2017 Best Shared Hosting Providers (5 Plans to Consider)
If you're looking for a hosting company for your website, a shared server could be exactly what you're looking for to boost the potential of your website and business. It's like sharing a car, both parties get the benefit of having the car, but you pay less than you would if you bought the car by yourself. Shared hosting is the same concept.
Shared web hosting provides the benefits of hosting your website on a server, but at a lower and more affordable price because the server is shared by several other websites. Shared web hosting has a lot of benefits, and they're ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
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If you aren’t sure that you're ready for, or need to make the move to a dedicated server hosting plan, shared hosting is ideal. You get a lot of customization options and security at a lower cost. It makes sense if you're still a relatively small business with moderate web traffic and want to reduce costs.
Keep in mind that you have less control with a shared hosting plan than with a dedicated server plan. Therefore, if you're looking for a plan and provider where you can regain full control and optimization of your server, then a shared server is not beneficial.
Other Facts About Shared Hosting Providers
Cost and affordability are always crucial elements that deserve consideration before you decide on the best shared hosting provider. First, you need to understand what your budget is concerning web hosting and evaluate the needs of the business and website. If the price you're looking at seems really low then it could be because that host service provider is hosting hundreds of websites on a single server. If the server goes down, then your website can be negatively impacted by downtime that can seriously cut into revenue for your business.
Some shared hosting services offer more customizable features like email and web hosting and will work with you according to what your business needs are at the time. Cloud computing is another example of a web hosting service that may be ideal if you have a smaller to a more moderately trafficked website. Shared hosting provides customer and technical support you need, but you need to ensure that you can receive immediate assistance or if you'll have to wait longer periods of time because you're sharing with several other websites that could be experiencing the same issues that you're having.
Shared hosting services may also mean that you'll have to let go of some of the control when it comes to your website. Typically, the provider manages the hardware, server administration, and custom solutions. You'll also want to be sure that if you need to expand your business due to growth, that they can accommodate your future needs. Scalability is an important element to consider when choosing the best shared hosting provider.
Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting Providers
The biggest advantage of shared hosting is the affordability of their plans and services. All resources are shared on a single server with several different accounts. Most businesses that employ shared hosting are relatively new to the industry, and their sites receive little web traffic. If you have a WordPress site then shared hosting is ideal but as you gain web traffic, you may have to upgrade to a dedicated hosting plan or even a VPS hosting plan to accommodate your growing web traffic and support your e-commerce site.
Another advantage of shared hosting is the convenience it offers. There is no technical knowledge or education required on the part of the user because the hosting company takes care of the technicalities associated with the site. Shared hosting companies also offer plans that include server monitoring and protection.
The biggest disadvantage to shared hosting is that the server resources are very limited because they're being shared with hundreds or even thousands of other sites. It's possible that something can go wrong with the server which can result in increased downtime and additional costs.
Security is always a major issue when you look at any hosting providers and services. The default configuration that shared hosting providers use to install WordPress or CMS usually don't allow the user to make any modifications to system files and you cannot change the performance of the hosting account. If you want full control, then you should consider a dedicated hosting company or VPS hosting opposed to a shared hosting provider.
To find out which best shared web hosting is right for you, I’ve created a list of the top best shared hosting providers. In my opinion, these are the best shared hosting providers out there. You can use this information to pick the best shared host for you and your site.
| PROVIDER | FEATURES | RATING |
| HostGator | Affordable and Feature-rich | |
| iPage | Unlimited Disk Space and Bandwidth | |
| eHost | Great Support | |
| DreamHost | Robust | |
| A2 Hosting | High Speed and Performance |
HOSTGATOR
HostGator is a very popular provider, and it's no wonder it consistently ranks high in several shared hosting reviews. They provide an array of different hosting plans that come with many different features.
HostGator also has great uptime percentages, premium software, and excellent customer service and technical support. You know that your website won’t be going down for any unknown reasons.
In addition to HostGator’s many unlimited features, such as bandwidth, storage, and domains, you also get a 45-day money back guarantee. Trying out their plans is entirely risk-free which is a nice bonus, and not a feature that every host company offers. You can make sure that it's absolutely the best service for you, which I think it will be.
Their panel is easy to navigate and helps you maintain your site better. You can see error logs and get more control over your site. They're simply one of the best providers, and you can tell it’s for a good reason.
I truly value HostGator's service and think they're one of the best on the market. HostGator offers so many great incentives including, but not limited to, a number of unlimited features.
HostGator is a reliable shared hosting provider, and their software is simple to use which makes them a suitable choice for beginners and those just starting out.
