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 churches, 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 churches:
Web Hosting Company | Cost/mo | Features | View Plans |
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USD $2.99 | Huge Discount |
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USD $35 |
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USD $25 |
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Table of Contents
Best Web Hosting for churches
Here are the 10 best web hosting reviews for churches, 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 churches, 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 churches. 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 churches, 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 churches. 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 churches. 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 churches.
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 churches 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 churches 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 churches 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 churches
Whether you’re caring for the congregation or reaching out to visitors and prospective members, a church website is essential to ministry. Finding the best web hosting for churches is vital to church operations and growth.
Why is a Church’s Website Important?
Church websites and web hosting is as much a part of church development as a meeting place and a message. Among the reasons why web hosting is a vital decision for churches are these:
Streaming Services
Church websites were the key to having a thriving church before the pandemic. Since 2020, church websites have become even more crucial, since many houses of worship offer streaming of services on their websites in addition to in-person. Churches can reach a worldwide audience by streaming services online.
Reaching New People
You’ve just moved into a new city and want to find a church. Most people in that situation today search for churches online. Your church website is its digital front door and its first opportunity to make a good first impression with potential church visitors.
Showing photos of activities at your church, upcoming church events, and videos of sermons and music can give prospective visitors an idea of what your church is like.
Sharing Information with Members
A church congregation often turns to a church website for information on events and services. Statistics show that, in the past year, nearly 45 million church members visited their church website.
Whether it's during special times of the year such as Christmas or Easter or for regular Sunday services and small group sessions, getting information to church members is essential for keeping them connected.
Giving
Churches still pass the offering plate during services, but a growing number of church members are turning to online giving. Smart churches will offer a way for members and visitors to make donations and pledges online.
Donors can also give to specific causes, from disaster aid to buying backpacks and school supplies for children, with a few taps on their laptops or smartphones.
Blogging
Many church websites include a blog that the pastor or associate clergy members write. Often members, visitors, and prospective visitors will subscribe to get emails when a church blog is updated.
Blogs can keep congregants and parishioners updated on the pastor’s thoughts and spiritual insights, creating a feeling of connection among members, clergy, and church staff.
Staff Directory
Church websites also include a staff directory so members and visitors can learn more about the roles each staff member plays and contact them via phone or email concerning questions about children’s and youth activities, events, music, and more.
Considerations When Looking for Web Hosting for Churches
The needs of churches looking for a web host are similar to the needs of any business, entrepreneur, or nonprofit. Consider these factors:
Design Help
Your expertise is in ministry, not web design and digital communication. Web hosting companies can help you by providing easy-to-use templates and design help and advice. An eye-catching design that’s well organized and easy for visitors to navigate will help your church grow and will keep members engaged in activities and services.
Uptime
How many times does your church website go down? Having your church website up and running means your church can provide the information members, prospective members, and those interested in visiting need.
Speed
How fast your website loads can determine whether new visitors to the site stick around to see what your church offers. Slow loading can send those seeking your church to other websites instead so you will want fast loading speeds for information, photos, and videos of sermons and music.
Easy to Use
Churches should be changing their websites often to share new information, photos, and worship services on video. The web host you choose should be easy for church staff members to update weekly.
Price
While web hosting is a must for churches of all sizes, churches should pay attention to the price of web hosting and scale it to the size of their congregation and the number of unique website visitors. Web design and web hosting businesses vary in price from free and no-frills to services including redesign and faster loading.
Value
Tied closely to price is the value of your church web hosting service. This boils down to the digital services your church gets for the price. Your church won’t be well served if the low-priced web hosting service you chose doesn’t provide the digital services and support your growing congregation needs.
Support
Getting your church website up and running isn’t the only job of a quality web hosting service. You’ll also want to hire a firm that will provide support when your church staff members have questions about your website or if your website has technical issues.
Responsive support is essential, so make sure the web hosting firm you hire can supply the online and in-person support you need.
Final Thoughts
The first time a visitor “attends” your church might be through your church website. A growing number of churches stream services through their church website, giving those interested in visiting a way they can “visit” without entering the church doors.
Photos of church activities and facilities will help those interested in visiting your church feel at home before they attend a service.
Millions of church members keep up with services and activities by visiting a church website. They even make donations through church websites, meet their annual pledge, contribute to aid after a disaster, or help purchase food or flowers for a holiday celebration.
Your church website is a reflection of your church. An attractive design, fast loading speed, and easy navigation can make a good first impression. Website problems such as slow loading or poor organization can make those considering attending services at your church go somewhere else. Members will find that a website with slow speeds keeps them from being as engaged as they’d like.
Quality web hosting is essential to keeping your church growing, vibrant, and active.
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