Best Web Site Hosting Companies Reviewed and Rated
Choosing the best web hosting company is critical to helping you achieve online success for your website, and there is a wide variety of web hosting providers offering a number of options and service levels. Before choosing a web hosting company, develop a game plan and research the many hosting options available.
Questions you should ask yourself before getting started:
• What is my web site's purpose? (Will the website be for fun, marketing, e-commerce, promoting an event, or keeping in touch with family and friends?)
• How often will I make changes to the website (daily, weekly, monthly)?
• What is my spending limit for hosting?
• How important is my web site's security?
Once you've determined the answers to these questions, you'll have a clearer idea of what kind of service you need. Then, you can start to compare different companies' services and pricing. [MORE: How to Choose a Web Hosting Company ]
What to expect
There are certain things that you should expect to get from almost any web hosting company. Domain name registration, 24/7 technical support, free website migration (moving your site from an old host) and customizable web site templates are all standard from most companies.
Looking into the smaller details—such as the reputation for customer service and resolving problems—will help you narrow down your choices.
We've tried to give you a head start on the process by featuring those web hosting services that consistently get great reviews from customers and experts. Some specialize in personal hosting, some are best for businesses and e-commerce, and some have very unique applications. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, so choose the one that serves your needs best. And, remember, you can always change later if you outgrow your original host.
JustHost
JustHost (www.justhost.com) gets rave reviews from customers for the speed and efficiency of its customer service department. It is especially recognized for its value to bloggers because it offers a variety of blogging software as part of its standard package. Its price is very competitive at $3.50 a month.
iPage
iPage (www.ipage.com) is especially good for those who consider themselves to be non-technical. Its web page templates are easy to use and you can build your own web site very quickly. It also makes it easy to change and edit pages whenever you need to. Good for personal site, business site or e-commerce. iPage touts itself as 100 percent wind powered with a neutral carbon footprint. Priced at $3.50 per month.
Rackspace
Rackspace (www.rackspace.com) is a web hosting company whose services are designed for those whose web sites need their own server. Unlike many web hosting companies that offer shared servers — where many web sites share one server — Rackspace, and other companies like it, offer VPS (Virtual Private Servers) to allow for lots of bandwidth and a higher level of security. With prices starting at $400 a month, this web hosting company is primarily for those generating income from their web sites.
InMotion
InMotion (www.inmotionhosting.com) gets a lot of good feedback crediting them with good technical support and being very helpful when dealing with security issues. Priced at only $3.00 a month, it is inexpensive, while still offering a lot of bandwidth. It is also a good host for businesses requiring Virtual Private Servers (VPS). Hosts e-commerce platforms.
Green Geeks
Green Geeks (www.greengeeks.com) gets praise for running a carbon-neutral business. Its services are similar to other web hosting companies — domain name registration, web site templates and unlimited disk bandwidth (with higher priced packages). At $6.95 a month, it's a little more expensive. But for those with environmental concerns, it might be the way to go.
Web Hosting Pad
Web Hosting Pad (www.webhostingpad.com) gets great reviews from customers who love their customer service at a cheap price. It costs only $3.50 per month and users report that their sites have very little down time and that customer service is very efficient. It has a reputation for offering a lot for the price.
Family Web Host
With so many web hosts whose services seem almost identical, Family Web Host (www.family webhost.com) stands out for its uniqueness. It is specifically for genealogists or families who want to share their family histories using family trees, photos, blogging, etc. Priced at $20 a month, it's a little higher than most, but it offers a unique service.
eWedding
With a basic package that is free, you can't beat the price for this wedding hosting web site (www.ewedding.com). It allows you to post photos, send out wedding updates, accept RSVP's, upload videos and much more. It offers customizable templates to create professional looking web sites and is really easy to use.
Grassroots
For non-profit groups that need a web site host that is reliable but inexpensive, there's Grassroots (www.grassroots.org). This company offers free web hosting and, even, design services to qualifying non-profit organizations all over the world. It is financed by donations and the work is done by unpaid volunteers. It currently hosts more than 3,000 non-profit web sites for free. It offers a variety of other services, including free Internet telephone service.
My Event
This web site (www.myevent.com) allows you to create a web site that promotes any kind of event (wedding, party, concert, reunion, etc.). It has very user friendly templates and allows you to sell tickets, accept credit cards, keep track of event details, create guest lists, and much more. Prices start at $9.95 a month.
Caring Bridge
Caring Bridge, (www.caringbridge.org) is a web host specifically for those who want to keep family and friends updated on the condition of those who are ill. Their service is free (supported by donations) and allows families to design and update a web site featuring photos and information. The sites are used to update the family member's condition, give information on fundraising events, post requests for help or to thank those who have offered help.
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