Here are our Web Hosting Recommendations for 2021. For many people, 2021 marks the beginning of what we hope are better times. And with a lot of folks working from home and starting their own businesses, choosing the right web hosting is the best way to start off a new business website.
Shared Hosting
With Shared Hosting still being the most popular type of hosting plan for website owners, there have recently been a lot of changes or enhancements to many shared hosting products. A number of web hosts have expanded their line of shared hosting to include more options and more robust resources. That’s the case with our two Shared Hosting recommendations.
I’ve been an InMotion Hosting customer for over 10 years now and they continue to be outstanding in every way. InMotion’s Business Hosting plans are ideal for new business owners starting out. Along with their Max Speed Zone Technology for faster performing websites, InMotion includes an easy to use account management interface, great WordPress hosting features, over 400 applications available in cPanel, and excellent customer support.
A2 Hosting also continues to be one of the best all around solutions for many types of website hosting. Their optimized environment is especially suited for WordPress sites. A2 has also expanded their line of Turbo Hosting plans that produce up to 20x faster speeds. And along with their performance and security features, A2 Hosting also includes many features (such as website staging) that are usually reserved for more expensive managed hosting plans. That’s why A2 Hosting is another web host I continue to use for some of my websites.
Blogger Hosting
Although social media and video channels get most of the publicity these days, blogs are still being used effectively to connect with audiences. In fact, all businesses should really have their own blog—blogging isn’t just for personal websites.
GreenGeeks is not only an outstanding green web hosting option (see category below), but as an active member of the WordPress community, they are also an excellent option for bloggers. I’ve used GreenGeeks for years now and they are definitely a first-class web hosting provider. And having spoken with CEO Trey Gardner many times, I can confirm their commitment to not only great green hosting, but also their goal of helping their customers succeed.
SiteGround also continues to be an active member in the WordPress community. And, SiteGround also continues to improve and innovate their web hosting services. In fact, SiteGround has now positioned itself as more of a managed WordPress hosting provider. However, we’ve included them in this category because of their more affordable entry level hosting plan.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress hosting has definitely become the most popular and competitive area of web hosting services. And because almost every hosting company has their own managed or optimized WordPress hosting plan, you really need to be careful and do some research before choosing a host. While there are a number of quality managed WordPress hosting options available, these are the top two recommendations for 2021.
WP Engine not only continues to be the standard for premium managed WordPress hosting in my opinion, but they also continue to improve and add more features to their already impressive hosting plans. By the way, I feel so strongly about WP Engine’s outstanding hosting that they are now hosting this website!
While WPX Hosting may not be as well-known as other managed WordPress hosting providers, they are certainly worth checking out. They have made it a point to address issues you may encounter with other hosts, and their primary focus is on provider faster speed, an easier to use interface, and to provide super responsive customer support.
VPS Hosting
While shared hosting is more efficient and powerful than in the past, VPS Hosting still gives you more control and your own resources. And compared to the cost of purchasing a dedicated server, a VPS hosting plan is the ideal solution for businesses and higher traffic sites.
As they have with their Shared Hosting, InMotion Hosting offers affordable, feature packed options when it comes to Managed VPS Hosting. However, if you want to step up to even more power-packed VPS hosting packages, Liquid Web should be at the top of your list.
Dedicated Servers
Larger businesses and enterprise-level applications still work best with dedicated servers. Yes, a dedicated server is the most expensive type of hosting, but the amount of power and control you get, plus the fact that you get exclusive access to the server, make dedicated hosting the choice for serious and mission-critical websites.
While Liquid Web is one of our recommended choices for VPS Hosting, they are even more impressive when it comes to Dedicated Servers. Liquid Web has the most complete line of dedicated server options that I’ve come across.
If you need a more affordable Dedicated Server solution, then InMotion Hosting is our recommendation.
Green Web Hosting
The environment remains a focus and concern for many, but thankfully with green web hosting, you can actually help our planet when you have your sites hosted by these recommended green web hosts.
GreenGeeks is still the industry leader for green web hosting. With their 300% renewable energy commitment and partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, GreenGeeks continues to let their customers help save the environment while hosting their websites.
While you may not be aware of it, A2 Hosting is also a great choice if you’re looking for green web hosting. Based in Ann Arbor, MI (also knows as Tree Town), A2’s FutureServe Green Hosting includes many business practices that help save the environment.
eCommerce Hosting
While Shopify and other website builders are fine for smaller online stores, WooCommerce is our pick for most eCommerce websites. And for Managed WooCommerce hosting, Nexcess (part of Liquid Web) is our top recommendation.
Website Builder
This year, our website builder recommendations are focused on WordPress. Sure, there are some other site builders that get more headlines, but WordPress continues to be the most popular website platform on the web—by far. And the good news is that it’s even easier than ever to create a WordPress site with many hosts now including a WordPress website builder with their plans.
Bluehost actually offers two different types of website builders or guides to help you create your WordPress sites. For absolute beginners wanting the easiest way to build a WordPress website, it’s a great fit.
If you’re looking for a WordPress site builder that is not only easy to use but also includes advanced features that you need as your website grows, then you should consider BoldGrid.
Budget Hosting
With the expansion of Shared Hosting plans with a lot of web hosts, you can find many low-priced plans that allow you to host only a single site. With iPage, you can host an unlimited number of websites.
Domain Registrar
Our recommendations for domain registrars remain the same for 2021. For domain name management, GoDaddy and Namecheap are at the top of our list.
