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7 min read

Hosting for a first site: ignore the “unlimited” row

What actually matters on a hosting checkout: PHP version, backups, and the exit path — not the banner.

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Unlimited bandwidth on shared hosting is a marketing sentence, not a contract. You want: current PHP, daily backups you can download, HTTPS included, and a way to leave with your files. If those four are missing, the price is a trap.

Match the host to the stack. WordPress needs a host that does not freeze plugin updates. A static site can live on a cheap VPS or a platform CDN. Do not buy a WooCommerce plan for a five-page brochure.

Support is the hidden product. Open a pre-sales chat and ask how to restore a backup. The quality of that answer is the product. A 4.8-star review farm is not.

Start annual only after a month that did not page you at 2 a.m. Monthly billing is an insurance premium against a bad first pick.

We add hosting hops as programmes approve. Until then, use the same filter on any checkout. Some links on this site are affiliate (#ad).