Cloudzy isn’t your run-of-the-mill web hosting provider. It specializes in cloud infrastructure and fairly bare-bones Virtual Private Server (VPS) plans. That means you get reasonably priced access to excellent hardware and resources, provided you have the technical skills to handle them.

The good news is that many things can be pre-configured, and you have a broad choice of options in everything from the choice of operating system (OS) to web apps. We’re not just talking about WordPress, but also advanced options like Forex platforms.

You also have an excellent range of server location options, though perhaps not as comprehensive as Google Cloud or AWS, which are on a different pricing tier altogether. What we didn’t like, though, was the discounts Cloudzy offers based on your location choice, which we felt was a bit unfair to customers who might require specific regions for efficiency and localization.

Be warned, though - Cloudzy is not really aimed at casual users building their first website. While you can technically host anything here, the core audience appears to be users who need virtual servers for web apps, trading bots, VPN setups, and the like.

Plans and pricing

Cloudzy primarily focuses on VPS hosting rather than traditional shared hosting packages. At the bottom of its offerings are Cloud VPS plans similar to those offered by hosts like DigitalOcean, Linode, and VULTR.

At Cloudzy, though, you get a broader range of pre-deployment options. For example, you can decide to go with a pure OS-only deployment, or get your server started with a full LAMP-stack supported web app, or almost anything else.

Cloud VPS plans start at 1 vCPU with 512MB RAM, 20GB of NVMe storage, and 1TB bandwidth/mo. This scales up to a whopping 16 vCPU, 64GB RAM, 1.5TB NVMe storage, and 16TB of bandwidth for $199.97/mo.

While there is no additional charge for pre-deployment options, your final price may be adjusted depending on server location. It’s likely that Cloudzy does this to help balance their location loads, but it’s unfortunate for customers who may be penalized because of their requirements for where their servers are located.

Aside from Cloud VPS, Cloudzy also offers more specialized solutions like high-performance GPUs, GPU-optimized servers, AI servers, and dedicated servers. Again, all of these options are fairly technical, especially their dedicated bare-metal servers.

Ease of use

The Cloudzy dashboard is a straightforward way to manage your servers. However, it’s more practical than informational. You can use it to deploy, rebuild, or configure instances. Server monitoring isn’t in the cards, though, and you’ll have to deploy any of those solutions on your individual servers if you need them.

When we initially discussed the pre-deployment option, it might have been misconstrued as saying Cloudzy is easy to use. That isn’t really the case. Once the deployment is made, you’ll still have to manage the stack on your own. For example, you have to keep your server OS and applications up to date and security-hardened, not just manage your web app.

This is typically done via SSH into the server (root access is provided). If you know what you’re doing, it’s easy-peasy. If not, you’re probably going to face an oncoming disaster.

Again, we don’t recommend Cloudzy as a first hosting provider for someone completely unfamiliar with VPS environments. If you’re looking for a first entry to the Cloud, try something with more management features like Cloudways. That, however, will cost a bit more, so be mentally prepared.

Speed and reliability

Cloud providers are always thought to be all-powerful, but keep in mind that much of it still depends on the hardware and configuration. For example, on the surface, Cloudzy offers some pretty good standard cloud VPS plans. However, the processing power on these compared to their high-performance options is very different. For example, the 2GB standard cloud VPS plan we tested includes a 2.25GHz AMD processor, while a comparable high-performance plan includes 4.2GHz processors.

The biggest surprise, though, is that Cloudzy is using AMD Ryzen 9 processors for their Cloud VPS plans. Servers typically run AMD EPYC chips, which are the dedicated server versions commonly used in web hosting. The Ryzen family is intended more for regular consumers or enthusiasts.

It’s possible that this led to the slightly disappointing test results below.

WordPress benchmark test

The standard WordPress benchmark test was run on our prebuilt WordPress site to maintain consistency. Results at Cloudzy were a letdown, with initial results showing worse performance than some budget shared hosting alternatives we’ve seen.

Siege test

On our load test, Cloudzy performed like a champ, acing results with increasing loads of 5, 9, and 15 concurrent users. It ran rock-solid and completed all transactions quickly. If we were to use this as a comparative factor against the easier benchmark test, Siege results should take priority as a more realistic indicator.

Customer support

Cloudzy offers customer support via tickets (for existing customers), a knowledge base, and, more interestingly, WhatsApp. Don’t be fooled by the WhatsApp chat support option, though. You don’t get an instant response.

Their knowledge base is also quite Spartan, with only 73 guides available. These articles are very straightforward and relatively technical, so you may have to know what you’re doing just to follow the language. It can be a challenge, but those are the preconditions for this type of hosting anyway.

Overall, the vibe you get from customer support is very corporate. We felt a notable disappointment here, especially coming off our recent Freehostia review. That was a free hosting plan, yet it came with near-instant customer support that was both polite and effective.

The competition

DigitalOcean is one of the most popular cloud infrastructure providers for developers and startups, and is similar in product offerings to Cloudzy. Compared to Cloudzy, DigitalOcean has a more mature ecosystem and a more professional customer dashboard. However, Cloudzy may appeal more to users looking for simpler pricing and lower-cost VPS deployments.

Linode has built a strong reputation among developers for reliability and straightforward cloud hosting services. Compared to Cloudzy, Linode offers more enterprise-level polish and documentation, though pricing can sometimes be higher for equivalent resources.

For those who want a fully hands-off approach, Hostinger is a beginner-friendly choice. Although primarily cheap for shared hosting, you can also get VPS hosting and other plans. Hosting is priced aggressively and offers strong localization expertise for ideal customer support.

Final verdict

To be honest, Cloudzy is a fairly run-of-the-mill cloud hosting provider. We don’t feel that it excels in any particular area, even though the host itself seems professional enough. What really turned us off was their slow customer support, even for sales queries.

Performance-wise, Cloudzy runs fine, even with Ryzen chips instead of enterprise-grade EPYC chips. It’s just that the choice left us feeling disappointed that they would cut corners in that way. We recommend considering one of the many cloud alternatives if you’re in the market for a budget, hands-on hosting plan.

With demand for artificial intelligence straining supply chains across the entire development cycle, the tech sector has never been under so much pressure to perform.

But the race to build even more AI tools, to train frontier models and to automate workflows has led to a global construction boom, with hyperscalers investing hundreds of billions in huge data center projects that are themselves under social and environmental scrutiny.

Companies now face backlash over resource use – electricity and water consumption, land occupation and grid expansion are some of the biggest challenges hyperscalers are now having to address, besides tackling strained supply chains.

We’re starting to see on-device, edge and local compute emerge as a viable alternative to cloud compute, and the benefits are broad. For example, besides tackling objections to large campuses, it also delivers lower latency connections and predictable costs for enterprise customers.

AI and cloud have been synonymous, but owning edge AI could be the next competitive advantage

Tighter integrations into hybrid and on-prem deployments could also be seen as the next progression of AI, because while generative AI chatbots and basic productivity tools are well served within browsers, workflow automation and full context requires us to rethink the infrastructure layer.

For Amit Shah, co-founder and CEO of InstaLILY AI, competitive advantage now comes in the form of owned intelligence, where company systems can learn from organizational operations, workflows and knowledge.

The company’s Small Data Center approach claims to have already cut logistics routing times from 15 minutes to three, and reduced field-team training time by 60% for industrial operators.

To better understand whether the future of enterprise AI is indeed becoming more distributed, I spoke with Shah about cloud’s limits, why enterprise-grade AI has different needs to consumer tools, and the role hyperscalers could play in this evolution.

• InstaLILY launched what it calls "The Small Data Center" approach. How is that different from edge installations that have been around for years? Is the secret sauce the middleware then?

Edge installations have historically been meant for single-purpose devices running narrow inferences at the perimeter. Our “Small Data Center” operates differently with a full intelligence stack.

Our reasoning, workers, and governance all run privately, close to where work happens, and connected to the cloud as one system.

Powered by the same InstaBrain, an intelligence layer built from proprietary enterprise knowledge, with InstaWorkers™, AI workers that execute directly inside existing systems that reason the cloud runs locally that centrally executes on-site and the same InstaControl governs both.

The secret sauce isn't middleware as we stopped treating cloud and edge as a tradeoff. Deep reasoning belongs where centralized computation makes sense and high-frequency operational execution belongs closer to the work. The intelligence layer knows the difference, that is the shift.

• What's wrong with relying exclusively on "massive remote cloud infrastructure"? For all intent and purposes, the fact that they offer redundancy by default and operate an OPEX model make them a perfect combination for businesses of any size.

There’s nothing wrong with relying exclusively on a massive remote cloud infrastructure as long as your work lives in a browser tab. The hyperscale cloud is excellent at elastic reasoning and pristine redundancy. Though it’s a poor fit for operational execution in the physical economy.

The assumption that industrial AI will simply live in the cloud ignores how industrial operations actually work. Factories, warehouses, and logistics networks operate under tight latency requirements, inconsistent connectivity, and relentless pressure to control costs.

Even when connectivity isn't an issue, a generic model endpoint lacks the operational context that matters most, which are company-specific catalogs, workflows, exception logic, and decades of institutional knowledge.

No matter how capable the model becomes, manufacturers won't hand critical decisions to systems they can't govern, audit, or ultimately trust. OPEX and redundancy are real benefits, but they solve the wrong problem when the workflow itself doesn't live in the cloud.

• We have had distributed computing for decades now: from Blockchain to P2P, from bit-torrent to Skype. What's different this time around? Is AI amplifying the need for something different and acting as a catalyst?

Earlier waves of distributed systems moved files, transactions, or compute cycles around networks. This time around, computing moves intelligence through a categorical change.

AI is the catalyst because it is the first workload where value compounds at the edge. Every decision, exception, and workflow contributes to a private intelligence layer that becomes more capable over time.

Previous distributed technologies helped organizations share resources more efficiently because they didn't create proprietary knowledge. BitTorrent doesn’t get smarter the more you use it although the intelligence layer does.

The next era of enterprise competition won't be defined by who has access to AI but instead will be defined by who owns the intelligence their operations create.

• If distributed computing is such a boon for all players in the AI ecosystem, why aren't we seeing hyperscalers putting their weight behind this technology set?

Economics reward centralized consumption. Distributed inference compresses per-token and complicates a roadmap built around ever-larger central training runs. They aren’t ignoring it. They’re moving carefully because cannibalizing centralized inference is uncomfortable when it is their core business.

The pull is coming from the physical economy outward, not from hyperscalers inward. The companies leaning in hardest are those whose customers feel the pain of cloud-only architectures most acutely, such as manufacturers, industrial operators, field service businesses and logistics networks. Anyone whose work doesn't happen in a browser tab.

• You've witnessed the evolution of AI (or rather generative AI) as an integral part of it. How do you see it evolving over the next 5 years? PS: Are we in an AI-induced bubble?

The defining divide in enterprise software over the next five years will be between companies that rent intelligence versus companies that own it. The frontier-model arms race continues, but value will accrue to the layer that turns model capability into operational execution.

Autonomous AI moves from suggestion to action, from interface to infrastructure, and from a tool you use to a system that runs work.

The capital environment is certainly exuberant, but the underlying technology shift is not. This kind of exuberance is how every major platform transition in history has started.

The long-term winners will be the companies that build operational intelligence into a compounding asset, not those that merely bought the most GPUs.

The internet is undergoing a major shift, with publishers, ecommerce platforms and everyone in between struggling to grow visibility and remain relevant in an AI-dominated era.

Today, AI overviews and summaries dominate traditional search, while agentic assistants autonomously browse the web for consumers who have already shifted their browsing habits to their favorite chatbot.

But for decades, the web has been designed for human visitors, with search engines acting as intermediaries that help direct human traffic toward specific web pages. With more and more online content now being consumed by machines and AI taking over the decision of which information and products reach consumers first, traditional SEO alone is over.

GEO, or generative engine optimization, is already a term that publishers are throwing around, but few are certain of what it means and how they should balance it with their SEO strategies.

Publishers need to target two audiences… but humans are no less valuable

According to new data from WordPress VIP, nearly three in four enterprise decision-makers now consider AI discoverability and attribution a significant priority, with three in five seeing increased traffic from AI search engines and third parties – so the shift is well underway, and companies are already starting, or trying, to adapt.

Per the report, nearly twice as many enterprise decision-makers now plan to prioritize investments across social platforms (32%) and AI engines (30%) compared with conventional owned websites (17%).

But amid this machine revolution, consumers are still pressing for human connections, with nearly half (42%) saying they trust unattributed AI-generated answers less than the likes of confusing privacy policies.

Today, publishers face a battle between AI optimization and visibility, and personalization and human-ness.

But WordPress VIP isn’t too concerned about the challenges, seeing them as temporary and familiar. CTO Brian Alvey even believes they mirror previous shifts brought on by social media.

So to understand what this AI revolution means for publishers, brands and the future of the web in general, I sought advice directly from Alvey.

• Brian, the report you published mentioned that online properties like TechRadar need to serve two masters: AI scrapers and human audience. How is that being done in real life by brands that are looking to juggle both?

For decades, we’ve all built websites for Google. Sure we write for other people, but we format content for search engines and social networks. But Google and social were just top of funnel sources for getting visitors to your site. But now there's an actual second audience.

Our more innovative customers are already building sites for both humans and agents. And they’re doing it in the block editor. The same way you can tell a three-column block to reformat and stack the content for display on mobile, these customers are making content blocks that reformat as markdown for agents. Now all of their data-filled interactive charts are no longer just for a human audience. Their content is agent-native. And the wild thing that’s happening as they make their content easier for AI agents to understand is that they’re seeing a lift in SEO.

And this totally new version of their website isn’t doubling their work. It’s just built into their workflows.

The website is no longer just a destination for people. It has already become a source of information for machines acting on behalf of people. And the sites that aren’t simple for agents to consume will effectively be invisible to this new half of the internet. Companies that can serve both human and agent audiences will be the ones that survive.

• One fact that caught my eye was that the majority of consumers trust unattributed AI answers with a huge portion (86%) bothered by searching for the original source after scanning an AI summary. What do you make out of it? How does the future look through that lens?

This might sound crazy with all the fear and hate AI is getting these days, but AI might actually be the best thing that ever happened to trusted brands. When an answer engine chooses you as a source, that's a powerful endorsement. Sure, the clicks might not be there right now, but the credibility boost sure is. We've been worrying that AI would cut brands out of the conversation. What our data shows is that the brands people already trust are the ones AI keeps going back to.

Your goal has never changed: be the most trusted business in your space. In an AI world, that trust will get you cited. And the brands that get cited will be the only ones that still exist for customers when the AI answer engines fully take over the internet.

• Another finding from your report that shocked me was that only 17% of enterprises in the report will prioritize investments in their own websites in 2027. It's shocking as it means that instead, they will rely on social media and search engines to bring in audience. What are your thoughts about this?

That 17% number shocked me too. Did all these companies learn nothing from search and social? It’s not surprising that marketing teams are chasing where the audiences are going. But that means they’re giving up on having strong direct relationships with their customers. Being satisfied with getting roughly 60% of your audience reach from third-party platforms isn’t healthy. That's a lot of dependency on platforms you don't control.

Even if you use email as your primary channel of communication, which is a fantastic direct connection to your audience and customers, you still can’t process a sale or sign up a new subscriber in an email message. Your website still matters. The companies that win will be the ones that treat AI, social and search as distribution channels while continuing to invest in customer experiences they own and can constantly improve.

• 35 years ago, the open web was merely a pipe dream. CompuServe, AOL and a bunch of other gated communities dominated the landscape. Fast forward to 2026 and it seems that we're gradually slipping into an era where the open web - as we know it - is set to disappear. Tech giants are "encouraging" audiences to produce and consume content on their proprietary platforms. Is it too late to do anything?

No, I don't think it's too late. If you look at the history of the internet, we've gone through versions of this before. Thirty years ago you only had closed systems, which were a great first step for getting the world online. The web opened things up, but then search and social became the new gatekeepers. AI is creating another layer of gatekeepers but what's different this time is that we’re ready.

The consumers we talked to crave attribution. They care strongly about open access to information. They need to know where the answers they’re getting come from. The web won’t disappear, but it does need to evolve. These are the conversations we have every day with the people who run the world’s biggest and most important websites. We all agree that the only thing that matters is whether publishers, creators, and brands can maintain a direct relationship with their audiences and customers as these new pathways emerge.

• The general consensus is that the web (and our email infrastructure) we know wasn't built for AI. I remember the days of Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. Are we already in the Web 4.0 era? How do you evolve this hybrid ecosystem bearing in mind what we discussed in Q1 and the previous one?

Because we’ve been through this before with the rise of search and the rise of social and the big “pivot to video,” we’ve never been more prepared to adapt. The difference this time is the speed and the scale. While search and social disrupted the top of the marketing and sales funnels, AI agents are disrupting nearly the entire funnel. And the disruption won’t be slow this time. Agents are crawling sites at rates that are orders of magnitude bigger than search and social combined. And agents are disrupting every facet of websites, from creation all the way through to consumption. It’s total disruption. The good news is that your business hasn’t changed. What you make and who you make it for hasn’t changed. But how you make it and how they buy it has changed for good. If AI is 80% threat and 20% opportunity, then your job is to dive into that 20% and make AI work for you.

• Your study indicates that the average internet user hits "bot fatigue" in just 40 minutes, and almost three-quarters of the respondents say the internet is significantly less human than it was a decade ago. Can anything be done to change that course or it is just too late, meaning we have to just go with the flow.

In some ways, we’re never going back. AI is already part of every product and every workflow. The good news is that the fatigue you mentioned and all this distrust are reversible, but only for the brands willing to actually be human about it.

A certain volume of AI content is expected now. There is no excuse to publish slowly anymore. But what’s missing from that AI-boosted content production? Specificity is what’s missing. A real take, a weird opinion, someone who you can tell actually knows what they're talking about. The brands cutting through the fatigue are the ones with actual voices, not mindless content machines. I'd rather read one paragraph from someone who's lived it than ten paragraphs of well-organized AI vanilla bullet points. That's what people are hungry for. The antidote to bot fatigue is just humans being human.

AI is automating the exact tasks that web agencies once monetized, like routine maintenance and web monitoring.

This shift may seem scary to some, but it is also unlocking new opportunities, creating operational efficiencies, and freeing up skilled website professionals to focus on high-value tasks.

I caught up with Suhaib Zaheer, SVP of Managed Hosting at DigitalOcean and GM of Cloudways, to discuss how AI is redefining how agencies deliver value to their clients. During our conversation, he highlights the opportunities and risks of AI adoption, as well as breaking down exactly how agencies can mitigate those risks.

Historically, agencies would bill clients for ‘maintenance and monitoring’. As AI automates a lot of these tasks, how are agencies' value propositions changing?

For years, agencies have spent significant amounts of time on reactive operational work like investigating outages, reviewing logs, troubleshooting performance issues, and implementing fixes.

AI is changing that dynamic. What used to take 30–40 minutes of investigation can now be understood in minutes. AI can quickly surface root causes, identify patterns across applications and infrastructure, and in some cases even automate the next action.

Leveraging AI allows agencies to move further up the value chain and focus more of their time on performance optimization, improving SEO visibility, conversion improvements, and helping clients achieve better business outcomes.

This shift matters because the landscape websites operate in is more demanding than it used to be. There’s more automated traffic, more variability, and more pressure on performance and visibility. It’s not enough for a site to just be online anymore. The agencies that will stand out are the ones that use AI to reduce their operational load and reinvest that time into higher-value work that clients are willing to pay for.

Is AI helping smaller, creative-heavy agencies to become competitive with larger technical agencies by lowering the barrier of entry? How are these smaller agencies gaining a competitive edge?

AI is lowering the barrier, but it’s not a complete leveller.

It gives smaller teams access to capabilities that once required deeper technical expertise, like monitoring, diagnostics, and performance optimization. Most of the issues agencies deal with aren’t unique. They follow consistent patterns – inefficient queries, resource limits, or configuration issues that show up across different environments.

AI can identify those patterns quickly and point to the likely cause, which reduces the need for specialist input on every issue.

That allows smaller agencies to stay lean while still operating at a much higher technical level than they could have a few years ago.

Agencies often inherit ‘messy’ legacy websites through the onboarding process. How is AI helping agencies audit and stabilise unoptimized portfolios at scale?

Most legacy websites look messy, but the underlying issues are usually not unique. They tend to follow similar patterns – excessive database usage, ineffective plugins, poor caching configurations, or other application-level bottlenecks.

AI helps agencies audit those portfolios by identifying issues quickly and consistently across multiple sites. Instead of manually reviewing each environment, it can surface the likely root cause in real time, which significantly reduces the effort involved in diagnosing problems.

That makes stabilisation much more scalable. Once those common issues are identified, they can be resolved faster and in a more consistent way across the portfolio, bringing sites into a stable state sooner.

For agencies managing large numbers of inherited sites, that’s the shift. Auditing and stabilising portfolios becomes far less manual and much easier to do at scale.

How is AI changing how agencies approach security? For example, can it help tell the difference between legitimate spikes in high-volume traffic and DDoS attacks?

Distinguishing between normal traffic and malicious activity is getting harder. There’s more automation, more bot traffic, and more variability in how sites behave.

AI has the potential to help by analysing patterns in real time and flagging behaviour that doesn’t look normal – whether that’s an unusual spike or activity that suggests something more aggressive. It gives agencies a clearer starting point when something goes wrong.

It’s not a replacement for dedicated security tools, and it shouldn’t be treated as one. Traditional security layers like WAFs, DDoS protection, rate limiting, malware scanning, and access controls remain foundational. Where AI is useful is in speeding up diagnosis and helping teams understand what they’re dealing with more quickly.

What risks could agencies face when relying too heavily on AI-automated hosting? How can they mitigate these risks?

The biggest risk is over-reliance.

AI is very effective on the problems it was designed for, but it doesn’t cover every scenario. More complex or highly customised issues are still much harder to diagnose consistently.

There’s a tendency to assume AI can handle the full workflow, when in reality it’s strongest as a diagnostic layer. It can surface the likely root cause quickly, but that still needs to be validated and acted on in context.

That’s why it needs to stay grounded in a human-in-the-loop model. In our case, Cloudways Copilot operates in a controlled environment, where it guides investigation but doesn’t have unrestricted control.

The balance is using AI to remove the repetitive part of troubleshooting, while keeping decision-making with the team. That’s how you get the benefit without introducing risk.

What emerging AI-powered hosting technologies do you think will prove to be the biggest opportunities for agencies in the coming years?

The biggest opportunity is the move from reactive troubleshooting to more proactive systems.

Today, most of the value comes from faster diagnosis – identifying issues quickly and reducing the time spent figuring out what’s gone wrong. The next step is shifting earlier in that process, where common infrastructure issues are identified and addressed before they impact performance.

In practice, that means systems that continuously analyse signals across servers and applications, and flag patterns that are likely to cause problems before they escalate.

It won’t remove the need for human input, especially in more complex or application-level scenarios. But if agencies can catch and resolve the most common issues earlier, it has a significant impact at scale.

The opportunity is less time spent reacting to problems and more time spent improving how sites perform across the portfolio.

Agility is the ultimate competitive advantage for small businesses across the globe. While business behemoths struggle with clunky legacy systems, SMBs and entrepreneurs can pivot quickly.

So, it is little surprise that since its launch in November 2025, many small businesses and entrepreneurs have been finding new and exciting ways to use OpenClaw to their benefit.

I caught up with Saulius Lazaravičius to get his thoughts on how forward-thinking entrepreneurs and businesses can get set up with and start making the most of OpenClaw. As VP of Product at Hostinger, Saulius is perfectly positioned to offer insight into how entrepreneurs can move past the AI hype and start building automated systems with OpenClaw.

Here is what he had to say:

For the uninitiated, what is OpenClaw, and why has Hostinger chosen to support it?

OpenClaw is like a personal AI helper available everywhere that is always online, that can carry out tasks for you.

Instead of only answering questions in a chat window, it can connect to tools you already use, such as WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram, browsers, and web apps. That means it can help with things like replying to messages, automating repetitive work, checking information online, or supporting customers.

We chose to offer OpenClaw as a 1-click managed service because we saw a gap between what people want from AI agents and how difficult they were to set up and manage. For beginners, getting started was too technical, especially taking into account hosting, configuration, security, API keys, and ongoing maintenance.

Making OpenClaw easier to use has a clear effect. Today, it is the most popular AI app among our clients, with tens of thousands of new installations each week.

How does OpenClaw differ from standard chatbots like ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is mainly something you talk to. You ask a question, it answers, and the whole interaction happens inside one chat window.

OpenClaw is closer to an AI worker that can keep running and take action across tools. It can sit inside messaging apps, automate repeating tasks, control browsers and web tools, and manage workflows even when you are not chatting with it.

Simply put, a chatbot helps you think and respond; an AI agent like OpenClaw does things for you.

What is the simplest path for a beginner to deploy their first OpenClaw agent?

The simplest path is our 1-click OpenClaw. A beginner does not need to manually configure hosting, set up external AI accounts, generate API keys, or install the app from scratch if they choose the Managed OpenClaw solution. They can launch OpenClaw instantly, with hosting, security, AI credits, and the application already in place.

Once deployed, the user can start connecting OpenClaw to the tools they use and begin with a simple use case, such as a Telegram assistant or a basic customer support bot.

What technical prerequisites (such as specific hPanel configurations or API keys)should a user have before they start their OpenClaw journey?

With our 1-click OpenClaw setup, the technical prerequisites are minimal. We take care of the deployment, configuration, strong security key generation, DDoS protection, malware scanning, backups, and version upgrades. Customers can buy nexos.ai credits from us and choose from top AI models, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, directly inside OpenClaw.

The main thing users should have is a clear first use case and enough AI credits to power the agent’s work.

What type of hosting does OpenClaw require and why?

Some people try to run OpenClaw on their own hardware, for example, a Mac mini, and keep it plugged in at home or in the office. But it’s not the most reliable or practical setup.

First, there’s the upfront cost of the device itself. Second, OpenClaw is meant to be an always-on AI agent, so it needs to stay online 24/7. If your Mac mini loses power, disconnects from the internet, needs an update, or restarts, your agent stops working too.

That is why OpenClaw is better suited to stable, always-on hosting. It needs an environment with continuous uptime, public access, security, backups, and enough resources to keep workflows running without manual maintenance. So instead of managing a machine, users can focus on what their OpenClaw agent actually does.

What are the most common use cases for OpenClaw you are seeing for small businesses and personal users?

For small businesses, OpenClaw helps save time and money by handing repetitive, manual tasks to an AI agent and automating everyday admin work. For personal users, it is mostly about saving time and increasing productivity.

To be more specific, here’s what small businesses and personal users use OpenClaw for:

• Running personal AI assistants in WhatsApp, Slack, or Telegram
• Summarizing incoming emails
• Collecting sales leads, spotting opportunities, and sending follow-up messages
• Running customer support bots
• Checking websites, dashboards, or online tools for updates
• Finding the right apartment to rent or buy
• Pulling live data like stock, crypto, or currency prices and triggering trading actions

What are some smart ways business owners can be using OpenClaw to drive revenue growth?

The biggest AI opportunity is not replacing people. It is giving small teams more coverage, faster response times, and fewer dropped balls.

A few strong examples:

• Fast responses. An OpenClaw agent can help answer common questions in messaging channels before a potential customer goes elsewhere.
• Better lead handling. An AI agent can ask a few basic questions, understand what the customer needs, and send the right leads to the right person.
• New sales opportunities. It can collect information from public or relevant websites and sources the business uses, then help identify opportunities and start the sales process.
• Follow-ups. It can remind shoppers about abandoned carts, unfinished bookings, or messages that never got a reply.
• Less admin work. An AI agent can summarize emails, prepare replies, update records, check bookings or orders, and create simple reports.

Although OpenClaw is open-source, it isn’t free to run. What costs should people be aware of?

People should be aware of a few main areas:

• Hosting. The agent needs an always-on environment to stay available, plus storage for data, logs, and backups. Costs vary, but hosting can start from as little as $5.99/month.
• Security and maintenance. Updates, security patches, and backups also need to be handled, either by the hosting provider or by the user.
• AI credits. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, where one monthly subscription covers most use, OpenClaw agents use credits each time they perform tasks. Costs depend on the model you choose, how often the agent runs, and how heavily it’s used.
• Scale. More users, automations, messages, and complex workflows usually mean higher usage and higher running costs over time.

Several industry leaders have raised security concerns about the access AI agents enjoy. What steps should users take to protect themselves and their data when using OpenClaw?

AI agents are useful because they can connect to tools and accounts, but that access should be managed carefully. The safest approach is to start small: give OpenClaw only the permissions it needs, avoid connecting sensitive systems too early, and review what the agent is doing, especially in public, customer-facing, or business-critical workflows.

Users should also protect access keys, keep OpenClaw updated, and run it in an isolated, secure environment. With Hostinger’s setup, each agent runs separately, while updates, backups, DDoS protection, and malware scanning help reduce the maintenance overhead.

In simple terms, treat OpenClaw like a new employee: give it a clear job, limit its access, monitor important actions, and expand permissions only when needed.

• ICANN reopens applications for new top-level domains after 14 years
• New domains can use multiple scripts across hundreds of languages
• Applicants must prove technical and financial ability to run registries

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has opened the application window for a new round of generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

This marks the first time in 14 years that businesses, communities, and governments can apply to operate their own top-level domains.

The previous round in 2012 introduced more than 1,200 new gTLDs, including well-known examples like .google, .microsoft, .africa, and even .bananarepublic.

What a gTLD actually is and who can get one

A generic top-level domain is the part of a web address that appears after the final dot.

Traditional examples include .com, .org, and .net, but the new round allows for custom strings like .brand, .city, or .industry.

Any business, community, government, or organization can apply to operate its own top-level domain.

The applicant must demonstrate technical and financial capability to run a domain registry, but there is no requirement to be a large corporation.

Small cities, non-profits, trade associations, and even wealthy individuals are eligible to apply.

ICANN is now accepting applications in 27 different scripts, representing hundreds of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Devanagari, and Thai.

Successful applicants gain control over who can register domains under their chosen string, effectively creating their own digital ecosystem.

This expansion will make the internet more accessible for billions of people who use non-Latin-based scripts.

Why brands and cities are lining up to apply

Operating a gTLD provides several distinct advantages for organizations willing to pay the application fee.

Brand owners gain tighter security controls over their online presence and can build trust with customers through verified domain registrations.

Marketers overwhelmingly agree on the benefits, with 92% recognizing that gTLDs offer differentiation, enhanced trust, and improved search engine optimization.

Geographic locations such as cities or regions can create vibrant local digital ecosystems under their own top-level domain.

Communities can strengthen their identity online while maintaining full control over who participates in their domain space.

The application submission window will close on August 12, 2026, giving interested parties just over three months to apply.

The online TLD Application Management System handles all submissions, and ICANN has published an Applicant Guidebook as the authoritative resource for the process.

For wealthy and influential individuals like President Trump, the .trump domain is well withing reach.

That would give him exclusive control over every domain ending with his own surname, a powerful digital asset for fundraising and messaging.

The 2026 round could produce hundreds of new top-level domains, and the speculation about who applies for what has already begun.

• WordPress Playground lets you build fully local, non-published websites
• Sites are limited to 100MB and are stored locally, per-device
• You can still use WordPress plugins

WordPress has announced the launch of my.WordPress.net – a new service that lets the website builder run entirely within a web browser, meaning you can create a totally private website-style interface without it ever appearing on the public internet.

It's build on WordPress Playground, a project that lets WordPress run locally, so users won't need to choose a hosting provider or register a domain.

Because these new types of site run locally within the browser storage, they'll be device-specific and cannot be accessible from your other devices.

WordPress lets you create a local website within your browser

However, is users end up so impressed by their own work that they want to make it public, they can shift it to a WordPress host if they want to publish it on the internet, because the site itself will have already been built using the familiar WordPress tools.

The local sites are primarily designed for personal workspaces, though, covering tasks like journalling, researching or prototyping.

They're also ideal for learning how to WordPress without committing to hosting expenses. "It offers a fast, commitment-free way to explore, learn, and build, whether the result is a long-term personal project or something that eventually moves elsewhere," WordPress wrote in an announcement.

