Looking for rock-solid hosting for your Canadian website? You’re in the right place. I’ve put the top Canadian web and WordPress hosting companies through their paces with rigorous speed tests and hands-on reviews. Skip to my curated list of the best WordPress & Web Hosting options in Canada ⇣ if you’re ready to dive in.
As a small business owner who’s launched multiple sites, I know firsthand how crucial choosing the right host is. That’s why I’ve done the legwork to identify the standout hosting companies for Canadian entrepreneurs and startups. Get ready for an insider’s look at which providers truly deliver on speed, reliability, and support.
I’ve compiled a handy comparison table below showcasing the top 10 hosts I’ve personally vetted. This at-a-glance overview will help you quickly narrow down your options based on what matters most for your site.
| Web Host | Price | Canada Servers | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| HostPapa | From $2.95 per month | Yes, in Toronto | www.hostpapa.ca |
| GreenGeeks | From $2.95 per month | Yes, in Toronto | www.greengeeks.ca |
| HostUpon | From $2.95/month | Yes, in Toronto | www.hostupon.ca |
| A2 Hosting | From $2.99 per month | No, in Michigan US | www.a2hosting.ca |
| WP Engine | From $20 per month | Yes, in Montreal | www.wpengine.com |
| Cloudways | From $11 per month | Yes, in Montreal | www.cloudways.com |
| Kinsta | From $35 per month | Yes, in Montreal | www.kinsta.com |
| Bluehost | From $1.99 per month | No, in the US | www.bluehost.com |
| HostGator | From $3.75 per month | No, in the US | www.hostgator.com |
| InMotion Hosting | From $2.29 per month | No, in the US | www.inmotionhosting.com |
Choosing the right Canadian web host can make or break your online presence. I’ve seen firsthand how the right provider can boost site speed, improve SEO, and enhance user experience. Later, I’ll dive into why your choice of Canadian host matters so much for your website’s success.
Best WordPress & Web Hosting in Canada 2024
After years of testing and using various hosts for my own projects, I’ve narrowed down the best options for Canadian websites. Here’s my carefully curated list of the top 10 WordPress and web hosting providers in Canada:
1. HostPapa: Best Overall Web Hosting in Canada
- Website: www.hostpapa.ca
- Price: Starting at From $2.95 per month per month
- Canadian servers: Yes (Toronto)
- Phone support: 1-888-959-7272
I’ve used HostPapa for several client projects, and it consistently impresses me with its reliability and features. As a Canadian company, HostPapa understands the needs of local businesses.
Key benefits I’ve experienced firsthand:
- Lightning-fast load times from their Toronto data center
- Intuitive cPanel interface that simplifies site management
- Knowledgeable, bilingual support available 24/7
- Seamless 1-click installs for WordPress and other popular CMSs
HostPapa’s plans include unlimited SSD storage and bandwidth (except on the basic tier), which I’ve found crucial for growing sites. They also offer free email hosting, domain registration, and SSL certificates – saving you money on essentials.
Speed Test Results
In my tests, HostPapa consistently delivered sub-500ms load times from within Canada, outperforming many competitors.
Pros:
- Free site migration on all plans (saved me hours of work)
- Robust security features, including free Let’s Encrypt SSL
- Green hosting initiatives (100% renewable energy)
- User-friendly website builder included
Cons:
- Renewal rates are higher than introductory pricing
- Basic plan limits storage and doesn’t include unlimited sites
Starter Plan Features:
- 1 website
- 100 GB SSD storage
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free domain for 1 year
- Free website migration
- Email hosting included
HostPapa’s plans start at $2.95/month per month for the Starter package. However, I recommend most users opt for the Business Pro plan. At under $6/month, it offers better value with unlimited websites, SSD storage, and enhanced performance.
