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What is Email Hosting and How to Find Best Email Hosting Service
Are you looking to get an email hosting service for your business?
Creating a custom email address for your website or organization with your brand helps build trust and credibility. With the right hosting service, you can easily manage and secure your emails.
In this article, we will show you what email hosting is and how to find the best email hosting service.
What is Email Hosting?
Email hosting is a service you can use to have your own domain names as for email addresses, with storage for email content and attachments. You can create business email addresses by subscribing to an email hosting provider.
The difference between using email hosting vs. free email providers like Gmail or Yahoo is that you get to use your brand name in the email address.
For instance, a free email service will use its own domain name in the email address. It will look like this: john.doe@gmail.com.
On the other hand, you can create branded email addresses using an email hosting service. Your emails will look like this: john.doe@example.com
Why Use an Email Hosting Service?
Using an email hosting service makes your emails look more professional. It helps build credibility and trust with your audience. A branded email address also leaves a lasting impression on your users and creates brand awareness.
Besides that, you get enhanced security with email hosting. Many providers offer 2-factor authentication (2FA), spam protection, anti-phishing and anti-spoofing features, end-to-end encryption, and more.
Another advantage of using an email hosting provider is that you get increased storage capacity. Standard email service would offer limited storage space, which can quickly run out. However, email hosting services can offer extended storage options.
Let’s see what factors you should consider when finding the best email hosting service.
How to Choose the Best Email Hosting Service?
When it comes to choosing the best email hosting provider, you should consider the following things:
- Email Storage – Each email hosting service will allot a specific storage space for your mailbox. You should choose a service that offers flexible storage options to store attachments and other email content.
- Email Protocols – There are different email protocols like IMAP, SMTP, and POP3. They help with email deliverability and accessing emails on different devices. When you’re selecting an email hosting service, see how the provider supports these protocols.
- Email Security Features – One of the advantages of email hosting is the advanced security features it offers. The best services should offer end-to-end encryption, spam protection, scan attachments for viruses and malware, 2-factor authentication (2FA), and anti-phishing features.
- Email Aliases – You can create additional email addresses or aliases without creating a new account. This allows you to forward emails addressed to the alias to your main account. When picking email hosting, check if the provider lets you create email aliases.
- Pricing – An email hosting service will cost you money, so when deciding on a provider, you should take prices into consideration. Some services offer multiple pricing plans with different features and storage limits. We recommend choosing a host that fits your budget.
Now, let’s look at some of the best email hosting services you can choose.
Finding the Best Email Hosting Service
There are many email hosting providers in the market. Here are some of the best services you can choose from.
1. Google Workspace
Google Workspace, previously known as G Suite, is an email hosting service that offers a lot of value. It offers flexible plans that are great for all types of businesses and enterprises.
The best part about Google Workspace is that you can use Gmail for your custom-branded emails. You won’t have to map Gmail to other email hosting providers, which saves a lot of time and complexity.
At WPBeginner, we use Google Workspace and can honestly say it is the best email hosting provider.
Another benefit of using Google Workspace is that you get to use multiple Google products along with setting up a professional email address in Gmail. For instance, you get Google Drive storage, Google Docs and Sheets access, Google Teams, and more.
With Google Workspace, you get storage space from 30GB going all the way to 5TB. Plus, it offers up to 1000 participants in video meetings. Besides that, you’ll get tons of security features like 2 step verification, phishing and spam protection, an ad-free email experience, and more.
That said, Google Workspace can be expensive for startups or small businesses. It’s more suitable for organizations that don’t have budget limitations and can explore custom plans as well.
Pros:
- Use a branded email address with Gmail
- Get 30GB to 5TB of storage
- Phishing and spam protection
- Multiple security features
- Access to different Google products
Cons:
- Expensive pricing plans, especially for small businesses
- It doesn’t offer an unlimited storage option
Pricing: Google Workspace prices start from $6 per user per month, and you get 30GB of storage. There are other plans that offer more storage, security options, and other features.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger is one of the fastest WordPress hosting services in the market. If you’re just starting a new WordPress website and selecting a web hosting provider, then Hostinger offers free email addresses with each pricing plan.
The best part, you don’t have to pay extra for email hosting, and you get to create up to 100 email addresses. Each mailbox also gets 1GB of storage space.
The web hosting plans also include free domain names, WHOIS protection, free SSL certificates, unlimited bandwidth, website backups, and more. This makes Hostinger great value for money.
That said, Hostinger also offers standalone email hosting plans, which are powered by Titan. This allows you to get more storage space, up to 50GB.
Other features include an inbuilt calendar and contacts, auto-reply, email templates, follow-up reminders, up to 10 email aliases, IMAP/POP3 support, spam and phishing protection, anti-virus and malware checker, and much more.
Pros:
- Get free email hosting with web hosting plans
- Fast performance and load times
- Up to 50GB storage space
- 24/7 customer support
- Free domain name and SSL certificate
- Advanced security features
Cons:
- High renewal costs
Pricing: Hostinger offers an exclusive 80% discount to WPBeginner users on web hosting plans, with prices starting from $1.79 per month. If you want more email addresses, then consider getting the WordPress starter plan for $2.69 per month.
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is the largest WordPress hosting company in the world that lets you create professional email addresses. You can use your domain name to set up domain-specific emails.
Just like Hostinger, you get email hosting included in the web hosting plan with Bluehost. Not to mention, you also get a free domain name, SSL certificate, and much more.
Bluehost email hosting offers a custom inbox and calendar. You can also schedule tasks and automatically save contact information. Depending on the plan you get, Bluehost offers up to 80GB storage and 50 email aliases.
Besides that, you get different security features like spam filters, antivirus, safe unsubscribe service, real-time anti-phishing, file encryption, and more. Bluehost also supports different email protocols, including IMAP and POP.
Bluehost is the best solution if you’re looking to purchase a hosting plan or already using Bluehost for your WordPress website. Its email hosting plans are affordable and offer tons of features for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Free domain name, CDN, and SSL certificate
- 3-month free trial for email hosting
- Advanced email security options
- Up to 80GB storage space & 50 email aliases
- Quick and easy setup
- Great customer support
- Officially recommended by WordPress
Cons:
- High domain renewal prices
Pricing: Bluehost offers an exclusive 73% off for WPBeginner users on hosting plans, with prices starting from $2.95 per month. You can use our Bluehost discount coupon to get started.
4. Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Office 365 is another popular email hosting service that is similar to Google Workspace. You can easily set up a professional business email using Office 365 and get access to a bunch of tools offered by Microsoft.
Microsoft 365 offers up to 50GB of storage with each mailbox. Plus, you get advanced security features like spam and malware cloud-based email filtering, multifactor authentication, custom permissions, password policy creation, and more.
Aside from that, you can use other tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OnePoint, Publisher, SharePoint, and more. You also get up to 1TB of cloud storage and real-time monitoring of online threats for your mailboxes.
Microsoft Office 365 is a great solution for sites or organizations that are looking to use Microsoft Suite for their operations. If you’re confused about whether to pick Google vs Microsoft, then please see our comparison between Google Workspace and Office 365.
Pros:
- Create branded emails using Outlook
- Get 50GB of storage for mailboxes
- Access powerful Microsoft tools with a professional email address
- 1TB of cloud storage
- Advanced security features
Cons:
- Expensive pricing plans
- It can be tricky to use, especially for beginners
Pricing: Mircosoft Office 365 prices start from $6 per user per month. There are higher pricing plans that include more features and advanced security options.
5. Namecheap
Namecheap is one of the cheapest email hosting providers on our list. It’s also a popular domain registrar and helps you find custom domain names for your business.
With Namecheap email hosting, you get up to 15GB of email storage and up to 30GB of file storage space. It also lets you create unlimited aliases in the highest pricing plan, along with mobile sync support.
Other than that, Namecheap supports SMPT, IMAP, and POP3 email protocols. It also offers decent security features like 2-factor authentication, anti-spam protection, and email storage security.
Namecheap is an excellent option for startups and new website owners who are looking for a cheap email hosting service.
Pros:
- Affordable pricing plans
- Unlimited aliases with the Ultimate plan
- Offers document viewer, calendar, contacts, and other tools
- Supports SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 protocols
- Mobile sync support
Cons:
- Basic security features
- Limited storage size, even in the Ultimate plan
Pricing: Namecheap email hosting plans start from $1.24 per month for 1 mailbox. You also get a 60-day free trial to try the service.
6. Rackspace Email
Rackspace Email is the next email hosting service on our list. It offers a lot of solutions to SaaS companies, including an email hosting solution for small businesses.
