The best small business web hosting services of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

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When so many web hosting services are vying for your attention, it can be tough to pick the right solution -- especially when you are launching or in the early stages of operating a small business.

You need to consider pricing, uptime guarantees, computing resources available (and what you think you may need), whether you want a shared or dedicated host, your budget, security, the option of backend CMS support, and whether you want extra features, such as SEO tools or e-commerce capabilities.

I examined scores of web hosting providers to find the top picks that offer the best in reliability, scalability, features, and ease of use. They have high uptime guarantees, plans ranging from shared servers to multi-server cloud hosting, and one-click installers for popular website builders like WordPress. Our guide cuts through the noise, offering a range of web hosting solutions with business-ready packages suitable for budgets of all sizes.

Also: The best web hosting services: Expert tested

In ZDNET's January update, we conducted a thorough overhaul of our guide to the best small business web hosting solutions in the market today, including refreshing our top picks and revising our FAQs. We also added Hostinger as a top recommendation.

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What is the best small business web hosting service right now?

GoDaddy wins my pick for the best small business web host of 2026. Its flagship Web Hosting Deluxe plan, currently on sale, is packed with value at $8 per month with a three-year term. It lets you host up to 10 websites and offers 50GB of storage space on an NVMe hard drive, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, cPanel, and SSL security for encrypting your website traffic.

Also: The best small-business CRM software

As a B2B tech journalist and software reviewer, I've analyzed scores of web hosting providers just in the last year. I've written detailed accounts of my experience with hosting providers like Hostinger, Bluehost, DreamHost, ScalaHosting, and many more.

For this list, I have recommended web hosting services with the features that matter most to small businesses: affordability, reliability, and scalability.

The best small business web hosting services of 2026

GoDaddy has topped our list as one of the top web hosting services for small businesses today.

Why we like it: GoDaddy's web hosting dashboard makes it easy to manage multiple websites and servers, no technical expertise needed. GoDaddy also offers decent performance during rush hours, even on its shared hosting plans.

The company has introduced a suite of business tools available for free with its hosting plans, under the GoDaddy Airo umbrella. This AI-powered platform offers a range of features, including website building and social media management.

Review: GoDaddy: Easy and reliable web hosting for small sites and beginners

During my performance tests, GoDaddy maintained 100% uptime with no outages, surpassing its advertised uptime guarantee of 99.99%. Its average server response time was around 180 milliseconds, while its page loading speed was well below one second on every occasion. I also liked that GoDaddy offers strong security features, like SSL certificates and DDoS protection, across all plans, along with spam protection for its mailbox service.

Who it's for: GoDaddy will suit many users who want a reasonably priced web hosting platform with plenty of useful features to grow their new business online.

Pricing starts at $6 per month, which gets you 25GB of NVMe storage. But for shared hosting users, the Deluxe plan offers much more value at an initial cost of $8 per month, letting you host up to 10 websites with over 50GB of NVMe storage.

GoDaddy also offers WordPress and VPS hosting solutions for more advanced users, which can offer better performance for high-usage scenarios.

Who should look elsewhere: There is a caveat that should be mentioned. In 2025, GoDaddy was ordered to up its security game by the FTC, and so these allegations of lax security may sway your decision to another of our hosting options.

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DreamHost, one of the few web hosting companies that gets an official recommendation from WordPress.org, offers the best in reliability, backed by a rare uptime guarantee of 100%.

Why we like it: During my tests, I found that the hosting provider keeps those promises while maintaining a fully loaded time that's well below the recommended maximum from Google.

This hosting provider is very easy to use, thanks to its modern design with straightforward navigation. Plus, there's a vast library of resources and tutorials available for advanced use cases.

DreamHost offers a 97-day money-back guarantee on some of its hosting plans, which is the most generous offer in the entire industry and three times more than the market standard.

Also: The best WordPress hosting services

Who it's for: Anyone who wants to operate a reliable WordPress website with minimal fuss. DreamHost's entry-level plans are also affordable, starting at only $2.89 per month.

There's also a current promotion live for four-year plans: entry-level hosting and a free 'handcrafted' website design for $2/month.

Who should look elsewhere: While this web hosting service ticks many boxes, it struggles with volume. Performance seems to be significantly reduced during active hours on shared hosting plans. Since DreamHost has only a handful of data center locations, performance may be affected.

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Hostinger is a great option for small businesses that want to combine email and web hosting, while keeping things affordable.

Why we like it: It's simple to sign up, your credentials are available almost immediately, and as a customer, I've found it offers great uptime.

I've also had the opportunity to try out the AI Horizons website builder, and, based on a simple prompt, it's quite impressive what the automatic builder can create.

Hostinger also provides a range of features that will suit small businesses. These include basic web hosting, shared or dedicated services, WordPress and e-commerce, domain transfers, managed web apps, and email marketing tools.

