How do you test web hosts?

First, we develop an idea for a site or web app and then hypothesize which hosts we think are best for this use case and throw in some wildcards too that might surprise us. Then, we purchase the hosting, build or transfer our site or web app and see how smooth it goes. We use all the features and start to record speed and stress test metrics using respected tools like GTmetrix. Sometimes, we'll realize we've picked the wrong host or plan and start the process again. The truth is that testing statistics actually mean very little. The speed and performance of a site is mostly down to the configuration of the site itself. Yes, some hosts will have a better configuration at the server level but this speed isn't everything. You can always add resources at any time to buy yourself some time in a sticky situation. In my opinion what matters most in testing is how good support and reliability is. We have a range of testers from beginners, the tech savvy, and seasoned web devs so we can test exactly how the user would be using the service. We also invite each other to use the hosts to remove bias we might have based on experience with other hosts. After we've finished using the host we give the host a user score based on the value, ease of use, and features. Because we know it’s important to pick a web hosting company you can trust, we focus on whether each web hosting provider presents its products in an honest, clear, and transparent way. Sometimes hosts will fail before they've even been tested purely for misleading content on their pages. This is easy to pick up on as we compare the list of features each company claims it offers, to what we actually have access to once we begin using their service and what other hosts offer too. For example, one host claimed to be better than another host because they didn't offer weekly backups when the host in question did. They failed to mention their competitor provided daily backups. Our web host speed tests are generally based on the cheapest shared hosting plan available from a provider but we're expanding them to include VPS plans too. Read more about how I test web hosting providers here

What types of web hosting are there?

Hosting a website basically means making it accessible to the world. You can host a website from your own home but it will be a pretty bad idea. First of all, you'll be inviting the entire world into your home router, which doesn't seem very safe. You'll also need to keep your PC on all the time, which won't be energy efficient. Then, if your website gets busy it's unlikely your hardware will be able to cope. The most sensible thing to do is outsource the task of hosting a site. This is where web hosts come in. They store your website on server and it's secure, always on, and has the most up to date hardware to ensure site performance when it's busy. You can share a server, rent your own resources, or even rent a space and put your own hardware in it. There are options for everything and based on your business requirements the right type of hosting will make a big difference to cost and performance. If you have a small site, shared hosting is fine. Anything else will be a waste of money. If you have a larger eCommerce store then a virtual private server is a better option. If your business is ultra sensitive to any downtime then cloud hosting is perfect as multiple copies of your site are stored in different locations so if a disaster occurs your site will always be online. Then, there are more specific options like the best WordPress hosting , or best Minecraft server . These hosting options have optimizations for these specific uses to give you the best performance and value for money. I've cleared up some misconceptions about WordPress hosting here and also wrote more extensively on the types of web hosting too .

What is shared hosting?

Shared hosting is a simple scheme where multiple websites are stored on the same web server (a type of computer). One benefit of shared hosting is its simplicity. You don't have to spend any time maintaining the server, because your provider does that. All you need to do is work on your own site. Sharing a web server means sharing the costs, too, and with sometimes hundreds of websites on the same server, that usually means rock-bottom prices. The big problem with shared hosting is you’re also sharing your server's system resources: CPU time, RAM, storage and network connection. There's only so much to go around, and the more sites on your server, the slower and less dependable your own website is likely to be. Shared hosting is still the best choice in many situations. If you're creating a simple blog, a site for family, a local club, or anything with very light traffic where no-one will care much if the site is a little slow occasionally, the shared option is ideal. It's very easy to use, and you can get decent plans from many providers for around $2 to $4 a month. But if this is something more important, a web store, maybe a business site, then a slow or unreliable website will drive visitors away. It’s well worth upgrading to something more powerful. Read more about this in is shared hosting any good ?

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a clever technology that divides a single physical server into multiple server environments. Log onto a VPS and you'll have access to what looks like the full server. This is far more complex than shared hosting, but it also gives you much more control. You can install any apps, tweak any server settings, and even replace the entire operating system if you like. There will be other VPS environments on the same physical server (though not as many other accounts as with shared hosting), reducing your performance a little. But you'll have your own allocation of network bandwidth, RAM, storage, and CPU time. These won't be shared with other customers, which means your site should see higher and more consistent speeds than you'll get with shared hosting. Upgrading is often very easy, too. If website traffic grows and you need additional resources - more CPU time, extra RAM, a higher bandwidth allowance - then you can typically add them to your plan in a click or two, and they'll be available almost immediately. This extra power comes at a price, but it might be much less than you think. Hostinger's cheapest shared hosting plan is $1.99 a month on the four-year plan; its cheapest VPS plan is just $2.99, again over four years. It's a very basic plan, but at $8.99 for a one-off month, it's not expensive to see if a VPS could work for you. Here is more info on the difference between shared hosting and VPS hosting .

