If you’re starting a new site and looking for blog hosting or if you’re already a blogger and looking to renew or upgrade your web hosting for blogs, then check out my list of the the best blog hosting services. To find the best blog host company and plan for your blog you need to weigh up a few factors. Cost is certainly a major factor for any blogger when picking the best place to host a blog but you also need to look at reliability and the support you get from your web hosting blog company.
What You'll Find in This Post
What is blog hosting?
The three things you need when starting your own blog are:
- Domain purchase and registration – The domain name (URL) of your site.
- Blogging platform – A tool or “content management system” that allows you to create your blog. The best self hosted blogging platform is WordPress and if you’re starting a new blog I recommend it 100%.
- Web hosting – When you’re starting out you can definitely go for a shared hosting package with a hosting company.
What to look for in blog hosting services?
- Server location
- Customer services & support – Look for hosting companies that have multiple ways of contacting them e.g. by phone, live chat or email. It’s useful also to have a deidcated account manager that looks after you but not all hosts provide this. Hosts with US-based support centers are more helpful in my experience than web hosting companies that outsource support to developing countries.
- Speed & Reliability – Look for a host that offers a guarantee of 99%+ uptime. Ideally you don’t want your site going down at all.
- Cost – Cost is honestly a major factor for most people when choosing a host. I know it plays a big part of my decision making process when I look at where to host my blog. Make sure you check the price of renewal before you buy! Many hosts have cheap plans to suck you in and then sting you on the renewals! Make sure you look for coupons and deals before you buy by Googling the host name and the word “promo” or “coupon”. A lot of hosting companies just display their promo codes on their homepage or add them to the cart automatically which is helpful. Cyber Monday is a great time of year to purchase the best web hosting for a great price.
- Shared Hosting
- VPS
- Dedicated Hosting
- Managed WordPress Hosting
Best Web Hosting for Blogs at a Glance
Here is my list of the best hosting for blogs. My blog hosting sites comparison chart covers the cost of purchasing new blogger hosting and then the cost of renewing.
| Hosting Company | Cost of 1 year hosting | Cost of 2 year hosting | Cost of 3 year hosting | Costing of renewing hosting per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | $12 | $83.88 | $143.64 | $95.88 |
| BlueHost | $59.40 | $94.80 | $99 | 12-month term: $8.99/month 24-month term: $8.49/month 36-month term: $7.49/month |
| HostGator | $71.40 | $118.79 | $142.19 | 12 month - $8.95 24 months - $7.95 36 months - $6.95 |
| Siteground | $47.40 | $94.80 | $142.20 | $9.95/mo |
| eUKhost. | £39.96 | £79.92 | - | Same as purchase term |
| Interserver | $54 | $102 | $144 | Same as purchase term |
| FatCow | $49 | $98 | $147 | 36-month term: $12.95 a month (billed $466.20 for 3 years) 24-month term: $13.95 a month (billed $334.80 for 2 years) 12-month term: $14.95 a month (billed $179.40 for 1 year) |
| NameCheap | $9.98 | - | - | $38.88/year |
| iPage | $35.88 | $47.76 | $71.64 | $12.95/month (after 1 year) $11.95/month (after 2 years) $10.95/month (after 3 years) |
| A Small Orange | $35 | $70 | $105 | Same as purchase term |
| Host Papa | $71.40 | $118.80 | $142.20 | 36-month term: $5.99 per month (billed $215.64 for 3 years) 24-month term: $6.99 per month (billed $167.76 for 2 years) 12-month term: $7.99 per month (billed $95.88 for 12 months) |
Guide to Finding the Best Blog Web Hosting 2016
Read through my blog hosting reviews to decide on the best company for your blog.
GoDaddy
If you’re looking at hosting blog or websites for the first time, GoDaddy is a very easy to use service. It’s especially handy if you’ve purchased your domain through GoDaddy. GoDaddy allows you to set up WordPress very quickly and even has a number of free themes you can use.
One of the main negatives with GoDaddy is that the cost of renewal is much higher than the cost of your first year of hosting. If you do buy your web hosting with GoDaddy make sure you 1) Google for a promo code as there often is a great one and 2) host your site for more than just the one year term. The one year is tempting because it’s so cheap but you’ll regret it when renewal time rolls around.
BlueHost
BlueHost is one of the most popular blog hosts.
HostGator
Many people recommend HostGator as the best host for blog.
Siteground
Siteground are one of the top blog hosts.
eUKhost
For UK bloggers or those who want to work with a UK hosting service, I would encourage you to check out eUKhost.
Interserver
Interserver offer free SSL certificates.
FatCow
FatCow has
NameCheap
If you’re looking for the best blogging host on a budget then check out NameCheap. They are one of the cheapest hosts to get started with as the start up cost is under $10.
NameCheap has data centers in the US and UK so you can select where your site is hosted. (Select the location closest to your audience for fast site delivery.)
iPage
iPage have…. If you’re looking for where to host a blog on a budget then you’ll iPage is great value, particularly if you go for the 3-year hosting plan. It’s definitely the cheapest way to host a blog when you’re first starting out that I have found in my research. iPage has a one-click tool for WordPress installation making it easy for new bloggers who are not technical.
Their renewal rates are high however. Renewals on a 1 year plan are $12.95/month, on a 2 year plan are $11.95/month and on a 3 year plan they move to $10.95/month. So around $130-155 a year after the initial hosting term is up.
A Small Orange
If you’re looking at hosting a blog with a smaller, more independent hosting company then check out A Small Orange. They actually have great rates and it doesn’t matter if you purchase one, two or three year hosting plans as each year is the same price. Hosting renews at the same rate and term that you signed up for so there are no nasty surprises upon renewal.
Host Papa
Host Papa seem good on paper. I’m actually still looking into their service so I will report back if they are somewhere where should I host my blog once I’ve done a little more research. Host Papa is a 100% green energy hosting company based in the Niagara Falls area of the US and Canada. They’re not the cheapest hosting company but comparable to GoDaddy. Their renewal rates are slightly higher than their regular rates so if you do choose them, sign up for a three year hosting plan.
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I hope I’ve helped you decided where to host your blog! If you have any questions about my blog host reviews or working out the best blog hosting service for your blog then let me know. I’d be happy to chat through your options for the best web hosting blog services.
