7 Best Cheap Web Hosting Companies of 2024
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Cheap web hosting—it’s one of those phrases that people search for thinking they can get free (or nearly free) hosting that’s good, reliable, and costs pennies on the dollar.
Is this true? Well, not really (but it’s not entirely untrue either, which may sound a bit confusing)…
The fact of the matter is that there are web hosting companies that are pretty cheap and provide awesome hosting, but you have to be careful—because there are, let’s be real, a lot of really crappy web hosting companies out there that advertise “cheap web hosting” and they’re just down all the time, have terrible support, and are basically unusable.
So, how do you know the difference? How do you find cheap web hosting companies that ARE actually reliable and worth paying for?
That’s where we come in! At Web Hosting Buddy, we’re 15+ year industry veterans in the web hosting space, and we’ve used basically every cheap, free, and budget web host out there—so we know what’s good—and more importantly, what isn’t.
Because of that—we’ve bottled up our expertise and created this guide to cheap web hosting, that not only offers our time-tested favorite picks for low-cost hosts, but also answers some common questions (and dispels common myths) around the idea of free/cheap/low-cost web hosting.
Before we get started, we wanted to drop a quick note and mention that this page contains affiliate links, and if you do purchase hosting from one of the web hosts on this page, we might receive a commission. This doesn’t affect our recommendations in any way, and helps keep the site free for everyone to read!
Alright, with that being said, let’s jump into the world of cheap and low-cost web hosts and separate the good from the bad!
Cheap Web Hosting Companies – Our Favorites Based on Experience
Unlike many unethical web hosting affiliate websites across the web, we have direct experience with every cheap hosting company we recommend.
Bottom line—we don’t haphazardly give out recommendations or our stamp of approval, and these cheap hosts have risen to the top of what we would consider to be the truly best options. They are:
And before we get into the list a little deeper, we want to defend our last few picks from people saying “hey, but aren’t hosts like Kinsta and WP Engine expensive?” Honestly, no, for the value you get if you’re hosting WordPress. With our coupon, for example, you get a few months free, and their cheapest plan now starts at $13/month. You can’t even go to McDonald’s for 13 bucks anymore, so yes—we would consider that very cheap for managed WordPress hosting. And the rest of the hosts on this list are as cheap as $1.99/month with our coupons, so that’s less than you can buy a candy bar for nowadays. Again, pretty dang cheap!
So, with that said, here’s a breakdown of each individual host on our list:
1) Bluehost
Bluehost has been around forever, and after a recent pricing revision, they are now $1.99/month which is honestly just an insane price for one of the oldest and most reliable shared hosting companies in the game. This is truly cheap web hosting—you can’t even buy a box of cereal for 2 bucks anymore.
On top of that, they have US-based telephone support, so you can actually call and talk to a real human about problems with your website, which is something that many hosting companies have eliminated at this point.
Bluehost is really, honestly, the best cheap web host out there at the moment, and it’s why they’re #1 on our list. You can’t beat that pricing and feature combination—we’re sure of it!
2) SiteGround
SiteGround is one of our all-time favorite cheap web hosting companies, and while they do have some plans that get a bit more expensive, they have a lot of flexibility in their offerings, and with our SiteGround coupon, you can now get their StartUp package for $2.99/month, which is less than you’ll pay for a coffee—and in our opinion, is pretty cheap hosting.
The thing about SiteGround though, is that they aren’t really a cheap web host when it comes to what they offer. Their support is absolutely top-notch, and you don’t have to wait forever to get in touch with someone, which is really important in a host.
They also have things like their SuperCacher plugin, which helps make websites speedy, and their UI is very easy to navigate, and they aren’t always trying to sell or upsell you on some nonsense. SiteGround is one of our favorite cheap hosting companies, and you really can’t go wrong with them in our opinion.
3) Hostinger
Hostinger is somewhat of a “new kid on the block” in the hosting world, as they haven’t been around as long as Bluehost (1996 vs. 2004, and actually rebranded as Hostinger in 2011), and have gained more popularity in the past few years. In fact, they’re actually now a recommended host by WordPress.org, which in and of itself is a feat.
