Launch your site on the right host.
Independent, testing-led guidance on web hosting — understand the types, compare your real options and choose with confidence. No hype, no pay-for-placement.
Scroll to launch
What web hosting is, in plain English
Web hosting is the service that stores your website's files on a server and keeps them online. Whichever host you pick shapes your site's speed, uptime and security — which is exactly what independent, testing-led guidance is for.
Every type of web hosting, covered
The jargon, made usable
- Bandwidth — data transfer allowance
- SSL certificate — encrypts traffic to your site
- Domain & DNS — your address, and what points to it
- Control panel — cPanel or Plesk, day-to-day admin
- CDN — caches your site closer to visitors
- SSD / NVMe — the storage behind faster load times
We don't sell hosting and we take no pay-for-placement — every ranking is built on verified third-party ratings, cited back to the source.
Web hosting explained — start with the essentials
Five pillars that cover the whole decision — from understanding the options to picking one.
Types of Web Hosting
Shared, VPS, dedicated, cloud, WordPress and more — what each type is and who it suits.
Read the guideWeb Hosting Comparisons Hub
Head-to-head breakdowns so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter for your site.
Read the guideBest Web Hosting
The right host depends on the job. Find the best fit by use-case, not by ad spend.
Read the guideHow to Choose a Web Host
A clear framework for picking a host — and understanding what it really costs.
Read the guideWeb Hosting Features
Uptime, storage, SSL, backups, CDN — the features that actually change outcomes.
Read the guideEverything the guides cover
What our web hosting guides cover
Independent, testing-led explainers on every part of a hosting decision — no hype, no pay-for-placement.
Every type of web hosting
Shared, VPS, cloud, dedicated and managed hosting for WordPress and more — what each is, who it suits and how the hosting plans compare.
SSL certificates & security
What an SSL certificate does, plus hardening, DDoS protection and backups explained without the jargon.
Speed, CDN & Core Web Vitals
TTFB, caching and a CDN such as Cloudflare — the levers that actually change how fast a site feels.
Domain names & DNS
How a domain name, nameservers and DNS records fit together when you connect it to your hosting plan.
Website migration, done safely
Move an existing site to a new web hosting provider with no downtime and nothing lost.
Fixing common hosting errors
From 500s to 504 timeouts — what the status codes mean and how to clear them.
Start here
Four hubs for choosing web hosting
Understand the types
From budget shared plans to managed cloud — a plain-English tour of every hosting type and the sites each one is built for.
Explore typesCompare head-to-head
Shared vs VPS, dedicated vs cloud — the trade-offs that matter.
See comparisonsBest for your use-case
The right host depends on the job, not the ad spend.
Find your fitUptime, storage & backups that matter
Uptime, storage, SSL, backups and CDN — which specs genuinely affect your site, and which are marketing noise.
Feature checklistBy the numbers
A reference you can check
We keep the scope honest: real guides, real reviews, ratings cited back to their source.
- 164
- Guides published
- 20
- Hosts reviewed
- Trustpilot
- Ratings verified at source
- 5
- Specialist editors
In-depth web hosting guides
Go deeper on the topics behind every hosting decision.
Typical price bands
What web hosting costs
Web hosting pricing in rough monthly bands by hosting type to set expectations — vendor-neutral, and not offers. SSD or NVMe storage and free SSL are now standard on most plans; your real price depends on the provider, term and renewal rate.
Shared hosting
Entry-level plans for blogs, brochure sites and small WordPress installs — the cheapest way onto the web, and where free web hosting sits too.
$3–10 /mo
- Best for low-traffic sites
- Managed cPanel environment
- Free SSL and SSD storage standard
- Watch the renewal rate
Cloud hosting
Most commonScalable resources that flex with traffic — pay for what you actually use.
$10–100 /mo
- Scales with demand
- Good uptime resilience
- Suits growing/spiky traffic
- Wide price spread
VPS hosting
Dedicated slices of a server with root access and predictable performance — cheap VPS hosting starts around $15/mo.
$15–60 /mo
- Full control (root access)
- Isolated resources
- For developers & busy sites
- Some server admin required
Dedicated hosting
A whole physical server for one site — maximum power and isolation for high-traffic or compliance-heavy workloads.
$80–300 /mo
- An entire server to yourself
- Peak performance & control
- For large or regulated sites
- Managed options cost more
Typical ranges only, not offers. We do not sell hosting and list no brand prices here; actual pricing varies by provider, term length and renewal rate — always verify at checkout.
Web hosting FAQs
Short, honest answers to the questions we hear most — with links to the full guides.
- How much should web hosting cost?
- It depends on the type. Shared plans typically run $3–10/mo, VPS $15–60/mo and cloud anywhere from $10–100/mo depending on usage. Intro prices are often promotional and renew higher, so always check the renewal rate. Our choosing & cost guide breaks it down.
- What type of hosting do I actually need?
- Most new and small sites are well served by shared or managed WordPress hosting. Choose VPS or cloud when you need more control, isolated resources or headroom for traffic spikes. See types of web hosting.
- Do you sell hosting or take commissions for rankings?
- No. We do not sell hosting and take no pay-for-placement. Reviews are ranked by verified third-party Trustpilot ratings that we cite back to the source.
- Can I move my site to a new host later?
- Yes. Migrating is routine and can usually be done with no downtime if you plan it. Our migration guide walks through it step by step.
- What features actually matter when choosing a host?
- Uptime, real support, backups, SSL, adequate storage and a sensible renewal price matter far more than inflated “unlimited” claims. See the features checklist.
- What is web hosting, in plain terms?
- Web hosting is a service that stores your website's files on a server and keeps them online so visitors can reach your site any time. The host also handles the connection, security and uptime that keep it available. Our what is web hosting guide explains it from scratch.
- What is the difference between a domain and hosting?
- A domain name is your address (like example.com); web hosting is the server space where the site itself lives. They are two separate things you usually buy together, and DNS is what links the domain to your hosting plan. See domains & DNS.
- Is free web hosting any good?
- Free web hosting can be fine for learning or a temporary page, but it usually comes with ads, tight limits, no custom domain and weak support. For anything you care about, a cheap shared plan with free SSL is a better foundation. Compare the options in types of web hosting.
Ready to pick a host with confidence?
Twenty hosts ranked by verified Trustpilot rating, plus a clear framework for choosing. We don't sell hosting.