The 13 Best Blog Hosting Sites to Launch a Winning Blog in 2023

If you’re building a blog, you’ll need to secure hosting to provide web server space for your new site to live online. However, with endless options available, deciphering which are the best hosting sites for blogs can quickly become a daunting task. (Spoiler alert: It doesn’t have to be!)

In this post, we’ll share everything you need to know about the best hosting sites for blogs. You’ll discover some features that your hosting site should have to launch your site successfully. Then, we’ll share TK of the best hosting sites for blogs. 

• Why do you need to choose the best hosting sites for blogs? 

• What are some features the best hosting sites for blogs have? 

• Best Hosting Sites for Blogs: Premium

• Best Hosting Sites for Blogs: Free

Why do you need to choose the best hosting sites for blogs? 

For starters, let’s quickly recap why investing in finding good hosting for your blog is crucial. For starters, your host offers an invaluable service — it stores your blog files, data, and website code in a server which enables your site to be accessed by visitors across the world. Without hosting, your site isn’t accessible to the public.

But what’s the difference between a mediocre host and an exceptional one? We’re glad you asked. For starters, “good” blog hosting will offer fast loading times to deliver your content as fast as possible. (If you’re wondering why load time is so important, this post will give you some context.) 

But page load time isn’t the only reason finding the best hosting site for blogs is crucial. Hosting also impacts your site security. With good blog hosting, your site will be less susceptible to cyber attacks. And if something ever does go wrong with your site, your host could even have regular site backups saved for you so you don’t have to start from scratch. 

What are some features the best hosting sites for blogs have? 

By keeping an eye out for these key features, you can ensure that you’re choosing the best hosting service for your blog. For the best outcome, your blog host should offer the following: 

1. Customization Options

A successful blog host offers customization so you can make your site uniquely yours. By customizing the look and feel of your blog to match your branding, you create a more distinguishable brand identity. A poor hosting site will only offer a few premade templates with no opportunity to customize further.

2. An Easy Learning Curve

Using a blog hosting site should be intuitive. In other words, you shouldn’t need to hire a developer. Because you’re starting a blog and not a business site, you should be able to easily set up, design, and publish blog posts through a user-friendly interface.

3. Monetization Opportunities

The backbone of a winning website? Great content, of course. And the more eyes you get on that content, the more revenue potential you have.

In other words, it’s crucial your host of choice offers the option to monetize your blog. Whether you achieve this by placing display ads, carrying out affiliate marketing, or selling merchandise, your site host should make these options available or offer extensions that make it possible. 

4. Ability to Install Tracking Scripts

Another key feature successful hosts should have? The ability to install tracking scripts. Tracking your blog’s search engine performance is crucial so you can see how it performs over time. That’s where tracking scripts come in handy. 

The two primary tracking scripts you should plan to install include Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Getting started with these is easy — you can add them to your blog site’s header tags. You might even notice that your blog host has the option to add it in via a “Custom JavaScript” text box which you can take advantage of. 

Alternatively, if you can’t install scripts or are not interested in doing so, your blog hosting site should provide metrics and KPIs that give you insight into how your blog is performing.

5. Room for Growth

As a new blogger, it might be difficult to envision where your blog might be in a few years — but as you publish more and more posts, you’ll need more features and capabilities that don’t restrict your website.

Even if you start with the free version of a hosting service, it’s wise to ensure they offer upgrades or have the right site architecture to support an established blog. Look for adequate storage space, a high number of monthly visits allowed, and avoid limitations on metered traffic.

6. Free Email, SSL Certificates, and More

If your blog hosting plan offers only the bare minimum, stay away. As a bonus, look out for plans that offer valuable sign-up incentives, such as a free email, domain name, or SSL certificate.

It’s possible that you’ll need to upgrade to get access to these features, but be sure your host at least offers them in their premium plans. These freebies can help you build your blog without needing to purchase these important add-ons from another provider.

Now that you know what features to search for, let’s take a look at some of the most popular blog hosting options on the market. It’s worth noting that all of these hosting options allow for WordPress installation.

7. Reliability

Last — but certainly not least — your hosting provider needs to be reliable. In other words, you don’t want to pick a host that provides spotty service. One way to vet this is to consider the uptime. When we talk about ‘uptime,’ we’re referring to the amount of time your website is available for visitors to access it. You want at least 99% uptime. 

