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Linux hosting is everywhere on the internet. Whether you are looking for a simple shared web hosting or a fully managed dedicated server, there are chances that you will be offered Linux-based hosting first.
Linux is among the most popular operating systems. It was first created by Linux Torvalds in 1991 and is made available under the General Public License (GPL). Since it is widely used and recommended by many experts, it is the most stable hosting option for static and dynamic websites.
We sometimes only look for storage and bandwidth in a hosting service, and most of the time, choose the one with more storage. Here in this article, we have mentioned what Linux hosting is, the difference between Linux and Windows hosting, the advantages of Linux hosting, and some of the most popular Linux hosting services in 2022.
What is Linux Hosting?
Linux is an open-source OS and is very popular. Many Linux distributions let us use, modify, and redistribute the source code for commercial and non-commercial needs. Many web hosting providers consider Linux hosting to be a restrictive Windows platform because it only allows you to customize server capabilities and user options.
Many hosting providers offer Windows-based hosting, and some of them charge a high monthly fee compared to Linux hosting. With time, Windows web hosting platforms are finding it challenging to grow in terms of stability.
The Red Hat was the first popular Linux distribution used for web hosting in the year 2000. In the 2000s, Linux hosting was still in the beginning. Afterwards, CentOS was launched by the Red Hat Enterprise and, to date, is the standard Linux distribution for hosting servers. To conclude, Linux hosting is a service based on Linux servers.
Linux Hosting vs Windows Hosting
- Unlike Windows, Linux is an open-source operating system.
- Linux is free of cost, while Windows is not.
- Linux is more efficient and customizable.
- Linux servers are more secure than Windows.
- Hackers use Linux to hack purpose-based systems. Windows do not support hacking.
Advantages of Linux Hosting
There are many advantages of using the Linux operating system for hosting. It is very affordable and easy to create a blog or a business website. Here in this section, we have mentioned 5 of the benefits of using Linux:
- Cost: One of the benefits of using Linux OS is the price. We know Linux is an open-source platform; you do not need to pay any charges for using it. This naturally makes Linux hosting cheaper than Windows hosting.
- Flexibility: Linux web hosting is very flexible. It lets you create a blog, website, forum, or application. Since the Linux server comes with GNU, you can use Linux with various distributions, making it one of the most flexible operating systems.
- Security: Shared Linux hosting is known for its top-notch security. With time, Linux has proved to be a more secure operating system than any other hosting OS option.
- Reliable: Linux software uses very few resources making it very efficient. Lower resource consumption means improved performance, lower infrastructure, and low costs. All of these features make Linux hosting more reliable.
- Simplicity: The Linux operating system is more user-friendly and comes with an easy-to-use interface compared to Windows hosting. Linux is compatible with MySQL, Perl, and PHP.
How to Choose the Right Linux Hosting?
With the increasing popularity of the Linux operating system, there are many hosting providers offering Linux hosting services. Here we have mentioned some of the factors you need to keep in mind while choosing the right Linux hosting provider:
- You need to choose a hosting that has a good uptime guarantee. Having great uptime helps to improve website availability.
- Ensure the hosting company you choose offers excellent customer support and caters to all your technical needs.
- Choose a Linux hosting provider that offers high security to all the users.
10 Top Linux Hosting Servers in 2022
Here is a quick look into our best picks:
- Bluehost – Best Linux hosting provider
- HostGator – Best for uptime
- InMotion – Best for shared and VPS hosting plans
- A2 Hosting – Best cloud hosting
- SiteGround – Reliable and known for customer support
- iPage – Budget-friendly hosting plans
- DreamHost – Known for its storage space and for hosting a dynamic website
- Linode- offers high-performance SSD Linux servers
- Hostinger- Pocket-friendly hosting services and a lot of storage.
- Liquid web- Offers flexible VPS services and a dedicated server.
1. Bluehost
As we all know, Bluehost is the most recommended hosting service provider and is mainly known for its WordPress hosting services. It provides an uptime guarantee of 99.98%. Bluehost’s Linux hosting offers a galore of features, including easy WordPress installation, automatic software updates, and top-notch 24/7 live chat and call support to all the users.
Pros:
- It allows you to install WordPress with one click from the cPanel and comes with automated plugins and software updates.
- Bluehost is also known for its excellent uptime.
- Not the cheapest one, but it is worth the value.
- WordPress.org has recommended Bluehost since 2005.
Cons:
- You need to sign up for a minimum of 1 year if you are looking for hosting plans. So, it can be a little too costly for people who are looking for monthly plans.
- Free SSL certificate is only available for pro plans and above.
- There are a few unwanted add-ons that are automatically added to your cart while signing out. Check if you need them or not.
- No free site transfer is available. You need to do it yourself or pay an amount if you want the Bluehost team to do it for you.
2. HostGator
HostGator is another high-quality Linux hosting provider that offers the best uptime, which is higher than anyone in the market. The main features include free SSL certificates, unlimited bandwidth, and email marketing software. HostGator also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee. The hosting provider has effective 24/7 live and phone support.
Pros:
- HostGator offers many Linux hosting plan options to all the customers allowing them to grow.
- It is known for its 99.9% guaranteed uptime. And if HostGator falls short, you get to use the hosting plans free for a month.
- Offers free SSL certificates and domain names with all the annual plans.
- 24/7/365 live chat and phone support.
- Allows you to transfer your website quickly.
- It also offers the best-dedicated hosting plans.
Cons:
- HostGator does not provide all the pricing details. They are not price-transparent.
- High price.
3. InMotion
InMotion offers professional Linux website hosting and provides a high level of power. InMotion’s hosting offers beginner-friendly features that will help you get started.