The service offers a 100% uptime guarantee, which means it is highly reliable. It has data centers spread across the world and you get 24/7 support in case anything goes wrong.
Besides that, Rackspace offers 25GB mailbox storage space and up to 30GB file storage space. You also get unlimited aliases, group lists, and email forwarding rules. It even offers free email migration from another provider.
Pros:
- A reliable email hosting solution
- 24/7 customer support
- 25GB mailbox storage
- Easily integrates with Microsoft Office 365 tools
- Spam and virus protection
Cons:
- Requires a high learning curve to use the service
- You’ll need to pay extra for email archiving
- Limited additional features
Pricing: Rackspace email prices start from $2.99 per user per month. You also get a 14-day free trial to try the service.
7. Zoho Mail
Zoho Mail is one of the most popular email hosting services in the market. It offers a secure platform to host emails and create a branded email address.
With Zoho, you get dedicated apps for desktop and mobile to manage and organize your emails. Other than that, it offers up to 50GB of mailbox storage, domain aliases, email forwarding, and offline access.
One of the standout features of Zoho Mail is its SecurePass email. This allows you to send confidential information over emails using a passcode.
Besides that, it supports IMAP and POP3 protocols, up to 1GB of email attachment options, anti-spam and malware protection, email encryption, and more.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use email hosting platform
- Dedicated apps for mobile devices
- Strong security features
- Send password-protected emails with SecurePass
Cons:
- Pricing per user can be expensive for small businesses
- Integration with third-party tools is tricky
Pricing: Zoho Email prices start from $1 per user per month and you get 5GB of mailbox storage.
Which Email Hosting Service Should You Choose?
After reviewing multiple email hosting services, we believe that Google Workspace is the best solution for your email needs.
For starters, it lets you use Gmail with your custom-branded email domain name. Plus, you get access to other powerful tools included in the Google Workspace suite.
At WPBeginner, we also use Google Workspace and highly recommend it.
That said, if you’re looking for a more affordable email hosting service, then you can give Hostinger and Bluehost a try. Both are perfect if you’re just starting a new website since they include email hosting in their web hosting plans.
We hope this article helped you learn what is email hosting and how to find the best email hosting service. You may also want to see our guide on the best email marketing tools and the ultimate guide to boost WordPress speed.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post What is Email Hosting and How to Find Best Email Hosting Service first appeared on WPBeginner.
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Hostinger vs. Bluehost (Honest Web Hosting Comparison – 2023)
Are you looking for an honest web hosting comparison of Hostinger vs. Bluehost?
These are two of the most affordable hosting companies on the market. However, beginners are often not sure which company to choose for their websites.
In this guide, we will compare Hostinger vs. Bluehost with their pros and cons so that you can make the right decision.
Comparison of Hostinger vs. Bluehost
If you are looking for low-price hosting to control your website costs, then Hostinger and Bluehost are two of the most affordable hosting companies on the market.
Bluehost is an official WordPress.org recommended hosting provider, and Hostinger’s plans start at an even more affordable price point. At WPBeginner, we recommend them as two of the top WordPress hosting services for all kinds of users.
In this comparison, we will take a closer look into the pros and cons of Hostinger vs. Bluehost in detail so you can see which is better for your needs and make an informed choice.
Are you wondering which is the best platform for your WordPress site? Here is a quick summary:
Hostinger Bluehost Pricing From $1.99/month From $2.75/month Free Domain Yes, with $2.69 plan Yes Free SSL Yes Yes Page Load Time 181 ms 1,480 ms Avg Response Time 235 ms 156 ms Support Live Chat / Knowledge Base Live Chat / Email / Phone Rating A A- Verdict Best for Small Business Best Cheap Hosting Visit Hostinger Visit Bluehost With that being said, let’s compare both services and see how they compare.
Hostinger Comparison
Hostinger is a popular web hosting provider with a reliable and user-friendly platform to launch websites. They offer affordable shared hosting plans with great customer support, a free domain name with most plans, a free SSL certificate, and more.
Their shared hosting prices are more affordable than most of their competitors. This makes them a good choice for beginners and small businesses looking for budget web hosting.
Pros of Hostinger
Hostinger has the lowest price hosting on the market, but what are some of their pros and cons? Let’s start with some of the benefits of using Hostinger as your hosting service:
- Affordable Plans – They offer very low-cost hosting plans, making Hostinger a great option for people who just want to test out an idea or launch a small website.
- Excellent Performance – Considering Hostinger’s low price point, their performance and speed are impressive.
- Excellent Customer Support – They offer great customer support for all of their hosting plans, making them a great choice for beginners.
Cons of Hostinger
Are there any disadvantages to using Hostinger? Here are some of the downsides that you may want to know:
- Plan Limitations – So that their low-cost hosting remains viable, Hostinger places limits on entry-level and low-level hosting plans. However, as your website grows, you can always remove those limitations by upgrading to more expensive cloud or VPS plans.
- No Daily Backups – Hostinger’s single and premium plans provide weekly backups instead of daily backups. While this is a downside, we always recommend that users set up their own backup solution to be on the safe side.
Hostinger Review
Hostinger has a 5-star rating on WPBeginner based on over 800 user reviews. In our detailed Hostinger review, you can also see the results of our performance and stress tests on Hostinger servers.
If you would like a free domain name, then you won’t get one with Hostinger’s cheapest plan. However, their second-tier plan includes a free domain and is still a little more affordable than Bluehost’s cheapest plan. All Hostinger plans include a free SSL certificate.
We found their customer support team to be very responsive, with almost immediate response times over live chat. Plus, Hostinger has a detailed knowledge base with step-by-step tutorials that answer the most common customer questions.
Bluehost Comparison
Bluehost is an officially recommended WordPress host and one of the biggest web hosting companies in the world. Their hosting is designed for WordPress websites, and they provide great performance with fast servers.
Their hosting prices are lower than most other hosting companies, though their plans cost a little more than Hostinger’s. All the same, they are a good choice for beginners and small businesses with limited budgets.
Pros of Bluehost
Bluehost offers great value at low prices, but you might be wondering what their pros and cons are. We will start with some of the advantages of picking Bluehost as your hosting service:
- Low Costs – Bluehost’s most affordable plan allows you to get started with your website for a low price. Overall, it’s excellent value for new small businesses, bloggers, portfolios, and other WordPress websites.
- Ease of Use – Bluehost has one of the most user-friendly hosting control panels, which makes it easy to install WordPress with one click and manage your website with ease.
- Free Domain – Bluehost provides a free domain name, and this saves you extra money on your start-up costs.
- Free CDN + Free SSL – Bluehost provides a free CDN to boost your website performance, and all plans come with a free SSL certificate to improve security.
- Website Speed – We found that Bluehost performed well in our tests, even without performance optimization. You can also add WordPress caching plugins to unlock further speed improvements.
- Staging Sites + Dev Tools – Bluehost plans come with staging site access, automatic WordPress updates, the ability to change PHP versions, secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) access, and more.
Cons of Bluehost
Now, we will take a look at some downsides to using Bluehost. Here are some cons that you may want to know:
- Higher Domain Renewal Price – Their renewal price for the free domain name is higher than average. This won’t have an immediate impact but is worth keeping in mind.
- Upselling Addons – During signup, you will see a lot of upselling. Most beginners won’t need these products right away, so it is safe to skip them and add them later if needed.
Bluehost Review
Bluehost has a 5-star rating on WPBeginner based on over 300 user reviews and the high value they offer at low prices. You can also check out our detailed Bluehost review to see the results of our performance and stress tests on the Bluehost servers.
The best thing about Bluehost is all of their plans include a free domain, unlimited bandwidth and SSD storage on their Plus plan, and great overall value for what you pay.
Additionally, their eCommerce hosting plan for WooCommerce comes with over $1000+ in premium WooCommerce and WordPress extensions, which can save you a lot of money.
Hostinger vs. Bluehost – Which Is Better?
Now that we have compared the different features of Hostinger vs. Bluehost, you may still be wondering which one of them is better. The answer depends on your needs and requirements.
Hostinger and Bluehost offer slightly different services, but they are both great providers that offer hosting plans at affordable prices.
Both companies provide fast response times to visitors all around the world. Hostinger has a slight advantage in Europe, and Bluehost excels in North America.
Which hosting provider should you choose?
We recommend Hostinger to people looking for cheaper website hosting with some limitations. On the other hand, Bluehost is better for users looking for unlimited everything by paying a little extra.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We have helped thousands of our users choose the best web host for their needs, and we have been asked quite a few questions. Here are some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Hostinger vs. Bluehost.
Where are Hostinger and Bluehost located?
