The Best Cheap Web Hosting in 2024

👀 Looking for the best cheap web hosting service in 2024 – but can’t make a decision because everyone seems to offer the same features for the same price. Then look no further, because here I review the best cheap web hosts ⇣ around.

I think you will agree when I say finding a high-quality but cheap web hosting company is challenging.

There are a million and one things to consider when choosing a host for your website. You must evaluate factors such as cost, storage space, bandwidth, performance, security, and support, just to mention a few.

In this article, I compare 13 providers ⇣ to help you choose the best and cheapest web host for your website.

I take a look at features, the first term (introduction promo) pricing vs renewal term pricing, warning signs, and the pros and cons of each cheap web host and hosting price comparison.

Quick summary:

Here are my top 3 recommended cheap web hosting services:

• 🥇 Best Overall: GreenGeeks ⇣. Best overall features for the best price. Free domain, LiteSpeed hosting servers, free site migration and backups + more, all for a low intro price of $2.95/month (36-months contract term).
• 🥈 Runner-Up: DreamHost ⇣. Amazing features and all plans renew at exactly the same price (from $2.59/month) as the first term you originally signed up for.
• 🥉 Best Value: Hostinger ⇣. Great features and extremely cheap hosting from $2.99/month (48-months contract term)

Top cheap web hosting comparison

(Sorted by cheapest monthly promo price)

Alright, let’s get into it. Here below are the top 13 of the best cheap web hosting services in 2024

DreamHost (Starter Plan)

DreamHost (Starter Plan) Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

DreamHost’s cheapest plan costs $2.59 per month (36-month / 3-year) which makes DreamHost one of the cheapest web hosting services around.

Even their 12-month plan, which costs $3.95 per month, and monthly plan, which costs $4.95 per month, are very budget-friendly especially considering the features the plan includes.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

It’s the renewal pricing that truly sets DreamHost apart from the competition.

DreamHost’s web hosting plans renew at exactly the same price as the first term that you originally signed up for.

DreamHost Shared Starter Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $4.95 / $4.95 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $47.40 / $47.40 (0% price increase)
• 36 months – $93.24 / $93.24 (0% price increase)

For more information about the plans, see my DreamHost pricing page.

DreamHost Shared Starter Plan: What’s Included?

DreamHost offers you a lot of power at an affordable price. Their Shared Starter plan is suitable for small businesses and ecommerce websites.

The plan offers you enough features, speed, reliable uptime, and good support for hardcore site developers and avid bloggers.

However, the starter plan is not a good fit for advanced users who need staging sites, pre-installed Git repos, or integrated caching. For such features, you’re better off at SiteGround.

Here’s what to expect in the DreamHost Shared Starter plan:

• Hosting for 1 website
• A free domain name for the 1st year
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Free automated WordPress site migrations (DreamPress plan only)
• WordPress pre-installed
• WP Website Builder
• Free SSL certificate
• 50 GB SSD storage
• Five subdomains
• Six MySQL databases
• Six FTP/SFTP/Shell users
• Automated daily backups
• 24/7 support via chat, tickets and phone support callbacks

DreamHost starter plan is a fabulous web host for beginners and advanced users alike. It’s ideal for small business and ecommerce sites.

Should your website needs outgrow the Shared Starter plan, you can always upgrade to their other hosting solutions.

DREAMHOST RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE DREAMHOST IF: You are looking for an affordable web hosting service that offers a combination of speed, security, and reliable performance. Also, go for DreamHost if you do not want complicated renewal pricing structures.

BONUS TIP: Pick DreamHost if you are looking for unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage. One of the cool things about DreamHost is that it does not limit the bandwidth (the website’s monthly data usage) and storage of its shared hosting plans. This should pose an advantage for you if you are looking to rapidly expand your online business. If you hit the jackpot and your website becomes viral all of a sudden, you won’t have to worry about bandwidth or storage if you get a DreamHost web hosting plan.

 

Get started with DreamHost
(Promo pricing from $2.59/month)

 

DreamHost Uptime & Speed

I have created a test site hosted on DreamHost.com to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Read my full DreamHost Review here.

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Bluehost (Basic Plan)

Bluehost (Basic Plan) Pricing

Bluehost is an affordable web hosting as we mentioned before. Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

Bluehost’s “Basic” plan costs $2.95 per month (36-month / 3-year) which makes Bluehost one of the cheapest web hosting providers. The 36-month plan renews at $7.99 per month.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

When it comes to renewing your hosting plan with Bluehost, prices increase. The 12-month plan gives you the lowest price increase of 82%. The first term cost is $59.40 ($4.95 x 12) and it renews at $107.88.

Bluehost Basic Plan Total Cost (First Term/Renewal Term):

• 12 months – $59.40 / $107.88 (82% price increase)
• 24 months – $94.80 / $203.76 (115% price increase)
• 36 months – $106.20 / $287.64 (171% price increase)

For more information about the plans, see my Bluehost pricing page.

