In search of a cheap website host for your future website or blog? Not sure what your best options are? Find out below with this list of the cheapest website hosts out there + get tips on what to consider before you make your decision!
As a blogger, I’ve had to do a lot of research on the different types of web hosting and options for web hosting companies out there.
And over the last 8+ years with the 6 different websites I run (for now!), I’ve experimented and changed my web hosting provider a lot based on costs and my website traffic.
So, I thought it might be a good idea if I were to share a bit of what I’ve learned about hosting plans and hosting providers for anyone who’d like to start a blog, a personal website, an eCommerce site, or any other type of site. I hope that it helps…
Especially since choosing your web host is one of the first steps you’ll need to take before actually developing your website…and this decision can require a bit of work and time. But at least it doesn’t need to be expensive.
Because despite what most people think, putting up a website can be very affordable…and much cheaper than most would imagine!
But to find a good price, you first need to know what web hosting companies are available, which are cheapest, and which have a service you can trust.
So below, you’ll find a list of the 8 cheapest web hosts plus a table at the bottom comparing them.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
7 things to consider before choosing the best website host for your website or your blog
If you’re in search of a website host, then you’ll need to find the one that gives you all the features you need for the best cost.
After all, the more expensive plans might not be right for you…and you can likely find reasonably-priced plans that meet what you’re looking for.
However, there are a few things you need to consider before you make this decision. I’ve put them together in a list of 7 here:
- Type of hosting
- SSL security certification
- Email accounts
- Domains
- Customer support hours
- Long-term hosting plans
- Available site builders
Here’s a bit more about what each of these means.
1. Type of internet site hosting
The first item you’ll want to consider is the type of hosting that you need. Currently, there are 4 options for you to choose from:
- Free hosting
- Shared hosting
- Virtual Private Server (VPS)
- Cloud hosting
As you’ll see below, you can choose which one is right for you based on your website’s goal and estimated traffic.
But one important thing to keep in mind: you can always move your web host to a better one if you need it. You’ll have to pay for this, but at least the choice you make today won’t be set in stone.
Free web hosting
Free hosting doesn’t support a large number of archives or visitors, making it a great option for anyone who is just getting started and only plans to have a small “friends and family” type blog.
However, free web hosting isn’t recommended for professional websites or blogs that plan to generate profit. In which case, you’ll want to look at the alternatives below.
Shared website hosting
Shared website hosting is the most popular option and offers the best prices.
It’s also what you’ll see most often offered by hosting companies because it allows several domains to split the same space on one server. Because of this, shared website hosting is best for small and medium websites who don’t have large amounts of traffic.
So, if you’re just getting started with plans for your website to grow, then shared website hosting is probably the best option. This is what I started with myself.
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Another type of popular web hosting is VPS. As the name suggests, with this hosting you’ll have your own Virtual Private Server (VPS). In other words, within the system you’ll have a virtual space just for your domains.
With this type of hosting, you’ll have more stability (less downtime),more bandwidth, and can accommodate a larger number of visitors.
Because of this, a VPS is ideal for more advanced sites that have more files (articles and images) and traffic.
In my case, I wouldn’t say that my website is “advanced,” but I did end up migrating from a shared host to a VPS for some of my websites for better performance.
Cloud hosting
The biggest difference with cloud hosting is that it adapts automatically to demand.
In other words, if there’s a problem with your site’s server or if you reach your visitor cap, you’ll be redirected to a separate cloud server with more space.
Since this is an on-demand service, this type of hosting is normally more expensive. Because of this, it’s best suited for eCommerce and larger websites.
2. SSL security certification
You know that little lock that you see near the URL when you get to a website? This shows that the website is secure for anyone who lands on the website.
An SSL certificate does exactly the same thing: certifies that the connection with your site is secure. And especially as your website grows, it’s definitely something you’ll want to have.
