Designed to help you pick a web host with all the features you need, this quick web hosting chooser will show you which of the hosts we've reviewed meet your criteria. As you answer questions, the chooser shows you how many hosts meet your needs. You can click through to your results at any point and answer as many or as few questions as you like. Most beginning users will only need to answer the first five questions, but advanced users may want to answer one or more advanced questions if they have special hosting needs like lots of MySQL databases, support for a particular programming language or hosting on a specific server operating system.

Answer the questions below to find the right service for you

Web Host Chooser

Skill Level: How experienced are you?

1

Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

TIP

NONE

Storage: How much space do you need?

2

0-1 GB
1+ GB
5+ GB

100+ GB
300+ GB

TIP

Make sure you factor in space for your site to grow.

Data Transfer: How much bandwidth do you need?

3

0-20 GB
21+ GB
101+ GB

150+ GB
1,000+ GB

TIP

20 GB is enough for many sites, but if you get a lot of visits each month, stream videos, or show lots of large pictures, you will need more bandwidth.

Free Domain Name: Do you want free domain registration?

4

No
Yes, at least one year free
Yes, free for life

TIP

Some hosts offer free for a year or more while others charge between $10 and $20 a year for this service.

Number of Domains: How many domains do you need to host?

5

One
2-3
4-50
51+

TIP

If you plan to host more than one site with your account, you will need to be able to host multiple domain names.

+ View Advanced Search Criteria

Uptime: How high an uptime percentage do you need?

6

99.98%+ (down ≤ 8.8 min/mo)
99.9%+ (down ≤ 43.8 min/mo)
99%+ (down ≤ 7.3 hr/mo)

TIP

Sometimes servers go down for repair or other problems. Uptime is the percentage of time your site is accessible for visitors. We test this continuously and have nearly 3 years of data.

Sitebuilder: Do you plan to use the host's sitebuilder?

7

Yes
No

TIP

Beginning users may want to use the free sitebuilders most hosts include.

Ecommerce: Do you need an ecommerce tool?

8

No
Yes, a simple one
Yes, an advanced one
Yes, any will do

TIP

Simple eCommerce tools may not be able to handle very large or complicated stores, but complex tools can be more difficult to use

Backup: Do you want great host-based site backups?

9

Yes, I want great backup
Doesn't Matter

TIP

Some hosts automatically back up your data for you, while others do not.

eMail Addresses: How many email addresses do you need?

10

0-1
2-5
6-10
11-250

251-500
501-1,000
Unlimited

TIP

Tip: Most hosting companies allow you to set up your own customized email addresses at your domain. Some hosts allow more email users than others.

Free Adwords: Do you care about Google Adwords bonuses?

11

I want that
I don't care about it

TIP

Some hosts now offer bonuses when you sign up, including free Google Adwords. The hosts we've reviewed offer amounts up to $100.

24 Hour Support: Do you need 24 hour support?

12

Yes, I want 24 hour phone support

Yes, I want 24 hour web chat support

TIP

Support can vary pretty widely. Some hosts include 24 hour support by phone or web chat.

Blogging Software: Do you plan to use Wordpress?

13

Yes
No

TIP

If you plan to start a blog on your site, you may want easy access to this popular blog software.

Number of Databases: How many MySQL databases do you need?

14

0
1
2
Up to 3

Up to 25
26+

TIP

Databases make interactive features of websites work, including blogs, photo galleries, stores and forums. You will probably need one database for each feature.

Language Support: Which coding languages do you plan to use?

15

PHP
Perl
Python

CGI
SSI
Ruby/RoR

TIP

Tip: When you use shared hosting, you don't always have control over the server and may not be able to use some programming languages.

Server OS: Which server operating system do you prefer?

16

Linux
Windows
No Preference

TIP

Most hosts we review only offer Linux for shared hosting, but some also offer Windows.

Shell Access: Do you need secure shell access (SSH)?

17

Yes
No

TIP

Tip: Secure shell access (SSH) allows users to log directly into their web hosting server and use high-level commands to administer tasks.

All Services Reviewed:

Audiobooks Auto Insurance Cloud Storage Credit Cards Credit Repair Credit Monitoring Diet Programs Email Marketing

Fashion Clubs Genealogy Identity Theft Internet Fax Legal Services Online Backup Online College Online Dating

Online Meeting Online Stamps Online Video Parental Control Payday Loans People Search Photo Cards Remote Desktop

Savings Accounts Security Software Small Business Tax Preparation Virtual Phone VoIP Web Hosting

Popular Services Reviewed:

Credit Monitoring Services Identity Theft Services Web Hosting Services

Online Backup Services Internet Fax Services VoIP Services

NextAdvisor Home |Latest Blog Headlines

Find Us On:

About UsBlogContact Us Forums Terms & Privacy PolicyAffiliate ProgramSite Map

Copyright© 2006 - 2013 NextAdvisor.com - All rights reserved.

Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.