And we think this is for good reason, as they have one of the slickest interfaces and website builders around. This means that if you don’t want to host a WordPress website, and don’t know how to code, you can actually just their WYSIWYG drag-and-drop website builder and create a cool-looking website without much of any web dev experience.
And as far as pricing goes, they are $2.69/month with our Hostinger coupon, which makes them extremely cheap in the web hosting world.
4) HostGator
HostGator is one of the original cheap web hosting companies, with a name that’s been around for a long time, and a solid reputation. We do think that HostGator was a tiny bit better when they were a smaller company back in the day (now they are part of EIG, a hosting conglomerate, but to be fair, so is Bluehost). However, they are still a solid company in the cheap shared web hosting world.
They offer a lot of standard features, but what we like about them best is that for a few bucks a month, they have some of the best uptime in the industry, and we actually tested this over a longer period of time.
In addition to that, they offer chat/ticket support, and the standard fanfare of web hosting options. And while they have become a bit commoditized in the past few years, they remain a solid cheap web hosting provider.
5) DreamHost
No list of cheap web hosting would be complete without mentioning DreamHost, as they are one of the oldest and best cheap web hosting companies out there!
DreamHost used to be kind of confusing to use, with their somewhat odd proprietary hosting panel, but in recent years, they’ve really stepped up their game and have a slick UI and a much easier to user backend in a variety of ways.
And their pricing is really hard to beat! With our DreamHost coupon, you can get hosting for $2.59/month, which is a pretty good deal (and less than you can buy a coffee for at most places). They are reliable, and a solid name in the business—making them a good choice for cheap shared web hosting.
6) WP Engine
With WP Engine, we’re getting into the “cheap WordPress hosting” section of our cheap hosting provider list, and because WordPress represents approximately 43% of all sites on the internet, and while we have a separate page for cheap WordPress hosting, we still don’t think you can have a “cheap web hosting list” without a few dedicated WordPress hosting companies.
Now, you can make an argument that WP Engine isn’t “cheap” because their least expensive plan starts at $13/month (and also includes a few months free with our WP Engine coupon), but we would push back and say these days, you can’t really even go to Chipotle or McDonald’s for less than $15/month—so $13 for hosting, is actually pretty cheap. In fact, we could go even higher and still consider that cheap (we pay a lot more than that to host Web Hosting Buddy with Liquidweb every month, let’s just say that).
On the merits of being a host, WP Engine is really great when it comes to WordPress hosting, although there are much more expensive enterprise options like Pagely which starts at $375/month (WP Engine is looking pretty cheap now, right?).
They also have great support, backups, staging environments and just about everything you could want to host a WordPress site cheaply (again, we still think $13/month is cheap).
7) Kinsta
At this point in the list, we’re getting to the “most expensive cheap host” which is Kinsta, and they come in at $30/month on their cheapest plan.
We can hear some of the cries in the background “but, but $30/month isn’t cheap, and this page is supposed to be about cheap hosting!” Well, for the record, we think $30/month for managed WordPress hosting is still pretty cheap—as we mentioned, top-tier WordPress hosts like Pagely are a whopping $375/month, which is a lot more.
$30/month is likely less than half the cost of your cell phone bill, and probably less than you spend on coffee in a week, so it’s really not that much in the spectrum of managed WordPress hosts, and for what you get, it’s pretty cheap.
Kinsta is a great hosting company for WordPress, if you want a managed host on the cheap. They do a good job with staging, backups, support—all the above. You can host WordPress for a lot less on Bluehost or SiteGround, so that’s an option too.
However, if you’re looking for a good WordPress host that’s managed, and cheap, Kinsta clocks in at $30/month, and you should check them out as they’re on the top end of what we’d still consider relatively “cheap.”
What About Free or $1/Month Cheap Web Hosting?
No. Immediately no. Literally no. Absolutely no. Do you get it now?! Unless you want to have a website that is down more than it’s online, and hosting support that is basically worthless, don’t even think about that!
Want to have your files hacked, and website compromised on a regular basis? Then use free or $1 web hosting!
While there are services out there that appear to be free or cheap, the economics just don’t make sense, and no one seems to want to be honest about this. At $1/month or free, with accounts at scale, web hosts simply don’t have enough profit margin to pay proper support staff, maintain the security of their servers, and a whole bunch of other things.