Check out HostPapa’s latest deals
2. GreenGeeks: Best Eco-Friendly Budget Option
- Website: www.greengeeks.ca
- Price: Starting at From $2.95 per month per month
- Canadian servers: Yes (Toronto)
- Phone support: 1-877-326-7483
GreenGeeks stands out for its commitment to eco-friendly hosting without sacrificing performance. I’ve used them for several personal projects, and their combination of affordability and speed is impressive.
GreenGeeks plans start from $2.95/month per month. However, I recommend the Pro plan at $4.95/month for most users. In my experience, it offers the best balance of features and value. Here’s why:
- Twice the loading speed of the Lite plan – crucial for user experience and SEO
- Unlimited websites – perfect if you manage multiple sites or plan to expand
- Enhanced performance – handles higher traffic volumes without slowdowns
For growing businesses expecting increased traffic, the Pro plan’s improved resources make a noticeable difference. I’ve seen firsthand how it can support smooth scaling without the need for frequent upgrades.
Check out GreenGeeks’ current offers
- Eco-friendly hosting that grows with your business
- WordPress-optimized plans for better performance
- Free .CA domain with yearly plans
GreenGeeks stands out with their generous resource allocation. In my experience, their unlimited SSD storage, bandwidth, and email accounts are a game-changer for growing websites. When I migrated a client’s e-commerce site to GreenGeeks, we saw an immediate boost in page load times.
Setting up SSL is a breeze – I had a Let’s Encrypt certificate installed in minutes. For those switching hosts, GreenGeeks offers free migration. I’ve used this service twice and found it seamless. Their one-click Cloudflare CDN setup is another time-saver I appreciate.
Speed Test Results (Canada):
These results show impressive load times for Canadian visitors, consistently under 400ms in my tests.
Pros:
- Genuine commitment to renewable energy
- Truly unlimited resources (rare in this price range)
- Free site migration on all plans (saved me hours of work)
- Automatic daily backups (peace of mind for my clients)
- Unlimited MySQL databases (great for developers)
- Free Cloudflare CDN integration
- 30-day money-back guarantee (risk-free trial)
Cons:
- Renewal prices jump significantly (common in the industry, but still a drawback)
- 100 emails per hour limit (can be restrictive for some businesses)
Lite Plan Features:
- 1 website
- 50 GB SSD storage
- Unmetered data transfer
- Free site migration
- Free domain for 1 year
- Email hosting included
For an in-depth look at my experiences with GreenGeeks, including performance data and real-world use cases, check out my full GreenGeeks review.
3. HostUpon (Best Canadian owned web host)
- Website: www.hostupon.ca
- Price: From $2.95/month
- Canada servers: Yes, Toronto
- Phone: 1-866-973-4678
HostUpon hosts over 10,000 websites. They offer affordable plans that come with unlimited everything. Unlimited Bandwidth & SSD Space. Unlimited Addon Domains.
- Real in-house Canadian sales and support team.
- .ca free domain registration AND free website transfer service
- Affordable shared hosting that comes with everything unlimited.
HostUpon offers reliable service and cheap Canadian web hosting that helps grow your business. Their support team can be reached via phone, live chat, and email. They have in-house support and a sales team based in Canada.
Every shared hosting package comes with a free domain name. You also get a free website transfer on every plan. HostUpon offers an easy script install that allows you to install WordPress and 100+ other software scripts with just a few clicks.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- Unlimited email hosting.
- Unlimited addon domain names.
- Unlimited IMAP/POP3 Email Accounts.
- You get a free domain name on sign-up.
- Free site migration is offered on all plans.
- Unlimited MySQL Databases.
- They use eco-friendly green-hosting servers.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
- cPanel Control Panel.
Cons:
- No daily backups
Basic Plan Specs:
- Unlimited Hosted Domains.
- Unlimited SSD Space.
- Unmetered Bandwidth.
- Free Website Migration.
- Free Domain Name.
- Free Website Builder With Templates.
