Best WordPress hosting of 2021
Ask someone if they're familiar with working with a CMS (content managing system), and they're likely to say that they've worked on a WordPress system. The open-source software has been the engine behind a wide variety of sites -- everything from one-person blogging operations to established media names like Rolling Stone -- for the better part of two decades.
It's popular with customers because it lets you build a professional custom website using a variety of templates, plug-ins and widgets. The "catch" is that anyone outside of a hobbyist will likely want to host a WordPress site on their own domain -- and that means seeking a WordPress host. Similar to choosing a web hosting service in general, finding the right WordPress host can make your life a lot easier. (You may also want to look into a website builder to help you actually create your site on WordPress.)
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Choosing a WordPress hosting service can be daunting -- there are so many options that all promise the best customer support, little downtime and a great price, all of which are key for operating your site, whether it's for business or personal use.
Here, we're taking a close look at some of the best WordPress hosting services available, including DreamHost, A2Hosting, GoDaddy Web Hosting and more. We're focusing on commercial WordPress hosting companies that offer virtual private servers, shared hosting and many web hosting services, along with a variety of annual and monthly plans.
How we chose
Getty/SOPA ImagesIt's important to note that we didn't explicitly "test" the providers on this list. Instead, we compiled a competitive overview based on a variety of factors, including third-party ratings and features offered by the providers. We've also weighted the rankings of these businesses by the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot. With that data in hand, we split them into three tiers:
Best WordPress hosting providers (top tier): These vendors all have a rating of A or higher from the Better Business Bureau, and a rating of 3.8 or higher out of 5 from TrustPilot. With the exception of three vendors with between 300 to 400 pieces of user feedback, all of the TrustPilot rankings are based on at least one thousand user reviews. All of the vendors listed in our top picks also say they offer 24/7 support and 99% site uptime or better.
WordPress hosts worth checking out (middle tier): These vendors all have A+ BBB ratings, but not enough TrustPilot reviews for us to consider that rating as impactful, whether it's positive or negative.
Other WordPress hosting options (third tier): Two of these vendors -- MochaHost and Liquid Web Hosting -- currently have F ratings from the BBB. Others have TrustPilot ratings below 3.5, though in three cases, that's from fewer than 500 users.
Important caveats you should keep in mind: The Better Business Bureau does not rate companies outside of North America, and to be BBB Accredited, companies need to pay a fee to the organization. TrustPilot, meanwhile, also offers a paid tier that provides companies more interaction with their user ratings. It also removed 2.2 million fake reviews in 2020.
Something else to note: WordPress.org explicitly endorses three hosting sites: Bluehost, DreamHost and SiteGround. The first is not currently on our tier-one list due to a low TrustPilot rating, but may be worth checking out for WordPress specifically. It's also worth noting that, as of April 2020, WordPress cofounder Matt Mullenweg is engaged with a serious war of words with CEO Avishai Abrahami of the website builder Wix. (Note that Mullenweg was a CNET employee in the early 2000s.)
Many of the providers on this list offer similar features but in different packages and price points; once you figure out what type of plan is best for you (for example, one with a certain amount of storage, or with email included) you can more easily compare the options.
If you want more advice on what to keep in mind while shopping for a web hosting solution, the different types of web hosting available and tips on speeding up your website, make sure you scroll to the bottom of this page.
A note on pricing: We've made every effort to verify that the prices listed here were accurate at the time of last publication. However, prices in this category are subject to frequent fluctuations and they're consistently subject to special offers and limited deals. Furthermore, many of the prices listed here reflect the monthly rates if you prepay for 12 months of service or more. Please click through to the vendors in question to verify current pricing at any given time.
