Compare the top 20 web hosting providers. Find the best web host to match your needs from our list of the top 20 hosting providers in the industry today.

The Top 20 Web Hosting Providers May 2013

Superb Internet

Since 1996, Superb Internet has been consistently rated as one of the very best web hosts by reputable web host rating agencies, including Web Hosting Magazine, in all service areas: especially customer support, managed dedicated servers, and reseller services. Superb Internet provides a complete range of web hosting options, from shared hosting to mission-critical managed...

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FatCow

Who's That Cow? What's with the FatCow Thing? Why FatCow? We get this question a lot! Well, why call a computer an apple? FatCow was designed from the start to be a different alternative in Web hosting. We took a look around and saw lots of techno babble, confusing pricing schemes and not much in the way of customer satisfaction or support. We decided that a simpler,...

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Host NIT

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Vortex-VPS.com

Speedyvds is a privately held company owned and operated from Brisbane, Australia. The CEO and staff pride themselves in bringing a high standard of customer service and good quality products to the webhosting and VPS industry. The mission is to provide clients with a fast, secure and efficient service. The systems that are on offer will provide customers with fast secure...

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LeaseWeb

LeaseWeb is a quality hosting provider and operator of a first-class worldwide network. It has a network uptime of 99.999%, which currently offers its customers an available bandwidth of more than 2.3 Tbps. Services include dedicated servers, virtualization and cloud, colocation and custom IT infrastructure solutions, as well as a complete suite of internet services to...

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Just Host

Just Host are dedicated to providing their customers with the most reliable web hosting service possible. Affordable price plans, secure servers, first class 24/7 technical support and a wide range of features make hosting your website with Just Host the obvious choice.

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iPage

Our team has been in the hosting business, personal, social and non-profit websites for more than 10 years. We know web hosting and the typical hosting customer, which means we know there is NO typical hosting customer. That's why iPage offers a great deal of flexibility, without overcomplicating things. Moreover, we focus on the three things our customers care about:...

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OLM.net

OLM, LLC (OLM.net) is a privately held company dedicated to helping individuals and businesses create a powerful online presence easily and economically. Founded in 1996, OLM.net has grown considerably by providing a comprehensive array of web services backed by superior service and the latest technology. Currently, more than 350,000 domains from over 150 countries are...

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Dreamhost

At DreamHost we’ve been happily hosting our clients’ dreams (and websites) since April 1997. That was when four Computer Science undergraduates at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA launched this company with no capital apart from a single Pentium 100 web server (Destro was her name), using shared bandwidth on a T1 line that a friend gave us at no cost. By necessity...

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RoseHosting

Rose Hosting is a division of Rose Web Services LLC, a privately owned St. Louis, Missouri based company, founded in 2001 with the vision of becoming a leading provider of business and personal web hosting solutions. By focusing on quality equipment, stability and customer support, we set ourselves apart from our competitors. We offer unique, user friendly solutions for...

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InMotion Hosting

At InMotion Hosting, we understand business - not just e-business. We have stood behind this statement since our inception in 2001 and have been rewarded by a loyal - and growing - customer base. Fast, Reliable, and Affordable Hosting Our web hosting network is based on the fast and reliable Linux and Unix operating systems. It is monitored 24/7 for any unusual activity...

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Royalty Networks

Founded in 2005, Royalty Networks specializes in clustered hosting solutions to cater the needs of both personal and corporate clients around the world. By staying on top of new technologies and offering fast and friendly customer support, Royalty Networks remains a leading provider of Linux, Windows, Reseller and VPS hosting solutions.

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Cartika Hosting

CartikaHosting is a division of Cartika IT Solution Providers Inc. Founded in Toronto, Canada in May of 2000, Cartika Inc has established itself as a leader in Open Source Application Service Providers. Using advanced web hosting facilities, combined with our intricate knowledge in several best of breed Open Source Applications, Cartika is able to provide your business...

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Acenet

ACENET INC is committed to absolute excellence. That is why our corporate focus is on speed, reliability, and performance. We continually strive to optimize every possible aspect of our service. Further, with the help of cutting edge technology and premium hardware, we are able to provide a service second to none in the industry, guaranteed! Acenet realizes customers...

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24Shells

Ideas come out of dreams, but putting those ideas into practice requires careful and sustained planning. When there are millions of hosting providers competing for business, a potential customer needs to know the one which will stand out above all the others. 24Shells has defined its own place in the hosting industry since its inception and our ideas, planning, research...

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Webline Services

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Identity Website Hosting, Inc.

Identity Website Hosting, Inc. (dba Identity Web Host) is a top rated web hosting provider, serving customers from all over the world. We are a privately owned company, founded in 1998 and based in Lancaster, California, 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Our web hosting plans are tailor-made for small businesses that want more control over their site, ability to install...