Bluehost Basic Plan: What’s Included?

Bluehost is a well-known web host for many first-timers looking for a decent host. WordPress.org officially recommends the host as a capable host for WordPress sites.

Bluehost’s Basic plan offers you the bare minimums to create a simple website that doesn’t have a lot of traffic.

It’s precisely why the plan is perfect for beginners, bloggers, and everybody looking to host a small personal website.

Bluehost Basic plan comes with:

• Hosting for 1 website
• 50 GB SSD storage
• Unmetered bandwidth (but only to a certain level)
• A free domain name for the 1st year
• Free SSL certificate
• Five parked domains (What’s a parked domain?)
• 25 subdomains
• $200 marketing credits when you spend $25 on a new Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising account
• cPanel with easy WordPress installation
• Free email accounts
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• 24/7 support via phone and live chat

As I mentioned earlier, Bluehost’s Basic plan is perfect for beginners, bloggers, and anyone looking to create a small website. If you have a more resource-intensive website with massive databases and a lot of traffic, you’re better off with another host, such as SiteGround or DreamHost.

While this inexpensive web hosting offers 24/7 support, prepare for long waiting times. The support reps are also not native English speakers, which presents communication hurdles. On top of that, the Basic plan doesn’t offer you any daily backups, meaning you’re on your own should your website break.

If you don’t mind slow (albeit still standard) hosting and average performance and support, Bluehost Basic plan is one of the cheapest web hosting options you’ll find around. Also, remember to uncheck CodeGuard, and other upsells during checkout to get the most affordable price.

BLUEHOST RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE BLUEHOST IF: You are a beginner when it comes to launching a website or blog. Bluehost’s cheapest plan is ideal for simple websites, preferably those that do not require an extensive database.

Also, because your plan is not designed to take on a heavy traffic load, you probably should not pick an entry-level Bluehost plan if you are running an ecommerce site. And if you do not want data to get lost if your website crashes, think first before going for Bluehost’s basic plan because it does not offer daily backups.

Get started with Bluehost
(Promo pricing from $2.95/month)

 

Bluehost Uptime & Speed

I monitor uptime and server response time for a test site hosted on Bluehost.

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Read my full Bluehost Review here.

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SiteGround (StartUp Plan)

SiteGround (StartUp Plan) Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

SiteGround is the most expensive shared hosting provider on this list. But for the higher price, you get the best speed, reliability, and uptime. SiteGround’s cheapest plan costs $6.99 per month (12-month) and gives you the best value web hosting services for money.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

SiteGrounds renewal prices are expensive, there’s no hiding from that fact. SiteGround’s 12-month plan total cost is $83.88 for the first term and renews at $179.88, which is an increase of 114%.

If you want to avoid the shock of an expensive renewal cost, you are better off signing up for a longer first term contract, the 24-month contract at $9.99 per month.

If your website gets more than 10k visitors per month, or if you need to host more than one website, you should consider the GrowBig plan ($9.99 per month) or GoGeek plan ($14.99 per month).

SiteGround StartUp Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $19.99 / $19.99 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $83.88 / $179.88 (114% price increase)
• 24 months – $239.76 / $287.76 (20% price increase)
• 36 months – $377.64 / $377.64 (0% price increase)

For more information about the plans, see my SiteeGround pricing page.

SiteGround StartUp Plan: What’s Included?

The SiteGround StartUp plan offers you a lot of power to host different websites ranging from small businesses to ecommerce portals and everything in between.

How do they do it? Their in-house team of engineers built speed, security, and performance tools that guarantee you the best performance for all websites.

On top of that, they offer stellar customer support, unlike many shared hosting companies around.

The SiteGround StartUp plan offers you plenty of features, including:

• Hosting for 1 website
• 10 GB SSD website storage
• ~ 10,000 visitors monthly
• Unmetered traffic
• Free SSL certificate
• Automatic daily backup
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• Free email
• Managed WordPress hosting
• Unlimited databases
• Free Weebly site builder
• User-friendly Site Tools control panel
• Unlimited sub and parked domains
• Level 1 SuperCacher
• Anti-Hack systems and spam protection
• 24/7 amazingly fast support
• And much more!

The SiteGround StartUp plan is the perfect starting point if you don’t mind paying a bit more for stellar performance, blazing-fast speeds, and superior technical support.

The starter plan is excellent for small to big websites that have 10,000 monthly visitors on average. If you ever need more power, you can subscribe to a higher-tier shared hosting plan or their powerful cloud hosting solution.

SITEGROUND RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE SITEGROUND IF: You have some flexibility in your budget and you prioritize faster speed, better support, and ease-of-use. SiteGround’s StartUp plan is ideal for those online entrepreneurs who have or are expecting regular and significant traffic (about 10,000 visits on a monthly basis).

Even with this monthly visitor volume, you should still be able to enjoy quality loading speeds. And with excellent support, you should feel like the extra money you spend is all worth it.

