With all the work you've put into your website, you want it to run at its best, and that requires great hosting. Here are the best Joomla hosting web servers.
WordPress may well be the king of Content Management Systems (CMS). After all, the hugely popular platform current powers around 30% of websites worldwide.
But that's not to say it's the only option on the market.
One such competitor is Joomla, an exciting alternative which runs some 2 million live websites and counting.
Granted, that's a pittance compared to WordPress, but it's a sizable number all the same.
If you've decided to join the Joomla tribe, you might be wondering how to find the best possible Joomla hosting.
After all, the right web host makes a world of difference in optimizing your online business.
While WordPress is famed for its user-friendly interface, Joomla expands upon the easy to use design by throwing in a whole range of additional usability and functionality.
As a result, the platform is a hit among web publishers, developers, and online businesses in the know.
Users can put the CMS to a wide range of uses, creating anything from portals and blogs to large-scale corporate websites.
Dynamic web applications and application bridges are other options, all of which can have their default features extended by developers. It's even possible to write custom code for PHP and MySQL.
For e-Commerce businesses, Joomla simplifies the product catalog, reservation system, and payment platform. Although these things may be possible on other CMS's, many users find them to be much easier with Joomla.
The CMS is also capable of running a corporate intranet page for internal employees.
Is It Better Than WordPress?
The reality is that it's not really any better nor any worse. It's a notably different CMS aimed at a notably different type of user.
Much like WordPress, Joomla is open source, which means it is built, maintained, and updated by a community of altruistic developers who work for free.
WordPress wins in terms of simplicity. The CMS is aimed squarely at the beginner and blogger market which means it requires preciously zero expertise to set up and use.
Joomla, on the other hand, is still reasonably easy to use but has some fancier advanced features as well. These mostly relate to its 8,000 or so available extensions which are a favorite among developers and e-commerce users.
To summarize, Joomla has more functionality while WordPress is easier to use.
Another less popular CMS is Drupal, which has even more advanced features for the highly tech-savvy user.
Most web hosts offer Joomla for free as part of a web hosting plan, regardless of whether it be a cheap shared hosting plan or an expensive dedicated server.
The CMS has a handy one-click install feature through the Softaculous software, which means you don't need to be a computer whizz to get started.
Much like the CMS itself, there's no such thing as a best Joomla web host because it depends on what you want to do. Consider the following options.
Aside from being a well-known and respected web host, SiteGround is an excellent option for those who use the Joomla CMS.
Because Joomla uses SiteGround for their free 90-day sample site. That goes to show they think SiteGround is capable of running their CMS seamlessly.
Users can install the CMS across any of the shared or VPS hosting plans.
However, the special Joomla plan is a better option because it includes a bunch of extra free Joomla functionality. Among the add-ons are custom extensions, free transfers, free backups, and uber fast super caching, depending on the chosen plan.
Bluehost is the number one WordPress host, even boasting an official endorsement. But that doesn't mean they can't be a good Joomla host as well.
Unlike SiteGround, Bluehost doesn't have a Joomla specific plan. However, there's a simple, one-click install option across all their plans, which include shared, cloud, VPS, and dedicated servers.
The main advantage of Bluehost is that they're super cheap, with shared hosting plans starting at $2.95 per month (for the initial purchase period), which includes unlimited bandwidth as well as a free SSL certificate and email.
More sophisticated servers such as VPS will throw in a free domain and cost as little as $6.95 per month.
The catch is that the customer service isn't great, so you'd best look elsewhere if you think you'll need a lot of technical support.
InMotion Hosting is another solid option for Joomla users, but only those who operate out of the United States. Both the provider's data centers are in America, which means page load times can be a little slow for anyone outside of the U.S.
The company includes a free domain, free email, a free SSL and a bunch of marketing credits on even their most basic shared hosting plans. You'll also get unlimited bandwidth and disk space for a low $6.39 per month.
As a result, they're an excellent option for start-ups looking to release their first site for cheap.
More sophisticated VPS, cloud VPS, and dedicated plans are available, and customers can easily transition between them when they need.
As you'd expect, Joomla is included as a one-click install for free.
Joomla users after a no-fuss web host would do well to check out iPage. The host has a simple one-size-fits-all shared hosting plan that's all too easy to get going from scratch.
For just a couple of dollars per month, you'll get unlimited disk space, scalable bandwidth, a free SSL and a free one-year domain. It's a fantastic deal upfront, but be aware that the price increases substantially after the initial purchase period.
You'll need to look elsewhere once your business outgrows the standard plan.
Also, note that they're based in the U.S so give this one a miss if you're trying to run a business elsewhere.
As always, a one-click Joomla installer comes part of the package.
Who Is The Best Joomla Host, Then?
There's not really any clear-cut winner in the world of Joomla hosting. It depends on what you want to do.
SiteGround offer the most functionality, iPage and InMotion are useful for e-commerce startups in the US, and Bluehost is an excellent value for users who don't require much customer support.
Follow the corresponding links to check out these great hosts for yourself and determine which plan is best for you.
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