Another hallmark of a good hosting provider is that they offer simple data restoration that you can rely on in case an unexpected event occurs and your website suddenly experiences difficulty. By ensuring your hosting provider has these measures in place, you can rest assured you won’t lose your progress in a worst-case scenario situation. 

1. CMS Hub

With CMS Hub, you don’t need to seek external hosting to get your blog up and running — instead, there’s hosting directly on the platform. Plus, with a robust drag-and-drop builder and plenty of templates to select from, you’re well on your way to creating a blog worth bragging about.

Get started with blog hosting for free

CMS Hub offers free and premium versions, so when you are ready to continue growing your blog, you can easily take it to the next level. Even if you opt for the free version, you get managed cloud hosting. Additionally, CMS Hub has plenty of personalization options so you can customize your site as you wish. The platform also boasts security procedures in place so you can rest assured that your site is secure. And remember how we mentioned that it’s crucial your blog host offers advanced analytics and reporting insights? With CMS Hub, tracking your site performance and monitoring your most important metrics is simple.

CMS Hub Pros: 

• CMS Hub features enterprise-class security system in place to safeguard your website. 

• It is free to use — and you get managed cloud hosting without spending a penny. 

• The platform integrates directly with your CRM software, so it’s a one-stop-shop for all of your blog needs. 

• You can easily monitor your site’s performance. 

• When you’re ready to grow, CMS Hub offers reasonably-priced upgrades. 

• It boasts a 99.99% uptime.

• You'll never experience fees due to traffic, storage, or usage.

CMS Hub Cons: 

• You have to build your site directly on the platform to access the hosting, so this won’t be a fit if you’re looking to build a WordPress website, for instance.

• With the free version, you’re limited to one inbox. If you want more, you’ll have to upgrade.

2. SiteGround Blog Hosting

SiteGround is a well-known hosting site that works best for small to medium blogs with up to 100,000 monthly visitors. SiteGround backs up your blog daily, so you'll never have to worry about losing your content.

Additionally, SiteGround is an excellent option if you are building your blog on WordPress. It offers managed WordPress hosting, which means the provider will handle automatic WordPress and plugin updates, caching, and security measures for you. 

SiteGround Pros

• Site Ground offers three plans: StartUp ($14.99/month), Grow Big ($24.99/month), and GoGeek ($39.99/month). Therefore, as your blog grows, your hosting capabilities grow accordingly, with additional monthly visits and additional gigabytes of web space.

• You get a free SSL with each plan, which can help with your blog’s SEO.

• Your blog’s traffic will be unmetered in all three plans; no gatekeeping or reduction in performance even as you grow.

• Regardless of the plan you choose, you get a free email, which can help your blog look more professional and established.

• WordPress.org integration is simple (and free!) with all the plans. 

SiteGround Cons

• The starting price may be steep for beginner bloggers, and there isn’t a free option available.

• The StartUp plan does not include the option for staging your site, which would allow you to see and interact with your blog in a staged environment before publishing it.

3. Bluehost Blog Hosting

Bluehost offers affordable hosting rates and a free domain name for one year, which makes it an attractive option for bloggers just starting out. 

The service offers managed WordPress hosting plus marketing, social media, and SEO tools such as content improvement recommendations, keyword selections, and more. It also offers design tools if you’re looking for support there, too. 

It also offers three hosting options: Shared, Dedicated, and Virtual Private Server (VPS). If you choose Shared hosting, your blog — you guessed it — shares server space with other blogs and websites. If you choose Dedicated hosting, your blog would have a dedicated private server, which would result in impeccable up-time and utmost stability. Virtual Private Servers are a compromise between shared hosting and dedicated hosting: You’re on a shared server, but the software is installed on the physical server to give you private server space, too. 

Though Bluehost offers these three hosting options, we’ll focus on Shared hosting for our review, since this is the go-to option for new bloggers. 

Bluehost Pros

• The Basic plan has a relatively low starting price ($10.99/month) compared to other services, making this a great choice if you want to start a blog for a low price.

• WordPress.org integration is free with all plans.