Get started with SiteGround
(Promo pricing from $6.99/month)

 

SiteGround Uptime & Speed

I monitor uptime and server response time for a test site hosted on SiteGround.

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Read my SiteGround review for more details about their features, and pros and cons.

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Hostinger (Single Plan)

Hostinger Single Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

* Monthly plan has one-off $4.95 setup fee

Hostinger is no doubt one of the cheapest web hosting services right now. Hostinger’s “Single” plan costs $0.99 per month (48-month / 4-year) which makes Hostinger the cheapest web hosting provider on this list.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

Hostinger’s 12-month plan gives you the lowest price increase of just 9%. However, if you want to commit long-term the 48-month first term cost is $47.52 ($0.99 x 48) and it renews at $103.20.

Hostinger Single Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $7.99 / $7.99 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $35.88 / $39.00 (9% price increase)
• 24 months – $38.16 / $68.40 (79% price increase)
• 48 months – $47.52 / $103.20 (117% price increase)

Monthly plan attracts a one-off $4.95 setup fee. For more information about the plans, see my Hostinger pricing page.

Hostinger Single Plan: What’s Included?

The Hostinger Single plan is an ideal option for small websites with low traffic volumes and few users.

If you’re a budding blogger, stay-at-home mom, hobbyist, or a professional writer looking to host a small portfolio, you’ll find the plan quite adequate for your needs.

Hostinger’s Single Plan is also perfect for a tiny online store without a lot of traffic or extensive catalogs. If you’d like to sell a couple of t-shirts, the Hostinger Single plan is a fantastic cheap host.

The Hostinger Single plan offers you:

• Hosting for 1 website
• 1 email account
• 10 GB SSD storage
• 100 GB bandwidth per month
• Free SSL certificate
• LiteSpeed Cache
• WordPress Acceleration
• Github integration (more of a developer feature)
• 1 MySQL database
• Two subdomains
• Free weekly backups
• Custom cPanel nicknamed hPanel (it’s cleaner than cPanel default theme)

Unlike many cheap web hosts, Hostinger doesn’t offer a free domain name with their most affordable Single plan. If you already own a domain name, this shouldn’t be a deciding factor. At the same time, you have the option of buying a domain name during checkout.

Additionally, the Hostinger Single plan doesn’t offer you daily backups. For this reason, you’ll need to invest in a different backup solution for your website. You can use any WordPress backup plugin or 3rd-party backup solutions to be on the safe side.

You’d expect Hostinger Single plan to deliver poor performance, but it’s quite the opposite. For such a low price, Hostinger outdoes the competition in many areas, including performance and support.

HOSTINGER RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE HOSTINGER IF: You are running a simple website or a small online store. If you are maintaining a blog with no extensive requirements and high volume of traffic, a Hostinger Single plan should do the trick.

If you are selling stuff online, the cheapest Hostinger plan can handle online transactions as long as they do not happen frequently (hourly, daily). Also, if you are offering only a limited number of products in your online catalog, the plan should still meet your needs.

Get started with Hostinger
(Promo pricing from $0.99/month)

 

Hostinger Uptime & Speed

I monitor a test site hosted on Hostinger for uptime and server response time.

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Go here to read my full Hostinger review.

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GreenGeeks (Ecosite Lite Plan)

GreenGeeks Ecosite Lite Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

* Monthly plan has one-off $15 setup fee

GreenGeeks’s “EcoSite Lite” plan costs $2.95 per month (36-month / 3-year) making GreenGeeks a cheap website hosting company to consider signing up with. GreenGeeks renewal price is $9.95 per month, regardless of which period you choose to sign up for.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

Best value for money when it comes to renewing your shared hosting plan with GreenGeeks is their 12-month plan, its first term total cost is $59.40 and renews at $119.40, making it a 101% increase.

GreenGeeks Lite Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $9.95 / $9.95 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $59.40 / $119.40 (101% price increase)
• 24 months – $94.80 / $238.80 (152% price increase)
• 36 months – $106.20 / $358.20 (237% price increase)

Monthly pricing comes with a one-off $15 setup fee. For more information about the plans, see my GreenGeeks pricing page.

GreenGeeks Lite Plan: What’s Included?

If you’re looking for great value for your money, the GreenGeeks Lite plan offers you more power, better performance, and more freebies than Bluehost’s and Hostinger’s cheapest plans combined.

The GreenGeeks Lite plan is perfect for small business websites and blogs that are just getting started.

They are also the ideal host if fast page speeds mean the world to you 🙂 Not only is their service faster than most, but they also offer built-in optimizations to speed you up further.

Here’s a tiny sample of what to expect in the GreenGeeks Lite plan:

• Hosting for 1 website
• Unlimited web space and bandwidth
• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain for 1st year
• Free nightly backup
• Free CDN
• Unlimited email accounts
• Easy WordPress installation
• cPanel and Softaculous
• Unlimited databases
• LiteSpeed LSCache
• 300% energy match
• Free drag-and-drop builder
• Unlimited sub and parked domains
• And much more!