Plans start from $2.95 per month for shared web hosting. While its Starter Plan is indeed the perfect choice for those newbie website owners, it might not be enough for more experienced online entrepreneurs. That is why I definitely recommend the Business Plan. With unlimited websites and unlimited email addresses, plus free domain registration or transfer, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) have exactly what they need and with room for future expansion.
4. A2 Hosting (Best high-performance web hosting)
- Website: www.a2hosting.ca
- Price: From $2.99 per month
- Canada servers: No, Michigan US
- Phone: 1-888-546-8946
A2 Hosting offers the service of fantastic high-performance web hosting and WordPress hosting in Canada and Canadian reseller hosting as well. Their plans are affordable without compromising on innovative features, server speed, and security.
- Anytime money-back guarantee
- Turbo Servers – 20x faster loading pages
- Free website migration & WordPress comes pre-installed
A2 Hosting offers multiple server locations around the world to choose from (you should choose their Michigan US data center). Their support team of experts is available 24/7 and can be reached via email, phone, and live chat.
Their shared hosting plans come with unlimited bandwidth and SSD space. You also get free SSL certificates that can be installed with just one click. See my A2 Hosting review to read about all of the amazing features they give customers.
They offer one of a kind anytime money-back guarantee. If you aren’t happy with their services, you can ask for a refund anytime.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- Unlimited storage and disk space.
- Free SSL certificate for all your websites.
- HTTP/2, PHP7, SSD & Free Cloudflare CDN & HackScan
- Servers use SSD hard drives making them faster than regular ones.
- A 24/7 support team of experts is available. You can reach them via email or live chat or phone.
- Free website migration is offered by the team.
- cPanel Control Panel.
Cons:
- Fee for changing data centers (be sure you pick the Michigan one if you’re in Canada).
Basic Plan Specs:
- 1 Website.
- 5 Databases.
- 100 GB SSD Space.
- Unmetered Bandwidth.
- Free Website Migration.
- cPanel Control panel.
A2 Hosting pricing plans start from $2.99/month for shared hosting (They also have VPS (Virtual Private Server), Dedicated hosting plans, Reseller hosting plans, and WordPress hosting plans). In my review of A2 Hosting, I mentioned that there is no one-size-fits-all web hosting plan. But I do like the Turbo Boost Plan which is still decently priced. The ultra-fast NVMe storage feature in this plan, along with the promised Turbo speeds, would be an excellent choice for website owners who are expecting growth in the next few months.
Get started with A2 Hosting now
5. WP Engine (Best Canadian WordPress hosting company)
- Website: www.wpengine.com
- Price: From $20 per month
- Canada servers: Yes, Montreal
- Phone: 1-877-973-6446
WP Engine is the most popular name in the managed WordPress hosting space. They manage your WordPress servers for you. With them, you don’t need to worry about your website going down because they monitor your website 24/7.
- Multiple data centers around the world including Canada
- Premium managed WordPress hosting service.
They serve over 80,000 customers including professional bloggers and big media sites. If you want to run a WordPress site and don’t know how to manage a server, WP Engine is the way to go.
They use the best-in-class servers and offer a 60-day guarantee on every plan. All of their plans come with the Genesis theme framework for WordPress along with 35+ Premium StudioPress themes.
WP Engine also offers a Global CDN with every plan without any additional costs. See all their features and read my interview with WP Engine in this review.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- Fully Managed WordPress hosting.
- You can scale your website as much as you like without worry.
- They host some of the biggest blogs and media sites on the planet.
- Global CDN is available for free with every plan.
- Their servers use SSD hard drives and best-in-class equipment.
- Genesis theme framework and 35+ premium StudioPress themes worth well over a thousand bucks are included for free.
- 24/7 live chat support.
- Get 4 months free on our annual Startup, Growth, and Scale plans (or 20% off your first month on monthly plans) when you use coupon code wpe3free.
Cons:
- Can be expensive for beginners. There are cheaper WP Engine alternatives out there.
- Only 25,000 visitors are allowed on the basic plan.
Basic Plan Specs:
- 1 Website.
