What to consider when choosing a web hosting company
Select the right web hosting to take your website to the next level
You've decided what type of hosting that you should use and you're ready to pick one of the best web hosting providers but if you're deliberating between two hosts that share similar recommendations let me help you pick the right one for you.
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Integrity
Web hosting can be a surprisingly dirty game. I often see hosts with misleading infographics and marketing. I call it out when I see it and I don't include those hosts on the best web hosting guides. When looking at a side by side comparison, especially when made by a host themselves. Always double check.
Look for hosts that price their products clearly and that don't have dishonest marketing. Also look for hosts that have clear and easy to find limits on what's offered. Hosts that hide renewal prices or offer unlimited resources while hiding fair use limits are not going to be as friendly to use as those that are transparent from the beginning.
Reviews and online comments
Reddit is a common way for people to check the reliability and suitability of a product these days as people rely more on real user experience when making purchasing decisions. Unfortunately, web hosts know this too and often infiltrate forums with purchased accounts to prompt favorable discussion or to sneakily recommend themselves. Sometimes the discussion is just a ruse to create an opportunity to place affiliate links.
When reading online forums, check the accounts that are posting to see what else they say and whether they look like genuine posters. If they're only posting about web hosting or only in one or two other sub reddits, have a long gap between posts, or are suspended it's a clear sign that you might not be able to trust what's there.
Trustworthiness
TechRadar Pro makes money from affiliate links but we don't ever sell positions on hosting guides. It's in our interest to recommend hosts that are good hosts, otherwise you wouldn't use them or comeback to click again when it's time to renew or change host.
You can trust our reviews but you can also trust in numbers. When multiple people in multiple places are recommending the same thing then it's a positive sign.
Pros and cons
I don't want to call out any publication individually here but you should keep an eye on the pros and cons. If they just mention the renewal price or not offering a type of hosting it's a sign that the reviewer doesn't really understand the host or hosting. Look for reviews and pros and cons that speak to you and your use cases.
Your ability
You may have decided that you want to use VPS hosting so you're looking for a VPS hosting provider but before you pick you should consider whether they're aimed at your level. Some hosts are more used to getting more tech-savvy users. The support might be good but if they're not speaking your language then it can still be hard to navigate issues. You might find that a virtual private cloud from DigitalOcean is the cheapest solution for you but its a steep learning curve and you've got a business to run. In these cases a host that offers support and is renowned for their support is a better option.
Your location
Your location is important and it's more than just about having faster speeds between you and your customers. Having a host that's close to you also means their support is more likely to be available during your business hours and could also possibly have support in a language you're more familiar with.
There might even be some data sovereignty considerations. Some countries and regions require that data collected in that region cannot be stored or processed in a different region. In these cases, you'll need to select a web host that has servers in your location, not just support.
Conclusion
Evaluating a host can be difficult because of misleading marketing and poor quality reviews. I've done my best to call out hosts that mislead and create genuinely useful reviews and buying guides. So, to help you decide whether a host is right for you, you can check one of our buying guides or reviews and if you don't think they're right for your hopefully I've given you enough insights to help you come to your own conclusion about a host.