What is dedicated hosting?

As the name suggests, dedicated hosting is a plan where a physical server is dedicated to a single client. That means no more speed issues because you're sharing bandwidth, RAM or CPU time with other accounts: the entire system is yours alone. As you're renting the entire physical server, most providers allow you to build it with whatever hardware you need. You can typically choose your CPU, storage drives and type (cheap and high capacity HDDs, smaller but faster SSDs), operating system, bandwidth allowance and more. This can be expensive. Even budget providers like Namecheap charge a monthly $50-$60 for their most basic dedicated servers, and Liquid Web's top-of-the-range enterprise models might cost $500 or more (although they're aimed at huge sites which might have a million page views a month). There's more work involved in managing a dedicated server, too. With shared hosting, if your server crashes, the provider support team should notice and fix or reboot it. But if you're running the server, all that is up to you, unless you pay even more to the provider to handle it for you. If you absolutely need top performance and complete control of your server, though, a dedicated plan is probably the way to go. Read more about VPS hosting vs dedicated hosting .

What is WordPress hosting?

WordPress is a website builder and content management system. It's free and you can install it manually on a VPS or higher spec hosting type or you can rent a VPS server or shared server with WordPress pre-installed. Over 40% of websites are built on top of WordPress so most shared hosting plans are pre-configured to be optimized to make the WordPress software run as fast and securely as possible. You should be able to make a VPS plan run WordPress as fast and securely too but you will need to know what you're doing to get the most out of it. The two main types of WordPress hosting are managed and unmanaged. With unmanaged hosting you're responsible for updates and security but with managed a lot of those responsibilities are passed to the hosting provider. It does cost more money but it can save you a lot of time. Learn more about what makes a host good for WordPress .

Does server location matter?

Yes. You can host your website anywhere and still get fast loading times on the other side of the world by using a CDN but it's still best to host the actual site as close to your customers as possible. A CDN can speed up website access on pages that are frequently accessed but if your site is not in constant use in a region, you will see less benefit. Plus, a CDN is often an added cost. If you simply purchased a server close to your customers, you wouldn't need a CDN. If you have an audience in a specific region it's worth searching for the best web hosting services in that area. For example, the best UK web hosting .

What is managed hosting?

Shared hosting accounts are generally very simple to operate, but higher end products - WordPress, VPS hosting, dedicated servers - often require running all kinds of maintenance tasks. You might need to test and update WordPress plugins, install operating system patches, spot and troubleshoot server errors, maybe reboot a server if it locks up or crashes. Buy a managed web hosting plan and some or all of these tasks will be carried out by your hosting provider's regular support team. You'll potentially save real time and hassle, and if problems do crop up, they'll be speedily addressed by the people best qualified to fix them. Sounds great-- so why would anyone do anything else? Cost, mostly. Hostwinds' 4-core 8GB RAM VPS costs $59.99 fully managed, for instance, but only $38.99 for the unmanaged DIY version, a big drop in price. One key message here is to keep this in mind when comparing WordPress, VPS or dedicated plans between hosting providers. Host A may look seriously cheap, but are you comparing a managed with an unmanaged plan? Be sure to check the small print. There's no precise definition of 'managed', either, so don't simply assume a managed plan means you'll have absolutely no maintenance to do. Every provider has its own definition of what's covered and what isn't, so check it out, make sure you understand exactly what's covered before you buy.

What is email hosting?

One of the big advantages of registering a domain is you can have your own custom email address (Steve@thebestbuilder.com is far more impressive and business-like than builder457@gmail.com). You probably won't get email when you register a domain, for instance. Most hosting plans include some email support, but it may not be as powerful as you need, especially for business use. You'll often see strict limits on Inbox size, the number of accounts you can create, even the number of emails you can send a day. Email hosting is a service which allows you to send and receive emails via a custom domain. You don't have to buy email hosting from the same provider as your web hosting, and in fact you don't need web hosting at all: just register a domain, buy an email hosting plan and you're ready to start creating and using all those name@yoursite.com email accounts. Signing up for email hosting may get you a better service. The top providers give you plenty of Inbox space, support large attachments, don't hold you back with annoying usage limits and provide built-in spam, phishing and malware filters to keep you safe. This could be a feature well worth adding to your hosting line-up, and it's generally inexpensive; many email hosting plans cost around $1-$2.50 a month. But if you currently have a budget shared hosting plan, keep in mind that upgrading might get you better email features and a bunch of other goodies, too. Check your provider's hosting feature lists to find out exactly what you get.