WordPress even detailed how users can connect with extra plugins to use all of the same tools you'd usually get with WordPress, but on a local scale.

There are some limitations though, including local storage, which starts at around 100MB. First launch also takes longer while WordPress downloads into the browser, and because it's not stored with a hosting provider, it's recommended that users backup their sites regularly.

If you feel it is time to upgrade your shared hosting to one of the best VPS providers, Bluehost looks like a good place to start. With its managed VPS offering, you potentially get the benefit of the performance boost that comes with a VPS without the headache of supporting the website software yourself.

To find out if Bluehost’s managed VPS option is as attractive as it looks, we’ve evaluated it, comparing the plans and pricing options, the server infrastructure, and features. We also assessed performance of Bluehost VPS hosting with benchmark tools, and spent some time with its site building tools, which are aimed at anyone launching a small business website.

How does a managed VPS differ?

A Virtual Private Server plan typically comes in two flavors: managed, and self-managed. The former means the host will provide assistance with issues such as setup or implementing updates of security software, while the latter leaves everything up to you.

If you have experience of managing web servers on a day-to-day basis, the self-managed option is probably more appropriate. For everyone else, a managed VPS is the smart alternative, particularly if you’re scaling up from shared or cloud hosting.

NOTE: Bluehost offers self-managed VPS and managed VPS plans. These are closely positioned on the site’s menu, so be careful which one you select!

Bluehost plans and pricing

Three managed VPS plans are available from Bluehost: Standard NVMe 4, Enhanced NVMe 8, and Ultimate NVMe 16. Each plan is more expensive than the previous, with a growing server hardware spec. The names relate to the spec – for example, Standard NVMe 4 reflects a server with 4GB RAM. All servers have virtual CPU cores (as expected with a VPS) and NVMe storage.

Plans are available as a monthly rolling deal, or for 12 or 36 months with appropriate discounts. These plans come with free cPanel (depending on selected term), and Let’s Encrypt SSL is included. A premium SSL certificate is available, but at extra cost, as is Sitelock security. Unmetered bandwidth, and two dedicated IPs are included in the price, and all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Building a website with Bluehost

Creating a website means first manually attaching the domain with the hosting, something that may seem unfamiliar if you're used to shared hosting, as it doesn't typically require customer input.

Two options are available for building a website. You can install WordPress and use the included WP builder, or employ Sitejet. This is a cPanel-based solution that is useful for a quick start, but (certainly based on its implementation at Bluehost) results in somewhat generic sites. However, the website editor offers good control over the layout, and compared with WordPress, Sitejet is a simpler solution for quickly creating an attractive website for your business.

Speed and performance

We installed a WordPress site on our Bluehost VPS and ran a couple of benchmarking tests, first with WordPress Benchmark (a plugin you can install in WordPress) and then with YABS (Yet Another Bench Script).

Bluehost support for VPS customers

Various support options are available, from a dedicated telephone team to live chat. There is also an AI-powered chatbot, although I found this didn’t provide accurate information regarding Bluehost’s VPS plans.

I ran into some problems with the hosting. The instructions for this did not match what I was seeing, so I spoke to a support assistant (following a brief and fruitless chat with the BLU chatbot, which left a lot to be desired when I asked it about setting up a website, too). Unfortunately, the agent seemed too concerned with delivering cookie cutter answers than delivering a swift answer to my specific concerns.

Bluehost also provides a searchable knowledge base and a free WordPress course in conjunction with Yoast, the SEO company that is part of “the Bluehost family.”

Final verdict

Bluehost’s features and helpful customer support make its Managed VPS plans extremely attractive. I’ve used VPS hosting several times over the years, and seen it evolve from the self-managed options to the state where more hosting companies offer managed options.

Meanwhile, the testing demonstrates that Bluehost’s Managed VPS is ideal for WordPress hosting. While there is a considerable difference in price between the two options, its Managed VPS is priced as a logical progression from its higher performance WordPress shared hosting for their business. That makes it a smart option for anyone looking for first-time VPS hosting.

Liquid Web and ScalaHosting are two of the best web hosting providers but which one has the best VPS for your project? Let's dive in to the main differences between these two VPS providers and find out.

Infrastructure

Liquid Web has hosting locations in North America and Europe (including the UK), with a data center in Australia covering its Asia-Pacific market. Server hardware is based on Intel Xeon Gold 6426Y CPUs, however standard SSDs (rather than NVMe) are used on VPS plans. Data centers are equipped with 10GB networking.

(Liquid Web uses NVMe on dedicated hosting. Interestingly, Liquid Web also offers GPU hosting for dedicated servers intended for AI workloads.)

Meanwhile, ScalaHosting has data centers around the globe, with native hosting and AWS infrastructure in North America, native, AWS, and integrated cloud server farms in Europe, and cloud and AWS and cloud in Asia and Australia. VPS plans are hosted on servers running “Broadwell” Intel Core Processors, according to our testing, which again suggests a CPU in the Intel Xeon family. ScalaHosting VPS servers use NVMe SSD drives for storage.

Plans

Both hosting providers offer a range of plans, from basic WordPress-based shared hosting through cloud, VPS, and dedicated hosting.

ScalaHosting and Liquid Web each offer four standard VPS plans, along with custom options.

Liquid Web has as comprehensive server configuration tool, which doesn’t just give you various specs to work with, but also lets you choose self-managed, core managed ($21/mo), and fully managed ($39/mo) options.

ScalaHosting also has a custom Linux VPS option, starting at $24.95/mo (or $19.95 if paid annually) with your choice of virtual CPU cores, RAM, and SSD storage. Note that this can get expensive, however, and is more suited to very specific cases. ScalaHosting also has managed and unmanaged plans with the real value in managed.

Pricing

Liquid Web’s most affordable VPS is a basic part-managed plan at $5/mo, giving you a single vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 30GB SSD storage. At the other end of the scale is a $90/mo plan (discounted to $45/mo for two months) with 6 vCPU, 16GB RAM, and 440GB SSD.

ScalaHosting lists four “unmanaged” VPS plans which are similar enough to Liquid Web’s plans that they can both be considered part-managed.

Its most affordable plan, Build #1, is $19.95/mo (for 12 months, or $24.95/mo on a monthly rolling contract) with 2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM and 50GB NVMe storage. At the other end of the scale is a $122.95/mo (based on 12 months paid up-front, otherwise $183.95/mo) plan, with 16 vCPU cores, 32GB RAM, and 240GB NVMe storage. Note that the discounted plans renew at the standard monthly price.

There is clearly a difference in price between ScalaHosting and Liquid Web. While the $5/mo plan from Liquid Web is its most affordable, it is also lower spec than anything from ScalaHosting. The closest match is Liquid Web’s $8.50/month 4GB plan (with a 2-core vCPU and 80GB SSD), which is roughly equivalent to ScalaHosting’s Build #1, at $19.95/mo. However, this puts you in the position of essentially paying over $11 per month for 30GB less storage, albeit with a faster, more reliable NVMe drive.

Features

Liquid Web

Liquid Web offers a collection of configurations that are either included or bolted on. You can select data locations, choose between a Linux OS (AlmaLinux 9, Debian 13, Rocky Linux 9, and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS) or Windows Server 2025 Standard Edition, and add backups. These are free if stored in the Liquid Web cloud, or an addition $17/mo if you use Acronis. Advanced DDoS protection and ThreatDown paid add-ons are also available, along with cloud block storage for efficient hosting. If you need a control panel, Interworx (Liquid Web’s proprietary tool) is available at $11/mo, or you can pay more for Plesk ($26/mo) or cPanel ($31/mo). You can also pay for additional IP addresses at $6/mo per address.

If you’re planning to use WordPress, Liquid Web offers a swift setup, and has SiteJet AI Website Creator. However, in our testing, we found it doesn’t automatically add images, which doesn’t match our experience with other hosts.

ScalaHosting

With ScalaHosting, you get full root access, and a free SPanel interface, which is a great alternative to cPanel (however, cPanel licenses can be added). There is a choice between the default Rocky Linux 10 and Rocky Linux 9, Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, Debian 13, and Windows 2019 and Windows 2022 Standard for your server’s operating system.

(Note that by default, ScalaHosting will drop you into its first available data center. You need to edit the order to change this.)

ScalaHosting has an automated setup built into its WordPress installation, although this is not AI, instead relying on the Spectra Website Builder and Astra theme. Setup is very quick, however – it took around the same length of time to install as it did to input the site name and user credentials.

Performance comparison

WordPress benchmarks

We installed WordPress and a WooCommerce store on each host, and tested with the WordPress Benchmark plugin to assess performance.

The scores indicate that while ScalaHosting might have slightly faster server hardware, the overall configuration of both delivers similar results.

Support

Both hosts offer a self-managed experience, which means that the server environment (LAMP, XAMP, WAMP, etc.) is pre-installed and largely configured. You won’t need to worry about installing WordPress, for example, as this can be done following the creation of an account within the control panel admin environment.

If you run into any problems, you can refer to documentation or call upon support staff for assistance. But with self-managed VPS hosting, they cannot fix anything unless it is a pre-configuration issue. Everything else is on you to fix, and this includes maintenance (updates, backups, etc.). Instructions can be provided for solving issues, but unless you pay for server management, it’s all on you.

I found Liquid Web were quick to respond to a password reset issue with my hosting account (not the server), but interaction was otherwise minimal. It has a good selection of support resources, however, which is useful as it offers less support for self-managed VPS customers than ScalaHosting does.

ScalaHosting fixed two issues for me quickly. The first was choosing the wrong data center, which I had inadvertently left as the default option (EU-based) when I needed a US server. As I spotted this quickly, they were able to sort it out almost immediately. However, the second was a little more complex (concerning missing credentials and welcome email), but this was solved within 10 minutes. For unmanaged hosting, this is excellent.

Verdict

The VPS hosting on offer from Liquid Web and ScalaHosting is quite evenly matched.

Both offer a streamlined, modern user interface, with clear icons and menus that guide you through each task without appearing to do so. I was particularly impressed with both hosts’ speed, particularly concerning the automated setup of WordPress. Given that this is marketed as unmanaged VPS hosting, I had surprisingly little to do.

Pricing does differ on a like-for-like basis with these hosts, but the WordPress performance is similar enough to let you base your decision purely on price, support, and features.

ScalaHosting’s support makes it ideal for any growing website – perhaps with an e-commerce store – particularly if you don’t have your own IT team of in-house web admin to fix issues. Meanwhile, Liquid Web’s VPS plans seem more suited for enterprise or fast-growing SMEs.

Hostinger continues to make it easier (and cheaper) than ever to launch a website in 2026.

Right now, Hostinger's website builder plans have up to 85% off. Plus, you can use our exclusive code TRBF15 on 48-month plans to save an additional 15% - that's up to 88% off in total.

We've worked closely with Hostinger over the years, fully reviewing its top website builder and web hosting platforms, as well as offering dedicated discount codes to help you save. In 2026, we've gone one step further, securing an exclusive discount that can't be found anywhere else.

Our exclusive 15% off code (TRBF15) works on 48-month plans and is only available for a limited time. However, if you are looking to make a shorter commitment, you can still use our normal 10% off code (TECHRADAR) on all other plans.

Hostinger: What you need to know

Hostinger ranks as 'best value' on our list of the best website builders and best 'overall' on our list of the best web hosting services. It ranks highly for customer service and its list of helpful AI tools.

Our exclusive deal is available on both Hostinger's website builder and hosting plans, but only applies to 49-month plans.

Renewal costs

Hostinger's deal is generous, but only lasts as long as your initial sign up period. For example, if you opt for the 48-month plan, once the 48-months is up, your plan will renew at the usual rate.

Although this is a fair jump, Hostinger still offers great value for money, even after renewal:

Premium website builder plan = $10.99/mo
Business website builder plan = $16.99/mo

If you want more information, you can read our full Hostinger Website Builder review.

Atlantic.net is one of the older brands in the web hosting industry. Founded in 1994, its history stretches even further back than common consumer-oriented hosts like GoDaddy and IONOS. It was also among the earliest providers of cloud hosting.

Today, Atlantic.net boasts formidable infrastructure, operating from data centers spanning the globe and covering multiple regions from New York to Singapore.

Unlike most mass-market web hosts, Atlantic.net focuses on the more technical end of the spectrum. It offers cloud hosting, dedicated servers, GPU hosting, and specialized managed services. You can also get specialized options here, such as HIPAA and PCI hosting.

What types of hosting does Atlantic.net offer?

Aside from some typical hosting products most will recognize, like cloud hosting, the rest of Atlantic.net's product line is best described as either high-performance or meant for control and compliance. These primarily affect companies with specific regulatory, privacy, or other needs.

Cloud hosting

Atlantic.net's cloud hosting range is the most recognizable and should suit everyone, from regular users to developers and SMEs. It's also the most flexible, offering scalability from micro (1 CPU, 2GB RAM, Linux at $8/mo) to "wow" (32 CPUs, 192GB RAM, Linux at $816/mo).

This is surprisingly cheap compared to other cloud providers like DigitalOcean and VULTR, where plans with the same specifications cost $10/mo (the same at both providers). And that's not even mentioning Cloudways, which offers a managed Cloud at those same specs for $278/mo.

Pricing is also daily flexible, with customers able to choose between on-demand, 1-year, and 3-year terms. Naturally, the 3-year term option offers the greatest price reduction. You can also choose Windows-based cloud plans, but they cost more due to licensing fees.

Cloud hosting plans are also sub-categorized to cater to those with specific needs. This includes storage-optimized, memory-optimized, and compute-optimized plans. Each of these plans have their resource allocations tweaked to best serve your needs.

GPU cloud hosting

In the booming age of AI, GPUs have become more essential than ever before. If you're dabbling in this area, Atlantic.net offers a good range of NVIDIA-based GPU cloud hosting plans. The plans start at 32 CPU and 192GB of RAM with a single NVIDIA L40S card and range up to 224 CPU and 1920GB of RAM with 8 NVIDIA H100NVL cards.

Prices for these plans are naturally hefty (from a consumer's perspective) and start at $1058/mo on 3-year terms. At the upper end of the scale, expect to pay up to $19,262/mo on the same terms.

Dedicated hosting and bare metal

Atlantic.net's dedicated hosting plans start at pretty modest levels. That means servers with 6 cores, 8 threads, and 128GB of RAM for $266/mo on 3-year terms. At the high end of the scale are servers with 32 cores, 64 threads, and 1TB of RAM for $1,895/mo on the same terms.

Bare-metal servers are priced lower, with the starter server offering 6 cores, 12 threads, and 64GB of RAM for $138/mo (sale price). On the other end of the scale, it goes to 64 cores, 128 threads, and 256GB of RAM for $495/mo. You can also reach out to them to create a customized server that fits your requirements.

Specialized hosting plans (HIPAA and PCI)

Unlike regular web hosting plans that are loosely marketed by many service providers, specialized offerings like HIPAA and PCI hosting are beasts of an entirely different nature. You can't simply slap a "secure" label on a standard server and call it compliant.

Atlantic.net builds these environments from the ground up to pass audits and is one of the few providers willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), which legally binds them to protect your data. That's one of the most critical requirements for any HIPAA-compliant application.

Atlantic.net's HIPAA solutions offer pre-configured packages. These servers also include the full compliance stack (Firewall, VPN, Backups) for Windows or Linux servers. Prices range from $333/mo to $757/mo, with custom options available.

For those running ecommerce websites or online stores, PCI-compliance is where Atlantic.net shares your responsibilities. The company ensures that your hosting infrastructure (physical network, hardware, and OS) is secure, while you ensure your application code is compliant. Prices range from $416/mo to $6,872/mo.

How fast is Atlantic.net hosting?

Since Atlantic.net is currently offering new customers 1 year of free cloud hosting, we decided to go big and test a server with 4 CPUs and 8GB of RAM based in their Singapore data center. That was apparently a good choice, as we recorded some strong results in both core performance and resilience.

However, take these test results in context because, unlike most other hosts we test, this one had to be built and configured from scratch. That process alone took us two days (due to slight server-end technical hiccups), unlike shared hosting, where a few clicks will do.

WordPress core benchmark scores were quite good, with strong results across all categories. However, the overall score of 7.7 wasn't particularly good compared to other unmanaged VPS providers, especially Bluehost.

Part of the reason for this is likely the lower CPU core speed of 2.5 GHz, which is slightly lower than what we see in most contemporary hosts. For example, Bluehost runs 4th-gen EPYCs at 2.7 GHz, while ScalaHosting sticks with Intel running at 3.6 GHz.

True to form, with decent server specs, Atlantic.net held up well under siege, passing all three tests with 100% availability. It also did so without specific load-balancing features configured, showing similar results for longest transaction times even at high loads.

Customer support

Atlantic.net's customer support offers a "High Touch" approach that gives customers direct access to engineers, rather than navigating a maze of chatbots and menus.

This was proven during our test of their systems when he encountered issues with server provisioning. We sent a message to the support team from our customer dashboard and received a response within an hour.

The support staff at Atlantic.net knows what they're doing, and when first-line assistance can't help, problems are automatically escalated to the proper technical department. Our server provisioning issues were caused by a technical fault at their data center, and engineers worked overnight to resolve the complex issue within 12 hours.

You get several support channels here, including phone, email, a ticket system, and live chat. The support channels are available 24/7. However, it's essential to understand that support is available at several tiers, depending on the packages you purchase.

For self-help, there is a blog section that covers some content, but we find it a little unstructured and challenging to access. Seeking an answer from Google seemed faster - even if the answer leads you back to Atlantic.net's content. There is, however, very visible and extensive API documentation covering everything from authentication to DNS.

Who should use Atlantic.net?

Atlantic.net is a little special from our point of view. It's unlike Cloudways, which comes with an excellent server management dashboard. However, it's unlike a typical cloud provider because it lets you deploy servers that are fully configured to run specific apps, such as WordPress. You can even choose the deployment framework, such as a traditional LAMP stack or Docker.

That makes it technically usable by a broad range of users, while also being highly flexible in its options. Here, though, we have to insert a massive caveat. While deploying a WordPress-ready server (for example) works in a pinch, you'll still need technical skills to manage it. Imagine having to handle server security hardening, package updates, and everything else via the command line, and you'll get the idea.

At the end of the day, the overall vibe it gives off is highly technical and professional. Because of this, we feel that Atlantic.net is suitable for either those with more niche requirements or, at the very least, certain categories of individuals with a decent level of technical skills, such as developers, system administrators, and the like.

So, who do we recommend it for? Here's a short list:

Healthcare Organizations and MedTech Startups: This is the group that will find Atlantic.net the most vital. Specific products here help them to solve a complex problem. For example, in healthcare, the biggest hosting headache isn't technical, but legal compliance.

SMEs without IT Teams: Thanks to managed services, Atlantic.net becomes accessible to a much broader market. SMEs that need more robust hosting but lack technical backing can rely on these services to move forward.

Ecommerce and Fintech Companies: The vital points to consider here are security and, again, compliance. Atlantic.net's PCI-Ready hosting options make this abundantly clear. Additionally, the 100% Uptime SLA and scalability can prove lifesavers during the sales season.

Final verdict

It would be a mistake to take Atlantic.net as your run-of-the-mill cloud provider. It's highly scalable and flexible, plus gives relatively non-technical customers some quality-of-life tools to make cloud hosting more manageable.

But don't expect it to be as simple to manage as Cloudways. That makes sense as well, since Atlantic.net charges significantly less. Almost half as much as Cloudways, plus Atlantic.net throws in more system resources.

For those seeking a middle ground between affordability and ease of use, Atlantic.net is definitely worth looking into.

Atlantic.net FAQ

The web hosting industry is highly competitive, making it difficult to be one of the best web hosting providers. GoDaddy, established in 1997, started as a domain registrar and branched out into other web hosting services.

It now has a rather comprehensive product line-up. For each of its product lines, GoDaddy offers more choices than most competitors. One example of this is shared hosting, which GoDaddy offers in 8 plans across two categories: standard and high performance.

To understand what GoDaddy has to offer after domains, I spent 60 minutes with the host.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

Problems started cropping up even as I started browsing GoDaddy's hosting plans. GoDaddy is big on localization and tries to customize language and currency based on your location. However, it seems to go smoothly only if you let it do its thing. Attempting to change language or location resulted in various connectivity errors.

Brushing that aside, the next problem that emerged was a claim that the card details I entered were incorrect. GoDaddy insisted the card's expiry date was incorrect, even though I checked it several times.

This problem seemed to stem from an option I had not selected: saving the card as a backup payment method. Once I ticked that box, the "incorrect expiry date" issue disappeared, and the payment went through.

I'm not sure about you, but any payment issues involving my credit card make me wary of an online service provider, and this case was no different.

05:23

With registration out of the way, things went pretty smoothly. Once I logged into my GoDaddy account, I went through an onboarding process that led me to select WordPress as my hosting platform. After filling in a few details, I reached a notification screen that said the installation was proceeding.

This is where things left me a little conflicted. The installation process was relatively fast, but once it was complete, I was dumped on the customer dashboard without any further explanation. What were my WordPress login credentials? Where could I manage my hosting plan? How about a domain name? What next? So many questions were going through my mind.

Part of the confusion stems from the fact that you have several dashboards to consider. The first is your GoDaddy customer account dashboard. Aside from that, you also have to handle dashboards for hosting management, domain name, and cPanel - they're all separate.

Admittedly, several other hosts use the same system of disorganization, especially if you opt for shared hosting rather than a dedicated WordPress hosting plan. I just didn't expect an established brand like GoDaddy to have the same issues.

11:13

After making the rounds through the various dashboards, I figured I should attach a domain name to allow some time for DNS propagation. For the most part, many hosts make this process clear. However, the option to manage a domain name appears in several locations so it's a little confusing.

For me, the logic was simple since I was used to the process. All you have to do is get the correct nameservers, then point your domain to those nameservers using your domain name management account (in my case, Namecheap).

But for someone who isn't used to the process, you may need some help from GoDaddy's support staff, or at the very least, spend some time sifting through their documentation.

17:01

By this time, I had figured out that I could simply access my WordPress admin panel via the 1-click installer located in cPanel. There's a quick link to it, so rather than wait for propagation to complete, I hopped in and added the Updraft plugin.

This allowed me to upload a pre-created WordPress website, database, and all. If you don't want to upload a website, you can simply start using WordPress as intended to quickly build a site using templates and then add your own custom content.

Remember that one of the best things about using WordPress is how easy it is to use, even for relatively new website owners. You can work with thousands of templates and gradually customize them to your preferences.

Even better, the massive support for this CMS means you can add almost any functionality to your site, often for free. Take, for example, the free WooCommerce plugin, which lets you convert a WordPress website into a full-blown ecommerce site. And if you run into problems, you can easily find help online since it's so widely used.

29:32

It was at this point that I made a rather fatal choice. Since I was using a pre-built site, I skipped much of the WordPress tinkering and was left with not much to do. So I decided to see how well the site performed on GoDaddy's hosting.

The tool I used was meant to test how well GoDaddy performed in core WordPress metrics. That generally means the strength of its CPU and memory, database operations, and the like. Let's start by saying that the results were less than ideal.

Out of a total possible score of 10, GoDaddy's shared hosting plan, which I was on, barely reached 4.2. That's ridiculously low for a web host that's been around for so long and has such a firm hold on its market share.

• Read our full GoDaddy review for performance metrics and more.

Puzzled by this low score, I poked around a bit and realized that, among the available shared hosting plans, the one I selected was the lowest of the low. Still, it costs $5.99/mo on a 3-year term plan, which is already more expensive than many other options in the market. Plus, it didn't include email, nor basic security features like malware and uptime monitoring - those are all optional paid extras.

45:01

By this point, I was feeling disappointed and running short of time. I was 45 minutes into a hosting provider and already deeply questioning my decision to sign up here to take it for a spin. The biggest questions in my mind were whether this host was worth the money spent, and if new users could really get started with a website easily at GoDaddy.

To help me answer these questions, I decided to take a step back and see what else GoDaddy had to offer potential customers.

Digital marketing

GoDaddy offers digital marketing packages to help customers promote their websites. These services include social media posts, business listings, email marketing, and SEO. However, these services are likely only relevant to businesses and cost more than most of their shared hosting packages.

Free tools

Like many service providers today, GoDaddy offers some free tools to help website owners get their feet on the ground. Here, these include an AI-powered logo creator, a video editor, and a studio that also includes the aforementioned tools.

Website security

Earlier, I mentioned that some security features, like malware scanning, are paid extras. These are found in GoDaddy's web security packages. For a price likely higher than your hosting plan, GoDaddy offers site cleanup and repair, plus additional free trials, such as Norton Small Business Cybersecurity.

Email

Also mentioned earlier, you don't get an email with your GoDaddy hosting. This optional add-on is likely the cheapest you can add to your hosting plan, starting at $1.99/mo for 10GB of email storage. This can be used with your custom domain and aliases.

60:00

Overall impressions

By now, I'd run out of time. My experience with GoDaddy had left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth. While it was possible for new users to build a website with GoDaddy, I had no doubt it would take them some time to figure things out.

I also wondered how they would react once their website was up and running, when they discovered how poor its performance was. Another thing that came to mind was how new customers would react when they found out that almost everything here is an optional paid extra.

Important notes

I simply had to share a few more experiences I had outside the 60-minute window spent with this host. The day after I signed up for the GoDaddy plan, I discovered I was locked out of my account. GoDaddy somehow felt it necessary to enable 2FA on my account without notifying me. It took 12 hours for support to disable that 2FA, so I could sign back in. The process was mystifying.

At that point, I had enough of GoDaddy and wanted to cancel the account. This can't be done automatically. You have to disable renewal, then cancel the hosting plan. Only when that is done can you contact support via live chat (this is mandatory; you cannot do it via a support ticket) to request a refund. The live chat alone took me about 40 minutes, from waiting to approval, plus another 3 days to get the actual refund.

• I've also rounded up the best shared hosting providers

Having recently had several less-than-ideal experiences with web hosts, I was eyeing my latest project with some trepidation. Thankfully, this was SiteGround, one of the best web hosting providers. It's a well-established brand known for excellence in customer service and strong hosting performance, even if it comes at a relatively steep price.

SiteGround has been around for more than two decades, thriving in a highly competitive industry that has been slashing web hosting prices. Yet, beyond pricing and performance, a bigger problem is how well customers perceive their journey to launching what is often their first website.

Today, I did 60 minutes with SiteGround to see how well it stands up to scrutiny.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

Like with all web hosting reviews and experiences, I do my best to sign up for plans independently. Having been away from SiteGround for a while, I was a little surprised by the error message I saw during sign-up. Apparently, SiteGround has stopped providing services to certain countries. From what I gather, this includes some African countries, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. Service to other regions continues as usual.

Fortunately, I was able to obtain an account from someone and was soon on my way. All I had to do was sign in to a ready-provided account. The plan provided to me was GrowBig, one of SiteGround's WordPress-specific plans, which costs $4.99/mo for new users on a 12-month subscription. Renewal prices are a little steep, though, clocking in at a whopping $29.99/mo once the new user honeymoon period is over.

06:01

Once I logged in with my user credentials, I was guided through one of the smoothest onboarding sessions I'd ever experienced. SiteGround first asked if I wanted to create a new website or migrate an existing site. I decided to start a new website with WordPress, but if you prefer, SiteGround also provides a website builder.

I'm not overly fond of website builders, so I opted for a WordPress installation. My plan was to start a site from scratch and see how far I could get with SiteGround before I either gave up or reached the time limits set for my SiteGround user experience journey.

Naturally, SiteGround didn't miss the opportunity to try some upsells. But at least they weren't pushy about it. I've seen some other hosts get really tricky with their upsells, going so far as to enable some options by default.

If you don't know what you're doing or what you need, I suggest you skip these. If necessary, you can add them later. Remember that each upsell you choose will increase your monthly commitment, so keep it as streamlined as possible at the outset.

Finally, I completed the setup process and reached the final step. I want to highlight this because many hosts omit it during onboarding. SiteGround displays a prominent notice prompting you to point your domain to its nameservers.

If you miss this step, you may need to locate the nameservers. Or if you're really new to web hosting, you might simply be stuck wondering why you can't access your website through your domain name.

15:36

Once the setup process was complete and my domain name configured, I was brought to the default welcome screen. This consisted of a huge welcome banner (which I think is a bit overdone), followed by several prominent links to what SiteGround thinks new users might need.

Yet I wondered why "How to start a new site" was the top option, since I had just completed the WordPress site creation process. What's even stranger is that all the options on the page link to various knowledgebase articles.

It would have been more helpful to start me on a website management screen instead. Or perhaps SiteGround was catering to absolute beginners to web hosting. In any case, at least you have plenty of support if needed.

Ignoring the abundance of options in the main display area, I used the navigation menu at the top of the screen, hoping that the "Websites" link would bring me to my site management panel. And yes, it did.

19:56

The SiteGround website panel is simple and primarily lists all of the sites you can manage in your account. The GrowBig plan from SiteGround allows you to create unlimited websites, provided you stay within your 20 GB storage limit. If you're running small sites and are careful with your uploads, that's sufficient for around 3 websites.

Clicking the "WordPress Admin" option took me to another Wizard that guided me through creating and configuring my WordPress website.

21:40

The WordPress wizard started off by asking me what topic my website would cover. You get some generic options here, such as travel, photography, and restaurants. I decided to be the oddball and chose "Other."

Now, it was time to select a template. The templates SiteGround provides don't appear to be your run-of-the-mill free WordPress templates. Most of the designs looked excellent, and I certainly wouldn't mind starting a new website with one of them. They're extremely polished and give off that "professional" vibe.

In any case, I chose a template for an online plant-selling site because it was minimalist yet refreshing. Once I'd selected my template, the Wizard also recommended a few useful add-ons for my site, such as a contact form, an online shop plugin, and a map. These are then automatically added to the site via plugins.

Finally, the after-site options appear, which help with marketing. These plugins cover analytics, SEO, and subscriber management. Once you've handled this, you can log in to your website and start tweaking it to your liking.

• Read our full SiteGround review for performance metrics and more.

30.43

Honestly, the WordPress admin dashboard looks like any other. This page is the central command system for your website. You can add plugins, configure payment systems, handle your online store inventory, modify the design, and more.

What really impressed me, though, was that the website SiteGround created for me from a template was nearly perfect. It had starter products, everything arranged neatly, and it worked flawlessly. The only oddity was that they omitted the shopping cart from the menu, so I had to add it manually.

By this point, I was half an hour into my SiteGround experience and fairly certain that a full 60 minutes would allow me to complete the site configuration for payments and other minor amendments. Depending on the breadth of your store's inventory, you may need additional time to set it up.

Because of that, I decided to loop back to SiteGround's dashboard to see what else this (so far) impressive host has to offer.

45.02

SiteGround's hosting dashboard is simple, but I got a wide range of customization options for a shared hosting plan. These are neatly grouped into categories to avoid confusion. For example, to manage your site's SSL, go to the security section in the left-hand navigation menu.

While I was here, I also explored the available caching options. SiteGround offers three caching modules: Nginx Direct Delivery, Dynamic Cache, and Memcached. Nginx Direct Delivery caches static assets, including images and certain scripts. Dynamic Cache moves as much content as possible into RAM to speed up your WordPress site. Finally, Memcached is designed to speed up your database, an essential component of WordPress performance.

Another thing to note is SiteGround's CDN feature. Unlike many hosts that tout CDNs but only offer Cloudflare integration, SiteGround has its own CDN. This is available in free and premium tiers. I tested the free tier, and it significantly boosts initial connection speeds.

Last but not least, you have the main customer dashboard. This dashboard provides quick access to SiteGround's Marketplace. This is a collection of other services it offers, neatly arranged into categories for you to browse and pick from.

At this point, I can clearly see the appeal this hosting provider offers to many small business owners. It's a one-stop shop that handles everything you need to run a successful website. For example: marketing and SEO services, domain names, an AI studio for content and design, and more.

60:00

Overall impressions

To me, SiteGround is a case study in an almost-perfect web host. It's certainly fast and has an onboarding process so smooth that it could make the first-class attendants of many airlines blush. For many small businesses, these are properties that are often more crucial than fretting over a few extra dollars in hosting costs per month.

Of course, if you simply want a web host to throw on a small personal blog, that's an entirely different matter, and Hostinger would be a more likely candidate. At the end of the day, you pay for what you get.

