Are you looking for the best affordable web hosting services Reddit users recommend?
Well you just landed on the right blog post.
Why You Need a Website.
In this online era, to achieve scale in your business, you must have a website. The days of word-of-mouth and ‘word-of-letter’ are gone.
These means still work, but in this generation with internet popularity and web-based business, a website is a must-have for your business, organisation or personal project.
A website or app is not limited to businesses. They could be used for other programs, personal projects or almost anything.
To build a website, you need to have a host, just like when you need to start a business, you need someone to rent space from.
There are many web hosts on market. Most of these are big tech companies with a large cloud space part of which you can rent from them monthly for accommodation of your website.
What is a Website Host?
Website hosts are companies where several website servers are housed in a particular location. This location is referred to as a data centre.
Several website hosts have several data centres across the globe. Your website host provides you with the software, security, bandwidth and support all of which are needed by your website so that it is connected and visible on the internet.
For your website to be visible on the internet, its data must be stored on a web server. A web server is a high powered computer that hosts websites.
What Factors Should You Consider When Choosing a Web host?
While making your choice of a web host, you should consider the following aspects.
The bandwidth (data space) you need for your website. Bandwidth, in computing terms, is the amount of data that can be sent over a network per unit time.
The web host you choose should be able to provide the bandwidth your website or app requires.
a) Your budget
Different web hosts have different prices and pricing strategies. You should study the pricing mode of a number of web hosts so that you choose the one most suitable for your financial standing.
Lucky enough, in this article, I have elaborated on the different pricing strategies and prices of the various web hosting services.
b) Complexity or ease of use
Depending on your requirements, you may need to check into the complexity of the web hosting service.
You need to choose a web host that addresses your concerns and needs for examples security, authentication and others.
c) Flexibility and Customizability
Some web hosts are not so flexible. Before you choose a web host, you should ensure that the degree of customizability they provide is sufficient for your needs.
d) Privacy and Security Features
Some web hosting services offer less privacy as you may be hosted along with other users in a shared cloud.
For security purposes, you should choose a web host that provides authentication services and blocks hackers from accessing your application or website.
e) Your industry
The industry your business falls in determines the content and ultimately the needs of your website.
There are different web hosts suitable for different fields like photography, business, podcasts and others.
Your choice should be of a web host that gives you the bandwidth, privacy and other technicalities your website needs.
Skip the hassle.
Getting a stable, reliable and affordable web hosting service could turn out to be an online warfare.
You search the web and see a number of suggestions, but some are expensive, and others you cannot trust them that easily.
You need a web hosting service that suits your needs. You need to make your decision from an informed point of view because, once you spend that money on a faulty web hosting service, it cannot be reimbursed.
In this post, we bring you the results of a vigorous research we made on Reddit, of the most affordable web hosting services recommended all over Reddit.
What is the Best Web Hosting Service?
Below, I give you an extensive list from which you can choose.
1. Azure App
Azure app was established and is managed by Microsoft. You can use the app to create web and mobile apps for any device or platform.
There are over 2 million apps and sites hosted on Azure. Azure has a number of features and services that enable you perform various functions which makes it an outstanding platform for web hosting. We discuss some of these services below.
Services on Azure
Azure has deployment slots that you can use to minimise deployment time and reduce risk for app updates.
Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) provides security for your app by protecting it against malicious attacks thus increasing efficiency.
App service environment v3: This enables you deploy Windows or Linux applications as code, and Microsoft manages the operating system in which your applications operate. This service enables you enforce and coordinate access of networks external to your application.
The Azure Active Directory: This service allows you validate and authorise access to your app.
Azure Cognitive Services allows you read embedded text and translate speeches.
Azure has a miscellany of services all aimed at helping you manage your app and making it efficient.
Azure Pricing Policy
Azure has some free services and also uses a pay-as-you-go pricing method where you will need to meet certain costs as they occur, while you use Azure.
