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Updated: Feb 1, 2024, 3:38pm
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Web hosting is a must-have for any website as it’s what enables a site to be live on the web. But while the decision to get web hosting is a no-brainer, choosing the right web host can be a challenge with so many to choose from—complete with industry jargon, similar (yet different) features, inclusions and pricing. So, we did the heavy lifting to find the absolute best web hosting for small businesses so that you can quickly find the right service for your business.
Before we jump in, you need to know what’s essential for your website. Every small business website needs a custom domain name, a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate, a content management system – (CMS) and enough storage and bandwidth to support your content and automatic backups. For this list of the best web hosting for small business owners, Forbes Advisor Canada conducted research on the cost, uptime and functionality of dozens of providers.
Featured Partner Offer
1
Bluehost
On Bluehost.com’s Website
Starting price
$2.95 USD ($4.05 CAD) per month
Storage and bandwidth
Unmetered bandwidth, and SSD storage starts at 10GB
Extras and inclusions
Free domain name and SSL for a year, free CDN
2
Hostgator
On Hostgator’s Website
Starting price
$2.75 USD ($3.68 CAD)per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate, free website transfer
3
Namecheap
On Namecheap’s Website
Starting price
$1.58 USD ($2.15 CAD) per month (with 24 months contract)
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate, host three sites, low-cost VPS hosting
4
DreamHost
On DreamHosts’ Website
Starting price
$2.59 USD ($3.47 CAD) per month
Money-Back Guarantee
97 days
Inclusions
Top-rated tech support, free domain name, free SSL certificate
$3.75 USD ($5.02 CAD) per month
(three-year term)
10 GB SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth

Uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee

$3.75 USD ($5.02 CAD) per month
(three-year term)
10 GB SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth

Uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee

HostGator is best for small businesses and entrepreneurs with content-heavy sites, as it includes unlimited storage with every plan. So, no matter how many visitors your site gets or how much content your site has, you don’t have to worry about storage or bandwidth limits affecting your site’s performance. Additionally, its plans come packed with features and extras, 24/7/365 support and a 30-day money-back guarantee, making it a great value for the price.
Pricing:
Plans range in price from $3.75 USD ($5.04 CAD) per month to $6.25 USD ($8.38 CAD) per month with a 36-month contract, or $15.99 USD ($21.43 CAD) per month to $27.99 USD ($37.52 CAD) per month without a contract. On top of 10 GB to 40 GB SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth, all of its plans come with a free domain name the first year, a free SSL certificate, one-click WordPress installation, a 99% uptime guarantee, e-commerce tools,, cPanel access, $100 USD ($134.08 CAD) in Microsoft Advertising credit and free business email.
Pricing varies predominantly by contract length and the number of sites the plan can host. Higher-tiered plans also come with benefits such as a dedicated IP address and a free WordPress website transfer service for those who are moving hosts.
Who should use it:
Businesses with high-traffic or content-heavy sites that need unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth at a low cost should consider HostGator.
$2.95 USD ($4.05 CAD) per month
(billed annually)
10 GB storage and unmetered bandwidth

30-day money-back guarantee

$2.95 USD ($4.05 CAD) per month
(billed annually)
10 GB storage and unmetered bandwidth

30-day money-back guarantee

Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting services thanks to its affordability and ease of use. Its plans start at just $2.95 USD ($3.97 CAD) per month, provide unmetered bandwidth, 10 GB storage, a free domain for the first year and a couple of extras such as parked domains and subdomains. It also comes with chat support, though if you want phone support you need a Plus plan or higher.
Pricing:
Usually, web hosts provide the biggest discount when opting for the longest contract term (often 36 months), but not Bluehost. Your best deal is a 12-month term, with the regular price for plans starting at $2.95 USD ($3.97 CAD) per month and going up to $13.95 USD ($18.70 CAD) per month. If you do want to pay more and go with a 36-month term, you’ll pay anywhere from $4.95 USD ($6.64 CAD) per month to $18.95 USD ($25.40 CAD) per month.
Who should use it:
Businesses looking for an affordable, full-featured web hosting plan should consider Bluehost. It’s perfect for new websites, as the free domain and SSL make for an easy start.
$2.99 USD ($4.01 CAD) per month
(one-year term)
50 GB SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth

Uptime guarantee and a 60-day money-back guarantee

$2.99 USD ($4.01 CAD) per month
(one-year term)
50 GB SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth

Uptime guarantee and a 60-day money-back guarantee

Visitors to your website are more likely to leave the page they’re on and find one that loads faster if they have to wait for it to load. TMDHosting uses premium Solid-State Drive (SSD) hardware along with three layers of caching (APC, OPCache and Varnish) to attain up to 16 times faster loading times for your website. Its plans provide military-grade security, free daily backups, a free domain, Weebly Sitebuilder and a Let’s Encrypt SSL.
Pricing:
Plans start at $10.99 USD ($14.73 CAD) per month ($2.99 USD ($4.01 CAD) per month, paid annually) and go up to $19.99 USD ($26.79 CAD) per month ($8.99 USD ($12.05 CAD) per month, paid annually).
Who should use it:
Businesses requiring fast speeds will appreciate TMDHosting’s three layers of caching.
$2.59 USD ($3.47 CAD) per month
(three-year term)
50 GB-plus of storage and unlimited traffic

100% uptime guarantee and a 97-day money-back guarantee

$2.59 USD ($3.47 CAD) per month
(three-year term)
50 GB-plus of storage and unlimited traffic

100% uptime guarantee and a 97-day money-back guarantee

DreamHost is best for small business owners who want a user-friendly web hosting experience. Not only does it offer a modern and easy-to-navigate user interface, but it also offers features that help save beginners time and energy, such as a free domain name (eliminating the need to connect your domain to your web host), one-click WordPress installation, automatic SSL certificates and, most importantly, very fast helpful customer support that is available 24/7/365.
Pricing:
Plans vary in price from $2.59 USD ($3.47 CAD) per month to $3.95 USD ($5.29 CAD) per month with a 36-month commitment, or $4.95 USD ($6.64 CAD) to $8.95 ($11.99 CAD) per month without a commitment. Additionally, it also often offers promotional pricing, so you may find even lower prices. Keep in mind that, along with just about every other web host, pricing increases upon renewal. However, what’s different about DreamHost is that its pricing doesn’t increase as much as others, making it the most affordable, long-term option.
All plans include unlimited traffic, WordPress pre-installed, free SSL certificates that auto-install (eliminating the need to install manually), SSD storage for fast load times, top-rated technical support, a 100% uptime guarantee and a very long, 97-day money-back guarantee. Plans vary in price largely due to varying contract lengths, storage limits and the number of sites you can host.
Who should use it:
DreamHost is a great choice for WordPress beginners thanks to its user-friendly interface and top-notch support, as well as for small businesses and new ventures that are in the process of building out their first website as plans come with everything you need to build, launch and maintain a site. It’s also a great choice for those who aren’t quite ready to commit to a web host, given its long-term (and unheard of) 97-day money-back guarantee.
$2.49 USD ($3.34 CAD) per month (three-year term)

100 GB-plus of storage and unlimited bandwidth

90-day money-back guarantee

$2.49 USD ($3.34 CAD) per month (three-year term)