At least with SiteGround, you get what you pay for, and that's hard to find today.

• I've also rounded up the best shared hosting providers

Looking to turn Minecraft into something a little special? Thanks to some of the best Minecraft mods, there’s almost no limit to how much you can transform your beloved game. I’ve tracked down some excellent ways to mod your Minecraft so that you can play brick-based versions of Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and many others.

You’ll need to set up a Minecraft server to do this and I recommend you do so by signing up to one of the best Minecraft server hosting providers. By using one of these providers, all the hard work has been done for you and you just need to install the relevant mod. If money is tight though, you can still host locally if you prefer.

However you do it, here’s my pick of the best ways to turn Minecraft into your favorite games, all with a few simple steps.

Turn Minecraft into Animal Crossing: Farming Crossing 5

Animal Crossing was the game to play in 2020 because of, well, you know. Since then though, it’s continued to be loved. If you don’t have a Nintendo console or Animal Crossing, you can play a form of the game with Farming Crossing 5.

It offers building prompts inspired by Animal Crossing, plenty of fish to collect, and a whole bunch of villagers to meet. You can’t talk to the villagers like you can in Animal Crossing but you can still participate in a lot of the collectathons that the Nintendo game is all about. It’s a sizeable mod to install with a lot of resource packs at play too but it’s simple enough to begin, particularly when using one of the best game server hosts.

Turn Minecraft into Mario Kart: Project MKMC

Requiring a fairly high-end spec PC and Minecraft Java only, Project MKMC is fairly ambitious. Its aim is to recreate Mario Kart in Minecraft with 4 custom made courses and 14 based on other Mario Kart courses. These include Mario Circuit 2 from the SNES version, Frappe Snowland from the N64 cart, and even courses from the DS and 3DS like Airship Fortress and Shy Guy Bazaar.

There are 7 different modes to choose from as well such as Grand-Prix mode, VS mode, Battle mode, and a Time Trial. Together, this truly feels like a whole new game built into Minecraft. It’s an impressive re-envisioning of the classic franchise and a great way to experience something new from your favorite.

Turn Minecraft into Call of Duty: Zombies: ZombieRool

For older Minecraft players, try ZombieRool. It’s a Minecraft take on Call of Duty Zombies with the idea being to survive endless waves inspired by World at War and Black Ops. Players fight through numerous waves while unlocking new areas and content along the way. There’s a barricade system so you can repair damaged defenses while the extensive arsenal of weaponry focuses on classic WW1 and WW2 firearms, along with much more modern weaponry too.

With power-up mechanics, temporary bonuses, and an upgrade system, there’s a lot going on here and it’s a lot of fun. If you want something a bit more aggressive than your average Minecraft experience, this should delight you.

Turn Minecraft into Super Mario: Super Mario Mania

The nearest to playing Super Mario through Minecraft, Super Mario Mania is a delight. It provides a cute storyline of sorts with your first port of call being to find a Warp Pipe. From there, there’s some crafting, but you also get to explore a world that looks a lot like every classic Mario game you used to enjoy.

There’s even a cool moveset with mantling on ledges and also wall jumps and ground pounds. Different biomes means there’s a lot of depth here so you get lands to explore, but also the cool vibes of a Mario game. You can also spend time building with Mario-style blocks if you want a more traditional Minecraft experience.

Turn Minecraft into Dark Souls: Dark Souls Expansion

Known for its fearsome difficulty, Dark Souls is a big step away from Minecraft, but now you can have the best of both worlds. The Dark Souls Expansion focuses on turning the game into a From Software style experience. That means a huge variety of weapons, structures, and pretty scary looking enemies.

It’s not the same as Dark Souls, of course, as it would be hard to replicate such an experience within Minecraft but it gives you a strong taste of that vibe and feeling. Designed to replicate a lot of the game, it’s a fun twist on something you’ve likely always loved and wanted more of.

The storyline has you collect ruin fragments but also face bosses and work towards upgrading your weaponry. It’s particularly fun to team up with friends to explore this world and marvel at how different Minecraft can become with the right mod.

Turn Minecraft into Pokemon: Cobblemon

Pixelmon is one of the best Minecraft servers so how about making a similar experience for yourself on your own server? Try Cobblemon if that’s your intention. A much loved combination of Minecraft and Pokemon, the mod gets regular updates and is a blast to play. You can capture Poekmon to expand your team and battle them too. Yup, just how you’d expect things to go.

The mod’s interface is laid out in a clear manner in which you can keep an eye on your Pokemon’s stats and friendship levels, plus you can switch up their movesets. It’s all reassuringly very Pokemon-esque with a Minecraft style twist. It’s even possible to import and add your own variants or new species thanks to Cobblemon supporting custom and data resource packs, so the world is your oyster here.

How to install Minecraft mods

To play most of these games, you’ll need to install mods. Doing so is pretty simple and we have an extensive guide on what Minecraft modpacks are. In the majority of cases, your server hosting provides one-click installation of many mods.

In other cases, you can follow the instructions that each mod provides. Some may require additional resource packs to be installed too. This shouldn’t take very long but plan ahead. Don’t decide to install the mod 5 minutes before you plan on playing with a bunch of friends. Set aside an hour so you don’t have to rush.

The best Project Zomboid server hosting is ideal for those embracing that zombie dodging lifestyle. Project Zomboid has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent times thanks to its compelling The Sims-like experience combined with, oh yes, a zombie apocalypse. With the addition of multiplayer in a recent beta build, it’s now even more fun as you can play alongside your friends and see who’s the weak link in your zombie surviving endeavors.

Many of the best game server hosts now offer great Project Zomboid server hosting so I’ve extensively researched them. Below, you’ll find all the best Project Zomboid server hosting ranked according to your needs and requirements.

If you know what you’re looking for, you can quickly scroll down the list and find it. I’ve gathered options for the best cheap Project Zomboid host, right up to the more premium servers, and everything in between. It’s possible to host your own Project Zomboid server through your PC, but a dedicated server host makes life a lot simpler and easier for you.

Here’s the best Project Zomboid server hosting available right now.

Best Project Zomboid server hosting services 2026 in full

Best Project Zomboid host for beginners

What I like

Shockbyte is generally my go-to for any server. It’s consistently simple to use with instant setup and a user interface that makes logical sense. If you’re not used to server hosting, you won’t be intimidated here. However, if you know what you’re doing, you also won’t feel limited in the slightest. It’s the biggest highlight to a Project Zomboid server host that also packs in all the essential features too.

What I don’t like

I’ve found the ticket system is helpful and comes back with the right answers, but it could be a little faster. On top of that, there’s no telephone support. I’m not a huge fan of telephone support but it’s useful to have it there for emergencies and if you’re running a commercial endeavor, you may want to be able to get in touch faster.

What you need to know

I’m a big fan of Shockbyte. I’ve talked about it a lot here such as its reign as one of the best Minecraft server hosts but for good reason. It works well and it’s generally competitively priced. With Project Zomboid servers, you have three core plans to choose from. A simple one for 10 players with 2GB RAM ramping up to over 24 players on a 6GB server. In all cases, there’s mod support, 99.9% uptime, global locations for the servers, full FTP access, easy configuration, and automatic backups. There are some really useful guides too to help you get to grips with running your server. It’s all about how easy it is to use. If the chosen plan isn’t enough for you, you can add more player slots too.

For an additional fee, there are options to add a dedicated IP or upgrade to a superior CPU, but the core experience is pretty solid. There’s even unlimited disk space and bandwidth which is pretty useful.

Read our Shockbyte review

Best value Project Zomboid host

What I like

Bisect Hosting knows how to be accessible. Right from the start, it’ll guide you through what you need. You don’t have to pick a plan or worry about what you need. Just hit the ‘help me decide’ button and it’ll make suggestions. Whatever you go with, you get a BisectOne server which also supports dozens of other games but comes with Project Zomboid pre-installed. That means it takes moments to get started. What more could you ask for?

What I don’t like

Bisect Hosting is pretty affordable but it can get expensive once you factor in add-ons. On the plus side, you only pay for what you need but it can end up quite a lot. There’s BisectBoost which increases instance slots, backup storage, and provides you with premium subdomains. You can also pay extra for a dedicated IP. When comparing prices, Bisect Hosting is great value but you do need to be aware of what you’re buying.

What you need to know

As standard, Bisect Hosting offers a lot with its Project Zomboid hosting. There’s fully integrated Steam Workshop support, automatic game updates, and instant setup. You also get 3 days of free server backups if you don’t want to pay extra for more backup slots. The control panel is designed to make it simple to switch between different games or instances so if you’re looking to entertain a community with varied tastes, you’re always a couple of taps away from switching to a different game.

Similarly, you can add plenty of mods if you want but the service does recommend how many will work best for your server. Talking of servers, Bisect Hosting provides 21 different locations so you should get a good ping wherever you need it.

Read our Bisect Hosting review

Best on a budget

What I like

I love the flexibility of Nodecraft. It’s not the only game server host that offers such a service but Nodecraft truly simplifies it. If you and your friends are like me and prone to switching between games a little too easily, this makes that process so much easier. The idea is known as save&swap here and your only limits are the server you already possess.

What I don’t like

Nodecraft can be very cheap which is why it’s a good budget choice but you do need to keep aware. Opt for a premium plan and it can get a little pricey for what you get. However, if you just have some basic aims then Nodecraft is one of the cheaper Project Zomboid server hosts around.

What you need to know

Nodecraft is one of the best cheap game server hosts out there assuming you don’t need to go for too high-end a plan. Opt for a Lite plan and Nodecraft is very affordable and provides a free trial to check out if you appreciate its control panel. It’s fairly user-friendly with its backup system a particular highlight as it’s set up for swapping between games frequently.

When setting up, Nodecraft gives some useful suggestions depending on how much modding you have in mind so you should make the right server choice for your needs. The cheaper Lite plans are only online when needed while the Pro plans are available 24/7. Lite plans are perfect if you just want an easy solution for playing with a few friends.

Read our full Nodecraft review

Best premium Project Zomboid game server host

What I like

G-Portal keeps things simple but useful. It offers three core plans for Project Zomboid with the option to expand, making it simple to dive right in. From there, servers are set up within a couple of minutes so you don’t have to plan too far ahead. Alongside that, you don’t have to think too hard either as all plans provide endless slots although bear in mind that the game only allows up to 32 players at any one time.

What I don’t like

Support is a little limited. You can submit a ticket for help and it’s reasonably speedy, but there’s no live chat or telephone support. Fortunately, the knowledge base and Discord will solve a lot of queries without you needing to talk to anyone but generally, more support options are always good to see.

What you need to know

G-Portal has established close ties with many content creators to promote its wares but it’s for good reason. As the biggest host of Project Zomboid host, its servers are very reliable and offer a lot of features. With the game, there are some designated plans plus the option to create your own configuration. As standard, you get 50GB backup space, NVMe SSDs, DDoS protection, and the ability to switch games quickly.

Its servers are scattered around the world servicing most locations well. It’s also simple to install mods via its control panel. There are also good discounts for tying yourself into multiple months if you plan on hosting games for a long time to come. Of course, that doesn’t always have to be Project Zomboid.

Best for hardcore Project Zomboid game server hosts

What I like

I really appreciate that there are a lot of server choices at Apex Hosting. The most basic offers 2GB RAM which is the minimum you need but you can upgrade that to 32GB if you plan on running a lot of different mods. Alternatively, you can upgrade the CPU choice to one of the EX series for a fee. It’s good to see such flexibility and ideally suited for hardcore gamers.

What I don’t like

Alternatively, Apex Hosting isn’t the most newbie friendly at first. Right from the start, you’re setting up RCON passwords, and organizing your branding with the latter feeling a tad excessive for a fun session with some friends. It isn’t the cheapest out there so you might want to veer elsewhere if you’re keeping it casual.

What you need to know

Apex Hosting is one of the best Project Zomboid server hosting options if you have high-end and hardcore plans. Its basic plan lives up to its name but you can add a lot of RAM and upgrade to the EX series of CPUs if your plans are beefy. As standard, you get 24/7 support, while there’s a 7-day money back guarantee. There’s also extensive mod support, a free subdomain, automated backups, and the promise of ultra low latency.

Servers are spread out throughout the world covering all the major areas, and there’s an extensive knowledge base which can solve pretty much all your queries. If you’re planning ahead for some ambitious Project Zomboid sessions, you’ll like Apex Hosting.

Read our full Apex Hosting review

Best Project Zomboid server hosting: FAQs

How I tested the best Project Zomboid server hosting

I spent some time with each of the Project Zomboid server hosts listed here. I checked out the purchasing process, set up a server, and took a look at how intuitive and simple the control panel was to use. I also evaluated prices by comparing them with many other hosts, and I looked at uptime promises and general feedback from users over the years. I also checked the customer service availability. Essentially, I looked at everything any regular customer would find important when setting up a Project Zomboid server.

Fallen in love with the idea of a Minecraft server of your own? You’ve learned how to get started in Minecraft, set up a server from one of the best web hosting providers, and you're moving onto working out how to make it the experience you know you’ll adore.

One of the best ways to have ultimate control is to have your own server, of course. It’s simple enough to set up a Minecraft server on your PC but should you? It can be a useful starting point but there are some safety risks to consider before diving right in. Plus, there are some good alternatives to consider instead.

Like any big decision, it’s useful to know exactly what you’re dealing with. That’s why I’m taking you through a brief look at the safety risks involved in hosting your own Minecraft server, and the solutions to those concerns.

Read on and you’ll know exactly what to do when hosting your own Minecraft server safely.

The basics of keeping your Minecraft server secure

Securing your Minecraft server can be a little like keeping your PC secure. One of the simplest ways to protect it is to simply remember to update your server regularly. By doing so, you’ll eliminate the latest vulnerabilities and bugs, minimizing risk.

While we’re covering the simpler things, make sure to use strong passwords and ideally 2-factor authentication any time the opportunity arises. A strong admin password is often the first port of call but also one of the most effective fixes.

Talking of admin access, only give it out sparingly. Ideally, if you’re self-hosting your Minecraft server, you don’t really want anyone else to access it. If you do, make sure it’s someone you truly trust. Similarly, make sure rcon is disabled. It’s generally disabled as standard. Not sure what rcon is? It’s the remote console giving access to remotely execute commands so it can be very destructive in the wrong hands.

While you’re digging through Minecraft settings, if you just want a select group of players to access your server (which is sensible if you’re just hosting from your own PC), make sure to whitelist players through their IP addresses so only the players you want get access. Think of it as like the VIP list at a club. If you’re not on the list, you’re not coming in.

A final smart move is to block all the firewall ports that are inessential for running your Minecraft server. Don’t allow for any opening just in case of a security breach.

Once you have your server set up, be aware of what you run on it. Have you seen a tempting plugin or mod? Check it’s reputable and safe to use. It’s fairly rare but there are some suspicious mods out there which can open up vulnerabilities. Stick with the best Minecraft mods and you’re onto a good thing.

The safer (but pricier) alternative for your Minecraft server

I think it’s a great idea to learn the basics behind hosting a Minecraft server on your own PC but if you want a long-term solution, I suggest checking out the best Minecraft server hosting. You might expect buying hosting to be expensive but there are some very inexpensive Minecraft server plans out there. All are scaleable so you can adjust them according to your needs. If you’re looking ahead to becoming one of the best Minecraft servers around, you need to invest a little. Even if you’re just playing with friends, it’s nice to have the hard work taken out of server admin and you have the benefit of the server being available 24/7 which might cause an expensive electricity bill if you’re self-hosting.

When using some of the best game server hosting, it’s still a smart move to use many of the tips listed above. Make sure your passwords are secure and impossible to guess, don’t give admin access out without carefully considering who to trust, and definitely keep an eye on the mods you’re using.

Fortunately, by using a dedicated Minecraft server host, you won’t need to worry about firewall settings and all reputable Minecraft hosts will remind you of an update or do so automatically for you. Different Minecraft servers can optimize your experience so it’s worth shopping around.

If you’re keen to tinker and experiment a lot, you don’t have to restrict yourself to the simplest Minecraft hosting either. There are great guides on how to create a Minecraft server with a VPS with a VPS also giving you plenty of control over seemingly everything you can think of. It’s great for experimenting as a server admin with the safety of it being hosted elsewhere.

Keeping your Minecraft server safe

Whether you’re self-hosting or using a dedicated server host, it’s important to keep your Minecraft server safe. Luckily with these tips listed above, you should be fine. A lot of server security is fairly logical and similar to what you already do elsewhere with your PC. In reality, self-hosting can be very safe but it may be more convenient for you to use a dedicated host instead. Try both and see what works best for your situation, your friends, and your bank balance, of course.

Customer traffic is everything for a growing business, and historically, that’s required playing by the rules of search algorithms and social media platforms. These gatekeepers controlled who was seen, what was surfaced, and how far a brand could reach.

The rise of AI is bringing a massive shift in this dynamic. What once required technical fluency and platform dependence is now becoming a more seamless, personalized, and adaptive process that empowers individuals to build, scale, and manage their sites on their own terms.

As we settle into the new year, we’re welcoming a new era of online ownership where creators and entrepreneurs have more control than ever before. As third-party platforms become increasingly unpredictable, the most reliable source of visibility and credibility will be the domain itself. Now in 2026, the way we approach domains and online management will be completely reimagined as they increasingly serve as intelligent, adaptive layers of digital identity. The next wave of small business and entrepreneurial growth will redefine what it means to “own” your corner of the internet.

More creation, less configuration

For those building online, a consistent challenge has persisted: technical setup slows down creativity, storytelling, and ultimately, audience connection. Domain storefronts often require custom-written registration logic, payment processing, managing domain name system (DNS) records, building renewal workflows, and navigating outdated application programming interface (API) documentation.

This is beginning to change with AI and automation freeing entrepreneurs from the technical friction of setup. For first-time creators, the era of learning complex infrastructure to launch their digital presence is coming to an end. AI agents and developer tools can now communicate directly with domain platforms, meaning creators don’t need the same deep understanding of infrastructure that was once necessary to launch a credible brand. Instead of hunting through menus, a founder can type a command inside tools like Raycast, Cursor, Claude, or ChatGPT, and instantly perform the task.

Now that AI can handle technical details, barriers to entering the digital environment are falling. What once was a daunting process of developing a digital identity is becoming more instant and approachable. This allows business owners to not only seamlessly manage their domains, but also focus their efforts on building consumer connections and brainstorming creative ways to take their brand to the next level.

A one-click to publish future

As domain registration and deployment merge into seamless, AI-powered workflows, bringing an idea online will soon be as effortless as one-click-to-publish. Tools like Vercel, Replit, and Netlify are already paving the way, offering new opportunities for solo builders and non-technical founders to launch their online identity with ease. Soon, other platforms will follow suit, and what used to take days of setup and iteration can now be achieved in minutes.

Bringing a business to the digital world will soon become as simple as one click, allowing more people, not just seasoned developers, to claim their place online. This reality offers convenience, while also laying the foundation for an inclusive digital economy. For builders, this opens up new levels of agility, allowing them to focus their efforts on higher-level initiatives. For non-technical founders, it opens the door to new possibilities for establishing presence. The future of web creation will belong to anyone with a vision and a story to tell.

Meet the new growth engine: creative domain extensions

AI is welcoming more businesses to the space and AI-driven search is evolving toward contextual and intent-based discovery. As a result, finding new ways to stand out will continue to be a growing challenge that businesses must navigate. Creative domain extensions such as .pro, .studio, or .world will become a key differentiator for entrepreneurs and small businesses in this regard.

This year, we’ll see more creative and industry-specific domain naming strategies as brands recognize the long-term value of direct digital ownership. A short, relevant extension signals relevance to audiences, giving businesses a competitive edge in building a lasting, memorable brand that goes beyond any algorithm.

Unique domains are a statement of identity, instantly communicating purpose and helping audiences find and trust your brand. These critical assets will help brands surface more naturally and connect with their ideal audiences more quickly.

Looking ahead at a better connected, AI-driven web

Domains will continue to become more dynamic and personalized, enabling more small businesses and entrepreneurs to harness their power to truly control their digital brand experience, from the first time an idea is conceptualized to going to market. They’ll be able to express their individuality, without playing discoverability games, allowing them to shape how their brand appears, adapts, and grows.

2026 won’t just be another year of digital transformation. It will be a turning point where building online finally feels the impact of AI advancements. Domains will evolve from static addresses to meaningful layers of digital ownership, adapting to user intent and powering a more connected, AI-driven web.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Namecheap, one of the best web hosting providers around today, and the second largest domain registrar, has revealed extensive new findings on the biggest TLDs of 2025.

The company's 2025 Domain Insights and Trends report examines more than 22 million domains, and perhaps unsurprisingly found the .com TLD was the most popular with 4.6 million domain names registered between 1 January and 31 December 2025.

The second most popular TLD was .info, moving up four positions, with 500,000 registrations, with .site, .shop, .xyz, and .org also showing close to half a million registrations. The TLD that saw the most growth is .space growing 404% from 35,028 registrations in 2024 to 176,276 in 2025, with other TLDs seeing major growth including .app with a 12% rise, and .ai with a 55% increase.

.com is still the TLD of choice

Despite the proportion of non .com TLDs overtaking .com in 2024, Namecheap says the latter saw a resurgence in 2025 to gain 40.1% of market share, an 11% increase, showing although there are more TLDs than ever before, .com is still the preferred choice.

Top 10 gTLDs

1. .com (4,667,345)
2. .info (579,916)
3. .shop (476,865)
4. .site (469,020)
5. .xyz (461,777)
6. .org (452,567)
7. .online (363,353)
8. .store (337,407)
9. .net (291,862)
10. .pro (257,161)

The report also revealed some details about the domain names themselves - including that there were 147 one-letter domain names registered, and 120 domain names 63 characters long, the longest allowed.

Blockchain.ai sold for $405,000

On the Namecheap market, Blockchain.ai was the most expensive sold at auction, the second and third respectively were territory.com at $125,625 and wan.ai at $80.314.

The trends show that while .com TLDs are still the most sought after domains, non .com TLDs are still becoming more and more popular helping companies strengthen their brand identity.

I may be flouting Betteridge's law of headlines here because I think the answer is still yes but I could be wrong. I'm updating my best web hosting guide and reviewing the recommendation for best cheap web hosting. So, I'm asking myself, is Namecheap still cheap and I thought I'd let you in on my process of deciding whether Namecheap will retain this accolade.

Straight in: how much is Namecheap?

Namecheap has a wide selection of plans and hosting features and I've had a good look at them all but for this article I'm just going to focus on the three main offerings: shared hosting, managed hosting for WordPress, and VPS. Otherwise this page will get too long.

Sorry. There are lots of tables under here.

On the face of it these plans look cheap and come with all the necessary features.

Once again, this all looks cheap without sacrificing anything important

Again. Cheap!

Price comparison

So, this looks pretty cheap on the face of it but lets compare with other hosting providers to see how cheap it really is and whether there are other hosting providers that are cheaper for similar plans.

I've done a wider search than this but I don't want to present information overload. Looking at the numbers, Namecheap is still clearly a lot cheaper than other hosting providers when compared against similar plans.

How can Namecheap be so cheap?

Performance

There's always a catch... For Namecheap performance is just one of them. The performance statistics don't show Namecheap in a bad light. Namecheap handled all the requests, just not so quickly. So, a site hosted on Namecheap's cheapest plan should be fine but it won't be fast. That's not a big deal if you're just hosting a non-business critical site but if you are, it's going to suffer.

I also tested EasyWP against other managed WordPress plans and the story is the same: reliable but slow.

Features

Namecheap doesn't provide the same caliber webpage editing and creation tools like Bluehost and Hostinger. Both of these hosts have a lot of tools to help you build and manage websites. I spent 60 minutes page building with Hostinger, and 60 minutes with Bluehost and the experience was great with both. Spending 60 minutes with Namecheap felt a lot less streamlined and rough around the edges.

But! You still get everything you need to build and host a website for $4.88/mo after renewal and that is just incredible.

Conclusion: Is Namecheap still cheap?

Yes! Mega cheap considering everything you get included.

Namecheap will remain my best cheap web hosting recommendation.

I'm revisiting my best web hosting recommendations for 2026 . So, I'm getting hands on with hosts again and answering the question: is Namecheap still cheap and what's the catch, if any?

Namecheap's cheapest hosting option is half the price of competitors like Hostinger and Bluehost and you still get a website builder and email included. Let's see how good it is. Start the clock!

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

I didn't screenshot the sign up process but it was as you would expect: Choose the hosting plan, enter your personal details, enter your payment information, and then you land on the dashboard.

Some notable things here: You don't get a temporary domain so you either need to buy one, use the free one, or use one you already have. I used the one I already had with Namecheap. The point here is that you need to make a permeant decision quite soon in your journey.

Unlike some of the other hosts, you're not put through to the page builder immediately. You need to click go to cPanel to start making your site.

Time on the clock 3:15

Uh-oh. The server couldn't be reached. It's probably because the account had just been created so I waited a couple of minutes and refreshed.

It still did not work and there was a message telling me to -

"Make sure your website is live and accessible! Point your domain to hosting nameservers: dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com with our helpful guide."

I thought Namecheap took care of this after I pressed 'connect domain' when I purchased the hosting plan but apparently not. Doesn't matter, there are some step-by-step instructions.

That was pretty simple but only because I knew what I'm doing. I can see how this could be a frustrating process if you didn't. Namecheap tell you what to do but it's a bit convoluted. All I had to do was select 'Namecheap web hosting DNS'' from a drop down list but the instructions told me to add the nameservers "dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com ". This is basically the same thing but if you didn't know that, you'd be wasting time trying to figure it out.

Time on the clock 72:03:15

Three days later my DNS records had not propagated. So, probably not DNS propagation. Turns out the link to cPanel was blocked by my work network for an unknown reason. I moved over to my personal laptop and worked on things from there.

Time on the clock 15:27

I've taken those three days off the time because that's not really fair. After I could access cPanel things moved a lot faster.

Instinctively I pressed WordPress.

I then quickly backtracked as I remembered that there is a Namecheap AI website builder that I wanted to try.

Back in cPanel it was not obvious where the AI website builder was. I assumed it's the website builder but that was all I could do...Assume. The process is not very streamlined or beginner friendly.

Time on the clock 20:13

I was right! I followed the usual process of telling the builder my idea and then pressed build.

Time on the clock 50:13

Integrated into the builder was an AI tool that would do the things that I asked it to do.

If it could. When it couldn't it gave me good advice on alternative options.

Overall impressions

The AI website builder is pretty cool! However, the process of getting there is not very streamlined.

Once there, it's easy to use but it feels a little unfinished and a little like a budget option (which it is).

Overall, Namecheap is cheap, and in the last few minutes of this test I ran some performance benchmarks too and things are OK.

For a budget option, it's very good but complete beginners might be scared off.

In recent years, we've seen several hosting brands attempt to expand their services and challenge the envelope of the best web hosting services. Spaceship is the result of one such effort, with the parent company being Namecheap.

Granted, Spaceship offers a slightly more futuristic site design and interesting product names (e.g., Starlight, Hyperlift). However, even this is subjective, since one man's meat can be another's poison. Additionally, the superficial design differences don't affect the performance of the core products themselves.

In some instances, the product offerings are also identical in many ways. For example, the cloud WordPress hosting offered by Spaceship is EasyWP, which is another product that Namecheap has tried to spin off as a standalone offering.

• Want to try Spaceship? Check out the website here

What types of hosting does Spaceship offer? 

Spaceship offers an extensive product range that includes domain name services, web hosting, and associated services like a CDN, VPN, and domain name-based communication services. And because it's stripped out some essential services from hosting, these can also be considered other services, such as email hosting and auto backups.

Spaceship shared hosting

Spaceship's shared hosting plans start at $1.21/mo and top off at $2.87/mo on two-year cycles. They all begin with a 30-day free trial before any charges are due. The lowest-tier (Essential plan) comes with 20GB NVMe storage, free SSL, SiteJet AI website builder, and security services from Imunify360.

As you move up the plan tiers, storage space increases, and you also get the inclusion of AI tools that can help you write content for your site.

The kicker is that email services are free for only 30 days or one year, depending on the email plan you choose during sign-up. You'll also have to decide if you want auto-backups, which start at $11.76 for 5GB on the two-year plan. Added together, that initially low hosting price doesn't feel so low anymore.

Spaceship Cloud WordPress hosting

With WordPress sites driving much of the internet today, it's unsurprising that Spaceship also offers cloud-based WordPress hosting. These plans include the same 30-day free trial option as Spaceship's shared hosting plans. Thereafter, prices range from $28.88/year to $48.88/year, depending on which plan you choose.

Likewise, email services on these plans are free for a year, after which you'll have to pay separately for them, outside your hosting fees. At least you get HackGuardian for free, along with MalwareGuardian Autoclean protection on the two higher-tier WordPress plans.

Spaceship VPS hosting and App hosting

Spaceship offers a range of Virtual Private Server (VPS) plans called Starlight Virtual Machines. These come in three flavors: standard, CPU-optimized, and memory-optimized. The prices are also similar to Spaceship's cloud plans and are available on a monthly, quarterly, yearly, or pay-as-you-go basis.

For example, the standard VPS offers 1 CPU core, 2GB of RAM, 25GB of NVMe storage, and 1 TB of bandwidth. This is priced at either $4.90/mo, $13.88/3 months, $42.44/yr, or $0.007/hr.

You can also add on block storage of between 50GB and 500GB to these plans, of course, for an additional fee. Block storage plans cost between $30.44/year and $302.44/year, and you can attach up to 3 blocks to each virtual machine.

App hosting comes in the form of Starlight Hyperlift plans, which are essentially micro VMs. These allow you to connect to GitHub, then pull and build your code for deployment. It's a convenient and super-cheap way of deploying apps quickly. Hyperlift plans cost between $30.88/year and $453.88/year.

Can I build a web store with Spaceship?

Since Spaceship comes with the SiteJet AI website builder and supports WordPress, you can technically build an online store. That means you either create one from scratch or run WooCommerce.

There are no ecommerce specific features at Spaceship, so you'll have to find all your ecommerce needs elsewhere, such as payment gateways, specialized plugins, and so on. However, most of what you'll need is available with the Softaculous app installer (free at Spaceship).

If you want a dedicated ecommerce or online store, consider a service dedicated to this, such as Shopify or Squarespace. Or if you're planning to build for extreme traffic, a more scalable option like Cloudways or ScalaHosting.

How fast is Namecheap?

To measure Spaceships' performance, we uploaded our standard WordPress test site. This site sports a relatively simple design with online store functionality and a handful of products.

We then run two key tests: One to assess how well the hosting server handles WordPress in general, and the other to see whether it can withstand increasing user traffic over set periods.

It's interesting (and yet unsurprising) to see that Spaceship shared hosting servers offer nearly identical performance characteristics to Namecheap servers. In core WordPress performance areas, Spaceship servers held up well under scrutiny, with results slightly above average.

The siege load testing tool we use is the more critical of the two since it best reflects how well a site hosted on Spaceship will perform in real-world scenarios. Unsurprisingly, performance here was also similar to Namecheap, with Spaceship successfully processing all transactions even at 15 concurrent users.

Even better, the longest transaction times were consistent, meaning your website users won't have to deal with overly long wait times, even when many users are on your website. While it may sound like something all web hosts should be capable of, this delicate load-balancing act isn't always present among hosting brands.

How easy is Spaceship to use?

Right on its About Us page, Spaceship states that its "primary mission is to redefine speed and simplicity." This is about half right since we've already seen that Spaceship offers above-par performance. However, the usability factor is a separate ballgame altogether here.

After you've signed up for a Spaceship plan, the site attempts to take you through what it calls an "unboxing process," which initially worked well for us. However, after completing the final step, we were unceremoniously booted to the website's main page with no explanation. After that, we were on our own and had to follow the standard experimentation process. Not an altogether smooth transition.

The user dashboard at Spaceship is also a little hard to use, especially for those new to web hosting. Sure, it looks cool (subjective), but it doesn't offer much of a different experience from cPanel. You'll still have to plod through the options one by one and figure them out on your own.

The bigger problem is that our default WordPress installation didn't work. This ended up in a chat with support, which took around 30 minutes to resolve. The strange thing was that the issue was caused by a misconfiguration in the .htaccess file, which the system itself created. Not an entirely great experience nor first impression if you're a new Spaceship user.

