The best web hosts for developers offer a wide range of features that make it easy to build, manage, and test. That doesn't just apply to entire websites but also script snippets, design elements, or apps.
If you are a web developer looking for the right hosting solutions, consider:
| Web Hosting | Starting Cost | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudways | $12.00/mo | Managed cloud hosting - ultra scalable, support white-labeled hosting, free site migration assistance, and easy collaboration with Cloudways Team. |
| ScalaHosting | $29.95/mo | Excellent managed VPS hosting plans with built-in security solution (SShield) and free control panel (SPanel). |
| LiquidWeb | $25.00/mo | Operates from privately-owned data centers; offers some high-end niche services you won't easily find elsewhere. |
* Want more choices? We have tested and reviewed over 70 web hosting services in the past. See our Best Picks of the Year or the full list of our hosting reviews.
What Makes a Web Host Great for Web Developers?
If you're a web developer, here are some things to note when choosing your web host.
Affordable Pricing
The most common question a Web Developer gets from their clients is, “How much does it cost?” Because of this, pricing often becomes a focal point when choosing your web hosting provider. The best match is one with development support features are a reasonable price.
Room to Expand
Unless your business stagnates, you'll often need more web hosting resources at short notice. Choosing a web host with good scalability is essential to avoid poor performance and reliability issues.
Server Backup Facility
Web developers are the ones who work on a day-to-day basis on web hosting servers. Because of that, a web host with robust server backup facilities can help ensure your client's data is always secure and reliable.
Server Migration Services
Most web developers can usually migrate websites easily. However, once the number of websites you need to move around grows, having a host that can help will be a godsend. Some web hosts offer cheap migration services that can support your business.
Good Hosting Performance
Web hosting performance is one of the most critical factors determining how fast your website loads. Suppose a development website is slower; that's fine. But having unhappy clients bug you constantly about slow websites won't be fun.
Also Good to Have
Depending on your business model and clients' requirements, the following are some good-to-have features in a web developer hosting solutions:
- WP-CLI Support – Manage multiple WordPress sites without a web browser.
- Pre-installed SSL – Save time and resources in handling clients' websites SSL
- Malware Detection – Be the first to know when your clients' sites are infected – avoid unnecessary headaches.
- Multiple User Access in Billing & Server Management – Allow team members with different roles to collaboratively work on a web development project.
- White-label Hosting – Re-brand the hosting account dashboard and point clients' domains to private nameservers – Useful in case you are also reselling web hosting services.
1. Cloudways
Website: https://www.cloudways.com
About Cloudways
Starting in 2011 in Malta, Cloudways is a provider of managed Cloud hosting solutions. It acts as a systems integrator, providing access to various services from Digital Ocean, Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and more.
As far as web hosting companies go, Cloudways is considerably young. It entered the market in 2011 but since then has grown significantly. A large part of that growth is perhaps due to the relatively niche market space it occupies, as a systems integrator providing convenience for a bump in price.
To learn more, read my full Cloudways review.
Cloudways Special Discount – Promo Code “WHSR10”
If you signup for Cloudways using our exclusive coupon “WHSR10”, you'll get $10 credited to your account instantly. The lowest Cloudways plan costs $12 per month – so basically you can test them at (almost) zero risk for 30 days.
Click here to claim this Cloudways deal now
Why Cloudways is the Best Hosting Solution for Web Developers?
Cloudways checks all the right boxes for users running web development businesses. The flexibility of scale in terms of both server power and responsive customer support is particularly invaluable for web development businesses that demand agility.
Here are some notable features that you should look into when choosing a web host for your web development business.
Flexible Cloud Hosting Solutions – Scale Up or Down in Minutes
One of the main advantages of Cloud-based hosting is that their plans are extremely scalable. This gives site owners the potential for extreme agility, but normally requires going through support or sales channels.
How much you can scale your resources depends on which platform you opt for when you sign up with Cloudways. Each platform has its own little quirks for scaling. For example, Digital Ocean only allows upward scaling. If you want to scale down, it is a lot more involved.
Easy Collaboration Among Team Members
Cloudways has something it calls a ‘Teams’ feature which lets you add members to a collaborative group. This lets you not just combine members onto a project but also separate their access into distinct groups. For example, you might assign members to support or some others to have Cloud Console access.
Caution: Cloudways Pricings & Alternatives
Because Cloudways is not the infrastructure provider, your Cloudways bill prices will be relatively higher compared to buying unmanaged accounts from the infrastructure provider (often 100% higher).
Take Digital Ocean for example – Cloudways' Digital Ocean cheapest package comes at $12 a month. For the same server specification, 1GB of RAM, a single processor core, 25GB storage, and 1TB of bandwidth; you can get it for just $6/mo when you purchase from Digital Ocean.
Cloudways Pros & Cons
Pros
- Ultra scalable web hosting plans
- Easy collaboration with Cloudways Team
- Support white-labeled website hosting
- Managed security with auto-healing features
- Free website migration services
- Pre-installed WP-CLI for all accounts
- Daily auto backups are included in all plans
Cons
- Less direct control over your server
- Slightly expensive
- Does not support email hosting
Click here to visit Cloudways online
2. ScalaHosting
Website: https://www.scalahosting.com
About ScalaHosting
Founded in 2008 by Hristo Rusev and Vlad G, ScalaHosting provides hosting that empowers web professionals around the world.
Their hosting service is powered by their three data centers in the United States and Bulgaria, and integrated data centers operated by Digital Ocean. Managing more than 700,000 websites from approximately 120 countries on their servers, ScalaHosting is one of the fastest-growing, high-quality web hosts you shouldn't overlook.
Read our full review on ScalaHosting.
Benefits of ScalaHosting for Web Developers
As a website operator, ScalaHosting is a hosting provider that I can personally vouch for. A few things that make Scala stand out as one of the best web hostings are their excellent server performance, features-rich shared hosting plan including free SSL and security protection, as well as helpful 24×7 technical support.
However, that's not all. There are a number of notable features at ScalaHosting that makes them great for web development agencies.
ScalaHosting SPanel – Alternatives to cPanel
The strongest part of ScalaHosting's offering (for web developers) is that they offer users an opportunity to use their in-house built sPanel WHCP (a server management software) instead of cPanel in their Managed VPS Hosting plans.
This comes at a very opportune time as:
- Both Plesk and cPanel are now owned by the same parent organization, leading to a near monopoly on the web hosting control panel (WHCP) market; and
- cPanel changed its pricing model and raised its licensing fees recently, impacting many users.
SPanel offers users an alternative that is excellent for many reasons. The key one being that it is fully compatible with cPanel. This means that cPanel users have an easy way out of the ecosystem should they wish to migrate to SPanel.
It also offers a much more cost-effective licensing structure compared to cPanel and is more agile and resource-friendly. Overall, SPanel was designed to be a one-stop control panel for users’ convenience.
SShield – Built-in A.I. Security Solution
All ScalaHosting plans are protected by SShiled, an in-house developed cybersecurity system. SShield supposedly works with an AI engine so that the defenses are adaptive. This is similar to how some heuristic antivirus applications work. Instead of referencing fixed information sets, the AI engine will assess potential threats based on logical deduction and threat potential.
SShield is fully automated and monitors all the sites on each server 24/7. Aside from defensive measures, the system will also notify site owners, including attack reports for reference.
ScalaHosting Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free user control panels for resellers
- White-labeled website hosting
- Solid hosting uptime & speed
- Built-in security solution (SShield) which blocks 99.998% of the web attacks
- 24×7 live chat and telephone support
- IP blacklist monitoring included
Cons
- Lack of third-party options in third-party cloud infrastructure providers
3. LiquidWeb
Website: https://www.liquidweb.com
Founded in 1997 by Matthew Hill, LiquidWeb offers web hosting services that empower web developers worldwide. The company wholly owns and manages five data centers. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a Net Promoter Score of 67, the Michigan-based hosting companies powered more than 32,000 customers worldwide.
LiquidWeb isn’t your run-of-the-mill web hosting service provider. A cursory glance at its website is sufficient to let anyone know it’s a specialist. The company only caters to the high-performance crowd (ie. web developers and large agencies), and everything they operate leans heavily toward Cloud services. And of course, with great power comes a great price tag – LiquidWeb's prices are also correspondingly not for the faint of heart.
Learn more in our full LiquidWeb review.
Notable LiquidWeb Features for Web Developers
Privately-Owned Data Centers
LiquidWeb owns and manages three data centers in Lansing, Michigan (in Central US), Arizona (US West Coast), and Amsterdam's Central Europe facility. This self-operation means that the company has granular control over every aspect of its hosting business. Self-operated data centers guarantee a higher degree of security and data integrity than those simply renting space in third-party-operated areas.
Powerful Addons for Users with Special Needs
LiquidWeb offers some niche services you won’t easily find elsewhere. This makes them the perfect hosting solutions for web developers with higher-end clients.
- Storage & Backup – Acronis Cyber Backups, Object Storage, Block Storage.
- Security & Compliance – Hardware Firewall and VPN, Compliance Assistance, Server Protection, DDoS Protection, Data Protection, and more.
- HIPAA-Compliant Servers – For developers with clients in the healthcare industry.
LiquidWeb Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great reliability and performance
- Excellent customer support services
- Good range of powerful web hosting solutions
- Runs from privately-owned and operated data centers
- 24×7 live chat and telephone support
- Many addons for users with special needs
Cons
- Expensive – Not for lower-end web developers
Final Thoughts – Web Hosting Is An Important Part of Web Development Business
Running a web development business is far from easy, but it can get even trickier if you happen to be stuck with an unsupportive web host. I've always found it odd that many smaller developers choose web hosts purely on cost.
While price is important, make sure you also consider the above-mentioned factors and choose your web host wisely.
