Shared web hosting is by far the most popular type of hosting used by WordPress users. Despite its popularity, people often don’t understand what shared WordPress web hosting actually is. Nobody ever talks about the truth behind those catchy “unlimited, easy, and affordable” phrases.
When we first started making websites, like many other users, we signed up for shared WordPress hosting. But as our projects grew, we quickly realized that we needed hosting that could scale with our businesses. This is a common issue that website owners run into.
Before making any decisions, we highly recommend you to read through this article so you know what is shared WordPress hosting, and what are the advantages/disadvantages of shared web hosting. Our hope is that our guide will help you make the best decision for your company.
Best Shared Web Hosting Services
One of the oldest web hosts started in 1996, Bluehost has become the largest brand name when it comes to WordPress hosting. They are an official 'WordPress' recommended hosting provider. With Bluehost, you never have to worry about your website being slow, even when there is a lot of traffic. Their 24/7 expert support is always there to help when you need it by phone, email, or live chat. They are rated #1 in web hosting for small businesses. On top of that, they are offering WPBeginner users an exclusive 83% discount, a free domain, free SSL, and a free site builder with templates. Read full review of Bluehost»
SiteGround is one of the most popular and highest rated hosting provider in the WordPress community. They provide unique in-house WordPress speed and security solutions to make your site as fast and secure as possible. They are known for the best 24/7 support in the industry. This is also why we use SiteGround for hosting the WPBeginner website. SiteGround features include automatic upgrades, daily backups built-in WP caching, free CDN, free SSL, one-click staging and GIT version control. They are also one of the few companies offering location specific hosting with 6 data centers in USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. On top of all this, they have а special 83% discount for WPBeginner readers. Read full review of SiteGround»
DreamHost has been around for 18 years, and is known for making web hosting easy. You get a custom dashboard, 1-click WordPress install, automatic WordPress updates, unlimited space, unlimited bandwidth and free SSDs which makes your site 200% faster. DreamHost powers over 1.5 million WordPress blogs and websites. They're also an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider. WPBeginner users get an exclusive 72% off and a free domain + free SSL certificate. Read full review of DreamHost»
Hostinger is becoming a well-known name in WordPress hosting and is officially recommended by WordPress.org. They offer affordable hosting, 24/7 live chat support, and a robust platform to host your website. Hostinger comes with automatic 1-click WordPress install, managed automatic updates, enhanced security, free CDN, WordPress speed acceleration, and free site migration. They also offer geolocation specific hosting with a choice of 9 data centers in USA, Europe, Asia, and South America. Hostinger serves over 3 million users in 150 countries. On top of all this, they have a special 78% discount for WPBeginner readers combined with free SSL and a free domain name. Read full review of Hostinger»
HostGator hosts over 10 million domains and is one of the most popular web hosts in the industry. With 1-click WordPress installation, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 support, it's a smart choice for every website owner. We consider them one of the best web hosting for businesses. They're offering our readers an exclusive 82% off discount, a free domain name, and free SSL certificate. Read full review of HostGator»
GreenGeeks has become a well-known brand in the WordPress hosting industry with their blazing fast website performance, 24/7 U.S. based support, and an environmentally responsible platform. They offer automatic 1-click WordPress install, managed updates, enhanced security, free CDN, free site migration, and the choice of over 5 different data center locations. GreenGeeks power over 600,000 websites and customers love them. On top of all this, they have a special 75% discount for WPBeginner readers combined with free SSL and a free domain name. Read full review of GreenGeeks»
InMotion Hosting is a well-known industry brand with reliable performance for business-class hosting. With award-winning technical support and 99.9% uptime, they are a user favorite. Their unmatched U.S.-based support is always there to help. InMotion Hosting's WordPress Hosting is optimized for active bloggers and offers great scalability for your blog's growth. They offer our users an exclusive 81% off + free domain and free SSL. Read full review of InMotion Hosting»
A2 Hosting is a popular host known for their ultra-fast and reliable WordPress hosting and guru technical support. In 2002, they were founded as a developer-friendly hosting company that offers all the flexibility and advanced features you need to create your website. Since then, they've grown to offer a wide variety of hosting plans to suit anyone from beginner bloggers to big businesses. Their expert support team is available 24/7/365 to help you get started. A2 Hosting is an excellent choice for bloggers and website owners who need 99.9% uptime, top-notch support, and plenty of room to scale. Read full review of A2 Hosting»
We hope that this guide helped you choose the best shared web hosting service for your website. If you have a shared hosting question that we didn’t cover in our tutorial, then please send us a message using our contact form. One of our team members will respond back within 24 hours.
Dennis Muthomi
I agree that shared hosting is an excellent place for beginners to start, just as I did with Bluehost. The low costs allowed me to launch my first ever blog without much investment.
Over time, I outgrew the limited resources of shared hosting as my traffic increased. I switched to a VPS plan that provides more computing resources to keep up with my site’s demands.