Not only beginners, but it also caters to the needs of the experienced website developers who want to access MySQL and PostgreSQL databases. InMotion is known for its impressive shared and VPS Linux hosting plans. It has many amazing features and is affordable.
Pros:
- InMotion offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth even for the basic Linux hosting plans.
- Expert web hosting staff and trainers who will solve all your complex queries as well.
- Allows free backups, SSL certificate, and a few domains with all the Linux hosting plans.
- The hosting plans come with a 90-day cash back guarantee.
- Allows you to move sites to InMotion without any charges.
Cons:
- It offers an uptime guarantee of 99.97%, which is lower than other top hosting providers.
- If you are looking for dedicated Linux hosting plans on InMotion, it can be a very costly option.
4. A2 Hosting
Although A2 Hosting is very costly, it is known for its exciting cloud hosting plans and top-notch client support. A2 Hosting’s Linux hosting offers free Office 365 email and a free SSL certificate. It also offers an uptime guarantee of 99.95% and free backups.
Pros:
- Offers top-notch support by providing different channels for customer support.
- A2 hosting is independent, stable and growing with time. Additionally, it offers transparency and accessibility.
- A2 Hosting allows you to choose the data centre among the ones they operate in the US, Europe, and Asia.
- They offer a money-back guarantee to all the users.
- Allows easy and free site transfer.
Cons:
- It offers a 99.95% uptime guarantee which is lower than other hosting providers on the list. However, they offer a refund of 5% of your monthly fee for every hour your site is down.
- Unlike other hosting providers, it does not offer a free domain name.
- It does not offer chat support; instead offers only phone support.
5. SiteGround
SiteGround has built a name for itself in the market and is known for its reliability and customer support. It offers an uptime guarantee of 99.98%. The main highlights of Linux hosting from SiteGround include a free SSL certificate in the form of Let’s Encrypt. It also provides free daily backups and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- SiteGround offers top-notch security to all users.
- Auto-renewal of the SSL certificate.
- WordPress-friendly and comes with many plugins useful for beginners.
- The SiteGround Migrator WordPress plugin offers easy site transfers.
- Offers free automatic daily backups.
Cons:
- Costly.
- Recommended for dynamic websites and big companies.
6. iPage
Undoubtedly iPage pocket-friendly plans are appealing. However, you need to compromise on the site speed. They offer an uptime guarantee of 99.94%. This Linux hosting’s attractive features are its simple pricing structure, good technical support, a free domain name, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- They offer Linux hosting at the lowest price when compared to other hosting providers.
- 24/7 live chat and call support.
- High-quality Linux shared hosting. It starts at $1.99 and renews at $7.99.
Cons:
- Low uptime guarantee when compared to other Linux hosting providers.
- Backup can cost you a lot.
- Since it is very budget-friendly, you need to compromise on the site speed.
7. DreamHost
DreamHost Linux hosting plans are known for their storage. These are suitable for people looking for large storage space. The only disadvantage of this hosting provider is that it does not offer any technical support. It provides a 97-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Lowest renewal prices for shared Linux hosting.
- A lot of storage.
Cons:
- Does not offer effective phone and live chat services.
- It does not use cPanel, making it difficult to access for beginners.
8. Linode
Linode is known for its high-performance SSD Linux servers catering to all your needs. It is one of the most famous Linux hosting providers because it offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee and customer support. Linode’s hosting plans are named after the amount of RAM. Unique, isn’t it?
One unique thing about Linode is that it does not bill per month. Instead, it bills per hour. In simple words, you pay for what you use; no hidden fees.
Pros:
- 24/7 customer support and replies to the queries in a few minutes.
- It offers a knowledge base that contains hundreds of guides on various aspects of hosting.
- No hidden charges or fees.
Cons:
- They are mainly used and recommended for developers who know about hosting servers like Linux.
9. Hostinger
Hostinger is the best example of getting what you pay for. No denying the fact that they offer pocket-friendly hosting services. But you need to know that their services are not so great, so it is not recommended for the long-term.
Hostinger offers an uptime guarantee of 99.91%, which is the lowest compared to other hosting providers on the list. The main feature of Hostinger’s Linux hosting plans is that they are low-priced and offer a lot of storage. Hostinger also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- It charges very low promotional prices for Linux hosting.
- Offers daily backup options for Premium and Business Linux hosting plans and weekly for other plans.
Cons:
- Hostinger does not offer live chat or on-call support. You need to raise issues only via the ticket system available.
- Lowest uptime guarantee.
- It does not offer dedicated hosting plans.
10. Liquid Web
One of the best things about Linux hosting from Liquid Web is the control you can have over the different components you use. Liquid Web offers flexible VPS services and a dedicated server. You can choose your OS.
You can also choose from a mix of self-managed, core-managed, and fully-managed plans. It allows you to customize your plan in total. It will enable you to choose the number of daily backups you would like to do and the disk space you require.
Pros:
- It offers 24/7/365 customer support, and the experts quickly respond to your issues.
- If there is any failure, they’ll fix it in 30 minutes from when the issue was recognized.
Cons:
- It can be very pricey for small businesses and startups.
Summary
If you are a beginner looking for full support or a hosting expert looking for some added features, we are confident that you’ll find the best Linux hosting provider from the list above. Let us recap the 10 best Linux hosting providers:
- Bluehost – Best Linux hosting provider.
- HostGator – Best for uptime.
- InMotion – Best for shared and VPS hosting plans.
- A2 Hosting – Best cloud hosting.
- SiteGround – Reliable and robust customer support.
- iPage – Budget-friendly hosting plans.
- DreamHost – Known for its storage space and for hosting dynamic websites.
- Linode – Known for high-performance and offers 99.9% uptime.
- Hostinger – Super budget-friendly and offers a lot of storage.
- Liquid Web – Excellent customer support and the flexibility to choose your own OS.
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