GreenGeeks is the perfect solution for small business owners looking for stellar performance and blazing-fast speeds.

While their Lite plan is a bit pricier than, say, Bluehost or Hostinger, the direct benefit here is you get more features, better performance, and incredible support.

After all, the price difference is negligible when compared to Bluehost. I would pick GreenGeeks Lite over Bluehost Basic thanks to superior performance and support.

Plus, they have a monthly plan, unlimited storage, and daily backups that Bluehost doesn’t offer.

GREENGEEKS RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE GREENGEEKS IF: You care enough about the planet that you support the use of green energy when running your website. Also, if you are looking for a combo that delivers speed, above average website performance, and lots of freebies, GreenGeeks is for you.

BONUS TIP: Pick GreenGeeks if you want to migrate your website, but your old host does not use cPanel. GreenGeeks does not only offer free website migration, it does not limit its migration service to cPanel websites only.

Get started with GreenGeeks
(Promo pricing from $2.95/month)

 

GreenGeeks Uptime & Speed

GreenGeeks uses LiteSpeed webserver software which is faster than Apache (and Nginx).

I have created a test site hosted on GreenGeeks to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Read my GreenGeeks review.

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A2 Hosting (StartUp Plan)

A2 Hosting StartUp Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

A2 Hosting cheapest monthly shared web hosting plan is $2.99 per month (36-month / 3-year). This is very cheap considering the features and fast servers they provide, but the downside is the monthly renewal cost is $8.99 which is steep.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

When it comes to renewing your plan with A2 Hosting prices increase, a lot. The 36-month contract first term cost is $107.64 but come renewal it’s $323.64 which makes it a 201% increase in cost.

A2 Hosting StartUp Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $10.99 / $10.99 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $94.20 / $107.88 (15% price increase)
• 24 months – $105.36 / $215.76 (105% price increase)
• 36 months – $107.64 / $323.64 (201% price increase)

For more information about the plans, see my A2 Hosting pricing page.

A2 Hosting StartUp Plan: What’s Included?

A2 Hosting uses the high-speed SwiftServer platform, making its StartUp plan perfect for anybody looking for above-average performance. They offer you faster page speeds than competing web hosting services.

The A2 Hosting StartUp plan offers you:

• Hosting for 1 website
• 100 GB SSD storage
• Free & easy site migration
• Free SSL certificate
• Unlimited email accounts
• LiteSpeed servers
• Free website builder
• Website staging
• cPanel
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Free Cloudflare CDN
• 24/7/365 phone, live chat, and email support

The plan is excellent for small and medium-size websites that need high-performance servers. If fast page speed is a priority for you and you don’t mind paying a bit more, you can’t go wrong with the A2 Hosting StartUp plan.

A2 HOSTING RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A2 HOSTING IF: You want a tried and tested web hosting brand (A2 Hosting has been around since the early 2000s). Of course, there is a reason why A2 Hosting has managed to remain as popular as ever – they can still deliver top loading speeds and quality performance.

BONUS INFO: A2 Hosting happens to offer an anytime money-back guarantee, which differentiates it from the rest of the competition. Other web hosting services typically offer money-back guarantees that are good only for 30 or 45 days. 

Get started with A2 Hosting
(Promo pricing from $2.99/month)

 

A2 Hosting Uptime & Speed

A2 Hosting uses Turbo Hosting (their name for LiteSpeed web server software) which is faster than Apache (and Nginx).

I monitor uptime and server response time for a test site hosted on A2 Hosting.

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

See my A2 Hosting review for a full list of features, and pros and cons.

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HostGator (Hatchling Plan)

HostGator Hatchling Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

The cheapest HostGator shared hosting plan is $2.75 per month (36-month / 3-years) and is one of the most affordable first-term options out there. The Hatchling plan renewal monthly price is $6.95.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

HostGator’s prices increase when it’s time to renew. The Hatchling plan is very cheap first term, but come renewal it increases by 153%. The 36-month first term cost is $99.00, and the renewal term cost is $250.20.

HostGator Hatchling Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $10.95 / $10.95 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $47.40 / $107.40 (127% price increase)
• 24 months – $82.80 / $190.80 (130% price increase)
• 36 months – $99.00 / $250.20 (153% price increase)

For more information about the plans, see my HostGator pricing page.

HostGator Hatchling Plan: What’s Included?

If you’re a beginner, budding blogger, or a small business owner looking to share essential info so more buyers can find your physical store, the HostGator Hatchling plan is more than enough.

Beginners will particularly love getting unlimited traffic, bandwidth, and a horde of features for less than three bucks a month (but only if you sign up for a three-year term).

If you are an avid blogger looking to write a hosting review or a busy developer, the Hatchling plan is only suitable for testing purposes. For big websites where speed is an essential factor, you’re better off with A2 or GreenGeeks.