WordPress hosting providers, compared Basics DreamHost SiteGround GreenGeeks GoDaddy Web Hosting IONOS HostPapa Hostinger A2Hosting Hostwinds Starting price for WordPress hosting $2.59/month $7/month $2.49/month $1/month $1/month $4/month $2/month $3/month $5/month Uptime promise 100% 99.90% 99.90% 99.90% 99.90% 99.90% 99.90% 99.90% 99.90% 24/7 customer service Live chat; email; phone during certain hours Live chat; support tickets; phone support Live chat; email; phone during certain hours Phone; live chat 24/7 phone support; live chat Live chat; support tickets; phone support Live chat; support tickets Phone; live chat Live chat; support tickets Money-back guarantee 97 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days None Better Business Bureau rating A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ None (located outside North America) A+ A Better Business Bureau accreditation No No Yes Yes Yes No N/A Yes Yes TrustPilot rating 4.7/5 4.7/5 4.1/5 4.1/5 4.1/5 4.1/5 4.4/5 3.9/5 3.9/5 Best WordPress hosting providers DreamHostWith an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and 4.7 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot, DreamHost is one of our most recommended WordPress hosting providers for several reasons. Its server and database software is built to be compatible with WordPress for seamless integration. It also offers automatic WordPress updates, easy one-click installs and the proper configurations from the start to help your site run at top speed. DreamHost has provided more than 750,000 WordPress installations, according to its website.
DreamHost offers three different WordPress-specific tiers, with different plans within each tier: basic, managed WordPress hosting and virtual private servers for WordPress hosting, giving you different options depending on your needs. It also has a dedicated in-house WordPress customer support team, and 24/7 email and chat support. As noted, DreamHost is recommended by WordPress.
Other things we like about Dreamhost: It offers free shared website and email hosting to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. For all others, the pricing is pretty transparent -- there are no hidden gotchas in the rates. Plus, it provides a 97-day money back guarantee, one of the most generous offers available.
SiteGroundSiteGround has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4.7 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. It sits in the middle ground between a consumer web hosting provider and one that caters to enterprise businesses. If you've got a small business with more complex WordPress needs than a typical small business, SiteGround is an ideal solution -- and if your business ends up expanding, the service has options to grow with you.
You've got three different tiers of WordPress hosting plans to choose from: StartUp (one website and 10GB of web space), GrowBig (unlimited websites, 20GB of web space and features like on-demand backup copies and PHP) and GoGeek (unlimited websites, 40GB of web space and several other features, like priority support). SiteGround differs from some other services in that it sets limits on bandwidth and storage up front, whereas most others claim to be unlimited but have rules in the fine print. You'll also get a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 100% renewable energy match. As noted, SiteGround is recommended by WordPress.
As is the case with most other services, if you want to get the lowest price, you'll have to pay for a year of service in advance. After that year, the price will go up. Support includes 24/7 live chat and phone access, and tickets that are answered in an average of 15 minutes.
GreenGeeksGreenGeeks has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4.1 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. If you've ever been worried about the tremendous amount of power large data centers consume, you might want to check out this service. The "green" in the company's name reflects the Green Geeks' commitment to the environment. It purchases three times the energy it actually uses in wind energy credits, essentially putting energy back into the economy. The company does this through a form of renewable energy certificates, which, while complicated, means that it's not just energy neutral, it's actually helping fuel the green energy economy.
Even though it's green, GreenGeeks still offers a lot of power for your WordPress websites. Like other sites, it offers three plans, but with a large amount of web space: Lite (one website and 50GB of web space), Pro (unlimited websites and unlimited web space) and Premium (unlimited websites and web space, plus free premium SSL). All offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
GreenGeeks also offers live chat and email support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It also has phone support most hours of the day. It's also one of the more developer-friendly web hosting providers, too, with multiple PHP versions and Git preinstalled.
GoDaddyGoDaddy has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4.1 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. While the site is perhaps best known for purchasing domain names, it also offers a variety of WordPress hosting plans. Its basic plan starts at just $1 a month and includes a free SSL Certificate. Or, for larger sites, you can upgrade to the Deluxe plan for $10 a month (with SEO optimization features and 75GB of storage), or the Ultimate plan for $13 a month (with online marketing, unlimited storage and security features).
