Best adult web hosting: providers worth the risk

In this article, you’ll find the 5 best adult web hosting providers as well as some pointers on what’s important when choosing one.

There are two things I want to clarify right off the bat. One, adult content is not porn only. 

Sometimes, we have to take our heads out of the gutter and think that many things in this world are reserved for adults only. Like gambling. Or tobacco and alcohol products. I know that most adult websites out there are porn-related. Still, there’s more to it.

And two, adult content doesn’t equal illegal. 

For some reason, people have been making this assumption. I don’t really know why. But just so you know, no matter which hosting provider you want to go for, you won’t be able to share any illegal content. So, if that’s what you’re after, I suggest you find something else to do. Reading my article won’t do you any good.

Ok, now that I’ve mentioned that adult hosting is not just porn hosting, I think we’re ready to move on. 

5 best adult web hosting providers: ranked

1. Hostinger – best adult hosting provider overall
2. HostGator – best beginner-friendly adult hosting
3. DreamHost –best WordPress-focused adult hosting
4. Liquid Web – best business-oriented provider
5. InterServer – best month-to-month adult hosting provider

By the way, I have prepared a quick list of things to consider when choosing a host at the bottom of this post. If you're having difficulties picking, feel free to jump down there first.

1. Hostinger

Features	Free SSL, easy-to-use control panel, cheap domain privacy
Uptime	100%
Speed	511ms
Best for	Cheapest performance-focused adult site hosting

Visit Hostinger

Hostinger is one of the cheapest hosting providers on the market. However, despite its low prices, the provider doesn’t cut corners with performance. It actually delivers some of the best results on the market. Plus, adult content is allowed.

As long as your website’s content is legal and not copyrighted, Hostinger has a “no questions asked” policy. Even porn hosting is possible. 

Another defining characteristic of Hostinger is that it’s easy to use. The provider has its own control panel called hPanel, which is built with beginners in mind. However, even before you reach it, you can take advantage of the automatic setup of your WordPress website, domain, and SSL.

I was also satisfied with Hostinger’s customer support. Its live chat is available 24/7, and the agents are not only well trained but very friendly as well. 

When it comes to shared hosting, Hostinger has 3 cheap plans. Single starts at $1.39/month, Premium at $2.59/month, while Business starts at $4.99/month.

All plans include free SSL certificates, weekly backups, and free email accounts. As for specifics:

• Single – 1 website, 1 email address, 30GB storage, and 100GB of bandwidth. It’s not much, but enough for a personal website or a blog.
• Premium – 100 websites, 100GB of storage, 100 email addresses, a free domain for a year, and unlimited bandwidth. For a small business, this plan will do.
• Business – 100 websites, 200GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth and 100 addresses, daily backups, and free CDN. For a medium business, this plan is more than enough.

One thing you should know is that Hostinger charges for domain privacy if you wish to remain at least partially invisible. Even so, $5 per year won’t break your bank.

Hostinger performance

Hostinger is among the most reliable hosting providers I’ve had the chance to test. 

With an average response time of 511ms and an uptime of 100%, this provider is living proof that you don’t have to give an arm and a leg for steady and reliable performance.

The response time isn’t the fastest, yet still above the industry average. As for uptime, it left a very good first impression.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hostinger has 7 server locations: the UK, the US, Brazil, the Netherlands, Singapore, Indonesia, and Lithuania. You can choose the one closest to your audience for better speeds.

With my website hosted in the US and tested from there, Hostinger showed exceptional results. It fully loaded the website in less than a second.

This result makes it one of the fastest shared hosting providers available. It puts the more expensive host to shame.

Overall, Hostinger is an excellent choice for adult hosting. While it has low prices, the performance is great. It’s also easy to use and has good customer support. No matter how big or small your adult site will be, it’s the best option overall.

2. HostGator

Features	Free SSL, domain, website builder, and cPanel
Uptime	>99.99%
Speed	525ms
Best for	Beginner-friendly hosting for adult sites

Visit HostGator

HostGator is an excellent choice if you’re looking for an adult site hosting provider. It delivers affordable prices, and its plans are all-inclusive, no extra expenses apart from the plan itself are needed. I was satisfied with HostGator’s performance and found it easy to use.

According to HostGator’s terms of service, you are allowed to host an adult website as long as its content is legal in the United States and the state of Texas. Tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and porn hosting included.

Now, what makes HostGator a good hosting provider?

First things first, it has nailed the setup process to a tee. In the main dashboard, you have shortcuts to the WordPress installation, domains, email, and SSL setups. Most of which are done automatically.

There’s also cPanel for other configurations. This makes HostGator not only easy to use but functional as well.

You’re also given access to a website builder, Gator Website Builder, but you’re limited to 6 pages. Even so, you’re free to create a nice landing page in a jiffy. 

