At first glance, the specifications of hosting plans look very similar: storage, traffic, databases, email accounts and a price. The differences – which, a year down the line, manifest as slow websites, lost backups or unresponsive support teams – are rarely found in the first few lines. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the factors to consider when choosing a web hosting provider, from assessing your needs through to hardware, backups and security, right up to the price; and at the end, you’ll also receive a checklist. If you’d like to see the different types of hosting side by side, take a look at our hosting solutions; for a new website, web hosting is usually a good place to start.

If you’re still getting to grips with the basics (what is web hosting, a domain name and DNS), start with our web hosting guide for beginners. The meaning of the individual specifications (CPU, RAM, IO, IOPS) in our hosting plans is explained in detail in our article on comparing hosting plans.

1. First, work out what you want

Many people choose a hosting plan by looking at how much storage space they get for their money. It’s more important, however, to be clear about what you need the hosting for, as this is the only way to find the plan that offers the best value for money for you. Before comparing plans, answer a few questions:

• What sort of website will it be? An introductory page, a blog, an online shop, a forum or a bespoke web application?
• What platform is it running on? WordPress or another PHP-based system, a static site generator (Hugo, Jekyll, Astro), or a Node.js or Python application?
• How much traffic do you expect in the first year, and are there any campaigns or seasonal peaks on the horizon?
• Do I need email for my domain, and how many mailboxes?
• How many websites would you like to run on a single plan?
• Who will manage it? You yourself, a web developer or a system administrator?

Website	Typical requirement	A typical solution
About us page, portfolio	a few GB, a few databases	entry-level web hosting
Blog, small WordPress site	5–20 GB, 1–3 databases, daily backups	web hosting or cPanel hosting
Small online shop	20–50 GB, more CPU and memory, daily backups	Larger cPanel plan or WordPress plan
High-traffic online shop, bespoke application	Guaranteed resources, dedicated software environment	VPS or dedicated server
Static page (HTML, CSS, JS)	No PHP, no database	static hosting

2. Choose your hosting type

The type determines how much freedom you have and how much operational work you’ll have to do yourself.

• Shared hosting: multiple clients’ websites run on a single server, which is managed by the provider. It is the cheapest and most convenient option, and is sufficient for the majority of websites. Our article on shared hosting explains how it works.
• WordPress hosting: Shared hosting optimised for WordPress, with WordPress management tools. Our WordPress hosting comes with WP Toolkit.
• Static hosting: for pre-built HTML, CSS and JavaScript files, without PHP or a database. It’s cheap, fast and has a small attack surface; with us, static hosting can be uploaded via SFTP.
• VPS: your own virtual server with guaranteed resources and root access, but you’re responsible for running it (or you can opt for a managed service). Our comparison of VPS and web hosting sets out the differences in detail.
• Dedicated server: an entire physical machine dedicated solely to your projects, designed to handle the heaviest workloads.

If you’re unsure, our knowledge base’s decision guide will help you find your way.

3. Hardware: processor and NVMe storage

Nowadays, a website’s speed is determined not only by the visitor’s internet connection, but also by the hardware behind the hosting service. Software optimisation helps a great deal, but no caching extension can compensate for an overloaded processor or slow storage.

Processor

Ask what kind of processors power the hosting service. PHP-based websites (WordPress, WooCommerce) execute code with every request, so a high-clock-speed, state-of-the-art server processor directly translates to shorter server response times (TTFB). Our web hosting runs on high-clock-speed AMD Ryzen servers.

NVMe SSD

WordPress and other database-driven systems perform many small read and write operations when loading a page. SATA-connected SSDs have a bandwidth of around 550 MB/s and process operations sequentially; NVMe SSDs connect directly to the PCIe bus, offering several times the speed and the ability to perform many operations in parallel. The difference is particularly noticeable in database operations and on websites handling large numbers of small files. These days, it is worth choosing hosting running on NVMe; our web hosting and cPanel plans are all based on this technology.

Our TTFB guide covers how to reduce server response times, whilst a separate article deals with server-side caching.

4. Resource limits and isolation

On shared hosting, every account has an upper limit on how much processor time (CPU), memory (RAM), disk speed (IO, IOPS) and concurrent processes it can use. These limits protect the server’s other customers, but if they are too restrictive, your site will slow down or display a ‘508 Resource Limit Is Reached’ error during peak times.

• Check whether the plan specifies any limits. If a provider only states the storage and traffic, ask about any other limits as well.
• Ask whether the accounts are isolated from one another. In the worst-case scenario, a high-traffic site on the server could take resources away from smaller ones. CloudLinux, for example, provides each account with its own guaranteed quota (LVE) and isolates accounts from one another (CageFS), so an overloaded or hacked neighbour won’t slow down or compromise your site. Our cPanel hosting runs on CloudLinux.

Our limitations are listed in the knowledge base article on resource limits for hosting plans.

5. Storage and traffic

Storage is the easiest metric to compare, yet it is often misjudged. A few GB is enough for a simple landing page; an average WordPress site uses around 1–2 GB, but uploaded images, plugins, logs and emails take up a lot of space over time. If the plan includes email, the mailboxes will use up space from the same storage quota. For an online shop, it’s not worth starting with less than 10–20 GB of storage. The article on website hosting and bandwidth requirements provides a guide for estimating these needs.

When it comes to traffic, check whether there’s a monthly limit and what happens if you reach it: will your site be slowed down or taken offline, or will you be charged extra? A plan with no traffic limit (‘unlimited’) won’t penalise you for success, even if one of your articles suddenly attracts a lot of visitors; in such cases, the provider’s fair usage policy applies.

6. Software environment: PHP, database, access

• PHP versions: your website’s engine requires a specific PHP version. A new WordPress site needs the latest versions, whilst an older, no-longer-updated system will only run on an earlier version. Check which versions are available and whether you can switch between them. On our web hosting plans, PHP 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5 are available, whilst on our cPanel hosting plans, you can choose any version from PHP 5.1 to 8.5 using the CloudLinux PHP Selector.
• Database: dynamic pages use a MySQL or MariaDB database; find out how many databases you can create.
• SSH and Git: as a developer, it’s handy to be able to access your hosting via the command line and install from Git. Not all plans include this.
• Python and Node.js: if you’re not running a PHP-based application, check whether your hosting supports these, or whether you’d be better off with a VPS.

7. Control panel and installation programs

If you don’t have a system administrator on hand, the control panel determines just how straightforward your day-to-day tasks will be: creating email accounts, adding domains, managing databases, and restoring backups. cPanel is the most widely used control panel of its kind, featuring extensive documentation and a built-in application installer; our web hosting service is managed via the KeyHelp control panel. It’s useful to be able to install WordPress and other systems with a single click, and to manage your backups yourself via the control panel.

8. Availability

Uptime indicates the percentage of time the service is available. The differences may seem small, but they add up to significant figures over the course of a year:

Guaranteed uptime	Permitted downtime per year
99%	approx. 3 days 15 hours
99,5%	approx. 1 day 20 hours
99,9%	approx. 8 hours 45 minutes

Nowadays, 99.9% uptime is expected from a shared hosting provider; if a provider does not commit to any specific figure, this should raise suspicions. It is also worth checking what is excluded from this figure (scheduled maintenance is usually excluded) and what the provider’s commitment is if the target is not met. Our guide explaining 99.9% uptime and the SLA covers this topic. With us, web hosting, cPanel, static hosting and email hosting are all available with 99.9% uptime.

9. Security

Hosting security consists of multiple layers, and a WordPress security plugin alone is not enough: if the server is vulnerable, the plugin is only building one side of the fence.

• SSL certificates: the basic requirement these days, and a good hosting service comes with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate. Find out how to get one: in cPanel, AutoSSL issues it automatically; on other platforms, you’ll need to enable it for each domain. Our SSL guide explains the installation process.
• Malware scanning: the server should regularly check files, as beginners often upload infected plugins or templates without even realising it. On our cPanel servers, this is handled by ImunifyAV+.
• Brute-force and DDoS protection: the server blocks password guessing attempts on login pages and filters out overload attacks.
• Segregation: accounts must be isolated from one another (see point 4).
• Software updates: the provider updates the server’s operating system, the web server and PHP; however, the website engine, plugins and templates are your responsibility. The vast majority of hacked websites fall victim to outdated plugins or weak passwords.
• Data centres: from a GDPR perspective, it is advantageous for your data to remain within the European Union; our hosting services are hosted in data centres within the European Union.

10. Backups

Errors can happen anywhere and at any time: following a botched update, an accidental deletion or a hack, a backup is the only quick way to get things back to normal. Ask:

• How often are backups taken? For an active blog or online shop, daily backups are the norm; with a weekly backup, a week’s worth of orders and comments could be lost.
• Where are they stored? The backup is only useful if it isn’t on the same server as the website; ideally, it should be stored in a geographically separate location.
• How many days back can you restore your data, and can you do it yourself via the control panel without having to raise a ticket?
• Is it included in the price? Some providers charge a separate fee for backups or restores.

Daily backups are taken on our cPanel hosting, stored in geographically separate locations, and you can restore them yourself via the JetBackup interface; backups are also included in our paid web hosting plans (but not in the free Web Free plan). We’ve written a separate article explaining why you shouldn’t rely solely on our backups.

11. Email hosted on the hosting account or separately

With most hosting plans, you can also set up email accounts using your own domain, which is a convenient and cost-effective solution for a small business with just a few mailboxes. Check how many accounts and what sending limits are included with the plan, and whether it offers spam filtering, webmail and IMAP access. If you need a lot of mailboxes, your emails are large, or your website is hosted elsewhere, a dedicated email hosting service is the better choice; our guide to choosing email hosting covers this.

12. Domains all in one place

It’s not compulsory, but it’s convenient to have your domain and hosting with the same provider: the DNS settings are configured automatically, you receive renewal notifications in one place, and you don’t have to manage two accounts and two invoices. Also check how many domains (and subdomains) you can run on a single hosting plan if you have multiple websites. A .hu domain costs €5.44 + VAT per year with us.

13. Support Team

A provider’s true value becomes apparent when things go wrong. Check how you can contact the support team (by phone, email or ticket), in which languages, and how quickly they respond. A good test: before you buy, send a technical query and note the response time and the professionalism of the reply. It’s also useful if the provider has a knowledge base covering common set-up procedures. We offer support via telephone, email and tickets, and you’ll find step-by-step guides in our knowledge base.

14. Scalability and migration

Most websites start out with a smaller plan, but it’s worth choosing a provider where growth doesn’t mean migration. Check whether you can upgrade to a larger plan with just a few clicks, and whether there’s a next step (VPS plan, dedicated server) if your traffic continues to grow.

If you already have a website with another provider, ask them if they can help with the migration. With us, every hosting plan comes with a free migration service, with minimal or even zero downtime.

15. Price: what should you look out for?

Low prices are tempting, but they’re a poor initial filter. A cheap plan can quickly become the most expensive option due to a lack of backups, a slow support team or an outage. When comparing prices, check the following:

• Is the price net or gross? (Our prices are exclusive of VAT);
• How much does renewal cost? The first year is at a discounted rate, but from the second year onwards it is often considerably more expensive;
• What’s included: SSL, backups, email, migration – or do you have to pay extra for these?;
• What payment periods are available (monthly, annually), and is there a money-back guarantee? We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee on our hosting plans.

We’ve written in detail about price levels and hidden costs in our article on web hosting prices. If you’re considering free hosting, read on to find out when free is enough and when you should opt for a paid service.

Checklist for choosing a provider

• I know what sort of website it will be, what content management system it will use, and how much traffic I’m expecting.
• I’ve selected the type: shared, WordPress, static hosting, VPS or dedicated server.
• The hosting runs on an NVMe SSD and a state-of-the-art processor.
• The plan specifies the CPU, memory and I/O limits, and accounts are isolated from one another.
• There is plenty of storage for the website and emails, and there are no strict limits on traffic.
• The required PHP version and database are available, as well as SSH if required.
• It includes free SSL, malware scanning and DDoS protection.
• Backups are taken daily, stored separately, and I can restore them myself.
• The provider guarantees at least 99.9% uptime.
• The support team is available and responded to my test enquiry.
• I can upgrade to a larger plan later, and they’ll help with the migration too.
• I know how much the renewal will cost and what’s included in the price.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much hosting do I need for an average WordPress site?

An average WordPress website takes up 1–2 GB of space, but because of uploaded images, plugins and (if included in the plan) emails, it’s worth starting with a plan of at least 5 GB. An online shop or a large number of high-resolution images will require more storage capacity.

What is the difference between HDD, SSD and NVMe storage?

HDDs use spinning discs and are slow. SATA SSDs are solid-state, but they communicate via an interface designed for older hard disk drives, which is why their speed is capped at around 550 MB/s. NVMe SSDs connect to the PCIe bus, offering multiple times the speed and the ability to perform many operations in parallel, making them the fastest solution for database-driven websites.

Is it important for the server to be located in Hungary?

Not necessarily. For a website aimed at a Hungarian audience, a nearby European data centre also offers low latency, and from a GDPR perspective, it is important that the data remains within the European Union.

Can I have more than one website on a single hosting plan?

Yes, the larger plans can manage multiple domains; please check the domain limit for each plan. In such cases, resources are shared amongst the sites, so a busier online shop would be better off with a separate plan or a VPS plan.

What happens if the number of my visitors suddenly increases?

A well-sized plan can handle a brief spike in traffic; if the account regularly reaches its CPU or memory limit, the site will slow down and it’s time to switch to a larger plan. If traffic remains consistently high, the next step is a VPS plan.

Can I migrate my existing website?

Yes. We offer a free migration service with every hosting plan: order your new hosting plan, then open a ticket with your old hosting login details.

Summary

It’s not the first line of the product description that makes for good hosting, but the plan as a whole: the right type of hosting for you, state-of-the-art hardware, transparent resource limits, daily, separately stored backups, multi-layered security, an accessible support team and transparent pricing. If you go through these, you can use the checklist to filter out the poor offers in a matter of minutes. Take a look at our web hosting and cPanel hosting plans, or if you’d like to compare the best on the market, read our article on the best web hosting providers.

• choosing hosting
• web hosting
• website speed
• nvme
• backups