For those who are running larger online shops, GoDaddy also has a WordPress eCommerce plan for $16 a month with no transaction fees, WooCommerce extensions, appointment scheduling and real-time shipping rates.
Each plan comes with free business email for the first year. As is the case with many web hosting services, these prices will go up after you renew your service. Make sure you read all the fine print.
GoDaddy offers 24/7 phone support and live chat support as well.
IONOS from 1&1 has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a TrustPilot score of 4.1 out of 5. It's targeted toward small and medium businesses, with a focus on taking your first steps online or scaling up. IONOS has three typical WordPress plans: Essential for $3 a month (25GB of storage and 10 email accounts), Business for $1 a month (100GB of storage and 100 email accounts) or Unlimited for $8 a month (unlimited storage and email). All plans come with a managed option. Or, you'll find three more WordPress Pro plans, for those who need more intensive support, speed and a dedicated cloud server.
As is the case with many other services, the prices listed go up after a year (for example, Essential goes up to $4 a month and Business goes up to $8 a month).
HostPapaHostPapa has an A+ BBB rating and a 4.1 out of 5 TrustPilot rating. It's a small business-focused hosting service that also offers free domain transfer. HostPapa has three WordPress plans: Starter for $4 a month (100GB of storage and 100 email accounts), Business (unlimited storage and email) and Business Pro (unlimited storage and email plus enhanced performance, security and speed). It also offers free WordPress migration.
HostingerHostinger is based in Lithuania, so it does not have a BBB page (that organization only focuses on US-based businesses). However, it does have a TrustPilot rating of 4.4 out of 5 with more than 2,000 reviews.
Hostinger offers four managed WordPress hosting plans: Single WordPress for $2 a month (30GB of storage and one email account), WordPress Starter for $3 a month (100GB of storage and 100 email accounts), Business WordPress for $8 a month (300GB of storage and 100 email accounts) and WordPress Pro for $11.59 a month (all of the above plus additional features for small and medium businesses). Like most other services, these prices go up upon renewal.
A2 HostingA2 Hosting has an A+ rating from the BBB and 3.9 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. You can choose between four shared WordPress hosting plans (ranging in price from $3 a month to $15 a month) or three managed WordPress hosting plans which include faster load times and more security and support (ranging in price from $13 a month to $44 a month).
Customer support is also strong: A2 Hosting's Guru Grew support team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year by phone, email, online chat or ticket.
Like most web hosting providers, the published pricing is a bit misleading: The shared hosting price tag of $3 a month is only available if you sign up for the three-year plan and pay upfront. It offers a 30-day money back guarantee or a prorated refund for unused service after that point.
HostWindsHostwinds has an A rating from the BBB and a 3.9 out of 5 stars from TrustPilot. It offers three WordPress hosting sites, ranging in price from $5.24 a month to $8.24 a month. All plans offer unlimited bandwidth, disk space, email accounts, dedicated IPs and SSL certificates. Other perks include free WordPress site migration, and use of the Weebly site builder.
Additional WordPress hosting options worth checking outThe following WordPress hosts have slightly lower or fewer TrustPilot ratings than the ones above, but almost all are still highly rated with the BBB.
WebHostingPadWebHosingPad has an A+ BBB rating, but just a handful of reviews on TrustPilot. Its "all-inclusive" website hosting plan starts at $2 a month and includes free SSL certificates, a free website builder by Weebly, one-click install WordPress, a free domain and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It also offers unlimited websites, domains and email. WebHostingPad offers fewer services than some of the other providers, but the all-inclusive approach may be appealing if you want a simple way to get started building and hosting a site.
AccuWeb HostingAccuWeb Hosting has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4 out of 5 stars from TrustPilot, but again, fewer than 100 reviews. It stands out due to the wide array of hosting options it offers, including several different managed and unmanaged Windows and Linux hosting plans. AccuWeb Hosting also breaks down what's included in each plan more clearly than some of the other providers.
