SiteGround

SiteGround has the benefits of a "premium host" at a budget cost, which is why they're our top host.

It has the hardware (and scalability) of a premium host, and their customer service is better than most of the premium hosts I've used.

Features

Here’s a quick list of what every account gets with this host: Customer service responses under 10 minutes, quick Wordpress setup, SSD drives and tons of features that speed your site up (CDNs, Super Cacher, HTTP/2, NGINX). 

SiteGround steps up here and pushes the bar higher for an incredible value by offering technology that other cheap hosts either don’t have or charge extra fees for users to get.

This host is self-described as, “pioneers in inventing our own advanced web hosting security solutions.” It’s yet another edge that makes them one of our absolute top choices. Security is really good and helps keep your site a bit safer from mishaps, blunders, and malware. The potential Kryptonite to SiteGround's incredible service is the resource allocation. 

Resources that come with the shared hosting plans aren't good for anyone who expects a decent amount of traffic each month. 

The "StartUp Plan" only allows for up to 10,000 visitors a month. The "GoGeek" plan bumps that up to 100k. The numbers aren't bad for a small local business, but for decent traffic blogs it won't do.

There are no VPS plans with SiteGround. Not a huge loss, but could be important to some. Cloud servers are available and are really fast, but they are pricey when compared to a typical VPS plan.

Support

Lots to love.

The strongest selling point overall comes from the customer service.

There are three ways to get in touch with them in the event of an issue: phone, chat, or email. Calls or chat get instantly answered and your email ticket will get a response within 10 minutes.

The main reason SiteGround is different is due to the range of care and knowledge from the staff. Most budget hosts will answer questions regarding your account. This host wants to help you get your site the way you want. 

Things like moving sites, embedding videos or choosing a content management system are all things that you can ask any rep at SiteGround.

Speed

SiteGround excels here. The equipment and programs in place are built to help your site be significantly faster than your competitors.

From the things that are becoming more standard (like SSD drives) to advanced level tech (like NGINX server speed, CDN's, and a caching system for WordPress). 

Much like many other things about this host, their speed is on par with many premium hosting providers at a budget host price.

Uptime

We've looked at a lot of hosting companies. Ones that care about uptime usually dedicate a page to showing users the status of servers. Others overtly state their uptime guarantee and what they are doing to keep your site online. 

If this is the gauge that tells how serious a company is about uptime, SiteGround is a top uptime contender. Their uptime status page tells you exactly why their uptime is so good. There is also a search function, users put in their domain and it will tell you the status of your site. 

99.99% uptime guarantee.