100 GB-plus of storage and unlimited bandwidth

90-day money-back guarantee

InMotion Hosting’s web hosting plans are perfect for companies that need more resources than the smaller hosts can offer. With unlimited SSD storage, websites, bandwidth and email accounts, you can easily scale your company’s web presence as needed with any Launch plan or higher. The 90-day money-back guarantee also gives you time to try before you buy, making it a great choice for those who are looking for more extensive web hosting.
Pricing:
When committing for three years, plans start at $2.49 USD ($3.34 CAD) per month and go up to $12.99 USD ($17.41 CAD) per month. The only plan offering month-to-month pricing is Pro, and you’ll pay $19.99 USD ($26.78 CAD) per month for that plan. If going for the Core plan, which is InMotion’s cheapest, you’ll get a free SSL, two websites, 100 GB SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth and 10 email addresses. It can also handle Python, Ruby, Node.js and Git version control.
Who should use it:
InMotion Hosting is well suited for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. However, it’s particularly great for those looking to grow their business, as its plans offer unlimited resources and are perfect for scaling up.
$2.50 USD ($3.36 CAD) per month
(billed annually)
Unlimited ultra SSD storage and unlimited data transfer

99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee

$2.50 USD ($3.36 CAD) per month
(billed annually)
Unlimited ultra SSD storage and unlimited data transfer

99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee

Migrating a website can be a lengthy and difficult process. InterServer offers free website migration with all of its hosting plans, which is a huge plus. Its plans come with unlimited storage and bandwidth, along with weekly backups, Cloudflare CDN, cPanel access, a WordPress installer, free SSL certificates, unlimited email accounts, web security and more than 450 one-click app installs.
Pricing:
You’ll pay $2.50 USD ($3.36 CAD) per month for the first 12 months, then your plan renews at $84 USD ($112.92 CAD) per year. If you register your domain through InterServer, you’ll pay $7.99 USD ($10.74 CAD) for the first year ($14 USD ($18.82 CAD) per year thereafter), and for domain privacy, it’s $5 USD ($6.72 CAD) per year.
Who should use it:
InterServer is perfect for those who want free website migration with their hosting plan. It’s also ideal for digital professionals and small businesses.
$3.12 CAD per month

Unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth

100% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee or 180 days risk-free

$3.12 CAD per month

Unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth

100% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee or 180 days risk-free

MochaHost is a solid option for companies that need to keep their costs down. All plans come with a 100% uptime guarantee, unmetered bandwidth, a free SSL (for life), unlimited storage and a lifetime discount. This means your rates will never increase. For most plans, you can pay for premium daily backups, though basic, automatic backups are free. You can cancel your account and get your prorated premium back for any unused time, as long as it’s within 180 days of signing up. Otherwise, get all your money back if you cancel within 30 days.
Pricing:
Plans start at $3.12 CAD per month and go up to $14.65 CAD per month. The Soho and Business plan renewal rates remain the same while Mocha and Ultimate increase slightly at renewal. Each plan offers a Lifetime Discount.
Who should use it:
MochaHost is the perfect choice for smaller businesses and startups that want to keep their costs down and can benefit from their scalable plans.
$1 CAD per month
(billed annually)
10GB of storage and unlimited traffic

99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee

$1 CAD per month
(billed annually)
10GB of storage and unlimited traffic

99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee

IONOS is ideal for companies looking to save money in the short term—such as startups that expect to make more money later on. It offers an introductory rate of just $1 CAD per month, with a six-month contract. It’s also great for those who need more flexibility and scalability. All plans come with unlimited traffic, a free domain for a year, free email, daily backups, 24/7 support and a free Wildcard SSL certificate.
Pricing:
The cheapest introductory plan is its Business plan, which starts at $1 CAD but renews after six months at $10 CAD per month. For $4 CAD per month for six months, you can get its Essential plan, which renews at $6 CAD per month. Its most expensive plan is $10 CAD per month for six months, then renews at $16 CAD per month. Its Business and Expert plans come with unlimited sites, storage and databases.
Who should use it:
IONOS is best for those who need an introductory rate to save money in the short term. Its plans are perfect for small businesses, entrepreneurs and startups.
$6.49 CAD per month
(one-year term)
25 GB of storage and unmetered bandwidth