I am not against on shared hosting, but if you have a bigger blog that is on a shared server then its better to look for an upgrade.
Mrteesurez
Your idea is great, that is the to me the best practice, shared hosting is just for starting, growing website will soon used up the features in offered in shared hosting but do remember that one has to start from somewhere.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Dayo Olobayo
Thanks for emphasizing on the importance of good reputation when searching for a hosting company. Many people, including myself, just look at the listed features and select one that is exciting. I hope every beginner can get to read this before purchasing any hosting plan.
Mrteesurez
Thanks for this insightful post.
As a beginner that is just starting out, shared hosting is the first option to opt for, to try out how things works in the side of blogging or web hosting, that was how majority of us started then. It’s affordable, minimal and easy to setup especially with Cpanel.
But I want to ask, assuming the website started growing and becoming big, which of the two is appropriate to upgrade to, between Dedicated server or VPS ?
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on the needs of your site and how much assistance you want from your hosting provider. To start out we would recommend taking a look at our article below that covers what to expect from dedicated hosting.
https://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/dedicated-hosting/
Admin
Ayanda Temitayo
Thanks for highlighting common misconceptions about shared hosting! It’s true that many beginners are drawn in by enticing phrases like “unlimited bandwidth,” unaware of their limitations. While shared hosting offers an affordable entry point, it’s crucial to consider your website’s specific needs for optimal performance and growth.
However, if you anticipate high traffic volumes, resource-intensive applications, or require complete control over server settings, a shared hosting plan might not be the best fit. In such cases, exploring VPS or dedicated hosting options could be more appropriate.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Mrteesurez
Hi Ayanda!
You are absolutely right about the limitations of shared hosting. In my experience, upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting can make a significant difference in performance and reliability, especially as your site grows. It’s also worth considering managed hosting services, which can provide additional support and maintenance, allowing you to focus more on your content and less on technical issues.
Moinuddin Waheed
Thanks for clearing doubts and confusion regarding shared hosting.
it is true that most of the beginners who are just starting out don’t know the truth behind catchy phrases like unlimited bandwidth and others.
Having said that, at times it is not just okay to use shared hosting in terms of affordability but also in terms of need.
in my country India, many educational institutions need to have websites, they don’t bother about traffic or anything else, they just need to have their presence online.
For them shared hosting is the best choice and no need to upgrade.
THANKGOD JONATHAN
Yes I see. Shared hosting is very cheap but comes with some drowbacks and downsides.
Someone need to leave shared hosting/servers as much as possible.
Great post. I love it.
WPBeginner Support
It all depends on the site’s needs for if they would need to leave shared hosting or not.
Admin
James
After paying for Shared host using bluehost will there be any other payment after installing WordPress? If yes please I need details.
WPBeginner Support
You would want to take a look at our guide on what to consider for costs below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-wordpress-website/
Admin
Ziba Burrow
I have started the journey of food blogging and I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate the time you take to be so thorough and write articles like this for people like myself. THANK YOU
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our guide was helpful
Admin
Lyn
I’m new to web hosting. I want the shared hosting option, how do I do that with Bluehost for example? On their site I don’t see an option to choose shared hosting.
WPBeginner Support
On the hosting provider’s site, you should have the option to select the type of hosting you are wanting to use.
Admin
Abbas
I want to start a blog on wordpress. I have a blog on blogger on blogspot domain. How I can transfer my blog from blogger to wordpress.
WPBeginner Support
to move your site, you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-switch-from-blogger-to-wordpress-without-losing-google-rankings/
Admin
Theresa Tucker
Is WordPress simply a way to blog? I can blog and showcase my designs through my Stampin’ Up account.
In a “social media training” video one of the other demonstrator said that it’s worth it to register your domain if you want to keep it.
Is that what WordPress does for me?
Do I need to register THAT? Should I have a dot com web address?
I’m sorry I’m trying to figure out what I need to do.
Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
WordPress allows you to create a blog or a website, it is not a domain registration tool. For understanding hosting vs your domain you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/whats-the-difference-between-domain-name-and-web-hosting-explained/
Admin
H Saleem
Hi, I am a total beginner to Wordpress and have been researching this topic for quite some time but still unclear. Please explain,
1) Is normal shared web hosting the same as shared Wordpress hosting?
2) All hosting plans give one click Wordpress installation from cPanel, so what is cPanel’s Wordpress installation’s place in shared web hosting vs. shared Wordpress hosting? Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
Both of those are very dependent on the specific host you are looking at
Admin
Chetan
Well detailed blog, I have a question that if I get shared host plan and if traffic increase and in the middle of the year I wish to go for VPS plan or , then will my half money adjust in upgrading plan or I have to pay full amount for new plan?.
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on your specific host for how they handle that type of upgrade. If you reach out to their support they should be able to let you know.
Admin