Welcome to Hosting Foundry, as a collective of web agency owners, between us, we have accounts with around 35+ web hosts. So you might say we know something about hosting sites (and creating them).
When it comes to finding a quality web host for authors, we’re really lucky as a lot of the big web hosting services do accommodate your needs. This made creating this web hosting comparison fairly easy! 🙂
Based on our reviews, here are the best web hosting services for authors:
| Web Hosting Company | Cost/mo | Features | View Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
 | USD $2.99 | Huge Discount |
| View Plans |
 | USD $35 |
| View Plans |
 | USD $25 |
| View Plans |
Table of Contents
Best Web Hosting for authors
Here are the 10 best web hosting reviews for authors, including their rates, disk space, support options, and load times.
1. SiteGround – Best Overall
- Price: $3.99
- Disk space: 10GB
- Support: Phone, Live Chat, and Tickets
- Load time: 359 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.99%
SiteGround is a popular hosting option for authors, with over 2.6 million domains. The company offers various hosting options and plans at different rates, and an excellent customer support team. Small blog owners and medium to large-sized businesses have an option on SiteGround.
SiteGround Performance
SiteGround’s uptime performance is a 99.99% average, making it one of the most reliable hosts in the industry. A strong uptime keeps your site visitors happy while guaranteeing the website is available almost around the clock, so customers never miss a chance to make a purchase.
Above Average Load Time
SiteGround offers 359ms loading time, which is above average. The platform does not experience load time spikes that would otherwise ruin a visitor’s experience.
Extra features such as SiteGround Optimizer further bolster speediness for for authors. The tool is responsible for delivering content to your site visitors fast. Ultrafast PHP is the company’s proprietary feature available on GrowBig and GoGeek, which helps reduce time to the first byte by 30%.
A Focus on Quality
Some ways SiteGround ensures quality include:
- A full 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’re not 100% happy with the services
- All clients have free access to a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) to ensure their websites load fast
- The company has carbon-neutral data centers and can match the electricity your server uses with renewable energy generation
Hosting Plans
- Startup—$3.99/mo, 1 website, 10GB space
- GrowBig—$6.69/mo, unlimited websites, 20GB space
- GoGeek—$10.69/mo, unlimited sites, 40GB space
Pros
- Excellent customer support
- WordPress recommends SiteGround
- A low introductory rate and a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Great site speed and uptime statistics
- Free website transfer
- Free daily backups
- Excellent for scalability
Cons
- The renewal rates are high
2. Kinsta – Best Managed WordPress Host
- Price: $35
- Disk space: 10GB
- Support: Phone, Email, and Chat
- Load time: 468 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.9%
Kinsta is an enterprise-grade host provider for WordPress. The company carefully balances resource allocation to offer solutions for authors, plus custom server configurations.
Kinsta Powerful Resources
Kinsta offers WordPress plans that run on dedicated resources. Each pre-built server handles between 25,000 and 3 million visitors, depending on the package you choose.
The web host offers tips on the ideal plan for your business or project. State the kind of website you want to create for a recommendation. For instance, does not recommend Starter and Pro tiers for membership and e-commerce sites.
Kinsta Speed and Security
Kinsta uses KeyCDN for content delivery services to customers. The service allows a host to cache your website across over 34 data centers worldwide. It routes requests from visitors to the nearest server, which enables fast page loading.
Kinsta also uses IPv6 technology for real-time content caching, including JavaScript, CSS, and image files. The technology compresses the data to improve speed delivery.
Kinsta processes traffic via the HTTP/2 protocol for speedy end-to-end data encryption between the server and site visitors. The protocol also helps eliminate using SSL on your site. While not a requirement, the protocol is a recommendation for browsers that don’t support SSL technology.