For hobbies or personal projects, you can have your app hosted on Azure for free and for a standard (general-purpose production) app, you are charged 9 dollars per app per month. Azure is one of the current cheapest web hosting services.
Deploying an app is simple. All you need to do is a git push. Azure also gives you a free period where you are not charged for over 12 months.
After this time, your app can be hosted for free for all the time it is on Azure. However, under this arrangement, you shall use a shared domain.
2. Digital Ocean
What is Digital Ocean?
Digital Ocean is a cloud hosting service provider that enables business entities improve their performance by running concurrently across multiple networks with a sustainably strong performance. Digital Ocean was established into performance in 2011.
Digital Ocean is a prominent establishment on the computing scene. It is popular for the Hacktoberfest event, which it organises annually every October in conjunction with Github.
Digital Ocean boasts of a beautiful and simplified interface, remarkable performance, professional documentation, affordable pricing and an active digital community.
Digital Ocean data centres
Digital Ocean has data centres all over the world in countries and cities like New York City, San Francisco, Toronto (Canada), London (United Kingdom), Franfkurt (Germany), Singapore, Bangalore (India) and Amsterdam (Netherlands).
Digital Ocean provides you with the cloud hardware or infrastructure which you require to run your applications.
In the Digital Ocean cloud, the servers are owned by Digital Ocean but you are allowed to do custom reprogramming to suit your needs.
What is the pricing policy of Digital Ocean?
On Digital Ocean, you are charged a monthly fee or a fee based on forum per hour.
The first step towards enjoying the services on Digital Ocean is signing up for an account.
You can follow someone's link and get free 100 dollars to spend on Digital Ocean in the next 60 days after your registration.
What is Digital Ocean best for?
Digital Ocean is a great choice for smaller developers. It takes on a simplified approach regarding cloud interfaces and deployment procedures.
Digital Ocean supports modern Linux software distribution packages (distros) like Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and CentOS.
Digital Ocean uses the droplet concept to make choices on the interface simplified. The apps in this context can be installed inside a ‘pod-like' environment, which enables them to work on a device regardless of the operating system.
However, until the time you delete a droplet, you are charged for it on Digital Ocean.
We can conclude that for smaller projects, Digital Ocean is a more cost-effective and more user friendly choice.
When you have created your account of Digital Ocean and you add your card, a small fee is deducted which is reimbursed after your card has been validated.
How Much Does Digital Ocean Charge?
Each droplet can go for as low as 10 dollars a month plus taxes. As you gain more traffic, and one droplet is not enough for your LAMP stack, you can add more droplets.
With Digital Ocean, you pay for what you consume. You can always check your bill on the control panel and also subscribe for billing alert emails.
Get Started With Digital Ocean
3. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
What is Amazon Web Services?
AWS put simply, is Amazon renting out their servers to host websites and apps of other parties like tech companies or anyone else that is up to host on Amazon.
You pay a monthly subscription to be hosted and are charged for any extra services you use.
What is Amazon Web Services best for?
AWS is a better choice for enterprise-level applications that cover worldwide. AWS has a number of services that are both upgraded and added on annually.
The repertoire is almost endless. For example, Amazon S3 service is used for storing data, databases on Amazon RDS can be used to set up a sophisticated architecture, the list of services continues on with more than 100 services currently.
Amazon Web Services has over 60 availability centres in over 20 regions around the world. Although AWS is expensive compared to many other web hosting services, it offers scalability and a diversity of services that make it suitable for wide-coverage enterprise-level applications.
What is Amazon Web Services pricing strategy?
Amazon Web Services uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model. You only pay for what you use. AWS provides you with servers for hosting your websites, databases and much more. It is important to note that more accurately, you are charged for uptime duration, not necessarily actively-used resources.
If you create an instance, make sure you use it or don't create it in the first place to avoid getting a ‘surprise bill'.
Get Started With Amazon Web Services
4. Google Cloud Platform
What is Google Cloud Platform?
Google Cloud Platform is a Google web hosting service. New customers on Google Cloud Platform get free 300 dollars in credits.