99.9% uptime guarantee

$6.49 CAD per month
(one-year term)
25 GB of storage and unmetered bandwidth

99.9% uptime guarantee

GoDaddy is best known as a domain name registrar, but it is also a leading web hosting service and website builder for small businesses. It offers one of the most user-friendly and affordable site builders on the market for those who need a site, but don’t want to invest the time to learn WordPress or the money into an all-in-one website builder. Plans include everything you need to build a site from scratch—using the WordPress editor is not required.
Pricing:
Web hosting plans range in price from $6.49 CAD per month to $15.99 CAD per month with a 12-month commitment. For web hosting and full access to its easy-to-use website builder, pricing increases to $39.99 CAD per month on a monthly basis or $15.99 CAD per month annually for a basic business website to $44.99 CAD per month on a monthly basis or $26.99 CAD per month annually for an online store that can process online payments and manage inventory and orders.
All plans come with unmetered bandwidth, as well as a free domain name (with a commitment of 12 months or more), database backups, DNS management, webmail, 24/7 support, a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Pricing varies based on contract length, storage limit and extras, such as SSL certificates and business email from Microsoft 365.
Who should use it:
GoDaddy’s web hosting plans aren’t as feature-rich as the other best web hosting services. However, it offers one of the most user-friendly and affordable website builders on the market, making it the best for small businesses and solopreneurs who want to build their own professional website, but don’t have the time to commit to learning how to use WordPress.
$5.24 USD ($7.04 CAD) per month
(for your first billing cycle, then $6.99 USD ($9.39 CAD) per month)
Unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth

99.99% uptime guarantee

$5.24 USD ($7.04 CAD) per month
(for your first billing cycle, then $6.99 USD ($9.39 CAD) per month)
Unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth

99.99% uptime guarantee

Hostwinds plans come with 24/7 website monitoring, so should there be an issue with your site, a ticket will automatically be sent to a support team. This is an invaluable service for small businesses, as even a temporary site outage can result in the loss of significant sales and lead generation opportunities. Plus, there are nightly backups, so should you need to reinstall your site, you’ve got a backup handy. Plans all come with unlimited bandwidth and disk space. You’ll also get unlimited databases, cPanel access, unlimited email accounts, free SSL certificates, a website builder and free site migration.
Pricing:
Plans start at $5.24 USD ($7.04 CAD) per month for your first billing cycle, then renews at $6.99 USD ($9.39 CAD) per month. Its highest-tiered plan starts at $8.24 USD ($11.07 CAD) per month with the introductory rate and goes up to $10.99 USD ($14.78 CAD) per month upon renewal. All plans include unlimited storage and bandwidth, and so the main difference between plans is the number of websites it includes hosting for, ranging from one with the entry-level plan and increasing to unlimited with its highest-tier plan.
Who should use it:
Small businesses will appreciate Hostwind’s 24/7 managed support and website monitoring. It’s ideal for businesses that don’t already have an in-house IT team to handle those tasks.