Here’s a glimpse of what you get in the HostGator Hatchling Plan:

• Hosting for 1 website
• 1-click script installer for WordPress, Magento, Joomla, and others
• A free domain name for a year
• A free SSL certificate
• 1 instant manual backup
• $100 Google and $100 Bing Ads credit
• Free site migration
• Unlimited subdomains
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited traffic
• Unlimited email accounts
• cPanel
• 24/7/365 support by telephone, live chat and email
• And lots more

Beginners looking to learn the ropes will have an incredible time with the Hatchling plan. When you start growing, you’ll need a better plan.

Luckily for you, they offer two more shared hosting plans, cloud hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS, Windows, application, and dedicated server hosting.

HOSTGATOR RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE HOSTGATOR IF: You are looking for a super cheap plan that already offers unlimited traffic, bandwidth, and email addresses. If you are not into superior speeds as long as you are not capped when it comes to data and traffic, then HostGator’s Hatchling plan is ideal for you.

BONUS TIP: You can take advantage of the Hatchling plan’s $100 Google and $100 Bing Ads credit to earn some extra income. Basically what this means is that you get paid to promote your own website.

Get started with HostGator
(Promo pricing from $2.75/month)

 

HostGator Uptime & Speed

I monitor uptime and server response time of a test site hosted on HostGator.

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

See my HostGator review for a full list of features, and pros and cons.

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InMotion Hosting (Lite Plan)

InMotion Hosting Lite Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

InMotion Hosting cheapest “Lite” plan costs from $2.49 per month (36-month / 3 years) and gives you the best value. This is an affordable and good starter plan for beginners.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

When it comes to renewing your hosting plan with InMotion Hosting, prices go up. The 12-month plan gives you the lowest price increase of 80%. The first term cost is $59.88 ($4.99 x 12) and it renews at $107.88.

InMotion Hosting Lite Plan Total Hosting Cost (First-Term/Renewal Term)

• 12 months – $59.88 / $107.88 (80% price increase)
• 24 months – $95.76 / $191.76 (100% price increase)
• 36 months – $89.64 / $269.64 (201% price increase)

InMotion Hosting Lite Plan: What’s Included?

InMotion Hosting Lite plan offers you a handful of brilliant features to create a fast website in less than a day.

All hosting plans, run on their new UltraStack servers, guaranteeing you unrivaled performance, great uptimes, and enhanced speeds.

Here’s a sample of what you get in the InMotion Hosting Lite plan:

• Host 1 website
• 10 GB SSD storage
• Unlimited bandwidth
• 2x performance and speed
• Free SSL certificate
• Security Suite
• Marketing tools including $150 advertising credits and customer management tools
• Free drag-and-drop website builder
• Professional email addresses on your domain name
• One-click installer
• And much more

InMotion Hosting has crafted the perfect hosting package for businesses, big and small. While the Lite plan is not necessarily made for ecommerce websites, it pulls its weight and makes a great starting point for a serious webmaster.

INMOTION HOSTING RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE INMOTION HOSTING IF: You are an online business owner with a need for speed. Over a decade or so, InMotion Hosting has developed a reputation for delivering ultra-fast web hosting services to customers and is still making good on its promise, thanks to its UltraStack servers.

On top of that, InMotion Hosting’s Lite plan already offers great features like drag-and-drop site builder, one-click installer, and marketing tools.

Get started with InMotion
(Promo pricing from $2.49/month)

 

InMotion Hosting Uptime & Speed

I have created a test site hosted on InMotionHosting.com to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Check out my full InMotion Hosting review.

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FastComet (FastCloud Plan)

FastComet FastCloud Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

FastComet’s first-term pricing is cheap, the FastCloud plan costs from $2.95 per month, regardless of signup period. This makes FastComet a cheap web hosting solution.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

FastComet’s renewal costs are high. You can expect prices to increase by 237%. If you decide to sign up with FastComet you are best off choosing the longest first-term period, 36 months.

FastComet FastCloud Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $2.95 / $9.95 (237% price increase)
• 12 months – $35.40 / $119.40 (237% price increase)
• 24 months – $70.80 / $238.80 (237% price increase)
• 36 months – $106.20 / $358.20 (237% price increase)

FastComet FastCloud Plan: What’s Included?

FastComet FastCloud plan is one of the best choices for beginners and total newbies. The intro price is fantastic, and the number of features you get will blow your mind.

On top of that, you enjoy some of the best speeds you’ll ever find and transparent and fast customer support.

To help you hit the ground running, the FastComet FastCloud plan offers:

• Hosting for 1 website
• Free website transfer
• Free domain transfer
• Free daily and weekly backups
• cPanel and Softaculous
• 15 GB SSD storage
• Fair usage up to 30 GB bandwidth per month
• ~ 25,000 users per month
• Unlimited sub and parked domains
• Five layers of caching and speed optimization
• Top-level security suite
• 24/7 human support
• Free SSL certificate (choose either Let’s Encrypt or Cloudflare CDN SSL)
• Unlimited email accounts
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• 99.99% uptime guarantee
• And much more!

