Best Blog Hosting Providers 2023 | Top 7 Revealed
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With a new blog post being published every 0.5 seconds, it can be hard to stand out. It can be even harder to succeed if you’re using a sub-par blog host – you might have to deal with slow loading speeds, crashes, and even poor security. A bad web host can cause your blog to suffer, or even outright fail.
Luckily, we have this list to help you! We think HostGator is the best provider for blogging due to its high-performance scores and good price. A blogging site needs fewer features than other sites, but good performance and uptime are crucial. It also has great help and support and, in our research, we gave it a 4.9 out of 5! Wowee!
Tying with HostGator’s overall score of 4.9 out of 5 is DreamHost, another great provider. With its cheap starting cost, you’re able to blog on a budget while maintaining good performance for your readers. Third place on our list was awarded to iPage, which is unique in that it only does one thing – shared hosting. Thankfully, it does that very well with the joint highest performance and second-best value for money.
Without further ado, here’s what we discovered in our research:
Best Blog Hosts – Top 7 Providers Revealed
- HostGator – Best overall provider for blogging sites.
- DreamHost – Best for affordable pricing across all types of hosting.
- iPage – Best for performance
- 1&1 IONOS – Best for hosting features.
- Bluehost – Most trusted hosting provider
- Hostinger – Best all-rounder
- InMotion – Best help and support
- SiteGround – Trusted features but poor performance
To find you the best blog hosts, we looked at shared, VPS, and cloud hosting plans.
Shared hosting is best for small blogs, VPS provides enough resources to handle larger and media-heavy sites, while cloud hosting is perfect for blogs needing a lot of flexibility in their hosting plan.
We may have revealed the eight best blog hosting providers, but we’re not going to stop there. Now that you know the top choices, we’re going to explore each one and find the best blog host for you!
1 HostGator
Best Overall Provider for Blogging Sites
Key Features
Starting Price: $3.95 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 45 days
Uptime: 99.99%
Free backups? No
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Free for first year
Disk space: Unlimited
HostGator has an impressive range of features and, paired with extremely affordable prices, makes it the best overall blog host. It provides a strong offering across shared, VPS, and cloud hosting, making it a good choice if you’re unsure which blog host is right for your needs.
Check out its scores below before learning a little more about what HostGator has to offer:
Plans Overview
There are three shared hosting plans, starting at just $3.95 per month. HostGator’s shared hosting is perfect for a small blog just starting out online, while unmetered bandwidth and storage give you plenty of space to grow, too.
WordPress fans will be pleased to hear that every shared hosting plan comes with one-click WordPress installs and free WordPress transfer, meaning that getting started on HostGator should be a headache-free experience.
HostGator’s three VPS plans offer a big step up in features from its shared plans, making them a great choice for large blogs with a lot of content. This step up is also reflected in the price – plans start at $23.95 per month.
With unmetered and full root access (for server customizations), HostGator’s VPS plans have the resources to dispel any fears about slow-loading pages.
For bloggers looking for flexible hosting plans, HostGator’s cloud hosting plans have some appealing perks.
You can increase your cloud resources as your blog grows, which is perfect for websites that regularly experience traffic spikes. The cheapest cloud hosting plan costs $7.95 per month.
Help and Support
Do you often stay up late writing blog posts or answering user comments? If you spot an issue with your site at 4am, HostGator has got you covered. The provider offers plenty of support, including:
- 24/7 live chat
- 24/7 phone
- Knowledge center
- Tickets
Find out more
- Interested in HostGator? Learn more about this powerful provider in our full HostGator Review
- If you want more detail on HostGator’s price plans, look no further than our in-depth HostGator Pricing Review
- See how HostGator compares to its top competitors in our Web Hosting Comparison Chart
2 DreamHost
Best for Affordable Pricing Across All Types of Hosting
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.59 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 97 days
Uptime: 99.95%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Free for first year
Disk space: 50GB – Unlimited
DreamHost is the most affordable blog hosting provider across all its packages – so if you start off on shared but eventually upgrade to VPS or cloud hosting, you won’t feel a sudden hole in your pocket!
These price plans make DreamHost perfect for bloggers who are budgeting for the long term, and don’t want to get surprised by sudden hikes in prices as their blog grows.
Plans Overview
So, just how much does DreamHost’s cheapest hosting cost?
Its shared hosting starts at just $2.95 per month, billed annually. Unusually, DreamHost doesn’t run sales, meaning that you won’t be asked for a higher fee once your first term ends.
If you only have a single blog, then the $2.95 per month shared plan should give you plenty of features, including unlimited bandwidth and WordPress pre-installed.
You’ll often see a big hike in price between shared and VPS hosting plans – but not with DreamHost. In fact, you’ll only need a total of $13.75 per month to jump on DreamHost’s VPS Basic plan!