These can be spent in running, testing and deploying workloads. All GCP customers can use all the 20+ services for free up to their respective monthly limits.
Like many of the web hosting services in this post, Google Cloud Platform also uses a pay-as-you-go pricing structure.
GCP offers you a saving plan based on monthly usage and discounted rates on pre-paid resources.
What is Google Cloud Console?
The Google Cloud Console is where you configure building accounts, create projects and manage them. This is where you manage all your CGP resources in various locations.
Google Cloud Platform has Identity and Access Management feature which enables you limit access by employees to certain features of your application.
GCP has Android and iOS applications where you can manage your GCP applications on the go.
To use Google Cloud Console, you need a google account for sign up.
After signing up, you need to enable billing so that you can continue using the services when the free tier expires.
Get Started With Google Cloud Platform
5. Bluehost
Bluehost currently hosts over 2 million websites worldwide. Bluehost gives you a 63 percent discount off hosting plus a free domain name when you purchase a hosting plan.
Bluehost hosts sites online and sells domain names. Both a host and a domain name are prerequisites for setting up a website online.
You can get both from Bluehost. Just like Bluehost, Google and Godaddy sell domain names, too.
What is the Pricing Strategy of Bluehost?
Bluehost is one of the cheapest web hosts. They offer web hosting services for as low as 2.95 dollars per month.
Setting up a site on Bluehost is an easy task. It does not involve complicated procedures.
Bluehost gives you a 30-day money-back guarantee. Your money can be refunded when you express dissatisfaction and ask for a refund within 30 days of using the Bluehost service.
A unique feature about Bluehost is that if you lack website-building knowledge or for any other reason like preference, you can have them build a custom website for you, of course at a price.
This is what one Reddit user had to say about Bluehost;
6. Godaddy
Godaddy is one of the domain registrars on the web. You can buy a domain on Godaddy. Let's use a real estate analogy.
A domain is like a plot of land on which your website (house) sits. Godaddy, like Bluehost, can provide you with both domain name and web hosting services.
Godaddy provides you with templates, stock photos and other features to use in designing your website.
When you get a domain name from Godaddy, you are charged just 15 dollars a year.
However, customer reports over the last few years have it that Godaddy makes it hard for you to switch to another domain by charging you high for this.
When you purchase a Godaddy domain name, Godaddy presents you with their own website builder for you to use in building your site.
Among the array of web hosts, Godaddy is one of the easy-to-use hosting services nonetheless especially for beginners.
7. Wix
Wix is both a website builder and a web hosting company. As a website builder, wix helps you create your website by providing you with templates that you can use to make your own website.
It is one of the simplest website builders available.
After creating your website, Wix allows you to publish a demo version of it that you can seek views on.
When you are satisfied with your website, you then go ahead and publish the official version.
What is the pricing strategy of Wix?
Wix offers you both website building and website hosting for free. However, you can gain access to more features by upgrading to a Wix premium plan.
Wix Premium Plans
The Connect domain is the most basic plan. It goes for 4.5 dollars a month. The benefits of this plan are a free SSL certificate, bandwidth of 1 GB and storage space of 500 MB.
The Combo is for personal use. It is priced at 8.50 dollars a month. The features in this plan are a custom domain free for one year, Wix ads are removed, a free SSL certificate, bandwidth of 2GB, storage space of 3GB and video hours of 30 minutes.
The Unlimited Plan is suitable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. The charge is 12.50 dollars a month. In this package you get a custom domain free for one year, Wix ads are removed, a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, storage space of 10GB, one hour video hours, a site booster app, and a visitor analytics app.
The VIP plan is accorded First Priority Support. It goes for 24.50 dollars a month. In this package, you get all the features of the Unlimited Plan plus increased storage space (35GB) and more video hours (5 hours).
The unique features of this plan are a professional logo and social media logo files. On all the plans, Wix assures you of a 24/7 customer care service.
Of course the VIP plan is given priority in customer care.