It sounds good, and people think “well this is the Facebook Marketplace everything is free era, we shouldn’t have to pay for hosting?” But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, some things are free, like social media, but that doesn’t translate to web hosting—it’s not free, and honestly if you want good quality hosting and to not waste your time, you need to spend money on it. And as we’ve mentioned multiple times in this guide to cheap web hosting—you need to pay for it to get decent hosting, and that threshold is a couple bucks a month.
The only exception might be if you’re a college student, and your school happens to provide something for free, but in the real world—the answer is no.
Part of the point of this article is also to help redefine the idea of what people consider “cheap” in terms of web hosting, and for us, we would say that’s about $2/month on the low end, with the price being $2-$3/month for shared hosting, and about $13-$30/month for managed WordPress hosting. All those numbers are actually quite “cheap” for what you’re getting, so people really need to get this “free or $1” hosting idea out of their heads—it’s just not feasible or realistic for a company to offer a good product or service at that price point.
What About GoDaddy and Namecheap? Isn’t Their Hosting Cheap and Good?
No, honestly. They both suck at web hosting in our opinion. Which is funny, because Namecheap is one of our favorite domain name registrars (GoDaddy, not so much).
The thing is, these guys are primarily domain name registrars, and it’s where all their money goes in terms of dev, support, and product improvements, etc.
For them, hosting is just an afterthought/add-on, it’s not their main business, and that really shows in the quality of their hosting.
We love Namecheap as a registrar, but we’ve had issues with their web hosting, and really don’t use it much anymore on our own and prefer to stick with companies where hosting is their main business.
GoDaddy has web hosting, but it’s slow and overpriced, and their UI is confusing, so we think it’s just better to stay away from them and
Cheap Web Hosting FAQs
What are the best and most affordable web hosting companies?
There are a lot of cheap web hosting companies out there to pick from (we’ve curated our list of the top 7 cheap web hosting companies above).
But if we had to pick the top 3, let’s say, it would be:
Which are the top 3 from our list above. And our reasoning for this would be that Bluehost is ultimately the cheapest at $1.99/month with their pricing reduction. Hostinger is the best combination of value at $2.69/month with their awesome website builder and things like that, and SiteGround is the most powerful cheap host still under $3/month, coming in at $2.99/month.
We think that’s a pretty solid justification for the top 3 cheapest web hosting companies (that don’t suck, or aren’t massively unreliable, etc.).
What is the cheapest web hosting company?
Well, the cheapest web hosting company is Bluehost, at $1.99/month in terms of what we’ve got on our list, and we stand by that.
Can you ultimately get a web host that’s cheaper than $1.99/month? Sure, but we wouldn’t recommend it, like—at all. Ever.
This is because, as we’ve mentioned before, your website will likely be down a lot, the support will be terrible, and generally speaking, it’ll just be bad, very low-quality service. So why not just spend an extra buck and get Bluehost? Makes sense to us! And we’ve tried some of those “$1 hosting companies” and they were literally all terrible.
The only exception here in terms of a commercial company, might be if you want to use an AWS bucket or Azure blob to host a static website, but that’s not really what people are looking for when they search for cheap web hosting. Furthermore, unless you pay a bunch of money, AWS and Azure don’t provide technical support (only billing support), so you’ll end up paying more than Bluehost (and many other hosts on this list) if you actually need support.
Why can’t I host my website for free? Shouldn’t everything online be free now?
The idea that everything online should be free is a misconception, especially when it comes to web hosting. Sure, social media platforms and some apps are “free,” but that’s because they’re monetizing your data or bombarding you with ads. Web hosting, on the other hand, requires physical servers, maintenance, security, and support staff—these are real costs that someone has to cover. If you’re not paying for hosting, you’re likely the product, not the customer.
Free hosting often comes with strings attached—limited resources, constant downtime, and zero support. Not to mention, many free hosts slap ads all over your site, making it look unprofessional. And let’s not forget security; free hosts typically skimp on this, leaving your site vulnerable to hacks and data breaches. Bottom line: you get what you pay for, and when it comes to hosting, investing a few bucks a month is the smarter move.
Why is hosting a website so expensive?