This gives you 1GB memory, 30GB SSD storage, and unlimited bandwidth. Not groundbreaking, to be sure – you’ll likely feel a squeeze in the limited storage space before anything else – but not bad for running a small blog.
DreamHost’s cloud hosting starts at $4.50 per month, although, for a blog, we’d recommend the $12 per month 2GB RAM server. You might well pay less than this, depending on whether you hit your plan’s resource limits each month.
Help and Support
DreamHost has improved on its help and support offering, seeing it score a 4.5 out of 5 in our research. It provides 24/7 live chat and email, as well as a knowledge center. The only thing they fall down on is the complete lack of a phone service, which is unfortunate for those who prefer actually talking their problems out
Find out more
- Is DreamHost the blog host of your dreams? Discover more in our full DreamHost Review
- Are you looking for a great deal on your hosting plan? Compare over 50 plans in our review of the Best Cheap Hosting Providers
3 iPage
Best for Performance
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.99 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 30 days
Uptime: 99.9%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Free for first year
Disk space: Unlimited
As the artist Hans Hofmann once said, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” iPage does precisely that by only having one plan – a shared hosting plan for $2.99 per month. You may think this will be a significant negative against iPage, but it boasts the joint best performance of the providers we tested for this article, with a 3.8 out of 5.
Let’s find out more about this oddity of a provider by diving into its research scores:
Plans Overview
iPage only has one plan for $2.99 per month. For that price, you get unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited domain names, and a free SSL certificate.
The simplicity of iPage makes it easy to recommend to those who are starting a blog and don’t have much computer experience. Because it’s the only plan, you can expect a lot of support since there are not any other plans to divert attention.
However, an issue with such a simplified approach is the lack of scalability. If you want to make your blog larger and need VPS or cloud Hosting, you may have to migrate to another provider, such as HostGator.
Help and Support
iPage offers good help and support with 24/7 live chat, phone support, and a knowledge center. However, there is no email support. As there is only one plan, there’s only a limited number of issues that could be affected, so don’t expect any prolonged issues.
Find out more
- Want to know more about this plucky little hoster? Read our iPage Hosting Review
4 1&1 IONOS
Best for Hosting Features
Key Features
Starting Price:$0.50 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 30 days
Uptime: 99.99%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Free for first year
Disk space: 50GB – Unlimited
1&1 IONOS is a powerhouse when it comes to hosting. With undoubtedly the fastest site speed of any provider (and the best feature score in our research with a 4.5 out of 5), you’re in good hands with IONOS.
See how 1&1 IONOS performs in our research before finding out more:
Plans Overview
1&1 IONOS gets the ball rolling with its, frankly crazy, Business Plan, which nets you 100GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth for only $0.50! This is a great plan if you are on a budget – and we’ve all been there!
However, we should inform you that there are numerous add-ons when you check out, so make sure you don’t get a higher bill than you were expecting.
IONOS’ VPS plans are kind of confusing in that they only offer a lowered price for the first six months. VPS XXL for $18 per month, for example, renews for $35 per month.
Additionally, there is a one-time $10 setup fee on all plans, plus a $60 fee if you’re hosting on Windows. We’d say it’s best to just stick with the VPS S plan for $2 per month, which gets you 10GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth, which should keep any blogs pretty well supported.
IONOS operates a pay-as-you-go tariff system with its cloud servers, charging you by the hour up to a maximum price each month. Each of these servers has a certain amount of cores and memory depending on your needs, so you can be flexible with the exact needs of your blog.
Help and Support
1&1 IONOS’ help and support offerings are rather poor. In our research, we gave it a 2.8 out of 5. It has 24/7 phone support and a knowledge center, but no email or live chat support. So, if you need help, you are going to have to talk to someone. Great for some, a nightmare for others.
Find out more
- If you’re wondering about 1&1 IONOS’s pros and cons, read our 1&1 IONOS Hosting Review.
5 Bluehost
Most Trusted Hosting Provider
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.95 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 30 days
Uptime: 99.98%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Free for first year
Disk space: 10GB – 100GB
Bluehost is the most trusted blog host, with a market analysis score of 4.9 out of 5! Bluehost is well known for being the number one recommended WordPress host, so it’s also a strong contender for WordPress bloggers. If you’re looking for a trusted brand, then this host is well worth checking out.
Take a closer look at how Bluehost scores in our research below, then read on to learn more about its blog hosting:
Plans Overview
Bluehost has affordable shared hosting starting at just $2.95 per month – a dollar less than HostGator!
If you’re using WordPress for your blog, Bluehost’s shared WordPress plans will be a better fit. They’re similar to the “normal” shared plans, except they’re tailored to WordPress users, including features such as:
- A free domain for one year
- Automatic WordPress installation
- Automatic WordPress updates
- WordPress staging environment
There are four shared WordPress plans which run from the same prices as normal shared – what a deal!
