Welcome to the CNET 2019 directory of web hosting providers. In this directory, we'll look at a few of the best web hosting providers like Bluehost, A2Hosting, Hostinger, DreamHost, HostGator, InMotion Hosting, and more. In this evaluation of the best web hosting providers, we're featuring commercial web hosting companies that offer WordPress, VPS, shared hosting, and many more hosting products along with a variety of annual and monthly plans.

If you are looking for the best all-around website builder for 2018, then SiteBuilder is, without a doubt, the ideal solution for you or your company. Another option is using the well-known Site123 or Wix – they are simple, easy and reliable, but come with a higher cost. That is why to ease the task for you, we have listed our choice in the best 10 website builders 2018. You actually need no hired help for the same and on your own can create an amazing website. So let’s check out the list of the best free website builders for the year 2018.

Let's look at each of the vendors below in a little more depth to help you find the best web hosting provider to meet your needs.

Read more: The best website builders for 2019

Special Offer: Get started with A2 Hosting for $2.96 a month!

Bluehost

Shared hosting starting at $2.95/mo.
WordPress hosting starting at $2.95/mo.
VPS hosting starting at $18.99/mo.
Dedicated hosting starting at $79.99/mo.

When you sign up to Bluehost, you'll get a free domain name for the first year, along with a free SSL certificate (allowing you to operate a secure website).

If you're a WordPress user, Bluehost is definitely a provider to consider. While its managed WordPress hosting is a little more pricey than basic shared hosting, the company has both specific WordPress and WooCommerce hosting plans available (along with management support). It also offers a site migration service for an additional fee.

The company got bonus points for its policy of performing regular daily backups, even on the lowest-priced shared hosting accounts. Be aware, though, that the promotional price on the low-cost shared hosting does go up after the promotional period. That said, Bluehost offers 24/7 phone support, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and SSH access for certain plans.

HostGator

Shared hosting starting at $2.75/mo.
WordPress hosting starting at $5.95/mo.
Reseller hosting starting at $19.95/mo.
VPS hosting starting at $29.95/mo.
Dedicated servers starting at $119/mo.
Cloud hosting starting at $4.95/mo.

HostGator is a full-service hosting company, with plans for almost any need. Whether you're starting out and need a very basic shared site, or need to be able to operate your own machine dedicated solely to your company, HostGator has a service that can help.

See also: HostGator in-depth review and hands-on testing

We like how HostGator not only allows more sophisticated site builders to customize their dedicated or virtual server, but also to choose Linux or Windows hosting. While HostGator doesn't support SSDs on all plans, many of its servers can be equipped with the faster drives.

HostGator gained points for uptime monitoring and regular backups, along with free cPanel or Plesk. We liked that SSH is available for the more technically inclined site operators and that dedicated IP addresses could be purchased. We did take points off because it's sometimes difficult to tell what the price is once promotional plans run their course. That said, with a generous 45-day money back guarantee, there's a hosting solution for almost everyone at HostGator.

A2 Hosting

Shared hosting starting at $2.96/mo.
WordPress hosting starting at $2.96/mo.
Reseller hosting starting at $9.80/mo.
VPS hosting starting at $5/mo.
Dedicated servers starting at $99.59/mo.

A2 Hosting does a lot of things right. They offer Linux and Windows-based servers, SSD, caching, CDN, and SSL for all plans. While some plans offer uptime monitoring and regular backups, all plans offer malware scanning and automatic patching and updates.

The company offers a managed hosting service called HostGuard. Subscribers of this service have access to a 24/7/365 'Guru Crew' support team that manages network, hardware, software, and security. Managed hosting for WordPress customers begins at $9.78/mo, and for VPS customers at $25/mo.

The company offers solid plans with a good selection of features. The one area we're concerned about is how they present their offers. Like many hosting providers, their published pricing is a bit misleading. You're not getting hosting for $2.96/mo unless you pay $71 for two years of service. Renewals are generally at a higher rate, although a salesperson we spoke to advised you ask for a 'loyalty discount.'

It shouldn't come as any surprise that, like other hosting providers, A2 Hosting's unlimited plans aren't actually unlimited. They expect you to use their service like 'similarly situated customers.' This is like being on a highway. If everyone is going a few miles above the speed limit, you're probably okay, but if you're barreling down the fast lane past everyone else, you're probably going to be asked to slow down.

The company offers a solid 30-day money back guarantee they call an 'Anytime' money back guarantee. Yeah..kind of. You can ask for your money back at any time, but after your first 30 days, how much you get back will depend on a painfully complex pro-rating system.

But, again, operationally they're quite strong. 24/7/365 customer support is available not only by live chat and email, but by phone. They offer free site migrations with some dedicated attention paid to making a transfer as smooth as possible. And, if you're willing to go for one of the higher-end plans, the company has put some serious attention into performance and caching.

Hostinger

Shared hosting starting at $0.99/mo.
WordPress hosting starting at $0.99/mo.
VPS hosting starting at $3.95/mo.
Cloud hosting starting at $9.99/mo.

Hostinger, a hosting provider based out of Lithuania, boasts it signs up a new client every five seconds. With 29 million users in 178 countries and subsidiaries in the US, Indonesia, and Brazil, the company has been in operation since 2004.

See also: Hostinger in-depth review and hands-on testing

Hostinger has a nice selection of plans, all of which can be optimized for WordPress. We particularly liked that even the least expensive plans offered some level of SSH access for those who need it. The company gained points for its offering of SSD performance, dedicated IP, and regular backups for some plans.

What sets the company apart is their first-year hosting price of less than a buck a month. The company's least expensive plan is a startlingly-low 80 cents a month. This is the least expensive hosting program we've seen, although the price does go up after that first year. In fact, most of the company's plans increase after their promotional price expires.

Hostinger offers a 30-day money back guarantee with wording we wish more providers would use: 'If for any reason you decide not to continue with Hostinger, we will offer a full refund on your purchase, no questions asked.' If you have any questions, the company has customer support with live chat lines available 24/7.

SiteGround

Shared hosting starting at $3.95/mo.
WordPress hosting starting at $3.95/mo.
Reseller server starting at $42/year.
Cloud hosting starting at $80/mo.

SiteGround sits in the middle ground between a consumer web hosting provider and those who cater to enterprise business solutions. If you've got a small business with more complex web needs than a typical small business, SiteGround is an ideal solution.

Although offerings start as low as $3.95 per month, we particularly like the company's GoGeek plan, which is chock full of useful features, including access to a staging server and one-click Git repo creation.

There's a lot to like about SiteGround, but the company did lose some points due to its policy of more than doubling your hosting costs after the first year. That nice $3.95/mo price shoots up to $11.95 per month. The company calls it a first-year discount, but that's in very tiny, light gray print.

On the plus side, SiteGround offers free automatic daily backups, access to the Cloudflare CDN, high-performance SSDs for all plans, unlimited email accounts, and integration of the free LetsEncrypt SSL cert

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