Today there are 67 different web hosts for freelancers. We spent 95 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to host your websites on.
What is the Best Web Host for Freelancers?
1. Bluehost
Our Verdict — Best Of The Best
Price: Starts at $35.40/year
Bluehost is a powerful web hosting solution with affordable pricing for freelancers. We think it’s the best because of its budget-friendly pricing plans, sleek control panel, and one-click WordPress installation.
The Best Part:
Affordable pricing. Bluehost offers several hosting services to fit any budget, with prices starting at the equivalent of just $2.95/mo for shared hosting.
The Worst Part:
Limited storage on Basic plans. Bluehost’s Basic plans offer only 10 GB of storage, which can be a bit restrictive for some freelancers.
Get it if you want an excellent web hosting solution to build your own or your clients’ websites without breaking the bank.
I recommend you start with Bluehost’s Basic plan at $35.40/year.
(30-day money-back guarantee)
Best For
Bluehost is best for freelancers who want a feature-rich hosting provider with affordable pricing.
Top Features
- One-click WordPress installation. Install WordPress and start building your website in no time — even if you've never done it before.
- 24/7 customer support. Get instant help around the clock with any technical issues you or your clients face with hosting, websites, WordPress setup, and more.
- Best-in-class security features. Keep your websites safer with Bluehost’s free SSL certificates, daily website backups, and malware scanning.
- Access to premium themes. Build professional-looking websites and impress clients with Bluehost’s huge library of pre-made themes.
- Quick and easy online store setup. Set up online stores for your clients in no time using Bluehost’s pre-installed WooCommerce packages.
Pricing
Bluehost offers four pricing plans:
- Basic: $35.40/year for the first year, then $131.88/year for freelancers that want to build and host one website, for up to 15,000 monthly visitors and 10GB of storage.
- Plus: $65.40/year for the first year, then $179.88/year for freelancers that want to host unlimited websites for several clients, for up to 50,000 monthly visitors and 20GB of storage.
- Choice Plus: $65.40/year for the first year, then $239.88/year for freelancers that want to host unlimited websites for clients and get marketing and site management tools, for up to 200,000 monthly visitors and 40GB of storage.
- Pro: $179.40/year for the first year, then $347.88/year for freelancers that want to host unlimited websites for clients on Bluehost’s best shared server, for up to 400,000 monthly visitors and 100GB of storage.
Try Bluehost today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Flywheel
Our Verdict — Best For Web Designers
Price: Starts at $15/month
Flywheel is a managed WordPress hosting platform for web designers who build websites for a living. We think it’s the best for web designers because of its time-saving site templates, hassle-free billing transfers, and powerful collaboration tools.
The Best Part:
Uniquely designed for web designers. Flywheel is the only web hosting platform specifically tailored to meet the needs of web designers working on client projects.
The Worst Part:
Limited to WordPress. Flywheel’s focus on WordPress means you can't use other software like Joomla, Drupal, or Magento for clients.
Get it if you want a dedicated WordPress hosting service to streamline your work.
I recommend you start with the 14-day free trial, then upgrade to the Freelance plan for $115/month.
(14-day free trial)
Best For
Flywheel is best for freelance web designers who want a powerful WordPress hosting platform, to manage their client work.
Top Features
- Billing transfer feature. Start working immediately with a free demo site, then easily transfer billing and ownership to your client when the site is ready with a few clicks, easy-peasy.
- Time-saving site templates. Create reusable Blueprints of your favorite themes and plugins, and use them to set up future client sites faster.
- Collaboration made simple. Add anyone as a collaborator to manage your sites, edit files, or update databases, and assign dedicated individual logins for each user at no extra charge.
- Stress-free site tweaking. Make site updates for clients risk-free with Flywheel’s Staging environment feature, then publish changes with a single click once the new version is ready.
- Fully managed WordPress hosting. Let Flywheel handle the technical aspects of the hosting, saving you time to focus on getting new clients and delivering projects.
Pricing
Flywheel offers four pricing plans:
- Tiny: $15/month for freelance web designers who want to host a small WordPress website for one client, for up to 5,000 monthly visits and 5GB of storage.
- Starter: $30/month for freelance web designers who want to host one WordPress website for one client, for up to 25,000 monthly visits and 10GB of storage.
- Freelance: $115/month for freelance web designers who want to host up to 10 WordPress websites for clients, for up to 100,000 monthly visits and 20GB of storage.
- Agency: $290/month for freelance web designers and web design agencies that want to host up to 30 WordPress websites for clients, for up to 400,000 monthly visits and 50GB of storage.
Annual plans provide a 17% discount.
Try Flywheel today with a free 14-day trial.
3. Kinsta
Our Verdict — Best For Developers
Price: Starts at $7/month
Kinsta is a premium managed hosting provider for developers and businesses. We think it’s the best for developers because of its cutting-edge infrastructure, scalable resources for new projects, and intuitive dashboard.
The Best Part:
Tailored for developers. Kinsta offers developer features for building apps, databases, and WordPress websites. You get unlimited concurrent builds, unlimited users for collaboration, and data centers worldwide to deploy your projects anywhere.
The Worst Part:
No shared hosting. Kinsta’s focus on premium managed hosting means it’s priced above the average web host.
Get it if you want a top-tier cloud hosting provider to deliver apps and build WordPress websites for clients.
I recommend you start with the Hobby 1 plan for $7/mo.
(30-day money-back guarantee)
Best For
Kinsta is best for freelance web developers who want a reliable, high-performance cloud hosting solution for their projects.
Top Features
- Expert developer support. Get access to 24/7 guidance from Kinsta’s developers, experts, and engineers to fix any issues you’re facing, instantly.