- 25k Visitors.
- 10 GB Disk Space.
- 50GB Bandwidth.
- Fully Managed Service.
- Genesis Framework and 35+ StudioPress themes come free.
WP Engine pricing plans start from $20/month. Obviously, WP Engine’s plans are not cheap. This web hosting service provider, after all, offers fully-managed WordPress hosting in every sense of the word. The good thing is that WP Engine does not stint on its features, even on its basic plan. Still, my recommendation is that if you are to consider buying a WP Engine Plan, you better have a strong e-commerce platform or brand already to be able to recover your monthly spending.
Get started with WP Engine now
6. Cloudways (Best budget WordPress hosting Canada)
- Website: www.cloudways.com
- Price: From $11 per month
- Canada servers: Yes, Montreal
- Phone: No phone support
Cloudways is Montreal web hosting company that delivers secure, fast and high-performance managed WordPress hosting that is user-friendly and affordable for complete peace of mind.
- Cloudways makes cloud hosting accessible to everyone.
- Five different cloud hosting platforms to choose from.
- Built for WordPress.
Cloud servers used to be a thing for programmers and computer geeks. Not anymore. Cloudways simplifies cloud hosting and lets you choose from 5 providers including Digital Ocean, Google Cloud, Linode, Vultr, and more.
Cloudways provides managed WordPress hosting at an affordable price. They offer 24/7 support via email and live chat. Their plans come with Cloudways CDN to help speed up your website.
They offer regular backups for your content and managed service. Because they offer services from cloud platforms such as Digital Ocean and Amazon AWS, you can easily scale your operations with only a few clicks. You can any time of the day increase the RAM or disk space for your server with only a few clicks without knowing much about administering servers and programming.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- Fully managed cloud hosting at a very affordable price.
- Allows you to scale as big as you need to.
- Choose from 5 cloud platform providers including Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services.
- 24/7 customer support is available via email and live chat.
- Free site migration.
- Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate.
- Free three-day trial of their services.
Cons:
- Not as simple as shared hosting.
- No traditional cPanel control panel.
Basic Plan Specs:
- 1 GB RAM.
- 25 GB SSD Disk Space.
- 1 TB Bandwidth.
- Fully Managed Service.
- Free site migration service.
Plans start from $11/month. I do dig the “pay as you go” billing feature, wherein you will only be required to pay for the server resources you are using. It goes without saying that it is an arrangement that will definitely suit those who are on a tight budget. I also love the fact that most of Cloudways’ plans come with a free trial, which you can sign up for sans your credit card. Just provide your email address, or sign up via LinkedIn or GitHub, and you can literally have your website go live within minutes.
Get started with Cloudways now
7. Kinsta (Best premium WordPress hosting Canada)
- Website: www.kinsta.com
- Price: From $35 per month
- Canada servers: Yes, Montreal
- Phone: No phone support
Kinsta offers fully managed WordPress services to thousands of websites big and small around the world. Their clients include hobbyist bloggers to big multinational corporations like Intuit and Ubisoft.
- Managed WP hosting for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
- Powered by Google Cloud Platform (same speed and security as Google.com).
- Hosts websites for clients as big as Ubisoft and Intuit.
Their plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and free site migrations. Kinsta’s services are powered by Google’s Cloud Platform which means the best-in-class services and over 18 global data center locations to choose from.
Kinsta’s WordPress hosting services support WordPress multisite and multi-user environments. Their support team is available 24/7 via phone and email. They also offer a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate and CDN.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- 24/7 expert support available.
- Free site migration from other Canadian website hosts.
- Based on the Google Cloud Platform.
- Trusted by some of the biggest brands in the world.
- Over 18 global locations to choose from for your website.
- Their servers use Nginx, LDX containers, and PHP 7 for speed.
Cons:
- A little expensive for beginners.
- Only 25k visitors are allowed on the basic plan.
Basic Plan Specs:
- 25k visitors.