For this, you won’t need to rob a bank:

HostGator delivers 3 affordable shared hosting plans. Hatchling costs $2.75/month, Baby is $3.50/month, and Business costs $5.25/month.

All plans include a free domain and SSL, WordPress website transfer, and unmetered bandwidth and storage. Of course, the more you pay, the more you get:

• Hatchling – you can connect one domain. This plan will suffice for a personal blog, for instance.
• Baby – this is similar to Hatchling, except that you can connect unlimited domains. I recommend this plan for a small business.
• Business – you can connect unlimited websites, but you also get a free dedicated IP, SEO tools, and a free upgrade to positive SSL. This plan is excellent for a small to medium business or a popular blog.

When purchasing one of these plans, you should also opt for domain privacy as well. HostGator charges $15/year so that your personal information remains private.

HostGator performance

Among the cheaper options on the list, HostGator really doesn't disappoint when speed and reliability are considered. With an average response time of 525ms and an uptime of >99.99%, HostGator is definitely a strong contender.

HostGator had a total of 5 minutes of downtime over more than 2 months. The response times were a bit bumpy, but the overall result is very very good. 

At the same time, HostGator hosts all of the websites in the US servers. So the US-based audiences will enjoy fast loading pages, yet it’s not optimal for other locations across the globe.

Now, talking about loading speed, HostGator delivered 1.2 seconds fully loaded time for a WordPress website.

Ideally, the result should not reach 3 seconds, so we have more than enough wiggle room for occasional slowdowns.

All in all, my HostGator website performed very well. The uptime was as close to perfect as possible for shared hosting, and the speed was good too. 

The general idea about HostGator is that it’s an affordable provider that gives you all that’s needed to start a website. Its native dashboard and control panel are easy to use, and the Gator Website Builder is pretty helpful. It’s a good option for beginner website owners.

3. DreamHost

Features	Free SSL, domain, domain privacy, backups
Uptime	>99.99%
Speed	231ms
Best for	WordPress-focused hosting with strong security

Visit DreamHost

DreamHost is one of the best-known hosts out there that’s still privately owned. It’s affordable, it’s easy to use, and you’re given access to plenty of features, including strong security. And, the reason why you’re here, DreamHost allows adult content on its servers.

Apparently, as long as your website’s content is not copyrighted or libel and doesn’t include child pornography, you’re good to go. And it must be legal in the United States, of course.

DreamHost focuses on WordPress, which is why you have access to many excellent WordPress tools. That includes a website builder for WordPress. I’ve never had the chance to test one until DreamHost put it at my disposal. And if you haven’t realized it so far, ease of use is not an issue. This provider designed everything with beginners in mind. And it succeeded.

Another thing is that security and privacy are great. Domain privacy is included together with automated backups, firewalls, and server monitoring.

I do have one complaint, though. What provider gives you access to a live chat option only to establish business hours? It seems awfully inconvenient. Fortunately, the email ticketing system is 24/7. 

As far as prices go, DreamHost is affordable enough. It has only 2 shared hosting plans. Starter costs $2.59/month, and Unlimited is $3.95/month.

Both plans include a free domain name for a year (plus its privacy,) unlimited traffic, pre-installed WordPress, free WordPress migrations, access to a website builder, and free SSL certificates. As for specifics:

• Starter – you can connect one website and get 50GB of storage space. Email hosting must be purchased, however. I recommend this plan for personal use.
• Unlimited – you can connect unlimited websites, and the storage space is unlimited too. You also get free email accounts this time. For a small to medium business, this plan will do.

DreamHost performance

DreamHost is as steady and reliable as they get. Just 1, 1-minute outage put the uptime at >99.99%, which is excellent. Response times were speedy, at 231ms average.

It’s worth mentioning that DreamHost has a 100% uptime guarantee, yet maintenance and force majeure are not covered. That’s why an occasional minute or 2 of downtime is to be expected and perfectly fine. 

Another thing is that DreamHost has servers in the US alone, meaning that it’s more suitable for US-based audiences.

Talking of which, DreamHost loads websites pretty fast. 1.6 seconds it took for a built WordPress site to be fully delivered to my browser.

That’s a good result, leaving enough room till the unwanted territory of 3 seconds. 

So regarding performance, DreamHost is a very strong contender. Both reliability and speed considered.

Overall, Dreamhost is yet another good choice for adult content hosting. It focuses on WordPress, yet its resources can cater so much more. The provider accommodates beginners, and the website builder for WordPress makes web development so much simpler. The fact that the live chat is not 24/7 is disturbing, though.