What is Spaceship's support like?

Spaceship offers 24/7 support via a knowledge base, live chat, and email (there's no telephone support).

The web knowledgebase is a modest collection of how-to articles organized into several categories. Sometimes, even the categories don't make much sense. For example, although Spaceship offers the SiteJet AI website builder, there is a knowledge base category that covers the Alf website builder instead. At the same time, Alf is what Spaceship calls its automated support chatbot, so you can understand our confusion.

Aside from the knowledge base, you can also choose to chat with their AI agent (and get transferred to a human) or email them for support. The process of getting in touch with them is smooth. We tried the process, and it took us just a few seconds to connect to a real support agent.

Final verdict

Spaceshop hosting plans start at pretty unbelievable prices, but you'll quickly realize that if you need all the regular features a hosting plan comes with, those low prices will soon balloon. At the same time, stripping them out offers a good deal if you don't want email or backups with your plan.

While their server performance is decent, we're concerned about the failure of their automated WordPress installation system. For new users, this can be a breaking point and lead to a disastrous first impression.

Spaceship web hosting FAQs

You can self-host n8n on any VPS server but the best VPS hosting provider for n8n depends on a few things.

Whether you're automating business processes or building complex integrations, n8n needs reliable infrastructure to run 24/7. The right VPS host gives you unlimited workflows, full data control, and the performance to handle high-volume automations. We've tested the top providers to help you find the perfect balance between power, ease of use, and value.

These providers are selected based on five key factors: First, Docker support and one-click n8n installation capabilities. Second, resource allocation — particularly RAM and CPU cores for handling concurrent workflow executions. Third, scalability options that let you grow without migrating servers. Fourth, uptime guarantees of 99.9% and reliable 24/7 support. Fifth, value for money, comparing introductory and renewal pricing across plans.

The best VPS hosting services for n8n

Best n8n hosting for beginners

Hostinger leads our list for n8n hosting thanks to its purpose-built VPS plans that start at just $4.99/month. The platform offers two specialized n8n templates during VPS setup — one standard installation and another pre-configured with queue mode for handling high-volume workflows. Its attention to n8n-specific needs sets it apart from generic VPS providers.

The KVM 2 plan at $7.49/month hits the sweet spot for most teams. You get 2 vCPU cores, 8GB RAM, 100GB NVMe storage, and 8TB monthly bandwidth. This configuration handles moderate to heavy automation workloads without slowdowns, and the NVMe drives deliver fast I/O for n8n's job queues and executions.

Setup takes minutes. The Docker environment comes pre-configured and Hostinger's Kodee AI assistant guides you through server management tasks in over 50 languages. You can create backups and restore your VPS directly from chat, making maintenance accessible even without deep Linux expertise.

Performance testing shows the infrastructure holds up under pressure. Response times stay around 13ms even during peak load and the AMD EPYC 7702P processors handle encryption and compression smoothly. Network speeds hover around 25-30Mbps, which works well for small to medium projects, though bandwidth-intensive applications might need higher-tier plans.

Best scalable n8n hosting

ScalaHosting delivers fully managed n8n hosting starting at $29.96/month for 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, and 20GB NVMe storage, while self-managed options start from $14.96. Managed plans handle server maintenance, security updates, and optimization, letting you focus on building workflows rather than managing infrastructure. It costs more than DIY options but saves significant time for non-technical teams.

The SPanel control panel gives you cPanel-like functionality without licensing fees. You get file managers, database tools, SSH key control, PHP version switching, and DNS management all in one clean interface. For n8n users, this means straightforward server administration without command-line complexity.

SShield AI-powered security is a major differentiator. The system provides real-time threat detection, automatic IP banning, and firewall enforcement to protect your n8n orchestration and integrations. Combined with automated daily backups and DDoS protection, your workflows stay shielded from emerging vulnerabilities.

The cloud infrastructure supports vertical scaling. You can add CPU cores, RAM, or storage without any downtime if your automation needs grow unexpectedly. ScalaHosting also offers free website migration and pre-installed n8n options on request, easing out the initial setup process for teams coming over from other providers. Even on unmanaged VPS plans, ScalaHosting’s support team is known for going the extra mile compared to any other web host in the market.

Best enterprise-grade n8n hosting

Kamatera takes a different approach from the other services on this list with fully customizable cloud infrastructure starting at $4/month. Rather than pre-packaged plans, you select exact CPU types, RAM amounts, storage capacity, and data center locations to match your specific n8n requirements. This granular control appeals to technical teams who know exactly what they need.

The 30-day free trial includes $100 in credits, enough to deploy and thoroughly test a production-grade n8n server with 2 vCPU cores, 4GB RAM, and 50GB NVMe storage. You get root-level access, 1TB bandwidth, and the ability to experiment without credit card charges if you stay within trial limits.

Performance benchmarks show Kamatera's Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids CPUs deliver excellent disk speeds and network performance. Transfer rates reach 530-540Mbps, with the infrastructure handling compression and encryption tasks impressively. This makes Kamatera ideal for demanding, security-focused n8n workloads that process sensitive data.

Real-time scaling without downtime gives you flexibility other providers can't match. When workflow volume spikes during peak automation periods, you can instantly adjust CPU, RAM, and storage through the dashboard. The 99.95% uptime guarantee and 24/7 live technical support ensure your automations stay running when business depends on them.

Best budget friendly

Hosting.com(rebranded from A2 Hosting) offers budget-friendly VPS solutions with LiteSpeed web servers that accelerate n8n's HTTP-based endpoints and integrations. The built-in caching delivers faster workflow response times compared to standard Apache or Nginx configurations. Plans start affordably, though exact pricing varies by configuration.

The one-click app installer supports Docker deployment, letting you set up n8n and start workflow automation in minutes. This removes common setup hurdles for teams who want quick deployment without extensive Linux experience. The interface handles basic server management tasks efficiently.

Hosting.com uses modern NVMe SSD storage across all plans, ensuring fast read/write speeds for n8n's database operations and execution logs. It provides solid uptime reliability and decent performance for small to medium automation projects. Security includes DDoS protection and malware scanning to keep your workflows safe.

The 30-day money-back guarantee lets you test the service risk-free. While managed VPS plans exist at significantly higher prices, the unmanaged offerings provide better value for technically capable teams. Support responsiveness is adequate on managed plans, though not as comprehensive as premium providers like InMotion or ScalaHosting.

Best VPS hosting for n8n: compared

Alternatives

• DigitalOcean: Developer-friendly cloud platform with $200 in free credits, one-click n8n marketplace app, and excellent documentation for technical teams.
• Cloudways: Managed cloud hosting that simplifies deployment across DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode with one-click n8n installation.
• UltaHost: Fast NVMe-powered VPS starting at $4.80/month with DDR5 RAM, full root access, and 99.9% uptime guarantee for budget-conscious developers.
• Contabo: Aggressive pricing with high CPU, RAM, and storage allocations starting at $4.95/month, ideal for running multiple n8n workflows on tight budgets.
• Vultr: Flexible cloud compute instances with hourly billing starting at $2.50/month, global data centers, and straightforward server management for technical users.

VPS hosting for n8n FAQs

Cloudways is a brand that likely anyone who wants a WordPress website will have come across. Their concept is straightforward: make powerful cloud-based web hosting as easy to manage as possible. Cloudways is also well-known as one of the best WordPress hosting providers, thanks to robust infrastructure, specialized apps, and excellent tech stacks.

I use Cloudways for several of my websites and have never been disappointed. However, I decided to approach them with fresh eyes. Starting anew, I wanted to see what I could achieve in 60 minutes with Cloudways for this article.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

Signing up with Cloudways is pretty simple. Their main page is highly simplified, with a "Try Now Free" button immediately drawing my eyes. To reinforce the point, Cloudways also gently reminded me that I didn't need a credit card for the three-day trial.

Creating an account is also simple, and all I had to do was provide some basic details such as name, email address, and phone number. The latter two are necessary for them to verify the account, since Cloudways uses multifactor authentication.

02:23

Once registration was over, I had to make my first major decision. Would I be using Cloudway Autonomous or Cloudways Flexible? The choice included details for each category, and I decided to go with the cheaper option, Cloudways Flexible, which starts at $12.

For those who aren't used to cloud hosting, the next step might be a bit more daunting. I had to choose from a range of infrastructure providers, server types, and configurations. Most service providers were priced similarly, except for AWS and Google Cloud, which are consistently expensive.

Since DigitalOcean owns Cloudways, I decided to go with that option and selected a basic server with minimal configuration. Note that the default configuration Cloudways offers sets the bar pretty high with a premium server on 4GB of RAM. If you aren't sure what you need, drag the slider down all the way and choose a standard server for just $12 per month.

With that, I hit the launch button and was immediately dumped into my server management screen. A counter next to the server I had just specified indicated it would take 7 minutes to create the server.

The one downside was that none of the Cloudways plans included email. For that, you need the Rackspace add-on, which costs an extra dollar per month per email address.

09:02

Once the server was ready, I clicked it and saw a "Upgrade Flexible Plan" notice. Cloudways wanted me to start my payments to access the server. However, this notice is misleading because you can access your server and apps via the sidebar options.

After jumping through a few clicks, I finally came to the application management screen. Finally, I reached a location where I could access the WordPress app I had requested during setup. From here, it was simply a matter of using the WordPress admin panel as usual. There's no need to fiddle with any server or application settings at the beginning.

Meanwhile, I received an onboarding email from Cloudways explaining how to migrate my WordPress website to their platform. This, of course, I happily ignored.

15:46

Attempting to log in to the WordPress admin panel started another short drama. For some reason, WordPress kept rejecting the default password. It was only after I changed the WordPress admin password that I was able to log in.

WordPress comes as standard on Cloudways, except for two plugin additions. You get Breeze, Cloudways' native WordPress cache plugin, and Object Cache Pro, a Redis object cache for WordPress.

From here on, working with your WordPress website won't be any different from working with any other website but you don't get those beginner tools like you do with Hostinger and Bluehost. If you want more beginner friendly WordPress options there are better choices but for WordPress hosting specifically Cloudways come out on top.

I uploaded our standard sample site to Cloudways in less than 10 minutes, including plugins, configuration, themes, and the database. After another 5 minutes spent updating the plugins and themes, I was ready to go.

This success was something that I don't always experience. When testing hosting providers, I typically face varying degrees of struggle just to get this far in at least 50 percent of my attempts.

31:43

With the sample site in place, I couldn't resist running a quick benchmark to see how Cloudways performs. The benchmark provided me with a bird's-eye view of Cloudways' performance across key WordPress metrics.

Interestingly, despite being managed Cloud hosting and having dedicated resources, Cloudways didn't exactly ace the benchmarks. Its performance was about average but we did only use the cheapest option.

Regardless, I decided to move on and explore what else Cloudways had to offer. After all, I did not doubt that performance would improve once I'd attached a Content Distribution Network (CDN) and fine-tuned a caching plugin.

42:01

One of the things that struck me the most was how easy it was to do many things with Cloudways. For those who are used to shared hosting, unmanaged Cloud or VPS plans are generally a nightmare to configure, secure, and maintain.

Cloudways, by comparison, helps you handle almost everything, either with a few simple clicks or a dedicated plugin. Think of it as having the luxury of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) where command-line operations are the norm.

Application Settings

With just a few clicks, you can configure everything about the applications you're running. This includes file access, caching, Cron optimization, PHP versions, and more. You can even access advanced PHP configurations like memory limits, execution times, and file sizes.

Server Monitoring

Cloudways provides comprehensive monitoring options for your application, including traffic analytics, disk usage, database connections, and more. This information can help you identify application bottlenecks, such as which database queries are running slowly or which Cron jobs are running.

Security

Security is one of the more contentious aspects I've encountered with Cloudways. While it offers a built-in malware scanner, it only informs you whether you're affected. If you want Cloudways to clean malware for you, it will be an additional add-on subscription that costs $4/mo and covers one to four websites.

Web Stack

One of the more unique aspects of Cloudways is the option to choose between two web stacks, either hybrid or Lightning. The latter is used by default and offers a faster server configuration that's primarily focused on Nginx.

The Hybrid stack uses a mix of Apache and Nginx. This is an older stack that other hosts primarily use, but it offers better compatibility if you're running more complex deployments, such as WordPress multisite.

Cloudways Autonomous

Cloudways Autonomous is one of the "big things" Cloudways offers for large or enterprise-scale sites. Starting at $100/mo, Cloudways offers high-availability hosting that automatically scales with your web traffic. These plans also come with extra features such as Cloudflare Enterprise, load balancing, and unlimited PHP workers.

55:14

One thing that hit me at the end was how little intervention Cloudways provided as I explored the platform. That made me wonder what would happen if I needed some help. Clicking the support button, I was given the option to start a live chat, open a support ticket, or take a more DIY approach via support articles.

There's also a community support option, but this just took me to their Facebook page. Not exactly what I call a traditional support community. The support articles are pretty good, though, and offer insight on everything from billing to technical matters like PHP compatibility.

60:00

Overall impressions

Looking at Cloudways with fresh eyes, this service provider genuinely focuses on providing users with a smooth journey into cloud hosting. While it's true that there is terminology that newbies may struggle with, it's a lot better than being dumped into a command line when accessing a bare-bones cloud or VPS account.

The general feeling I get is that there's a focus on getting what's necessary out of the way first, so you can deploy a WordPress site with minimal fuss. That convenience is extended to site migration with a customized migration plugin.

Once you get all of that out of the way, you can take your sweet time exploring the multiple configuration options Cloudways offers.

• I've also rounded up the best WordPress hosting providers

2026 is here, and with it - new business ideas, which all need a home online.

You've got two main options: hosting a website yourself with one of the best web hosting providers or using one of the best website builders around today.

The best website builders are platforms that help you build a website and include a bunch of business tools to help you manage your business. The best web hosting providers give you server space and the freedom to install the tools that you want to make your website and manage your business.

Website builders give you everything you need pre-configured and integrated but they're more expensive and less flexible. Web hosting is cheaper and gives you more choice - but what is the use of choice if you don't understand the options? In this article I'll unpack them to make it simple and easy to host your own site.

Web hosting providers

The first choice is which web hosting provider to use - and for this article, I've narrowed this down to three providers. Hostinger, Bluehost, and Namecheap.

Hostinger has one of the most complete web hosting packages that makes it comparable to a website builder and they have their own website builder too. It has very low starter prices but renewal prices are high compared to other hosting options.

Bluehost has, in my opinion, one of the best WordPress page builders on the market making created WordPress sites super easy. The hosting packages are less complete, starter prices are also low but renewal and add-ons do increase the price later on.

Namecheap, as the name would suggest, is cheap and has everything you need but the user experience is not as friendly as the above options.

After going over the pros and cons of these three providers I'll throw in a website builder comparison.

Hostinger

What you get

On the most basic Premium plan ($1.99/mo for 48 months, then $12.99/mo), Hostinger should give you everything you need for a weekend launch.

Other plans give you more features, support more website, and provide more performance, but the Premium plan should be fine, as it includes:

A free domain for one year - When you use the domain from Hostinger you don't need to configure or do anything other than find a domain name that's available. When it comes to the subsequent years, using the domain from Hostinger is slightly more costly than using one of the best domain registrars to manage your domain name but you will need to configure it yourself (easy if you want to).

20 GB of storage - This should be plenty of storage for most websites.

2 mail boxes per website - Be aware that these are only free for one year.

Website building options - You can use an AI website builder for WordPress - just WordPress, or Hostinger's Website Builder. I'd recommend the AI website builder for WordPress, or just WordPress because you have more flexibility.

All of these options can be installed easily with one click and don't require any additional configurations.

You can check out a step by step process on how to create a site with Hostinger in my 60 Minutes with Hostinger article.

Bluehost

What you get

On Bluehost's Starter plan ($3.99/mo for 36 months, then $9.99/mo), you also get everything you should need for a straightforward launch.

A free domain for one year - As with Hostinger, it is easy enough to use this free domain for a year - but you might want to check out other options at a later date.

10GB of storage - Less than Hostinger, but still plenty of storage for most websites.

Pro Email - Only free for a year, and then an additional $2.99/mo after.

Website building options - Bluehost just provides an AI builder for WordPress, and I think it's better than Hostinger's AI WordPress site building tool.

WonderBlocks makes it really easy to edit and modify WordPress sites - and you can read my 60 Minutes with Bluehost article to see how easy it is to build and manage a website with this option.

Namecheap

What you get

Once again, you can find everything you need to start and manage a website with Namecheap's basic plan: Stellar ($1.98/mo for 12 months, then $4.88/mo).

A free domain for one year - Namecheap has some of the lowest renewal prices for domains, so you won't need to search elsewhere after your year's free trial is up.

20GB SSD storage - Par for the course, and should be all you need.

30 Mailboxes- This is the real bonus, as our previous hosts require you to pay extra for email after one month or a year - but with Namecheap, email is included, and free forever.

Website building options - You have a few options with Namecheap and it can be a bit overwhelming, so I'm just going to mention two: WordPress and the AI Website Builder.

The AI Website Builder is OK but it doesn't support ecommerce and doesn't have the same maturity and amount of options as WordPress. I'd stick with WordPress but you get less of a helping hand using the WordPress page builder.

Website Builder option: Wix

What you get

Wix's cheapest plan is $17/mo from the starting block, and you don't get much for it.

A free domain for one year - The first year is free and the 'starting' price is stated but the renewal cost is hidden.

2GB storage - This isn't much compared to some other options, but should be manageable for most users.

Email - What email? None is provided.

Website building options - The upside to Wix is that it has a very user friendly page builder, but you don't get free add-ons like you do with WordPress - and if you wanted to leave Wix, you'll need to re-build your page from scratch.

Web hosting summary

Our tests show that there isn't much between the hosts when it comes to performance so the choice is entirely down to budget and how much of a helping hand you want with WordPress.

If I was on a budget and had more time to play with WordPress then I'd pick Namecheap.

If I could stretch my budget and needed help page building with WordPress I'd use Bluehost.

If I could extend my budget and in return get AI website management tools like Kodee and more features like email marketing, I'd go with Hostinger.

FAQs

2025 has seen the emergence of many AI tools which make creating apps easily accessible for people with little to zero coding experience.

If you can imagine it, in just a few hours you can create it - but leaping into an unknown project can be daunting.

So, I've jumped in first - and set myself a challenge to create an app from scratch without writing a single line of code to demonstrate how it can be done.

This article is sponsored by Hostinger and I was given access to a VPS and Hostinger Horizons for my project - but there are other tools and hosting providers that you can use.

My app

For my project, I went ambitious and decided to make an app to help me learn from my mistakes in online chess games.

I made the app using Hostinger Horizons, but then rebuilt it using Claude to demonstrate a more complex way to vibe code an app.

Hostinger Horizons is the most simple way to build an app because the tool does almost everything for you. Using Claude or any other LLM is a bit more hands on but you still don't need to know how to code.

The simple way: Hostinger Horizons

To build the app with Hostinger Horizons, all I had to do was explain my idea and Horizons did the rest.

You don't need to know the how or why, it just does it. Each time you type something into Horizons to ask it to do something, you use a prompt. Horizons is pretty good at getting most things right first time but it does sometimes require a bit of prompting to get the final product you're looking for.

I needed to use multiple prompts to fix the chessboard and fix an error with finding mistakes in the games but it was just as simple as explaining what the problems were.

Fixing problems

When I entered my Lichess username it said no analyzed games were found - hinting at a connection issue. I told Horizons the error, it did some things in the background and I had another error.

A different error means progress! It said 15 games had been analyzed and no mistakes found - so, I knew the app could connect to my Lichess account, but it could still not find errors.

I told Horizons the error message, but I wasn't specific enough - so when it tried to fix it, the app assumed that the position on the board was not an error, not that nothing was displayed at all. So, I gave a more detailed explanation of the error. Unfortunately, that didn't work.

After telling Horizons that it still wasn't working, it added debugging logs to see what was happening and asked me to press F12 to open the developer console in Chrome. Intuitively, I copy pasted over where there were orange and red warnings and pressed enter.

Horizons did its thing and shortly after, I had a working chess analysis app.

More complex build methods

You could just stop here - and, for most simple ideas, this would be a good place to stop. But I am curious and like to know the how and why. Plus, I wanted to have finer control over the app and iterate on my idea without being restricted by prompt limits.

It's cheaper to do it yourself but it does mean that you need to venture into configuring using a VPS. Something that can seem a little daunting but can still be done without writing, or knowing how to write a single line of code.

I decided to use Claude because I've used it to vibe code apps before but you can use ChatGPT, or Google Gemini.

Claude

I gave my initial prompt to Claude, telling it I wanted to build a chess analysis and puzzle app, hoping that it would give me some suggestions on how to built it but it went ahead and just built the entire app for me. It created all the files and gave me instructions on how to make it work. It was a little overwhelming.

I asked it to take a step back, refine my idea and ask for step by step instructions. I added two things on top of Claude's suggestions which was the inclusion of Stockfish, a chess engine, so I didn't need to rely on another service for analysis and the use of n8n, a low-code orchestration layer, which would break up the task and help with debugging and easier iteration at a later date.

This wasn't really necessary - if I had just followed Claude's instructions and method the app would have worked, but I had the benefit of some past experience here that I wanted to include.

My full build

Orchestration later

The first step was to install n8n on a Hostinger VPS. This was extremely easy as all I had to do was push a button and create an n8n account. Then, Claude told me exactly what to do: Add a trigger, set it to 30 minutes, add a HTTPS node, paste this code, install the chess engine, and so on.

At a couple of points it didn't work - things got stuck when trying to analyze the game with the chess engine, because the data was in the wrong format but it was easy to fix because the point where it was not working in the workflow had an error icon, I told Claude, which asked me to copy paste the error message, before giving me a fix.

The front end

Now I had a database with chess games, positions, and analysis I told Claude how I wanted the app to work. It generated the code for me and told me how to copy and paste it into the right place on the server.

It did a pretty good job of creating the app but there were some issues. For example, after I solved a puzzle it immediately skipped to the next puzzle, it included some puzzles where my move was the best move, and in some positions the chess board was flipped.

I told Claude about the issues, it rewrote the code, I pasted it in, and my chess app worked even better. There are still some things I want to improve but I'm at a stage with it where I'm happy.

App building tips

Cost

You can get started with Horizons for $6.99/mo but you only get 30 prompts a month and it renews at $9.99/mo after four years.

This would be enough for very simple apps without many moving parts and integration with other services - but you might find yourself wanting more prompts, so the Starter plan with 70 prompts a month might be better, starting at $13.99/mo for four years and then renews at $19.99/mo.

The alternative is to buy a VPS, which you can get from Hostinger for $4.99 for one year which renews at $9.99/mo. Then, use an LLM like Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini, each of which have a free tier with prompt limits which renew daily. For my app I used a paid version of Claude which is $20/mo.

Prompts

With the initial prompt you need to be as detailed and specific as possible. Then, when it comes to fixing issues, it's best to keep it simple and only fix one thing at a time. If something doesn't work you need to say exactly what isn't working.

For example, include which buttons are pressed, what is happening, and what you expect to happen. If you just say 'the button doesn't work', it's hard for AI to know what needs fixing.

If you use an LLM, at the beginning tell it not to create the app yet but to build an idea and method. Then, ask it to give you step by step instructions - and if you don't understand the instructions, just say so.

VPS servers

To use a VPS you will need to use a terminal. This is a command line that lets you interact with the server. You paste the commands that the LLMs give you into it and the server carries out the task. Commands include downloading dependencies (think of these as a little bits of software the app needs to have installed to work), creating files, and pasting code into them.

It's also where you can receive logs and error messages that you can copy paste back to the LLM to solve issues.

Terminals can be tricky to use. For example Ctrl+c is not copy. If you press this it will abort the current task and can stop the app from working. It's fixable, it's just annoying and a force of habit. Also, when you're in a file and need to edit it, it can be tricky to find and move to the bit you need to edit.

There is an alternative to using the terminal and that's to use an integrated developer environment (IDE) like Visual Code Studio. It makes developing apps easier but it's an extra thing to set up.

Making your own app

A step by step guide to making your app would consist of three steps:

1. Write your idea into an AI tool
2. Do what AI says
3. Repeat step 2 / Tell the AI something is broken

I hope you have fun making an app!

Every year as the “Golden Quarter” approaches, online retailers prepare for their busiest period of the year. In the rush to capture every possible sale, many add layers of banners, pop-ups, discount signs and recommendation widgets – hoping to boost visibility and drive conversations. The ambition is clear: sell more. The reality is messier. Instead of creating clarity, these layers of noise often distract and overwhelm shoppers.
The most successful retailers this season are taking a different approach. Simplifying the checkout experience can lift conversion rates by up to 35% when usability improves. Rather than adding more, they’re refining what matters. Removing friction, guiding shoppers effortlessly from discovery to purchase, and letting the product experience do the heavy lifting.

Why less sells more

Research shows 61% of visitors will leave a site if they can’t find what they need within five seconds. Nearly a quarter (22%) abandon checkout because the process feels too long or confusing. Both findings highlight a common truth: complexity costs conversions. Minimal UX isn’t about stripping away design; it’s about removing the barriers that slow people down. During peak shopping periods, customers make quick, instinctive decisions – comparing prices, checking delivery times and looking for trust signals. When a website feels cluttered or confusing, it interrupts that flow. When it’s simple, it feels more professional, more trustworthy, and that builds sales.

Even well-intentioned features, like large pop-ups offering ‘extra savings’ or last-minute add-ons can interrupt that final step. The highest performing online stores keep these touchpoints clear and intuitive, allowing customers to complete their journey without distraction. Minimal UX is not about doing less for the sake of it – it’s about doing what matters most: creating a smooth, friction-free path from product view to purchase confirmation.

Designing for clarity, speed and trust

Good design doesn't just look appealing – it feels reliable. A site’s performance, structure and speed all shape customer confidence. If a page loads slowly or feels unstable, users instinctively question whether their payment will be secure.

That trust starts with clarity. Products should be organised into logical categories, navigation should feel effortless, and every path to purchase should be short and intuitive. This not only improves user experience but also helps search engines understand a store’s structure, boosting visibility when traffic peaks.

Nowhere is this more important than on mobile, where 57% of global e-commerce sales now take place. Mobile users move quickly between screens, often multitasking, so every second counts. Buttons should be easy to tap, forms should auto-fill, and pages should load instantly. Heavy content – like autoplay videos or oversized banners – might look impressive on desktop but can frustrate mobile shoppers.

Behind the scenes, performance matters just as much. During peak season, traffic can multiply in minutes. One viral video can cause hundreds and thousands of visitors to a site, and if the hosting can’t scale to meet that demand, even the best design will falter. Managed cloud hosting provides the flexibility to handle these surges without downtime. Features like autoscaling, load balancing, and real-time monitoring keeps sites stable when demand is highest.

When clarity, speed, and resilience all work together, a website stops being a storefront and becomes an experience that customers trust. They might not notice the technical details, but they will notice how easy it feels to browse, buy and return.

Measuring and maintaining momentum

Minimal UX works because its impact is measurable. One of the most telling metrics is time to completion – how long it takes for a shopper to move from product view to purchase confirmation. When that time drops, conversions rise.

Metrics alone don’t drive improvement. It’s how teams act on those metrics that makes a difference. Tools like heatmaps, session replays and quick feedback forms reveal where customers hesitate, scroll back, or abandon a page. These moments reveal hidden frictions: a vague button label, a form that won’t auto-fill on mobile, or a slow-loading page at checkout.

For small retailers, this ability to spot and solve issues fast is the ultimate advantage over larger competitors. They can act on insights immediately – streamlining experiences in days, not weeks, and remove friction before it affects sales. That agility means they’re continuously refining, shortening the path to purchase and boosting customer confidence with every interaction.

Artificial Intelligence is becoming a bigger part of e-commerce, making minimal UX more valuable than ever. A clean, reliable foundation means fewer failure points and more effective automation.

Throughout the Golden Quarter, the most important question isn’t “What can we add?” but “What can we take away?” In an age of endless choice and limited attention, simplicity has become the ultimate competitive advantage. Retailers that embrace it will see faster checkouts, higher conversions, and something far more valuable than any seasonal promotion: lasting customer trust.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

I've spent years building and hosting websites - and I've review and test the best web hosting providers. If I wanted to build a site today this is exactly what I would buy and how I would do it - including how to get the best website possible for the lowest price.

Your options

Term length

I'd go all-in and get the biggest discount on the longest plan. The difference between the 24 month plan and the 48 month plan is $50 in total. If you decided to get the shorter plan the additional two years would cost you around $250 if you wanted to renew. So, I'd just absorb the $50 now. Businesses take a lot of work to get off the ground in the first few years too. I wouldn't want to spend that time managing renewal or migration. I'd want to be focusing on my business.

Also, with our exclusive promo code TRBF15 you can save an additional 15% off at checkout on 48 month plans.

Page building

I'd use the AI website builder for WordPress, like I have before, because it makes building a beautiful and unique site super easy.

You could use the Hostinger Website Builder, that is easier to use than WordPress (I think), but you cannot move a site built on this platform to other hosts without exporting the content, which adds extra work. So, while also a good option, I would persevere with WordPress for the long term.

Domains

This plan comes with a free domain for one year but you also have the option to use your own. You don't need to be very technical to use your own - but it could be a hassle, especially when it comes to syncing it with your email. However, it does have some benefits:

• You can find a better deal buying a longer plan with one of the best domain registrars
• You can usually find a cheaper renewal price after the first year
• All your eggs are not in one basket. In a scenario where you cannot access your Hostinger account you will still have access to your website address (having access to your domain means you can recreate your site and host it elsewhere under the same name). It's unlikely, but worth a thought.

I can see the best of both worlds here. It's very, very easy just to buy the domain with Hostinger. Personally, I'd look elsewhere but I do have the experience of knowing how to do it. The savings are not that significant. So, if this makes you nervous, just get it with Hostinger.

Add-ons at checkout

Hostinger has automatically included some free add-ons:

• 2 mail boxes
• Email marketing

There is no option to remove the email boxes or email marketing at checkout but you do have the choice to use Hostinger Reach: Hostinger's AI email marketing tool. I've never used this tool and I don't do marketing for businesses, so I wouldn't want to recommend either way here. The choice is yours.

This is everything you need to start a website

You may also want to check out the best Cyber Monday web hosting deals

Cloudways and InMotion Hosting might both be some of the best web hosting providers and offer VPS packages, but they are aimed at different things. InMotion Hosting is your bare-bones VPS provider that also provides managed hosting for various projects and WordPress. At the same time, Cloudways is primarily a managed WordPress solutions provider (Magento, Laravel & PHP apps also supported). So, this comparison is basically, what's the best WordPress hosting provider, when it is better to host your WordPress site on Cloudways, and when it is better to host your WordPress site on InMotion Hosting?

Right now, Cloudways and InMotion Hosting both have Black Friday web hosting deals on!

Plans & Pricing

You can get easily get analysis paralysis looking at the vast amount of options from both hosts so; Keeping it simple, starting from the lowest common denominator with two plans with the same specs and no discounted prices: The cheapest InMotion Hosting Cloud VPS plan is $6/mo (1GB, 1 vCPU plan with 50 GB of SSD storage and 2TB of transfer bandwidth) and Cloudways (via Digital Ocean) is $14/mo. The difference is in management.

In addition to providing the server, Cloudways handles technical and administrative server tasks, including setup, maintenance, security, updates, performance optimization, and backups. If you need more, Cloudways also offers Copilot, an additional AI-powered monitoring and automation service. It provides advanced features like AI insights, automated fixes (SmartFixes), and deeper monitoring of server health, disk space, inodes, and web stack issues.

Looking at the wider options. Cloudways has Cloudways Flexible, which is basically highly configurable VPS plans, and Cloudways Autonomous, which is basically managed cloud where you purchase a set amount of bandwidth for one site, and Cloudways manages the required resources.

The wider options from InMotion include less configurable shared and VPS plans, WordPress VPS plans, UltraStack (more powerful WordPress VPS Plans), and then fully managed and ‘enterprise-level’ managed plans for WordPress.