Hosting Plans
- Starter—$35/mo, 1 WordPress site install, 10GB disk space
- Pro—$70/mo, 2 WordPress sites, 20GB disk space
- Business 1—$115/mo, 5 WordPress sites, 30GB disk space
- Business 2—$225/mo, 10 WordPress sites, 40GB disk space
- Business 3—$340/mo, 20 WordPress sites, 50GB disk space
- Business 4—$450/mo, 40 WordPress sites, 60GB disk space
- Enterprise 1—$675/mo, 60 WordPress sites, 100GB disk space
- Enterprise 2—$1,000/mo, 80 WordPress sites, 150GB disk space
- Enterprise 3—$1,350/mo, 120 WordPress sites, 200GB disk space
- Enterprise 4—$1,650/mo, 150 WordPress sites, 250GB disk space
Pros
- Solid loading speeds
- Over 25 server locations worldwide to choose from
- Pleasant and straightforward navigation and user experience
- Unlimited users at the site and company levels
- Automatic website backups
- Optimized for hosting WordPress sites
- Free migrations into Kinsta
Cons
- Limited monthly visits, storage, and CDN levels
- Renewal prices are high
- Kinsta bans some WordPress plugins due to performance and security issues
- You cannot install any other Content Management System (CMS) on a Kinsta server
3. Rocket.net – For Cutting-Edge WordPress Optimization
- Price: $25
- Disk space: 10GB
- Support: Live Chat, Email, Phone
- Load time:
- Uptime: 99.99%
Rocket.net is a fully managed WordPress hosting platform that has been offering its services since 2020. It’s great for authors. The relatively new platform sets itself apart because it uses Cloudflare’s Enterprise CDN.
Rocket.net and Cloudflare Enterprise CDN
The Enterprise CDN is a content delivery network from Cloudflare. It guarantees fast loading speeds, a 100% uptime guarantee, and advanced security. Pricing for the solution starts at $6,000 a month.
Rocket.net divides the premium CDN service among multiple customers, significantly lowering costs for authors. The strategy means you gain exceptional benefits at lower rates.
Some benefits of the partnership include:
- Google font optimization for up to 36 hours so text-based content on a site loads swiftly
- Web Application Firewall (WAF) protection that secures your website from online threats such as bots
- Full page caching, so web pages load quickly and improve the user experience
- Brotli compression format for improved page loading times
- Automatic WebP conversion for images to reduce their size without compromising quality
An Attractive User Interface
Rocket.net boasts an interface featuring a modern design and colors. The dashboard shows metrics for bandwidth usage, disk use, and the number of visitors monthly. You can also create and manage support tickets, affiliates, billing, and websites.
The platform has an intuitive and easy-to-use control panel in place of a cPanel. As a fully managed WordPress host, Rocket.net enhances ease of use, and you don’t need to worry about CDN installation, site optimization, and security.
Hosting Plans
- Starter—$25/mo, 1 WordPress site, 10GB storage
- Pro—$50/mo, 3 WordPress sites, 20GB storage
- Business—$83/mo, 10 WordPress sites, 40GB storage
- Enterprise—$166/mo, 25 WordPress sites, 50GB storage
Pros
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN
- Fast speeds
- Image optimization
- Advanced security
- Unbeatable uptime
- Easy backups
Cons
- Expensive
- No email hosting
- You can’t create sub-domains
4. A2 Hosting
- Price: $2.99
- Disk space: 100GB
- Support: Chat, Phone, Tickets
- Load time: 50 to 284 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.99%
A2 Hosting is a platform that’s been around since 2001 and is famous for fast page load speeds. The company has a strong uptime, making it a reliable hosting service for authors.
Supports Multiple CMS Solutions
A2 Hosting works seamlessly with major content management systems, including WordPress, Magento, Joomla, and Drupal. Installing your preferred CMS takes a few clicks without help from a developer.
Performance-enhancing plugins make the CMSs faster from the Turbo Boost plan. Customers access a free Cloudflare CDN with all the hosting plans, contributing to site speed. A2 Hosting comes with multiple developer-friendly tools. For example, use the A2 SiteBuilder to create your website quickly.