The perception that hosting a website is expensive often comes from a misunderstanding of what you’re actually paying for. When you host a website, you’re essentially renting space on a server—a powerful, high-performance computer that needs to run 24/7, be secure, and handle traffic spikes without breaking a sweat. This isn’t cheap. High-quality hosting companies invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure, top-notch security measures, and reliable support teams, all of which contribute to the cost.
Additionally, web hosting isn’t just about keeping your site online; it’s about performance, speed, and security. If you want your website to load quickly, stay up during peak traffic, and be safe from hackers, you’re going to need a solid host. Think of it as renting office space—sure, you can go for the cheapest option, but you wouldn’t want to run your business out of a leaky basement. The cost reflects the quality, and in the long run, good hosting is worth every penny.
Does cheap web hosting mean it’s not any good?
No, it doesn’t (but you need to be careful). There are plenty of affordable web hosting options out there that offer solid performance, good uptime, and decent support. The trick is to know which ones are worth your money and which ones will just give you headaches.
Cheap hosts like Bluehost, SiteGround, and Hostinger have proven that you can get reliable service without breaking the bank. They manage to keep costs down while still delivering on the essentials—speed, uptime, and customer support. However, it’s important to understand that “cheap” hosting is often shared hosting, which means your site is on a server with many others, potentially affecting performance during peak times.
The key is to balance cost with what you actually need. For a small blog or personal site, a cheap hosting plan might be perfect. But if you’re running an online store or a site with heavy traffic, you might need to invest a bit more. Cheap doesn’t have to mean bad, but you have to choose wisely to avoid ending up with something that actually sucks and isn’t worth using.
Where can I find the cheapest shared web hosting?
If you’re hunting for the cheapest shared web hosting, you’re in luck—there are plenty of options out there (and we’ve literally outlined them over and over on this page). Companies like Bluehost, Hostinger, and SiteGround are known for offering some of the most affordable shared hosting plans in the industry. Bluehost, for example, offers plans starting as low as $1.99/month with our link, which is about as cheap as it gets for a reputable host. Hostinger is also a strong contender with plans starting at $2.69/month, combining affordability with a user-friendly experience.
But don’t just jump at the lowest price—make sure you’re getting value for your money. Look for hosts that offer good uptime (at least 99.9%), decent customer support, and essential features like SSL certificates, one-click WordPress installs, and easy-to-use control panels. While you can find cheaper options if you dig deep enough, they often come with significant trade-offs in performance and reliability. Stick to well-known names with a proven track record, and you’ll find cheap shared web hosting that doesn’t compromise on quality.
Where can I find the cheapest VPS hosting?
The cheapest VPS hosting can be found in a lot of forums, and even hosting companies like HostGator and Bluehost offer pretty cheap VPS options, which are fairly decent.
Keep in mind though, that buying a VPS hosting package with really limited resources just to make it cheap sometimes means that it might not be much (or any) better than a good shared hosting account where the host manages the resources effectively.
We have tried some cheap VPS hosting packages that honestly weren’t as good as SiteGround or WP Engine but cost a lot more, so that’s something to consider.
If you’re looking for a solid VPS provider that doesn’t break the bank, and is still on the “cheaper” end of what’s ultimately available in the hosting world, we recommend checking out Liquidweb. We have (and at the time of writing) use them to host Web Hosting Buddy, so that’s a fairly good endorsement, right?
Where can I find the cheapest dedicated server hosting?
Let’s start out by saying this—most people do not need dedicated server hosting. In fact, most people do not need VPS hosting. Many websites on the internet get little to no traffic, or a moderate amount of traffic that can easily be handled by a shared hosting plan, so it’s not really realistic for most people to consider dedicated server hosting (cheap or otherwise).
That said, if you’re looking for the cheapest dedicated server hosting with good support, we’d recommend Liquidweb again. They are a solid company with their VPS offerings, and also with their dedicated options.
What features are typically included with a cheap web hosting service?
Even though you’re opting for a budget-friendly option, cheap web hosting services usually include a solid set of features to get your website up and running. Here’s what you can typically expect:
- Domain Registration: Some cheap hosts offer a free domain for the first year, though you’ll usually have to pay for it after that.