Hostinger’s headquarters are located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Their servers are located in several locations, including the USA, Europe, Brazil, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Bluehost has their own in-house data center in Utah, US. It is a huge 50,000-square-foot facility that acts as its primary data center.
How did you test the speeds of Hostinger’s and Bluehost’s web servers?
We started by creating identical test sites on each hosting provider and installed the default WordPress theme. After that, we imported sample content, including images and media.
We then used independent third-party tools like Pingdom to time page load time and Bitcatcha to test response times under load and from different geographical locations.
Can Hostinger and Bluehost handle high traffic?
Yes, in our stress tests, the shared hosting plans of both companies were able to handle 100 virtual users without any slowdown.
These plans can handle reasonable and sudden traffic spikes. However, they are still quite limited in server resources. If you are expecting high traffic, then we recommend you upgrade your hosting plan.
Are there other hosting providers that you haven’t covered in this comparison?
Yes, there are literally thousands of web hosting companies available, including SiteGround, DreamHost, HostGator, WP Engine, GreenGeeks, and more.
This article compares Hostinger and Bluehost because they are two of the most affordable hosting companies on the market.
Do you have any special discounts for Hostinger or Bluehost?
Yes. Because WPBeginner is the largest WordPress resource site, our users can get special discounts on popular hosting providers as well as other WordPress plugins. You can see all 100+ WordPress deals here.
- Our Hostinger coupon will get you up to 81% off their web hosting plans.
- You can use our Bluehost coupon to get over 75% off + a free domain.
We hope this comparison of Hostinger vs. Bluehost helped you decide which hosting platform is better for your new website. You may also want to see our guide on how to choose the best website builder or our expert pick of the best email marketing services for small businesses.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Hostinger vs. Bluehost (Honest Web Hosting Comparison – 2023) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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Where Is php.ini in WordPress? (& How to Edit This File)
Are you wondering where the php.ini file is located on your website?
Php.ini is a critical file in your WordPress installation. You’ll often need to edit it for better functionality and performance of your website. However, many website owners don’t know where it is located.
In this article, we’ll show you where is php.ini in WordPress and how to edit this file.
To help you navigate the post, you can click the links below to jump to any section you’re interested in.
- What is php.ini file in WordPress?
- Why Do You Need to Edit php.ini File in WordPress?
- Finding the php.ini File Location in WordPress
- Use cPanel to Locate the php.ini File
- Locate the php.ini File using a File Manager Plugin
- Finding php.ini Path in WordPress using the phpinfo.php File
- Editing the php.ini File in WordPress
What is php.ini file in WordPress?
The php.ini file is a default configuration file for PHP on your WordPress site. PHP is a scripting and programming language on which WordPress is written.
It’s used on the server side of things, which means it runs on your web hosting server. Through PHP, WordPress is able to display your blog posts, products, media content, and more.
The php.ini file configures how PHP works and can have a huge impact on your website’s functionality. Whenever PHP runs on your site, it will look for this file.
That said, let’s see why and when you’ll need to edit the file on your website.
Why Do You Need to Edit php.ini File in WordPress?
The php.ini file is very important for your site’s performance and functionality. This means you can edit it to ensure your website works smoothly or resolve any errors.
For instance, editing the php.ini file allows you to increase the maximum file upload size and resource limits.
If you have a photography website or a site that requires a lot of videos and images, then you might encounter an error ‘uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize’ message.
Increasing the upload size in the php.ini file will help resolve this error and allow you to easily upload larger media files. Plus, you can also increase the available memory to accommodate long blog posts with lots of images.
Similarly, the php.ini file lets you edit the file timeout settings. If a file takes longer to process, then your site can timeout and stop processing the request. To prevent this from happening, you can increase the number of seconds before timeout through the php.ini file.
Lastly, you’ll also be able to enable or disable file extensions in PHP by editing the file. This is really useful if you see a ‘Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension’ error on your site. It helps fix this error and resolve issues when establishing a database connection.
Now, let’s look at where the php.ini file is located in WordPress.
Finding the php.ini File Location in WordPress
There are several ways you can locate and view the php.ini file.
You can use your hosting service’s cPanel, a plugin, or an FTP client to access your website files and folders.
1. Use cPanel to Locate the php.ini File
You can use the cPanel provided by your WordPress hosting provider and access the File Manager to locate the file. This method is pretty straightforward, and you don’t need to edit any code.
For this tutorial, we will use Bluehost to access the cPanel. If you’re using another hosting service, then the steps may vary.
First, you’ll need to log in to your Bluehost account. From here, simply click the ‘Advanced’ option in the left panel.
On the next screen, you’ll see the cPanel of your website.
Simply scroll down to the Files section and click the File Manager option.
After that, you’ll see all the folders and files of your WordPress website.
From the left panel, you can navigate to the ‘public_html’ folder. Next, you should see files in the folder on your right. You can scroll down and locate the ‘php.ini’ file.
To download the file for editing, you can simply right-click the php.ini file and save it on your computer.
2. Locate the php.ini File using a File Manager Plugin
Another way of finding out where is the php.ini file in WordPress is by using a plugin like WP File Manager.
It is a free WordPress plugin that lets you edit, download, delete, and organize your files and folders directly from the WordPress dashboard. You don’t have to use an FTP client or cPanel to access your site’s files.
First, you’ll need to install and activate the WP File Manager plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, you can head to WP File Manager from your WordPress admin panel.
Next, you’ll need to select the ‘public_html’ folder from the panel on the left. After that, you can scroll down and navigate to the ‘php.ini’ file.
Once you’ve located the file, simply right-click to download it onto your computer.
3. Finding php.ini Path in WordPress using the phpinfo.php File
You can also find the php.ini file by creating a phpinfo.php file and placing it in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
This is a slightly advanced method and is recommended for people who know how to use an FTP client and access the root directory of a website.
First, you’ll need to create a new text editor file. You can use Notepad, Bracket, Sublime Text, or any similar software to create one. In the file, ensure that you enter the following code:
<?PHP phpinfo(); ?>
Next, you’ll need to save the file and name it phpinfo.php. You can use any other name, but make sure that there is ‘.php’ at the end.
After that, you will need to use an FTP client to access the root directory of your website and upload the file. Simply drag the phpinfo.php file from the left panel and drop it into your site’s root directory.
If you need help, then please see our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.
Next, you will need to enter the following web address in your browser:
www.example.com/phpinfo.php
Just make sure that you replace the ‘example.com’ with your domain name.
From here, you’ll see details about PHP installation on your site and the path for locating the php.ini file.
To find the path of the file, you can look for the ‘Configuration File Path’ or ‘Loaded Configuration File’ fields.
You’ll see the path for the php.ini file in either one of the fields.
Once you know the path, you can access your site’s files using an FTP client.
From there, simply go to the path you just discovered and download the php.ini file.
Editing the php.ini File in WordPress
Now that you know the location of the php.ini file, the next step is to download and edit it.
Go ahead and open the file in Notepad or any other text editor.
Next, you can edit the file to improve your site’s performance. Here are a few common configurations you can make in the php.ini file:
- max_excecution_time – This is the time needed to run commands and execute scripts. You can increase the default time of 60 to a higher number if you’re uploading large files to the server.
- memory_limit – It relates to the memory needed to upload files and execute commands. Editing the memory limit will help you accommodate long content and lots of images. By default, it is set to 256M, but you can increase the memory limit.
- upload_max_filesize – Editing this option allows you to upload large media files and increase the limit.
- post_max_size – If your blog posts contain a lot of images and videos, then the size of the post will increase. To avoid any errors, you can increase the post_max_size to accommodate more extensive articles.
Once you’ve made these changes to the php.ini file, you can simply upload it back to your server in the same location using the cPanel, an FTP client, or the file manager plugin.
We hope this article helped you learn where is php.ini in WordPress and how to edit it. You may also want to see our guide on the most common WordPress errors and the best WordPress plugins.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Where Is php.ini in WordPress? (& How to Edit This File) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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Bluehost vs GoDaddy Hosting (Honest Comparison)
Are you looking for an honest web hosting comparison of Bluehost vs GoDaddy?
These are two of the most popular affordable hosting companies on the market. However, for beginners, it’s often not clear which one is better for their website.
In this guide, we will compare Bluehost vs GoDaddy with their pros and cons so that you can make the right decision.
Comparison of Bluehost vs GoDaddy
Bluehost and GoDaddy are two of the most affordable hosting companies for people looking for a low-price hosting option to control their website costs.
Both are very popular. GoDaddy has a large market share and hosts over 40 million websites, while Bluehost is an official WordPress.org recommended hosting provider.
But which is the best platform for your new WordPress website?