SSD Storage for Fast Loading
All A2 shared hosting plans come with SSD storage, which contributes to faster page loading speeds. SSDs are 30% faster than conventional hard disks. Plans in the higher range use Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) SSD storage for guaranteed low latency, fast website performance for better SEO ranking, and improved security.
A Unique Anytime Money-Back Guarantee
Most hosts have a 30-day money-back guarantee. A2 Hosting instead goes further by offering an anytime money-back guarantee. While you can get a full refund within the first 30 days, you can cancel the service anytime and get a prorated sum back for the remaining prepaid time.
Hosting Plans
- Startup—$2.99/mo, 1 website, 100GB SSD storage
- Drive—$5.99/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited SSD storage
- Turbo Boost—$6.99/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited NVMe SSD storage
- Turbo Max—$12.99/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited NVMe SSD storage
Pros
- Excellent uptime and load speeds
- An extensive knowledge base
- Free website migration
- Compatible with several CMSs
- Green web hosting
Cons
- The domain name is not free
- High renewal rates
- Restrictions on the lower plans
5. HostPapa – Best Independent Hosting Provider
- Price: $3.95
- Disk space: 100GB
- Support: Live Chat, Phone, Tickets
- Load time: Up to 500 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.99%
HostPapa is a Canadian hosting platform that offers shared, WordPress, reseller, and VPS hosting services. The company is one of the first in the industry to power its data centers with renewable energy. The low-cost, high-value provider currently hosts over half a million websites.
Exceptional Speed
HostPapa invests in the latest technology to ensure web pages load fast, including:
- Fast servers that deliver content up to 50 times faster
- Cloudflare CDN to cache your content and deliver it quickly when required
- Solid State Drives (SSDs) that are faster than HDDs
- Built-in caching via Cachewall to optimize, protect, and improve website response time
- PHP7 to ensure you take advantage of the latest technologies
Secure Data Centers
HostPapa boasts reliable hosting infrastructure, including:
- Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for servers
- Climate and temperature controls for the centers
- Fire suppression and fault protection systems
Tools for Small Businesses
HostPapa customers get the tools required to support websites for small businesses, such as:
- Inexpensive domain names
- Email Hosting
- Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate and premium Wildcard SSL
- Daily automatic site backups
One-on-One Training Sessions
HostPapa offers training sessions for beginners. New customers can schedule a 30-minute session with a professional where they ask anything they need to know about hosting a site. Customers can request tutorials and guides on topics of interest.
Hosting Plans
- Starter—$3.95/mo, 1 website, 100GB SSD storage
- Business—$3.95/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited SSD storage
- Business Pro—$12.95/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited SSD storage
Pros
- Excellent uptime guarantee and speed
- Multiple support options
- A 30-day money-back guarantee
- Proactive security features
Cons
- High renewal rates
6. Hostinger
- Price: $1.99
- Disk space: 50GB
- Support: Email, Live Chat
- Load time: 20 to 250 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.99%
Founded in 2011, Hostinger is a major shared and cloud hosting provider. The company operates in over 178 countries, serving over 29 million customers daily. Hostinger provides quality hosting for authors and helps users create the perfect sites for their businesses.
Excellent Introductory Rates
The Hostinger introductory prices set the company apart from the competition. You get almost all the same features as a premium web host at a fraction of the rate. The Premium plan costs less than $3 a month, while the entry-level package is only $1.99.
In comparison, other hosting providers cost you as much as $6 per month for similar performances and specifications. Hostinger provides value and is a good option, especially when you’re just starting.
Hostinger Unlimited Features
The premium plans continue to impress with multiple unlimited features, such as:
- Unlimited sites in a single account
- Unlimited bandwidth, so you don’t have to worry about downtime because of unusually high traffic to your website
- Unlimited email to suit your personal and professional needs
- Free Let’s Encrypt SSL for all shared hosting packages
Free Domain Name and Website Builder
The Hostinger Premium and Business web hosting plans come with free domain names, which helps you save some money. However, you’ll pay extra if you require more than one domain.
