Hosting Options - Free and Low Cost Solutions

[podcast src="https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/8033606/height/360/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/direction/forward/" height="360" width="100%" placement="top" theme="standard"]We turn to hosting in this episode of our search for free and low-cost tools.  To be honest, free is not a long-term option with these tools although you can find a few that will start free.  These are popular, provide excellent support, and a solid list to begin with if you need to build out a hosting solution.

Bluehost

URL: https://www.bluehost.com/

This is a solution that is best suited to WordPress hosting.  It is easy to use and inexpensive, so it makes a perfect solution for a small business or consultancy that wants to provide an occasional blog article.  The plugins and customizations are a little limited.  However, these should be more than your typical customer will need.

GoDaddy

URL: https://www.godaddy.com/

When you ask people about hosting providers out there, it is likely that they will mention GoDaddy.  This option is well-known, has incredible entry level costs, and offers some additional features to launch a business (SEO, Web Design, email, etc.).  I am not a fan of heavy customization of a GoDaddy site, but they are suitable for hosting your domains, and the pricing makes them a cost-effective choice for testing out a series of names.

Linode

URL: https://www.linode.com/

When you are looking for more control and a full cloud solution then Linode is worth a look.  They do not have a lot of do-it-yourself tools.  However, they make it easy to price and launch a virtual machine with a wide range of options available.  There are also some additional services like backups and dynamic storage that you can add on to build your infrastructure in the cloud.

AWS/Azure

URL: https://aws.amazon.com/

URL: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/

We have spoken at length on the AWS services, but Azure is a solid competitor.  When you are comfortable with the technical skills required to build out your infrastructure, then these solutions can be a bargain.  They also make it easy to scale up (or down) your resources.

Digital Ocean

URL: https://www.digitalocean.com/

This is an interim cloud provider like Linode.  They have the advantage of using droplets to get you going quickly for a broad range of server needs.

1 and 1

URL: https://www.ionos.com/

When you are looking for cheap and simple then look no further.  1 and 1 has been around for a long time and has filled the niche of a low-cost solution for hosting a simple (HTML/PHP) site that is focused on marketing.

HostGator

URL: https://www.hostgator.com/

Arguably as popular and solid a solution as GoDaddy, HostGator is a solid web hosting provider of the traditional sense.  They provide standard tools and simple pricing options that are a good choice for most small and start-up businesses.