The Best Blog Hosting Platforms
If you are looking to start a blog or website you will need to host it on what we call a web host.
WordPress is by far the best software and tool to use but you need to host it, so here are our recommended hosting platforms for your WordPress blog.
If you want to build a successful blog then you need to self-host WordPress with one of the below affordable recommended hosting services.
Money Back
30 Day
Extras
Free Domain
A reliable web host that is affordable and great for those without a domain name.
Money Back
30 Day
Extras
Free SSL Certificate
In our experience, Siteground offers a faster loading times and great support.
Money Back
60 Day
Extras
Free SSL, Backups + Staging Server
Premium option but much faster hosting + lots of extras & the best WordPress support.
Money Back
30 Day
Extras
Free SSL, CDN + Free Migration
Another premium WordPress hosting solution with additional power tools.
Why Do I Recommend These Hosting Providers?
Below is a short breakdown and review of the above three blog hosting providers so you can see why I only recommend these three.
Bluehost
Bluehost has been around since 2003 and having a hosting company that has a long track record and good reputation is paramount.
While Bluehost isn't the fastest host it goes have its benefits.
Bluehost provide an affordable service ideal for new webmasters and bloggers, a free domain name ideal if you don't already have one and they also provide free SSL certificates through LetsEncrypt.
They have live chat support as well as the traditional ticketing and email methods which makes it easy to get in touch with someone if you have a problem.
Email accounts are also included, unlike some companies who like to charge extra for these services.
Siteground
Siteground is my favorite medium level host that has now become the main service I recommend, especially if you already own your domain name.
Why do I like Siteground?
Siteground provides a much faster hosting service than I have found with Bluehost and any other shared hosting companies. This might be because they put fewer websites on each server which means there's less chance of a bottleneck or 1000's of websites all sharing one server and connection.
Siteground offer free SSL certificates, as well as a 30-day money back, guarantee like Bluehost and their support is extremely knowledgeable.
WP Engine
WP Engine offers a premium WordPress hosting service that comes with lots of bells and whistles and extremely fast loading times.
When slow loading websites can lead to a poor user experience, lower rankings on Google and lost sales it's often worth spending the extra $20 a month to serve your website as quickly as possible to your visitors.
WPEngine is what I would call an SEO friendly blog hosting service due to the fact speed is their main selling point and that impacts search engine optimization massively.
In addition to the fast hosting speeds, they also offer a staging server so you can clone your website and work on it without disrupting your user experience.
WPEngine offers a 60-day money back guarantee, automated daily backups, free SSL certificate, 247 live chat support with experts who are actually knowledgeable about WordPress, this alone can be worth the money.
Kinsta
Powered by Google Cloud Platform and its 17 global data centers Kinsta is comparable to WP Engine in that it offers extremely fast dedicated WordPress Managed hosting that comes with an arsenal of power tools.
Kinsta has a 30-day money back guarantee, features free SSL certificates, daily backups, a custom dashboard and they also offer a free migration service.
The MyKinsta Dashboard makes it easy to navigate and use the various additional services that are available.
This dashboard also includes a firewall for enhances security and an uptime monitor for peace of mind, so you know your website is running around the clock.
24-hour live chat has become a standard and you should except no service that doesn't offer this.
How to Start a Blog
You have come to the right place if you are looking to start your own blog.
Above are the best places to host your new blog and WordPress is by far the best tool available and it's totally free.
We have written a comprehensive guide on how to start a blog that you should head over to after signing up for your web hosting so you can follow through the best steps to make sure your new blog is a success.
Over 14 years I have tested hundreds of hosting services and for most businesses, I just recommend one of the three listed above.
This is based on:
- Value for money - A balance of high quality without breaking the bank.
- Level of support, options provided, live chat, phone, email, tickets etc.
- Features provided - free email, SSL, automatic backups, staging / development server etc.
- The speed of the hosting - It's essential your blog loads quickly.
- Size of company - As you want to be sure your host is sticking around with you for the long term.
- Customer feedback and reviews
- Personal Experience.
Want to Create Your Blog the Right Way?
If you want to create your blog the right way, make sure it's attractive, generates visitors and eventually turn it into a full-time income you will want to follow our how-to guide and tutorials.
What will you learn:
- Why you simply must use self-hosted WordPress for your blog to have success.
- How to quickly install WordPress in under 5 minutes.
- Why to avoid free blog hosts and hosted for you platforms where you don't own the content or have any control.
- How to set up the right plugins and theme.
- How to make money from your blog or niche website.
- How to build an email list.
So if you are new to blogging or have been around for a while and had limited success and found yourself frustrated, take the guesswork out and follow my guide based on more than a decade building WordPress blogs for people all over the world.