Best Web Hosting: Providers in Test

The Best Web Hosting - What Really Matters?

The choice of web hosting providers on the market is vast. But what really matters when selecting the best web hosting? This is what we want to delve into more closely in reference to our conducted test reports:

Why is good web hosting so important?

Good web hosting is crucial as it significantly influences the performance of your website. It is responsible for ensuring that your website is available on the internet around the clock and, above all, is quickly and securely accessible to visitors. This is not only about user experience alone but equally about search engine optimisation. Only if your website can establish itself as a relevant result for search queries can you expect to attract many visitors.

• On one hand, you should choose the best possible web hosting in the interest of your visitors:

One of the key requirements for good web hosting is speed. No one likes to wait a long time for a website to load. A fast web host ensures that your website loads quickly, keeping both users and search engines satisfied. Another important requirement is availability. A reliable web hosting service ensures that your website is always available without downtime or interruptions. This is the only way to ensure that visitors can actually reach your website around the clock.

• On the other hand, you should also opt for the best web hosting for your own benefit:

Here, factors such as features and user-friendliness take on a high priority. The web hosting must not only meet all the technical requirements of your online project but also be as comfortable and easy to use as possible. Good web hosting should also be flexible, allowing you to easily scale your website and adapt to increasing visitor traffic or content and functional expansions. A good web hosting provider also offers excellent customer support that can quickly and effectively assist you with any problems or questions.

How do I find the best web hosting?

When choosing the best web hosting, the intended use is the primary factor to consider. A small private blog hosting has significantly fewer technical requirements for web space compared to a large commercial online shop hosting. Nevertheless, there are several criteria that play a significant role in assessing the performance of a web hosting.

In our web hosting reviews, we take a closer look at the offerings of the best web hosting providers and evaluate them based on features, user-friendliness, performance, customer service, costs, and customer opinions. This way, we gain a good overall impression of the respective web space packages and can crown the best web hosting based on our evaluation process.

The following criteria are relevant when deciding on the appropriate web hosting and therefore factor into the evaluation of the best web hosting:

Features

When it comes to the features of web hosting, the technical aspects take precedence. On one hand, this involves the specific range of services provided to customers. We evaluate performance parameters such as the amount of storage space, the number and type of databases, mailboxes, as well as technical and administrative details like the use of external domains and the provision of free SSL certificates. Another crucial point is the availability of advanced features such as support for IPv6, SSH access, or advanced server statistics, which can be of great interest to professional users. On the other hand, fundamental issues in the areas of technology and security concerning the web host are crucial. This includes aspects such as the use of fast SSD storage media, support for scripting languages and frameworks like PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, and Node.js, as well as the provision of pre-installed applications like app installers or website builders. Security aspects are also of great importance, including features such as regular backups, spam protection concepts, or DDoS protection measures.

User-Friendliness

When it comes to the user-friendliness of a web hosting service, the user experience in practical use is the focus. This includes how easy and intuitive the ordering process, along with payment and provisioning of the web hosting, is. A clearly structured ordering process that guides the user transparently through the various steps, as well as support for various payment methods, are important criteria here. We also evaluate how well the administration of a web hosting service is achieved through the provided management interface. An easy-to-use, accessible user interface that is suitable for both beginners and advanced users is essential. This includes the ability to make settings quickly and easily, for example through drag-and-drop functionalities or well-documented, understandable instructions. Furthermore, we consider the installation and setup of applications, such as the popular Content Management System WordPress in our case. It is crucial that the installation can be done with a few clicks and without in-depth technical knowledge. Additionally, the performance and availability of tools such as assistants, templates, and tutorials play a role in assisting the user with the setup and management of their website.

Performance

By examining the performance of a web hosting service, the technical capabilities can be assessed. Two key factors play a crucial role in this evaluation, which we take into consideration: the availability and the loading times of the web hosting. Availability is verified using Livewatch to ensure the continuous accessibility of the web hosting. High availability is crucial to ensure that a website is always accessible, particularly important for business sites, e-commerce platforms, and other critical online services. On the other hand, loading times are checked using various tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights. Performance tests on metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB),  Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and Pagespeed  help us gather detailed information on server response time, time to receive the first byte, and overall loading time. Factors such as server locations and connection to Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are also considered in the evaluation, as they can impact loading times for international visitors. Additionally, we take into account the technical infrastructure of the web host, such as the use of modern caching technologies, adoption of HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 for faster data transfer, and provision of SSD and NVMe storage, which can significantly enhance read and write speeds. This approach helps determine whether the web space is truly performant around the clock for visitors and search engines alike, crucial not only for a positive user experience but also for search engine optimization (SEO). Ultimately, solid performance translates to higher customer satisfaction and better rankings in search results.

You can find the results of the performance tests for each web host in the following table:

Customer Service

The customer service of a web hosting provider is a crucial criterion for both private and commercial customers when choosing the best web hosting. After all, it is important that in case of problems with their own web presence, they can actually rely on quick and competent assistance. We consider the resources provided by the provider for self-study, often in the form of FAQs, help documentation, tutorials, or video guides. These resources should be comprehensive and easy to understand, helping users solve simple issues independently and familiarise themselves with the features and capabilities of web hosting. However, even more important is the question of direct contact with customer support. Therefore, we test the accessibility and response time for customer inquiries through various communication channels such as email, phone, or live chat. In our evaluation, we consider whether the support is available 24/7 and how long it takes to receive an initial response. We also assess whether the staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and capable of efficiently solving more complex technical issues. Transparent communication from the provider, for example through status pages informing about current disruptions or maintenance work, also contributes to the quality of customer service.

Costs

Especially in projects with a limited budget, costs play an important role in choosing the best web hosting. Therefore, we evaluate the web hosting offers in this area primarily based on their price-performance ratio. Questions such as how much storage space is available for which costs are often asked by web hosting customers when deciding on a provider. In addition to the pure range of services, we also consider the pricing structure and cost transparency as a whole. After all, nobody wants to be confronted with hidden or unexpected fees when it comes to web hosting costs. We also assess whether there are flexible tariff options that allow customers to easily expand or reduce their plan as needed without risking additional fees. We also examine whether included additional services such as domain registrations, SSL certificates, or email mailboxes are included in the price, enhancing the value of the offer. Positive aspects also include special discounts, seasonal offers, or other bonuses, such as free trial periods or money-back guarantees, allowing potential customers to test the service risk-free. Additionally, we consider the option of monthly billing compared to annual or multi-year contracts, which can be advantageous especially for smaller projects with uncertain durations. Finally, we also consider whether the provider offers free migration services for transferring an existing website and whether these services are clearly communicated in advance. A fair and transparent pricing policy, combined with a flexible and customer-oriented pricing model, is crucial for customers to feel comfortable in the long term and not feel burdened by unexpected costs.

Customer Reviews

Lastly, customer reviews on various review portals are also taken into account in the overall evaluation of each provider. Because thanks to honest reviews from real customers, the offer of a web host can often be best assessed. In addition to the reviews submitted on Hosttest, we also consider customer feedback on Trustpilot and the provider's rating on Google. These reviews provide valuable insights into the actual performance, reliability, and customer service of the provider, going beyond the official information.

So, before committing to a specific provider, it's always worth comparing web hosting services. Our list of tested web hosts and their ratings can assist you in finding the best web hosting solution that meets your requirements.