Best web hosting services for beginners 2024

If you’re just starting with hosting a website, it can be confusing trying to figure out which host is right for you. With words like CDN, PHP, web application firewalls, and content management systems thrown around in provider descriptions, it may be difficult to understand what exactly it is that you need.

In this article, my goal is to guide you through the process of choosing the best host for you with thorough explanations and examples – all to make it easier. I also will recommend 5 beginner-friendly web hosts and give extensive overviews of what makes them the best for those new to hosting.

Best web hosting for beginners in 2024

1. Bluehost – best hosting for beginners overall
2. Hostinger – cheap and reliable hosting for beginners
3. Dreamhost– hosting for beginners with an intuitive interface
4. SiteGround – hosting for beginners with excellent performance
5. HostGator – beginner-friendly and wallet-friendly hosting

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What makes web hosting suitable for beginners?

Web hosting doesn’t have to be complicated – and most of the time, it isn’t. There are so many great hosts that make it easy to set up a site. Here’s how to know if a web hosting provider is suitable for beginners:

• Automated or guided setup process for content management system installations, setting up site security, and more. For example, Hostinger offers a completely automated setup process which includes installing WordPress only with one click, and security features such as SSL being configured automatically. Other parts like setting up a domain include detailed guides and descriptions.
• AI tools like AI website creators, AI WordPress assistants, and more. Builders like Hostinger or DreamHost offer website builders with option to create a site from scratch using AI assistance.
• Excellent 24/7 support which is also available via multiple channels such as live chats, phone calls, and email tickets. No matter your time zone or the complexity of your issue, helpful support agents are essential in making the hosting process as simple and enjoyable as possible.
• Free trials and money-back guarantees give you the chance to change your mind if you find that the host is too complicated for you. With no long-term commitment, you can easily try things out and switch providers if something doesn’t suit your needs.

Best web hosting for beginners – our detailed list:

We tested various web hosting providers to select services that guarantee ease of use for novices, great prices, performance, and more. Without further ado, let's take a look at the best beginner-friendly web hosting providers:

1. Bluehost – best beginner-friendly web hosting overall

Visit Bluehost

Bluehost is simply the best when it comes to beginner web hosting, and for a good reason. It ensures a smooth introduction into the hosting world thanks to its intuitive interface and plans filled with essentials.

Here's why Bluehost is my favorite beginner web host:

• User-friendly and functional cPanel combination with its own automatic management tools.
• Bluehost’s shared hosting plans include a free custom domain, an SSL, and at least 5 email accounts. Plus, you get to enjoy unlimited bandwidth and free CDN.
• An intuitive website builder with beautiful responsive templates, easy-to-use editor, and numerous features like SEO and analytics to help you with all aspects of your first site.
• Staging environments for testing any updates to your site before going live with the changes. That way, you can catch any inconsistencies or fix issues early.

Performance: Bluehost doesn’t have an official uptime guarantee, yet its performance proves its trustworthiness. It’s a generally fast hosting provider, with a fully built site loading in 1.8s. However, keep in mind that the host has data centers only in the US.

Pricing: With this host, you can choose from 4 shared hosting plans. The prices start from just $1.99/mo. And of course, there’s also a month-long money-back guarantee.

If you’re looking for the best host for personal website use, Bluehost’s easy management, WordPress tools, and website builder make it a formidable contender.

Visit our Bluehost review to learn more about the service.

2. Hostinger – cheap and easy-to-use beginner host

Visit Hostinger

Hostinger is another great web hosting service for beginners for various reasons. For starters, it’s cheap, starting from just $2.54/month. Moreover, it’s easy to use and is great for hosting various types of websites.

Here are the top 5 reasons why Hostinger is a great match for beginner users:

• If you don’t have a site and want to build one, there’s an option to create a website using AI or use one of the Hostinger Website Builder templates.
• Hostinger uses a very intuitive custom panel option called hPanel. It allows you to effortlessly set up apps using one-click installers and easily navigate through security and performance settings.
• The automated setup process includes installing your preferred CMS, configuring SSL and other security features, as well as a CDN. What needed to be installed manually, had detailed descriptions and guides.
• Hostinger includes all you need for your first website, including unlimited bandwidth, a custom domain name (free for the 1st year), weekly backups, and more.
• Hostinger also takes care of performance optimizations by using the latest advanced server technology. The updates are also automated.

Performance: Hostinger is an ideal candidate if excellent site performance is a crucial deciding factor for you. It includes SSD storage which is speedier than the old HDD drives. You also get the latest PHP versions and the LiteSpeed Web Server tech and caching, which helps boost website speed.

Pricing: Hostinger lets you choose between 2 shared and 1 cloud hosting plan. Its prices are relatively cheap, starting from $2.54/mo for a 4-year subscription. And, of course, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Overall, Hostinger ticks all important boxes for beginners: price, ease of use, customer service, and performance.

Visit our Hostinger review to learn more about the service.

3. DreamHost – affordable WordPress hosting for beginners

Visit DreamHost

DreamHost is known for its cheap and easy-to-manage shared hosting for beginners. With a beginner-friendly control panel, affordable prices, and a built-in WordPress website builder, DreamHost is one of the best solutions that you can find.