If you’re looking for a fast, secure, and reliable web host, FastComet offers you precisely what you need.

The FastCloud plan is affordable as well, and ideal for first-timers, bloggers, and small websites. For big websites, they offer cloud VPS and dedicated server hosting.

FASTCOMET RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE FASTCOMET IF: You own a small website but still value speed and performance. This web hosting service certainly did not incorporate the word “fast” in its name for nothing. And while it is true that it can deliver speed, FastComet can also be a good option for first-time website owners or new bloggers.

Lastly, the high-speed features on the basic FastCloud plan are paired nicely with unlimited MySQL databases and unlimited email addresses, which is not bad for an entry-level option.

Get started with FastComet
(Promo pricing from $2.95/month)

 

FastComet Uptime & Speed

I have created a test site hosted on FastComet to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Check out my FastComet review for more details.

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Scala Hosting (Mini Plan)

Scala Hosting Mini Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

Scala Hosting cheapest monthly shared web hosting plan is $3.95 per month (36-month / 3-year). This is very cheap considering the features and fast servers they provide.

Scala Hosting is best known for its feature-rich and affordable Cloud VPS hosting.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

Scala Hosting renewal prices go up, but not by much. When it comes to renewing your shared hosting plan with Scala Hosting their 12-month plan gives you best value for money, its first term total cost is $71.40 and renews at $95.40, making it a 34% increase.

Scala Hosting Mini Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• 12 months – $71.40 / $95.40 (34% price increase)
• 24 months – $118.80 / $166.80 (40% price increase)
• 36 months – $142.20 / $214.20 (51% price increase)

Scala Hosting Mini Plan: What’s Included?

Scala Hosting Mini plan is ideal for beginner bloggers or webmasters. They offer you enough resources to create a small-to-medium-sized website with few users and low traffic. For a hobbyist or a writer looking to make a small portfolio website, the plan is superb.

Here’s a snapshot of the features to expect in the Scala Hosting Mini plan:

• Hosting for 1 website
• 50 GB SSD storage
• Free site migration
• Free domain for one year
• Free SSL certificate
• Free CDN
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Unlimited email accounts
• Unlimited databases
• cPanel with one-click WordPress installer
• Daily backups
• SShield Cybersecurity
• And more

Scala Hosting has hundreds of stellar reviews on TrustPilot, among other online communities. Users like you have only nice things to say about the exceptional Scala Hosting experience. You can enjoy powerful and fast hosting for the price of a dozen eggs.

SCALA HOSTING RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE SCALA HOSTING IF: You do not expect high-volume traffic for your website. Scala Hosting’s Mini plan is actually pretty generous for a basic plan. The unlimited databases, email addresses, and bandwidth are cool things to have, even if you are just a newbie when it comes to running websites.

However, if you have bigger online dreams, like starting your own ecommerce empire, Scala Hosting’s low-tier plan may not be the best option for you.

Get started with Scala Hosting
(Promo pricing from $3.95/month)

 

Scala Hosting Uptime & Speed

I have created a test site hosted on Scala Hosting to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Read my full Scala Hosting Review here.

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GoDaddy (Economy Plan)

GoDaddy Economy Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

GoDaddy markets itself as a cheap web host. But the plans are in fact pretty expensive. GoDaddy’s “Economy” plan costs from $4.49 per month (36-month / 3-year). Hosting renewals double, the cost is $8.99 per month.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

GoDaddy’s prices increase when it comes to renewing your plan. The best value for money when it comes to renewing your GoDaddy Economy plan is the 12-month plan, its first term total cost is $59.88 and renews at $107.88, which makes it an 80% increase.

GoDaddy Economy Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• Monthly – $10.99 / $10.99 (0% price increase)
• 12 months – $59.88 / $107.88 (80% price increase)
• 24 months – $112.56 / $215.76 (92% price increase)
• 36 months – $161.64 / $323.64 (100% price increase)

GoDaddy Economy Plan: What’s Included?

GoDaddy Economy plan is for small websites. If you have a large website, you’re better off with a company such as DreamHost or A2 Hosting. For beginners, however, the Economy plan offers you adequate resources to test the waters.

Over time, however, you will be forced to move to a better web host thanks to poor customer support, shady pricing schemes, and downtimes. GoDaddy Economy plan is just enough for tiny websites without a lot of users.

Here’s what you get in the GoDaddy Economy plan:

• Host 1 website
• 100 GB storage
• Standard performance
• 10 databases
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Free domain for one year
• Free Office 365 email for a year
• cPanel
• One-click WordPress install plus 150 other apps
• 24/7 hosting support via phone, email and live chat

With the cheaper and faster alternatives we have here, I wouldn’t choose GoDaddy even for a starter website. I would probably go for their other products, but the Economy plan is a pass for yours truly.

GODADDY RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE GODADDY IF: You want to waste your money. Seriously, GoDaddy can offer a lot through its upper tier plans, but its cheapest plan is something you should probably just skip. Truth to tell, there are lots of other options for web hosting services that are more affordable while providing you with better speed and performance.