- Hourly automatic backups. Your apps are automatically backed up daily, with optional add-ons for 6-hour and hourly backups.
- Global data centers. Pick your spot from over 35 data centers worldwide to park your clients’ websites, databases, and apps and get the best performance.
- Malware protection. Stay one step ahead of cyber threats with Kinsta’s proactive security features, such as hardware firewalls, malware protection, and much more.
- Staging environments. Test the water with new features, themes, and plugins on a secure staging site before deploying them to your client’s live site or apps.
Pricing
Kinsta offers three pricing plans:
- Applications: $7/month for freelance app developers who want a reliable cloud hosting solution to host their clients’ applications.
- Databases: $18/month for freelance app developers who want a reliable hosting provider to host their clients’ databases.
- WordPress Sites: $35/month for freelance app developers and designers who want a fast and reliable cloud hosting solution to manage and host clients’ WordPress websites.
Annual plans provide up to a 17% discount.
Try Kinsta today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Our Top Three Picks
Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:
Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:
Tool | Entry Offer | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
Bluehost | 30-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $35.40/yr |
Flywheel | 14-day free trial | Starts at $15/mo |
Kinsta | 30-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $7/mo |
Hostinger | 30-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $9.99/mo |
Cloudways | 3-day free trial | Starts at $10/mo |
A2 Hosting | 30-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $11.99/mo |
DreamHost | 97-day money-back guarantee | Starts at $4.95/mo |
Here are the top 50 freelancer web hosts we considered in this review:
- Bluehost
- Flywheel
- Kinsta
- Hostinger
- Cloudways
- A2 Hosting
- DreamHost
- Nexcess
- Namecheap
- WP Engine
- Rocket.net
- InMotion Hosting
- HostGator
- GreenGeeks
- SiteGround
- Hostwinds
- Liquid Web
- iPage
- tsoHost
- Weberser
- GoDaddy
- Morweb
- Jimdo
- Squarespace
- LCN
- WordPress.org
- Weebly
- IM Creator
- Rackspace
- PageCloud
- Boxmode
- Wired Impact
- DigitalOcean
- Vultr
- Linode
- Hivelocity
- Webz Pro
- eNom.com
- DynaDot
- Geek Storage
- Moniker
- Gandi.net
- Register.com
- KnownHost
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Google Cloud Platform
- Dotster
- Domain.com
- IdeaHost
- Pressidium
How to host a website as a freelancer?
As a freelancer, hosting a website can be an essential step in promoting your services and reaching potential clients. To start, consider registering a domain name that represents your brand. Companies like Bluehost, A2 Hosting, and SiteGround web hosting offer domain registration services. Once you have a domain, choose a reliable and affordable web hosting solution that meets your needs. Bluehost is an ideal freelancer choice due to their comprehensive features, excellent customer service, and competitive pricing plans. They offer various hosting options, including shared, VPS, and dedicated servers. You can use their one-click installer to easily set up your website and take advantage of their daily backups, and advanced features.
How much should I pay someone to host my website?
The cost of website hosting can vary depending on your chosen service provider and plan. On average, you can expect to pay around $35.40/mo to host your website with Bluehost. However, cheaper web hosting options are available from companies like A2 Hosting and Scala Hosting if you're looking for a budget option. When selecting a hosting plan, consider factors like response time, uptime guarantee, and customer satisfaction.
What is the best company to host your website?
Bluehost is our number #1 pick for freelancers due to their wide range of features, excellent customer service, and competitive pricing plans. They are a great value-for-money pick if you're looking to get started. If you're a web designer or create websites for clients, we suggest Flywheel as they offer specialized plans tailored for design and development companies, as well as additional features like staging sites and collaboration tools. If you're a web developer or looking for cloud hosting for yourself or your customers, Kinsta is an excellent choice, as they provide a high-performance cloud hosting platform with advanced features and a strong focus on security.
Should freelancers have their own websites?
Yes, freelancers should have their own websites to showcase their skills, services, and previous work. A personal website is an online portfolio, allowing potential clients to evaluate your expertise and professionalism. It also helps with search engine visibility and demonstrates your ability to create and manage websites, which can be particularly beneficial for web designers, developers, and social media managers. Moreover, a website enables you to generate additional income through affiliate marketing, selling digital products, or offering exclusive content through a membership model. It's basically a hub for your customers, fans, and followers to interact with your work and personal brand.
How much should I charge for a website as a freelancer?
The pricing structure for creating a website as a freelancer hinges on multiple aspects, including your competence, experience, the intricacy of the freelance project, and the client's specific requirements. Freelancers may charge from a few hundred dollars for a basic website to several thousand for complex, dynamic sites with custom features, e-commerce capabilities, or various tools.
To decide on a fair price, take into account the time and effort required to complete the project, the expense of necessary tools or software, and the demand for cloud hosting or other services that may be needed. Researching freelance websites and understanding the competitive landscape, which includes development companies and other freelance opportunities, can help you establish a pricing strategy that accurately reflects your value and expertise.
Remember to include additional costs such as domain name registration, hosting fees, and any premium plugins or themes the client may request. Among hosting options, you may suggest Bluehost or A2 Hosting Web Hosting for their affordable web hosting solutions or a Flywheel hosting plan for clients wanting a more specialized service.
When providing a quote, you can either charge on a per-project basis or an hourly rate. Per-project pricing can be more appealing to potential clients as they know the total cost upfront, while hourly rates ensure compensation for any additional work or revisions requested. Regardless of your pricing model, it's essential to communicate your rates clearly and ensure that both parties understand the project scope and deliverables before beginning work.