Here are top 4 reasons why DreamHost is a great beginner host:

• One-click WordPress installation and detailed tutorials on how to use tools and features to make the website hosting process easier.
• All plans include a website builder – so if you want to create a website but don’t know how, DreamHost has you covered.
• Automatic setup for the most important features, such as SSL and web app firewall, as well as CDN. With all plans, you also get unlimited bandwidth, automatic backups, and domain privacy.
• Automated migration – if you already have a site but want to switch providers, DreamHost offers an automated migration process. You won’t have to deal with all the complexities by yourself.

Performance: Whether you’re a beginner or not, you can rely on DreamHost in terms of performance. It comes with a magnificent 100% uptime guarantee. Yet, its data centers are located in the US alone.

Pricing: You can get DreamHost for as low as $2.59/mo when getting a 36-month plan. There are 2 shared hosting subscription options available and a generous money-back guarantee of 97 days.

Such strong factors make DreamHost look like an excellent WordPress hosting solution for beginners and smaller businesses.

Visit our DreamHost review to learn more about the service.

4. SiteGround – beginner hosting services with great performance

Visit SiteGround

SiteGround is an excellent pick for those who are just beginning their website hosting journey. Thanks to its intuitive hosting panel and…, you’ll get a hang of everything in no time.

Here are more reasons to choose SiteGround as a beginner:

• Intuitive control panel with automated setup: It helps you install WordPress, create a professional email account, and activate the SSL certificate in a few steps.
• All shared hosting plans come with a free domain, email accounts, free SSL certificates, and unlimited bandwidth. There’s also Cloudflare CDN and built-in caching included.

Performance: SiteGround is one of the most reliable providers when it comes to performance. You’re guaranteed an average of 99.9% uptime and exceptional speeds. One of the reasons is its strong technology, such as LiteSpeed web servers and Google Cloud infrastructure.

Pricing: SiteGround offers 3 shared hosting plans suitable for beginner projects. You can get the entry hosting plan starting from $2.99/mo with a one-year billing cycle. If it doesn’t meet your expectations, there’s always the 30-day money-back guarantee.

SiteGround offers great value for your money, with great performance and loads of features that beginners will appreciate.

Visit our SiteGround review to learn more about the service.

5. HostGator – beginner-friendly hosting with competitive pricing

Visit HostGator

HostGator is one of the most beginner-friendly shared website hosting providers. It offers a hassle-free hosting experience with an intuitive cPanel and a great customer support team. And all of this comes at competitive prices.

These are the top features that make HostGator a beginner-friendly host:

• HostGator uses the traditional and popular cPanel together with a native user interface. Such a combo helps make the learning process very simple.
• Setting up everything for your site is effortlessly easy: with detailed descriptions and an intuitive interface, you can install and set up WordPress, SSL, domains, and other features.
• Each of HostGator’s shared hosting plans will load you with essentials. This includes such features as an SSL certificate, a custom domain, unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts.
• You also receive a free website builder, allowing you to create a site with up to 6 pages.

Performance: With this host, you get a regular 99.9% uptime guarantee. And once you fully build your site, you can expect above-average loading times. The only thing worth noting is that its data centers are only in the US.

Pricing: The hosting provider is not very different from other hosts when it comes to pricing structure. There are 3 pricing options available with prices starting from $3.75/mo (if you get it for 3 years). As usual, there’s also a standard 30-day refund policy.

HostGator is an impressive host suitable for beginners who want everything in one purchase – ease of use, a website builder, and essential features.

Visit our HostGator review to learn more about the service.

Best web hosting for beginners compared

How we tested beginner-friendly web hosting

To find the best beginner-friendly web hosts, the Cybernews research team and I reviewed and tested 54 hosting services. Here’s a simple breakdown of our hosting testing and ranking process:

1. First, the research team and I compiled an initial list of providers that are generally good for beginners, with easy-to-navigate dashboards and other features.
2. Following the list, we reviewed each of the hosts' setup processes, noting whether there are any automation or guidelines that make starting with a host easier. We also considered the features and resources offered, such as free SSL, custom domains, other security features, and CDNs.
3. The research team also tested each provider’s performance, including metrics such as uptime, server response time, site load time, and traffic handling.
4. I also noted what support options each provider offers, and I reached out to them with simple questions that a beginner may have to evaluate the responsiveness and helpfulness of the agents.
5. Finally, I compared the price-to-quality ratio between the providers, taking into consideration all testing and evaluation results. This comparison informed the final ranking of the 5 best website hosting services for beginners.

Bottom line

Finding the right web hosting provider as a beginner can be a difficult challenge. Many web hosting options claim to be beginner-friendly, but only a handful stay true to their word. And a simple dashboard isn’t enough to make it easy for newbies.

Hosts should also offer dependable customer support and plans including hosting essentials, such as a free domain and SSL certificate. For this reason, we tested dozens of services to help you pick the friendliest option for novice users.

Our top recommendation is Bluehost. It guarantees a very intuitive control panel, excellent performance, and all of the essentials for a great price.

Beginner web hosting FAQs