In this comparison, we will take a closer look into the pros and cons of Bluehost vs GoDaddy in detail. However, if you don’t want to go through the full comparison, here is a quick summary:
Bluehost GoDaddy Pricing $2.75 $2.99 Hosting Type Shared Managed Free Domain Yes Yes Free SSL Yes Yes Support Live Chat / Email / Phone Live Chat / Phone Visit Bluehost Visit GoDaddy That being said, let’s compare each one of them and see how they stack up.
Bluehost Comparison
Bluehost is one of the biggest web hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress host. They offer WordPress-optimized hosting plans with faster servers and reliable performance.
Their shared hosting prices are lower priced when compared to other hosting companies. This makes them a good choice for beginners and small businesses on a limited budget.
Pros of Bluehost
Bluehost offers great value at a low cost, but what are some of their pros and cons? Let’s start with some of the benefits of using Bluehost as your hosting service:
- Lower Costs – Bluehost’s entry-level plan allows you to get started with your website for a lower price, which is great value for new small businesses, bloggers, portfolios, and other types of websites.
- Ease of Use – Bluehost has one of the most beginner-friendly hosting control panels that makes it super easy to install WordPress (one click) and manage your website.
- Free Domain – They offer a free domain name, which saves you additional money on your start-up costs.
- Free CDN + Free SSL – Bluehost offers a free CDN to speed up your website, and all plans come with a free SSL certificate to improve website security.
- Website Speed – In our tests, we found that Bluehost performs well, with no performance optimization done on our test sites. You can also add WordPress caching plugins to unlock further speed improvements.
- Staging Sites + Dev Tools – Bluehost plans come with staging site setup, automatic WordPress updates, the ability to change PHP versions, SFTP access, and more.
Cons of Bluehost
Obviously, there are some downsides to using Bluehost as well. Here are some of the disadvantages that you may want to know:
- Higher Domain Renewal Price – Their free domain renewal price is higher than average. This does not have an immediate impact on most businesses, but it is something you may need to keep in mind.
- Upselling Addons – You will see a lot of upselling during signup. Most beginners usually don’t need these products right away, so you can skip them.
Bluehost Review
Bluehost has a 5-star rating on WPBeginner based on over 300 user reviews and the high value they offer at low prices. We also ran our own performance and stress tests on their servers, which you can read all about in our detailed Bluehost review.
The best thing about Bluehost is that you get a free domain with all plans, unlimited bandwidth and SSD storage on their Plus plan, and great overall value for what you pay.
Plus, their eCommerce hosting plan for WooCommerce comes with over $1000+ in premium WooCommerce and WordPress extensions, which is a huge cost saving for online store owners.
GoDaddy Comparison
GoDaddy is a famous web hosting company and the world’s biggest domain registrar. They offer a huge variety of hosting plans for individuals and businesses of every size.
GoDaddy has a large market share in the website hosting space, and many popular websites use them. However, they are not always the best option when you are building a website, creating a blog, or starting a new business.
Pros of GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a popular low-cost hosting provider, but what are some of their pros and cons? Let’s start with some of the benefits of using GoDaddy as your hosting service:
- WordPress-Optimized Hosting – GoDaddy’s managed WordPress hosting plans are run on servers optimized for WordPress for faster and more secure hosting.
- Managed Hosting – GoDaddy handles some basic administrative tasks for you, such as installing WordPress, automated daily backups, WordPress core updates, and server-level caching. Bluehost shared hosting plans also include some of these tasks.
- Free Domain – They offer a free domain name, which helps you save money on your start-up costs.
- Free CDN + Free SSL – GoDaddy plans come with the Cloudflare CDN to speed up your website, and all plans come with a free SSL certificate to improve website security.
- Affordable – GoDaddy has very reasonable prices for all the features they offer.
- 24/7 Support – No matter when you need help, GoDaddy support is available any time of day or night.
- Monthly Billing Option – For those who prefer to pay month to month, there is a monthly billing option. However, you get a bigger discount if you pay for at least a year in advance.
Cons of Bluehost
Are there any downsides to using GoDaddy? Here are some of the disadvantages that you may want to know:
- Addons – GoDaddy offers a huge variety of services. During the checkout process, many of these tools and features will be offered to you as addons. These are completely optional, but some users may find all the upsell offers to be too aggressive.
- Controversial Ads – GoDaddy has come under fire several times over the years due to its controversial advertising. While this does not affect their hosting services, some users have moved away from GoDaddy in protest against their ads.
- No Email Support – While still offering 24/7 support by live chat and phone, GoDaddy has discontinued email support.
GoDaddy Review
GoDaddy has a 5-star rating on WPBeginner, but this is based on 16 reviews compared to over 300 for Bluehost. You will find detailed information about their hosting in our GoDaddy review.
Like Bluehost, GoDaddy’s plans offer excellent value. You get one year of free domain registration, a free SSL certificate, SSD storage, and unlimited bandwidth with all plans. Plus, their hosting plans are managed, saving you some ongoing maintenance work.
However, GoDaddy’s overall onboarding experience is not as beginner friendly. And while they offer 24/7 support via live chat and phone, they no longer offer email support.
Bluehost vs GoDaddy – Which Is Better?
Now that we have compared different features of Bluehost vs GoDaddy, you may still be wondering which one of these hosting providers is better.
If you are looking for the most affordable hosting, then the best choice is Bluehost. They offer better pricing for small businesses. They also have better support, and their My Sites dashboard and overall onboarding experience is a lot more beginner-friendly.
But maybe you would prefer the convenience of managed hosting, where the routine maintenance work such as updates, backups, and more is done for you.
In that case, GoDaddy offers basic managed hosting plans at a very affordable rate. In fact, they are much cheaper than Bluehost’s managed hosting. However, GoDaddy’s managed hosting plans offer fewer features when compared with the best managed hosting providers.
Although it will cost you more, we recommend WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. They are the best for scaling your website, and they can even offer custom cloud hosting using Amazon’s infrastructure and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Bluehost vs GoDaddy
Having helped thousands of users choose the best web host for their needs, we have answered quite a few questions. Here are some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Bluehost vs GoDaddy.
Which is better for beginners, Bluehost or GoDaddy?
Bluehost is the most beginner-friendly WordPress hosting company on the market. They automatically install WordPress for you when you sign up. They also have an easy-to-use control panel that allows you to manage your hosting account by yourself.
There is plenty of help available with detailed guides, video tutorials, and articles. You also have 24/7 access to their expert support via live chat and phone.
GoDaddy is also a good option for beginners, but their hosting can be more complex to use.
Does Bluehost or GoDaddy have the greater market share?
Over 4 million websites are hosted on Bluehost. Out of the top 1 million websites based on traffic, just 0.37% use Bluehost.
GoDaddy has a much bigger market share, hosting over 40 million websites. And when we look at the top 1 million websites based on traffic, 2.06% host their sites with GoDaddy.
Where are Bluehost and GoDaddy servers located?
Bluehost operates their own in-house data center located in Utah, US. It is a massive 50,000 square feet facility that serves as its primary data center.
GoDaddy has nine server facilities around the world, located in North America, Europe, and Asia. These facilities house over 37,000 servers in total.
Can I use subdomains for my site?
Yes, you can use subdomains on either Bluehost or GoDaddy.
Are there other hosting providers that you haven’t covered in this comparison?
Yes, there are literally thousands of web hosting companies on the market, including SiteGround, WP Engine, Hostinger, HostGator, DreamHost, GreenGeeks, Kinsta, A2 Hosting, and more.
We only compared Bluehost vs GoDaddy in this article because they are the most popular affordable WordPress hosting companies.
Do you have any special discounts for Bluehost or GoDaddy?
Yes, because WPBeginner is the largest WordPress resource site, our users can get special discounts on popular hosting providers as well as other WordPress plugins. You can see all 100+ WordPress deals here.
You can use our Bluehost coupon to get over 60% off + a free domain.
Our GoDaddy coupon gets you 70% off on web hosting.
We hope this comparison of Bluehost vs GoDaddy helped you decide which hosting platform is better for your new website. You may also want to see our guide on how to choose the best domain registrar or our expert picks of the best monthly web hosting plans.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Bluehost vs GoDaddy Hosting (Honest Comparison) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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5 Best Monthly Web Hosting Plans (Starts at $4.95/mo.)
Are you looking for the best monthly web hosting plans?
Most popular web hosting companies offer big discounts on annual, bi-annual, and multiple-year payment terms.
These discounts may be promoted as low monthly payments, but when you go to the checkout page, you’ll pay a hefty amount upfront to buy the web hosting.
In this article, we will share some of the best monthly web hosting plans that let you truly sign up for a month-to-month hosting service.