Web Hosting HubWeb Hosting Hub has an A+ BBB rating, but it has yet to have a quorum of user reviews on TrustPilot. One standout feature is full service web design for an extra fee, so you don't have to build your site yourself.
WP Engine Web HostingWP Engine Web Hosting has a A BBB rating and a 3.4 out of 5 TrustPilot rating (but with fewer than 200 reviews). As the name suggests, it's a WordPress hosting option that works with several large brands, including Yelp, Marriott and Etsy.
GlowHostGlowHost has an A+ BBB rating, but just a small handful of TrustPilot reviews. If you want to give it a try, the service offers a 91-day money-back guarantee.
Other WordPress hosting optionsThe following WordPress hosts have more mixed reviews and either a low BBB or TrustPilot rating. Reminder that we haven't tested them ourselves, but would recommend doing more research before signing up. And again, Bluehost is one of only three hosting sites that WordPress.org explicitly endorses, so may be worth checking out for this purpose.
Now that you've got a lay of the land for what types of web hosting services are out there, here are a few tips for when it comes to actually choosing a plan.
Be wary of the 'starting price'Despite the fact that most WordPress hosting services typically list a low starting price, this price will usually require you to pay up front for two to three years of service -- so it's not really, say, $3 a month, but $72 in advance for two years. And once that promotional period is over, the price to renew your service can end up being way higher.
Switching providers? Look for free site migrationsIf your WordPress hosting agreement is about to run out and the price is going to go up, you may want to transfer your site to another hosting provider to take advantage of their introductory deal. Look for those providers that offer free or low-cost site migrations to do so.
One more note about migration services: While these are useful, they're often automated, which means not everything may migrate over, and you may have to make some changes. Make sure you research how it will work for you before you sign up.
Read the fine print on 'unlimited' servicesWhile many web hosting services offer what they call "unlimited" or unmetered service for a certain amount of bandwidth, disk storage and websites you use, make sure you read the terms of service. Most actually do include a definition with a limit for use. But if you're running a fairly basic site and aren't trying to take advantage of the system, you should be fine.
Make sure you know the difference between web hosting and web building servicesMany web hosting services also offer a drag-and-drop website builder, helping you get your site up and running. But make sure you read the fine print: Using one of these website builders will often lock you into the web hosting service, too. The builders may also be proprietary to the service, making it difficult to move your site to another service if you want to do so later on.
More expert web tipsElon Musk dubs himself 'the Dogefather' ahead of SNL hosting gig on May 8
Elon Musk is going to host the TV show on May 8.
James Martin/CNETElon Musk will host NBC's Saturday Night Live on May 8 and he's making jokes about his upcoming appearance. Late Tuesday, the billionaire businessman behind Tesla and SpaceX tweeted a reminder of his hosting gig, dubbing himself the Dogefather. The tweet references the meme-themed cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Musk has tweeted and talked about before.
For a short tweet, Musk's words may have had a real-world effect. Barrons reported a Dogecoin rally, reporting that the currency was up about 15 percent, to 31 cents, in Wednesday trading.
It's not Musk's first tweet about the upcoming SNL episode. On Saturday, he confirmed his appearance with a tweet, then added another in which he wrote, "Let's find out just how live Saturday Night Live really is," with a purple smiling devil-face emoji.
That tweet caused some confusion. SNL cast member Bowen Yang reacted in an Instagram story with a frowning face, and then said, "What the f--- does that even mean?"
Cast member Andrew Dismukes also commented on Musk's hosting in an Instagram story, referring to SNL alum Cheri Oteri, and writing "ONLY CEO I WANT TO DO A SKETCH WITH IS Cher-E Oteri."
Musician Grimes, who shares a son with Musk, defended him on TikTok this week when commenters attacked Musk over issues involving the environment and women's rights, while admitting "(definitely) he's been very immature at points on Twitter."