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localnode

We are localnode. And we provide first class web hosting to individuals, businesses and corporations around the world. localnode are committed to offering something different - levels of first class quality and value that have never been seen before. That's why we put all of our care, attention and resources into our products - products which we believe are the very...

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Othio Hosting

Launched in early 2010, Othio Hosting has been providing reliable hosting services backed by superior support. Othio Hosting focuses their efforts entirely on reseller hosting to offer a superior reseller experience. Othio Hosting was founded on the principles of providing personal customer support, great value, and reliable service. With over 10 years of combined hosting...

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Cirrus Hosting

Cirrus Tech is a family owned and operated business founded by two Canadian Brothers who have devoted their energy and time to serve their valuable clients. Our Company is based in Toronto area which has become one of the fastest growing communities in IT. Since 1999, CIRRUS TECH LTD. has vigorously managed to offer valuable services (which were often only available...

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How to evaluate a web host

Choosing a host for your web-site is no small decision.

Once committed to one, it will become very difficult to move your business elsewhere - not to mention the damage that can be done to your business if you make the wrong choice. This makes it very important to "get it right the first time". Find out as much as you can about your prospective host before making any decisions.

When evaluating your host, you will obviously be considering price. But price is, of course, not the only important factor. You will also need to take into consideration:

  1. the speed and reliability of the servers and hardware,
  2. the features the host offers and whether these mesh with your own requirements, and, of course,
  3. the quality of their support services.

Let's look at each of these in turn:


1. Speed and Reliability of the Servers and Hardware

The speed and reliability of your host's servers will depend on several factors, including the quality of their connection to the internet, bandwidth, and the availability of back-up systems in case things go wrong. Here's a checklist of points to consider when checking out your prospective host's servers and hardware:

A T3 Connection (or better), close to a primary internet backbone.

A T3 connection is approx 30 times as fast as a T1 connection. Smaller hosting providers - for example, the proverbial "garage operations" --- will often use T1 connections, with no backup at all. They may be very cheap - but, be careful here, you can get what you pay for!

Effective Bandwidth Management

In addition to having a fast connection to the internet, your host should be able to manage how its available bandwidth is used . As a guide, it should typically not be using more than 50 percent of its bandwidth.

Backup Systems

If there is a systems, network or power failure, the last thing you want is to lose your data or to have your web-site go down for a long period. Good hosts will have back up systems in place to guard against this. Look for a host who can provide:

  • Regular, daily back up of your data
  • Backup power supplies
    • Look for an uninterruptible power supply system (often referred to as "UPS") - a back up power generator available in case of emergencies.
  • Redundancy
    • Do they have more than one connection to the internet, in case one of their connections goes down.
  • An "Uptime" Guarantee
    • These typically state "We guarantee 99% (or 99.5%) uptime".

Here's a sample of the kind of information that the web host should be supplying - this one taken from the web-host Interliant ( http://webhosting.interliant.com ) :

"Our Internet connectivity is supplied by three separate diverse backbone providers: UUNET, SAAVIS and Goodnet. If one of these lines goes down, traffic is automatically routed through the lines that are still online. Our data center is supplied by multiple redundant power sources - centralized automatic UPS system with a battery-powered backup system. The batteries are also connected to three diesel power generators in the event of a power outage to the building."

2. Features

As well as checking out the reliability of the servers and hardware you will also need to evaluate and compare the features provided by your host.

A full range of hosting features can be viewed on Webhostdir.com's "advanced search", which compares hosting providers on both price and features. This is an excellent facility for comparing features when choosing a host - but to make the best use of it, you will need first to prepare a list of features you require.

Here's a checklist of things to consider:

  • Shared or Dedicated Server?
    • Depending on your requirements, you may be better off with a dedicated server than a shared server. Dedicated servers are typically used in cases where there is a high level of traffic, there is a strong need for security, or the user wishes to run their own customised software and applications rather than the standard ones supplied by the host.
    For more information on available dedicated server providers, check out Webhostdir's "dedicated server" search page.
  • Compatibility with Existing Software and Skills
    • Is your host's server, software and support services compatible will the skills and software that you (or your design team) are using? If, for instance, you are used to working in a Unix environment, then it probably makes little sense to choose an NT host.
  • Flexibility and Room for Growth
    • You do not need a database solution now, perhaps, but you may need one in the future. Similarly, a shared hosting arrangement may be fine for you now, but what if your traffic levels explode, and you need one in a years' time? It is much easier to remain with one host than to change. So, when choosing a host, keep in mind your possible future needs, and whether the host will be able to accommodate them.


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