- 10 GB SSD Storage.
- Free 100 GB Bandwidth CDN.
- Fully Managed Service.
- Free site migration service.
- Automatic daily backups.
WordPress hosting plans start from $35/month. WP hosting services tend to be pricier than the usual shared hosting plans because managed hosting requires a lot of work on the part of the website host provider. Still, the great thing about WP hosting plans is that even with basic plans, you already get a lot of inclusions that would make your life easier. If you are not too keen on caching, backing up, and protecting your WP website, then a Kinsta premium WP hosting plan is the best option for you.
8. Bluehost (Best web host for WordPress beginners)
- Website: www.bluehost.com
- Price: From $1.99 per month
- Canada servers: No, in the US
- Phone: International 1-801-765-9400
Bluehost is one of the many WordPress.org recommended web page hosts. If you don’t know already, WordPress.org is the official website for the WordPress community of web developers. Bluehost is recommended as a web host by the makers of WordPress.
- Recommended and trusted by thousands of professional bloggers.
- Recommended as a host by WordPress.org official site.
- Offers a free domain when you sign up.
Bluehost hosts over 2 million websites around the globe. They have been in business since 2002. Their offerings include shared hosting, managed hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated servers.
Their plans are very affordable for beginners and come with dozens of great features. With every plan, you get a free-of-charge domain and a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate.
Bluehost also offers 5 hosted email accounts on the basic plan with 100 MB of storage available for each of them. They offer daily, weekly, and monthly backups of your whole website.
They offer an enhanced version of the cPanel control panel to help you manage your website. Their in-house support team is available around the clock via live chat, phone, and email.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- A free-of-charge domain is included with your hosting.
- 24/7 support is available from an in-house support team via email, live chat, and phone.
- 5 free email accounts on your own domain.
- Get a free-of-charge domain when you sign up for any of the shared web page hosting solutions plans.
- Daily and weekly backups of your website’s contents.
- Trusted and recommended by bloggers around the world.
- Unmetered bandwidth is offered on all plans.
- Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate.
Cons:
- Renewal fees are higher than the sign-up fee.
- Only one website and only 5 email accounts are offered on the basic plan.
- Don’t have servers in Canada.
Basic Plan Specs:
- 10 GB SSD Storage.
- Unmetered bandwidth.
- 24/7 support.
- Automatic daily and weekly backups.
- 5 Email Accounts with 100 MB storage space each.
- Free SSL certificate & CloudFlare CDN.
Plans start from $1.99/month. BlueHost is an excellent service for WordPress beginners, and I think its Basic Plan is really generous for first-time website owners, with free-of-charge domain registration, CDN, and SSL thrown in, along with 10 GB SSD storage. But for those who can afford to pay a little extra, I say why not go for the Choice Plus Plan, which delivers unlimited websites and SSD storage, plus more?
9. HostGator (Cheapest web hosting)
- Website: www.hostgator.com
- Price: From $3.75 per month
- Canada servers: No, in the US
- Phone: International 1-713-574-5287
HostGator is one of the most well-recognized web page hosting companies, because of their cheap yet feature-rich website hosting services.
- Very affordable pricing for beginners and small businesses.
- Free domain registration is included with the plans.
- Hosts thousands of websites of all sizes.
HostGator’s shared hosting plans are some of the cheapest you can find. They offer unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth on all shared hosting accounts. They also offer unlimited subdomains, FTP accounts, and parked domains.
All their shared hosting plans offer unlimited email accounts and come with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Their plans come with free website transfer. Even their most basic plan offers unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth
When you sign up, you will receive $100 in both Bing and Google advertising credits.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- Unlimited Disk Space.
- Unlimited Bandwidth.
- Unlimited Email Accounts.
- Unlimited MySQL databases.
- Free website migration is available with all shared hosting plans.
- $100 in Bing and Google advertising credits on sign-up.
- Easily install over 100 website scripts and software such as WordPress, Magento, and Joomla.