A press release from SNL announcing his host role described Musk as "the CEO and Technoking of Tesla and the chief engineer of SpaceX, which launched the second operational flight of its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station on April 23." Miley Cyrus will be the musical guest on the May 8 show.
Although Musk is a first-time host, Miley Cyrus has been the show's musical guest five times.
Musk is an unusual choice, to say the least, but some nonactors have hosted in the past. Athletes such as Nancy Kerrigan and Lance Armstrong have hosted the show, as have politicians such as Rudy Giuliani and Al Gore. Even then-presidential candidate Donald Trump hosted in 2015.
And Musk is certainly no stranger to the spotlight (or to cracking a joke). He's had cameos in Iron Man 2, The Simpsons and Rick and Morty -- as Elon Tusk. And then there are the viral moments: taking a toke on Joe Rogan's podcast, that could-almost-have-been-a-comedy-routine Cybertruck demo. And the tweets -- including the one where Musk's head was Photoshopped onto the Rock's body. Musk also named his actually-a-thing tunnel-digging business The Boring Company.
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Naturally, there was some social-media reaction to the SNL news.
"I wonder how much Musk paid NBC and Lorene Michaels for the gig," one Twitter user wrote, referring to SNL creator Lorne Michaels. "Bet it's enough to finance SNL's entire 2021-'22 season."
"Elon Musk hosting SNL is huge for guys still making "that's what she said' jokes who think they'd be great at hosting SNL," wrote comedian and author Josh Gondelman.
CNET's Edward Moyer contributed to this report.
Elon Musk’s SNL Hosting Gig Is a Trap
© Britta Pedersen / Getty / The AtlanticElon Musk is an eyebrow-raising choice of host for Saturday Night Live. He’s a controversy-courting tech CEO with a tenuous connection to the entertainment industry. He’s never seemed interested in performing sketch comedy. And his Twitter following of more than 50 million accounts eclipses SNL’s audience—this season, the series’ highest-rated episode drew about 9 million viewers. Musk, in short, doesn’t need SNL.
But SNL, which doesn’t typically invite guests like Musk to Studio 8H, seems to need him. Yes, the show has made atypical host choices in the past, including athletes, politicians, and, on occasion, sportscasters, but these figures have always arrived with a message and a motive for subjecting themselves to the trials of live TV. They want your vote, or your visit, or your viewership. Only once has SNL chosen a host completely outside of these boundaries: an early show featuring Miskel Spillman, a woman who won a contest called “Anyone Can Host,” in 1977. Musk’s hosting gig begs the question: Why would this man want to head to 30 Rock?
Before 2018, Musk sometimes appeared as himself in film and television, perhaps hoping to come off as an affable public figure willing to poke a little fun at his image. In Iron Man 2, he pitches an idea to Robert Downey Jr.’s billionaire inventor, Tony Stark, a character to whom Musk has often been compared. In The Big Bang Theory, he meets a starstruck Howard (Simon Helberg) while volunteering at a soup kitchen for Thanksgiving. In Machete Kills, he helps Machete (Danny Trejo) get to space.
But in the past few years, Musk’s persona has mutated from that of the visionary tech genius into the overly online eccentric who named his son with the musician Grimes “X Æ A-12.” Musk’s plan to save soccer players trapped in a cave in Thailand in 2018 turned into a Twitter rant—including an unfounded accusation of pedophilia—against one of the divers who took part in the actual rescue. (Musk later apologized.) In 2020, Musk, again on Twitter, initially denied the existence of the coronavirus pandemic, spread misinformation on the topic, and prematurely opened Tesla’s factories amid lockdown.
