Best web hosting providers 2026: independent ranking
We rank web hosting providers by verifiable facts only: the uptime guarantee, money-back period, backups, the price of the cheapest plan and whether the renewal price is published, features of that plan, support channels and transparency. Every fact links to the provider's official page and carries the date we checked it. Paid placement never changes the Score.
| # | Company | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IONOS | 79 | 100.0% | 30 days | $1.00 |
| 2 | DreamHost | 79 | 100% | 30 days | $2.89 |
| 3 | Hosting.com (A2 Hosting) | 76 | 100.0% | 30 days | Not verified |
| 4 | ScalaHosting | 74 | 99.9% | 30 days | $2.95 |
| 5 | Kinsta | 73 | 99.9% | 30 days | $30.00 |
| 6 | SiteGround | 71 | 99.9% | 30 days | Not verified |
| 7 | GreenGeeks | 70 | 99.9% | 30 days | $2.95 |
| 8 | Hostinger | 69 | 99.9% | 30 days | Not verified |
| 9 | Hostwinds | 59 | 100.0% | 0 days | $6.99 |
| 10 | WP Engine | 57 | 100.0% | Not verified | $28.00 |
| 11 | InterServer | 54 | 99.9% | 30 days | $2.50 |
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 100.0%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $1.00
Pros
- Low price of the entry plan
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Renewal price is shown upfront
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days or more
Details Visit site ↗ 80% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 100%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $2.89
Pros
- Low price of the entry plan
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
Cons
- No email mailboxes on the cheapest plan
Details Visit site ↗ 87% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 100.0%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- Not verified
Pros
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days or more
Cons
- No staging on the cheapest plan
Details Visit site ↗ 83% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 99.9%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $2.95
Pros
- Low price of the entry plan
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
Cons
- No phone support
Details Visit site ↗ 83% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 99.9%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $30.00
Pros
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days or more
Cons
- Expensive entry plan
Details Visit site ↗ 88% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 99.9%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- Not verified
Pros
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days or more
Details Visit site ↗ 74% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 99.9%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $2.95
Pros
- Low price of the entry plan
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
Details Visit site ↗ 76% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 99.9%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- Not verified
Pros
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Renewal price is shown upfront
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days or more
Cons
- No daily backups on the cheapest plan
Details Visit site ↗ 79% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 100.0%
- Money-back guarantee
- 0 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $6.99
Pros
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Automatic daily backups even on the cheapest plan
Cons
- Short or no money-back period
Details Visit site ↗ 74% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 100.0%
- Money-back guarantee
- Not verified
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $28.00
Pros
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Live chat support around the clock
- Automatic daily backups even on the cheapest plan
- Publishes incidents on a public status page
Cons
- Expensive entry plan
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- Uptime guarantee
- 99.9%
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days
- Cheapest plan, per month (12-month term)
- $2.50
Pros
- Low price of the entry plan
- High uptime guarantee in the terms
- Renewal price is shown upfront
- Money-back guarantee of 30 days or more
Cons
- No daily backups on the cheapest plan
Details Visit site ↗ 72% backed by facts
Not ranked yet: not enough verified data
These services are known to us, but we haven't verified enough facts to rank them fairly.
- Hetzner (60% backed by facts)
- Liquid Web (68% backed by facts)
- OVHcloud (54% backed by facts)
How we calculate the Score
30%
Reliability
Uptime guaranteed in the SLA or terms (99% scores 0, 100% scores 100), the money-back period (30 days or more gets full credit), automatic daily backups on the cheapest plan, and the company's track record (20+ years gets full credit).
25%
Price
Monthly price of the cheapest shared or managed WordPress plan on a 12-month term ($0 scores 100, $30 or more scores 0), whether the renewal price is shown on the pricing page, and a free domain with that plan.
20%
Features
Free SSL certificate, number of data-center locations (log scale, full credit at 30), a staging environment and email mailboxes on the cheapest plan.
15%
Support
Live chat available 24/7 and phone support for hosting customers.
10%
Transparency
A public status page with incidents and an ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification stated on an official page.
How to choose web hosting
Start from your site, not the deal
A personal site or a small business site fits shared hosting; a busy shop or many WordPress sites may need managed WordPress, VPS or cloud plans. Pick the type first, then compare providers.
Look at the renewal price
The advertised price is often for the first term only and requires paying for months or years upfront. Check the renewal price and the term the price applies to.
Check backups and the money-back period
Find out whether automatic daily backups are included in your plan and how many days you have to get a refund if the hosting does not suit you.
Choose a data center near your visitors
A server close to your audience loads pages faster. Providers with more data-center locations give you more choice.
Keep your domain under your control
A free domain is convenient, but make sure it is registered in your name and that you can transfer it if you move to another host.
Frequently asked questions
Which web hosting provider is the best right now?
The provider at the top of the ranking above has the highest Score by our public methodology. The best choice for you depends on your priorities: check the factor bars — reliability, price, features, support — and pick the leader in the factor that matters most to you.
Why does my hosting cost more after the first year?
Many providers advertise an introductory price and renew at a higher regular price. We show whether the renewal price is published on the pricing page; read it before you pay, and compare the total for the whole term, not just the first month.
What does a 99.9% uptime guarantee mean?
It is the share of time the provider promises your site will be reachable, usually measured per month. 99.9% allows about 43 minutes of downtime a month; 99.99% allows about 4 minutes. If the guarantee is broken, the terms usually give you a credit, not cash.
How do you rank hosting providers?
By facts from official pages, each with a link and a check date, combined by a fixed public formula. We do not run our own speed tests, so the ranking is reproducible and cannot be bought.