Bluehost Cons

• Bluehost’s pricing structure is tricky — it’s $2.95 for basic only when you commit to 36 months, and all of it must be paid upfront, which may rack up a higher-than-expected startup fee for your blog. Plus, it auto-renews at the full amount. 

• Basic shared hosting is extremely bare-bones: It has 10 GB SSD storage, and doesn’t have any security perks. If you want more security features, you’ll have to upgrade to the next level (Choice Plus). 

• No free email is included with any of the plans; if you want to get a branded email for your blog, you’ll have to get one through Google Workspace or Office 365.

4. HostGator Blog Hosting

Whether your blog is intended for a small or large audience, HostGator can help. Some of the service's plans include free SEO tools to help your posts rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs). 

HostGator's drag-and-drop builder makes formatting your blog simple, and the administrator panel includes website statistics to help you evaluate how your content is performing.

HostGator Pros

• The Hatchling, or basic, plan has an extremely low starting price — $3.75/month with a 36-month commitment, which can help you start your blog for cheaper.

• You’ll get a free email regardless of the plan you choose, helping your blog look more professional.

• All plans include unlimited bandwidth and disk space, giving your blog infinite room for growth without requiring an upgrade.

• All plans include a free SSL certificate, which helps your blog look more secure.

• If you’re building on WordPress, you can do so with HostGator, as there’s a one-click WordPress install permitted across plans. 

HostGator Cons

• Just like Bluehost, a multi-year commitment must be paid up-front, which can be expensive for some bloggers.

• Too many hosting choices up-front may make the decision difficult; You can go for shared hosting, website builder, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting plan. Other blog hosting sites offer a simpler set of offerings, which can help you get your blog started without fuss.

5. GoDaddy Blog Hosting

GoDaddy allows you to easily design an attractive blog, plus manage social accounts for easy content sharing. The service offers regular security monitoring, site backups, and one-click data restore, so you'll never have to be concerned about losing your blog content.

Additionally, there are a number of plans that fit a range of budgets — each of which offers a year of a free domain name and Office 365 email.

GoDaddy Pros

• All plans include a free domain, allowing you to create a professional-looking blog from the onset.

• Regardless of your plan, you will get a free SSL certificate. 

• You’ll get a free Office 365 mailbox, which will allow you to have a branded inbox for your blog.

• Even with the most basic hosting subscription, you get daily backups. 

• Enjoy unmetered bandwidth with all plans, giving your blog room to grow without forcing you to upgrade to a more expensive plan.

• You get 25 GB of storage. 

GoDaddy Cons

• Just like Bluehost and HostGator, GoDaddy’s multi-year commitments must be paid up-front, which means a significant fee. 

6. DreamHost Blog Hosting

DreamHost’s site builder allows you to create a WordPress blog without any coding knowledge, which makes it a great option for users of all levels.

DreamHost is dedicated to security, too — it has multi-factor authentication, anti-spam policies, and free WHOIS privacy.

DreamHost Pros

• All plans include unlimited traffic, bandwidth, and storage, giving your blog infinite room for growth.

• All plans include an SSL certificate, allowing your blog to look more professional and safe to visit.

• You can see the monthly price up-front on the website but pay more upfront for a lower monthly rate if you prefer 

• Free automated WordPress migration plans are included. 

DreamHost Cons

• Package options may be overwhelming for a new blogger: There’s shared website hosting, WordPress starter hosting, managed WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated server hosting, and more.

• No free domain is included — you’ll have to pay for your domain. 

• No free email is included in the basic plans; you’d have to either pay for it separately or upgrade to a more expensive plan.

7. Squarespace

Squarespace is not exclusively a hosting site, but it automatically includes hosting for your blog when you sign up for the service.

Squarespace is designed to get your website up and running as quickly as possible. It’s known for its ease-of-use, ready-to-use templates, drag-and-drop builder, and all-around professional feel.

Squarespace Pros

• Getting your blog started is extremely intuitive and easy — simply choose a template, start editing, and upgrade to a paid version once you’re ready to take it live.

• All plans include a free custom domain when you commit to a yearly plan.

• All plans include a free SSL certificate.

• All plans allow you to have at least two additional contributors, allowing you to create a multi-author blog.

• All plans include unlimited bandwidth and storage, giving you room for growth.

Squarespace Cons

• If you wanted to have access to CSS and JavaScript editing, you’d have to upgrade to a more expensive plan.