4. Liquid Web

Features	Managed VPS, backups, control panel
Uptime	100%
Speed	521ms
Best for	Adult hosting for business websites

Visit Liquid Web

Liquid Web is a more high-end hosting option, offering managed VPS with top-notch security features and vast server resources. If you’re selling online, creating membership sites, or web-based apps – that’s the guy to go to. And yes, adult content is allowed. 

Liquid Web’s terms of service don’t mention adult content. So, if they don’t forbid it, then it’s allowed, right? Well, just to be sure, I asked customer support, and they confirmed it.

At the same time, Liquid Web is a very advanced option for the biggest of projects. So while it’s among my overall favorite hosts, consider if it’s an option for you. After all, you don’t need to drive a semi-truck just to buy some groceries. 

So, what are the things that Liquid Web gives you?

• Managed VPS service with custom configuration of your needed software. The provider will launch a server for you with a custom setup just for your project.
• High-level dedicated resources to handle the highest levels of traffic on heavy sites.
• Customer support is also top-notch. The live chat is available 24/7, and 59 second response times are guaranteed.

As for prices, get ready to spend quite a bit. Liquid Web is not too expensive, but not shared-hosting-level cheap.

For managed VPS, you have fully configurable plans that start at $15/mo with a big introductory discount. 

All plans include a control panel, SSL certificates, backups, and strong server-level security.

• Cheapest plan for $15/mo comes with 2GB RAM, 2 CPUs, 40GB SSD, and 10TB bandwidth.
• Most expensive option comes at $95/mo with 16GB RAM, 8 CPUs, 200GB storage, and 10TB bandwidth.

The cool thing about VPS hosting is that you can scale it up and down as you see fit. For a growing business, this solution is perfect.

Liquid Web performance

VPS is known to be among the most powerful hosting options and Liquid Web proves it. The provider guarantees 100% uptime and delivers on it. The average response time on a bare server, 521ms, is good as well.

Not only was the response time fast, but it was steady. No major peaks. Now, uptime is just perfect, as promised. 

It’s also worth mentioning that Liquid Web has servers in the US and the Netherlands. You can target either the US or European audiences to deliver the optimal performance to them. 

Talking of which, Liquid Web loads a WordPress website in 1.2 seconds.

Keep in mind that we are testing a bare server speed here. No speed optimizations (like with Hostinger) are used here.

Needless to say, Liquid Web kept its word and provided me with fast and reliable servers. 

What you need to remember about Liquid Web is that while it doesn’t offer shared hosting, you have powerful managed VPS for a change. The prices are not exactly low, but you have access to a ton of resources and top-tier security features. Plus, performance is in the “excellent” range.

5. InterServer

Features	Free SSL, monthly payment, control panel
Uptime	100%
Speed	1.01s
Best for	Advanced hosting for adult sites

Visit InterServer

InterServer prides itself on offering high-quality services at affordable prices. In my experience, this provider is not the easiest when it comes to user experience. Still, I was drawn by the transparency of its low prices. Adult content is permitted only if you opt for cloud VPS hosting.

So, keep in mind that if you choose to go for shared hosting from InterServer, adult content is not allowed. 

Since InterServer allows adult websites only on its VPS and dedicated servers, I think it’s best suitable for heavy-content websites. Otherwise, it’s not worth the trouble.

After purchasing VPS hosting from InterServer, I played around to see how easy it is to use. Unlike shared hosting, cloud VPS hosting from InterServer is not as welcoming. It’s not a managed service, and you cannot simply go there and install WordPress using cPanel. 

You can opt for a DirectAdmin free control panel yet, it’s not as functional, and the server has to be configured beforehand. This means SSH and command-line interface. One more thing – customer support is rather limited. You can reach them 24/7, but don't expect much help.

That’s why I think skilled users would benefit more from this option. 

Now, let’s talk money, shall we? InterServer always had interesting pricing structures. Even shared hosting comes as a one-size-fits-all plan. When it comes to cloud VPS, the prices start at $6/month, which is among the most affordable in the industry. 

If you need more resources, you have to go for another “slice,” as the provider likes to call it. For double the money, you get double the resources.

So, what do you get for $6/month? You have 1 core, 2GB RAM, 30GB of SSD storage, and a data transfer limit of 1TB. For $12/month, you get double.

Now, if you think server management is something you need, you must pay an additional $8/month. If you buy at least 4 slices, it comes for free. 

For even more resources, know that InterServer offers dedicated servers as well. The prices start at $50/month.

I’d also like to commend InterServer on its price lock guarantee. You will pay the same price for the entire life of your hosting account. Even when you renew. This provider is among the very few in the industry to adopt this practice.

InterServer performance

When I purchase VPS hosting, my expectations in terms of performance are high. InterServer delivered an uptime of 100% and an average response time of 1.01s, which means that my expectations were met just partially.