About here is where I gave up with InMotion Hosting. Trying to understand the level of support and what’s included seemed needlessly convoluted. After a fairly long time trying to figure it out I spoke with a member of the sales team that couldn’t help and was also seemingly frustrated that I couldn’t understand. From what I do seem to understand, Managed VPS is actually ‘can be managed’, while true management features are locked behind Premier care. Essentially, it’s almost impossible to compare InMotion Hosting’s plans and pricing with another host because they’re practically impossible to compare against other InMotion Hosting plans let alone plans from other hosts.

Infrastructure

Neither host is particularly forthcoming about the hardware underpinning the plans. Cloudways said that most of the CPUs are Intel, but it depends on where you get your infrastructure from, because you can use a range of providers for infrastructure, including AWS and Google (so it’s based on them), and use Cloudways management on top.

InMotion Hosting said that the CPUs are also Intel and wouldn’t specify anything else. This isn’t uncommon, though, when buying a VPS. Sales support told me it doesn’t matter because you cannot choose your infrastructure until dedicated hosting, and missed the nuance that other hosting providers might offer better hardware in their VPS plans. The cloud infrastructure at InMotion is self-owned and operated. This gives it a much narrower scope of data center locations than Cloudways.

Features

By its nature, Cloudways is one of the most feature-rich cloud VPS providers. It focuses on providing ease of use and platform optimization to a variety of cloud hosting providers. This comes in the form of its user interface, which allows even those less technically inclined to deploy and manage servers quickly.

Another outstanding feature is the relatively newly introduced Cloudways Copilot. This intelligent tool will monitor your servers for any incidents. When an anomaly is detected, it will analyze the problem and offer you a single-click resolution option.

You also get a bunch of free features, such as WordPress migration tools, free SSL, automated backups, object caching, Redis caching, staging and cloning, and a WordPress vulnerability scanner (it only scans; fixes cost extra).

InMotion's VPS plans are more traditional and primarily hardware-driven. That means you get many of the features that come natively with most hosting plans, including free website migrations, SSH & DDoS protection, and SSL certificates.

Most VPS plans at InMotion Hosting are unmanaged. Unless you're willing to pay for a control panel, such as Control Web Panel ($5/mo) or cPanel ($25.50/mo), everything has to be done via command line interface. It's only via these add-on control panels that you get more convenient features like 1-click app installation and account management tools.

Which offers better features?

Most basic features, such as free SSL and server security, are included at both Cloudways and InMotion Hosting. However, the included Cloudways user interface gives it a considerable advantage over InMotion Hosting, especially if you don't want to get bogged down handling technical matters for your web hosting. Even if you're an experienced sysadmin, it can help streamline your job, especially if you need to manage a large volume of servers.

Support

Cloudways has a collection of support options, most prominently displaying a chat box on every page of the site. This includes a useful tool for searching help files, access to its community of users, and live messaging with the support team. This is available 24/7/365, although there may be a queue or some delay in response, and can be used to raise support tickets.

Our query about database limits was answered comprehensively, although the answer took a while to arrive.

Elsewhere, Cloudways’ Knowledgebase can be accessed via the website menu and comprises over 100 articles. A glossary is included, and walkthrough videos are available to help you get started quickly. It’s a solid offering.

If you need support from InMotion, the first place to check is the Support Center. This is a searchable knowledge base of guides and support articles, covering cPanel, WHM, and any other control panels and script management tools you might have access to. Guides for managing your VPS and MySQL/MariaDB are also provided. Telephone and live chat are available, and you can raise a support ticket via a web form.

I had cause to use InMotion Hosting’s customer support. I opted to add a Softaculous license to the VPS plan (installing web applications over SSH is time-consuming). However, WordPress was not available after the license was activated, so I logged a support ticket. Happily, they responded quickly via email and resolved the problem efficiently, and within 30 minutes, WordPress was installed.

But the key thing to remember here is that it was an issue with the plan, not something I had installed. With an unmanaged VPS plan, you handle all problems – you’re essentially the admin, the support guy, the developer, and everything else. Managed VPS plans are available from some providers, but they’re expensive. However, not everything can be attributed to the VPS type you’re using. For example, with InMotion Hosting, SSH connections were repeatedly slow to establish and required a server restart at times.

Performance comparison

To evaluate which of these VPS hosts delivers the best performance for a basic website, we set one up. Using WordPress and WooCommerce, we established a modest web store with a limited inventory and several static pages.

With this site installed on each VPS, we then ran tests with WordPress Benchmark and Yet-Another-Bench-Script.

YABS runs on the command line and automates existing benchmarking tools for disk, network, and CPU/RAM performance. Its use requires SSH access to the VPS.

The WordPress benchmark tool is a plugin designed to measure the software's performance on its server. Tests are for network speed, database speed, filesystem, CPU and RAM, and more, with scores for each compiled into an overall result.

While the overall scores for InMotion Hosting and Cloudways may not be that far apart, the detailed results show key performance differentiators.

InMotion Hosting handles database operations much better than Cloudways, while the latter offers a considerable edge in CPU and memory performance. Both of these performance areas are hugely essential for anyone who wants to run a WordPress website. If you're running other apps, performance depends on whether the app is more process- or database-intensive.

One notable point is that if you really need even better CPU performance, Cloudways offers CPU-optimized plans at higher price levels. These come with not just more cores, but faster chips. These plans are likely to deliver higher CPU scores.

Final verdict

The VPS market is complex, with significant differences in server specifications, features, and pricing. However, one key sticking point is how easily these plans are to manage (or not), as well as the levels of support they offer.

In this, Cloudways easily comes ahead thanks to its management dashboard and straightforward customer support system. InMotion Hosting is a greater challenge, since much depends on whether you opt for managed or unmanaged VPS, a control panel, or premium support plans. This doesn't just affect server management; it also makes it hard for potential customers even to decide what they need from InMotion Hosting.

While it may seem slightly more expensive, Cloudways has everything you need to get started easily and is the better choice for anyone upgrading from shared to VPS hosting. This can be a critical decision-maker, especially for WordPress site owners who prefer to focus on content rather than technical server management.

• Check out our list of the best VPS hosting on the market.
• We also have a list of the best WordPress hosting providers.

For decades, buying a domain has been the starting point for anyone building online. But for too long, the steps that follow, including configuration, integration, and ongoing management, have been fragmented and unnecessarily complex.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is finally changing that. And thanks to emerging standards like the Model Context Protocol (MCP), domain management is no longer locked inside clunky dashboards. It can now live inside the everyday tools that builders, founders, and teams already rely on.

From static interfaces to integrated workflows

Historically, managing domains meant switching between rigid interfaces and application programming interfaces (APIs). Renewals, domain name system updates, SSL setup, and platform redirects required manual work and constant context switching. But today’s builders are rapidly prototyping, scaling side projects, and integrating across multiple platforms, and this outdated process no longer supports their dynamic workflows.

With MCP, those barriers are disappearing. Now, AI agents and developer tools can speak directly to some domain platforms. Instead of hunting through menus, a founder can type a natural language command inside tools like Raycast, Cursor, Claude, or ChatGPT, and instantly perform the task.

For example, a builder can simply type commands such as “point my new domain to my Vercel app” or “renew all domains expiring this month.” The task is executed automatically; no dashboard is required.

Meeting builders where they already work

One of the most powerful aspects of MCP is that it can embed complex functionality such as domain control inside the environments people already use every day.

For example, with developer tools, a solo builder using Cursor can launch a project and map it to a live domain in a single step. With AI assistants, a non-technical founder can simply ask ChatGPT or Claude to “search for a domain and register it,” and the integration takes care of the process end to end. And as MCP support extends into more productivity apps, a startup team using Google Workspace with Gemini could register and configure a domain in the same environment where they’re drafting pitches and managing calendars.

By removing the friction of tool-switching, domains become less of a hurdle and more of a seamless part of the overall creation process. This is good news especially as today’s small businesses, entrepreneurs, and solo developers don’t want to spend time switching between tools, renewing domains or troubleshooting DNS records.

In fact, name.com’s recent research found that 91% of customers expect AI agents to handle at least some domain management within the next two years, and 88% want natural language control for these tasks, reflecting an important shift in expectations. They want to focus on launching products, building communities, and growing revenue. AI-driven, MCP-powered workflows give them that ability and time back.

Domains as the foundation, AI as the accelerant

In a digital world where anyone can launch with just an idea and a prompt, the domain remains the anchor of identity and credibility. But now, instead of being a barrier, domains are a strategic advantage as they become easier to set up, configure, and maintain directly from the tools people are already using to build.

This shift represents both a convenience and a rethinking of digital ownership. By embedding domains into AI-enhanced workflows, digital identity is now immediate, accessible, and deeply integrated into the creative process.

A new era for digital builders

As a result, the online ecosystem is entering a new era. As the industry embraces MCP and opens up domain workflows to AI agents and modern tools, a new builder class is emerging. One that values speed, simplicity, and integration over complexity and silos.

Because the truth is simple: the internet should meet creators where they are. And with AI-driven, MCP-powered domains, it finally can.

One of the best web hosting providers Nexcess has been fully absorbed into Liquid Web just one and a half years after it was purchased by the web hosting brand.

In February 2024 Nexcess was purchased by Liquid Web and has been a subsidiary brand providing managed hosting for WordPress under Liquid Web for just over one and a half years. Before that, it was an independent hosting company for 20 years and was home to big names like Magento.

Originally, the merger was due to complete by the end of Q2 2024 but Nexcess continued to exist for some time at its own site where customers could log on as usual. Now, when customers go to nexcess.com they are redirected to Liquid Web's website.

To log in to Nexcess services existing customers will need to visit https://my.nexcess.net/ where they can access their hosting as usual.

Liquid Web takes on managed web hosting

For new customers, managed hosting solutions are just the same, only purchased at Liquid Web instead and have the same expert level of features, security, and value for money.

A spokesperson from Liquid Web said, " Liquid Web now delivers more value under one brand by offering Nexcess Managed WooCommerce, WordPress, and Magento solutions."

Liquid Web has undergone an extensive rebranding over the last 12 months reflecting a commitment to professional web hosting services that range from VPS servers with GPUs for AI workloads, a range of management levels, and managed WordPress solutions on shared servers.

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The best web hosting providers are keeping me on my toes this year with many updates and new features. One of the most exciting, and one that I've been following since it started public preview in February is Cloudways Copilot. An AI tool that can help you manage web servers.

When I met up with Cloudways in June, at WordCamp, Ali Khan, director of product management at Cloudways told me to expect some more news about Copilot in Q3. So here we are and here is some news about Copilot - it's out of preview and is available for general availability.

To learn more about the latest iteration of this leading AI web hosting tool I caught up with Suhaib Zaheer, SVP of Managed Hosting at Digital Ocean, a second time.

What challenges do you expect to face scaling from 6,000 to 100,000 users and how has the reception been of those already using AI managed hosting?

We’ve rolled Copilot out to about 6,000 customers so far and the response has been really strong. Our users are seeing the difference, especially our power users – agencies running hundreds or thousands of apps. For them, troubleshooting that used to take 40-90 minutes now takes five or six. It’s game changing.

Scaling up to 100,000 users, the biggest challenge is making sure performance holds up. Every investigation adds load, so we’re being mindful of the pressure we’re putting on our internal systems and ensuring that this doesn’t downgrade performance for our customers. The other challenge is trust. AI is still new in hosting and customers want to feel confident in the system they’re using. That’s why we’re scaling gradually and learning through user feedback. We're constantly working with customers to figure out what works, what they like or don’t like, and how we can improve their confidence in the system.

Cloudways has really stood out from the crowd and come up with a product that not many hosting providers are offering. What made you go down this road as opposed to other AI solutions?

A lot of hosts have prioritised using AI for content or website building. We deliberately didn’t. When we went deeper with customers, our main takeaway was that they wanted help with server management. Agencies told us they were wasting hours each month on server-level issues, and it became clear that was where AI could have the largest impact.

So rather than creating another AI page builder, we focused on solving complex infrastructure problems our customers face every day. This is where we can really stand out and deliver real, tangible value.

Which of Cloudways' existing strengths gave you a competitive edge in developing AI management tools?

Cloudways has always sat in that sweet spot between shared hosting and hyperscalers like AWS. Our customers don’t have 100 person teams and what they want is enterprise-grade power without the complexity.

That’s where our infrastructure background really gives us an edge. We understand the pain of managing applications at scale and we’ve built Copilot to make that simpler, cleaner and faster.

What else is coming to Copilot and when can we expect it?

Right now, Copilot has three functions: detecting issues, recommending solutions and providing users with a one-click ‘Smart Fix’. Looking forward, we’re building a conversational user interface so customers can manage servers through natural language. We’re also adding bulk actions, so agencies can apply changes across hundreds of apps in one go.

It’s important to mention that these aren’t add-ons. Copilot will continue evolving and these features will simply become part of it. The roadmap is robust, but our focus right now is to fix the biggest pain points first, prove the value and then continue to move up the stack.

In the AI race Cloudways seem to be more than a few paces ahead. How many more strides to the finish line and what does the end look like for the winner in terms of the product offering for users?

I don’t know if there will ever be a finish line! AI isn’t a one-off product launch but a journey that we’re all on together. Getting Copilot to general availability was the first big milestone. Scaling it across our whole customer base is the next. From there, you’ll see Cloudways expand the use cases, add natural language control and continue moving up the stack.

The end goal is to make managing infrastructure effortless. The AI should handle the heavy lifting so our customers can focus on growth, not problem-solving. That’s the future we’re building towards, and we’re excited to keep pushing in that direction.

It's been a while since I used Bluehost, and the company has recently unveiled a host of new plans, as well as announcing a new CEO.

So, after Hostinger, DreamHost, and Kinsta I figured why not do Bluehost next in my One Hour With series.

I've only got 60 minutes, so lets crack on.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

Pretty easy and no surprises. I entered my payment details, and pretty much instantly I was directed to the panel with a message telling me WordPress was installing.

Before I had the chance to take screengrabs and read the messages from Bluehost in the pop-up box, WordPress had already been installed. I closed the box and was then asked how I wanted to build my WordPress site.

I was a little surprised to not see more options for templates here - but that's not a complaint, I quite like the simplicity.

The idea for this site was to offer a plant watering and rental service. I described the site, and then was presented with help options.

06:57

I picked intermediate, but as always I struggled with WordPress, and later regretted not selecting beginner.

I was then given three templates to choose from and picked the first.

Then, I started having the same WordPress page builder issues that I usually have.

It was easier for me this time because I have a little more experience with WordPress - but I still found it somewhat confusing and unintuitive trying to edit and change page elements.

I regretted selecting intermediate when I set up the site. I asked support if there was any way I could get it back but sadly, I would have had to start again from scratch.

20:11

I persevered and I managed to get roughly what I was looking for. I did think there would be a bit more help as standard and that I wouldn't be using the Gutenberg drag and drop page builder as much. There was WonderBlocks, a selection of template sections for your site.

WonderBlocks is neat tool that lives in the top left corner and contains loads of templates for things like headers, hero images, forms, galleries, testimonials, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

I actually have to praise Bluehost for this - I like this tool a lot. I think the overall user experience is still limited due to the WordPress page editor, but this helps out a lot.

To use one of the templates, you just need to click the plus sign under the template an it adds it to your page. Then you can edit it and move it around.

I used it to create a subscription plan section for my site. I saved a lot of time and frustration doing it this way.

Earlier, I criticised Bluehost for not having any templates and just offering the AI website builder but actually I think it's better this way. You get a very simple and workable layout from the AI page builder and then you get to customize it with template blocks.

32:45

That's enough of page building

The control panel at Bluehost is very clean - the most technical things are all hidden from you, and a lot of the site management tools are integrated into the WordPress CMS rather than hosting panel.

While I was in there I did a quick speed test using a free tool from Google - you'd be foolish to use this as the main testing tool, but it's good for basic diagnostics and from Google itself.

I don't usually do speed tests when I do a One Hour With because I do more thorougher testing in the full review but I was curious and this took a second. It showed only moderate performance for Speed Index which could be because of what I call plug-in bloat.

I followed Google's guidance on how to improve Speed Index and disabled 3rd party plugins, before running the speed test again and immediately seeing a jump in performance.

I think the tools are not necessary to have on all the time, as I don't think I need to monitor my SEO score constantly and there are ways to monitor website traffic with less overheads. For example, you can just paste a Google URL into your page that monitors traffic rather than using a plugin.

The Google Workspace integration took my interest for a while. Obviously, most of these Google tools are free and you can (like I have previously) integrate these things into your website without paying for it.

For example, if you want to take a booking you can use Google Calendar with a standard Gmail account but you will need to use the @gmail email address. There are some workarounds that include setting up your own email and then configuring the settings which could save you money.

I cannot make my mind up on what I would do. Obviously it's easier to just pay Bluehost every month and I don't think it's more expensive than paying for your own Google Workspace and then linking the account. In fact, you might get a discount at Bluehost. Email hosting is a bit cheaper but might not come with the same storage space.

In the past I didn't use Google tools or features other than on simple sites I'd set up for recreational clubs.

For professional business websites, I just used email hosting from my hosting provider. This is something that I'm going to look into at a later date. If I was in a rush, I would just pay Bluehost. It's nothing that cannot be changed at a later date.

60:00

Overall impressions

My overall impression of Bluehost is good, and this little poke around has reinforced my belief that Bluehost is best for WordPress out of all the best WordPress hosting options - at least for beginners.

Anyone who requires WordPress hosting for an agency or needs more performance like the best small business web hosting would likely be better off with SiteGround.

Bluehost is obviously all-in on WordPress, and so pretty much everything is geared towards the CMS. Overall, I liked the page building experience. I think the initial templates are a little bland but the WonderBlocks tool really helped add things to the pages with very little hassle, and the management tools were also very straightforward.

Lastly, even though I deliberated over whether I thought the Google Workspace tools were worth it, I do like that Bluehost leans on familiar tools which are in wide use, so people already know how to use them and there are already plenty of tutorials and helpful resources out there.

I managed to set up a site, make some speed optimizations, and get a good feel around Bluehost in an hour and that's the most I've managed to do with most hosts I've tried.

Buzzsprout has always been on my list to test out when talking about podcast hosting providers. While it’s known for its beginner-friendly interface and powerful features, Buzzsprout’s extensive support stood out for me.

I tested Buzzsprout’s features, set my podcast live, and explored its analytic tools to get to know how it really works.

For a comparison on how Buzzsprout compares against the competition, check out the best podcast hosting providers.

Advantages of Buzzsprout (Pros)

Unlimited storage

Except for the free plan, all paid subscriptions have unlimited storage, so you never have to worry about running out of space for your podcasts.

Unlimited team members

Using just one account, you can add as many team members as you want. This allows your editors, managers, and others to access it without having to create separate access.

Manage multiple podcasts in one place

Running multiple podcasts? With Buzzsprout, you can manage them all under one roof. From uploading them to editing and even checking statistics, find everything in one account.

Plenty of learning materials

Buzzsprout has plenty of guides and support materials for you to learn everything that you need to. From their tutorials on YouTube to DIY fixes, there's plenty of content.

Free Plan Available

There is a free plan available for users who want to test out the platform. However, it is only available for 90 days, and features are limited. For instance, you can’t have a podcast website, import podcasts, etc.

Multiple monetization options

While I’ve talked about this in detail ahead, Buzzsprout offers various monetization options like ads, subscriptions, and direct payments that you can receive from your listeners.

Buzzsprout Celebrates Your Milestones

To ensure you never give up or lose the motivation of your podcasting journey, Buzzsprout sends you reminders of your achievements so far. In addition, it also shows you how close you are to your next achievement. Eventually, you’ll always strive for the best!

Who is Buzzsprout Right For?

Buzzsprout is perfect for beginner podcasters who want a simple, all-in-one solution to launch and grow their show without technical know-how.

You don’t need any advanced skills to get started. Features like Magic Mastering and one-click distribution make it easier to make your podcast live without spending hours on editing or hosting knowledge.

Furthermore, you get automatic updates to the latest version, dynamic ad insertion, and reliable hosting, so you can focus on content rather than tech.

Lastly, Buzzsprout takes the initiative to guide you step by step in publishing and making your first episode live. While Buzzsprout works for experienced podcasters, its biggest strength is removing barriers for newcomers, making it ideal for first-timers who want a hassle-free start.

Using Buzzsprout (Interface)

Buzzsprout's interface is clean and easy to understand. You can visit your statistics, podcast episodes, fan emails, your website, etc., all in one place.

Even as a beginner or a new podcaster, you won’t have a hard time figuring out how Buzzsprout works or how to publish your episodes. Secondly, I like how the dashboard also gives you a glimpse into your podcast pace (meaning how your podcast is performing) and shares resources.

From here, you can even check your fan emails and edit any existing podcast. If you want to upgrade your plan, you can do so directly from your dashboard.

Features Breakdown

Magic Mastering

It works like an Instagram filter for your audio, and this feature uses advanced technology to optimize your audio with the best practices. This makes your podcast more professional with high-quality audio.

Automatic episode optimization

Forget about figuring out technical audio details. Upload your podcast recording directly to Buzzsprout and let their smart system handle all the optimization work behind the scenes. The platform automatically processes your audio to sound professional without requiring you to understand complex audio terminology or settings.

Transcriptions

For every episode, Buzzsprout lets you add a transcript to make your podcast easily accessible to people and search engines. In this feature, you can also choose your export format to use on other platforms as texts.

Embed And Sharing Options

With a one-click sharing option, you can embed your podcast directly into your website by customizing it to match your brand color. Moreover, your listeners can also directly hear your podcast from the embed and control it for speed, rewind, forward, etc. Lastly, you can also enable a sharing button that lets your listeners share your podcast with others.

Friendly Mobile App

Buzzsprout offers a mobile app that is available on Android and iOS. The mobile app works similarly to the website, allowing easy access to edit and publish your episode, check your stats on the go, or even celebrate your milestones.

Customizable Podcast website

Irrespective of the plan you choose, Buzzsprout gives you a free podcast website with your own domain (except for the free plan). This sharable website lets your audience find you without wandering on multiple platforms. At the same time, you can customize the majority of the aspects of the site.

How to Get Started With BuzzSprout?

You can sign up on Buzzsprout for free without entering your credit card. Once you’ve signed up, you can start your new podcast by entering your podcast title and description.

Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Enter your title and description that aligns with what your podcast is going to be about.

Step 2: Once you’re redirected to your dashboard, click on “Upload a New Episode.”

Step 3: Enter your podcast details as asked on your screen. These include title, episode description, artwork, etc. You can also choose to post it immediately or schedule it.

Step 4: Your episode is now live! You can customize or edit it by adding chapter markers, mid-roll placements, and visual soundbites.

Podcast Distribution With Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout allows you to submit your podcast to all the major directories. From Apple Music and Spotify to YouTube, you can manually submit episodes. This can also be done if you are on the free plan.

While this is great, there is no option for Buzzsprout to automatically submit your podcast, unlike its competitor RSS.com, which offers automatic submission once you upload your episode. We have broken down this in detail in our RSS.com Review.

Migration from Other Podcast Hosting to Buzzsprout

Migrating from another podcast hosting provider to Buzzsprout is easy. You can directly import your podcast by typing the name or add from an RSS feed URL.

Once you’re done, Buzzsprout will automatically take care of migration without you having to struggle with technical know-how. You will be notified once the migration is successful, and you can start editing and uploading your podcast through Buzzsprout without having to start over.

Monetization Options

Buzzsprout allows you to monetize your podcast with two primary options – let your listers be supporters and pay a “value 4 value” amount, or enable a subscription to provide exclusive content.

All the payments received will be collected in your Buzzsprout wallet. You can either take it out or carry it forward to your next paid plan invoice. Also, note that Buzzsprout charges a 15% fee for the payments you get.

Another monetization option is to allow ads on your podcast. For this, you get complete control over which ads you want to display and the ones that align with your audience's needs.

What Is BuzzSprout Ads?

A separate feature called Buzzsprout ads is where you can reach millions of listeners across 120,000+ active podcasts. You can customize your ad as per your preference and reach a wider audience directly.

This privacy-focused ad campaign targets podcasts that are related to yours, helping you find the right audience. The price for these ads is two cents per impression. You can further customize your ad budget.

Analytics & Data

Buzzsprout’s analytics and statistics for your podcast stood out the most to me. From 30 days of statistics of your podcast to custom dates, you can find all the details of how your podcast is performing. These include your top episodes and top apps where your audience found your podcast.

But this isn’t the reason why I liked analytics. Buzzsprout has a built-in feature (even for free users) called “The Podcast Predictor,” which predicts how many downloads your podcast will receive in the next 90 days.

Another amazing option is that you can directly import your statistics from Spotify and Apple Music without having to track them separately.

Buzzsprout Pricing & Plans

Buzzsprout has a free plan that hosts your episodes for 90 days and offers 2 hours of upload every month. The free plan comes with restrictions wherein you get limited storage, no access to monetization, and restricted features. While restricted, the free plan is perfect for anyone who wants to test our Buzzsprout before committing to its paid plan.

Talking about its paid plans, you can choose from its 3 options:

Buzzsprout hasn’t named its plans because the features with all the tiers are the same. The only difference is the upload hours you get every month.

All plans include embedded players, statistics, podcast websites, and directories. But here’s a drawback I found. Despite paying for the premium plans, you don’t get Cohost AI and Magic Mastering as a part of your subscription. Instead, you need to add them separately to your plan by paying $10-30/month. This can add an extra cost for podcasters besides the regular subscription, especially if you’re looking for an all-in-one podcast hosting provider.

Customer Support & Resources

Known for its award-winning customer support, Buzzsprout has a detailed resource section that covers guides, FAQs, news, etc. The resource hub is updated every month with new guides that you can check out. If you’re new to podcasting, their detailed guides will help you get the basics right.

If the DIY method doesn’t work or you are stuck, you can contact the Buzzsprout team by email. The “Help” option at the right corner of the header of your dashboard will automatically redirect you to email support. Note here that the team responds Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 EDT (GMT-4).

Besides, you can tune into their YouTube channel or join the private Facebook community to stay updated with the podcasting world.

Verdict: Is Buzzsprout Worth It?

Buzzsprout is absolutely worth it if you want to begin podcasting without any technical hassle. Its beginner-friendly user interface allows you to set up everything within a few steps. Besides, you can market your podcast with its easy social sharing and customizable embed and even monetize it with ads and subscriptions.

All plans are loaded with the right features a podcaster needs to kickstart their career. And if you get stuck, do not forget to check out their award-winning customer support and plenty of free resources to help you.

Meet the authors

The best managed VPS hosting stands out as the perfect combination between performance and convenience making it one of the best web hosting types. It allows you to reap the benefits of the best VPS hosting (more power, complete control, and better security) without having to dig deep into any of the technical complexities that come with running the server.

However, not all ‘managed’ hosts are created equal. There are different levels of management, with some providers limiting their support to server-level maintenance, which includes regular backups, updates, and security patches. On the other hand, there are hosts who offer application-level management, meaning they’ll even tap into the code to resolve your queries.

If you’re confused about which VPS hosting is the best for your needs, this guide is for you. We’ve handpicked the 6 best managed VPS hosting providers based on management levels, hosting architecture, ease of use, customer support, and value for money.

The best managed VPS hosting providers of 2025

Best managed VPS overall

ScalaHosting is the #1 managed VPS hosting because it’s one of the very few providers that offer complete hands-on support, and that, too, at a reasonable price tag. Other hosts limit their VPS management service to just server-level tasks, such as updating and patching the operating system, configuring and managing the firewalls, and monitoring CPU usage. ScalaHosting goes a step further and also takes care of application-level issues, such as fixing a broken WordPress plugin, resolving code-level bugs, debugging website errors, and installing and configuring third-party tools.

You can get started with ScalaHosting for just $29.95/month (two-year commitment, renews at $49.95/month). This plan comes with 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB NVMe SSD storage, as well as automatic offsite backups, CloudFlare CDN, and brute-force protection. If you’re a large business looking for more power, you’ll be glad to learn that ScalaHosting offers excellent customizability. You can build your own cloud VPN, which can have as many as 24 CPU cores, 64 GB RAM, and 2,000 GB storage.

ScalaHosting also comes with its very own control panel called SPanel. It’s one of the best cPanel alternatives, seeing as it’s not only more lightweight and feature-packed but also gives you more control and better security than cPanel. The best part? SPanel is included with all ScalaHosting VPS plans, whereas cPanel costs extra (starting at $26.95 for 5 accounts).

Last but not least, users will also appreciate ScalaHosting’s anytime unconditional money-back guarantee. The provider promises to offer prorated refunds irrespective of when you cancel your subscription. Purchased a two-year plan but want to cancel after six months? ScalaHosting will only charge you for the six months and return the rest.

Read our full ScalaHosting review

Best AI managed VPS

Hostinger offers four VPS plans, with the cheapest one priced at just $4.99/month for a two-year term (renews at $13.99/month) and offering 1 vCPU core, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB storage. On the other end of the spectrum, there's the $19.99/month plan (renews at $59.99/month), which comes with 8 vCPU cores, 32 GB RAM, and 400 GB storage.

At first glance, you might think that this is just the base VPS pricing and that management services would cost extra. However, that’s not the case, and Hostinger is hands down one of the best value VPS hosts on the market right now.

It’s able to pull this off with its AI-powered assistant, Kodee. Think of it as your personal VPS manager who’s available round the clock and can perform pretty much any management task, including installing applications or updating the PHP version. The best part? It understands commands in plain English, meaning you don’t need to be adept at writing out technical commands, scripts, or using server control panels. For example, you can put Kodee to work by simply typing out, “Install WordPress.”

That said, there’s a noticeable caveat attached to this. Technically, your VPS is still unmanaged, seeing as there’s no human team behind the scenes looking after your server or application, which is usually the case in managed hosting. So, in the unlikely scenario that Kodee doesn’t come to your rescue, you’re really out there on your own. Also, troubleshooting complex issues and rejigging advanced security setups might fall outside the purview of the AI bot. All this means that, ideally, you should have a fair bit of technical expertise so that you can swim through a rainy day unscathed.

Read our full Hostinger review

Best managed VPS for WordPress

Bluehost might be my recommendation for best WordPress hosting but when you need a VPS for WordPress, my top choice is Cloudways.

This mostly thanks to Cloudways Copilot. This isn’t just an AI chatbot that solves human queries it is a full-fledged engineer that works for your 24/7.

Copilot constantly monitors critical server components such as disk space usage, webstack performance, backup issues, host health, and disk inode, and identifies any issues in real time. It then sends you an instant notification and alert, informing you about the issues. And this isn’t a vague alert saying, ‘there’s a problem somewhere’. Cloudways Copilot is rather detailed specifying the exact problem along with the location.

Cloudways then goes a step ahead and runs a detailed AI-driven diagnostic to identify the root cause of the issue at hand, explaining in detail the ‘why’ side of the problem. With more than 13,000+ insights generated during previews, the AI demonstrated a whopping 90% accuracy rate. Cloudways also suggests one-click automated resolution, thanks to its SmartFix function, which helps you apply the best-practice solutions in just a single click.

Since Cloudways Copilot is a new feature, there’s a promotional offer running where you get 5 AI Insights Credits and 2 SmartFixes per month for the first 6 months. After this, you’ll have to shell out $9.99/month for 12 AI credits (Growth Plan) and $19.99/month for 25 credits (Scale plan). Each Copilot Insight report and Smartfix consumes 1 credit each.

Copilot is included with all Cloudways Flexible plans (as of now), which offer customizable managed hosting where you can fully customize the cloud provider and plan as per your needs. For instance, the Micro plans start at $14/month, offering 1GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 25GB NVMe storage, and 1TB transfer bandwidth.

Read our full Cloudways review

Best managed VPS for enterprise

Kamatera is our top choice for enterprises thanks to its insane customizability and volume-based discounts. You can choose your desired combination of vCPUs, RAM, storage, OS, control panels, and data center location, either for yourself or for your customers, i.e., if you’re a reseller.

You can choose from three management levels: Unmanaged (free), Pro Managed ($50 per month), and Premium Managed ($150 per month). Pro Managed should cut it for most businesses, seeing as it comes with OS, web, protocol, and ping monitoring, but if you also require custom, application, and hardware monitoring, Premium Managed is the way to go. Kindly keep in mind that this is just the cost of Kamatera’s management service, and it’ll be an extra expense on top of your chosen VPS, whose pricing Kamatera doesn’t reveal publicly.