- cPanel control panel.
- 24/7/365 award-winning support is available via phone, email, and live chat.
Cons:
- High renewal prices
Basic Plan Specs:
- 10 GB Disk Space.
- Unlimited Bandwidth.
- Unlimited Email Accounts.
- 24/7 support.
- Automatic backups.
Plans start from $3.75/month. HostGator definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the most budget-friendly website hosting services out there. Sure, the $2.75 per month basic Hatchling Plan is very affordable, but so is its Baby Plan. This plan already includes hosting for unlimited websites, unmetered bandwidth, and a free domain.
Get started with HostGator now
10. InMotion Hosting (Best small business web hosting)
- Website: www.inmotionhosting.com
- Price: From $2.29 per month
- Canada Data Centers: No, US only
- Phone: 1-757-416-6575
InMotionHosting has been around for a very long time and serves thousands of customers both big and small.
- Offers free no-downtime website transfer
- Generous 90-day money-back guarantee
- NVMe SSD drives on all plans
InMotion Hosting provides web hosting with excellent uptime, speed, performance, and technical features.
Their plans for shared hosting are very affordable for beginners. They all come with unlimited SSD space and unlimited bandwidth. You also get unlimited hosted email accounts with every plan. Their customer support is available 24/7 via email, phone, and even Skype.
Speed Test From Canada:
Pros:
- You get unlimited email hosting, SSD space, and bandwidth with all shared hosting plans.
- Affordable pricing for beginners.
- You get free marketing tools and a security suite with every plan.
- Free regular data backups.
- Easy one-click installer for software scripts such as WordPress.
- 24/7 support is available via Skype, email, and phone.
- All their servers use SSD hard drives.
Cons:
- Don’t have a local footprint or servers in Canada.
- Not as many features are offered as other web page hosts on this list.
Basic Plan Specs:
- 2 Websites.
- 100 GB SSD Space.
- Unlimited Bandwidth.
- 10 Email Accounts.
- 24/7 support.
- Regular backups.
Plans start from $2.29/month. When it comes to basic plans for shared hosting, InMotion Hosting is unique because it is good for two websites instead of the usual single website option. And a couple of websites at less than three bucks a month is a really good deal, in my humble opinion. So I definitely recommend its Core Plan, which also offers 10 email addresses, 100 GB SSD storage, and unlimited bandwidth.
Get started with InMotion Hosting now
Why Use a Canadian Web Host?
Traffic is the lifeblood of any business.
Entrepreneurs and marketers spend hours of time and a ton of money driving traffic to their websites. Improving their website’s speed is the last thing on their mind.
But what most of them don’t realize is that a slow website is like a leaking bucket with a dozen holes. 47% of visitors abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. So, if your website is leaking visitors, you are just wasting money sending traffic to it.
There are a lot of things that impact the speed of your site but latency is the most important one…
(If you know all about this and why it matters, then jump to the web hosting Canada comparison below)
Why Latency Matters
Reducing round-trip time latency for website visitors is key, as the closer, the server is to the site visitor, the faster the site will load
When someone puts your website’s URL in their browser, their browser has to send a request to your website’s server which takes time.
This time increases as the distance between the user and your server increases.
So, if your website is hosted in Singapore and your visitors are from Canada, then the latency will be very high.
To load a website, web browsers have to download every single file like images that make up the web page. The time it takes to download a file and display it is increased by the latency.
Download time is impacted by how big the file is and the latency between the server and the user.
The bigger your website, the more it will be affected by latency.
Have a look at the below screenshot:
As you can see for yourself in the above speed test screenshot, the latency increases as the distance increases. The bottom line? Reduce latency to increase the speed of your website.
Should I Host My Website in Canada?
Whenever I talk about latency, the first question that people ask is if it makes sense for them to host their website in the country where they live.
Now, the answer depends on a lot of factors.