Get started with GoDaddy
(Promo pricing from $4.49/month)

 

GoDaddy Uptime & Speed

I have created a test site hosted on GoDaddy to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

Don’t go with GoDaddy, check out the best GoDaddy alternatives.

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EasyWP (Starter Plan)

EasyWP Starter Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

EasyWP only offers monthly and yearly plans. The EasyWP Starter Plan gives you the best deal, the first-term monthly cost is just $1.90 per month and it renews at $2.49 per month.

This is very cheap and it makes Namecheap’s EasyWP one of the best cheap website hosting services out there.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

EasyWP is very affordable when factoring in the total contract costs. The 12-month contract first term cost is only $22.80 and come renewal time it’s $29.88, which makes it a low 31% increase in cost.

EasyWP Starter Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• The first month costs just $1.00. The Starter plan renews at $3.88 if you pay monthly, which translates to $46.56 per year (whoa).
• If you pay yearly, your first term sets you back just $22.88. The second term renews at $29.88 (again, whoa).

EasyWP Start Plan: What’s Included?

EasyWP is one of the cheapest managed WordPress hosting services. For such dirt-cheap prices, one might think the deal is too good to be true. You’d be like, “naaah, these guys must be kidding”.

So, what do you get when you sign up for the EasyWP Starter plan?

• 10 GB SSD storage
• 50,000 visitors/month
• Scale elastically as visitors grow
• Highly available with an uptime guarantee
• 3x faster than standard shared hosting
• Ready to go managed WordPress
• SFTP, database access, and CDN
• Easy to use dashboard
• Highly secure and tuned out of the box

EasyWP is a fantastic alternative to shared WordPress hosting. You’re getting better speeds, security, and performance compared to traditional shared hosting. Plus, your website lives in its own container, meaning you don’t share resources and are immune from cross-site infections.

It’s the cheapest managed WordPress hosting you won’t find elsewhere. They are practically offering managed WordPress hosting at the price of shared hosting. If you have a dollar to spare, you can start with their cheapest plan, which renews at $3.88 per month. I think you’ll agree that’s a steal!

EASYWP RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE EASYWP IF: You are a WordPress website owner looking for a legitimately cheap WP hosting service that is faster than the average shared hosting service. It bears repeating: EasyWP’s Starter plan is truly a bargain that rocks. It delivers three times the speed of a shared hosting plan, while also offering competitive, if not better, overall website performance and security features.

Get started with EasyWP
(Promo pricing from $1.90/month)

 

EasyWP Uptime & Speed

I have created a test WordPress site hosted on EasyWP to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

For a full list of features and pros and cons, see my EasyWP review.

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iPage (Shared Hosting Plan)

iPage Shared Hosting Plan Pricing

Below are the monthly costs, the first term (introduction promo) contract vs renewal term contract.

At first glance, iPage pricing looks very affordable. iPage’s Shared Hosting Plan is $1.99 per month (36-month / 3 years) for the first-term. This is one of the best web hosting deals as far as low cost web hosting goes.

However, once the initial first-term 36-month period is over, iPage’s cheap shared hosting price goes up to $7.99 per month.

Here are the total contract costs, first term vs renewal term.

If you are looking for the best overall deal with iPage (first-term vs renewal-term pricing lowest increase), you should consider the 12-month term, its first-term price is $35.88 and renewal-term is $119.88, which is an increase of 234%.

iPage Shared Plan Total Hosting Cost (First Term/Renewal Term)

• 12 months – $35.88 / $119.88 (234% price increase)
• 24 months – $59.76 / $215.76 (261% price increase)
• 36 months – $71.64 / $287.64 (302% price increase)

iPage Shared Hosting Plan: What’s Included?

Offering one shared hosting plan is quite brilliant of iPage since customers get all the features they need in a straightforward plan.

The plan is ideal for beginners, small businesses, bloggers, and WordPress sites with little demands. You could even host a small e-store, but you’ll need powerful hosting when your store grows.

iPage Shared Hosting plan key features:

• Unlimited disk space
• Unlimited & scalable bandwidth
• Unlimited domain names
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• iPage Website Builder (6 pages) with hundreds of templates and themes
• A free domain name for one year
• Free SSL certificate
• One-click script installer
• Free email accounts
• Enhanced security suite ($100 value)
• And much more!

iPage Shared Hosting is a simple yet powerful solution for small websites with low-medium traffic levels. When your website grows, you will want to look into their high-tier VPS and dedicated server plans.

All the same, iPage is an average and affordable web host. They are readily available across all support channels, including chat, ticketing system, email, and phone.