• No free email is included unless you upgrade to a more expensive plan.

• No free domain is included unless you commit to a yearly plan; if you wanted to try it out for a few months, you’d have to purchase a domain from another provider.

• You won’t be able to integrate your blog with WordPress.

• It is more expensive than other options — if you pay monthly, the base version is $23/month. 

8. Nexcess Blog Hosting

Nexcess provides fully managed WordPress hosting that is optimized for content platforms. Plans include curated premium plugins, plugin performance monitoring, and the ultra-fast Nexcess CDN. Hosting with Nexcess means your site is fast, scalable, and secure. 

Nexcess provides automatic plugin and platform updates, always-on monitoring, and autoscaling when you need it (and not when you don’t).

Nexcess Pros

• Choose from seven different fully managed WordPress hosting plans to fit your needs

• Free migrations are included with every plan.

• Nexcess does not charge overage fees. There are no traffic limits or metered pageviews.

• Even the starter tier plans include free premium plugins 

• All plans include always-on security monitoring and 24/7/365 support from WordPress experts.

• Nexcess provides a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. 

• You get free email and free SSL with even the most basic plan. 

Nexcess Cons

• Pricing is a bit complicated, so be sure you know what you’re committing to when you sign up. 

• No free domain registration is included — you’ll need to purchase that separately.

• It is built on WordPress, which requires some technical knowledge.

Now that you know all about premium blog hosting services, let's cover some free options for those looking to build a website on a budget. However, it's important to keep in mind that some free blog hosting sites have restrictions.

1. CMS Hub

We already mentioned CMS Hub as a viable option for those looking to build a blog with a premium hosting site — but did we mention that CMS Hub has an entirely free plan? The platform, which has AI baked in, is a powerful option whether you consider yourself a marketer or developer looking to get into blog creation.

Get started with blog hosting for free

With the help of CMS Hub hosting, you can customize a visually appealing, personalized blog that will help you establish your business’ reputation and personal brand. We know we already showcased many of CMS Hub’s features, but they’re worth reiterating, so let’s discuss them. When you work with the free version of CMS Hub, you will have access to a drag-and-drop builder, an AI content assistant, premium hosting and security, and even SEO recommendations to increase the chances your content will end up on the SERPs.

CMS Hub Pros: 

• It's entirely free — there are no hidden fees. 

• You can upgrade if you choose, but you can also simply stick with the free version as long as you use the platform. 

• It fully integrates with your customer relationship management (CRM) software. 

• There are plenty of themes to choose from for optimal customization. 

• Advanced reporting options are available to help you make the most of your content. 

• The platform has 99.99% uptime and robust security measurements in place. 

• There will never be fees because of traffic, storage, or usage. 

CMS Hub Cons: 

• If you're looking to build on WordPress, you can't access CMS Hub hosting. It's only available for sites created with CMS Hub. 

2. WordPress.com Free Blog Hosting

WordPress.com offers several paid plans in addition to a limited free plan. With the free hosting plan, you get 3GB of storage plus automatic updates and site backups. It includes Jetpack, but no other plugins.

Additionally, there will be ads on your blog, and your domain will include "WordPress" in it (like this: yoursite.wordpress.com), making the free service ideal for small-scale, personal blogs.

WordPress Pros

• It’s extremely easy to sign up and get started: simply create an account, choose your WordPress subdomain, and proceed to your dashboard.

• The dashboard is designed for bloggers first, with a “Write” button up top that immediately allows you to start a post.

• Setup can be done in just a few minutes, and you can start publishing blog posts the same day you sign up (other blog hosting sites require a lengthier setup).

• Paid plans start at the highly affordable price of $48/year and $4/month.

WordPress Cons

• The sign-up process constantly tries to “trick” you into paying for a plan by hiding the “Start for free” prompts.

• You won’t get a free domain unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

• WordPress.com’s ads and branding will be on your blog unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

• WordPress.com offers limited functionality on the free plan; you won’t have access to WordPress’ expansive library of plugins unless you go for the Premium ($8/month) and Business plans ($25/month).

3. Wix Free Blog Hosting

Wix is a beginner-friendly hosting site with a free plan for bloggers that includes security monitoring, 500MB of cloud storage, and 500MB of bandwidth.