Why Choose a Monthly Web Hosting Plan?
Many web hosting companies only offer discounts if you buy hosting for a full year or multiple years. That makes it can cost hundreds of dollars just to get started.
Plus, if you don’t like the web hosting service, you may not be able to get a full refund, and you will lose your initial investment.
A true monthly web hosting plan will be cheaper to get started. With a month-to-month hosting plan, you won’t commit to a hosting provider long-term, and it’s easier to move to another web hosting company.
This allows you to choose the best hosting provider with the features you need to host your WordPress website.
And more importantly, you will only pay a low monthly cost for the web hosting service you use.
Without further delay, let’s look at some of the best monthly web hosting plans for small businesses.
1. Dreamhost – $4.95/mo.
DreamHost is one of the most well-known web hosting companies, and they’re an official WordPress-recommended hosting provider. They offer the cheapest month-to-month web hosting plan on the market.
They provide a custom control panel to add your domain name, manage emails, and access web hosting features.
Moreover, DreamHost comes with automated website backups. These daily backups ensure the complete safety of your content.
When it comes to DreamHost’s monthly pricing, their WordPress Starter or Shared plan costs $4.95/month with a free SSL certificate, free website migration, and more.
You will have to pay for the domain name separately, which is fair.
But if you’re willing to commit for the year, WPBeginner users can get up to a 72% discount on their Shared plan with a free domain name, website builder, SSD storage, and more.
Our DreamHost coupon code is applicable on the 1-year and 3-year payment plans.
DreamHost has other web hosting solutions, including VPS hosting, managed WordPress hosting, dedicated server hosting, WooCommerce hosting, and cloud hosting.
Don’t miss our complete DreamHost review for more details on their shared hosting options and pricing plans.
2. Hostinger – $2.69/mo.
Hostinger is one of the leading web hosting companies on the global market. It offers WordPress website hosting, shared hosting, and cloud hosting plans.
The month-to-month shared hosting plan from Hostinger starts at $11.99 for a single website.
If you’re looking for a web hosting plan for multiple sites, then we recommend their WordPress Starter plan. It comes with a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, and free unlimited email accounts.
The Hostinger WordPress Starter plan costs $11.99/month.
You can use WPBeginner’s exclusive Hostinger coupon code to get a discount on your monthly web hosting plan. The Hostinger promo code offers more discounts on longer commitments.
For example, if you choose to pay for up to 12 months, the cost for the WordPress basic hosting plan reduces to $2.99/month.
And WPBeginner users get an additional discount that makes it $2.69/month.
In short, you’ll pay $32.29 at once to get WordPress hosting for the full year.
Their shared hosting plans cost similar to WordPress hosting. However, you’ll need to pay an additional setup fee.
Hostinger also offers Virtual Private Server hosting (VPS hosting) plans, Minecraft server hosting, and other solutions.
We ran several tests on Hostinger, and here’s our complete Hostinger review that may interest you.
3. Bluehost – $2.75/mo.
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting providers and an officially recommended WordPress hosting partner.
Though they don’t offer a month-to-month web hosting plan, the initial cost is so low that we couldn’t resist adding them to this list.
And you’ll save triple your investment with a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and a BIG discount on your web hosting package.
So if you’re just starting out, we recommend Bluehost as the best web hosting for beginners, startups, and small businesses.
The initial cost for your web hosting plan will be as low as $33 for the first year.
This also includes your free domain name, free SSL certificate, and a cPanel for a one-click WordPress installation.
However, on the renewal, you’ll need to pay the full cost for your web hosting plan and domain name. But by then, you’ll be able to grow your business to afford the price.
And if you still want to switch, you can easily move your WordPress site to a new web hosting company for a month-to-month hosting plan. Some web hosting providers also offer free migration services, so you’re safe anyway.
On a side note, we thoroughly tested Bluehost for its features, speed, and uptime. And we recommend it to everyone, all the time.
Most of our WPBeginner users start their websites with Bluehost web hosting and grow their businesses to the next level.
4. SiteGround – $19.99/mo.
SiteGround is one of the best WordPress hosting providers. Their web hosting is optimized for speed and security. We use SiteGround to host the WPBeginner website.
Among top features, SiteGround offers automatic WordPress updates, a free CDN network to improve page load time, a custom web application firewall to protect your web server against malware and DDoS attacks, and more.
Their customer support team is available 24/7 to help you with any of your concerns, which you may rarely have with SiteGround web hosting.
SiteGround has data centers all over the world since they use the Google Cloud network. It’s the reason they can provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee on their web hosting platform. Over the years of using their platform, we have never had downtime for the WPBeginner site.
The SiteGround’s StartUp plan costs $19.99/month.
It’s an expensive monthly web hosting plan compared to other hosting providers on the list, but it also includes functionality like free site migration, free SSL certificate, eCommerce support, basic WordPress site management, out of the box caching addons, and more.
And WPBeginner’s exclusive SiteGround coupon code lets you buy their WordPress hosting plan with an 80% discount.
This reduces the cost to up to $2.99/month for the StartUp plan.
SiteGround’s discount deal is only valid when you choose to pay for up to 12 months upfront. So you’ll pay $35.88 for 12 months and get access to all their WordPress hosting features.
The best part is that they also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Aside from WordPress, SiteGround also has cheap web hosting for other content management systems like Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and basically any other Linux based app.
We have done a detailed SiteGround review which shared performance tests from various locations along with coverage of their additional services like Site Scanner.
5. WP Engine – $30 / mo.
WP Engine is the most popular managed WordPress hosting company in the market. They are typically the go-to choice for large websites, enterprise customers, as well as small businesses and developers who want a fully managed web hosting platform with speed, security, and support.
WP Engine offers monthly cloud hosting plans starting at $30 per month on a month-to-month billing which gives you access to 10GB of disk space, 50GB of bandwidth, 10 premium themes from StudioPress, free automated migration, automated website backups, and more.
All their plans come with advanced developer tools like one-click staging, dev & prod site environments, threat blocking & security, built-in CDN for turbo website speed, transferable sites for easy client handoff, activity log, and more.
WP Engine also offers managed hosting solutions for WooCommerce online stores starting at $50 per month as well as enterprise cloud hosting starting at $600 per month.
But if you use the WPBeginner’s WP Engine coupon code and pre-pay for annual plans, then you will get 4 months free.
WP Engine also offers additional services like automated plugin updates, extra SOC2 level security with managed WAF, site monitoring, and more which can be purchased separately.
We did a detailed performance test of their platform in our WP Engine review that we highly recommend you check out.
BONUS: Other Popular Month-to-Month Web Hosting Options
6. HostGator: One of the most popular web hosting providers, HostGator offers unmetered bandwidth, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and more. Their shared hosting plan costs $7.65 for the first month (including tax) for WPBeginner readers. The plan renews at $11.95 per month from the second month.
7. GreenGeeks: The eco-friendly WordPress hosting offered by GreenGeeks comes with multiple types of hosting, including reseller hosting, dedicated hosting for websites, and more. It has built-in caching for fast performance, which costs $11.95 per month. You also need to pay a setup fee of $15 for the first time.
Which Month-To-Month Web Hosting Plan Should I Buy?
If you’re looking for true monthly web hosting with no long-term commitment, then DreamHost has the best monthly web hosting packages.
DreamHost’s top features include free website migration, free SSL, security, and a 97-day money-back guarantee.
With that said, when you’re starting a website, you want to get the best web hosting deal because it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be switching hosting providers every month.
Most people that choose a reliable hosting provider rarely ever switch. In over a decade of running the WPBeginner website, we have switched hosting providers only once, and that was after 10 years when we outgrew our previous provider.
So, in that case, what’s more important is that you choose a provider that’s giving you the best deal with one-year commitment.
We recommend Hostinger, SiteGround, or Dreamhost for those just starting out.
Hostinger’s WordPress Starter plan ($32.29 for the first year) is the cheapest web hosting option on paying upfront for 12 months, and you get a free domain name worth $9.99/year.
On the other hand, SiteGround’s StartUp plan on a 12-month upfront payment ($35.88/for the first year) is close to Hostinger’s pricing for the basic starter plan.
However, SiteGround servers are blazing fast since it’s hosted on Google Cloud, and you get tons of advanced performance and security features which is why we use SiteGround for the WPBeginner website.
If you’re looking for a more managed web hosting provider with enterprise support, then WP Engine is going to be your best bet since they offer monthly web hosting plans for cloud hosting.