Hostinger also offers their website builder, Zyro, for free. The builder includes tons of templates to choose from and customizes each page with a drag-and-drop interface to your liking. Zyro also contains blogging, SEO, and email services and tools.
Hosting Plans
- Single Shared Hosting—$1.99/mo, 1 website, 50GB SSD storage
- Premium Shared Hosting—$2.99/mo, 100 websites, 100GB SSD storage
- Business Shared Hosting—$3.99/mo, 100 websites, 200GB SSD storage
Pros
- Fast load time and good uptime guarantee
- Multilingual support team
- The free domain name and website builder
- Affordable for small to medium-sized businesses
- An easy-to-use interface
- Data centers in multiple countries
Cons
- Cannot run demanding websites
- No phone support
7. Cloudways – Best for Cloud Hosting
- Price: $10
- Disk space: 25GB
- Support: Live Chat, Phone, and Email Tickets
- Load time: Depends on the cloud provider
- Uptime: 99.99%
Cloudways is a bit of an odd one out in the hosting industry because it adopts a unique approach. Instead of using its infrastructure, the company lets you choose between Google Cloud, AWS, Linode, Vultr, and DigitalOcean.
Cloudways handles the configuration and maintenance part while providing multiple website management tools. This approach ensures you get excellent performance at a low price.
Enhanced Security
Cloudways offers free managed backups so you can restore a website to an earlier state in case of a problem. The process is easy and fast.
Pricing includes Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates that provide an extra layer of security. You also get Two Factor Authentication (TFA) as a secondary protection layer to ensure you’re the only one logging into your account.
Free Site Migration
Cloudways helps with website migration so you don’t deal with the lengthy and sometimes painful process. The migration service is free of charge, no matter the plan you choose. WordPress users have access to a Cloudways plugin that ensures issue-free and smooth migration.
Hosting Plans
- DigitalOcean Data Centers—$10 to $80 per month
- Vultr Data Centers—$13 to $100 per month
- Linode—$12 to $90 a month
- AWS—$36.51 to $274.33 per month
- Google Cloud (GCE) Data Centers—$33.78 to $225.93 a month
Pros
- A user-friendly way for cloud hosting a website
- Full control over server resources
- Scaling resources is easy and available at any time
- Cloudways handles server optimization for you
- Setting up a WordPress site takes minutes
- Excellent performance
Cons
- You require server management experience to determine the resources a website needs
- The pricing structure is complicated, and some options are costly
8. WP Engine – Great High-End WordPress Host
- Price: $20
- Disk space: 10GB
- Support: Limited phone support for Startup users, Chat
- Load time: 337 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.95%, 99.99% with enhanced SLA
WP Engine is one of the best managed WordPress hosting services for authors if you’re looking for a hands-off approach to site management. The company offers you fast servers, security, and peace of mind.
Advanced Security Measures
WP Engine tests all core updates before they upgrade your site. Proprietary intrusion and prevention software blocks DDoS, malware, JavaScript injection, and brute-force attacks. The company also partners with third-party security firms to carry out code and security reviews and audits regularly. Plus, WP Engine will fix your website for free in case of hacking.
Multiple Data Centers
WP Engine has several data centers worldwide to lighten your server’s load by making your website available to visitors at any time based on their location. The servers are in the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
Hosting Plans
- Startup—$20/mo, 1 website, 10GB storage
- Professional—$39/mo, 3 websites, 15GB storage
- Growth—$77/mo, 10 websites, 20GB storage
- Scale—$193/mo, 30+ websites, 50GB storage
- Dedicated—Custom pricing, 30+ websites, 50GB+ storage
Pros
- An advanced custom control panel
- Top-tier security measures
- Hosting on high-end cloud infrastructure
- Expert WordPress support
- Free website backups, CDN, and SSL
- Easy staging tools
- Over 10 premium themes
Cons
- WordPress only hosting
- No free domain
- Expensive
9. GreenGeeks – Best Beginner-Friendly Green Host
- Price: $2.95
- Disk space: 50GB
- Support: Email, Phone, Chat
- Load time: 445 milliseconds
- Uptime: 99.9%
GreenGeeks is a beginner-friendly hosting company with data centers in the U.S. and Canada. The platform is a leading WordPress hosting service for small businesses or authors looking for budget-friendly, secure, and reliable services.
