The best web hosting solutions for your personal webpage or business site

Wordpress is a massively flexible content management system that powers far more of the internet than you'd expect. That's because it's just as good for a quick and basic blog as it is for a complex business infrastructure. It's the perfect foundation for any content creation ambitions you may have, so a dedicated Wordpress hosting package is all the more convenient. 

TMDHosting is the best option out there for Wordpress hosting. It offers three different packages for Wordpress users, each of which match the shared web hosting package equivalents but with some neat Wordpress friendly extras. 

It's the little things that add up fast for TMDHosting. There's live malware protection, for instance, circumventing one of the key issues for an unsecured Wordpress build. 

Elsewhere, Wordpress has been preconfigured to be as speedy as possible, with curated management plugins that have been adapted to make the process virtually hassle-free for you. It's a well-designed system to ensure that novices can feel supported while those who know the ins and outs of Wordpress don't feel constrained. 

The only real issue here is that tech support is a little limited, depending on how you like to communicate your issues. Support via ticket or live chat is available 24/7 but if you want to call and speak to someone, the hours are limited to typical business hours. That's not always convenient, but if a helping hand isn't an essential for you, it's fine.  

1&1 IONOS  is an ultra popular web hosting provider that routinely shows up on lists in both the US and Europe — and it's not surprising how it got there. It's well priced, offers plenty of features, and is pretty straight forward. When it comes to shared hosting, the Basic package starts at only £1 per month for a year with that price rising per month after the first year. For that tiny sum, you get 100GB of storage, one website, 25 databases, 500 email accounts, a free domain name, SSL certification, and 24/7 customer support. 

Pay a little more at £5 per month and everything switches to unlimited. In both cases, there's automated installation options for popular software like Wordpress and Joomla so, in theory, you're only moments away from launching a simple blog or site setup. There's access to the  1&1 IONOS  Website Builder too, which enables you to choose from a series of site templates to set up your own website that also includes social media fields and comment boxes. We'd be inclined to suggest you stick with something more Wordpress-based if you're new to website design though. It's much more flexible. 

Whichever package you choose, 1&1 IONOS is a solid choice for anyone after a shared hosting package. It's easy to use for a small business startup or as a personal blog launching pad. It's flexible enough to grow alongside your business needs too, which is always good when looking at the long-term. 

The only issue here is that the 1&1 IONOS Control Panel is a little clunky and prone to sending you to outdated information. Fortunately, its 24/7 support is a lot more reliable. That reinforces its position as a solid starting place for a business website that needs a little guidance along the way.  

It's easy to be overwhelmed by security needs but SiteGround goes some way to simply giving you everything you need without having to think about it. Much of that is thanks to its integration with CloudFlare, a content delivery network that provides better performance and security. It's something you could do elsewhere but this way, you don't have to think about it. It keeps your site and data safe while boosting the performance of your site.

Other security features include the SG Site Scanner that lets you know if your site is under attack, anti-spam tools like SpamAssassin and SpamExperts, IP address blacklists, Leech Protect to stop passwords being publicly posted, and SiteCheck to scan for malware. 

Convenient features like being able to choose where in the world your site is based is great when you want to tailor speed and performance according to your main user base. Uptime is solid, and tech support is available via tickets, live chat or telephone, all of which are available 24/7. 

The downside to SiteGround is its packages offer less storage and bandwidth than others, with the starter package costing £2.95 per month for a mere 10GB of webspace. However, if security is a big concern, you really can't go wrong with SiteGround. It's welcoming to webmasters who are new to the importance of security concerns, and takes some important worries off your mind.  

Most web hosting sites also offer reseller packages, so you can start out as a web host yourself while using someone else's servers. InMotion is a solid all-around choice when it comes to all the packages it offers, but its reseller packages are particularly worthwhile to check out.

That's partly because of its wealth of reseller options. If you tie yourself into a 2-year contract, you can start with the beginner package (known as R-1000S) for £10.94 a month. That offers 80 GB of storage, 800 GB of bandwidth, a free dedicated IP, and unlimited cPanels. There are six different reseller packages available so there's plenty of flexibility depending on your ambitions. The ability to switch between packages is certainly a massive help when you’re working your way up within the field. 

Organisational tools are also included, such as free billing software and free domain reselling too, so you're good to go with your business right from the get go. It's not as cheap as some competitors but uptime is high and customer support is speedy and knowledgeable, while not being too intimidating. The 90-day money back guarantee is suitably reassuring too.

InMotion promises great uptime as well as comprehensive tech support, both phone and online based, so it’s a dependable name to use as part of your plan to become a reseller wizard. Just expect to pay a little more than other hosts, given its quality reputation.  

Whether you need shared hosting, cloud hosting, a Wordpress plan, reseller account, dedicated hosting, or VPS, HostGator has something for you. The site would be intimidating if it wasn't for the fact that HostGator loves to throw in dinosaur-based cuteness via its plan names alongside the cuddly looking dinosaur that adorns its logo. 

The most basic shared hosting plan starts at £2.16 per month with that price giving you unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email addresses. Things steadily ramp up depending on your needs with cloud hosting of a similar quality starting at £3.89, and a WordPress optimised solution at £4.67 per month. All those prices are dependent on you tying yourself into a three-year plan though, so be aware if you only have short term aims. 