Aside: iPage also offers VPS, dedicated server, and WordPress hosting if you need more power. You can host a WordPress site on the shared hosting plan, which means WordPress is merely an upsell, and not particularly impressive.

iPAGE RECAP:

YOU SHOULD CHOOSE iPAGE IF: You want the most simplified one-size-fits-all shared web hosting plan available, while also getting unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and databases. iPage goes for a simple hosting plan instead of a powerful plan, so if you are expecting your website or online business to grow rapidly in the next few months, iPage could be a budget-friendly option before shifting to a more heavy-duty service.

Get started with iPage
(Promo pricing from $1.99/month)

 

iPage Uptime & Speed

I have created a test site hosted on iPage to monitor uptime and server response time:

The above screenshot only shows the past 30 days, you can view historical uptime data and server response time at this uptime monitor page.

For more options, check out the best iPage alternatives.

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How to Get Cheap Web Hosting?

I think you will agree when I say finding a high-quality but cheap web hosting company is challenging.

There are a million and one things to consider when choosing a host for your website. You must evaluate factors such as cost, storage space, bandwidth, performance, security, and support, just to mention a few.

However, most cheap web hosting providers usually throw low promo prices and the promise of unlimited resources at your face.

Such marketing gimmicks usually confuse beginners, especially when it’s time to renew, and you’re facing costs that are twice or thrice as much as the introductory prices.

To get the best value for money, it’s paramount to check the features you’re getting and renewal prices when your first term expires.

Otherwise, you risk ending up with a web host that doesn’t offer you the features your website needs to thrive, or exorbitant renewal charges that disrupt your budget.

Keep in mind that some cheap web hosts offer you additional incentives such as a free domain name, free SSL certificates, marketing credits, and more to get you through the door. In most cases, you end paying for the free goodies when renewing your package.

Other cheap web hosts don’t offer incentives at all, which means you need to factor in the cost of the additional features when calculating how much it will cost you to host the website.

With all these options, which is the best website host for your particular website? For small businesses looking to create an online presence, I recommend SiteGround and DreamHost. Both companies offer outstanding performance, speeds, and stellar support at reasonable prices.

Bloggers and hobbyists will have a great time at Hostinger and GreenGeeks since they have low introductory prices for unlimited resources. For absolute beginners and total newbies, I recommend Bluehost and HostGator since both have easy-to-use dashboards and low entry prices.

For dedicated WordPress websites, you can’t go wrong with either SiteGround or EasyWP. Both companies offer you fine-tuned managed WordPress hosting solutions to cover your back. For faster speed and performance, consider A2 Hosting, GreenGeeks, and InMotion Hosting.

What to Look Out For – The “Must Have”

It is a daunting task picking the right web host for your business or personal website. The task becomes 10x harder for beginners because you don’t know what to look out for or where to begin. Before choosing a host, check the following.

• Support – The company you choose should have an excellent reputation as far as offering customer service goes. While support varies from person to person, reading reviews online can help you evaluate how a company supports its customers. Try contacting them as well and find out the response time yourself. However, as a rule of thumb, go for a company that offers multiple support channels such as live chat, phone, ticket, and email support.

• Speed and uptime – Your website’s speed has a direct correlation with user experience, conversion rates, and SEO. Firstly, a slow website doesn’t rank well in Google and other search engines, which means less traffic for you. Secondly, your web visitors will click the back button and never return if your website takes an eternity to load. Thirdly, how do you expect higher conversion rates if people keep leaving because your website is slow? Go only for a cheap web host that offers you fast speeds and great uptimes.

• Free backups – As a beginner, you don’t know the value of a great backup strategy until disaster hits. When you cannot restore your site because you lack backups, you’ll lose countless hours and revenue as you rebuild your website from scratch. Now, you don’t want that to happen. Even if you’re choosing a cheap host, please ensure they offer free backups or an excellent backup strategy.
• Addons and bonuses – Addons and perks come in handy when you want to grow your website. Look out for extras such as free advertising credits, free domain name, free site migration, and WordPress pre-installation. Such bonuses can also help you save more money in the long-run.

What to Look Out For – The Warning Signs

When choosing a website host, it’s essential to do your due diligence to avoid falling for marketing gimmicks. As a beginner looking for a cheap host, you don’t want to buy add-ons that you don’t even need.

On the checkout page, be vigilant and confirm you’re only paying for your hosting plan, and not extra add-ons that sneak up on you during checkout. You might end up buying tools and other unnecessary extras that only inflate your bill. Read the fine print carefully to find out if there are hidden fees that will haunt you down the line.

Another thing, keep in mind is that most cheap web hosts aren’t cheap at all. Most of the introductory prices you see are heavily discounted to get you through the door. What you thought was a great deal might hurt your budget when it’s time to renew. To be on the safe side, carefully compare the introductory prices to the renewal cost.

Finally, don’t ever sign up with a host that doesn’t offer integral features such as backups, SSL certificates, email accounts, etc. You will end up paying more for these features later on, which will only hurt your bank account. The best option is to choose a web host that offers these features in one package.

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!

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Which cheap web host will you use, or are you using at the moment? Let me know in the comments below.

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List of web hosting services we have tested and reviewed: