Page Inspect

Best Web Hosting Canada 2025: Top Providers Reviewed

Use code RESI50 at checkout to get 50% OFF Residential Proxies for six months!

Start Now

❌

Navigation

- Hosting
- Reviews
- 🍁HostPapa Review🍁
- Hostinger Review
- Verpex Review
- A2 Hosting Review
- Bluehost Review
- Cloudways Review
- DreamHost Review
- GoDaddy Review
- GreenGeeks Review
- HostArmada Review
- HostGator Review
- Hostwinds Review
- Kinsta Review
- Namecheap Review
- SiteGround Review
- PlanetHoster Review
- Comparisons
- Bluehost vs Hostgator
- GoDaddy vs HostPapa
- Siteground vs Bluehost
- SiteGround vs HostGator
- SiteGround vs DreamHost
- Top Picks
- Best Web Hosting Canada
- Best Cheap Web Hosting Services
- Best Dedicated Web Hosts
- Best Email Hosting Services
- Best Free Web Hosting Solutions
- Top Small Business Hosting
- Best VPS Hosting Services
- Best WordPress Hosting
- Best Reseller Hosting Providers
- Guides
- Apache vs. NGINX
- cPanel vs. Plesk
- Complete Guide to .htaccess Files
- How To Host Your Own Website
- How To Manage WordPress Databases with phpMyAdmin
- How To Optimize Your CSS Files
- How to Use Linux
- How to Transfer a Domain to GoDaddy
- SSL Certificate Tutorial & Guide
- Website Builders
- Reviews
- BigCartel Review
- Shopify Review
- Weebly Review
- Wix Review
- Comparisons
- Drupal vs. WordPress
- Squarespace vs WordPress
- Wix vs. Shopify
- Wix vs Squarespace
- Wix vs. WordPress
- Top Picks
- Best Website Builders
- Website Development
- Best Blogging Platforms
- Best Ecommerce Platforms
- Best Free Blogging Sites
- Best Free Website Builders
- Most Popular CMS
- Guides
- Best WordPress Security Plugins
- How To Backup & Restore WordPress
- How to Customize WordPress
- How to Reset WordPress Admin Login
- How to Secure Your WordPress Site
- Gutenberg WordPress Editor
- Small Business
- Guides
- Buy a Domain Name in Canada
- Canadian Web Accessibility Standards
- How to Monetize a Website
- How to Open an Etsy Shop
- How to Start an eCommerce Store
- How to Start an Online Business
- Tools
- Customer Service
- Tidio Review
- Finance
- Best Travel Credit Card Canada
- Best Tax Software in Canada
- CDN
- Best CDNs for Canada
- What is Cloudflare?
- Design
- Best Free Logo Maker
- Tools cont..
- POS Systems & Merchant Services
- Best PayPal Alternatives
- Best Merchant Services
- CRM
- Best CRM for Small Business
- Storage
- Best Free Cloud Storage
- Best Cloud Storage Services
- Best Unlimited Online Storage
- Tools cont..
- Email Marketing
- Mailchimp Alternatives
- Best Email Marketing Services
- Trading
- Best Trading Platform Canada
- How to Make Money Day Trading
- How to Protect Yourself While Trading
- Questrade Review
- Security
- Guides
- Common Website Vulnerabilities
- How To Change IP Address
- PIPEDA and You: Privacy Law in Canada
- VPN
- Best VPN Canada
- Best Cheap VPN
- Top VPN Apps for Android: All the Best Free Options
- Five Best Free VPNs for Canadians
- NordVPN Review
- Surfshark Review
- Tools
- Htpasswd Generator – Create htpasswd
- News
- News
- Canadian Digital Growth and Industry Trends
- Invention of Microchips Use in the Space Program
- news cont..
- Internet Statistics & Facts
- The Benefits of Hiring Second English Language Workers
- news cont..
- Best Web Hosting Deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday in 2025
- news cont..
- Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday VPN deals in 2025
- About Us
- About Us
- About Hosting Canada
- Contact Us
- Advertising Disclosure
- Privacy Policy
- Testing and review methodology
- Search

- Hosting
- Reviews
- A2 Hosting Review
- Bluehost Review
- DreamHost Review
- Cloudways Review
- GoDaddy Review
- GreenGeeks Review
- HostArmada Review
- HostGator Review
- Hostinger Review
- HostPapa Review
- Hostwinds Review
- Kinsta Review
- Namecheap Review
- SiteGround Review
- Comparisons
- Bluehost vs Hostgator
- GoDaddy vs HostPapa
- Siteground vs Bluehost
- SiteGround vs HostGator
- SiteGround vs DreamHost
- Top Picks
- Best Web Hosting Canada
- Best Cheap Web Hosting
- Best Dedicated Hosts
- Best Email Hosting Services
- Best Free Web Hosting Solutions
- Top Small Business Hosting
- Best VPS Hosting Services
- Best WordPress Hosting Canada
- Guides
- Apache vs. NGINX
- cPanel vs. Plesk
- Complete Guide to .htaccess
- How To Host Your Website
- How To Manage WordPress Databases with phpMyAdmin
- How To Optimize CSS Files
- How to Use Linux
- SSL Certificate Tutorial & Guide
- Website Builders
- Reviews
- BigCartel Review
- Shopify Review
- Weebly Review
- Wix Review
- Comparisons
- Drupal vs. WordPress
- Squarespace vs WordPress
- Wix vs. Shopify
- Wix vs Squarespace
- Wix vs. WordPress
- Top Picks
- Best Website Builders
- Best Blogging Platforms
- Best Ecommerce Platforms
- Best Free Blogging Sites
- Best Free Website Builders
- Most Popular CMS
- Guides
- Best WordPress Security Plugins
- How To Backup & Restore WordPres
- How to Customize WordPress
- How to Reset WordPress Admin Login
- How to Secure Your WordPress Site
- Gutenberg WordPress Editor
- Small Business
- Guides
- Best Domain Registrars in Canada (2024)
- Canadian Website Accessibility Guidelines
- How to Buy a Domain Name
- How to Monetize a Website
- How to Open an Etsy Shop
- How to Start an eCommerce Store
- How to Start an Online Business
- Tools
- Customer Service
- Tidio Review
- Finance
- Best Travel Credit Card Canada
- Best Tax Software in Canada
- CDN
- Best CDNs for Canada
- What is Cloudflare?
- POS Systems & Merchant Services
- Best PayPal Alternatives
- Best Merchant Services
- CRM
- Best CRM for Small Business
- Design
- Best Free Logo Maker
- Storage
- Best Free Cloud Storage
- Best Cloud Storage
- Best Unlimited Online Storage
- Email Marketing
- Mailchimp Alternatives
- Best Email Marketing Services
- Trading
- Best Trading Platform Canada
- How to Make Money Day Trading
- How to Protect Yourself While Trading
- Questrade Review
- Security
- Guides
- Common Website Vulnerabilities
- How To Change IP Address
- PIPEDA and You: Privacy Law in Canada
- VPN
- Best VPN Canada
- Best Cheap VPN
- Top VPN Apps for Android: All the Best Free Options
- Five Best Free VPNs for Canadians
- NordVPN Review
- Surfshark Review
- Tools
- Htpasswd Generator – Create htpasswd
- News
- Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday VPN deals in 2025
- Best Web Hosting Deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday in 2025
- Canadian Digital Growth and Industry Trends
- 100+ Internet Internet Statistics
- Invention of Microchips Use in the Space Program
- The Benefits of Hiring Second English Language Workers
- About Us
- About Hosting Canada
- Advertising Disclosure
- Contact Us
- Privacy Policy
- Testing & Review Methodology

# Best Web Hosting Canada

Hosting Services reviews and technical comparisons

We’ve checked out dozens of host providers and used over a decade’s worth of data to build the most up-to-date ranking of the best web hosting in Canada.

Our Top Hosting Providers

2555

+

175

+

19

k

Tests performed

Reviews and product comparisons

Canadians trust us every month

80% OFF

**Black Friday Sale**

80% OFF

## Top Canadian Hosting Providers

Best Overall

Best Overall

### HostPapa

5/5

475 ms

Load Time

$2.36/mo

80% Off

Read Review

Get Deal

Best Value

Best Value

### Hostinger

5/5

389 ms

Load Time

$1.99/mo

80% Off

Read Review

Get Deal

Best for Small/Med Businesses

Best for Small/Med Businesses

### Verpex

4.5/5

264 ms

Load Time

$1.33/mo

50% Off

Read Review

Get Deal

Best for Beginners

Best for Beginners

### SiteGround

5/5

337 ms

Load Time

$2.99/mo

80% Off

Read Review

Get Deal

Most Reliable

Most Reliable

### HostArmada

4.5/5

176 Ms

Load Time

$2.49/mo

75% Off

Read Review

Get Deal

Advertising disclosure

Disclosure: Hosting Canada is community-supported. We may earn a commission when you make a purchase through one of our links. Read Disclosure.

Written by
Gary Stevens

Updated On
November 6, 2025

Reading Time
30 min

Since 2016, we have bought and evaluated every distinguished Canadian web hosting company, which includes well-known brands such as GoDaddy, Bluehost, and HostGator.

Our all-inclusive guide evaluates a multitude of factors to aid you in making an educated, data-driven decision when picking a web hosting service for your website. With numerous years of experience working online, we have encountered the drawbacks of opting for a substandard web hosting service, suffering the consequences of that decision on numerous occasions.

After much trial, error, and tribulation, we’ve conclusively found the best Canadian web hosting services.

## Our Tracking & Research Process

Our ability in achieving data-driven decisions is based on our access to granular, comprehensive data and effectively drawing insights from data analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Amazon Web Services, and IBM Watson Analytics.

Our systematic approach involves tracking the uptime, downtime, and latency of the sites we’ve helped to host. This information is elegantly presented in the accompanying infographic, showing you the results of our tests on ten hosting providers that we highly recommend.

We use Pingdom and Uptime Robot for tracking software which continuously probe each site 50 times daily, from multiple locations across the globe, informing us of any incidents of service disruptions as well as the duration of the interruptions.

By implementing this highly methodical approach to evaluating performance, we create an even playing-field and empower our readers with the most accurate and relevant information to make their decisions. In collaboration with companies like Tableau and PowerBI, we aspire to deliver data insights that truly have an impact on your choices.

Read more

## The Best Web Hosting Services in 2025

At our core, we believe in providing our readers with comprehensive and easily digestible information. That's why we've taken great care in curating a ranking system that accurately reflects our top picks for hosting providers.

Our approach is simple: we've ranked each provider in descending order, with our number one recommendation appearing at the top. We've limited our selection to nine top-notch options, handpicked for their exceptional quality, dependability, and features.

We've dedicated great time and resources towards assessing the performance of a broad array of hosting providers, from giants like SiteGround, Hostinger, and HostPapa to premium players like Cloudways and HostArmada.

Three of our choices truly stand out from the competition, providing unparalleled service, while the remaining provider is still a popular choice, although it has some minor drawbacks.

Here are our top 10 best web hosting reviews by cost, customer service, speed, and uptime.

#### Great Canadian Host + Discount

5/5

$2.36/mo (80% Off)

Load Time 475 ms

Read full review

Pros

- SSL security
- Extensive website builder
- Free domain registration

Cons

- Customer support may be slow during peak hours
- Monthly fees renew at a much higher price
- Complex pricing tiers

Key Features

- Cost: $2.36/month (Deal)
- Uptime: 99.96%
- Average load time: 475 ms
- Free domain transfer

- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free website migration
- SSL certificate standard with all plans

Web Host Introduction

**Since HostPapa loves Canada as much as we do, they are offering huge discounts to all of our readers.**

HostPapa is undoubtedly one of our favorite web hosts — and it isn’t just because they’re a Canadian company. We use it for just about every one of our sites, and most of our new clients’ sites use it as well. You can quickly launch a personal blog or website – just follow the steps laid out in our HostPapa review.

### Great Canadian Host + Discount

$2.36/mo (80% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Best Affordable Host

5/5

$1.99/mo (80% Off)

Load Time 389 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Unique website builder
- Github integration
- LiteSpeed cache
- Free SSL and email service included

Cons

- No phone support
- You must be logged in to access live chat
- No cPanel
- Limitations of entry planc

Key features

- Cost: $1.99/month (Deal)
- Uptime: 99.9%
- Average load Time: 432 Ms
- CMS Auto-installer
- WordPress Tools
- Automatic Malware Scanner
- 30-day money-back guarantee

- 24/7/365 support
- DNS management
- 30-day money-back guarantee

Product details

### Hostinger Review

Promotional pricing is a rampant marketing tactic in the hosting industry. Hostinger has mastered this strategy, and it benefits you just as much as it benefits them. This is a great option if you want all of the basic features that other companies provide.

### Best Affordable Host

$1.99/mo (80% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Premium Security, Uptime & Support

5/5

$2.99/mo (80% Off)

Load Time 337 Ms

Read full review

Pros

- Choose your own server locations
- Affordable pricing
- Great Security Features
- Lots of included free features

Cons

- Renewal costs are high
- Low amounts of storage
- No VPS or Dedicated options

Key features

- 99.90% Uptime
- Below 400ms load times
- Free CDN and SSL certificates
- SuperCacher, Ultrafast PHP, SG Optimiser

- Free site migration
- Premium customer support

Web Host Introduction

### SiteGround Review

SiteGround is a great choice for anybody looking for a best web hosting service. Whether you’re an expert or somebody just starting their first blog, you’ll find a perfect fit for yourself among their wide variety of hosting plans.

SiteGround easily has one of the best starter plans out there, especially so if you’re a beginner or starting a new business.

### Premium Security, Uptime & Support

$2.99/mo (80% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Most Reliable Performance

4.5/5

$2.49/mo (75% Off)

Load Time 176 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Reliable infrastructure
- Strong security features
- Wide range of hosting plans
- Excellent customer support

Cons

- High renewal costs

Key features

- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Robust security measures
- Global data centers
- Linux-based servers

- cPanel and Softaculous
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 customer support

Web Host Introduction

### HostArmada Review

HostArmada is a global web hosting provider offering a range of services, including shared, reseller, VPS, and dedicated CPU hosting. The company stands out with its customer-friendly policies, such as no cancellation fees, a 45-day money-back guarantee, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7/364 support.

See our full review of HostArmada for more information *or **visit HostArmada today for 75% Off Shared & WordPress Cloud Web Hosting** options!*

### Most Reliable Performance

$2.49/mo (75% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Eco-Friendly Hosting

4.5/5

$2.35/mo (80% Off)

Load Time 500 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Environmentally friendly hosting
- Strong 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Rapid website loading times
- Free domain included
- Generous 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

- Pricing can be more favorable with longer-term commitments

Key Features

- Cost: Starting at $2.95/month
- Uptime: 99.9%
- Free website transfer
- 24/7 customer support
- Eco-friendly hosting
- Free SSL certificate
- One-click application installation

- Multiple data center locations (Chicago, Montreal, Amsterdam)
- DDoS protection
- Free daily backups
- Password-protected directories
- 1 free site restoration per month

Web Host Introduction

GreenGeeks has established itself as a reputable web hosting company that places a dual emphasis on performance and environmental sustainability. With over a decade of experience in the industry, they have honed their expertise to deliver hosting solutions that meet the evolving needs of a diverse clientele.

### Eco-Friendly Hosting

$2.35/mo (80% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Best for Small/Medium Businesses

4.5/5

$1.33/mo

Load Time 264 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Free SSL certificates
- Daily backups
- cPanel included
- Worldwide accessibility
- Free domain and website migrations
- Customer support

Cons

- Fairly high renewal rates

Key features

- One-click deployment
- Free SSL certificate
- Free Domain Registration/Transfer
- 45 day money back guarantee

- 24/7 support via live-chat
- User-friendly interface

Web Host Introduction

Verpex is a privately owned web-hosting business and currently have customers in 181 countries, and they host over 250,000 websites.

With frequent discounts, offers and other savings, Verpex is a great partner for your hosting.

### Best for Small/Medium Businesses

$1.33/mo

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Best for Small/Medium Businesses

4.5/5

$11/mo (30% Off)

Load Time 264 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Flexible plans
- Backups and restore function
- 3-day trial without credit card

Cons

- CDN & email hosting not included
- Management options are restricted

Key features

- One-click deployment
- Team collaboration tools
- 100% uptime guarantee

- Strong security features
- 24/7 expert support

Web Host Introduction

Cloudways is a popular, trusted managed hosting provider currently being used by thousands of businesses looking for high performance and reliability for their online presence.

Overall, Cloudways provides the best-managed cloud hosting for non-technical users. Its simple-to-use, affordable services remove all the complexity around hosting while allowing you to scale your websites.

### Best for Small/Medium Businesses

$11/mo (30% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Reliable Hosting

4/5

US$3.75/mo (53% Off)

Load time 657 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Fantastic uptime at a low cost
- Knowledgeable customer support team
- Useful website builder available at an extra cost

Cons

- More expensive than many of its competitors

Key features

- Cost: US$3.75/month
- Uptime: 99.5%
- Average load Time: 657 Ms
- Free SSL certificate

- Free domain included in basic plans
- Free SEO tools with selected plans
- Up to 6 core CPU

Web Host Introduction

Websites and gators may not seem like two things that just go together, but HostGator has been making it work for quite a while.

HostGator is excellent in terms of uptime at a low price, ranging from US$3.75 to US$6.25 per month for the cheapest plan on a 3-year billing cycle. It has helpful customer support agents, and it’s easily scalable, allowing your site to accommodate any level of traffic.

It’s the web host of choice for thousands of online businesses and blogs of all sizes.

### Reliable Hosting

US$3.75/mo (53% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### Most Versatile Hosting

4.5/5

$5.24/mo

Load Time 50 ms

Read full review

Pros

- 24/7 website monitoring
- Great scalability
- Quality customer support
- Impressive uptime

Cons

- Basic plans pricier than competitors

Key features

- Nightly backups
- Server monitoring
- cPanel access
- Free SSL certificate

- Unlimited email accounts
- Load balancing
- RAID configurations

Web Host Introduction

Hostwinds is a versatile hosting provider catering to individuals, startups, and established businesses. With impressive server uptime, generous features, and excellent customer support, Hostwinds offers a range of hosting services to meet diverse needs.

With a wide range of hosting options to suit any client’s needs, Hostwinds is a great choice for anyone looking to host their website.

### Most Versatile Hosting

$5.24/mo

Read full review

Visit Site

#### The Beginners Host

4/5

$2.95/mo (40% Off)

Load Time 742 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Great for beginners
- Affordable plans available
- Helpful customer support

Cons

- Can be pricey compared with its competitors

Key features

- Cost: $2.95/month
- Uptime: 99.74%
- Average load Time: 742 Ms
- Free domain name for your first year

- 1-click WordPress installation
- 24/7 support
- 30-day money-back guarantee

Web Host Introduction

We aren’t going to mention Bluehost without giving you a fair warning: they are good at marketing and advertising, so once you visit the site, you will start to see their ads everywhere*.*

Newbies and beginners rejoice, Bluehost is here for you.

### The Beginners Host

$2.95/mo (40% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

#### High Speeds

4/5

US$2.99/mo (75% Off)

Response Time 287 ms

Read full review

Pros

- Excellent speeds
- High uptime
- Fantastic customer support

Cons

- Fairly high renewal rates

Key features

- Cost: US$2.99/month
- Uptime: 99.1%
- Average load time: 287 Ms
- Unlimited SSD space and transfer

- Speed optimized WordPress
- Free automatic backups
- Straightforward and free site migration

Web Host Introduction

We’ve chosen A2 Hosting as one of the top providers for many of the hosting packages reviewed on this site, ranging from basic shared monthly plans, all the way to dedicated service packages.

### High Speeds

US$2.99/mo (75% Off)

Read full review

Visit Site

## Best Web Hosting Canada Review Criteria - How We Choose

Reliability (Uptime and Downtime)

Website uptime and downtime determine how reliable a host is. These are some of the most important things to consider for any business, as downtime can be a major issue.

It looks unprofessional and can be highly detrimental when it comes to your brand.

When you’re looking for best web hosting in Canada reviews, make sure to consider only services with very little downtime, and on those rare occasions when they go down, it’s typically so they can fix something.

This means that you get advance notice, and a quality host will also try to have that kind of downtime at the most convenient time of the day.

Speed

Site speed is another factor that is important for your professionalism, as well as your search engine optimization (SEO).

We’re used to as fast as possible loading speeds, and most people aren’t going to wait longer than a couple of seconds

Our metrics from the previous decade gave us plenty of data to compare the average loading times across all the largest cities in Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

We then checked these results next to the average U.S. speeds. The top recorded load times we found were just 226ms, whereas the slowest were over 2,850ms.

Customer Support

Customer support gets overlooked sometimes with all the attention paid to the features web hosts offer, but it’s an important item to consider because there can be a huge difference when it comes to customer support quality.

When trying to find the best web host, you’ll need to consider customer support seriously as part of your evaluation.

One may answer your questions in less than a minute, and others may keep you waiting for a day or more.

Fortunately, the three web hosts we recommend all provide prompt support and have representatives who are so polite that they could be from Canada.

Our top choice even has some customer service awards to its name. Yay!

We were able to rate customer support without any tests since we’ve used these hosts for years. Here are the signs of topnotch customer support:

- Support available 24/7
- Live chat service
- Agents who are native speakers of your language, friendly and can solve technical issues
- A fast response time without any outdated ticket systems

Luckily, we have actual footage of some of the best web hosting companies’ customer service. Watch and behold.

## Best Web Hosting or Worst Hosting?

When it comes to web hosts, never go with the cheapest option. You definitely get what you pay for with web hosting.

There are all kinds of scams in the web hosting industry, as companies offer low rates to get customers who don’t know any better. These hosts often make millions while using very low-quality servers, which leaves them vulnerable to security breaches.

It would be easy to say this and then move on without mentioning who to avoid. But we’ll tell you two of the worst offenders:

### **GoDaddy**

Don’t let the marketing fool you. **GoDaddy has low-quality service** but doesn’t mind charging you a premium for add-ons that would be free with other hosts.

Often touted as the best web host in Canada, we may as well call them ScamDaddy.

### **Network Solutions**

Poor service and low-quality servers combine to make Network Solutions a terrible choice.

Regardless of whatever Canadian web hosting review, you do read, Network Solutions is a bad pick.

If you go with a cheap web host, you may save money initially, but you’ll either have far fewer features, or you’ll need to purchase all kinds of upgrades and end up paying more anyway.

When you decide to switch to a better provider, it will be a hassle, and you’ll wish you had gone with a quality provider from the beginning.

80% Off

Get a Special Deal on our Pick for Best Web Host! $2.36/month

Get Deal

## Canadian Web Hosting Reviews - Things to Avoid

I know keeping business spending to a minimum is important, but saving a few bucks on web hosting in Canada isn’t worth the issues you’ll experience later.

**Here are the significant problems you’ll have with a low-cost web host:**

- **Potential Security Breaches** – One self-proclaimed “free” web host called 000Webhost had 13-million user names and passwords leaked.
- **Everything Costs Extra** – A typical discount host could charge $80 for SSL, $30 for your domain registration, and $30 for basic privacy protection, which comes out to $140 per year.
- **Poor IP Neighbourhood** – This makes your SEO more difficult.

There are a lot of ways to screw up the process of choosing a good web host, but here are the four most common we see.

Hey, don’t blame yourself. They don’t teach this stuff in school. Or maybe they do, but you were snoozing in the back row.

#### #1. Going With the Absolute Cheapest Host You Can Find

We’re not going to be the bad guys to tell you that cheap is always bad, but by the time you’ve lived a certain number of years on this planet, you should probably realize on your own that the tradeoff for going with the lowest cost is often a crappy product, bad service, limited features, and a dedicated “we don’t care” approach to the customer service.

When it comes to bottom-feeding web hosts (*some of which are literally free*), you can add another item to the litany of repugnance. They will upsell you like crazy.

True, you technically receive storage space at no cost, but you will receive little else unless you pay extra.

Need more space or bandwidth? Gotta upgrade.

Want backups and a control panel? Gonna have to upgrade.

Don’t know what you’re doing and need to talk to someone? It costs extra for tech support.

You get the idea. The basic point is that the free package you get is almost non-functional. For function, you have to pay more. Sometimes a LOT more.

Good thing you’re reading our web hosting reviews!

#### #2. Choosing Any CMS Platform Besides WordPress

The WordPress content management system (CMS) powers more than 43 percent of all websites.

That itself should be enough to sway your decision.

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what kind of website you want to build – e-commerce, blogging, online newspaper – WordPress is the easiest to use and comes with a built-in thriving community of developers and mentors.

Before the advent of CMS platforms like WordPress (other popular ones are Joomla and Drupal), web design was restricted to those who could wrap their head and fingers around HTML code.

Building and designing a site of any substance was not something you could knock out over a long weekend.

Things changed in a hurry when the first version rolled out in 2003, and from there, it just got more powerful and user-friendly.

The bottom line. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Pick WordPress, especially if you aren’t a coder.

#### #3. Ignoring the Fine Print in Your Hosting Package

The first time a new domain name owner heads online to pick a web host, the first thing he or she looks for are the usual suspects for comparison shopping – disk space and bandwidth.

Left unsaid is the reality that these constraints last mattered about two decades ago.

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you should know that a monumental shift in the nature of websites is underway, and the factors that hosts use to reel in unsuspecting rookies aren’t the ones that really matter.

Here’s the lowdown. As the design shift continues from static to dynamically generated pages, the chances are that you’ll run up against a trio of limits which have nothing to do with storage space or bandwidth long before you push those boundaries of your plan.

We’re talking about CPU usage, RAM usage, and database connections.

Many web hosts, even some of the good ones, and all the cheap ones have limits on these factors that are detailed in the fine print under the term “resources.”

Our advice. Check out the storage space and bandwidth allotments, but locate and consider what kind of resource limits might be at play as well.

#### #4. Paying for SSL

This one is short and sweet. If you’re thinking about paying for a **secure sockets layer (SSL)** certificate – don’t. Legitimate hosts will give it to you for free.

It is important to have, though, for websites that deal with any kind of sensitive information – but maybe not your personal blog. Google has already started the process of degrading search engine rankings for those that don’t. But no need to pay to get one.

Make sure you read reviews or detailed info from your hosting company before signing up.

## Top Hosting Types for Canadian Businesses

Most best web hosting plans fall under one of five categories, which are shared hosting, virtual private server (VPS), cloud hosting, dedicated hosting, and reseller. Let's review each kind of hosting plan in detail.

- What is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is undoubtedly the least expensive option, and with this type of hosting, you’re essentially renting space that you share with other sites. The cost of getting such inexpensive hosting is that this is the least powerful hosting option. Shared hosting works because most sites get small amounts of traffic, which means they can share server resources without facing performance problems. Setup is simple when you get a shared Canadian web hosting plan.
- What is VPS Hosting?

The next step up from shared hosting is VPS hosting, which costs a bit more but also has more power. Even though you don’t need to pay for your own server, a VPS host functions similarly to one, and you have full control over it. This does make the setup and management process more involved. It is suitable for websites with moderate traffic and resource needs – think small to mid-size businesses.
- What is Cloud Hosting?

One option that has been growing in popularity in recent years is cloud hosting. It has some similarities with a VPS, but the key difference is that the server gets distributed over a large number of computers instead of having its dedicated physical address. For the user, that means loading times are very fast, and this is easy to scale. If you need more speed or disk space, you can instantly upgrade through your best web hosting company. Overall, this is an excellent option for business sites.
- What is Dedicated Hosting?

If you want the best of the best, then dedicated hosting is the way to go. As the name suggests, you get an entire server to call your own, and its only job is keeping your site performing smoothly. This is the most powerful option, but it also can be difficult to set up and manage, and it will also cost you the most.
- How Reseller-Based Hosting Works

Best reseller web hosting in Canada is a bit of an offshoot instead of a completely different type of web hosting. How it works is one party controls the server, and another party sells hosting as if they owned the server. It’s compatible with any of the types of hosting mentioned above. For example, you could choose a reseller that offers a dedicated server or cloud hosting. It’s common for resellers to buy in bulk and get many high-capacity servers. After that, they provide parts to individual sites. If you’re planning to go with this option, you’ll need plenty of technical knowledge.

## Which CMS Should You Use?

Your content management system (CMS) is what you use to handle all the content on your site, including making modifications to the published content and uploading new content.

Each CMS has its own interface and certain CMS platforms work better with some of the best web hosting options we provided, while others are ideal for specific types of websites.

In general, however, WordPress is likely your best CMS option, especially since there are many fantastic managed WordPress hosting providers to make it easier than ever for you to get setup.

#### WordPress

If you only knew about one CMS, it was probably **WordPress**, as it’s easily the most popular choice.

Although it came out way back in 2003, over the years we have seen it rapidly increase in popularity, and it’s now one of the top CMS platforms of choice for blogs, eCommerce, and other business sites.

Most of the top Canadian web hosting reviews you’ll read will involve WordPress.

WordPress has many benefits, with perhaps the most significant being its range of customization options and tools. WordPress add-ons provide use by adding or extending the functionality of your WordPress site. They can help you with various aspects of your site, such as design, security, performance, SEO, eCommerce, and more.

- Creating an online store with WooCommerce or other eCommerce plugins.
- Improving SEO with Yoast SEO or other SEO plugins.
- Adding contact forms with Contact Form 7 or other form plugins.
- Creating a multilingual site with WPML or other translation plugins.

It’s very secure, installation is a breeze, and it’s easy to find support when you need it.

If this is your first time creating a site, I’d highly recommend you choose WordPress when looking for the best web hosting.

There is a bit of a learning period, but that’s true of any CMS, and the popularity of WordPress means it’s wise to know how to use it.

#### PHP

PHP has been around a long time, and it originally stood for the personal home page. It uses server-side scripting, and many popular CMS platforms, including WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, use this PHP script.

Although you don’t need to understand PHP to set up a site in your CMS of choice, you will need a PHP developer if you have some very specific apps you’d like your site to run.

#### Do I need to know Java?

You may know Java as that thing you need to update now and then.

Its main function is web apps, and if you’re on a site with impressive graphics, you can bet that it’s using Java. Java used to be much more popular on smaller sites.

Even though its popularity has declined a bit, it’s still all over some major e-commerce sites, including Amazon and eBay.

If you want the most high-end visuals and features on your site, then Java is just the ticket.

#### Joomla

When it comes to CMS options, Joomla is likely the second biggest behind WordPress, although there’s still a large gap between the two.

One reason Joomla isn’t as nearly as popular is that it’s not particularly user-friendly and has a steeper learning curve. Joomla also has a lower market share and smaller active community compared to WordPress, meaning that it has fewer add-ons and less support.

Unless you love Joomla, I’d advise going with WordPress, which is also what I tell all our clients. You’ll get up and running faster, and I think it’s also a better choice from an SEO perspective.

A

## Choosing Between Windows-Based Hosts or Linux-Based Hosts

You may remember a section about dedicated servers in our best web hosting Canada review.

Hopefully, you do as it wasn’t that long ago. Well, every server needs an operating system (OS), and the two options here are Windows-based hosts or Linux-based hosts.

Here’s what makes them unique. The best web hosts out there all generally opt to use Windows-based servers. For cPanel goodness, check out this **comparison of Plesk vs cPanel**.

#### Windows

Windows has been Microsoft’s OS for decades, and if you go with a Windows-based host, that means you can use Window’s databases and apps, along with ASP.Net and other complicated scripts.

PHP and MySQL are options as well. Typically, you’ll pay a bit more for Windows-based hosts than for Linux-based ones, and even though crashes don’t happen often with either of them, when you choose Windows, they tend to occur a bit more.

#### Linux

Microsoft may be a giant in the computer industry, but Linux is what most servers use because it’s the industry standard.

You can run almost any application on Linux, the servers are super reliable, and you’re good to go with most of the modern programming scripts.

You may see the term “LAMP” when researching Linux-based hosts, and that stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

## Best Domain Hosting in Canada

You want a website, right?

Everybody does, but if the thought of trying to understand how to get one out of your head and onto the internet for others to see sends you to the ground in a quivering fetal position, take heart. We’re here to help.

Things like domain hosting, registrars, name records, the process to buy a domain name in Canada, and best web hosting packages are not as complicated as you might think, even if you have a vivid imagination. Stay calm. Keep reading.

#### Domains

Even the most clueless among us probably realize that it all starts with a domain.

Before anything else, if you want a website, you need one. An example of a domain would be bestwidgets.com. It makes no difference whether you type or write in capital or small letters.

By the way, a quick check revealed this domain is currently for sale, so if you sell widgets, and they’re the best, you might want to get your offer in.

Back to the idea of a domain. Once you have a domain registered (stay tuned, we’ll talk about this process in a minute), and under your control, you can add as many pages and subdomains as you like.

Want to blog about widgets? Create a subdomain at blog. bestwidgets. com.

Eager to wax rhapsodic about yourself and your love of widgets? Add a page like www. bestwidgets. com/about.

The basic idea is that securing a domain creates the foundation of the entire website to come.

To learn more about this, read our guide to the best domain registrars.

#### Domain Registrars and Registration

At the risk of making your eyes glaze over, you should understand how domains are sold and accounted for.

Don’t worry. There won’t be a test. Just like when your parents made you eat carrots, this is for your own good.

A register is an organization designated to maintain a list or registry of those who own a Top Level Domain (TLD) like .com, .net, and .org. Obviously, with more than 644 million active websites online, it takes more than a haphazard note scribbled on the back of an envelope to keep everything straight.

Originally, there were only a handful official registers that kept track of everything, but, along the way, a few enterprising entrepreneurs figured out they could contract with these registers to sell domains, turning it into what is today a thriving industry.

The bottom line is that registrars sell domains and registers keep track of them.

Popular registrars include GoDaddy, NameCheap, and many others.

Note, however, that most good hosting companies (like the ones we recommended) will provide you with a free domain when you sign up for a new website hosting plan.

A free domain is a great way to save a few bucks at the beginning of your website building journey and one of the key things we included in our Canadian web hosting reviews.

#### What is a Domain Name Record?

Another term you might run across is the **domain name record**. This is a reference to the way that the internet works. The domain you just bought is not actually how the internet servers find and display your website.

Instead, they take a user’s request and match up the domain to a sequence of numbers in the registry, called an **IP address**, and send over the associated files – which just happens to be your website.

## Web Hosting Canada Explained for Beginners

Now we’re getting down to the good stuff and the reason we’re all here in the first place, web hosting.

Once you have a domain and are ready to build a website, how do you actually get it online for servers to find and display?

Good question. You need a web host.

Since you can’t just throw your website’s files on the kitchen table and expect them to magically end up on the internet, another industry has grown up selling online storage space for your website.

Some of these companies that you’ve probably heard of thanks to the ridiculous level of advertising – somebody’s making serious money in this game – but we digress.

We’re talking about names like GoDaddy, HostGator, and Bluehost.

So, you have three choices when it comes to choosing a web host:

- Visit Namecheap.com, buy a domain, and hope you set the nameservers to point correctly to your web host, OR…
- Set up an account with SiteGround, get a free domain in the process, and let them do the hard work for essentially the same price.
- Or use one of the recommended **best website builders**, such as Wix and Squarespace. These guys take care of all the registration and hosting for you.

### **Wrapping It Up - Finding the Best Web Hosting in Canada**

* * *

That’s a lot of information to process. The best way to use this guide is to reference it as you evaluate web hosts, keeping your specific needs in mind.

Most importantly, don’t shop entirely based on prices. Quality is always most important, especially with something as important as your website.

Summary of our top choices are:
**1.** **HostPapa** – Best overall with great starting prices
**2\. Hostinger** – Fantastic additional tools and features for your money
**3.** **SiteGround** – Easiest quality hosting service to setup and use
**4.** **HostArmada** – Reliable, secure, and super-fast with an amazing support team
**5.** **Cloudways** – Premium service and our number 1 pick for small to medium sized businesses

That does it for our reviews. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’d be happy to answer anything that comes up.

**🗣️🇫🇷 Read this guide in French: Meilleur Hébergement Web.**

**Read more about other types of best web hosting:**

- Small Business Hosts
- Dedicated Hosting
- Reseller Hosting
- WordPress Hosting
- Email Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- cPanel Hosting

**Check out other website hosting reviews:**

- A2 Hosting
- Arvixe
- InMotion
- iPage
- Namecheap
- Weebly
- Cloudways

* * *

## Best Web Hosting Canada FAQ

- What is the best web hosting service in Canada?

The “best” option for a web host in Canada really depends on your specific needs. We recommend looking at things like performance, price, features (and the variety of Canada-based servers) when you are shopping around. Providers like, Hostpapa, Hostinger, and SiteGround, score high in all the above-mentioned categories and have earned our review team’s stamp of approval.
- How much does hosting a website cost in Canada?

Costs can vary drastically from one provider to the next (and even from one plan to the next). Shared hosting, which is a much more affordable option, can start from as low as $1.99 per month. However, premium packages can go up to $100 (CAD) or more. This is why it is so important to always consider the value-for-money you are getting, before signing up with a new provider.
- Can I host my website for free?

Yes, it’s possible to host a website for free, but there are limitations. Free hosting providers often place ads on your site, restrict storage and bandwidth, and may not offer a custom domain (you’ll usually get a subdomain). While free hosting is fine for personal projects or testing, it’s not recommended for professional websites due to slower performance and lack of reliability.

## Recommended Articles

November 6, 2025

How to Transfer a Domain to GoDaddy

Read more›

April 16, 2025

News

Read more›

February 10, 2025

Block the visitors through IP address

Read more›

### About HostingCanada®

hostingcanada.org was founded in 2017. The main goal of this website is to provide step-by-step instructions for hosting any website, blog or eCommerce site.

We also cover WordPress related questions, such as choosing the best WordPress hosting, how to speed up WordPress, and how to choose a domain name.

Located in Ottawa, Ontario. Canada.Read more

### Testing & Review Methodology

Our goal is to help Canadians understand hosting and empower them to start their own blogs or online businesses.

Our reviews are based on testing, live metrics (updated daily) and 100% unbiased opinions.

We developed a scoring system that makes use of consistent testing methodologies and criteria evaluation which is available to all our readers for complete transparency of our process.Read more

### Popular Hosting Providers

HostingerHostgatorHostPapaNamecheapHostArmadaCloudwaysGoDaddy

Testing & MethodologyResearchContact UsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSitemap

Earning disclosure: HostingCanada.org earns some commission from products and services discussed on this site. Read disclosure.

contact@hostingcanada.org

Type and press "Enter" to search

- vps hosting
- email
- htpasswd
- tax software
- trading

Recommended articles

10 Best PayPal Alternatives

Looking for an alternative payment option to ...

Best CRM for Small Business

There are tons of Customer Relationship Manag...

Best Email Marketing Software & Services

Email marketing remains a profitable online s...

Special Deal! Save 74% off Now

$2.36/month Off 1-Year Plan

Claim Hostpapa Discount

no thanks