Bluehost really is the best in the business when it comes to WordPress hosting, so we highly recommend checking out these plans if you’re starting or running a small WordPress blog.
Bluehost has three VPS plans ranging from $24.99 to $83.99 per month.
You get a huge 1TB bandwidth on the cheapest VPS plan, which should be enough to handle boatloads of traffic to your blog. Multiple cores and a minimum of 2GB memory means that you no longer have to sacrifice speed to run a large, complex, or media-heavy blog.
Bluehost doesn’t offer cloud hosting as a hosting package.
It does make up for its lack of cloud hosting plans with its superb focus on WordPress users. WordPress has recommended Bluehost as the best host for its users since 2005 – and we can see why.
Bluehost has three WordPress-specific packages, all designed to make life easier, safer, and more successful for WordPress users.
Help and Support
Bluehost is known as a very reliable provider, so you shouldn’t find yourself nagging support agents day in, and day out.
But for those times when something unexpected does happen, Bluehost has got your back with a 24/7 phone, a helpful knowledge center, live chat, and email support.
However, there is no community center for you to bounce queries off of other users, so you are left with Bluehost’s own support.
Find out more
- Why does WordPress love Bluehost so much? Find out why with our extensive Bluehost Review
- Do you want to know more about Bluehost’s pricing, including plan details and hidden costs? We reveal all in our full Bluehost Pricing Review
- Learn how to Install WordPress With Bluehost in our step-by-step guide
- Discover the Best WordPress Hosting Providers and learn why Bluehost tops the rankings!
6 Hostinger
Best All-Rounder
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.99 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 30 days
Uptime: 99.99%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Yes
Disk space: 100GB – Unlimited
Hostinger exists as an all-rounder in the hosting provider world; it has decent scores across all our research, especially in pricing, where it is joint first with DreamHost with a 4.5 out of 5. For those making blogs for the first time, Hostinger is a reliable provider if you’re wanting to look at other providers that aren’t at the top of this list.
Check out Hostinger’s star ratings below:
Plans Overview
Hostinger’s three shared hosting plans are great value and give users a lot of features, such as unlimited bandwidth and great security options.
The Single plan for $2.99 per month is a great starter plan for those with blogs but our research shows that the Business plan is better value for money. For only a dollar extra, at $3.99 per month, you get 200GB of storage and free daily backups and domains.
Hostinger offers eight VPS plans so you can really customize your plan to your exact needs. These go from $3.99 per month with the VPS 1 plan all the way to $117.99 per month with VPS 8!
We don’t think you will need all that VPS 8 offers (16GB memory, 12TB bandwidth), but the smaller plans are perfect for blogs, so it’s best to explore and see what suits you! The VPS 1 plan is a great starting place, which offers 1TB of bandwidth and 1GB of memory.
Each of Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans give you 300 websites, unlimited bandwidth, and free unlimited SSL. Starting at $9.99 with the Startup plan, Hostinger is a great provider for those who consider themselves maybe a bit more tech-savvy and have larger plans than just a simple blog.
Help and Support
Hostinger’s support is slightly less impressive than its features, with no 24/7 support for channels and no phone or community center services. For those having an issue, they are going to have to settle with the live chat, knowledge base, and emails.
Find out more
- Do you want to know more about Hostinger, to decide if it’s right for you? Check out our Hostinger Review for more details.
- If you’re just starting out and need a helping hand, check out our handy guide on How to Start a Blog for some expert tips!
7 InMotion
Best for Help and Support
Key Features
Starting Price: $3.29 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes: 90 days (only on Pro Plan)
Uptime: 99.97%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Yes (not available on Core Plan)
Disk space: 100GB – Unlimited
InMotion is a powerful hosting provider that shines in our research for its features and help and support. Where it falters is in its value for money, scoring a disappointing 2.8 out of 5 in our research.
Here’s a quick glance at how InMotion performed in our testing:
Plans Overview
InMotion’s cheapest shared hosting plan costs only $3.29 per month and, for that, you get unlimited bandwidth, free marketing tools, and a basic security suite.
There’s a 90-day money-back guarantee, but that’s only available on the most expensive Pro Plan for $14.99. Compared with other hosting providers on this list, this is not considered to be consumer friendly.
If you’re scaling a large blog, or just looking to improve your current blog’s performance, InMotion’s VPS plans have the tools you need to make that happen. InMotion lets you choose your data center – and it includes advanced server caching to boost your site’s speed.
The cheapest plan costs $24.99 per month and you get 4GB memory and a whopping 2TB bandwidth. You also get a free “zero downtime” website migration, which is perfect if you’re moving an existing website.
If you’re a tech-savvy blogger who wants a hands-on hosting experience, InMotion’s cloud hosting is a perfect solution. You get full control over your hosting and your server environment for as little as $5 per month.