The service makes designing your blog simple with the help of templates and a drag-and-drop page builder. However, it includes a branded domain name —yourdomain.wix.com — and Wix ads on your website.

Wix Pros

• It’s extremely easy to get started: Simply sign up, answer a few questions about your project, select the features you want on your site, and let Wix AI build your blog for you.

• You can easily import data from another existing blog, if you have one, with its one-click import feature.

• A live chat widget is included even in the free plan, allowing you to connect with potential subscribers.

Wix Cons

• No custom domain is included unless you upgrade to a premium plan.

• No free email is included, even in paid plans.

• Your blog will have Wix’s branding and ads unless you upgrade to a paid plan; the branding is quite prominent.

• The drag-and-drop editor has a slight learning curve with small, subtle buttons.

• You can build a blog on Wix, but that isn’t really what it was initially built for. To add a blog post, you have to go to the page editor, click Manage, click Blog, then click Create New; compare this to WordPress’s “Write” button placed prominently in the dashboard.

4. Weebly Free Blog Hosting

Weebly’s free hosting plan is quite robust, with unlimited bandwidth, no ads, website templates, a drag-and-drop builder, and 500MB of storage.

The free plan, however, does not allow for a free email address to be linked to your domain and requires a Weebly-branded domain name.

Weebly Pros

• Free SSL certificate is included even on the free plan.

• The sign-up process is simple and straightforward; there’s no push toward purchasing a paid plan, allowing you to start your blog without fuss.

Weebly Cons

• No custom domain name or email is included in any plan.

• Your blog will be branded with Weebly’s logo and branding unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

• When you’re signing up, you’re forced to choose between a Personal website or a Business website; you have to decide whether you want to monetize your blog now instead of phasing in monetization as your blog grows.

5. 000WebHost Free Blog Hosting

000WebHost includes no ads, quick loading times, and 10GB of bandwidth with the free hosting plan.

The service does not offer users any live support. And every month, there's a two-hour offline period of time — meaning, your blog will be inaccessible for two hours a month to all users.

000WebHost Pros

• The free plan comes with 300MB of storage and up to 3,000 allowed monthly visits.

• If you ever want to upgrade, the paid plans are extremely cheap, starting at $1.99/month with a 4-year commitment. (Otherwise, $9.99/month.)

000WebHost Cons

• SSL is not free.

• No free domain or email account is included in the free plan.

• Extremely limited bandwidth (3 GB). 

6. Blogger Free Blog Hosting

Blogger is another free option ideal for small-scale blogs. You can host an unlimited number of domains and easily integrate your blog and website with your other Google accounts and services (e.g. Calendar, Drive, Maps, etc.).

The responsive templates make it easy to design a mobile-friendly site for your blog. With the free plan, there are no ads but SEO assistance and support is limited.

Blogger Pros

• Easily set up your blog in just a few clicks; sign up, name your blog, choose a template, and start posting.

• Because Google owns Blogger, it makes it easy to add a Google Analytics ID, which can help you track your blog’s performance.

• You can connect a custom domain if you have one.

• You can invite other co-founders to be administrators for the blog without needing to pay for an additional subscription or share a login.

• Monetization options are easy to access in the dashboard’s sidebar; connect an AdSense account, and you’re all done.

Blogger Cons

• No free domain or email account is included; you’d have to purchase both of those separately.

• It offers extremely limited customization options. You can choose from a long list of themes; however, you won’t be able to edit the CSS and give your blog a unique look.

• There are three types of editors: A text editor, a layout editor, and a theme editor. Because these three editors are separate, it feels unintuitive to add text and change the look of your blog. Compare this with Weebly’s and Wix’s drag-and-drop editors, which allow you to edit all three at the same time.

There are a number of hosting service options to choose from when starting your blog. These options offer a variety of features and are ideal for many different users.

Review the options we covered above and dive into their features and pricing pages to determine which is the right fit for you.

Find a Blog Hosting Service to Launch Your Blog

Creating a blog is no small feat. A blog can help you create a personal brand, generate revenue, and make your insights available to a greater public. With the best blog hosting sites, you can easily launch a new blog without much coding or fuss. The options we’ve recommended will allow your blog to grow and help you create a loyal subscriber base.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.