Kamatera has 20+ data centers located all around the world, including Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East, which makes it perfect for large organizations with a global customer base. No matter where your international clients are, you’ll be able to offer them a nearby server, thereby reducing latency and improving speeds.

Coming to Kamatera’s cost-efficiency, it doesn’t require an upfront investment or a fixed contract, unlike other providers. You have the flexibility to pay on a monthly or hourly basis, which has become increasingly rare in the hosting industry.

Another feature we really liked is Kamatera’s 30-day free trial. While other providers settle for a money-back guarantee, Kamatera’s free trial (meaning you don’t pay anything upfront, unlike money-back guarantees) makes it super easy to try the service out without risking a single penny. That said, the provider does ask you to enter your credit card details, but you won’t be billed if you cancel on time.

Read our full Kamatera review

Founded in 1997, Liquid Web stands out as the best cloud hosting provider. Almost every single hosting product it offers (VPS included) is cloud, which makes it ideal for businesses that want to focus on their growth while the hosting provider looks after the server startups, OS and security updates, and performance monitoring, as well as backups and application optimization.

Liquid Web’s cloud architecture comes built-in with redundancy. This means that your website or application isn’t hosted on a single server. Instead, your data is replicated and stored across multiple machines in various locations, so even if one server fails, your website will keep running.

Speaking of minimizing downtime, Liquid Web also offers a 100% uptime guarantee. Plus, according to Liquid Web’s Service Level Agreement, you’ll get free credits in case the provider doesn’t live up to its claims. This alone makes Liquid Web one of the most reliable VPS hosts going around.

There’s also auto scaling, a cornerstone of any cloud hosting environment. Liquid Web has done a fantastic job with its autoscaling in that it constantly monitors your website traffic and automatically scales your server resources when it notices a spike in incoming traffic. This is important because it reduces the possibility of site slowdowns and crashes.

Like Kamatera, Liquid Web also offers three levels of management for its VPS range: Unmanaged, Core-Managed, and Fully-Managed. Unmanaged is free, meaning you can purchase its cheapest VPS plan for its base price, which is just $5/month. This plan comes with 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and 30 GB SSD storage, and depending on your needs, you can go as high as 8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, and 640 GB SSD.

For help with installation and support for core software packages, go for Core-Managed VPS hosting, which will cost you an extra $21 a month. Finally, Fully-Managed hosting, which includes virus and spam protection and control panel support, will set you back an extra $39 per month on top of your subscription’s base price. Note that regardless of the plan you choose, you’ll get a long list of nifty extras, including 50 GB cyber backups, an integrated firewall, DDoS protection, a dedicated IP address, and CloudFlare CDN.

Read our full Liquid Web review

Best managed VPS hosting FAQs

Why are VPS servers faster?

Unlike shared hosting, where you share resources (CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth) with other websites and applications on the same server, VPS hosting allocates a dedicated part of the host server’s resources exclusively for your needs. You no longer have to suffer at the hands of ‘noisy neighbors.’

In other words, there are fewer users per server, which reduces traffic pressure and allows VPS hosting to serve up significantly faster speeds, better uptime, and increased overall performance. Additionally, VPS also allows you to install an operating system of your choice and optimize applications as per your environment, which results in better resource utilization.

What are the different levels of support?

The extent of VPS management you get will depend on your chosen hosting provider. While some hosts limit their support to server-level maintenance, others are more thorough in that they also offer application-level management, which includes playing around with your code to resolve any queries.

Providers like Liquid Web and Kamatera have clear distinctions between the different levels of support, and they also charge different fees for each of them. Liquid Web, for instance, has Core Managed and Fully Managed VPS support options. The latter includes security management, proactive monitoring, and complete control panel support, and it also provides assistance with software installation and troubleshooting. Core Managed, though, is a slightly stripped-down level of support ideal for those who’d like to maintain a balance between external support and first-hand control.

Do I need a VPS?

You should consider VPS hosting when you outgrow the limitations of shared hosting. Slow load times, increasing website traffic, or frequent downtimes are clear indicators that you should upgrade to VPS hosting. Also, e-commerce stores and sites with a huge amount of visitors should consider getting VPS hosting right from the start because they'll perform better that way thanks to dedicated resources.

VPS hosting is also an excellent middle ground between shared and dedicated hosting because it offers the benefits of a dedicated server environment (significantly more power than shared hosting) but remains reasonably affordable - it costs more than shared hosting but is cheaper than full-blown dedicated servers.

How we test the best VPS hosting providers

To put it simply, we purchase a VPS plan and put a WordPress site or web app on the server. We then do some baseline testing and also throw some questions at support.

If we're recommending for WordPress, we wouldn't ask the support to configure a customer server but if we're rating a hosting provider for support then we would.

We then compare the plan against other plans and see if it's good value for money and also who should be using it.

Agency hosting is very different from the needs of individual sites. You need everything that the best web hosting has to offer, with the power of the best VPS, and the scalability of the best cloud hosting. Agencies need isolated environments for performance and security, tools for client collaboration and staging, options for white-labeling, and infrastructure that’s both scalable and developer-friendly.

So, with that in mind. This is my list of the best hosts for agencies.

The best hosting for agencies in 2025

Best host for agencies overall

Kinsta stands out as the best host for agencies, first and foremost because of its per-site container model. Every single site runs inside its own isolated LXD containers on Google Cloud C2/C3 VMs. This means it’s unbothered by any noisy neighbors, resulting in better and reliable performance, top-notch security, and excellent scalability.

Speaking of security, Kinsta comes with Cloudflare DDoS protection and Kinsta’s rather unique Malware Security Pledge. In case a client’s website gets infected with malware, Kinsta’s support team will clean it up for free. This means you won’t have to subscribe to any third-party malware removal services, which could set you back hundreds of dollars. Also, every site you migrate to Kinsta will get a free malware cleaning.

It’s worth noting that both Kinsta’s multiple-site WP 20 and its agency plan are similar in price each month. However, the multi-site plan doesn’t come with agency-specific perks. This includes listing in Kinsta’s Agency Directory, which could help you get extra visibility and client inquiries, free hosting for your agency site with the same level of performance and reliability, white labeling, and early access to Kinsta’s Beta tools.

The “Agency 20” plan at $284 per month (billed annually, or $340 on monthly billing) supports 20 WordPress installs, 500K site visits, and 50 GB of storage. Although rivals like ScalaHosting offer more storage per dollar, they lack Kinsta’s agency-focused features.

Read our full Kinsta review

Most flexible hosting for agencies

What makes Cloudways truly unique is its choose-your-own-cloud model; you have the liberty to launch a fully managed VPS solution on top of either DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud. This way, you’re able to choose an ideal cloud provider for your needs, location, server specifications, and performance. Also, Cloudways lets you pick from 40+ global data center locations to ensure optimal latency and reach for your client sites.

For most agency projects, we recommend the “General Purpose” DigitalOcean plans, which start at $106/month, wherein you get 8 GB of RAM, 2 vCPU, 30 GB of fast NVMe storage, unlimited visits, and support for an unlimited number of websites. If you’re managing sites prone to traffic spikes and heavy PHP loads, such as WooCommerce stores and high-traffic content sites, go for one of the CPU Optimized plans (comparable to AWS’ Compute Optimized & Google Cloud’s High Compute plans).

It’s worth mentioning that there’s also a Cloudways Autonomous tier, which are fully managed WordPress hosting solutions built on Kubernetes technology. It’s different from traditional VPS in that it provides automatic scaling, high availability, and fault tolerance, plus there’s no need for you to manage the servers manually. Also, each site runs in isolated containers, offering better performance, speed, and security. These plans are, therefore, perfect for high-traffic or global client sites.

Cloudways also has an excellent agency partnership program, which comes with enhanced support services (elevated SLAs, for example) and a dedicated success manager for personalized onboarding and account optimization. Your agency will also be featured in Cloudways’ partner directory, offering increased visibility to potential clients, along with the opportunity to earn attractive referral fees through their affiliate program.

Read our full Cloudways review

Best agency hosting for developers

SiteGround makes it to our list thanks to an excellent array of developer-friendly features, reliable and proven performance, and competitive pricing across all plans and infrastructure levels. One of its biggest selling points, though, is support for unlimited websites on every single agency plan. There are no caps on site installs, nor do you have to pay per site, making SiteGround a top choice for agencies managing multiple client projects.

Speaking of payment, SiteGround offers three plans: GrowBig, GoGeek, and Cloud, with GrowBig being the cheapest one at just $4.99 per month (renews at $29.99 per month). However, it’s shared hosting with only 20 GB of storage and support for up to 100K monthly visits. While this may cut it for freelancers or solo devs looking to scale, it’s, in all likelihood, insufficient for most agencies with multiple high-traffic sites in their portfolio.

Ideally, we’d recommend the Cloud plan ($100/month) for agencies, seeing as it’s the only SiteGround plan that offers dedicated resources (CPU, RAM, and scalable infrastructure). This is crucial because it brings SiteGround closer to premium agency hosts like Kinsta and WP Engine, which use containerized or isolated environments to protect client sites from noisy neighbors. Sure, while SiteGround Cloud doesn’t offer containers per se, its dedicated resources are capable enough of guaranteeing performance and stability. Also, SiteGround is 2-3 times more affordable than those premium platforms.

In addition to white-labeling, SiteGround also offers incredible developer freedom and collaboration. As opposed to WP Engine, whose ecosystem is more curated and structured, SiteGround has a more open environment, which makes it ideal for agencies that already have set workflows and would like total control. SiteGround comes with native Git integrations, SSH access, WP-CLI, and staging environments, all built-in and ready to be used right out of the box.

Read our full SiteGround review

Best agency platform

WP Engine offers a comprehensive agency ecosystem complete with countless development tools, headless WordPress, and partnership benefits. It’s a top choice for agencies that would like the tools, plugins, and dev workflows required to build faster and better and support their clients with comparatively less effort. Headless WordPress, for example, offers superior performance and speed (pages load instantly) when compared to traditional WordPress hosting solutions.

WP Engine’s eCommerce suite, which comes included with Agency plans, is also a strong value-add, especially for agencies managing WooCommerce sites. WP Engine optimizes performance, such as speeding up product pages, cart, and checkout, allowing agencies to offer faster storefronts right from the get go. There’s also Stripe Connect Checkout for a streamlined checkout experience with one-click payments and saved cards, and Instant Store Search benefitting clients with large product catalogs.

Another reason we recommend WP Engine to modern and professional WordPress agencies is its extensive development ecosystem. For instance, it comes with a local development app, which allows you to churn out WordPress sites in seconds, test locally, and enable staging/live environments with a single click. Barring the starter-level “Agency Essentials” plan, WP Engine’s agency hosting lineup also offers Advanced Custom Fields (ACF PRO), which is a premium plugin that lets you create dynamic, client-friendly WordPress backends (create custom fields and flexible content areas in WP) without having to scribble any extra code.

WP Engine starts at $56/month (billed annually) for 5 sites (or $184/month for 25 sites), offering 50K visits/month and 25 GB of storage. However, this plan lacks DDoS and WAF protection, as well as site uptime monitoring and alerts, which is why we recommend going for the middle tier “Agency Plus” plan, priced at $138/month for 25 sites, offering 250K visits/month and 125 GB of storage.

It’s worth noting that all WP Engine plans except the Agency tier and the $400/month “Core” managed hosting plan don’t come with containerized infrastructure. This is one of the biggest differences between WP Engine and Kinsta; the latter offers containers on all of its plans. On the other hand, WP Engine is better if you’re managing extremely high-traffic sites or if you need advanced dev tools, headless WordPress, and eCommerce support.

Read our full WP Engine review

Best value for money

If you’re a growing agency managing large client portfolios on a tight budget, consider Hostinger. It has two simple plans, with the cheapest one priced at just $29/month (one-year commitment; paid upfront; renews at $69/month). This plan, called Agency Startup, comes with 6 CPU cores, 12 GB of RAM, 300 GB of NVMe storage, and support for up to 100 websites. If you need more power for bigger projects, the Agency Professional plan with 8 CPU cores, 20 GB of RAM, 500 GB of storage, and support for up to 200 websites should do the job for you. It costs $49/month (renews at $89/month).

By industry standards, Hostinger’s agency plans are incredibly affordable. Comparable cloud or containerized hosting from premium providers can easily set you back $250-$400 per month, plus they don’t offer support for more than, say, 20-30 websites. It’s very tough to beat Hostinger as far as the price-to-performance ratio is concerned.

One of Hostinger’s most impressive features is true site isolation across both plans with containers. This means every client site you host is secured and resourced independently, free from any ‘noisy neighbor’ issues found in traditional shared hosting. Next, Hostinger runs on LiteSpeed web servers, which are up to 12x faster than conventional Apache setups because they come with built-in caching, cranking up the overall page speed like very few budget hosts can.

What’s more, Hostinger also comes with a long list of agency-friendly extras, like lightning-fast customer support (responses come in within 2 minutes), unlimited free site migrations, and an agency referral program that pays up to $450 per client. It’s worth noting that Hostinger’s rare combination of high performance and affordability has earned it a spot on the official WordPress.org recommended hosts list.

Read our full Hostinger review

Best support for agency hosting

ScalaHosting shines through with its industry-leading customer support. It’s widely regarded as one of the most prompt and responsive hosts in the industry, with a 15-second average live chat response and a 98.9% customer satisfaction rating. Notably, not only is the support team quick, but it’s also capable of handling advanced tasks like malware removal, site migrations, and email deliverability fixes. To top it all off, customers get an anytime unconditional money-back guarantee and a $500+ per-referral affiliate program.

Another huge benefit of using ScalaHosting as your agency’s web host is its true VPS infrastructure. VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives your agency guaranteed CPU and RAM, unlike shared hosting, where resources are split between sites.

ScalaHosting’s starter-level “Entry Cloud” plan costs just $14.95 per month (three-year commitment; renews at $29.95 per month) and comes with 2 CPU cores, 2 GB of RAM, 50 GB of storage, and a long list of features, including white-label branding for client handoff, WP staging and cloning, Git version control, and real-time malware protection.

Large agencies with specific needs will also appreciate ScalaHosting’s configurability. You can tweak pretty much every aspect of your custom cloud VPS setup, soaring as high as 24 CPU cores, 64 GB of RAM, and 2,000 GB of storage. While this level of scalability might not be for everyone, it ensures that ScalaHosting is equipped to handle even high-traffic eCommerce stores and complex web apps.

Then there’s ScalaHosting’s custom control panel, SPanel. It’s more secure (thanks to SShield, an AI-driven security tool that proactively blocks 99998% of threats), lightweight (can run on a VPS with less than 1GB RAM), and feature-packed than the industry-standard cPanel, plus it comes as standard with all ScalaHosting VPS plans, whereas cPanel will cost you extra.

Read our full ScalaHosting review

The best hosting for agencies FAQs

Usually when I do a One Hour With feature I start off buying one of the best web hosting plans (like my ones for Hostinger and DreamHost) with no real agenda and going where my curiosity takes me. This one is a bit different. I’m writing a new guide on the best hosting for agencies which means this One Hour With is a lot more focused. Still, if you don't have a web hosting agency there are some things you may find interesting about Kinsta that you might find out. Time is ticking. Let’s get to it.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

The plan that I wanted to use is the Agency 20 plan. This is the entry level agency plan from Kinsta. It costs $284 a month, a lot more than the hosting plans I usually test. For this reason, when at WordCamp Europe, I asked Kinsta for a test plan, and Kinsta was kind enough to sign me up. So, I cannot show you what the initial onboarding process is like but after I signed in with my login details, this was the first thing I saw.

00:44

Just like in a real agency, I’m not working alone. I need to grant permissions to another web hosting expert to carry out more tests. Kinsta supports different user roles within my hosting account to aid in the management and security of the websites hosted within it. The documentation is clear, helpful, and concise, and I identify very quickly the user role that I need to assign.

I followed the instructions in the documentation, sent an invitation via email, and that was that done.

06:43

Now it’s time to create a site. One of the main differences between agency hosting and other types of hosting is that with some plans for agencies, your sites are hosted in containers rather than on shared infrastructure or on a virtual private server (VPS).

On shared hosting, multiple websites are on the same server and use the same RAM, storage, and CPU. This can cause noisy neighbour issues and potentially security issues. For containers, each site runs in its own isolated environment with dedicated resources so this isn’t an issue. Plus, as each website has its own environment, there is more flexibility as to what you can install and run.

This sounds a lot like a VPS, but it’s not a VPS. With a VPS, you rent a part of a server that is isolated and have full control over your area. You’re responsible for everything. Containers separate this responsibility, giving you the isolation of a VPS but with the hosting company responsible for managing the container.

I’m looking forward to testing the speed of containers. They might not have the same performance potential as a VPS, but they should be faster than shared but without the management overhead of a VPS server.

Setting up the site was easy. I was asked what type of site/ environment I wanted to make (I used WordPress), create a username and password, and select a server location. Then, it was only a couple of minutes until the site was created.

As soon as I created my site, this side bar popped up.

It tells me how to test my site, add a domain, set up HTTPS, enable the CDN, and use other key hosting features.

For first impressions, Kinsta is doing really well. The documentation is clear and helpful and not at all invasive. I personally find that when you’re using a service for the first time, the pop up help me windows are more of a hindrance than a help, or the documentation is lacking. Not in this case.

13:58

After the site was created, I clicked on the site name, and I was directed to the main panel for the site.

I started having my usual WordPress pains. I just wanted to change Hello World to something else, but it was just not having it. With other hosts, there are a lot more templates (not that they really help with the pains, but there is a better starting block). This isn’t necessarily a complaint. The type of users this service is aimed at are not going to really need a whole bunch of templates for every type of site.

35:00

I started poking around at the tools but I got distracted with my other web hosting editor duties and when I came back to finish off the last 15 minutes of this One Hour With, the person that I had granted permissions to had already migrated a site and did some baseline tests (I was gone for more than an hour). I won’t paste the results here because they’re already on the full Kinsta review, but I’ll mention what I think of them briefly as I wrap this up.

45:00

Performance

We had some data from an earlier test on Kinsta’s Single 125K plan. When comparing the data, I can see that baseline server performance is similar on both plans, but the site on the agency hosting plan was better at handling larger concurrent traffic loads.

When I look at the results compared with Hostinger and SiteGround’s base level shared plans, it appears that Kinsta is on top when it comes to filesystem performance, but doesn’t out perform the others considerably when it comes to performance under higher traffic loads.

60:00

Overall impressions

I really like the user interface. It’s very clean and there’s no upselling or intrusive popups like I’ve experienced with other hosts. The documentation is great. It has a friendly tone, it’s accurate (again, unlike what I’ve experienced with other hosts), and I like the little helping hands you’re offered that are easy to close and ignore.

Kinsta does lack some of the website builder tools that you get from other hosts, but I don’t really think that matters because the people signing up with Kinsta are not likely to need 50 free templates or an AI page builder.

Performance wise, I’m a little surprised to not see a significant increase in server performance under higher traffic loads, but our tests are only basic and should only be considered an indication and not conclusive. Compared to the Single Site plan from Kinsta, there is a lot more power across the board, but when compared with (lower level) plans from Hostinger and SiteGround it doesn’t compare well when it comes to more site visitors. This could just be due to rate limiting and identifying our traffic as abnormal.

I didn’t get to test support or do any serious testing as this is just one hour spent using Kinsta but my overall impression of Kinsta was that of a decent host with a nice user interface and helpful documentation.

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• An interview with Cloudways about its Agency Partnership Program

There's a lot of buzz around agency hosting these days. It seemed that most of the best web hosting providers wanted to talk about their new agency hosting plans at WordCamp Europe when I attended. It sparked me to write my new best hosting for agencies guide, and when I started my research, I thought there was no better place to start than with Cloudways.

Cloudways has had their Agency Partnership Program since 2021, and it has over 3000 users. It has recently been revamped and relaunched, so I spoke with Fatih Mehtap, VP Marketing, at Coudways about the changes to learn more about the program and what web agencies need from their hosting providers.

What drove the decision to refine and relaunch the Agency Partnership Programme now?

There were two core drivers behind the relaunch. First and foremost, customer feedback. We regularly run pulse surveys, focus groups, and cohort interviews to really understand how our partners feel about the program and where they see room for improvement. A common theme from our agency partners was for us to provide even more support and engagement. The feedback was fair and something we wanted to prioritise.

Relaunching the programme now with renewed vigor is about acknowledging the wants of our partners and recommitting to them with dedicated focus, staffing, and strategic direction.

With over 3,000 agencies already in the program, what feedback shaped these new enhancements?

Our customers wanted more dedicated support, better onboarding, more proactive account engagement, and stronger tools to help them grow.

We’ve implemented dedicated partner onboarding liaisons, offer migration services handled by our engineers, including unlimited free migrations for higher tiers, and quarterly or biannual account reviews. These reviews not only give partners visibility into their tier progression but also uncover potential cost savings or unlock new benefits, like hosting credits and premium support.

How does this refined programme position Cloudways compared with competitors?

Our customers are the driving force behind why we innovate. Every company operates differently, but our focus is to create solutions aligned to our customer needs and wants. From this creation process, there are a few clear differentiators.

At the Gold and Platinum tiers of the programme, agencies get access to unlimited white-glove migrations, removing a major technical and financial barrier to switching and consolidating clients. Combined with a revamped Partner Hub, these features go beyond what most hosts provide, especially for agencies focused on growth. They help simplify operations, reduce overhead, and free up resources, allowing teams to focus more on scaling their business rather than dealing with infrastructure complexities.

Can you walk us through the $15,000+ learning resources package? What specific skills and trends are you helping agencies master?

The learning content originated from UGURUS – a coaching content platform built specifically for agency owners. Before the relaunch, content was curated and sold in different tier packages, starting at around $2,000 per year. We’ve ungated all of this content for the benefit of programme partners.

The learning resources specifically provide a comprehensive range of content supporting agencies at various stages of growth and maturity. This includes guidance on starting and scaling an agency, improving sales techniques, building and maintaining client relationships, mastering outreach strategies and refining internal operations and business development practices. The resources are designed to meet the needs of solo entrepreneurs just beginning their journey, through to established agencies looking to optimise strategies.

What ROI can agencies expect to see through the partnership programme?

Expected ROI from the partnership programme varies based on agency size, goals, and how actively they engage with the benefits. Many partners experience immediate cost reductions through hosting credits and access to premium support, which helps lower their operational expenses, whereas others benefit from long-term loyalty discounts and time-to-market savings.

Through referrals and affiliate commissions, every agency partner can benefit from generating passive income through recurring earnings, and the educational content provides a clear path to scaling up services and refining operations.

Ultimately, agencies can expect to get out what they put in. While some see measurable savings within a single quarter, others are leveraging the programme to unlock entirely new revenue streams, particularly through co-marketing opportunities and long-term client growth strategies. One of the favourite features of our program is the Agency Spotlight and case studies we publish on our website; those get thousands of views every month. Our agencies appreciate the brand visibility.

Can you tell me more about the co-marketing opportunities that come with the programme?

Co-marketing is a key area of opportunity, especially for our top-tier partners. Cloudways is actively looking to collaborate with agencies on webinars, case studies, guest blog posts, and social promotions. If a partner is doing outstanding work powered by a Cloudways solution, we want to help amplify their story and provide visibility across our channels.

It’s about building a mutually beneficial spotlight. One that not only shows off the partnership’s great work, but also drives leads, credibility, and reach for both sides.

Over the course of the Calendar year, we run multiple virtual and in-person events, using these platforms to invite customers to take part and share their perspective on what’s happening in the industry.

How is the agency hosting landscape evolving, and where do you see the biggest opportunities?

Agencies are no longer just service providers; they’re becoming strategic digital partners to their clients. The shift means they need infrastructure that’s flexible, scalable, and backed by responsive, knowledgeable support. Many of our customers come to us because they want more control and accessibility to how they run their hosting. We help

them evolve their offering through greater choice, flexibility, and scalability, capabilities not every hosting provider can provide.

The opportunity for agency hosting lies in serving those evolving needs. That’s why we’re leaning into things like robust learning tools, premium service layers, and scalable partner incentives. Agencies want to grow, diversify, and build more sustainable income models, and we’re aligning our platform and programme to support that evolution.

What are the main differences between the support levels?

Support is structured in tiers, with each level offering increased access to premium services.

Bronze and Silver partners receive standard 24/7 support, including chat-based troubleshooting for day-to-day issues. As agencies move into the Gold and Platinum tiers, they unlock advanced and premium support features such as faster response times, dedicated squads, more proactive issue resolution and advanced troubleshooting assistance.

At the Platinum level, support becomes even more hands-on. It includes deeper technical involvement like multi-site performance optimisation and infrastructure tuning, often delivered through senior, tenured migration and onboarding specialists.

Ultimately, our aim is to remove any ambiguity. Partners know that we are a help desk inquiry away and that helps them build confidence to experiment on the platform. Partners always know exactly what level of support they’re receiving and how it aligns with the complexity of their operations.

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The overhead of managing multiple sites for clients can be reduced considerably simply by selecting one of the best web hosting providers. Not maintaining your own servers and having a host that deals with the management while also providing additional features for agencies is key to the development of client sites, and your business.

WP Engine and Kinsta, both popular web hosts, are among the best hosting providers for agencies, but how do they compare? Which is the best value and for who?

Pricing

If you're deliberating between WP Engine and Kinsta for agency hosting the choice might be dictated by your budget. This is because Kinsta's agency hosting plans start at $280/mo for 20 sites. WP Engine has more budget friendly options starting at $56/mo for 5 sites.

If you're managing any ecommerce stores, the ecommerce features don't start at WP Engine until you start spending $83/mo, and for the highest level of support, you'll need to be spending at least $414/mo for 25 sites (and then pay extra for it).

So, while WP Engine offers more entry level pricing, to receive a similar level of features, you need to be spending more each month with WP Engine, which kind of negates the lower price entry point.

Price and infrastructure wise, WP Engine is more suitable for smaller agencies that don't need too much power, as the scaling up at WP Engine can be expensive. Kinsta, meanwhile, is targeted at established agencies with a regular take-up of clients and a higher budget, but want more power-per-buck value.

Infrastructure

Perhaps the biggest difference between Kinsta and WP Engine’s Agency plans is the infrastructure. WP Engine told us that all sites on agency plans are on shared infrastructure unless one of the more expensive custom plans is purchased. With Kinsta, all sites on a hosting plan use containers. This solution is superior to shared hosting, but less expensive than a VPS, and easier to manage. Containers afford a better way to allocate (or re-allocate) resources, allowing web hosts to better handle spikes in demand and isolate environments.

Features

Both hosts offer a variety of features specifically for agencies. These included features that help you bulk manage your sites and manage fine-grained access controls. Both also offer local developer tools (DevKinsta & Local) and white label branding options.

Kinsta offers an Agency Launch Pad program that can give you up to $10,000 in hosting credits, and both have an agency directory and ways to bring more business to you.

WP Engine seems to have more ecommerce tools and a smoother integration with Stripe.

You do get 24/7 support with Kinsta, but WP Engine has the option to pay more for a dedicated technical account manager (only with some plans over $400/mo)

Meanwhile, all WordPress, PHP, and MySQL updates are automated, which means more time can be spent on developing sites and client businesses. If earlier PHP versions are required, these can be selected.

Both hosts support setting up staging environments for testing before going live, and support developers with dedicated tools.

Support

Access to a support team that understands both the hosting, the needs of your business, and how to accommodate migrations, scaling, and new sites is fundamental, and I had good experiences with both hosting providers.

Kinsta was able to quickly handle a migration based on a ZIP file site backup. Meanwhile, WP Engine only offers migrations on its 50+ site custom plan, which means a manual upload and restore of a backup, or using a migration tool, is required.

WP-Engine also has a strong support provision. It has its own knowledge base, and an AI-powered chat tool, which nevertheless makes it simple for you to speak to a human. However, while I’ve previously had a good experience with WP-Engine’s live chat, the support agent I chatted with about agency hosting didn’t seem to be fully familiar with the plans.

Performance comparison

In this comparison, we’ve used results from our test on the basic WP Engine plan and the Kinsta Agency 20 plan. On the face of it, that might not seem like a fair comparison ,but actually, it is. Under $400 at WP Engine each hosting plan is on shared infrastructure. Moving up from the $20/mo plan to the $270/mo plan scales resources linearly. Assuming you have multiple sites, the baseline performance of a single website on the base level plan should be similar to the performance of a single website on a plan that supports more sites. If we were to stress test the site, it would not be fair, but for a single site baseline comparison, the results are comparable.

For the Kinsta plans, each site is in a container. Doing the same test with the same site at Kinsta should give us a good indication of what performance to expect per site and if the infrastructure is better than WP Engine's. So while these are different plans at a very different price point, assuming you’re spending less than $300/mo and you’re hosting multiple sites, these metrics give you an indication of the performance.

This is a summary of the results. For the full results see our host review
Kinsta
WP Engine

The results show an interesting difference between Kinsta and WP Engine. Kinsta’s raw WordPress metrics are better than WP Engine’s, but when we test the site with visitors, WP Engine comes out better (up to 30%). It shows that for sites that require high-performance computational tasks, Kinsta would be the better option, but for high-traffic sites WP Engine would be the better choice. This is likely down WP Engine’s shared infrastructure being more optimized for high-traffic sites than Kinsta’s containers.

Verdict

These two hosts both excel at different things. For sites that require more computational power, Kinsta is a good option. For high traffic sites, WP Engine does seem to provide better performance in our tests.

Kinsta’s plan includes free hosting for your agency’s site, where WP Engine doesn’t. Advanced features, for site management and development, are limited to the custom plans on WP Engine, whereas all of Kinsta’s agency plans support developers (with some bolt-ons for specialist tools).

Both hosts make it easy to scale up, but WP Engine accommodates smaller scale agencies (and budgets) than Kinsta. However, Kinsta’s plans for agencies with 20, 40, and 60 sites seems a more mature collection of features, and just edges it in my view.

OpenDNS is a cloud-based Domain Name System (DNS) provider that delivers enhanced security with web filtering and various blocking features – and OpenDNS Family Shield is its consumer product for protecting entire households from inappropriate content on the internet. So while it isn't a fully fledged parental control app, it does offer some similar functions.

Family Shield is designed to offer fast, easy parental control – the kind of product where parents can set it up once and forget about it, knowing that it’ll block adult content on all devices. It’s easy to use, but doesn’t include customization.

OpenDNS also has a free product called OpenDNS Home, which allows parents to customize their web filtering and view basic usage stats. It’s more involved, but trickier to set up.

Since 2015, OpenDNS has been part of the Cisco organization, so there’s no shortage of cloud computing and cybersecurity knowledge underpinning this tool.

Plans and pricing

Family Shield gets off to a pleasing start – because it’s entirely free, just like the customizable Home product.

Despite that free status, Family Shield covers an unlimited number of devices, and it doesn’t require an account to use – unlike the free Home product, which requires account creation in order to use its customization abilities.  

Features

Family Shield is free, then, but what does it do? Put simply, it’s a preconfigured web filter that you can set up on your router, PC, smartphone or server. Once it’s configured, it blocks potentially harmful traffic.

The best way to use OpenDNS is to set it up on your router – that way, it’ll filter all the traffic that goes through your router, whether that’s from phones, games consoles, laptops or anything else.

Family Shield’s preconfigured filter blocks content in four categories: pornography, tasteless, proxy/anonymizer, and sexuality. You’ll find virtually everything you don’t want your children seeing within those four categories. On top of that, OpenDNS Family Shield also blocks phishing sites and other potentially dangerous websites.

The filter works extremely well, and the fact it works on routers means it works across a broader range of devices than most parental control tools.

Bear in mind, though, that more conventional tools like Qustodio or MMGuardian allow you to filter using a far wider array of categories.

If you want a wider array of categories or if you want to add your own permitted or blocked sites to lists, then you’ll have to use OpenDNS Home – a more customizable product that’s admittedly a bit more technical.

Once Family Shield is configured, there’s no dashboard, control panel or app to worry about – you apply the settings and let it work.

It couldn’t be easier, then, but it’s worth noting that OpenDNS Family Shield is a filter, not a conventional parental control app, so you miss many features you’ll find elsewhere.

You won’t find screen time controls, location monitoring, app blocking or anything else here, for instance – because OpenDNS Family Shield is simply not that kind of product.