GreenGeeks Eco-Friendly Web Hosting
The platform commits to providing eco-friendly hosting. If you didn’t know, the internet is one of the largest polluters with data centers contributing up to 2% of the world’s CO2 emissions.
GreenGeeks supports the environment by:
- Designing a platform with a no-waste mindset
- Matching three times the amperage it pulls from the grid with renewable energy
- Planting a tree for each hosting account
LightSpeed Web Server
GreenGeeks has customer web servers managed by LiteSpeed. The technology is faster compared to others such as Apache. LiteSpeed caches your site and optimizes features such as CSS codes to enhance page load speeds.
Reliable Security
GreenGeeks implements advanced firewall protection to protect your website from attacks. You get daily site backups and assistance removing malware at no extra cost. The free SSL certificate your website gets automatically renews each year you are a client.
Hosting Plans
- Lite—$2.95/mo, 1 website, 50GB space
- Pro—$4.95/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited storage space
- Premium—$8.95/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited storage space
Pros
- Eco-friendly hosting
- The free domain name and unlimited disk space, and data transfer
- Nightly automatic data backups
- Fast servers
- Free Cloudflare CDN and SSL certificate
- Free migrations
- LiteSpeed servers
- A 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Server setup and domain fees are not refundable
- Limited support
- Price increase on renewal
10. DreamHost – Good Value for Money
- Price: $2.59
- Disk space: 50GB
- Support: Live Chat, Email Tickets
- Load time: 559 milliseconds
- Uptime: 100%
DreamHost is one of the longest-reigning hosting providers in the industry today. The platform is home to over 1.5 million websites because of its reliable services. DreamHost integrates email hosting, domain names, and site builders into your website affordably and efficiently.
Multiple Automatic Integrations
DreamHost boasts automatic integration and easy installation of multiple CMS options, including Joomla, WordPress, and MediaWiki. This offers you an option to select different websites and transitions.
WordPress is the most popular CMS option DreamHost supports. You can choose any WordPress plugin or theme for your site and gain full control over the appearance.
Unlimited Network Transfer and Disk Space Limits
DreamHost offers many unlimited features on its plans, including bandwidth, disk space, and websites. The structure means you don’t have to worry about storage and network transfer after your site becomes popular.
However, make sure you build your site properly. DreamHost may try to move your website to a private server if it’s hogging server resources and causing issues with others. Email, VPS, and DreamPress services don’t fall under the unlimited policy.
Monthly Hosting
Most web hosts offer a 30-day refund period, so you have a month to test the services before risking the prepaid amount. DreamHost’s money-back guarantee is good for 97 days, giving you over three months to make sure you are happy.
The host does not include hidden terms likely to jeopardize a refund. Plus, you can pay month-to-month and cancel the subscription anytime.
Hosting Plans
- Starter—$2.59/mo, 1 website, 50GB space
- Unlimited—$3.95/mo, unlimited websites, unlimited storage
Pros
- Affordable web hosting services
- Good uptime and speed performance
- Unlimited bandwidth and generous storage
- A contemporary backend
- No aggressive upgrades or upsells
- A long 97-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Few one-click CMS installations
- US-only servers
- The starter plan does not come with free email accounts
- Live chat support is only available between 3 AM and 9:30 PM Pacific Time
How to choose a web hosting service for authors
Trying to make it as a creative independent is difficult, but don’t let the difficulty get you down. Many authors look for an independent web hosting to showcase their work. Thankfully, the internet is full of countless options for web hosting.
But how can you know that the web hosting you’re using is of good quality? If you’re looking for the best web hosting for authors, we’re here to help. Read on for a list of qualities you should seek out in a web host!
What To Look For
You shouldn’t jump into just any site that can host your words. Instead, there are a few qualities that you should highlight above others.