What else should I consider when picking a web host?

Three or four-year hosting plans can have appealingly low prices, but they don't always work out. If you're unhappy with a host, or your site grows and the old plan can't handle the increased traffic, you may have to buy something else early. It's safer to sign up for a year (or even less), at least initially, and perhaps choose a VPS or similar plan where it's easy to add more resources as required. Uptime (the percentage of the day that your website is available) is a key stat for any serious website. If a potential customer can't find or use your website, at best they'll think you're unprofessional, at worst they'll give up on you entirely and go elsewhere. Web hosting providers often quote uptime figures such as '99.9%', but these don't always cover the issues you might expect. Check the small print carefully for any hidden catches. Look for a Service Level Agreement (SLA), too, especially for dedicated and other high-end hosting plans. These go beyond vague website promises to guarantee uptime, support response times and other elements of the service, and describe the compensation you'll get if the target is missed.

Domain name . It’s the address people type in their browsers to visit your website, like techradar.com. Many hosting plans include one domain name for free for the first year of registration. Choose a .com domain to establish your credibility or .online for an affordable alternative. SSL certificate . This feature encrypts the connection between your website and your visitors’ browsers, preventing hackers from accessing it. Hosting providers usually provide one for free from Let’s Encrypt . Some also offer a premium version as an add-on, which can provide a better warranty and level of verification. Unmetered bandwidth . This means the hosting provider won’t monitor or cap the amount of data transferred, so there’s no need to worry about extra bandwidth usage fees once the website’s traffic grows. Each company has a different policy on unmetered resources, so make sure to read their terms and conditions beforehand. SSD disk space . Compared to HDDs, SSDs are a much more reliable storage solution. They’re less prone to disk failures and can serve data twenty times faster, speeding up your website’s performance. cPanel . With this control panel, new users can manage their hosting via an intuitive interface – no technical skills required. You can access different features, check out your resource usage, and configure the domain’s settings within a few clicks. WordPress auto-installer . This feature lets you set up WordPress in a few clicks from the hosting’s control panel. That way, there’s no need to download and upload the CMS files yourself. Website migration . Most hosting providers allow transferring an existing site from another host to their servers. Typically, you have to insert some information about the website, submit a ticket to their customer support team, and wait a few hours for the migration to initiate. Custom HTML and CSS . The control panel should provide access to your website’s files, including HTML and CSS, via the file manager or an FTP client. Feel free to edit them to customize the site’s front end to your liking. LCP. This is the time it takes to display the content on the page. If when you click on a link and you start to get parts of the page through at different times then the LCP is low. You want the lowest time possible. Otherwise your users will have a bad experience and maybe leave your site. Read my full web hosting glossary here

What's the web hosting TLDR?

Site performance is more related to site visits than site and building a site is much easier than growing visitors. Start cheap, grow with your users, and enjoy the journey. Shared hosting is cheap but some servers cannot handle more than 10K visits a month or more than seven or eight visitors at a time. Especially online stores. VPS gives better performance but requires the most management which is costly. Cloud is best of both worlds but even more costly than VPS unless scaled to sites that get a lot of visits or more complex busy sites. Dedicated is only suitable for large businesses or very experienced users.

Best web hosting 2025: Hosts tested by experts in real-world scenarios

Eight logos of web hosts on a TechRadar style background

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Jump to:

Web hosting isn't as complicated as you may think. Anyone that can use a website builder can take the step into hosting. I'm a self-taught hosting expert that's helped startups grow into successful businesses and I want to help you too.

Even if you can handle the technical aspects of hosting, there isn't a need to. These best web hosting providers all provide excellent support and management should you want it. It's important to understand web hosting from a practical perspective and not just technical. I've cut through the jargon and misleading marketing to give you honest advice on honest hosts.

Best web hosting services of 2025

2. Best for ecommerce: ScalaHosting
Anyone that relies on the income from their website, or is planning to should spend the extra on a cloud VPS. ScalaHosting are one of the most reliable hosting companies when it comes to infrastructure and support. Recommended by OpenCart and trusted by many, ScalaHosting is my top pick for business.

ScalaHosting's entry cloud plan is $15.99/mo and renews at $34.99/mo. TechRadar Pro readers can use the link above to receive an exclusive 15% off at checkout on top of other discounts.