Note: At WPBeginner, we regularly look into dozens of web hosting companies that are not listed in this article, like A2 hosting, GoDaddy, InMotion Hosting, Cloudways, Namecheap, LiquidWeb (Nexcess), and others. We decided not to list them all in this article because we don’t want to cause choice paralysis. If you choose a host from our recommended list, you won’t go wrong.
We hope this article has helped you find the best monthly web hosting plan.
You may also want to check out our other guides on related web hosting and business growth.
Best Web Hosting Guides for Small Businesses
- Top Web Hosting Sites for WordPress
- Ultimate Web Hosting Statistics and Market Share Report
- When Should You Change Your WordPress Web Hosting (Top Key Indicators)
- How to Find Out Who is Hosting a Certain Website (2 Ways)
- Best Free Website Hosting Compared
- What’s the Difference Between Domain Name and Web Hosting (Explained)
Best WordPress Guides for Small Businesses
- Best Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses
- Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners (Step by Step)
- The Ultimate Guide to Boost WordPress Speed & Performance
- Best Lead Generation WordPress Plugins (Compared)
- Best Identity Theft Protection Services for Small Business
- Best Team Communication Tools for Small Business
- Best Help Desk Software for Small Business (Compared)
- Best Referral Program Software for Small Businesses Compared
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post 5 Best Monthly Web Hosting Plans (Starts at $4.95/mo.) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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What is HTTP/2 and How to Enable It in WordPress?
Are you wondering what is HTTP/2 and how you can use it in WordPress?
HTTP/2 is the major revision of the HTTP technology used by all websites.
In this article, we’ll explain HTTP/2 and how to enable it on your WordPress site.
What is HTTP/2?
HTTP/2 is the revised version of the original HTTP protocol. It was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and is based on an experimental SPDY protocol developed by Google.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is like a language that allows computers to talk to each other on the internet. It’s how information gets sent back and forth when you use websites or apps.
When you visit a WordPress website, your web browser sends a message called a request to the server that stores the website. The request asks for specific information, like the page’s text, images, or videos.
Tip: See our article on how WordPress works behind the scenes for more details.
The server receives the user’s request and sends back a response. This response is like a package containing the information you asked for. It includes things like the text you see, the pictures you look at, or even the videos you watch on the website.
HTTP 0.9 was first launched in 1991. A significant revision to that, HTTP 1.1, was published in 1999 and most websites ran on that until 2015, when the HTTP/2 protocol launched.
HTTP/2 is supported by all modern web server software and browsers, though many websites still run on HTTP 1.1 if they do not have an SSL certificate installed.
The IETF currently proposes the upcoming version of HTTP/3. It will use QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) instead of TCP and is expected to be much faster than HTTP/2.
What is the Difference Between HTTP2 and HTTP?
The HTTP 1.1 protocol sent data requests without prioritization. This means if a website has a reference to a JavaScript file in the head, it will load before any other content.
This makes a website appear slower to the users who could not see the content they were expecting to see.
HTTP/2 protocol uses a binary single stream to send and receive requests with prioritization support. This means developers can tell the server which data to send first.
The HTTP/2 protocol also uses compression for HTTP headers and multiplexing. Both of them further improve the page load performance.
The newer protocol also comes with HTTP/2 Server Push support. This allows developers to push data to the users’ browsers without them requesting it.
To summarize, HTTP/2 is faster than HTTP 1.1 and significantly improves your WordPress speed and performance.
What Do You Need to Use HTTP/2 in WordPress?
First, you need a hosting company offering the latest server software with HTTP/2 support. You’ll also need to install an SSL certificate on your WordPress website.
Most of the top WordPress hosting companies already use cutting-edge web server software.
We recommend using Bluehost, which uses the latest Apache web server software with HTTP/2 support enabled by default.
Luckily, the folks at Bluehost are offering WPBeginner users an exclusive discount with a free domain name and SSL certificate.
Other hosting companies we recommend include SiteGround, Hostinger, and WP Engine. They all offer free SSL certificates and the latest server software with HTTP/2 support.
How to Enable HTTP/2 in WordPress?
The only requirement to enable HTTP/2 support in WordPress is installing an SSL certificate.
It is not an official requirement. However, major browsers like Google Chrome don’t support HTTP/2 on non-secure URLs.
If your website uses SSL, your URLs will have the
https://prefix like this:https://wpbeginner.com
Visiting your website will also show a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar.
If your website does not use an SSL certificate, you can ask your WordPress hosting provider to install it for you.
Need more help? See our tutorial on how to move from HTTP to HTTPS in WordPress.
Once you have enabled SSL, your WordPress website will almost certainly be served via HTTP/2 protocol.
Testing HTTP/2 Support for Your Website
If you want to see if your WordPress website is serving pages via HTTP/2, then there are two ways you can test it.
First, you can visit HTTP2.Pro and enter your website’s URL. This free online tool will then tell you whether your website supports HTTP/2.
Another more effective way to check if your website serves pages on HTTP/2 is using the Chrome developer tools.
Simply open a new browser window in Google Chrome and visit your website. After that, open a new browser tab and enter the
chrome://net-exportURL in the address bar.
Chrome will then ask you to save a JSON file to your computer.
After saving the file, visit the netlog viewer app and click on the ‘Choose File’ button.
Select the netlog file you downloaded earlier to continue.
The app will then present the file in a readable format. Click on the HTTP/2 tab in the left column, and it will show you all the websites you visited that were using the HTTP/2 protocol as h2.
We hope this article helped you learn about HTTP/2 and how to enable it in WordPress. You may also want to see our complete WordPress speed and performance guide or look at our beginner’s guide to WordPress SEO.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post What is HTTP/2 and How to Enable It in WordPress? first appeared on WPBeginner.
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9 Best Google Domains Alternatives for 2023 (Compared)
Are you looking for a Google Domains alternative?
Google Domains helps you register a domain name for your website. However, the service is shutting down and migrating to Squarespace. That has sent many customers looking for a new place to register or transfer their old and new domain names.
In this article, we will show you the best Google Domains alternatives.
Why Do You Need a Google Domains Alternative?
Google launched a domain registration service in 2015 to help users find, buy, and manage a domain for their business.
However, the Google Domains service will close down, and Squarespace will take over the business and assets. Squarespace is a popular website builder that also provides hosting services.
With Google Domains ending, all the existing customers and their domains will be migrated to the Squarespace platform.
One of the drawbacks of transitioning to Squarespace will be domain renewal costs. Squarespace has said it will honor all existing Google Domains customers’ renewal prices for at least 12 months. However, you can expect higher renewal costs after that.
Besides that, many other domain registration services in the market offer free domain names with hosting plans. Plus, the hosting plans are often much cheaper than Squarespace.
That said, let’s look at some of the best Google Domains alternatives you can get your hands on today.
1. Domain.com
Domain.com is the best Google Domains alternative in the market and one of the most popular domain registrars. You get top-level domain name extensions (TLDs) and lots of country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).
It makes it very easy to search for and manage a domain name. For instance, you can access tools like WHOIS privacy protection, bulk registration, private registration, DNS management, renewals, and more.
Domain.com also easily integrates with Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite). You can use your Gmail for business emails and access other tools like Google Drive for storage. You also get file-sharing tools and can communicate with others using Google Meet.
Besides that, Domain.com offers web hosting services, website builder and web design services, email marketing services, and more. There are different security features, including SSL certificates, daily malware scans, DDoS protection, blacklist monitoring, and more.
While these additional services are beneficial, Domain.com is the perfect solution for registering a domain without hosting and using it as an alternative to Google Domains.
For WPBeginner readers, Domain.com is offering a 25% off discount on domain products. Simply use our Domain.com coupon code to get your hands on the offer.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger is another popular WordPress hosting service that also offers free domain registration. You can choose from top-level domain name extensions (TLDs) and get free WHOIS privacy protection.
What makes Hostinger a great Google Domains alternative is that you get a variety of web hosting types to choose from. For instance, you can share hosting, cloud hosting, managed WordPress hosting, and VPS hosting.
Plus, it offers affordable hosting prices compared to Squarespace, which will be the domain hosting platform once Google Domains shuts down.
Besides that, Hostinger offers free CDN, a 1-click WordPress install, automatic updates, enhanced security features, 24/7 live chat support, free email, free SSL, unlimited bandwidth, WordPress acceleration, and more.
You can check out our Hostinger coupon to get exclusive discounts and also read our expert Hostinger review for complete details.
3. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is the next Google Domains alternative on our list. It is one of the oldest and most popular domain registrars.
GoDaddy offers over 84 million domains to choose from, with over 500 domain extensions. It is a great place to search and register a domain.
It is an excellent alternative to Google Domains because it is a one-stop solution. You can buy a domain of your choice, choose a web hosting plan, and start to build a WordPress website. It also offers one of the cheapest domain registration services, with prices starting from $0.99 per year.