For the more tech-minded user, a dedicated server starts at £93 per month. Reseller accounts start at £15.66 per month with VPS hosting priced the same. If you've kept up with pricing conventions, you'll notice that HostGator isn't the cheapest at everything it offers but it does remain highly competitive given its unlimited offerings. 

Where things get even more appealing for the service is with its wealth of features. It has its own website builder that produces attractive results, one stop automated installations of popular CMS platforms including Joomla and Wordpress, and its file manager tool is far easier to use than FTP software. 

Perhaps most importantly for anyone considering taking the plunge, its uptime is almost flawless, and the same can be said for its customer service. It offers 24/7 telephone support as well as online web chat so you can easily get in touch if there's a problem or you simply have a tricky question. 

It's a strong, multifaceted effort for the dinosaur themed company, with its only failing being that it doesn't offer a quick import function if you have an existing Wordpress setup elsewhere. Also, it is a little cheeky during purchase, since prices are based upon signing up for three years. Additional services such as HostGator's SiteLock monitoring service are also automatically ticked, so be aware when making a purchase. 

Despite that, if you just want something straightforward while you figure out what specific needs you require, HostGator is a really dependable starting place.  

If your business is highly dependent on an internet presence, you need a dedicated hosting solution. Anything less than that just isn't going to cut it since any downtime or slowdown will be detrimental to your operation. Hostwinds is a remarkably flexible dedicated hosting solution. 

That's apparent right from the moment you check out their servers. It's possible to outfit them extensively. There's the choice of operating system, hard drive type and size, and RAM, as well as how many IP addresses you require and how much outbound bandwidth should be taken into consideration. That does mean it's a little intimidating for those who are completely new to the dedicated hosting game, but it's worth taking the time to figure out. 

Numerous options with Hostwinds just aren't available elsewhere so it's a huge boon if you have specific needs in mind. For example, if you just need a server, their price is competitive within the field.

You probably won't be using it, but there's Hostwinds' Trendy Tools website builder thrown in too, as well as the option of automated installation of various other packages. If you're spending this kind of money though, you should almost certainly already have a website design ready to upload anyhow. 

More importantly for a business, customer support is pretty much flawless and very quick to reply whether via an online chat or phone call. Each server is fully managed so you don't have to worry about basic maintenance tasks either, with Hostwinds also monitoring your server for any problems along the way. 

The downside? Well, it depends on your customer base. Hostwinds' data centres are solely based within America with expansion plans underway. That's not going to be an issue for US-based businesses, but is something to consider if you're further afield.  

If you require a dedicated server but your budget doesn't quite stretch that far, then a virtual server or VPS is a great alternative. DreamHost's VPS packages start at £10.75 so they don't cost much more than a regular hosting package. It's a good price point for small business that want a little more control over their website and server. 

For £10.75 per month, you get 1GB RAM, 30GB storage, and unlimited bandwidth and hosted domains. It's a fully managed service so there's always someone keeping an eye on any potential problems that may arise. The basic package is a little low specs wise compared to some competitors, so you're more likely to go with the upgraded package that doubles both RAM and storage, leaving your business with a little more breathing room. In all cases, security features are DreamHost's strong point with extensive means in which to keep your data and business safe from any potential threats. 

Whatever the case, it's easily possible to upgrade as you go along, making it ideal for a fast growing business. It's fairly easy to set up too, providing you're used to a minimalist control panel. In all of DreamHost's packages, there's a certain expectation that you know what you're doing. That's reflected in DreamHost's lack of telephone support, although ticket based assistance is typically speedy. 

Still, if you're keen for a VPS, odds are you do know exactly what you're doing, and you have a website ready to import directly onto the package. Expert users will revel in the keenly priced and flexible VPS services.  

Liquid Web Hosting skips being appealing for personal blogs or casual web users. Geared firmly with business users in mind, it's not the most welcoming of sites to use but that interface belies some fantastic services. For a price.

Its dedicated servers start at £155 for a single processor and 16 GB of RAM with that price ramping up to £468 per month for a superior dual-core processor and 32 GB of RAM. Speed is the key here rather than finding a bargain, but that means it's ideal for a business intent on a strong online presence. VPS servers are also available starting at £46 per month for 2 GB of RAM, 40 GB of storage and 5 TB of monthly data transfer, with the high-end option starting at £171 per month for 256 GB of RAM and 1.6 TB of storage. 

Managed Wordpress hosting accounts are also available starting at £155 for 5 TB of monthly data transfers, 10 domains, and 100 GB of storage. Even Cloud hosting begins at £46 per month and works its way up to nearly £782 depending on your configuration. Introductory offers are available but for the first three months rather than a full year like with other web hosting sites. 

It's all suitably heavyweight and expensive services, but that's because Liquid Web Hosting clearly prides itself on high-end service. It offers extensive security features such as firewalls, VPNs, malware scanning and removal, and nightly backups. 

More importantly though, uptime is near flawless with a guarantee promising 100% uptime. Similarly, its tech support is phenomenal with speedy and thorough explanations to any problem you may come across. That's available via phone, chat, or online ticket.