If you want those, you’ll have to explore a free tool from Microsoft, Google or Mobicip, or a paid product like Norton Family Safety, Qustodio or Bark.

Interface and use

The most effective way to use OpenDNS Family Shield is by setting it up on your router – that way, it filters all of the web traffic that goes through the router across your array of devices.

To set up Family Shield on your router, you’ll have to go into your router’s browser settings and alter its DNS settings – the numbers that control how web traffic flows through the router. Once those settings are saved, web traffic is routed through OpenDNS’s filters, which means inappropriate sites are blocked.

The process will likely be almost identical for most routers, but OpenDNS provides dozens of useful guides, with pictures, for many common models.

That’s great, although people who aren’t technically savvy may still struggle to set OpenDNS Family Shield up because they’re unsure about delving into router or device networking settings – and that’s entirely understandable.

If you want to install OpenDNS filtering on individual devices, like smartphones, then it’s just as easy – and this is an effective way to apply filtering on technology that won’t always be connected to the internet through your home router.

On Android and iOS, it’s as simple as heading to the network settings and changing the DNS configuration. On Windows and macOS, it’s a similar process. And for a huge variety of devices, from phones and games consoles to Linux laptops and Windows devices, OpenDNS provides clear tutorials.

If you want to use OpenDNS Home instead, setup is largely similar – and you can use a web-based dashboard to manage your network, alter filters, and view statistics about network usage.

Support

We’ve already mentioned the wealth of setup guides you can use with OpenDNS Family Shield, and support is comprehensive elsewhere. The Documentation section is full of guides that take a deeper look at OpenDNS technology, and you can delve into configuration if you’d like to use OpenDNS Home instead.

The user forum is extremely busy, so it should be relatively easy to get answers to common technical issues, and there’s a ticket-based system for submitting support requests. Reports online suggest that replies are both quick and helpful.

The only thing missing here is phone support or live chat, but that tends to be offered by larger organizations with parental control apps that have more features. While OpenDNS is certainly a huge company, Family Shield is a relatively basic filter rather than a fully-featured parental control app.

The competition

That status means that it’s quite difficult to weigh up OpenDNS Family Shield with any close rivals – because this web filtering product is unique.

It does a great job of filtering your network, for instance, but you’ll also find excellent filtering in Qustodio and MMGuardian – albeit on individual devices. Both of those products, and Bark, also provide a broader slate of parental control features, even though they are paid-for products.

And if you want parental control without paying a penny, then shop around: Microsoft Family Safety and Google Family Link both have basic filtering, and Qustodio offers a free parental control app for single-device monitoring.

Final verdict

There’s no doubt that OpenDNS Family Shield is an excellent web filter. When applied to your router, it’ll do a tremendous job of blocking inappropriate traffic across every device in your home – and all for free.

When used on smartphones and laptops, it’ll block those same websites when children are using other networks, too, and OpenDNS Home is an ideal next step for customization if you’re comfortable with more technical setup and customization.

Beyond the filter, though, OpenDNS Family Shield has little to offer because it’s not a full parental control suite.

If you’re happy with using a filter on your networks, then Family Shield is a free and effective option. But if you want parental control features like location tracking, screen time restrictions and app control, then you’ll have to look elsewhere – and maybe spend some money, too.

• Save your data online with the best cloud storage.

So, non-human visitors are not exactly new. Bots have been scrolling the web since the 90s but search is changing and evolving and website owners now need to start preparing for AI agents visiting their site too.

Don't believe me? Jason Mayes, Web AI Lead at Google, recently spoke at WordCamp Europe saying: "We're now entering the age where AI agents are growing in popularity". Hostinger, one of the best web hosting providers, believe it too and have recently launched a new tool to automatically create an LLMs.txt file for WordPress sites.

AI agents are powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and OpenAI's ChatGPT. These models can seemingly read and understand text like a human but there are things we can do to help them understand websites better. Just like how robots.txt and sitemap.html help traditional search methods navigate and understand websites, LLMs.txt severs the purpose for AI agents.

To learn more about AI agents, LLMs, and how they're shaping search, I spoke to Saulius Lazaravičius, VP of product at Hostinger, about the new tool to create LLMs.txt files.

So, what is LLMs.txt, and how is it related to search and site visitors?

Traditionally, people find information online through search engines like Google, which rely on robots.txt and sitemap.xml files to navigate and index content. But with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, more users now get answers directly from large language models (LLMs), bypassing traditional search.

That’s where LLMs.txt file comes in. It serves as a map for AI systems, helping them identify and understand the most important parts of a website. LLMs.txt file provides:

• A clear, prioritized list of the site’s key pages
• Concise summaries for page content
• Links to more detailed, authoritative resources

Placed alongside robots.txt and sitemap.xml, the LLMs.txt file improves how AI engines interpret complex site structures – potentially increasing a site's visibility in AI-generated answers.

Is there currently any data that shows the benefit of having LLMs.txt alongside robots.txt and a sitemap.xml?

Currently, adoption of LLMs.txt is still in its infancy, with fewer than 1% of the top one million websites using it as of early 2025. However, the share of traffic coming from AI platforms is constantly growing. For example, usage of AI-driven search among adults in the US is projected to more than double by 2028.

While hard data on LLMs.txt effectiveness is still emerging, the broader concept of "SEO for AI" – also known as generative engine optimization (GEO) – is gaining traction. Website owners are increasingly looking for ways to make their content more accessible and relevant to AI systems. LLMs.txt is an early, proactive step in that direction.

What makes a good LLMs.txt file, and how do you achieve this through one click?

A well-structured LLMs.txt file is clean, simple, and focused on surfacing a site’s most valuable content for AI systems. It typically begins with the website’s main address, followed by selected pages that AI models should prioritize. Optional descriptions can be added to clarify the content structure or hierarchy.

The file is hosted at the root of the website (e.g. domain.tld/llms.txt) and is easy to set up – especially with automated tools like our one-click LLMs.txt file creator.

Importantly, implementing an LLMs.txt file has no negative impact on traditional SEO. It’s a forward-looking, proactive step that makes a site more accessible to AI tools – both now and in the future.

How soon do you see LLMs.txt becoming a web standard?

With AI playing a growing role in how people discover content, more businesses will need to optimize websites not just for search engines, but for AI systems as well. This adoption is expected to increase significantly in the next few months or years.

It’s still unclear whether LLMs.txt will become a long-term standard. It might evolve into something more sophisticated, like NLWeb or API-driven solutions. But the concept of making content easily digestible for AI is here to stay.

At Hostinger, we’re committed to giving our customers a competitive edge. That’s why we were among the first to offer automatic LLMs.txt file creation, and we’ll continue evolving our tools as the GEO landscape changes.

Are there any other things website owners can do to improve their site visibility to AI?

Like traditional search engines, AI systems look for valuable, high-quality content. That means creating genuinely helpful information for people, ensuring the site is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate, and making the content technically accessible for crawling and indexing.

Each website owner should understand that AI-backed browsing is here and it’s growing. That means they must constantly check what’s new in the field of GEO and look for tools that expose their website content for LLMs. Today, LLMs.txt is a strong first step.

Looking ahead, we believe that websites may evolve toward Model Context Protocol (MCP) interfaces, where content isn’t just displayed for humans but served via MCP-compatible APIs, and AI agents will consume it on users’ behalf.

You might also like

• Looking for the best WordPress hosting?
• Or simply want to learn more about WordPress?
• There's also my round-up of the best VPS hosting providers

The best Web hosting companies all support WordPress and there are even specialist hosts which pride themselves on providing the best WordPress hosting but what even is WordPress? WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that helps people build and manage websites.

But hat might not necessarily answer your question. How does it do that? What's a CMS? What do I need to know when making a WordPress site? Fear not, all those questions are answered here.

What Is WordPress? Explained For Beginners

WordPress is a popular and free content management system with a page builder that lets you build and manage websites with zero coding experience. WordPress powers approximately 40% of all websites on the internet, so you can rest assured that it’s reliable.

You get various building blocks, like text sections, image galleries, contact forms, and navigation menus, that you can arrange and customize to create your desired website. This simple approach makes website creation easier for people without coding or technical experience.

To understand it better, think about how you order furniture from IKEA, and when it gets delivered to your home, you read the manual and start assembling it as per the instructions. It’s the same for WordPress. You pick the pieces and assemble, and the final furniture is your website.

Did you know: WordPress initially began as a tool to publish blogs, but later evolved to publish other web content too?

Types Of Websites You Can Make with WordPress

You can create any type of website with WordPress, right from a personal blog, news, to even fully-fledged eCommerce stores. WordPress gives you 7,500+ themes to choose from with one-click installation and tons of blocks, so the possibility to design a website you desire is infinite.

• News and Magazine Sites: Publishing organizations appreciate WordPress's content management capabilities, editorial workflows, and multi-author support systems. You can use its built-in template and edit it to fit your brand guidelines.
• E-commerce Stores: Through the WooCommerce plugin, WordPress can be turned into a powerful e-commerce platform. You can sell physical products, digital downloads, or services directly through your website, complete with shopping cart functionality and payment processing.
• Personal and Professional Blogs: WordPress began as a blogging platform and continues to excel in this area. You can create blogs for sharing personal experiences, professional insights, or specialized knowledge in your field of expertise.
• Educational Websites: Schools, training organizations, and individual educators can create learning platforms using WordPress. These sites can include course materials, student resources, and interactive elements.
• Portfolio Websites: Creative professionals such as photographers, designers, and artists use WordPress to showcase their work. The platform offers numerous portfolio-focused themes that highlight visual content effectively.
• Business Websites: Service-based businesses, consultancies, and local companies use WordPress to establish their online presence. These sites typically include service descriptions, team information, testimonials, and contact details.

The list of websites you can make with WordPress is endless, and we mean it. The templates you get are a starting point, and you can begin customization as per your requirements.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

If you’re new to the WordPress world, the confusion between WordPress.com and WordPress.com might make you think they’re the same.

WordPress is a CMS and is available for free at WordPress.org. It is also usually pre-installed or available via a one-click installer on most shared hosting plans, where it is also free. You do not and never will need to pay for WordPress. However, you do need to pay for hosting, and maybe a page builder if you don’t get on with Gutenberg (the WordPress page builder), and may pay for some plugins.

WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a hosting company that is owned by Automattic, the company behind WordPress. An important difference between the two to remember here is that using WordPress does not require WordPress.com. Many web hosting companies offer WordPress installation and support and provide better value and more flexibility than WordPress.com's hosting services.

Is WordPress easy to use for a beginner?

Yes and no. Some get on with it right away. Others find the page builder hard to use. I personally have found the page builder hard to use, since I came from zero tech experience or knowledge. When I began building my site, I had to go through tons of tutorials, and there was a higher learning curve.

At the same time, it also depends on the template you use. Everyone’s experience is different with WordPress. For instance, someone with a tech background or a little bit of know-how can pick up WordPress easily with a bit of experimentation here and there.

So, labelling it easy or difficult would be unfair. More likely, we’d say, it depends on one user to another. And let’s be real here. Most beginners can create a basic website within a few days to a week of dedicated learning. However, developing proficiency with advanced features typically requires several weeks or months of regular use.

It’s exactly like you’re building with Lego. Some people are so good and fast at it that it doesn’t take them long. While some people build it, it takes them days to finish it. The same is the case with using WordPress.

A bonus of WordPress being so popular is that there are tons of tutorials. So if you are struggling, you should be able to find help and figure out how to use WordPress on your own, with plenty of helpful guides out there.

How Much Is WordPress?

WordPress is free to use. However, running a website does involve some costs, such as:

• Hosting
• A domain
• Plug-ins (optional)
• Page builders (optional)

Let’s break down this in a more detailed manner below:

Important/Mandatory Expenses

Web Hosting: $60-180 annually

The best web hosting provides the server space where your website files are stored and accessed by visitors. Shared hosting plans typically cost $2-15 monthly, while more robust hosting options range higher. When I was building my site, I went with Hostinger, and it cost me $2.99/month for the Shared Hosting plan. In the initial stage, shared hosting is usually the best and economical option. The best WordPress hosting is often shared hosting with a hosting provider that has dedicated support for WordPress and servers optimized for WordPress too.

Domain Name: $10-15 annually

Your domain name serves as your website's address on the internet. This annual fee registers your chosen domain name and maintains your rights to use it. Domain names often come free with your hosting provider for one year but I always recommend shopping around the best domain name registrars for a better overall deal.

Optional Expenses

Premium Themes: $30-100 (one-time purchase)

While free themes are available, premium themes often provide additional customization options, better support, and more sophisticated designs.

Premium Plugins: $50-200+ annually

If you want advanced features on your website, you’ll need premium plugins. These might include enhanced security features, advanced SEO tools, or specialized business applications.

Professional Page Builders: $50-200 annually

If you find the default WordPress editor challenging, third-party page builders like Elementor or Divi offer more intuitive design interfaces.

Professional Services: Variable costs

Some users invest in professional setup, design customization, or ongoing maintenance services. If you choose to opt for that, you can expect additional charges for these, depending on which services you go for.

Reasons to Use WordPress

• Free to use, so you don’t have to ever worry about paying separately
• Can migrate anywhere without losing content or functionality
• Provides excellent support & guidance from the vast global community
• Exceptional scalability so you can scale your website as it grows
• Regular updates for continuous development

Disadvantages of WordPress

• There is an added level of management compared to page builders
• The Gutenberg page builder could be easier to use
• There are currently some legal battles going on that are disrupting the WordPress community
• With thousands of available plugins, compatibility conflicts can occasionally occur
• As a self-hosted solution, you're responsible for implementing security measures

Final Words

WordPress is a powerful CMS that provides extensive customization and blends affordability and scalability in one. While there is a learning curve, you can use this free CMS to build your website and learn through its strong community support.

Choose WordPress If You Need:

• A scalable website
• A free CMS
• Complete control over your website's design and functionality

On the other hand, you might want to consider an alternative if you’re looking for something very easy to use with zero learning curve or minimal technical involvement in website management.

To succeed in the digital age, businesses must not only establish a strong online presence but continuously adapt their digital strategy as the virtual landscape evolves.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for rapid business expansion, a practical and impactful step is the use of country code top-level domains, or ccTLDs, to build consumer trust and enhance local visibility.

Subject to some regional requirements, these domains - such as .ai for Anguilla or .au for Australia - offer a simple yet effective way to signal geographic relevance and credibility.

Despite the growing convenience of modern search tools, the value of country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) remains largely untapped.

Often perceived as minor variations at the end of a URL, ccTLDs in fact play a crucial role in branding, security, economic development, and regional search engine optimisation (SEO).

Modern registry services and registrar tools offer streamlined management, making it surprisingly efficient for businesses to expand their global digital footprint while maintaining local relevance.

Local loyalty: Building consumer trust and visibility

To attract customers in new regions, building a trustworthy brand is essential. Without trust, business growth is unlikely.

Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) serve as a signal of credibility, increasing the likelihood that customers will not only make a visit but also return and potentially make a purchase.

According to au Domain Administration’s (auDA) “Why .au” survey, half of Australians only buy from online businesses with a .au domain.

Moreover, three in four Australians are more likely to trust a business if its website ends in .au, underscoring the powerful role domain names play in fostering consumer confidence.

For businesses expanding into new markets, a localised domain name demonstrates long-term commitment to the region and signals an intention to build lasting customer relationships.

Customising the website to reflect local culture and language further enhances this connection, delivering a more personalised, hyperlocal experience for both new and returning visitors.

Equally important, using a relevant ccTLD can sometimes improve a site's ranking in region-specific search engine results - boosting organic visibility and driving growth. Search engines often use ccTLDs as a strong geographic signal, helping them to serve relevant content to users in specific regions.

Trend-setters: Harnessing trend-driven ccTLDs

Although traditionally used to signal geographic relevance, ccTLDs are increasingly proving their value on the global stage.

Amid shifting global trends and surging interest in emerging technologies, certain ccTLDs have evolved into powerful marketing tools - delivering substantial economic benefits to their countries of origin. A prime example of this is Anguilla’s now-coveted .ai domain.

As artificial intelligence (AI) has gained global prominence, demand for the .ai domain has surged - growing nearly 400% over the past five years. This rapid adoption has generated substantial revenue for Anguilla.

The Independent reported that, in 2023 alone, .ai accounted for about 20% of Anguilla’s total government revenue. The same article revealed that this windfall has helped fund vital national projects, including airport expansion, improved healthcare for the elderly, and accelerated development of the island’s vocational training centre.

Anguilla is not an isolated case. Other nations have also reaped economic rewards from their ccTLDs - such as .tv for Tuvalu, .pr for Puerto Rico, and .ly for Libya.

In a crowded digital landscape, these domains allow brands to differentiate themselves and quickly convey their niche. This clarity is especially powerful when it comes to driving growth and establishing a strong, memorable presence online.

ccTLDs can also be chosen for their strategic relevance to a specific industry or offering, even if they aren't globally viral. For instance, a one-to-one business might find a .me (Montenegro) or a local artisan in Italy might prioritize a .it for credibility within their local community.

Universal acceptance: How ccTLDs preserve community

Beyond boosting national economies and enhancing consumer trust, ccTLDs also serve as digital homes for smaller communities and cultures.

While widely spoken languages like English, Spanish, and Chinese dominate the web, approximately 3,078 of the world’s 7,168 living languages are classified as endangered as of 2023.

In the effort to preserve cultural heritage, it's essential that the internet remains inclusive - free from limitations based on language or geographic origin. This is where ccTLDs play a vital role in supporting linguistic and cultural diversity online.

At the heart of this mission is the principle of Universal Acceptance - the idea that all domain names and email addresses should function seamlessly across every internet-connected device and software, without technical barriers or bias.

In this context, ccTLDs act as digital beacons, enabling diverse communities to establish an online presence that reflects their unique identity.

For small and medium-sized businesses, using a ccTLD isn't just about reaching customers - it’s about fostering a sense of belonging. By choosing a domain that resonates with a specific cultural or regional audience, these businesses can build not only a customer base, but a community.

The enduring importance of ccTLDs

ccTLDs offer businesses a unique opportunity to build trust, enhance local visibility, and connect authentically with diverse communities.

Beyond their traditional role in indicating geographic relevance, ccTLDs have evolved into powerful tools for branding, economic growth, and cultural preservation. By strategically leveraging ccTLDs, businesses can not only stand out in a crowded digital landscape but also position themselves for sustained success both locally and globally.

To explore how a specific ccTLD can strategically enhance your brand's localized strategy and serve as a powerful asset in your digital toolkit, begin by researching the availability and relevance of domains in your target markets.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The first moments spent with a product is often a make-or-break. You'll either end up happy as a lark or screaming in frustration. So, as part of the review process for the best web hosting providers, I'll see what it's like signing up and getting a site online in under and hour. While this isn't a reflection of the overall quality of a host, it gives a pretty good indication on how easy a host is to use.

I tested DreamHost earlier in the year and my experience wasn't great. I still think they're the best for what I recommend them for but it didn't paint the best picture. Since then, DreamHost has a new server location in Europe and have updated the website building process. So, we revisited it.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

The first thing I noticed during the signup process was that DreamHost tried to tack on several upsells. There's nothing wrong with this, and many others do the same. However, I dislike having the options pre-selected for me by default.

Once I confirmed my order, DreamHost tried to sneak in an option to add me to their marketing list. No thank you.

01:15

In less than two minutes, I'd cleared payment, received my "Welcome to DreamHost" emails, and gotten access to my client dashboard. This was to be my home base, from where I could choose from various options to manage my entire customer account - website, subscriptions, tools, and more.

One thing to note about this dashboard, however, is that it includes a ton of options. Some of these are more upsell attempts. For example, you can sign up for customized email inboxes and many Pro services, such as hacked site recovery, site management, and website rebuilding.

If you're a new user, skip many of these, as they can balloon your web hosting bill. There's no harm in coming back to them if necessary, once you've been running your website for a while.

I decided to skip browsing around and dive directly into building something. To create a website with DreamHost, you have three main options: Install WordPress, migrate your old website, or use LiftOff, their AI website builder.

My first option was to try Liftoff, but then I read the fine print. This option was for a small, custom-built site using LiftOff that would take DreamHost between 24 hours and a week to produce. (Options not clear - that there is liftoff you can use and the option of DreamHost using Liftoff to build for you.

Since I had only 60 minutes, I decided to go for a standard WordPress installation. My objective was to build a WordPress-based business website as quickly as possible. I didn't want to spend a lot of time creating content or customizing designs for now.

09:02

Installing WordPress was a slightly confusing experience. At around the four-minute mark, I received an email informing me that my site was ready. However, on the dashboard, the installation was still running.

It was only after another 10 minutes that the progress bar stopped and everything seemed complete. I was now over 20 minutes into my time, and not a very happy camper.

This had to be one of the slowest WordPress installations I'd ever done, especially since it was a fresh installation. I wasn't migrating any files to DreamHost so it should technically have taken less than five minutes.

24:46

With my WordPress site now in place, I had two options. The first was the more traditional route: I could simply dive into WordPress and start building pages and content. However, this would neither showcase DreamHost's capabilities nor help many new users.

Instead, I opted for a guided WordPress installation. This process allows DreamHost to ask you a series of questions (nine, in total) that ask you for information about your website. For example, your business name, objectives, key selling points, and so on.

After yet another 10 minutes spent answering those questions, I was finally near the holy grail - the last step before getting into my WordPress website.

When I finally cleared that hurdle, I was thrown into what seemed to me a standard WordPress dashboard. Oh yeah, default theme and all. It was an underwhelming experience after spending so much time answering questions.

As I wandered around the all-too-familiar landscape, I wondered what I could do to get things moving in the right direction. I didn't want to dive in and start page-building, so I tried to see if there was anything I was missing on the dashboard.

At this point, I noticed some minor but seemingly essential details. One that stood out was the AI Page Creation tool. This sounded promising, since it only required me to describe what I wanted, and DreamHost would build it for me.

Unfortunately, what came out was extremely basic—something which I could have done myself in a couple of minutes. As I sat there scratching my head, I decided to explore what else I could use from DreamHost's toolset to save the day.

Up came the AI content creator, which I fiddled with for a couple of minutes. This tool isn't perfect, but it can help you easily create basic website content. The problem is that I felt it was inferior to even the free version of ChatGPT or other AI writing tools, so I leave the final choice up to you.

Also, while interesting, it wouldn't help me build a nicer website quickly. It was at this point that I recalled the option to create a custom website with LiftOff manually.

So I decided to make a U-turn.

39:22

After deleting the WordPress site that had taken me nearly 40 minutes to create, I quickly ran the LiftOff option, had a new installation running, and was selecting a site template within 10 minutes.

Their template library has a ton of very businessy-looking designs to choose from. Many of them scream "corporate," but I feel that changing a couple of images here and there will go a long way toward giving your website a unique look. After all, it's the overall structure that's essential.

It was here that I felt the slight sense of awe I had been expecting from the beginning. It was a picture-perfect website, complete with snippets of the information I'd provided when running the tool.

The freshly created website included sections for a main call to action, a quick overview of my business services, unique selling points, and a contact form!

The downside was that it looked exactly like what it was: a corporate template website. However, given that this could be created, content and all, within ten minutes, I felt many would love the outcome.

49:01

One of the first that I tested was their Business Advisor. At first glance, it was impressive, but I quickly realized that it was like working with any other AI-guided tool, such as Gemini.

The key difference is that DreamHost has customized the experience to focus on business advisory services, complete with associated prompts.

Another tool that I found more interesting was the DreamHost Business Planner. It struck me as unique because, despite the massive number of new websites being created, I felt that not many potential owners would have an ace business plan up their sleeves.

It was also here that I discovered not all my time spent answering questions was in vain. Apparently, the Business Planner tool had recorded all my answers and compiled them into a, well, real business plan.

To give you a better idea, the plan included market analysis, unique selling points, business goals, and more.

Sure, you could also achieve this with ChatGPT (or something similar), but this was ready-made, well-structured, and, most importantly, offered by DreamHost directly from your customer dashboard.

60:00

Overall impressions

Much of my experience with DreamHost was driven by my initial misguided choices. I spent a lot of time waiting for a default WordPress installation when I could have gotten a quick boost from using LiftOff on my own. I don't think DreamHost make this clear enough.

That said, I give them tons of credit for building a system that's rock steady, offers many supporting tools, and sports a beautiful customer dashboard. Overall, this experience gives me confidence that recommending DreamHost as one of our best web hosts for beginners is the right decision.

• I've also rounded up the best WordPress hosting providers

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

After a short bit of upselling for email and DreamShield Protection I'm directed to the main dashboard. No one likes upselling, and pushing security features at checkout is extra unlikeable in my opinion - hosting should come secure (and usually does) as standard.

Sure, there is an argument for; if you don't know what you're doing it's best to have the security features and before there is a problem is the best time to ask if you want it. But, to me, any time security features are upsold at checkout, it feels too pushy.

DreamHost's plans are some of the cheapest but after these two optional add-ons, the plans are no longer that afforable, now sitting in the same pool as other lower-level hosting plans - and when compared side by side on price and performance (like in our Hostinger vs DreamHost feature) DreamHost comes up short.

OK, that's a lot of negatives but there are positives. DreamHost is still cheap if you don't buy additional features and while it is less powerful you do get a lot of business and ecommerce features included that you don't get with other hosts.

01:23

I didn't want to spend time making a website so I decided to use DreamHost's offer to build me a personalized website.

I describe that I want a site that is a vertical list of comic strips.

On the left I want months in a navigation bar so a user can jump further down the list - I don't know how user friendly this will be but I don't care at this point, as this website will be scrapped by the end of the day.

Oops. I didn't read with enough attention, and skimmed past the first five minutes and didn't read the "tomorrow" part.

I'm so used to website builders being no more than templates or a generic AI creation that I just assumed this would take moments, not an entire day - which, to be fair to DreamHost is still decent if there is actually a human making a site for me.

I don't have a day to wait, I have minutes - so I decided to scrap this and use another method to get my site made. It's a pity I do want to see what this site would have turned out like - but time for that another day.

While answering questions about my site I was told to acknowledge that this would overwrite any existing site I had on my server. That makes sense - if I have a one-site plan then of course an existing site will need to get the chop.

The thing that made me question this was the phrase "We'll deliver the website to your email address" - to me, this reads like the website files will be given to me via email. If this is correct, why should my site need to be deleted?

Even though the site will likely be deleted tomorrow anyway, sometimes I need to go in and take a few extra screenshots. I didn't want it disappearing unexpectedly. So, I decided to contact support.

06:57

The chatbot didn't understand a word I said. I gave it some feedback on how unhelpful it is, it apologized and gave me a link to click to contact DreamHost.

And...back to the same Chatbot. If there is one thing worse than a bad chatbot it's a bad chatbot that loops around to itself.

I took a breath and looked around the page to find 'Talk to an agent'.

20:11

Support confirmed that if I had started to make a website, it would be deleted when the new one was made, because I have one temporary domain and a placeholder website had been created with this domain.

So, I had to delete my temporary domain which would unlink the new site to my account.

No problem. It was easy and when I went back to the Websites tab I was (for once) happy to see an error message telling me that no websites could be found.

I decided to use Liftoff, a website builder developed by DreamHost, to make my site, as I still didn't want to make it myself.

It didn't take too long to go through the standard questions you get on website builders - typical queries such as, 'do you want to create a blog or landing page?'

However, it did take while for WordPress to be installed. How long? I'm not sure because I got bored and started doing something else while I waited (it was less than 10 minutes though).

30:11

Not great. I asked for a white website. I also didn't get the navigation bar on the left side. At least I did have one single image.

I tried again with a similar prompt but with the addition of pointing out what the AI builder did right and wrong.

Still black, still no navigation bar, and this time I have multiple images in a container instead of one scrolling linear feed.

I gave up. This isn't a website builder review after all. I replaced some of the images with my cartoon strips and decided that was enough of that.

34:39

Without a business plan, it can be hard to focus your time and resources where it counts.

DreamHost's AI business tools make creating a business plan easy and it also provides unique and useful suggestions to grow your business. It doesn't take too long to fill out the questions and receive bespoke recommendations.

Many of the suggestions are kind of obvious but it still takes times to write them down and create a final draft of your plan. The AI Business Planner definitely saves time in this respect.

There was one issue - when I tried to download the business plan to a PDF, the PDF was blank. I tried multiple times and waited for a while but I was never able to download the content.

45:55

I moved on to the Business Advisor. It's important to note that because I only played with this tools for a few minutes, I'm not getting the most out of them. The more the tools know about my business the better it can advise me.

Instead of me telling you about the tool, you can read about it in DreamHost's Business Advisor overview.

Part of the advisor is a content generation tool. I tried creating some content with it but after going through the motions I was stuck on the text blocks being generated.

60:00

Overall impressions

I felt like I was waiting around a lot for DreamHost, but I was in a rush to get things done. I know that this hour spent with DeamHost might paint it in a bad light, but I still recommend them as best for beginners.

While the servers were slow to install WordPress, in our speed tests the performance of your site is good value for the money (if you don't buy additional features). I didn't get anything spectacular out of the AI business tools but I only gave it really basic information so I shouldn't expect much.

From a beginner's perspective, for the price and the tools you get, I think DreamHost offers good value.

• I've also rounded up the best WordPress hosting providers

Web hosting is a marathon not a sprint - but just like in a marathon what you do in the first few steps sets you up for a strong finish.

So, with that in mind, I spent one hour with some one of the best web hosting providers, signing up, creating a site, and having a poke around. The first host in this series is Hostinger.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

OK, that was pretty quick! I was expecting long forms gathering as much data about me as possible but there was none of that - the only 'extra' step I had to do was verify my email which took about 20 seconds.

After verifying my email, I clicked on the Website tab on the left of the dashboard which lead me to Hostinger's hosting plans.

I picked the Single Web Hosting plan because I was just after the cheapest option - there's no point in wasting resources when I'm just spending an hour poking around the hosting panel.

I'm given options on how long I want my subscription to be and then I'm taken to a checkout window with different payment options.

Then, after payment, I'm cycled through seven different questions all asking me about how I'd like to build my website and what the website is for.

I opted for a WordPress site but It's been quite a while since I last used it. WordPress (at least for me) can be a little unintuitive and not very user friendly.

If I was creating a site that I planned on using for a long time, I would use WordPress because think it's worth persevering with the Gutenberg page builder for the benefit of having a site that you can easily migrate anywhere.

However, in hindsight I should have used Hostinger's website builder for simplicity.

• Learn more about the difference between web hosting and website builders

There were lots of templates to choose from for all types of websites and businesses. I was also given the option to set the site up with WordPress plug-ins to help with things like SEO, marketing, forms, and page analytics.

This is where the free WordPress site can start eating into the bank account - the WordPress CMS is free but hosting is not free and there are lots of plug-ins that could potentially cost you.

These are optional though, and easy to install at anytime should you want them or uninstall if you don't.

I didn't bother registering a domain name for this site, instead just using a free temporary domain name provided by Hostinger to set up and test the site.

This is something I recommend when people create websites - as if you have your domain and hosting from the same provider, should something terrible happen you're in double trouble. If your domain is registered elsewhere, you have the option to move your site to another host from a backup.

You also get the chance to shop around for the best prices from some of the best domain name registrars.

03:21

At this point I'm automatically directed out from Hostinger's dashboard and into the WordPress system that's just been installed on the server.

In less than four minutes I had a website online - albeit, a template with zero original content or images and I didn't spend time registering a domain name (which from past experience I know is easy but can take a few minutes to set up if purchased separately).

Still, I think that's pretty impressive and the whole process was very smooth.

Let's get to building

Now, I'm not a website building expert - that would be my colleague Owain Williams.

My area of expertise is hosting. I have created websites in the past but I do it so rarely and my memory is so poor, each time I use WordPress it's like using it for the first time again.

For this site, I picked a wedding invitation template that I planed on turning into something related to my dogs.

I didn't have anything particular in mind, I just want to manipulate the page - change the images, take out some elements that I don't like and add some things that I do. Just enough to get something more unique and testable.

I immediately ran into a roadblock. I wanted to remove the calendar button. I clicked everything. I could not find where to do it. I tried editing the HTML but it was throwing errors.