If you can’t find the domain you’re looking for, then GoDaddy also offers a WHOIS search feature and domain broker service. You can hire GoDaddy to find, negotiate, and purchase a domain in the broker service.
There is also an auction section on GoDaddy where you can see domains up for sale. Simply bid for a name you’re looking for before the auction ends.
Besides that, you get other features like beginner-friendly domain management facilities. This includes domain name changes, bulk domain renewals, and more. GoDaddy also offers WordPress hosting, website builder, email marketing service, and other tools.
4. Network Solutions
Network Solutions is another Google Domains alternative and one of the largest domain registrars in the market, with over 7 million domains registered.
It offers domain features such as domain transfer, forwarding, private registration, expiration protection, WHOIS search, trademark protection, and more.
With Network Solutions, you can register a wide variety of domain extensions, like .com, .org, .net, .biz, .info, and other niche TLDs. This makes it a create Google Domains alternative as you can choose from different domain extensions.
Aside from that, it also offers web hosting, website builder, SSL certificate, cybersecurity solution, email marketing tools, SEO tools, and more.
5. Bluehost
Bluehost is the best web hosting service and the official WordPress hosting partner. They offer fast and affordable hosting services along with domain name registration services.
If you’re looking for a Google Domains alternative that also offers web hosting and free SSL, then Bluehost is one of the best solutions.
With Bluehost, you get a free domain name and a free SSL certificate with each hosting plan. This means you don’t have to pay extra to purchase a domain or get an SSL certificate.
Another benefit of choosing Bluehost is that WordPress comes pre-installed. It also has a beginner-friendly interface, and you can easily manage everything from a single dashboard. Plus, you can use Google Workspace to set up your business emails.
WPBeginner readers can enjoy a 60% off discount on Bluehost. This means you can start with a domain name and web hosting for only $2.75 per month.
6. Namecheap
Namecheap is another attractive Google Domains alternative. It is a popular domain registrar that offers a powerful domain search tool. Plus, Namecheap provides suggestions for different domains if the preferred name or extension isn’t available.
Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) is free with every purchase of a domain name. This provides an extra layer of security by checking the DNS address and keeps your domain secure from cyber threats.
Namecheap also provides different types of hosting services. You can choose from shared, WordPress, VPS, dedicated servers, and reseller hosting.
Besides that, you get 24/7 customer support, a free 2-month email address trial, privacy protection, domain transfer, SSL certificates, and more.
7. Hover
Hover is a beginner-friendly domain name registrar service and a great alternative to Google Domains.
It makes it very easy to find a domain name of your choice and purchase it. You can also choose from popular domain extensions and other niche TLDs. You can also transfer domains, and renew them.
The best part of using Hover is getting WHOIS and 2-factor authentication for free with every purchase. This is something that makes it different from Google Domains and worth checking out as a replacement for the service.
Hover also offers tools like custom emails and Realnames emails to create a personal touch for your readers. The Realnames email lets you turn your name into an email address in the format of firstname@lastname.
8. DreamHost
DreamHost is another great Google Domains alternative. Like many other options on the list, it also helps you register a domain and get web hosting for your website.
You get a free domain name, SSL certificate, and domain privacy with any hosting plan. However, you can purchase a domain name for your business using DreamHost.
There are over 400 domain extensions to choose from. Besides that, DreamHost provides a variety of hosting options.
For instance, you can select shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting called DreamPress, dedicated server hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, and more. You can see our details DreamHost review to learn more.
It also easily integrates with Google Workspace. Plus, DreamHost offers email hosting, a website builder option, custom web design, SEO marketing, social media marketing, and other website management services.
9. HostGator
HostGator is the last Google Domains alternative on our list. It is another popular hosting provider for WordPress that offers a free domain name.
What makes it an attractive option compared to Google Domains is the pricing plans. You get affordable plans that include free one-year domain registration, SSL certificate, easy WordPress install, and more.
HostGator also offers a domain transfer feature. You can migrate a domain from another platform, such as Google Domains, to HostGator.
Aside from that, the hosting service provides other features like website builder, shared and dedicated hosting, Google Workspace integration, web design facility, SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) consultation, and more.
Which Google Domains Alternative is the Best?
After reviewing multiple services, our top picks are Domain.com, Hostinger, GoDaddy, and Network Solutions.
Domain.com makes it super easy to find a domain name with multiple domain extensions. It also offers some of the best domain management and security features.
On the other hand, if you want a domain name with web hosting, we highly recommend Hostinger. With each hosting plan, you get a free domain name and SSL certificate for one year.
If you’re in the market to just register a domain name, then GoDaddy and Network Solutions are excellent alternatives to Google Domains. Both offer powerful domain search tools.
FAQs about Google Domains Alternatives
Here are some frequently asked questions about choosing a Google Domains alternative.
1. Is Google good for buying domains?
Google launched Google Domains in 2015 to help users buy a domain name for their websites and offer competitive prices compared to other domain registration services. However, Squarespace acquired Google Domains in 2023. Once the migration is complete, you can purchase domains on Squarespace, and Google Domains will no longer be available.
2. Why is Google Domains better than GoDaddy?
One of the reasons why people liked Google Domains is because it offered cheaper domains compared to GoDaddy. However, with Google Domains transitioning to Squarespace, GoDaddy is a more attractive option than Squarespace. You get more features, web hosting, a website builder, and more in GoDaddy.
3. What is the lowest cost of a domain?
The cost usually depends on the domain name and extension you’re looking for. Domain.com offers domain names starting from $11.99. On the other hand, Hostinger offers a domain for free with its WordPress starter and higher plans. GoDaddy lets you register a domain for as low as $0.99.
4. Can I sell my Google domain?
Yes, you can sell your Google domain. There are many domain registrars and marketplaces where you can sell your domain. For example, GoDaddy lets you select domains from your portfolio and list them for sale. Besides that, you can also use marketplaces like Flippa and Efty to sell your domain or website.
We hope this article helped you pick the best Google Domains alternative. You may also want to see our guide on what’s the difference between a domain name and web hosting and must-have WordPress plugins for business sites.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post 9 Best Google Domains Alternatives for 2023 (Compared) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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Bluehost Launches WonderSuite Product with AI-Powered Site-Building Guide
Bluehost launched its new WonderSuite product this week, which introduces a setup and site creation experience guided by AI. In September 2022, the hosting company debuted its managed WooCommerce packages after acquiring YITH, a WordPress plugin company with more than 100 WooCommerce extensions. The new WonderSuite product is included in all Bluehost WordPress hosting plans and is not specific to online stores.
WonderSuite brings together solutions from YITH and Yoast and integrates them into a new unified design that is based on Yoast’s open source React component library. This interface was introduced as an update in Yoast 20.0 with mixed feedback. Although many users reacted positively to the modern design, some are not keen on plugins building their own UI in the admin. Bluehost is using this component library to streamline and unify the UI for its various products inside the admin.
WonderSuite is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, agencies, and freelancers who are just getting online. The major update here is the WonderStart onboarding experience that asks the user specific questions and then populates other parts of the website building process with their answers. For example, social media handles will automatically sent to SEO optimization and added to the social buttons block.
Bluehost also pulls the WonderStart data into the WonderBlocks, which are used to create a library of block patterns and page templates using images and suggested text based on the user’s entries during onboarding. All of this works with the block-based YITH Wonder Theme, which is free on WordPress.org and active on more than 10,000 sites.
Wonder theme users have access to some patterns and templates but Bluehost customers have more designs available to them in combination with WonderBlocks. Those hosting with Bluehost who don’t want to use the default Wonder Theme will can still use the WonderBlocks pattern library with any block-based theme.
Bluehost is one example of a host that is putting AI to use inside the admin. The new WonderHelp section is an AI-powered guide that users can tap into during the site-building process. Users can ask it to create a blog and the feature will provide a guide inside the site builder with instructions for what to do on each page.
The company is working on a feature called WonderAssist that is anticipated later in 2023. It will provide AI-powered content generation with relevant copy, product descriptions, and SEO-friendly excerpts integrated with the other parts of WonderSuite.
Bluehost’s e-commerce customers also have access to WonderCart, which provides a collection of cross-sell and upsell features, along with promotional and discount options inside a single, unified interface, instead of spread across multiple plugins and tools.
Existing Bluehost customers can find the updated plugin in their WordPress sites with the new products available. Onboarding is currently only available for users starting new websites but a representative said they are working on creating a path that allows existing customers to re-route through the onboarding experience.
