Shared hosting plans from independent providers, compared by what is included, how support works and what you will pay once the introductory price ends.
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We compared 27 providers and 131 plans for web hosting on six criteria, from the real monthly cost (including the renewal price) to support and refund terms. Key factors here: control panels, uptime SLAs, renewal prices and support.
Shared hosting places many websites on one well-maintained server. The provider handles the operating system, security patches, web server software and hardware, while you manage your site through a browser-based control panel. Because costs are split among many customers, it is the most affordable way to put a website online, and for blogs, portfolios, local business sites and small stores it is often all you need.
The limitation is that resources are shared. Providers set CPU, memory and process limits per account so one busy site cannot slow down the rest, and a site that regularly hits those limits will eventually need a bigger tier.
Shared hosting is famous for low introductory offers. The advertised rate often requires a long prepaid term, and the plan then renews at a higher regular price. Always compare the monthly price and the renewal price, not just the promotional one. Watch for extras added at checkout, such as privacy protection, site security scanners or premium backups, and untick anything you do not need.
A money-back guarantee gives you time to test the service. Read its terms: domain registrations and some add-ons are often excluded from refunds.
An uptime SLA shows the provider's commitment, but the details matter: what counts as downtime, and what credit you receive. Support quality varies more than hardware does. Try a pre-sales chat to see how quickly and clearly the team answers a technical question.
Consider moving up when your site regularly hits resource limits, you need software the host does not support, or you want root access. The next steps are a VPS, managed cloud hosting or a dedicated server, which our guide to web hosting types compares in detail.
Use the filters above to narrow the list by price, features or use case. If you are building on WordPress, go straight to our WordPress hosting shortlist.
Shared web hosting is like renting an apartment: everything is set up and maintained for you, but you share the building with neighbors. A VPS is your own house: full control, but upkeep is on you. Live prices from our catalog (134 web hosting plans):
| Criterion | Web hosting | VPS hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Price | from $0.99/mo | from $1.83/mo |
| After the intro term | from $3/mo | Usually the same price every month |
| Setup | Ready to go: cPanel or a custom panel, PHP, databases and free SSL in a few clicks | A clean OS: you install and configure the stack yourself (or pay for managed) |
| Resources | Shared with other accounts on the server | Your own vCPU cores, RAM and storage |
| Control | Only what the host allows | Root access: any software, any configuration |
| Best for | WordPress and other CMS sites, portfolios, blogs, small business sites | Apps, APIs, bots, high-traffic projects: see VPS hosting |
Rule of thumb: a typical WordPress site with up to 10,000 to 20,000 visits a day runs fine on good shared hosting. Move to a VPS when you hit process or CPU limits or need custom software. Watch the renewal price: many shared hosting deals renew at two to four times the first-term price.
We compare 27 web hosting providers by price, renewal rate, control panel, uptime SLA and support. The best choice depends on your site: a personal blog, a WooCommerce store and an agency with dozens of client sites need different plans. Sort by rating and use the filters to shortlist.
Shared hosting typically costs $2 to $15 per month, with plans in our catalog starting from $1/mo. Intro prices often require a one- to three-year prepay and renew higher, so always check the renewal rate shown next to the plan.
You rent space on a powerful server that the host has already set up and maintains. You upload your site through a control panel, and PHP, databases, email and SSL already work. You share the server with other customers, which is fine for small and medium sites.
Key things to compare:
Many providers include free site migration: their support team moves your files, databases and email, usually within one or two business days. Some limit it to one site or to cPanel-to-cPanel transfers, so confirm the details before you pay.
Managed WordPress hosting costs more than basic shared hosting, but includes server-level caching, automatic core and plugin updates, staging sites and WordPress-savvy support. It is worth it for business sites and stores where speed and uptime affect revenue.
