Web hosting for freelancers isn’t all that much different from generic hosting. At the same time, due to the nature of freelancers’ work – it helps if a host has as wide a diversity of tools as possible. This helps give freelancers the agility they need to support a wide variety of clients on a single platform.
While site builders like Wix and Weebly are usually freelancers’ favorites in the past, self-hosting options today are cheaper and catching up in capability (for freelancers).
ScalaHosting, for example, comes with built-in security features (auto malware scan, firewall, etc) so you don’t have to worry about your site getting hacked. Hostinger, on the other hand, provides a website building tool to help with rapid deployment requirements.
Now, let’s look at some hosting services we find suitable for freelancers.
Hostinger
Hostinger has swiftly risen from its humble beginnings in 2004 to become a globally recognized web hosting powerhouse, known for its affordable, user-friendly services and innovative technologies like the proprietary hPanel. With a commitment to excellence and a rapidly expanding team, Hostinger continues to redefine the web hosting landscape, making it easier for users around the world to establish their online presence.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
Hostinger Pros
- Affordable – Lowest plan starts at $2.99/mo and support up to 100 websites
- Nine different data centers in four continents
- Good spread of web hosting plans
- User-friendly proprietary control panel (hPanel).
- Wide range of payment options accepted
- AI-powered website builder in all shared plans
- Additional 10% discount with coupon code “HOSTSCORE”
Hostinger Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
- Does not support Windows hosting
Verpex
As a newcomer in the hosting industry, Verpex shows promise with feature-rich, affordable plans and solid customer support. Sadly, however, their premium hosting plans fall short in value compared to top-tier providers.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
Verpex Pros
- Budget-friendly shared and VPS hosting plans
- 45-day money back guarantee
- Daily backup included in all shared hosting plans
- Unlimited free site migrations
- Choice of 12 distributed data centers across five continents
- Wide hosting selections including Windows and dedicated hosting
Verpex Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
GreenGeeks
With their eco-friendly vision GreenGeeks has positioned themselves in a unique spot to offer hosting that some companies have bylaws mandating them to take advantage of – green hosting. Combined with above-average performance and a good spread of supporting technologies, they are an attractive option for many.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
HostScore
GreenGeeks Pros
- 300% green energy offset with RECs
- Affordable entry pricing for shared and WordPress hosting plans
- Free daily backup for all shared hosting plans
- Partnership with One Tree Planted plants a tree for every new hosting account
- Free website migration assistance
- Enhanced scalability options with VPS and dedicated plans
GreenGeeks Cons
- Higher renewal rates across shared and WordPress plans
- Slightly lackluster customer service, with complaints of limited support for customers transferring domains out of the platform
Ultahost
Being the new kid in town Ultahost hosting offers are tempting. That’s especially true for their cheaper plans like Shared Hosting or WordPress Hosting. The cost is meager, and the company doesn’t overly penalize those that don’t want extended contracts. There’s no harm in taking them for a spin at just $3 per month with 99.99% uptime guarantee and free website migrations.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
HostScore
Ultahost Pros
- Outstanding server uptime and speed performance
- Highly competitive pricing
- Easy-to-use user dashboard
- NVMe SSD storage in all shared hosting plans
- Free malware scan & web applications firewall (WAF) in all shared hosting plans
- Choice of 5 server locations in four continents
Ultahost Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
- Limited disk space.
Chemicloud
A relatively new player in the web hosting scene, Chemicloud first emerged in 2016. Since then, they’ve been growing slowly but steadily. Part of that is their focus on increasing their capabilities alongside their customer base.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
HostScore
Chemicloud Pros
- Excellent reliability and speed
- Dev-friendly packages available
- Well-priced
- Impressive customer support
Chemicloud Cons
- Lack of other business services
- Limited knowledge base
NameCheap
Namecheap is another long-serving company in the web hosting business and was founded way back in 2000. They are an excellent resource for not just new domain names, but you can also bid for some existing ones as well. NameCheap also offers a good range of hosting solutions including shared, VPS, dedicated, and reseller plans. While their hosting features might not be outstanding, they are certainly adequate – especially when you consider their exceptionally low pricing.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
HostScore
NameCheap Pros
- Budget-friendly shared hosting plans
- Excellent domain name prices with free lifetime privacy protection
- Free site migration
- Perl, Ruby, and Python support in shared hosting plan
NameCheap Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
- Limited VPS plans
- Only US and UK-based servers
- Pay extra to choose UK-data center
Webempresa
From what we can see, Webempresa offers robust services and excellent customer support. Whether you are a beginner launching your first website, an established business with niche requirements or even a web dev, you’ll find a solution here.
Recommended Plans for Freelancers
HostScore
Webempresa Pros
- Optimized servers
- Responsive customer support
- Broad range of hosting plans
- Self-developed tools
- Dominant in the Spanish market
Webempresa Cons
- Low storage space on cheaper plans
- No Asia-region data centers
- No phone support
Freelancers: Hosting Features You Need
Because of the wide diversity of needs that may occur from one client to another, freelancers would do well to find web hosts that have vast potential.
When choosing a web host as a freelancer, here are the hosting features you need to consider:
- Performance – Being in the middle of a client and a service provider is never easy. The better the website performance in terms of speed and reliability of a host, the less problematic a freelancer’s life will be.
- Scalability – Freelancers work with clients of all sizes and being able to work consistently with one host can make a difference.
- Rapid Development & Deployment – Having the tools to quickly design, build, and launch customer sites can incredibly boost a freelancer’s bottom line.
- Development Environments – Different projects may require different environments for development and a host which is more agile in this area can be helpful.
- Partner Programs – Different clients work in different ways. Ideally, a good host for freelancing has great partner programs that can handle both clients and referrals from freelancers.
The Freelancer’s World is a Crowded Place
In recent study, Upwork finds 64 million Americans freelanced in 2023 and contributed $1.27 trillion into U.S. economy (source). In this rapidly growing and fiercely competing industry, having a personal website to showcase work is crucial for standing out.
For freelancers, selecting a hosting service that is both reliable and affordable becomes essential, balancing cost-effectiveness with the need for a professional online presence.