Verdict: Great option with a range of affordable plans.
IPAGE
When making my shared hosting comparison among the different brands, I found iPage to be another great top choice. They offer affordably priced plans, offer easy setup, and are a very reliable host company.
iPage plans are some of the most affordable web service provider plans available, but that doesn’t mean that they lack in features and services. They still offer great value and performance with their shared hosting plans.
The customer support is also pretty good and reliable. They offer support via email, phone or the live chat feature. Although response times may vary, they have a very knowledgeable staff that can easily answer your questions.
They also have some nice features included in their plans, including unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited emails. Their shared hosting services are great for anyone who is looking for a great value.
Verdict: Great bang for your buck with unlimited bandwidth and disk space.
eHOST
Another one of the best web host providers out there is eHost. They offer great customer support and security. Their 24/7 online help center and network monitoring means that you don’t have to worry when something goes wrong, they'll be there to help you every step of the way.
eHost also offers unlimited bandwidth and storage space, with the bonus of 1GB of free cloud storage. And they have free unlimited email addresses, personalized domain names, and excellent value for their services.
It’s no wonder why they're such a popular shared hosting provider. They have great plans and features that simply offer great value. They also provide a site-builder feature, which makes it easy to build and customize your site.
The support that eHost provides its customers is top notch. Most people looking for shared hosting are usually beginners, and having a great support time like eHost’s can really make a difference. To learn more about shared hosting and getting it set up, be sure to check out the video below.
eHost is a great solution for your shared hosting needs. And I feel confident that you'll be able to get a great deal and fantastic quality with their service. Although it has some limiting features, overall it's still one of the best providers on the market.
Verdict: eHost offers great security and customer support for their shared hosting plans so you can feel comfortable about where you are hosting your website.
DREAMHOST
DreamHost is also one of the top shared hosting providers. They have great security features, domain management tools, and even offer unlimited data transfers per month. Their shared hosting packages have cloud storage plans, which can be a plus.
One downside of DreamHost is that they don't offer the cPanel control panel like most hosting companies do. They have their own custom control panel; this can be tricky if you're used to using cPanel and like its easy navigation.
They also have a very nice money-back guarantee that makes trying their services virtually risk-free. I mainly look for this incentive when choosing a hosting company because it's always nice to have that option to back out if it doesn't seem like a suitable match for your business and website.
DreamHost has affordable plans with a range of great features, although it may be a little overwhelming for people who are just starting out. If you want something robust, they certainly get the job done.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a more robust shared hosting provider at an affordable cost, this could be the one for you.
A2HOSTING
This shared hosting provider is very proud of their speed. They want to make sure that your site loads quickly so they don’t overload their servers. They offer great options in their plans, giving you the choice of a data center, PHP version, and support.
Their hosting plans are suitable for someone who is looking for more speed, more power, and more customization. Their emphasis on speed is really amazing. They're dedicated to making sure that your site loads faster than others. If that's something that is paramount to you, this is a great company.
They are a newer company, starting in 2001, and aren’t as well known around the internet. But that doesn’t mean that their service plans don’t pack a punch. They still offer the same great features as many other shared hosting providers.
Even though they aren't as well known on the internet, they have great speed, and great plans that make them a contender for top shared hosting provider. If other providers aren't meeting your needs, this may be a great company to try out.
Verdict: A2 is a great shared hosting provider, especially if you're particularly wary of the speed and performance of your website.
Conclusion
After going through the many shared hosting providers on the market today, I picked HostGator as the best shared hosting provider. Their affordable plans, simple set-up, and additional features make them a smart choice for anyone looking for quality shared web hosting.
I recommend HostGator if you're looking for great shared hosting at a good price. They have a plan for just about anyone, and you can feel comfortable knowing you'll be receiving the best customer service and technical support.
HostGator is one of the best providers for shared hosting for a reason. It’s obvious why so many people value and love their service. Not only is the quality and performance of their service excellent, but their dedicated customer service is also a wonderful benefit. There are several ways to contact them if you're having any problems or have any questions including an online live chat option for more immediate assistance.
With HostGator, you can be assured that you are investing in a great hosting service provider with top level security and benefits.
If you're considering shared hosting, definitely look into HostGator’s plans. I'm confident you will find something that will fit your needs.
HostGator is a widely recognized name in the web hosting industry and offers plans and services that are suited for any business. They have plans available on Linux and Windows server platforms and the plans are suitable for both beginner and more advanced users.
HostGator’s customer support team is always available through telephone, live online chat, and email and are striving to regularly improve WordPress performance and customer satisfaction.
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