It's important to note, this is nothing to do with Hostinger this is WordPress' interface. Hostinger have in fact made AI website building tools for WordPress that could have helped me get a page made without a template. They are just not included in my single site plan. Which, to be honest, I think is a little poor.

The next level up from the Single plan is the Premium plan at $1 more a month but I simply don't need that many resources. It's a waste but looking at it another way, an AI WordPress tool for $1/month might be good value. I don't know though because I've not used it.

But I know someone who has. So, I asked Owain.

"I've had a chance to test out Hostinger's AI WordPress website builder and like James, I'm surprised it isn't available on the entry level plan," he said.

"The AI bot will ask you a few questions about your business, then use that information to create a dedicated template for you. The results are better than you'll get from some other AI website builders, but they aren't going to win any design prizes. Plus, once you have your AI-generated template, you're left to edit it in WordPress' Gutenberg editor - so you won't dodge the editing frustrations."

"It's a nice tool for getting you started, but I wouldn't recommend upgrading just to access it."

18:52

Yes, that's right. Twenty minutes to remove a button.

Background image

I wanted to change the image in a container. Usually when you replace an image in WordPress, it's simple. You click on the image and a toolbar appears. In the toolbar there is a button labeled replace. You click it, and can replace the image. When I was trying to replace the background image, the replace button was not appearing.

36:12

Wrong!

This is getting dangerously close to a website builder review which I didn't want it to be but I'm now 40 minutes down trying to change what should be simple page elements. I cannot find any buttons to press to upload and replace the image but I am somewhat familiar with HTML.

I locate the HTML responsible for the background image and I find the place where the images are stored in the WordPress CMS. While in the media library I decided to delete all the stock images. Unfortunately, this also deleted the image file names in the HTML so it was harder to know which image went where and which one to replace.

At this point, I have destroyed my site so much that I decide it's easier just to wipe the server and do a fresh WordPress install.

43:00

Fresh install

Finally, something I know how to do but I wanted to use this as an opportunity to use the AI support chatbot. So, I asked Kodee. I forgot to take a screenshot of the instructions but they were clear and were correct.

My usual experience with AI chatbots is one met with words not suitable for use around children but I actually found Kodee useful and not frustrating.

Finding the file manager was easy and deleting the contents was easy too.

The layout was simple, uncluttered, and intuitive - I followed Kodee's instructions and it was just the case of pushing a couple of buttons to delete the contents of the database.

After the content was deleted I scrolled down the dashboard to find the button to install WordPress again.

I was given the opportunity to go through all the same questions as the first time round but on a different graphical interface and within the same three minute window my new WordPress site was created.

I tried to delete the calendar again but when I navigated to the same toolbar on which the option to remove the button is located to my surprise that section was now missing.

Instead of spending another twenty minutes of trying to remove the button I just deleted the entire block.

47:00

Changing the background image was simple this time round. I opened the HTML editor, located the image file name and replaced it with a picture of my two dogs. Later, I did find the way to do it without editing the HTML - which is the most simple way to do it.

I then asked AI to write some content about my two four-legged friends because I was too lazy and my experience with the WordPress page builder had left me feeling uninspired.

I still don't believe that there isn't a more simple way to do this. I know I should be spending more time with Hostinger than playing around with the Astra website template but I'm now on a mission.

Found it! At the time I didn't realise it was a background and not a standard image. I eventually found the area to replace the image in the tool bar after clicking and expanding the sections.

It seems obvious now and I feel foolish for not finding it earlier. I asked Owain if others struggle with WordPress too.

He told me, "You're not alone in being a little confused by WordPress' Guttenberg editor. Although it has improved in recent years, it doesn't offer the same 'ease of use' as top competitors like Wix and Squarespace. This is why page/template builders like Elementor, Bluehost, and Hostinger's AI WordPress website builder are so popular - helping you leverage WordPress' powerful CMS and plug-in library without the editing headache.

51:00

Optimization

I spent far too much time in WordPress so I've not got much time left to poke around. I decided to have a look at the Performance tab have a look to see what's going on around there.

My overall score was decent but there were two areas of slight concern. Those two areas were Speed index and Largest Contentful Paint - and considering my only image was a low resolution image of my dogs that's kind of unexpected.

I dived a little bit deeper in to the speed metrics to see if I could workout if the yellow scores were related to the hosting of the site or how I had made my site. For each score there was a link to a deeper explanation and some resolutions.

I didn't think the explanations and guidance was super helpful. So far, everything has been aimed at beginners. If a monkey could write their own email address to sign up they could click the rest of the buttons required to make a site. Through the eyes of a beginner the performance tab leaves me asking more questions that it answers. Why is the LCP low? Is that my fault or the servers fault?

My LCP score was 1.2s and given a 'needs improvement' rating. When clicking through to the explainer a score of 1.2 seconds is firmly in the green and is rated as 'good'. What's up with that?

I'm running out of time and skim reading for a solution is not giving me anything solid to work on. It seems to be more of a teach a man to fish approach by explaining concepts rather than just given them the fish. Which in this case would just be step by step instructions on how to improve the LCP.

In this instance, I'd just like to be told what to do. Not given a lengthily explanation and then being expected to solve the issue on my own.

60:00

Time's up: how was that?

So, I only had an hour minus the 40 minutes I spent faffing around with WordPress so I cannot confidently give a definitive opinion.

Still, from a hosting perspective, wiping the server and starting again, plus asking the support bot how to do it everything was simple and straightforward.

The site speed section was less user friendly but I didn't have much time left to really get to grips with this section. I did go on to find much more user friendly ways to optimize the page speed.

Overall, I had a positive experience - and although this series is titled "One Hour With", there is nothing stopping me coming back for another hour, and I think I will.

Encore 60:00+

I know Hostinger has an AI WordPress optimization tool and I couldn't help myself to not give it a go.

I don't like leaving things unfinished so I gave myself a little more time to investigate. It wasn't immediately obvious to me where the AI optimizer was so I did a quick Google search which took me to the AI optimizer documentation page.

I was initially confused because it was instructing me to click on manage which was not on the Website tab next to the website. I guessed it could be found through the WordPress overview section and I was right.

I do find this slightly annoying but it is pretty common in documentation. When UI gets updated it's usually the documentation that gets updated last, or not at all.

Anyway, I click on the AI troubleshooter and I'm given a good score which indicates that I don't need to optimize the page.

This is Hostinger's performance score on it's own websites so it should be taken with a grain of salt and a thorough test would have me comparing Hostinger's performance metrics with independent metrics but that's an activity for another day.

Encore 70:00

This is really the end now, I promise

I now realise that I was just mildly confused and mislead by colors. In the documentation I fixated on the orange colour and text 'Needs Improvement'. I'm not sure why Hostinger colors a score of 1.2 seconds with yellow.

So, that's what I got up to with Hostinger with 60 minutes (plus a 10 minute encore).

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• My time at WordCamp Europe

Just before WordCamp Europe in Basel, Switzerland, I sat down with Bluehost's new CEO about the shake up at Newfold Digital and Bluehost's new ecommerce products.

Bluehost are one of the best web hosting providers and specifically one of the best WordPress hosting options. The changes promise to bring more power, features, and simplicity to millions of users.

In this interview we talk about how Sachin came to his position as Bluehost CEO, what the future holds for Bluehost and Bluehost customers, and talked about how Bluehost deliver on their promise to customers.

Congratulations on your new role as CEO of Bluehost. Can you please tell me a little bit about your journey to this position?

My journey to becoming CEO of Bluehost has been shaped by a deep commitment to customer success and a passion for building innovative solutions. I began my career in sales and marketing, working directly with customers to help them leverage technology in meaningful ways. This hands-on experience instilled in me a customer-first mindset that has guided my approach throughout my career.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with leading technology companies–including HP, StubHub, McAfee, and WP Engine–across both B2C and B2B environments. These experiences have given me a broad perspective on leveraging data, driving growth, and adapting to rapidly evolving markets. Most importantly, they reinforced the value of truly understanding customer needs and building products that empower users.

This focus on customer-centricity has been the common thread throughout my professional journey. Alongside this, I’m passionate about giving back to the community–sharing insights on privacy, digital transformation, and the evolving landscape of ecommerce. This blend of customer focus, innovation, and community engagement is what brought me to Bluehost, and it continues to drive my vision for the company.

There’s a bit of a shake up happening at Newfold Digital. What’s exciting about it and what does it mean for Bluehost and Bluehost customers?

Newfold’s recent organizational changes have created a dedicated focus for Bluehost, and I am honored to lead this next chapter. This new structure enables us to channel our energy and investment into developing solutions that go far beyond traditional hosting. Our vision is to evolve our platform in line with what customers value most today–AI-driven innovation, simplicity, and seamless commerce.

We are committed to making Bluehost more intuitive and accessible, integrating our tools to deliver a unified and performant experience that empowers customers, particularly SMBs, to achieve exceptional performance without the scale or resources of large enterprises. Our customers are already experiencing the benefits of these enhancements, especially within our ecommerce offerings. Moving forward, we will continue to embed AI-powered simplicity and a relentless focus on performance and customer-centricity into everything we do.

One of the key features of the previous iteration of the ecommerce plans was inventory integration across platforms. Have any features been sunset and what do you think are the key new features?

Absolutely, platform integration remains a core focus for us. One of the primary needs for SMBs and content creators is the ability to launch their websites and online stores quickly and efficiently. Our philosophy is to streamline and accelerate this development process, reducing complexity wherever possible.

While WordPress offers an unparalleled ecosystem and flexibility, the sheer volume of 65,000 available plugins can be daunting. Our aim is to make commerce creation truly frictionless – leveraging the strengths of open source and WordPress, while removing barriers for our users.

Discovery is the next critical step, and it is rapidly evolving with advancements in large language models (LLMs). We are investing in cutting-edge tools, such as augmenting traditional robot.txt with standardize LLM.txt, to ensure our customers’ sites are easily discoverable online.

We are also enhancing seamless integrations for campaign management, promotions, discounts, and email marketing. Features like single-click checkout and integrated payment solutions are central to reducing friction and maximizing conversions.

Our product roadmap is centered on the entire commerce journey, from creation and discovery to conversion, and you will continue to see these innovations reflected in our offerings moving forward.

What else is new about the ecommerce platform?

We are continuously enhancing our ecommerce platform to deliver a more intuitive and streamlined experience for our users. This includes integration of essential tools for campaign management, promotions, and email marketing, all designed to work together effortlessly.

A key focus is minimizing friction throughout the customer journey, particularly at checkout. Features such as single-click checkout and integrated payment solutions ensure a smooth and efficient purchasing process.

Our overarching goal is to provide a cohesive, AI-powered platform that supports our customers at every stage, from store creation and discovery to conversion, enabling businesses to thrive in today’s digital environment.

In the traditional sense when you think of an ecommerce store you think landing page, inventory, and checkout but influencers are now having a much bigger impact on buying decisions and places we shop online. What are content creators to Bluehost and how are the ecommerce plans designed around them and our new ways of shopping and selling?

Commerce is increasingly influenced by influencers, communities, and content creators. Reputation and trust are increasingly built through endorsements from these key opinion leaders, a trend amplified by advancements in large language models (LLMs).

For content creators and influencers, the natural next step is often to start selling their own products or services, or the products they endorse. These are typically small teams that may not have all the technical skills needed to build and manage an online store. That’s why we’re focused on providing a fast, easy, AI-powered platform with low-code or no-code options. This approach enables creators to launch products quickly and offer their audiences a seamless, impulse-friendly purchasing experience. Features such as single-click checkout and integrated payments are specifically designed to support and empower this audience.

You’ve mentioned solving problems for users, how did you identify the challenges of your customers?

With over 5 million WordPress users, and 13 million Yoast active installations globally, we benefit from a large and highly engaged user base that provides continuous feedback. Our support organization is deeply involved, offering customers direct access to support agents worldwide. Insights from support interactions, behavioral data, and customer surveys are regularly shared with our product team to inform development.

Many of our employees are also active users, building sites and engaging with the community, which fosters a strong sense of empathy for our customers’ needs. By triangulating feedback from users, support teams, and industry opinion leaders, we’re able to identify emerging trends and develop the right tools for our customers. In today’s market, speed and responsiveness are more important than ever.

400k monthly visits is a lot for a monthly plan on shared hosting (and especially for less than $20/mo). What performance can users expect at this level and how can plans scale with Bluehost to adapt to the demands of growing online stores?

Our shared hosting plans are designed primarily for SMBs and content creators who want to get online quickly and may experience spikes in traffic. Our plans are powered by cutting-edge, global cloud infrastructure, offering the speed, reliability, and scalability modern businesses demand—from anywhere in the world.

For businesses with high-scale ecommerce needs – such as those with extensive product catalogs or millions of concurrent users – shared hosting may not provide the level of performance or security required. For these scenarios, we offer advanced cloud solutions with 100% uptime SLA, robust security, reliability, and custom coding capabilities.

Our goal is to make hosting as seamless and scalable as possible, allowing customers to grow and adapt as their needs evolve. The 400,000 monthly visits figure serves as a safety net for our shared hosting plans, but for consistently high traffic or more demanding requirements, our cloud and advanced hosting solutions are the ideal choice.

• The FTC finalized its orders for GoDaddy following security breaches
• The orders are part of an agreed settlement
• GoDaddy has different headlines for different operations

The US Federal and Trade Commission (FTC) has outlined almost a dozen requirements which hosting provider GoDaddy must fulfill in order to settle the charges of data security failings that resulted in multiple data breaches in recent years.

In a 14-page document, the FTC first stated that GoDaddy must no longer misrepresent its security and data protection practices, use of security technologies, or its participation in security and privacy programs (suggesting that the company actually misled users about its security practices).

GoDaddy then has 90 days to implement a comprehensive program that is documented and updated at least once a year (or after an incident), assigns a qualified person responsible, and assesses and manages internal and external security risks, among other things.

Additional requirements

The hosting giant also has 180 days to disconnect or secure unsupported software and hardware, monitor for unauthorized changes to the OS and app files, and to set up “phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) for employees, contractors, and customers. APIs need to be secured with HTTPS, authentication, rate-limiting, and monitoring.

Other requirements include third-party security assessments, full cooperation with assessors, annual executive certification, incident reporting, and more.

GoDaddy is one of the best website hosting companies around, serving more than five million customers across the world.

Roughly two years ago, it was discovered that an unknown threat actor had been sitting in GoDaddy’s systems for several years, installing malware, stealing source code, and attacking the company’s customers.

The company's SEC filing at the time showed the attackers breached GoDaddy’s cPanel shared hosting environment and used that as a launch pad for further attacks. The company described the hackers as a “sophisticated threat actor group”.

The group was eventually spotted in late 2022 when customers started reporting that traffic coming to their websites was being redirected elsewhere.

Via BleepingComputer

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The best cheap game server hosts are perfect if you want to set up your own server, but you need to keep costs down. I've spent plenty of time seeking out all the best cheap game server hosts currently available. Some entries have already been mentioned in our look at the best game server hosting, so you're not just getting cheap hosting but genuinely good hosting too.

Below, I've covered many different scenarios so you can easily find the right solution for your needs. That goes for if you just want to play with a couple of friends or if you're aiming to cultivate a community. Take a look at what I recommend and find the right cheap game server host for you.

Best cheap game server hosts of 2026 in full

Best cheap game server host overall

ScalaCube starts out very cheaply with its cheapest plan starting at just $2 for the first month before rising to $4 monthly. It's a very basic server but it's good insight into what to expect and it does the job for just a few friends gathering together.

That basic Minecraft package offers just 768MB RAM and 10 player slots, but there are more substantial servers around. Servers are available in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Singapore, and India, so there’s something for everyone here. In all cases, you get instant setup, plugin/mod support, backups, full file access, and a free domain.

One-click installation for Minecraft modpacks is great whether you’re an expert or new to the server hosting world. At all times, I've found the interface to be intuitive and user-friendly, as well as lag-free. The support team is also great in my experience, although bear in mind that it’s online only with telephone support. For most people, this will be just fine.

If you’re trying to decide between ScalaCube and Shockbyte -- one of our other favorites -- check out our guide to the differences for further insight.

Read our ScalaCube review

Best flexible cheap game server host

Got a group of friends who rarely stick with a game for long? Nodecraft is what you need. It has a feature known as save&swap which means you can easily switch between different game servers. It works by archiving the current one before you pick the new one, so you can easily restore the previous option at a later date.

Other companies provide similar options but none are laid out as well as this. You're still limited by the hardware on the server you're paying for but you can experiment a lot. Prices only get hefty when you opt for the most premium examples. When it comes to a Minecraft server, it takes a tap of a button to install plugins with a similar story elsewhere. It's possible to save up to five instances.

For other functionality, Nodecraft scores highly too. It has a 24 hour free trial in exchange for your phone number, hides anything too complex in the background, and there's live chat during US hours for support, along with fairly comprehensive FAQs.

Read our Nodecraft review

Best for 2-year plans

Hostinger is generally better known in the web hosting service world, but it also has a strong presence in the game server hosting side of things too. A little hidden away and a type of game-centric VPS plan, it requires a little more technical understanding to get set up than some alternatives, but it's worth it.

At first, it may not seem cheap but when committing to 2-year plans, it works out as good value on a monthly basis. Using a VPS means you can do more than just host a game server right down to installing a different operating system if you feel like it. I found it simple enough to set up a series of instances with support for dozens of games including some older titles like Counterstrike 1.6 as well as more recent offerings.

Hostinger has AI assistance support alongside conventional options so there's always help nearby. As standard, there are automated backups, a dedicated IP, and DDoS protection.

Read our full Hostinger review

Best for simplicity

Shockbyte is an easy cheap game server host to recommend. It's the one I suggest to a lot of friends. Simple to use, it has support for pretty much every popular game out there. All its plans offer DDoS protection, unlimited bandwidth, and NVMe storage. There's also automated instant setup, a free subdomain, and 100% network uptime as standard.

Sounds good? It gets better with 24/7 support, a comprehensive FAQ section, and many YouTube tutorials solving most of your commonly asked questions. The Shockbyte control panel continues the easy to understand theme. It takes seconds to create your server and you can soon get things just how you like them. It actually feels welcoming with its wealth of options rather than intimidating.

Shockbyte's priciest plans can get pretty expensive but on the lower end of the scale, it's easily one of the best cheap game server hosts. It also has the decency to make plan suggestions so you should be able to find what works for you even without expert insight.

Read our Shockbyte review

Best free plan

You can't get cheaper than free and Minecraft Hosting Pro offers a free server plan. Granted, it won't suit all needs and it's best to see it as a free trial to see if the hosting provider's control panel suits your style, but it's a good starting point. Elsewhere, Minecraft Hosting Pro's plans are fairly well priced.

It doesn't cover as many locations around the world as the competition but it covers the most popular choices. This includes 4 in the US, 2 in Europe, and 1 in Australia. All the servers have DDoS protection, automatic backups, unmetered storage, a 100MB MySQL database, and instant setup. There's also 99.9% availability and you also get a free domain and subdomain thrown in.

All but the free plan offers unlimited player slots and a choice of locations. The more affordable plans provide a 3-core CPU as standard with the high-end packages adding a core to that deal.

Because of things like that, Minecraft Hosting Pro is one of the best cheap game server hosts for those with relatively small demands. It's also intuitive and user-friendly to figure out.

Read our full Minecraft Hosting Pro review

Best cheap game server hosts FAQs

How we tested the best cheap game server hosts

I spent significant time with all the game server hosting providers listed above as well as many others. That means we’re in a great position to evaluate what’s needed. I looked at speed, reliability, how good support is, and how easy it is to complete many regular tasks through the control panel. I also looked at what games are supported, how appealing each service provider is, and what additional features may be included. Essentially, I looked at everything that you would find important for your own plans, all from the eyes of a keen gamer just like you.

Imperium Hosting is a veteran-owned game server host which caters for a wide range of games. We focused on its place among the best Minecraft server hosting, but if you can think of a game with an online community, Imperium probably has a server plan for it.

For Minecraft, Imperium Hosting focuses on a range of configurable options rather than specific plan names which means a lot of variety. Besides game server hosting, Imperium also provides web hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. Potentially a good option for someone seeking the best dedicated server hosting, we’ve specifically looked at Imperium Hosting’s dedicated Minecraft server hosting options. Here’s what we found during our time with Imperium.

Plans and pricing

Unlike other game server host providers, Imperium Hosting doesn’t use dedicated names for its plans. Instead, you pick your game then configure the options you need.

For Minecraft, that means you can adjust the memory allocation between 2GB and 20GB, and the disk space between 50GB and 200GB. Additionally, there are options like a superior CPU and other add-ons as needed.

It’s great to have such flexibility but if you’re new to game server hosting, some guidance as to what plan works best for your situation would help.

All plans offer DDoS protection, global server locations, extensive customer support, and one-click mod pack installation.

Refreshingly, while Imperium Hosting offers some add-ons during sign up, like migration, everything is opt-in. As standard, you’re provided with the cheapest plan with Minecraft plans starting from $2.99 for a basic 2GB RAM/50GB disk space plan (you’ll need more RAM in most scenarios). It’s laid out well so you know what you’re getting.

The cheapest plan starts at $2.99 with the price rising to $72 for the maxed out 20GB RAM/200GB disk space/RealTime CPU plan. There’s no extra fee for any of the server location with servers based in Washington, California, Virginia, the UK, France, and Canada. Payment is accepted via PayPal or credit/debit card.

Ease of use

As mentioned, the sign up process on the Imperium website doesn’t involve clicking on specific plan names. Instead, you pick the memory and disk space you need along with the CPU priority you would like. It’s not as clearly laid out as other hosting options (and I never could find full details on concrete differences between the CPU options), but it does give you plenty of control.

In a similar vein, once signed up, the dashboard and control panel aren’t as clearly laid out as others either but there’s all you need once you dig around. Log in and you can dive into the MySQL manager (1 database comes as standard), or the game service manager. The latter is where you’ll be spending much of your time with clearly laid options for adding mods, checking logs, or scheduling tasks? Attractive to look at? Not in the slightest but it gets the job done.

There are many modpacks available as well as the option to switch between Spigot and Paper, or Vanilla. If you’re completely new to setting up a Minecraft server, Imperium Hosting can be a little intimidating but it’s as powerful as you need it to be.

My favorite highlight is how easy it is to add sub users as not every game server host makes that as obviously simple as this. Just go to Create a Sub User and you can easily get set up.

Speed and experience

Imperium Hosting has servers located around the world. These include three within the US, one in Canada, one in the UK, and one in France. When signing up, your options are a little more restricted to Western America, Eastern America, or Western Europe.

Elsewhere in the world, you may find this a little limiting but based in Western Europe, I achieved a steady ping under 40 at all times. While there could be more varied servers, the core market is covered with North America and Western Europe.

As with all Minecraft server plans, aim high if you want to install any mods. Checking out the most basic plan and installing a couple of mods soon maxed out the memory usage. That’s typical when managing any Minecraft server but bear in mind that it’s a smart move to research what you need for your plans as Imperium Hosting doesn’t provide any recommendations.

Support

When it comes to support, it’s a benefit that Imperium Hosting is fairly small. Support is friendly and well-respected by many users. There’s Live Chat, a Discord server, as well as a more typical ticketing system. There’s also a Knowledgebase which covers most queries.

A YouTube channel would round things up nicely but like a lot of the service, Imperium is all about function over form and it still works reasonably well.

Imperium doesn't provide insight into its uptime on the site so there are no statistics to compare with other hosting providers. However, in my experience using the server, there was no downtime.

Final Verdict

Imperium Hosting isn’t the prettiest or most novice friendly of game server hosts, but it deserves some attention. If you’re keen to back a smaller game server hosting service, you’ll gain a decent pricing structure and good customer service.

There’s no chance of paying for features you don’t need here as Imperium Hosting keeps it simply laid out even if it isn’t ideal for newbies. Similarly, while you won’t be regaling Minecraft buddies with tales of how good looking the control panel is, it gets the job done.

Simple yet effective in all the right ways, I’d still recommend Imperium Hosting even if it could be a little more refined in places.

Empower Servers might not be a major name in Minecraft game server hosting but it’s been around since 2018 and offers some key services.

It isn’t quite of the standard to feature among the very best Minecraft server hosting but its choice of standard or premium plans and a sliding scale all ensure it’s well suited for novices and experienced server admins alike.

We focused on our time with its Minecraft server but Empower provides hosting for many of the most popular games including Palworld and Rust. It also offers Discord bots and website hosting if you have wider plans in mind. If you’re looking for some of the best Palworld server hosting, this could be a good option for that as well as Minecraft. There are also options to rival the best Rust server hosting. Here’s how we found the dedicated Minecraft server hosting options within Empower.

Plans and pricing

Pick the game you want a server for and you’re presented with configuration options relating to that game. With Minecraft, that means a choice of tiers between standard and high performance, and the ability to adjust how much RAM you need. Predictably then, there’s a lot of flexibility here.

Once you’ve picked the basics, it’s also possible to pay extra for daily backups, a dedicated IP, plugin and mod install, and a domain registration, As standard, all the Empower plans promise 20GB of NVMe storage, a free subdomain, full mod and plugin support, no player limit, and unmetered bandwidth. Premium plans offer a dedicated IP, daily backups, and unlimited NVMe storage as part of the bundle.

Empower uses a mixture of AMD Ryzen 3900X, Intel i9-11900K, and Xeon-E 2286G CPUs. It’s not possible to pick the specific CPU your server uses if you’re keen for that level of control.

All plans have a 48 hour refund policy which is a little brief compared to the competition which typically offers 72 hours, but should still be sufficient for giving you enough time to figure out if you like how Empower does things.

Ease of use

Empower Servers focuses on a simplified process when signing up which continues throughout use. Sign up is simple enough with you picking the game then working out what extras you want to pay for. It’s clearly laid out.

Once set up, the control panel is similarly obvious. It takes seconds to find the console, find plugins or modpacks to add, and all the other essentials you need.

It’s simple enough that you don’t need exactly how to set up a Minecraft server as Empower takes out most of the hard work. In particular, it’s great to see how easy it is to install extras without needing expert knowledge. You can also easily add files via the file manager so it’s not like you’re held back either if you know what you’re doing.

One neat addition is that you can easily add other admins with Empower laying out exactly what each option does via a series of tick boxes. That’s particularly useful for anyone figuring out the basics behind server hosting.

Speed and experience

Empower has servers located in eight locations. These include Canada, Germany, New Zealand, United States, Netherlands, UK, Australia, and Singapore.

While signing up, you can choose the location. I picked the UK one and had a steady ping of around 40 throughout use. Empower promises 100% network uptime.

Unusually, I did have brief downtime with my server crashing and restarting. However, I suspect that was because of a configuration issue rather than a fault on Empower’s end. I’d installed an out-of-date plugin which was causing connection issues. I think that ultimately led to the server rebooting.

It’s possible to sign up for a 2GB RAM plan but it’s not advisable. Empower suggests that such a minimal plan is only suitable for the Bedrock edition and in my experience, 4GB RAM at minimum is best for small server aims.

Once you install a few mods and plugins, less RAM can really negatively affect performance. Fortunately, Empower’s dashboard shows at a glance how your CPU and memory usage is being affected at all times.

Support

Empower offers quite a few different ways to reach out for support. At its simplest, it has an extensive knowledge base which covers a wide range of the most common issues you might come across.

When you need more assistance, there’s also a Discord for more direct help or general advice. Alternatively, there’s a live chat facility with AI assistance at first leading into human help. If it’s not too urgent, you can also email Empower.

Another option is to watch the Empower YouTube channel which offers some great tutorials on how to complete many tasks.

I found the service across the board pretty efficient and also helpful. Having so many choices means you shouldn't feel stuck with any issue or query you might have.

Final Verdict

Empower is good for everyone but its strength lies with being fairly user friendly. It doesn’t dig too deep into the details at first glance unless you want to go looking for it. Instead, it’s welcoming and ensures its control panel and dashboard make logical sense with clearly laid out terms that don’t require as much prior knowledge as you would expect.

The best option with Empower is a premium plan but you can still get good value from money from a standard plan. It all comes down to your needs. For someone looking to host a few friends, a standard plan will suffice, while those looking to create a community may wish to go for the premium plan.

Minefort is a dark horse of a game server hosting company. That’s because its initial focus is on how it provides free plans. It isn’t a perfect service which is why one of the best Minecraft server hosting providers is likely to be better suited for many needs, but for a quick hit, there’s appeal here.

Besides the free plan, there are premium options too. As the name suggests, Minefort exclusively caters for Minecraft players so others may prefer to use the best dedicated server hosting instead if you have bigger plans. Simpler than the best VPS hosting, here’s how we found Minefort for Minecraft server hosting.

Plans and pricing

Minefort offers five plans each named after a type of accommodation. The free plan is named Hut while there’s also Cottage, House, Mansion, and Fort. The free plan is only online when in use and goes into hibernation mode until you restart it. The others are all available 24/7.

There’s no insight into what CPUs are used for each server plan but you’re provided with the essentials -- RAM, max players, backup slots, and storage limits. The free plan starts things off with 10 player slots at most.

Unlike bigger hosts, Minefort doesn’t lead the way with suggestions or even with a sliding scale to adjust plans, but the basics are here. There’s also DDoS protection and support for all plans. The two priciest plans offer ‘Advanced’ and ‘Premium’ DDoS protection but again, details are pretty non-existent as to what that entails. Consider Minefort simple in both good and potentially frustrating ways for micro managers.

Ease of use

Signing up to Minefort takes mere moments. It leans heavily into its free offering so there’s no need to enter card details until you get to the upgrade screen. A clearly laid out control panel is instantly accessible. Head to appearances to get things personalized while there’s one-click plugin installation for many different mods.

It’s also possible to quickly add another admin, create backups, and connect via FTP. That goes for the free plan as well as paid servers too.

On the free plan, you'll need to remember that the server can go into hibernation mode easily when not in use. Also, while you can set up many free servers, only one can be actively online at any one time.

Still, Minefort offers much of what you need from a paid plan while never feeling like you miss out on much when pursuing the free plan too. This is a service that’s appropriate for anyone new to knowing how to set up a Minecraft server as well as more experienced admins.

Speed and experience

Unlike other hosts, Minefort doesn’t explain where its servers are located. You can’t choose the location but a dig around confirms they’re based in Canada. That means if you’re based in Europe like me, ping can be a little higher than average. In my case, it was around 150ish which isn’t too awkward. Certainly not for something a little more forgiving (most of the time) like Minecraft.

The lack of location options feels more of an issue when paying for a plan than it does with the free plan. Your mileage will vary here as obviously, it’s good to have plenty of control when paying a lot, but less relevant on cheaper plans.

Understandably, performance similarly varies depending on what you’re paying. Scant details are provided regarding CPUs and RAM, but the basic free plan lives up to its name which means it’s best just for a few players and not too many mods. It only offers 1GB RAM which is pretty low for most Minecraft installs. Upgrade and you can change things up between 35 players right up to 200. As with other Minecraft server hosts, you get what you pay for.

For any long term plans, aim for the most premium package (or potentially something from the best premium game server hosting).

Support

Minefort has fairly limited support on the free plan with 24/7 access for paid plans. On a free plan, your main route of support is a chatbot until support is available or the knowledge base. The chatbot is reasonably helpful for basic queries while the FAQ also covers many commonly asked questions. There’s also a Discord – an increasingly popular way to solve queries fast by crowdsourcing help in some cases.

It’s not as feature rich as competitors and the lack of a YouTube channel is a missed opportunity. Still, if you know what you’re doing, you may not need support very often.

Final Verdict

Minefort’s strength is in its free offerings. It’s refreshing to find a seemingly catch-free way of enjoying a free server with a few friends. After all, you don’t even need to enter card details. That free server may not offer much power but it’s still sufficient for a quick few sessions with a couple of buddies.

Where it gets trickier to recommend is when it comes to its paid plans. The lack of location choice and the limited details about hardware won’t appeal to experienced server admins and understandably so. It’s well priced but competitors do a better job of explaining all before you commit to anything.

Because of that, Minefort is best suited for anyone who needs an inexpensive or free plan for a short period of time. Something to tide them over rather than if they have plans for a community-driven server.

There’s a place for that kind of service which is why Minefort is worth acknowledging and checking out. Just make sure to temper your expectations. If you know what you’re doing and what you need, there are better alternatives around.