Every author’s needs are different. You may want different features that others would highlight and dislike some of the more common options. Because of this, this list is only a starting guide - you should customize your own needs to make sure that the site you pick suits you best!
Readability
If you plan to post your work online, your site has to be readable. But what does it mean for something to be readable?
The term doesn’t only refer to the typing being legible- it refers to the ease of reading your work on a screen. Your audience shouldn't have difficulty reading the posts you make. This is especially true if you plan to post lengthy pieces online, such as short stories or novella documents. Online self-published posts will need to be on websites made especially for reading.
If a host site shows documents in 11-point black font on a white, featureless page, your audience will soon tire of reading the bright screen. Others may not enjoy a website with everything posted in one long vertical document that they need to scroll to read instead of pages.
Before you pick a hosting service, look into sites that are also using it before you take the plunge and put your work on it. Spend time interacting with the site as a reader to see what you like and dislike about it. That way, you can ensure you know what your audience wants and needs while having peace of mind your work is easy to read.
Marketing
If you’re hosting your work online, there’s a good chance that you’re wanting to begin profiting off of your work. Making a living as an author is difficult and independently publishing makes it significantly tougher. Don’t let that hold you back from giving it your best shot!
Look at how the host site handles marketing and publishing of work. For example, sites like Amazon are made to complement self-publishing and have plenty of marketing tools.
However, don’t let poor marketing tools stop you from liking an otherwise-perfect site. You can always use social media and other outlets to market instead. The most important features of a site are its readability.
Another thing to keep in mind is that no single web host will have everything you need for marketing. You will still want to promote yourself on social media or request third-party help to get your work recognized.
Furthermore, marketing becomes significantly less important if you aren’t trying to grow in popularity. If your only goal is to vent and put writing you enjoy out into the world, you won't need to self-promote as much. You should only consider marketing crucial if you’re trying to build an audience.
Community
Having a strong community is another core element of a good host site. To use Amazon as an example again, self-published authors have countless sources and contemporaries they can pull from and utilize. Smaller websites often have fewer resources to use.
This isn’t always a good thing! For example, getting noticed on huge sites like Amazon is much more difficult because of the sizable competition. Having a large community has pros and cons, so consider each to pick whichever one suits your needs best.
Because of this, you should consider what your goals as an author are. Are you building a website because you want to try to push into the scene with a writing career? Would you rather have a simple blog where you can put small pieces and share them with the world?
You may prefer a smaller community if you’re just passionate about writing. Larger communities are more difficult to be discovered, but a little elbow grease with your break-out novel can help draw a crowd.
Cost
When dealing with any service, one of the first things you’ll want to look into is the price of using the service. For authors, this is particularly true if you’re hoping to turn a profit on your writing.
Some web hosting sites will have cheaper budget options that can help you get on your feet fast. However, less expensive options often have a reason for being budget-friendly. They may offer fewer features, worse hosting, or shorter deals, all of which can lead to instability.
Hosting with a higher cost will often have better features and more secure servers. The obvious trade-off is that they cost more to maintain. Some web host sites can climb into prices that dig into any profits.
You’ll want to weigh what you need with what fits your budget. If you’re writing as a hobby, you may not need all of the robust features that high-cost hosting can bring. Conversely, if you’re trying to keep up with the professional scene, you may benefit from seeking every advantage possible.
Another core idea to consider is how often your host site offer discounts and sales. Many web hosts will offer discounts on new subscribers, lower annual costs, and more to help draw in new customers. You can take advantage of these deals to see what a site has to offer instead of locking yourself into a lengthy, costly deal!
Wrapping Up
Choosing the best website hosting for authors is personal. Different writers will have different needs, and there's no one size fits all host. If you’re only looking for somewhere to sell your finished works, consider an Amazon shop or a Squarespace site made to sell. Otherwise, you should consider a hosting site geared towards your niche for the best outcome.
To learn more about hosting a website, explore our other articles and work to find the best software for you.
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