We began our research and testing by looking at over 50 different providers to see which web hosting services are the best for small businesses. We looked for what is most essential for any web host to provide, as well as what is most important to a small business. For each small business hosting service, we considered:
Each of the above criteria was weighed and then used to calculate the scores for each of the providers analyzed.
A web host is a business that provides the technologies and services needed for a website, including storage space, internet connectivity and security. Web hosts can also offer features such as domain registration, email hosting, SSL certificates, one-click WordPress installs, backups and DDoS monitoring. By investing in a web hosting plan, small businesses can enjoy all the benefits of having an online presence without needing to purchase and manage their own servers.
The best web hosts provide reliable hosting with great uptime, quick page loading speeds, scalability for growth and security features such as DDoS monitoring. They also typically offer tools that make it easier to build and customize a website, as well as features such as free domains, email accounts, marketing credits and more. By investing in the right web hosting provider, small businesses can save time and money in the long run.
Small businesses should take into account a few important components while choosing the best web hosting provider. Start by looking for a service that provides excellent value at fair costs. Think about storage, uptime, support options and cost-saving extras such as free domain names, SSL certificates and business email. It’s crucial to pick a provider that can expand with your company and is trustworthy, safe and scalable.
A service that gives round-the-clock assistance and the capability to resolve any issues rapidly should also be sought out. Ultimately, the best web hosting company for your small business should offer the tools and options you require for online success.
When looking for the best web hosting service provider, there are a few essential features to consider:
The price of web hosting can vary significantly by the type of web hosting you choose (for example, a virtual private server (VPS) is more expensive than shared hosting), the resources you require and the length of time you commit to a plan. Plans offering the most value for the price will typically include various features, such as unlimited email accounts, free domains and SSL certificates so that you know your website is secure.
Consider a web hosting service provider with an intuitive dashboard and easy-to-use control panel. This will make it easy for you to manage your website, including creating and editing content, setting up email accounts and managing domains.
Some providers will offer a drag-and-drop website builder with customizable templates, as well as helpful resources such as tutorials and videos. This can make it easier to quickly create a website without needing extensive coding knowledge. If you have an existing website and are migrating to a new host, free migration assistance or an automated transfer process can be beneficial.
When selecting a web hosting provider, it’s important to consider scalability. If you anticipate your website to grow over time, it’s crucial to look for a host that can provide resources as you need them. Look for plans that offer unlimited storage, bandwidth and email accounts, as well as the ability to upgrade your plan.
You should also look for a provider that makes it easy to scale your service with one click so that you can quickly access resources and increase the reach of your website.
Canadian specific editing and research (including pricing) conducted by Anna Rey.
Featured Partner Offer
1
Bluehost
On Bluehost.com’s Website
Starting price
$2.95 USD ($4.05 CAD) per month
Storage and bandwidth
Unmetered bandwidth, and SSD storage starts at 10GB
Extras and inclusions
Free domain name and SSL for a year, free CDN
2
Hostgator
On Hostgator’s Website
Starting price
$2.75 USD ($3.68 CAD)per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate, free website transfer
3
Namecheap
On Namecheap’s Website
Starting price
$1.58 USD ($2.15 CAD) per month (with 24 months contract)
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate, host three sites, low-cost VPS hosting
4
Hostinger
On Hostinger.com’s Website
Intro Price
$1.99 USD ($2.71 CAD) per month
Storage and bandwidth
20 GB, 1 TB
Inclusions
Free SSL certificate, weekly backups, website builder
HostGator: Small businesses and entrepreneurs with websites that have a lot of content should use HostGator. Every plan comes with unlimited storage, so you don’t have to worry about your content slowing things down. Its plans are full of features and extras and come with 24/7/365 customer service and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
TMDHosting: TMDHosting uses premium hardware with SSDs, caching and security to make your website up to 16 times faster. Its plans include free daily backups, a free domain, Weebly Sitebuilder and a Let’s Encrypt SSL.
Bluehost: Bluehost is a great choice for small business websites. It offers shared hosting plans with unmetered bandwidth and a free domain name for your first year. Plus, it’s easy to use.
There are some web hosts offering free hosting and domain names, but you shouldn’t use them as a business. This is because you’ll have the web host’s domain after yours (mycoolsite.webhostname.com). Shared hosting is your cheapest option, and we have a list of the best cheap web hosting services to consider.
Yes, you can host your own website but for most, this doesn’t make the most sense. It will be more costly and time-consuming than using a web hosting company because you’ll need your own servers and software, as well as the know-how to maintain them.
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems – (CMS) and many web hosts offer specialized WordPress hosting. HostGator, InMotion Hosting and DreamHost are some of the best hosts for WordPress. They all offer plans tailored to WordPress users, including optimized servers and automatic updates. Plus, they have helpful features such as a one-click installation process.
Kathy Haan, MBA is a former financial advisor-turned-writer and business coach. For over a decade, she’s helped small business owners make money online. When she’s not trying out the latest tech or travel blogging with her family, you can find her curling up with a good novel.

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