Learn more below ▼

Best web hosting overall

Hostinger logo and image of homepage image

(Image credit: Future)

Hostinger

The best web hosting across the board

Specifications

Plans: Shared, VPS, Cloud

Monthly visits: 25,000 to 250,000

Storage: 100 - 300 GB

Email: 100 - 200 mailboxes

Backups: Weekly & on demand

Security: Malware scanner + other features

Price: $2.49 for 48 months (Then $11.99/mo)

Domain: Free 1st year

Money-back guarantee : 30 days

Reasons to buy

AI tools

Low entry price

Constant innovation

Reasons to avoid

Not suitable for heavy traffic

Write speeds heavily throttled

No managed VPS

Hostinger offers exceptional value for money across a range of hosting services from shared, VPS, and cloud. Starting prices for plans are as low as $2.49 a month for 48 months. Renewal prices are low too at only $11.99 for the Premium plan.

Performance is spectacular with a 99% performance guarantee. In my tests Hostinger showed fast loading times and the ability to handle surges in concurrent visitors easily.

The ease of use Hostinger provides is word-leading. It make web hosting as accessible as website builders. AI tools, and a simple hosting panel facilitate easy site creation and management.

Infrastructure is distributed over the entire globe so no matter where your business or customers are, you'll benefit from not only fast speeds but speedy support too.

Hostinger in detail

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Buy if

✅ Your hosting experience is limited
Hostinger make making, managing, and hosting a site easy. No learning curve, great support, and nice user interface.

If you're concerned that you lack technical skills and don't know what the best hosting plan is for your site, there are comparison posts and step-by-step guides on which plan is best for your small business and how to launch your first website in 24 hours, in addition to a range of AI tools

Don't buy if

❌You're getting 250K+ visits a month
If you have a site that is already getting 250K+ visits a month you're unlikely to benefit from the range of tools Hostinger has for creating and managing a site. The Preimium and Business plans are also on shared infrastructure, so they could struggle with this volume of visitors. You'd be better off trying SiteGround or ScalaHosting because the infrastructure is designed to handle less sites with more site visits. If the server becomes overloaded more resources can easily be added for your site and geo redundancy will keep your site online should a disaster happen.

The Premium Hosting plan is perfect for content creators who want to create a visually stunning blog with fast load times to engage their readers and perform well in SEO. The onboarding process is very well streamlined and there is an AI website builder that helps novices make a site with zero technical knowledge. With the Premium Hosting plan, you can create and manage a site, monetize traffic, and retain complete control over the design.

You'll also find a large amount of case studies on how to create sites and boost traffic, plus tutorials on how to handle multimedia and why things like SSL are important for your site. It's hard to go wrong with this plan, especially with the starting price being $2.49 a month and offering a 30-day money back guarantee. There's not much to lose if you're having a go at creating and hosting your first website.

Hostinger's Business plan helps you create a professional-looking online store with minimal technical knowhow. The plan is very similar to the Premium Plan mentioned above, but comes with faster storage – and more of it. Plus, it allows you to have more files for a larger range of product listings and images. You also get daily backups, rather than weekly, to ensure you won't miss sales should a worst-case scenario happen, plus a CDN to help speed up traffic to customers around the world.

What I like

Hostinger is constantly innovating its products. For example, Hostinger recently integrated Dark Web scanning into hPanel. It seems like every few weeks another feature is added to hPanel or a new AI tool is launched to help you build and manage a website.

I used to rank Hostinger as best for beginners but because of the recent advancements in cloud computing and speed improvements across the hosting options I believe Hostinger is now a best overall option.

What I don't like

I find some of the aggressive sale prices a little misleading. For example, a .com domain name is $4.99 for the first year, but you need to buy it in a 2-year subscription, with the second year being more expensive compared to other domain registrars. Over the two years it's cheaper to buy a domain elsewhere, even with the discount. The other thing to watch out for is the renewal price. The Premium plan is listed as $7.99/mo when you renew, but that's only for the first renewal and it's not clear how many months you can buy at $7.99. When I asked Hostinger about the total cost of ownership over a period of time I didn't get a definitive answer. Despite this, the hosting plans are still good value.

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Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value for money	The value is great considering the amount of helpful tools you have and how much it would cost to get a professional to build for you	★★★★★
Ease of use & support	From signing up to building any type of site, Hostinger has really made it easy	★★★★★
Tools & features	Hostinger has everything you need in one place (hosting, website builder, domains, email, security). Plus, everything is easy to use	★★★★★
Performance	It's not significantly ahead of the competition when it comes to speed but it's pretty fast	★★★★☆

Testing & use

Our testing shows that Hostinger is more than capable of hosting an average website on a shared hosting plan. Hostinger scored slightly lower than average on LCP but does score higher on requests per second.

When using Hostinger I never felt out of depth. Everything is laid out clearly and is easy to use.

Read our full Hostinger review for a more in-depth analysis and full testing scores

Best web hosting for eCommerce