These days, lots of web hosting companies offer SSL for free with their plans (including the most basic plans). So, this should be a factor in your hosting decision…especially because paying for the SSL security on it’s own can be very expensive.
3. Professional email accounts
Another important part of creating your website to consider are the email accounts that come with it.
Of course, you can continue using a simple Gmail account. But it looks much more professional if you use an email address with your same domain (for example, my email address for this website ends in @outofyourcomfortzone.net, not @gmail).
Many web hosting companies include free email accounts with their plans, but the number of addresses included will vary by plan. Some companies allow you to have an unlimited number of accounts, while others only offer one for free.
When it comes to storage, free email accounts can share space with your website or stay in a separate place. For example, you may find that some web hosting plans include free email accounts within your total storage of 50GB. Or in other cases, beyond the 50GB, you’ll also have an extra 10GB for each additional email account.
So, make sure to consider how many email accounts you’ll need (for example, perhaps an email with your name, a general “contact,” one for an assistant, etc.) before you choose your hosting plan.
4. Free domains with web hosting
There’s no point in choosing a web host if you haven’t first registered a domain (or the URL for people to find you online…such as outofyourcomfortzone.net).
When looking for a cheap web host, make sure to check if domain registration is included. Many companies offer a domain for free the first year (though you will want to see how much it’ll cost per month after your first year expires).
One other thing that you’ll want to consider is the number of domains that you can host with your plan. If you plan to have more than one website (AKA more than one domain), then you’ll need to choose a web host that’ll allow you to host them all.
5. Customer support hours
Naturally, we’d rather not think about when we’ll need to deal with customer support. But with a web host, it’s worth considering.
Because what if your website goes offline during a weekend? Or you can suddenly no longer access your emails?
These problems might not be common, but they do happen. Some web host companies offer 24/7 customer support, while others only work 9-5, M-F. So, you’ll have to decide how important it is for you to be able to get help outside of normal working hours.
You’ll also want to take a look at how you can reach support. Normally, they are available by live chat or phone. But others only offer support by email. And others still will offer a help center that you can read through to find a solution to your problem.
6. Long-term hosting plans
When you’re choosing a web host, another thing you should look out for is their long-term plans. Because in many cases, the longer your plan, the greater your discount.
For example, you may have a choice between a 6-month, 1-year, or 3-year plan. In this case, the monthly rate for the 3-year plan is likely to be much cheaper than the others (plus, you won’t have to worry about renewing it). I personally always buy the longest possible web hosting plans.
7. Website builder or CMS (Content Management System)
Website builders (or Content Management Systems – CMSs) are programs that you’ll use to “build” your website or your blog.
But don’t panic! These days, you thankfully don’t need to know anything about programming to put together a website. There’s a ton of programs out there that makes this process very easy.
I’m serious here. Anyone can build a cool website without previous knowledge nor learning how to code!
Basically all of the web hosting plans recommended below will allow you to use all the most well-known CMSs.
Some of them are free, some are paid, and some are mostly free but you have to pay to use certain themes or specific tools. Some are better for blogs, others for design, and others for e-Commerce. Some are easier to use than others, and a few require a bit of coding.
I won’t explain too much about your options here since this isn’t the focus of this article, but you can learn a bit more by clicking any of the links below.
The most popular website builders are:
- WordPress (this is what I use…and Nikki had good things to say about using Elementor editor for WordPress to design her website)
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Weebly
- Shopify (for ecommerce)
- WooCommerce (for ecommerce)
Table comparing the 8 cheapest web hosting options
|
Company |
Storage included | Free domain? | Free SSL? | Email accounts included? | Support |
Cheapest monthly price |
| Hostinger | 50GB | No | Yes | Unlimited accounts | M-F, 9 to 6 | $1.99 |
| Godaddy | 30GB | No | No | Not included | M-F, 8 to 9 | $5.49 |
| Hostgator | 100GB | Yes | Yes | Unlimited accounts | 24/7 support | $2.75 |
| Dreamhost | 50GB | Yes | Yes | Not included | 24/7 support in English & Spanish | $1.67 |
| Bluehost | 50GB | Yes | Yes | Not included | 24/7 support | $3.95 |
| Justhost | 50GB | Yes | Yes | 5 accounts | 24/7 support | $3.95 |
| Hostmonster | 50GB | Yes | Yes | 5 accounts | 24/7 support | $3.95 |
| Liquidweb | 40GB | No | No | Not included | 24/7 support | $15.00 |
These prices can vary from time to time, so I recommend checking each website for the most up-to-date prices.