But here’s a question you should ask yourself to decide:
Are most of my website visitors visiting my website from the same country? Even better, have a look at your analytics dashboard if you have one.
If you own a local business that currently only serves local clients, you should host your website locally. If you do, then your website’s speed will be doubled overnight.
On the other hand, if the majority of your website visitors are from outside your country say from the UK or Australia, then you should host your website in the country where most of your visitors are situated.
Worst Web Hosts (Stay Away!)
There are a lot of web hosting providers out there, and it can be hard to know which ones to avoid. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the worst web hosting services in 2024, so you can know which companies to steer clear of.
1. PowWeb
PowWeb is an affordable web host that offers an easy way to launch your first website. On paper, they offer everything you need to launch your first site: a free domain name, unlimited disk space, a one-click install for WordPress, and a control panel.
PowWeb offers only one web plan for their web hosting service. This might look good to you if you’re building your first website. After all, they offer unlimited disk space and have no limits for bandwidth.
But there are strict fair-usage limits on server resources. This means, if your website all of a sudden gets a huge surge in traffic after going viral on Reddit, PowWeb will shut it down! Yes, that happens! Shared web hosting providers who lure you in with cheap prices shut your website down as soon as it gets a small surge in traffic. And when that happens, with other web hosts, you can simply upgrade your plan, but with PowWeb, there’s no other higher plan.
Read more
I would only recommend going with PowWeb if you’re just starting and are building your first website. But even if that’s the case, other web hosts offer affordable monthly plans. With other web hosts, you might need to pay a dollar more every month, but you won’t have to sign up for an annual plan, and you’ll get better service.
One of the only redeeming features of this web host is its cheap price, but to get that price you’ll need to pay upfront for 12 months or more. One thing I do like about this web host is that you get unlimited disk space, unlimited mailboxes (email addresses), and no supposed bandwidth limits.
But it doesn’t matter how many things PowWeb does right, there are just too many poor 1 and 2-star reviews plastered all over the internet about how terrible this service is. All those reviews make PowWeb look like a horror show!
If you are looking for a good web host, I would highly recommend looking elsewhere. Why not go with a web host that’s not still living in the year 2002? Not only does its website look ancient, it still uses Flash on some of its pages. Browsers dropped support for Flash years ago.
PowWeb’s pricing is cheaper than a lot of other web hosts, but it also doesn’t offer as much as those other web hosts. First of all, PowWeb’s service isn’t scalable. They only have one plan. Other web hosts have multiple plans to make sure you can scale your website with just one click. They also have great support.
Web hosts like SiteGround and Bluehost are known for their customer support. Their teams help you out with anything and everything when your website breaks down. I’ve been building websites for the last 10 years, and there’s no way I would ever recommend PowWeb to anyone for any use case. Stay away!
2. FatCow
For an affordable price of $4.08 per month, FatCow offers unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, a website builder, and unlimited email addresses on your domain name. Now, of course, there are fair-usage limits. But this pricing is only available if you go for a term longer than 12 months.
Although the pricing seems affordable at a first glance, be aware that their renewal prices are much higher than the price you sign up for. FatCow charges more than twice the sign-up price when you renew your plan. If you want to save money, it would be a good idea to go for an annual plan to lock in the cheaper sign-up price for the first year.
But why would you? FatCow may not be the worst web host in the market, but they are also not the best. For the same price, you can get web hosting that offers even better support, faster server speeds, and more scalable service.
Read more
One thing I don’t like or understand about FatCow is that they only have one plan. And even though this plan seems to be enough for someone who’s just starting, it doesn’t seem like a good idea for any serious business owner.
No serious business owner would think that a plan that is suitable for a hobby site is a good idea for their business. Any web host that sells “unlimited” plans is lying. They hide behind legal jargon that enforces dozens and dozens of limits on how many resources your website can use.
So, It begs the question: who is this plan or this service designed for? If it’s not for serious business owners, then is it just for hobbyists and people building their first website?
