Bluehost is a really good hosting service that users of WordPress will love. Although the storage may be limited for larger businesses and busy websites, it’s a great choice for small businesses and individuals.

The free domain is definitely a nice touch too.

Questions & Answers

Our Verdict ⭐

So there we go, seven great hosting services that allow you to pay on a month-to-month basis. Each provider has its unique merits, so have a look at each one and find the best fit for you.

If you’re still unsure, go for my number one recommendation: DreamHost. Happy web hosting!

How We Review Web Hosts: Our Methodology

When we review web hosts, our evaluation is based on these criteria:

1. Value for Money: What types of web hosting plans are on offer, and are they good value for money?
2. User Friendliness: How user-friendly is the signup process, the onboarding, the dashboard? and so on.
3. Customer Support: When we need help, how quickly can we get it, and is the support effective and helpful?
4. Hosting Features: What unique features does the web host provide, and how do they stack up against competitors?
5. Security: Are essential security measures like SSL certificates, DDoS protection, backup services, and malware/virus scans included?
6. Speed and Uptime: Is the hosting service fast and reliable? What types of servers do they use, and how do they perform in tests?

For more details on our review process, click here.