With so many web hosts available, it can be difficult to choose one that offers the specific development features you need. Especially since most web hosts cater to general users that might be looking for a more basic service.
Fortunately, it’s easier to choose a web host when you know what to look for. Whether you want an intuitive control panel, an affordable solution, or powerful security features, we can help you find the hosting provider that best suits your web development needs.
In this post, we’ll discuss some of the features to look for in a web hosting provider. Then, we’ll explore six of the best web hosts for developers. Let’s get started!
What to Look for in Developer-Friendly Web Hosts (5 Key Factors)
Here are some of the key factors to consider when choosing a new web host for your development needs.
Resources
Whichever server your sites or apps end up on, it’s essential that they have enough resources to execute effectively. Some of the key resources to pay attention to include general storage, bandwidth, and the central processing unit (CPU).
All of these factors will determine how your programs are executed. Additionally, it’s useful to check what sort of random access memory (RAM) is offered because this will limit the amount of data you can access quickly and easily.
Scalability
When choosing a developer-friendly web host, it’s best to think long-term. You may want to ask yourself: what plan will be more useful if I’m expecting significant growth? On the flip side of that, you don’t want to start out with big ambitions only to end up paying for a bunch of features you don’t use.
That’s why it’s a good idea to choose a developer web host that enables you to scale your resources up and down as you need. Therefore, pay-as-you-go plans can be an excellent solution since they’re more flexible.
Frameworks
While you can manually install dependencies using SSH, it’s much quicker to choose a developer web host that’s already configured to run your preferred programming language. Typically, the more popular frameworks to look out for include PHP, Python, and MYSQL.
However, it’s also useful to make sure that your web host supports multiple programming languages if you plan on working with more than one. Additionally, you might want to access numerous server types such as Apache and Node.
Security
Security is always an important consideration with any type of hosting. While shared hosting can be a more affordable option, it can involve greater risk since it lacks proper barriers between applications. Therefore, if one website on the server gets infected, there’s a chance that your website will also go down.
What’s more, rather than simply choosing the type of hosting service you’d like, consider some of the extra features offered by the provider. For instance, some hosting companies include automated backups, staging environments, firewalls, and website monitoring as part of their packages.
Reliability
One of the main considerations with web hosting is that your site remains available and accessible at all times. Otherwise, you can lose out on traffic and revenue. This can also make your site appear untrustworthy.
With this in mind, the best developer web hosts will offer no less than 99.99 percent uptime. It’s also crucial that you can easily get in touch with the support team should any issues arise.
6 Best Web Hosts for Developers
Now that you know what to look for when making a decision, let’s check out six of the best web hosts for developers.
1. WP Engine
WP Engine is a powerful, security-rich web host that can provide you with smooth and speedy performance. Thanks to its native user portal, it’s ideal for working with WordPress. It’s also a great option for collaborative work, enabling you to set unique user permissions, assign roles, and log activity.
What’s more, with WP Engine, you’ll get access to three staging websites, one for development, one for staging, and one for production. Better yet, each staging area comes with its own unique management menu.
Features:
- All plans can function as reseller hosting
- Choose from twenty server locations
- Access three staging environments
Pricing: WP Engine plans start at $20 per month.
2. InterServer
InterServer is a straightforward developer web hosting service that’s highly customizable. However, it does come with a steep learning curve, so it may not be the best option for beginners. Still, it’s a popular choice since it enables you to work with lots of programming languages including PHP, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Perl, and Fast CGI.
One of the best parts about InterServer is that it’s a scalable solution, so you only pay for what you need. If you find yourself requiring more resources at any time, each plan provides a little more than the last, with just a small price increase. This is a great feature since many hosting providers have a large disparity between upgrades.
Features:
- Provides a staging option to work on your site privately and safely
- Plans include unlimited websites, storage, bandwidth, and an email account
- Offers free security features like a virus scanner, web application firewall, and in-house malware database
Pricing: You can start using InterServer for just $2.50 per month.
3. Kamatera
Kamatera provides a highly-configurable environment. For example, you can use it to build a cloud VPN from scratch and determine the exact amount of RAM, CPU, and storage that you’ll need. However, to fully take advantage of this requires a fair bit of technical knowledge and experience.
In any case, Kamatera is a great developer web host because it offers a flexible pay-as-you-go service. Therefore, you can adjust your server resources and your bill will instantly reflect this change. This makes it one of the best web hosts for scaling your applications. Kamatera also doesn’t scrimp on security, providing firewall protection, distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection, and 24/7 support.
Features:
- Uses a cloud load balancer to stabilize performances during traffic spikes
- Choose from eighteen data centers around the world
- Instant setup
Pricing: Kamatera hosting plans start at $4 per month.
4. Hostinger
Hostinger is a well-known, reliable hosting solution that’s great for experimenting with your app. With this option, you’ll get access to your very own hPanel . This is a user-friendly, native management panel that’s simple to use and provides a clean, stylish interface.
What’s more, you can access Git support with any plan you choose, tracking changes and restoring previous versions easily. Hostinger also offers an access manager with all shared plans, allowing you to allocate specific roles and access options to team members.
Features:
- Weekly backups with all plans
- Choose your own data center closest to your audience
- All shared plans include DNS management, a free SSL certificate, and an email account
Pricing: Hostinger plans start at $1.99 per month for a single shared website. However, you can get VPS Hosting for $3.49 per month, and cloud hosting starts at $9.99 per month.
5. Liquid Web
Liquid Web is particularly well-known for its cloud hosting and VPS hosting plans. It’s a flexible solution that enables you to choose your own control panel, whether you prefer to work with InterWorx, Plesk Web Pro, or cPanel.
No matter which plan you choose, you can expect Git support, and amazingly, Liquid Web offers a 100 percent uptime guarantee. Better yet, if downtime does occur, you’ll be compensated ten times the amount you’ve lost. Plus, Liquid Web uses WP-CLI so that you can update, backup, and administrate your site easily.
Features:
- Access a ton of security features like firewalls, DDoS protection, and website monitoring
- Enjoy a 100 percent uptime guarantee
- Get full root access
Pricing: Liquid Web plans start at $25 per month.
6. InMotion
InMotion is a fully-featured web host that accommodates many programming languages like PHP, Ruby, Perl, and Python. This is even the case for its shared hosting plans. You can also add multiple users to your website and limit their actions easily on your account.
InMotion is one of the best developer web hosts for reseller hosting and includes white labeling for agencies. Plus, it’s a reliable solution, offering 99.99 percent uptime and 24/7 support. Additionally, you can benefit from plenty of security features like malware protection and free SSL certificates.
Features:
- Git support with all plans
- Provides SSL, SSH access, unlimited bandwidth, and free email
- WordPress is auto-installed and you can access other eCommerce tools
Pricing: InMotion plans start at $2.29 per month.
Conclusion
With so many hosting providers available, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your web development tasks. However, it’s easier if you know what to look for. When you consider factors like resources, frameworks, and scalability, you’re off to a good start.
To recap, here are six of the best web hosts for developers:
WP Engine: A powerful solution, great for testing and collaboration.
InterServer: Good for scalability, enabling you to pay for what you need.
Kamatera: A highly-customizable environment that bills by the second.
Hostinger: An affordable web host that’s also beginner-friendly.
Liquid Web: Guarantees 100 percent uptime and allows you to choose your own control panel.
InMotion: A robust web host, best for reseller hosting.
Do you have any questions about our list of the best web hosts for developers? Let us know in the comments section below!