- SSL Certificate: Most reputable cheap hosting providers include a free SSL certificate, which is essential for securing your site and improving search engine rankings.
- One-Click Installers: Easy installation of popular CMSs like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal through one-click installers like Softaculous or Mojo Marketplace.
- Control Panel Access: A user-friendly control panel, often cPanel, which allows you to manage your site’s files, databases, email accounts, and more without needing advanced technical skills.
- Email Accounts: Many cheap hosts include free email accounts associated with your domain, though the number may be limited.
- Storage and Bandwidth: While you might not get unlimited resources, most cheap hosting plans offer sufficient storage and bandwidth for small to medium-sized websites.
- Customer Support: 24/7 support is pretty standard, though the quality can vary. Some hosts offer live chat, phone support, and a knowledge base.
- Website Builder: Some hosts include basic website builders, which can be handy if you don’t want to dive into WordPress or another CMS. Hostinger has a good option here.
While these features are common, always make sure you understand what they actually offer and read the fine print—cheap hosting can come with limitations like capped storage or slower server speeds, so make sure the plan meets your specific needs.
Can I really get a free domain with some cheap hosting companies?
Yes, you can! Many cheap hosting companies offer a free domain for the first year as part of their hosting packages. It’s a nice perk, especially if you’re just starting out and trying to keep costs down. Providers like Bluehost and Hostinger, for example, include a free domain name when you sign up for one of their hosting plans. It’s a great way to get everything you need in one place without having to pay extra upfront.
However, it’s important to note that the “free” part typically only lasts for the first year. After that, you’ll need to pay the regular renewal fee, which can vary depending on the domain extension (like .com, .net, etc.). These fees typically range from $10 to $20 per year, so it’s not a huge expense, but something to keep in mind when budgeting.
Another thing to consider is that while the domain might be free, some hosts may try to upsell you on add-ons like domain privacy protection or premium DNS, which can increase your costs. So yes, you can get a free domain with cheap hosting, but just be aware of what happens after that first year and what extras might be pushed your way.
What about a free SSL certificate?
Yes, you can absolutely get a free SSL certificate with many cheap web hosting plans, and in today’s internet landscape, this isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate encrypts the data exchanged between your website and its visitors, ensuring that sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal details are protected. Plus, having an SSL certificate is a must if you want to rank well on search engines, as Google favors secure sites.
The good news is that most reputable cheap hosting providers include a free SSL certificate in their plans. Companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, and Hostinger all offer this as part of their standard package, typically powered by Let’s Encrypt, a well-known, free SSL provider.
However, just like with the free domain offer, it’s important to know what you’re getting. The free SSL certificates provided are usually sufficient for most small to medium-sized websites. But if you’re running an e-commerce site or something more complex that handles a lot of sensitive data, you might need a more advanced SSL certificate, which can cost extra.
In short, a free SSL certificate is a fantastic feature included with many cheap hosting plans, and it’s more than enough for most websites. Just be aware of your specific needs and whether you might need to upgrade down the line.
Cheapest Web Hosting – Final Thoughts
When it comes to choosing the cheapest web hosting, the key is to balance cost with value. Sure, you can find hosting that’s dirt cheap, but you need to ask yourself what you’re really getting for that price. Reliability, support, security—these are the pillars of a good web host, and skimping on them just to save a few bucks a month could end up costing you more in the long run, whether it’s in lost revenue from downtime or the frustration of dealing with poor customer service.
Our top picks, like Bluehost, Hostinger, and SiteGround (and others on the list at the top of this article) show that cheap doesn’t have to mean low quality. These hosts manage to offer affordable plans without sacrificing the essentials that make your website run smoothly and securely. Whether you’re starting a personal blog, a small business site, or even a WordPress site, these providers give you the tools and reliability you need without breaking the bank.
Remember, web hosting is the foundation of your online presence. It’s worth investing in a service that not only fits your budget but also meets your needs in terms of performance, support, and security. In the world of web hosting, a few extra dollars a month can make a significant difference in the quality of service you receive. So, choose wisely, and don’t let the allure of rock-bottom prices cloud your judgment. After all, the cheapest hosting isn’t just about the lowest price—it’s about finding the best value for your money while still keeping the overall costs manageable.