The uptime is out of the question – it’s great. But server response time… It leaves quite a lot to be improved. Sure, it’s a bare server, but 1 second is really pushing the limits that we’d like to tolerate.

Page load times fix the situation a little bit. 2.3 seconds load time fits into the recommended 3 seconds. Plus, you have an option to put custom configurations and optimizations.

So there’s not much to say here other than InterServer is not the fastest, but it delivers reliable performance. Its data centers are in the US alone, which is why I think it’s more suitable for US-based audiences. 

Overall, InterServer is a decent choice for adult hosting. It allows adult content only on VPS and dedicated servers, which is why I recommend it to more experienced users. The prices are affordable, and the resources are plenty. The performance, on the other hand, needs some work.

Best adult web hosting: final recommendations

There are not that many options that allow hosting adult websites. However, after reading tons of terms of service and doing a bunch of testing, my team and I were able to find the best adult hosting providers for various needs.

Let’s take a look at them once again, shall we?

• Hostinger is the cheapest adult hosting provider. Despite its low prices, the provider doesn’t cut corners in terms of resources and performance.
• HostGator has low prices as well, and it was designed with beginners in mind. Its performance is also reliable.
• DreamHost focuses on WordPress. Its plans are inclusive, and the prices are not high. Plus, it delivers good performance.
• Liquid Web doesn’t have shared hosting, which is why beginners may have a more challenging time. But it has fast servers and excellent security features.
• InterServer has low prices for what it offers. Adult content is allowed only on VPS, but the provider gives access to a wide range of resources.

Choosing the best adult web hosting provider

Choosing a random provider is not an option. While there are many factors to consider, some of them are crucial. In my book, the most important are the terms of service and privacy. You should also look at performance, ease of use, and customer support.

Terms of service

When choosing an adult hosting provider, the first thing you have to do is read the terms of service. It doesn’t matter if it checks all the other boxes if you’re not allowed to host an adult website, does it?

On any provider’s homepage, usually at the bottom, you’ll find its legal mumbo-jumbo. I know we don’t often read that, but this part is a must if you’re looking to host an adult website. 

And don’t just google it. I understand the temptation but check the TOS yourself. Not all sources are reliable, and terms of service are updated n times per year. Hell, I checked the terms of service for my 5 choices, and you still have to double-check.

Privacy 

When it comes to adult content, legal or not, privacy is of the essence. When you register a domain, all of your private details can be accessed by anyone via the WHOIS database. Your name and even address can be found there.

That’s a privacy breach, no matter if you are hosting a regular blog or a website containing adult-only content.

Thankfully, there’s a workaround.

You can hide your details using a domain privacy service. Most providers charge $5 to $10 a year for such service, while some include it for free. Take a look at DreamHost, for example. 

Performance, ease of use, and customer support

While these three factors are at the bottom of my list, they are some sort of a holy trinity when it comes to hosting. Whatever the content of your website, it must perform well, it should be easy to manage, and customer support should be available 24/7.

Shall we get into the specifics?

Performance

When speaking of performance, we’re usually talking about response time, uptime, and page loading speed.

• As for uptime, 99.9% is the lowest you should ever go for. That’s a standard guarantee, yet as close to 100% is the goal.
• An ideal average response time doesn’t exceed 450ms, while a satisfactory one goes up to, let’s say, 600ms. The closer it gets to 1 second, the worse it is. As for uptime, 99.9% is the lowest you should ever go.
• Page loading time should stay below 3 seconds. That’s a magic number after which visitors tend to get… Impatient. 

Ease of use

Ease of use might be pretty self-explanatory, but there are a couple of things that guarantee a good experience. You need a provider that understands we’re not all tech-savvy. 

• If you are a complete beginner, look for hosts that have automatic or guided setups for your website. Hostinger, for example, takes care of WordPress, domain, and SSL before you even reach the control panel.
• The control panel is where most of the management tasks happen. For example, you can set up email accounts or reach the file manager there. cPanel is the all-time standard yet, more modern alternatives used by Hostinger and DreamHost are good too.

Customer support

As for customer support, my personal favorite is the live chat. So, if a provider has a 24/7 live chat, I’m happy. Of course, it has to be fast, and the person on the other side must know what they’re doing. Otherwise, what’s the point?

On this list, we have a couple of exceptions.

• DreamHost live chat is only available 5:30 am–9:30 pm PT daily. Although ticket support is 24/7 and quite quick.
• InterServer customer support could use some improvement. While 24/7, the agents are not always invested in helping you. So, if you’re a beginner, that’s not the best option for you.

The bottom line is that choosing an adult hosting provider is not something you do on a whim. There’s homework involved, and while nobody likes homework, it’s that one thing we have to do. 

Adult web hosting FAQs