Who it's for: Individuals and businesses that want a combined web and email hosting solution. Hostinger offers standard email accounts and mailboxes on its hosting plans -- many of which are free for a time -- or a dedicated hosting service with Titan, a business-focused email platform.

Hostinger's entry-level plan is currently on offer for $1.99 with three months of free service included on a four-year plan. However, you can choose between one month, 1 year, 2 years, or 4 years, giving you flexibility.

Also: Hostinger review

Who should look elsewhere: As a Hostinger customer, I do feel that the firm's customer support practices need improvement. You often have to push to reach a human, and it can be lackluster. So if customer support or technical help is important to you, consider another option.

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SiteGround offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee and can easily handle more than its minimum of 10,000 visits per month on its base plan.

Why we like it: It's yet another WordPress-focused web host and website builder, but arguably the best performer, especially for users outside the U.S. and Europe. This is because its data centers are now hosted entirely on the Google Cloud Platform infrastructure, benefiting from the platform's global reach and strong reliability.

In addition to being beginner-friendly and customer-centric, SiteGround offers its proprietary SuperCacher technology to optimize WordPress sites. Automatic platform-wide performance evaluations run monthly, so bugs and vulnerabilities can be spotted early.

Also: The best free web hosting services

Who it's for: Small business owners who want a high-quality service that is affordable, but scalable.

There are three web hosting plans to choose from, but the GrowBig plan, at $4.99 per month, offers the most value, with unlimited websites, 20GB of storage space, and approximately 100,000 visits monthly. You also get a number of complimentary features, like SSL certificates, daily backups, a free CDN, business emails, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The cheapest subscription is StartUp, which provides 10GB of storage and support for one website at $2.99/month.

While its renewal prices jump, SiteGround is well worth the additional investment for advanced WordPress users.

Who should look elsewhere: If you only need one website for a small project, we have listed other options that will cost you less monthly.

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ScalaHosting is an excellent option for small businesses seeking affordable managed or unmanaged hosting services.

Why we like it: Unlike more traditional web hosts, ScalaHosting offers its proprietary SPanel over the standard cPanel for website and server management. It lets you control websites, databases, emails, and domain names through a single interface, with additional white-labelling options for resellers and agencies.

Added features include an AI security system that ScalaHosting says blocks 99.97% of all attacks, SSL certificates, and antivirus and antispam protection.

Per its own reports, ScalaHosting has been maintaining 100% uptime year over year with no significant outages. Server responses are quick across locations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Based on my recent speed tests, it took just a little over a second to load the LCP on a basic WordPress site.

You also get 24/7 fully managed support, including instant live chat for all VPS customers, and a 15-minute ticket response time for more complex issues.

Who it's for: ScalaHosting is a great choice if you want a consistently affordable service without any unexpected price hikes.

ScalaHosting's shared server plans start at $2.95 per month initially, though what it's most known for is the Cloud VPS plans priced upward of $15. These plans come with a minimum of two CPU cores, 2GB of RAM, 50GB of NVMe SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, and automatic site backups.

Who should look elsewhere: If you're looking for advanced features and granular website building functionality, check out another of my recommendations.

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Web host	Starting cost	Storage space (in GB)	Bandwidth	Interface
GoDaddy	$6 per month	25GB	Unlimited	Custom dashboard
DreamHost	$2.89 per month	Unlimited	Unlimited	Custom control panel
Hostinger	$2 per month	20GB	100GB+	hPanel
SiteGround	$3 per month	10GB	Unmetered	Site Tools
ScalaHosting	$2.95 per month	50GB	Unmetered	SPanel

Choose this small business web hosting service...	If you want or need...
GoDaddy	An all-in-one solution with a user-friendly interface and a built-in website builder that's perfect for beginners who need simplicity without sacrificing performance.
DreamHost	A reliable, budget-friendly hosting option with excellent U.S. performance and a generous 97-day money-back guarantee to test the service thoroughly.
Hostinger	Another affordable option with combined email and hosting packages. It's cheap, and while not the most powerful solution around, does offer a wealth of useful tools for growing businesses.
SiteGround	Premium WordPress hosting with advanced caching technology and Google Cloud infrastructure for businesses willing to pay more for superior performance and optimization.
ScalaHosting	Affordable, scalable hosting with exceptional security features and perfect uptime, ideal for growing businesses that need room to expand without technical complexity.