The man who’ll take the SNL stage on May 8 won’t just be a billionaire with spacefaring dreams, but one who shamelessly and aggressively stirs the pot on the internet—whether to get people to call him “Daddy Dotcom” or to move cryptocurrency markets with a single tweet—to the cheering of his ardent acolytes. “For better or worse, he shows that he has a sense of humor on Twitter,” Ashlee Vance, Musk’s biographer, told me over the phone. Vance pointed out that Musk once tried to start his own satire magazine; going on SNL could just be a higher-profile extension of that. Early in his career, “he was pretty shy,” Vance said. “He was self-confident in his intellect and his abilities, but I would not say he was socially self-confident, you know? Over time, he’s grown and grown … it’s all part of an evolution of this guy who enjoys the celebrity and keeps getting bigger.”
[Conor Friedersdorf: Not everything should be a moral reckoning]
Video: Two Distant Strangers - Official Trailer (Yahoo! Sports)
SNL, however, isn’t usually so generous with its stage. It’s a thoroughly mainstream institution that has lasted for almost 50 years, consistently holding the attention of millions of Americans every weekend. The show books hosts and musical guests based on who’s in, or should be in, the cultural zeitgeist, thereby underlining their importance to the public—that’s why Oscar nominees tend to stop by. Simply by providing a platform, the series has legitimized guests, defanged them, or shattered their reputations altogether.
Choosing Musk defies this goal of highlighting talent; instead, he appears to have been picked just to inspire debate. He inevitably will, because he already has. Even his contributions to Tesla have been disputed in court, his persona as a tech genius muddied by allegations of forcibly ousting the company's founder and taking credit for the work of engineers after joining the company. (The company denied these claims, and the suit was later settled for undisclosed terms.)
But if SNL thinks it can brighten or dim the star power of its host, Musk poses a particularly risky challenge. He’s a black hole, a rare figure who absorbs attention, good or bad. He’s already downplayed the latest news about Tesla, involving the deaths of two people in a driverless car in Texas, claiming that autopilot was not enabled, and moved on to reiterating his calls for turning humanity into a “multi-planetary species.” His power does not depend on cultural support from the likes of SNL; he can be disliked, but not “canceled.” None of his scandals have substantially altered his influence on the tech industry or his online following. Unlike a typical SNL host, he has nothing to lose. The show has effectively invited into the hallowed halls of 30 Rock a walking, talking, breathing meme with a net worth of $172.1 billion as of this writing.
[Read: ‘Saturday Night Live’ is over it]
No wonder some working at SNL seem baffled, if not outright frustrated, by the decision. They’ve been left in the uncomfortable, lopsided position of creating comedy for someone without any need for their work or support, who’s basically trolling them for kicks. A few cast members have posted cryptic responses on their social-media accounts: a sad emoji from Bowen Yang, a quip from Andrew Dismukes about “Cher-E Oteri” being the only CEO he’d want to work with, a tweet reposted by Aidy Bryant of Bernie Sanders’ calling billionaires “a moral obscenity.” Even Michael Che, who rarely posts on Instagram, felt compelled to release a tongue-in-cheek statement making fun of Musk’s polarizing reputation. There’s little else they can do: Having Musk as host erodes the series’ reputation as a cultural gatekeeper.
It’s easy to argue that criticisms against SNL and Musk are overblown, but Musk hosting SNL doesn’t so much reflect a moral quandary as it does a shift in the balance of power between the big TV networks and the memes. “It’s like asymmetric warfare for him,” Vance said. “He obviously enjoys the celebrity and the attention, and not only does he enjoy it—he uses it as this tool.” In other words, even if nothing Musk does on May 8 entertains America, he will be entertained.
Musk has become arguably one of the most successful trolls on Twitter today, a public figure without any stake in entertainment or politics capable of provoking a reaction, full stop. This hosting gig—unconventional for SNL, but entirely unnecessary for him—is a trap. So is trying to understand his motives. Because no matter what he does on the night—and he’s been delighting in teasing the fiendish possibilities of live television—he’s already seized our attention. And that’s how you know his trolling has worked: It doesn’t matter whether you react positively or negatively; you’ve already been caught reacting.
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