What are the 8 best web hosting platforms?
And now it’s time for us to get into the best web hosts out there today. Below, you’ll find a short description about the cheapest plans for each company and what they include.
(P.S. Are you Brazilian? If so, I have some options that are specific to Brazilians – with prices in reais – on the Portuguese version of this hosting article here)
1. Hostinger 
Our first company on the list, Hostinger, was created in 2004 and is one of the largest web hosts out there.
Hostinger’s prices are much better for their longer contracts. For example, the Single plan is $1.99/month and the renew is $3.99/month.
With the “Single” plan, you’ll get 50GB of SSD storage, free SSL certification, and 1 email account. No matter the plan you choose, you’ll be able to use Hostinger’s own control panel.
Beyond their 30-day money-back guarantee, Hostinger also has an “Uptime Guarantee” of 99.9%. In other words, they guarantee that their servers will not be offline 99.9% of the time.
One important thing to note: you don’t get a free domain with the “Single” plan, so you’ll have to calculate the cost of buying the domain separately VS the cost of paying more to get a plan that includes a domain.
Hostinger is what I personally use for some of my websites (and Dreamhost for the others). Although their hosting plans are very cheap, they are very fast and I’ve had nothing but good experiences so far.
2. GoDaddy 
GoDaddy is one of the largest domain registers in the world. However, they also have competitively-priced options for web hosting.
Their cheapest plan is the “Economy” plan, which costs $5.49/month and includes 1 website. When you renew, it’ll be $8.99/month.
To be honest, GoDaddy’s most basic plan is not one of the market’s most complete options…
For example, although it includes 30GB in storage, it doesn’t include SSL certification nor email service. Plus, you also have to pay for the domain separately…which makes their packages less attractive than some of the others on the list.
As for the control panel, CPanel is used with GoDaddy hosting. (CPanel is an easy-to-use dashboard where you can manage your website)
3. Hostgator
Hostgator is another well-known web host. It was founded in 2002, and has a variety of hosting plans with good prices and features.
Hostgator’s “Hatchling” plan is their cheapest option and includes 1 website. This plan also includes 100GB in storage, a free domain for the first year, an unlimited transfer of data, unlimited email accounts, and free SSL.
Hostgator’s control panel is also CPanel, and one big advantage is that they offer free migration if you’re moving to them from another web host.
Beyond this, their most basic hosting plans also include a weekly backup – which guarantees that there is always a safe copy of your website in case anything happens.
The “Hatchling” plan comes in at $2.75/month if you get a 36-month plan.
Hostgator also has a 24/7 live chat if you need support with any of their plans.
4. Dreamhost
Dreamhost is another good option for shared hosting with attractive pricing.
They have two main plans for you to choose from, with the “Shared Starter” being the cheapest.
Like most of the other plans listed here, this plan is also made for beginners and smaller websites. The biggest difference here is that this basic plan includes unlimited bandwidth & traffic. In other words, your website won’t have any problems if you receive thousands of visitors at once.
The “Shared Starter” plan also features 50GB of storage, a free domain, and free SSL. Although email isn’t included in the plan, you can add an account for $1.67/month.
A 3-year “Shared Starter” plan works out to $2.59/month, and you have a 97-day money-back guarantee.
I personally use DreamHost for some of my sites (and Hostinger for the others).