However, if you’re not up for managing your own hosting, then this isn’t the plan for you – only take it on if you’re already confident using Linux, and feel happy maintaining your own servers.
Help and Support
InMotion receives top marks for the range of support channels it provides its users with – a superb 4.7 out of 5 in our research! Just like Bluehost and HostGator, InMotion provides you with full support, seven days a week, via:
- Phone
- 24/7 live chat
- Tickets
- A knowledge center
Find out more
- Weigh up the pros and cons of InMotion in our detailed InMotion Hosting Review
- InMotion has the best shared hosting around – find out how it compares to other top hosts in our review of the Best Shared Hosting Providers
8 SiteGround
Trusted Features But Poor Performance
Key Features
Starting Price: $3.49 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes, 30 days
Uptime: 99.98%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? No
Disk space: 10GB – 40GB
Is blogging your main passion? Do you not care about having a ton of visitors and would rather just maintain a site for family and friends? If hosting isn’t your idea of fun, then you might want a blog host like SiteGround which, while trusted by users and coming joint third for features in our research, scores a quite shocking 0.7 for performance.
Let’s get more into it by looking at the score below:
Plans Overview
SiteGround’s shared hosting starts from $3.49 per month and is perfect for a new blog – the cheapest plan can handle around 10,000 monthly visitors. You can relax with SiteGround’s shared hosting – every plan comes with 24/7 live chat support, free daily backups, and free SSL security.
SiteGround doesn’t offer VPS hosting, and the storage on its shared plans is fairly limited. If you’re looking to transfer a large blog, you’re better off with HostGator or a similar provider with large scalability.
SiteGround’s cloud hosting ranges from $90 to $400 per month, providing a scalable set of plans to choose from. These plans are all WordPress-friendly with auto-updates, plus there is also dynamic caching that will help speed up your site.
Help and Support
Help and support is where SiteGround really shines. Even as you navigate SiteGround’s website, it’s clear that there’s a strong focus on being beginner-friendly and supportive of its users.
On top of its user-friendly focus, SiteGround also delivers a full range of support options, including 24/7 live chat support. However, there is no email support.
Find out more
- Has SiteGround caught your eye? Read our SiteGround Review to learn more.
Best Blog Hosting Providers: Summary
There’s no doubt that your blog deserves the absolute best – and to do this you’ll need to find the best hosting provider. We’ve outlined the eight best blog hosts, examined their plans, scrutinized their help and support, and revealed what each host is best for.
You should now feel a lot more confident about which web host is best for your blog. Here’s a quick look at those providers one last time:
8 Best Blog Hosts – Recap
- HostGator – Best overall provider for blogging sites.
- DreamHost – Best for affordable pricing across all types of hosting.
- iPage – Best for performance
- 1&1 IONOS – Best for hosting features.
- Bluehost – Most trusted hosting provider
- Hostinger – Best all-rounder
- InMotion – Best help and support
- SiteGround – Trusted features but poor performance
If you’re looking at this list and are still feeling unsure, we highly recommend taking another look at the top three blog hosts.
HostGator is the best overall, scoring an overall 4.9 out of 5 in our research. It has affordable prices and comes with tons of features and solid support options. If you’re still in doubt by the end of this summary, head over to HostGator to explore its plans and see if it could be your perfect blog host.
Bluehost is definitely worth a look if you’re a WordPress fan, while iPage offers the best performance. DreamHost offers the most affordable plans, easily earning it 2nd place.
Whichever blog hosting provider you choose, make sure it’s got the prices, features, and support to keep you and your blog running smoothly, so you can keep your readers happy!
FAQs
Hosting forms the unseen foundations of any website. If you choose a bad web host, your blog will struggle – especially if you’re posting lots of media like videos, or getting lots of visitors to your pages.
Poor web hosting could cause your site to load slowly, suffer security breaches, or even crash!
If you’re using an open-source platform like WordPress.org, you need hosting. But the good news is, there are plenty of alternatives where you don’t need to find a hosting provider.
Using a website builder is the best way to cut out the technical headaches of starting a blog – Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and WordPress.com are the top four blogging builders. Find out more in our review of the 10 Best Blogging Platforms.
Yes! If you’re selling through your blog, we recommend you avoid shared hosting – instead, aim for cloud or VPS plans.
If you’re serious about selling, see if your host has any ecommerce plans. For example, Bluehost has a WooCommerce package, which is perfect if you’re building an online store that needs a blog alongside.
We take great care to ensure the information we publish is reliable and accurate. However, WBE takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy in information supplied to us by users, research participants, or other entities.
Please note the insight contained within this article is for general information purposes only. We’re glad to answer any questions you may have about this article and its supporting research. For further information, please contact Website Builder Expert directly via email at info@websitebuilderexpert.com.
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