Small to midsize businesses have specialized web hosting requirements that not all services can satisfy. Here's what to look for when choosing a web hosting provider specifically for small businesses:

Uptime guarantees: Look for an SLA-backed uptime guarantee of at least 99.9% in your web hosting provider. More than 10 minutes of potential downtime per week is generally unacceptable for business use.
Loading speed: Not only do loading times affect user experience, but even search engines consider them a crucial factor when determining your page rank. So aim for a web host that offers a server response time of under 600 milliseconds, along with NVMe SSD storage and built-in CDN technology to improve real-world performance.
Scalability: As your business grows, you'll need a web hosting service that can scale with your needs, with upgraded plans that offer more storage, better performance, and greater customization. Look for a web host that offers a mix of shared, virtual, dedicated, and cloud hosting plans at different prices.
Essential security features: Daily backups, SSL certificates, and DDoS protection are just some of the security features you should look for in your web hosting provider. Small businesses need to prioritize customer security, so choose a platform with a clear, transparent security policy that outlines how the provider handles and safeguards data.
Storage and bandwidth allocations: Your monthly data transfer requirements can be calculated by using this formula: monthly visitors × average page size × pageviews × 30 days. This is the total amount of content your website serves each month, so look for a hosting plan with a higher storage limit than whatever number you get.
Budget: Signing up for a web hosting service is an investment and one that you will likely need to carry on for years into the future. While affordability isn't the only concern, it is important to factor in the monthly or annual cost of the web hosting provider you are interested in.

When I compiled my recommendations for the best small business web hosting providers of 2026, I considered the following factors:

Hands-on testing: For each web hosting service I reviewed and was able to test, I ran multiple performance tests across different scenarios to assess how it performed in real-world business scenarios and environments.
Infrastructure: I also looked at factors such as server locations, storage capacity, caching tools, and CDNs -- all of which can affect performance.
Security: The availability of security features like SSL certificates and DDoS protection is key to web hosting today, and automatic security updates should also be available.
Uptime guarantees: I also examined SLAs for upholding uptime guarantees and analyzed customer feedback to assess the likelihood of 99.9% claims.
Value for money: Apart from judging platforms by reliability and speed, I also looked at their overall value for money and checked whether a 30-day money-back guarantee was available.
Customer feedback: Customer feedback is also important, and so I considered reviews tied to each web hosting provider.

Latest news

Rackspace substantially increased the pricing of its email hosting services in January, in a move that has angered some customers.
Fortidia has sold the e-commerce shop designer PrestaShop to cyber_Folks, a hosting provider.
A major Swiss web hosting outage has lasted over two weeks, disrupting web and email services.
CVC has acquired a majority stake in Namecheap for approxomately $1.5 billion.
Cloudflare says it fended off over 400 billion AI bot scrape attempts in only five months.
GoDaddy is accelerating the development of Airo.ai with a new selection of AI agents.

A web hosting service is a company that rents out remote servers from its physical data centers so you can host a website on them. These servers provide the necessary hardware and software infrastructure you need to establish an online presence for your small business. If you want to launch a website and establish an online presence outside of social media, you'll need a company to provide the backend support necessary for one.

Small businesses have a range of hosting options to choose from, depending on the hardware specifications and support level they require. This includes shared hosting, virtual private servers, dedicated hosting, and managed services for Content Management System (CMS) platforms like WordPress.

Depending on the nature of the server your website is on, not to mention the level of support offered and any paid add-ons you might need, small-business web hosting can cost as little as $1 to $2 per month, all the way up to hundreds of dollars. Higher costs tend to be associated with high bandwidth, dedicated servers, and additional tools such as e-commerce support or AI.

Most experts agree that an SLA-backed guarantee of more than 99.9% is pretty good for most small business scenarios. But there are exceptions to this, depending on how important it is for your website not go down during normal activity. You should also keep in mind that if a cyberattack occurs, this is related to security problems -- whether vulnerabilities on your own website or a broad Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack -- rather than infrastructure that can't handle the load.

Shared hosting plans will often suit startups and emerging businesses, but small organizations may need access to more computing resources. If you expect heavy traffic and you need to host high-quality videos and content, for example, a dedicated hosting service will likely suit you better.

No, you don't, though this may be required with some website design packages. Hiring a website designer can have many benefits, as you can customize your website's appearance and have someone to call upon to make changes for you. However, in my experience as a website developer, many companies charge a high markup for website hosting and may require hundreds of dollars per year for the service.

Latest updates

January 2026: In ZDNET's January update, we conducted a thorough overhaul of our guide to the best small business web hosting solutions in the market today, including refreshing our top picks and revising our FAQs. We also added Hostinger as a top recommendation.
December 2025: In ZDNET's December update, we overhauled our guide and performed extensive editorial and copy changes.

Alternative services to consider

InMotion is a solid hosting provider that offers generous storage on its entry-level shared hosting plan. For $4.79/month, you will receive 200GB of storage and support for up to 10 websites.

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Officially recommended by WordPress.org, Bluehost is reliable, offers good value for money, and has a suite of AI tools on offer for small to midsize businesses. Plans start at $1.99 per month.

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With its headquarters in Germany, Ionos is a web host that's perfectly suited for users in Europe. It offers dedicated support options and strong security. Best of all, plans start at only $1 per month.

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We hope you've found our guide to the best small business web hosting services useful. For more of our recommendations, check out the best web hosting services overall and the best cloud hosting services around today.

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