Affordable Web Hosting Services for Small Businesses

Introduction

If you own a small business, having a website is essential in today’s digital age. A website not only helps promote your company but also allows you to sell products online. However, finding the right web hosting service for your business can be a challenging task. In this guide, we will provide you with a list of the top tested web hosting services for small businesses, along with important information to help you make an informed decision.

Our Top Tested Picks

Here are our top picks for affordable web hosting services for small businesses:

Hostwinds Web Hosting – Best for VPS Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: Hostwinds offers excellent web hosting plans, particularly its VPS service. It provides fully managed and self-managed VPS servers with the option to choose between Linux or Windows operating systems.
• Who It’s For: Hostwinds is ideal for small businesses that require more traffic-crunching power than shared hosting provides. The flexibility of operating system options allows for website-building flexibility.
• Pros:
• Terrific uptime in testing
• Excellent reseller and VPS hosting plans
• Good customer service
• Minecraft server hosting
• Cons:
• Not every plan has a Windows server option
• Short money-back guarantee window

AccuWeb Hosting – Best for Dedicated Web Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: AccuWeb offers excellent and varied Linux- or Windows-powered dedicated server options. Their servers are equipped with robust server configuration tools suitable for smaller businesses and can scale to accommodate larger businesses.
• Who It’s For: AccuWeb is best for companies that require power and reliability beyond what VPS hosting offers. If you have a mission-critical site, their dedicated servers can handle the rigors of the internet.
• Pros:
• Stellar uptime in testing
• Excellent dedicated hosting plans
• Offers a choice of Linux or Windows servers
• Helpful customer service
• Cons:
• Lacks unlimited email with Windows accounts
• No month-to-month shared hosting plans

A2 Web Hosting – Best for Managed WordPress Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: A2 Web Hosting specializes in managed WordPress hosting, providing an optimized hosting environment for WordPress users. Their service alleviates the stress of updating and patching the CMS.
• Who It’s For: A2’s managed WordPress plans are an excellent option for entrepreneurs who want their hands free to manage other business aspects or lack confidence in managing the CMS database themselves.
• Pros:
• Robust hosting packages, particularly for WordPress
• Excellent customer service
• Terrific uptime
• Good money-back refund plan
• Cons:
• No Windows server options
• Relatively expensive

DreamHost Web Hosting – Best for Flexible Cloud Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: DreamHost offers flexible cloud hosting options, which distribute site resources across multiple interconnected servers. Their cloud hosting is affordable and reliable.
• Who It’s For: DreamHost’s cloud hosting is ideal for businesses that need server freedom. The multi-server setup automatically backs up site data, and scaling up is easy due to the virtually connected nature of cloud hosting.
• Pros:
• Strong security features
• Extensive domain-management tools
• Excellent cloud hosting offerings
• Unlimited data transfers per month
• Generous shared hosting money-back guarantee
• Useful WordPress staging feature
• Cons:
• No email with Shared Starter plan
• Lacks Windows-based servers
• No telephone support

Liquid Web Hosting – Best for Managed Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: Liquid Web is one of the most powerful and renowned web hosting providers, offering top-notch managed hosting solutions. Their automation and impressive server specs come at a higher price, but you get exceptional service in return.
• Who It’s For: Liquid Web is for businesses willing to pay more for white-glove treatment. Their managed hosting solutions relieve you of most server management duties, providing exceptional care and attention.
• Pros:
• Robust dedicated, VPS, cloud, and reseller packages
• Prorated VPS plans
• Powerful, high-end server specs
• Terrific customer service
• Excellent uptime in testing
• Cons:
• Lacks shared hosting plans
• Expensive, with few refund options

Ionos by 1&1 Web Hosting – Best for Large-Scale Cloud Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: Ionos by 1&1 has embraced cloud hosting, offering highly scalable cloud server solutions with Linux or Windows operating systems. Their cloud-powered VPS servers can handle enterprise-class hosting needs.
• Who It’s For: Ionos by 1&1 is suitable for entrepreneurs in need of highly scalable cloud server solutions. Their cloud hosting packages provide the tools to build a robust website capable of handling any internet challenge.
• Pros:
• Dependable uptime in testing
• Excellent cloud hosting packages
• Linux- or Windows-based servers
• Easy-to-use website creation tools
• Cons:
• Lacks reseller hosting plans
• Relatively sparse email options