DreamHost can be a bit more complicated to use than the other options in this list, so I’d recommend DreamHost to anyone who has some previous knowledge of website hosting…but is still looking for a very good provider from a not-super-commercial provider that is fairly cheap.
5. Bluehost
Bluehost was founded in 2004, is one of the pioneers in website hosting, and works with different types of hosting like VPS and shared.
For their shared website hosting options, the “Basic” plan is the cheapest. Coming in at $3.95/mo for a 36-month plan, you’ll get access to some simple features including a free domain for your first year and free SSL certification.
If you choose a 24- or 12-month plan, the monthly cost goes up slightly to $4.95 and $5.95, respectively.
Bluehost is what Nikki uses for her personal website.
She says it’s a little more basic than some of the other hosting companies here, but it’s easy to use and fits perfectly for what she needed (one simple, low-traffic website with a few connected email addresses).
6. Justhost
Justhost is a company with more than 12 years of experience that offers 3 types of hosting plans.
The cheapest of these plans is the “Basic” plan, which includes 5 email accounts (with 100MB of storage for each), a free domain for the first year, SSL certification, and unlimited bandwidth.
The “Basic” plan costs $3.95 per month, and both their Plus and Choice Plus plan costs $6.95 per month. To be honest, I’m not sure what the differences are between these two latter plans…but if you’re willing to pay a bit more, they can both be good options to consider since they include an unlimited amount of websites and email accounts.
On Justhost’s website, you’ll also find a page with 10 reasons to choose them. Among these are that they use CPanel and have a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. They also mention their customer service support, which is available by chat 24/7.
7. Hostmonster
Hostmonster’s hosting options are quite similar to Justhost, including the name of the plans. (They are owned by the same company, so this likely explains their similarities.)
Hostmonster’s “Basic” plan is also $3.95/month, and features 5 email accounts (with 100MB of storage for each), a free domain for the first year, and SSL certification. They also have a 30-day satisfaction.
The only difference seems to be in the price of their Plus and Choice Plus plans, which are $5.95 per month rather than $6.95, although they seem to have the same features as Justhost.
8. Liquid Web 
The last company on our list is Liquidweb. Their hosting plans are some of the most expensive on this list, and their services are quite different. And their website isn’t the most intuitive or informative for beginners.
However, Liquid Web is one of the best hosting companies out there, and is considered to be #1 in dedicated hosting.
Liquid Web’s most basic plan isn’t a shared hosting option, but a VPS plan. This plan costs $14/month for a 24-month contract, and includes 40GB of SSD storage, 10TB of bandwidth, and the ability to use CPanel as the control panel.
As you’ve probably noticed, Liquid Web isn’t made for small websites. Instead, it’s best for larger websites with lots of traffic…and thus companies looking for more robust solutions for their online presence.
In sum…
Here’s the list again for the best and cheapest hosting for websites, blogs, and online stores:
- Hostinger
- Godaddy
- Hostgator
- Dreamhost
- Bluehost
- Justhost
- Hostmonster
- Liquidweb
In conclusion…
There’s a lot of options out there for web and blog hosting. Some plans out there are very cheap and simple…while others are feature-filled and more expensive.
Because of all the options out there, it’s worth taking some time to decide what you really need from your web host and compare the details of what each plan includes. Because at the end of the day, each one of them has their differences and you need to choose which gives you the best cost for the best benefits for your website.
So, I hope that this list of the cheapest website hosts has helped you figure out which is best for you…or at least get to know what your options are.
And as I said above, I recommend clicking on a few of the options above to see what their plans are and choose one that fits what you’re looking for. After all, spending a bit of time “researching” upfront can save you lots in cash and headaches down the line!
And of course, if you have any questions or doubts about your website host….let me know in the comments area below and I’ll get back to you!
(Or if you’ve ever used any of these hosts above, drop in a comment as well with your experience. This exchange of knowledge is always welcomed!)