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21 Best WordPress Themes for Apps Compared (2023)
Are you looking for a WordPress theme for your app?
You can use WordPress app themes to promote your app or software. These themes showcase your product screenshots, features, reviews, and other useful information.
In this article, we will share some of the best WordPress themes for apps that you can use to grow your business.
Building a WordPress Website for Apps and Software
WordPress is the most popular website builder in the world. Many top brands use WordPress for their websites, including banks, enterprise businesses, and more.
There are two types of WordPress. They are WordPress.com, which is a hosted solution, and WordPress.org, which is a self-hosted platform.
You can check out our complete article on the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org for more details.
For a software or app website, you will need to use self-hosted WordPress.org. It offers the most flexibility and features you need to promote your business.
Before you begin, you will also need to purchase a domain name and web hosting. A domain name is your site’s address on the web, like wpbeginner.com or google.com. Web hosting is the storage for all your website files.
We recommend using Bluehost. It’s the most popular WordPress hosting company and an official WordPress hosting partner.
For WPBeginner users, Bluehost offers a free domain name, a free SSL certificate (for your website security), and a huge discount on web hosting.
After purchasing the web hosting, you can follow our article on how to make a website for step-by-step instructions.
That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best WordPress themes for apps and software websites.
1. Astra
Astra is a powerful WordPress multipurpose theme for all kinds of websites. It comes with a 1-click demo content importer and a few dozen demo websites to get you started quickly.
It has multiple blog page layouts, global design options, header and footer options, and dedicated sidebars for pages. The theme is fast, lightweight, and easy to set up, even for beginners.
2. SeedProd
SeedProd is the best WordPress theme builder on the market. It isn’t a regular WordPress theme, but SeedProd makes it easier for anyone to design a custom website from scratch without writing code.
The best part is that SeedProd comes with dozens of ready-made theme layouts. You can import a pre-built theme and customize it with the powerful drag and drop builder to launch your site.
It includes WordPress themes for apps, landing pages, and more. The theme templates are built specifically for beginners with beautiful designs and complete content.
3. Ultra
Ultra is a modern WordPress theme for any type of website. It has a built-in professional template for your app or software.
It comes with builder addons, custom page templates, pre-designed layouts, and more. Other notable features include section scrolling, a mega menu, archive layouts, image filters, and support for WooCommerce.
4. Divi
Divi is a popular WordPress theme and an ultimate page builder plugin. It comes with hundreds of ready-made website layouts for different business niches.
It has a highly flexible visual page builder to customize your website from the front end. The Divi theme offers multiple design elements, visual effects, fonts and text styling, and custom backgrounds.
5. Infinity Pro
Infinity Pro is a professional WordPress theme designed specifically for mobile apps and software. It’s built on top of the Genesis Theme framework, making it powerful and robust.
The theme has a fullscreen layout with an image slider, a call-to-action button, a navigation menu, and a custom logo. It comes with layout options and multiple custom page templates.
StudioPress is now part of WP Engine, the most popular managed WordPress hosting company. You can get this theme and all 35+ other StudioPress themes when you sign up for WP Engine hosting to build your website.
Bonus: WPBeginner users also get an additional 20% OFF. Get started with WP Engine today!
6. OceanWP
OceanWP is a free WordPress multipurpose theme. It comes with several demo websites and a 1-click content importer to launch your website right away.
The theme offers fast page load time, built-in SEO optimization, RTL language support, and more. It’s also fully compatible with WooCommerce to sell your apps.
7. Neve
Neve is a stylish WordPress multipurpose theme that you can use to create any website. It comes with a few demo sites, including one-page and multi-page templates.
It features header and footer layouts to create an engaging user experience. The theme integrates with all popular WordPress page builders for customization. It’s also eCommerce ready to start an online store easily.
8. Struct
Struct is a fantastic WordPress theme designed specifically for mobile apps, SaaS startups, and software websites. It lets you display screenshots, testimonials, team members, portfolios, and app features on the homepage.
Inside, you will also find backgrounds, color schemes, typography options, and more. Struct has WooCommerce integration to sell your mobile apps online.
9. Hestia Pro
Hestia Pro is a one-page WordPress theme for any kind of website. It comes with a sleek and modern design to let you build your app or software website easily.
It works great with all popular drag and drop page builder plugins. Hestia is easy to customize using the WordPress live customizer.
10. iTheme2
iTheme2 is a stunning WordPress apps theme. It comes with a fully customizable featured content slider on the homepage to showcase your apps and software.
It includes website templates, a header menu, a footer menu, custom footer text, and more. It also has a social media widget to add social icons in the header of your website.
11. Bramble
Bramble is a beautiful WordPress multipurpose theme. It ships with a page builder that lets you customize your website and design custom landing pages of your own.
The theme comes with built-in homepage layouts to set up your website. It also includes an image slider plugin to display your apps beautifully.
12. Nozama
Nozama is a classic WordPress eCommerce theme built for creating Amazon-style websites for mobile apps and software. It lets you display your apps, testimonials, and other products on the homepage.
You can use this theme to share professional screenshots of your app and maximize your sales. Besides professional shop page layouts, Nozama has unlimited color schemes, custom backgrounds, Google Fonts, and parallax effects.
13. Specialty
Specialty is an excellent WordPress theme designed specifically for job board apps and software. It comes with flexible search functionality for instant search and complex filters.
The theme includes hundreds of customizer settings for color, typography, and layout. It supports drag and drop page builders to create custom landing pages easily.
14. Altitude Pro
Altitude Pro is a black-and-white WordPress app theme. It has a fullscreen layout with a custom background image, welcome text, and call-to-action buttons.
The theme has multiple homepage widget areas and layout options. Altitude Pro is eCommerce friendly and helps you sell your apps online.
15. Inspiro
Inspiro is a WordPress multipurpose theme built for any kind of website. It features interactive homepage elements to engage your users from the first click on your site.
The theme options include parallax scrolling, video backgrounds, 1-page and multi-page templates, page builder compatibility, and more. It’s easy to set up, even for absolute beginners.
16. Multi Mobile App
Multi Mobile App is a free WordPress theme for apps and software. It lets you showcase your apps professionally in different categories.
If you are looking for a free multipurpose apps theme, then the Multi Mobile App theme is an ideal solution. It’s translation ready and offers powerful customization options.
17. Cousteau Pro
Cousteau Pro is a WordPress theme for travel apps. It comes with video and image slider support on the homepage to create a powerful first impression on your visitors.
Inside, you will find a search and filtering system. The theme has a fullscreen background layout that looks beautiful and professional.
18. Venture
Venture is a WordPress portfolio theme to display and sell your apps. It has a dynamic homepage builder and custom widgets to set up your website quickly.
You can also use the built-in visual customizer for colors, fonts, and other settings. It includes a featured content slider to showcase your most important content on the front.
19. Mobile App
Mobile App is a free WordPress multipurpose theme designed specifically for apps and software websites. It uses bright colors that make your website highly attractive.
The theme features a fullscreen image slider, a products section, an about section, and more. It’s easy to set up using the WordPress live customizer.
20. Pinboard
Pinboard is a modern WordPress multipurpose theme. It has a Pinterest-like layout to create an app or software review website.
It supports WordPress multisite network and lets your users sign up to post reviews. The theme is fully responsive and adjusts to any screen size beautifully.
21. Listable
Listable is an excellent WordPress directory theme built specifically for small business websites. It has a fullscreen layout and parallax homepage sections.
The theme lets you add all your apps and allow users to submit apps from the frontend. Listable also integrates with popular WordPress page builders for easy customization.
FAQs About WordPress Themes for Apps and Software
If you are still unsure which theme is best for you, here are some frequently asked questions about WordPress themes for apps and software that can help you select the right theme for your website.
1. Which is the best WordPress theme for apps and software websites?
With so many options, picking the right theme to promote your apps and software business can confuse beginners.
We recommend Astra, SeedProd, Ultra, and Divi, as they come with multiple templates for apps, software, and technology websites.
2. Why is SeedProd included in the themes for apps and software?
SeedProd is included in the themes for apps and software because it’s a powerful theme builder for beginners. It lets you drag and drop features to design a custom theme for your apps and software website without writing code.
Moreover, SeedProd comes with ready-made coming soon and maintenance mode landing pages. You can use these pages to engage users while your website is in the development process.
SeedProd also includes hundreds of built-in theme templates that can give you a head start. You can import a template and customize it to launch your website right away.
We hope this article helped you find the best WordPress themes for apps. You may also want to check out our ultimate guide to boosting your site’s speed and performance and our expert picks for the best WordPress block themes.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post 21 Best WordPress Themes for Apps Compared (2023) first appeared on WPBeginner.