WP Engine Web Hosting – Best for Enterprise-Class WordPress Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: WP Engine specializes in WordPress hosting and offers core WordPress plans with respectable specs. They also provide customized, dedicated hosting options for businesses with high traffic needs.
• Who It’s For: WP Engine is for WordPress users who require high-scaling services. Their hosting features, including daily backups and real-time threat detection, make it an excellent choice for enterprise-class hosting.
• Pros:
• Terrific uptime in testing
• Outstanding customer service
• Daily backups
• Real-time threat detection
• Useful staging area
• Choice of either Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform cloud hosting
• Custom plans available
• Cons:
• Email isn’t included with hosting plans
• Doesn’t sell domains

Cloudways Web Hosting – Best for Prorated Plans

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: Cloudways offers prorated plans that allow you to configure your plan, choose server details, and pay for what you need. Their pay-as-you-go models are appealing for businesses that only want to be billed for their specific requirements.
• Who It’s For: Companies that want to be billed only for what they need should consider Cloudways. Their flexible account tiers and pay-as-you-go plans provide cost-effective options for small businesses.
• Pros:
• Very easy to set up
• Excellent uptime
• Supports numerous apps
• Several flexible account tiers
• Pay-as-you-go plans
• Can try service for free before signing up
• Site cloning
• Cons:
• No domain registration option
• Email costs extra

Media Temple Web Hosting – Best for Outstanding Customer Service

• Rating: 3.5 Good
• Why We Picked It: Media Temple is an all-around web host that offers feature-packed dedicated and VPS hosting plans. However, their most outstanding aspect is their excellent 24/7 customer support, reachable via various channels.
• Who It’s For: Media Temple’s customer service policy makes them an excellent choice for businesses that value reliable and accessible support. Good customer support is invaluable, especially when you face technical difficulties.
• Pros:
• Excellent uptime in testing
• Terrific 24/7 customer support team
• Massive knowledge guide and help database
• Strong WordPress plans
• Cons:
• Lacks Windows-based servers
• No dedicated or reseller hosting
• Relatively expensive

Pressable Web Hosting – Best for High-End Managed WordPress Hosting

• Rating: 4.0 Excellent
• Why We Picked It: Pressable offers streamlined, managed WordPress hosting with a sliding scale pricing model. You can choose a plan based on the number of visitors or installations you expect, making it convenient for small businesses.
• Who It’s For: Pressable is ideal for WordPress users who want convenient, managed hosting. Their easy plan selection and managed hosting features allow you to spend less time configuring options and more time running your business.
• Pros:
• Unlimited monthly data transfers across the board
• Each plan includes a free SSL and CDN
• Automatic daily backups
• Malware scanning
• Useful staging feature
• Excellent Jetpack security tool
• Personalized onboarding
• Cons:
• Doesn’t sell domains
• Doesn’t let you select your cloud platform choice
• Lacks email
• Losing phone support in the near future

Buying Guide: The Best Small Business Hosting Services for 2023

What Is Web Hosting?

Web hosting involves storing and delivering the files that make up a website. A web host is a company that provides servers for storing and delivering audio, video, documents, graphics, and other website content. There are different types of web hosting, including shared hosting, dedicated hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), and reseller hosting.

What Is Small Business Hosting?

Small business hosting refers to web hosting services specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses. These hosting services typically offer more advanced features than basic shared hosting, such as VPS servers, dedicated servers, advanced cloud server platforms, high-end WordPress options, and custom server builds. Small business hosting is ideal for businesses that require more power, scalability, and reliability than shared hosting can provide.

How Much Does Small Business Hosting Cost?

The cost of small business hosting can vary depending on the hosting provider and the specific features and resources required. Dedicated servers and managed hosting services tend to be more expensive than shared hosting. Prices can range from $100 per month for a dedicated server to over $1,000 per month for managed hosting with advanced features and scalability. Some web hosts offer prorated plans that charge you based on the resources your site requires.

What’s the Most Important Factor for Small Business Hosting?

Uptime is the most important factor for small business hosting. If your website is down, potential customers won’t be able to find you or access your products or services. Regular customers may lose confidence in your business and turn to competitors if they can’t access your site. It’s crucial to choose a web host with a strong track record of uptime and quick problem resolution.

Conclusion

Choosing the right web hosting service is crucial for small businesses that want to establish an online presence. The top tested web hosting services mentioned in this guide offer a range of features and options to meet the needs of small businesses. Consider factors such as uptime, scalability, customer support, and pricing when making your decision. By selecting the right web hosting service, you can ensure that your website is accessible, reliable, and capable of supporting your business growth.