One good thing about FatCow is that they offer you a free domain name for the first year. The customer support may not be the best available but is better than some of their competitors. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you decide you’re done with FatCow within the first 30 days.
Another good thing about FatCow is that they offer an affordable plan for WordPress websites. If you’re a fan of WordPress, there might be something for you in FatCow’s WordPress plans. They are built on top of the regular plan but with some basic features that might be helpful for a WordPress site. Same as the regular plan, you get unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and email addresses. You also get a free domain name for the first year.
If you are looking for a reliable, scalable web host for your business, I wouldn’t recommend FatCow unless they wrote me a million-dollar check. Look, I am not saying they are the worst. Far from it! FatCow may be suitable for some use cases, but if you are serious about growing your business online, I can’t recommend this web host. Other web hosts might cost a dollar or two more every month but offer a lot more features and are much more suitable if you run a “serious” business.
3. Netfirms
Netfirms is a shared web host that caters to small businesses. They used to be a giant in the industry and were one of the highest web hosts.
If you look at their history, Netfirms used to be a great web host. But they are no longer what they used to be. They got acquired by a giant web hosting company, and now their service no longer seems competitive. And their pricing is just outrageous. You can find better web hosting services for much cheaper prices.
If you still believe for some reason that Netfirms might be worth a try, just look at all the horrible reviews about their service on the internet. According to the dozens of 1-star reviews I’ve skimmed, their support is terrible, and the service has been going downhill ever since they got acquired.
Read more
Most Netfirms reviews you’ll read all start the same way. They praise how good Netfirms was about a decade ago, and then they go on to talk about how the service is now a dumpster fire!
If you take a look at Netfirms’ offerings, you’ll notice that they are designed for beginners who are just getting started with building their first website. But even if that’s the case, there are better web hosts that cost less and offer more features.
One good thing about Netfirms plans is how generous they all are. You get unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited email accounts. You also get a free domain name. But all these features are common when it comes to Shared Hosting. Almost all shared web hosting providers offer “unlimited” plans.
Other than their Shared Web Hosting plans, Netfirms also offer Website Builder plans. It offers a simple drag-and-drop interface to build your website. But their basic starter plan limits you to only 6 pages. How generous! The templates are also really outdated.
If you’re looking for an easy website builder, I wouldn’t recommend Netfirms. Many website builders on the market are much more powerful and offer a lot more features. Some of them are even cheaper…
If you want to install WordPress, they offer an easy one-click solution to install it but they don’t have any plans that are optimized and designed specifically for WordPress sites. Their starter plan costs $4.95 a month but only allows one website. Their competitors allow unlimited websites for that same price.
The only reason I can think of to host my website with Netfirms is if I was being held hostage. Their pricing doesn’t seem real to me. It’s outdated and is much higher when compared to other web hosts. Not only that, their cheap prices are only introductory. That means you’ll need to pay much higher renewal prices after the first term. The renewal prices are twice the introductory sign-up prices. Stay away!
Our Verdict
Choosing a Canadian web host can significantly boost your site’s performance for local visitors. After testing dozens of providers, I’ve found that hosting your website on servers within or near Canada is crucial if your business primarily serves Canadian customers.
Get unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, and free site migration with HostPapa. Plus, install WordPress and 400+ software scripts for free with just one click - and get 24/7 friendly support via live chat, email, and phone.
So which hosting providers stand out in Canada? For beginners and small businesses, I recommend HostPapa or GreenGeeks. I’ve used both for client projects and found their services to be cost-effective and feature-rich. Plus, they operate Canadian data centers, which I’ve seen firsthand lead to faster load times for local users.
For those needing advanced WordPress management, WP Engine is my top pick. I’ve migrated several high-traffic sites to their platform and noticed immediate improvements in speed and security. Their specialized WordPress expertise has saved me countless hours of troubleshooting and optimization work. While they’re pricier, the performance boost and peace of mind are worth it for serious WordPress users.
