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Best Windows Hosting

We’ve found HostGator is the best Windows hosting for basic websites. It offers 24/7 support, a free domain, and a website builder, all starting at $4.76 per month.

If you’d like to compare other top Windows hosting services, we recommend you research LiquidWeb, IONOS, or GoDaddy.

Compare Windows Hosting Services

Windows HostsBest ForStarting PriceBest Features
HostGator

HostGator Logo
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Best Windows hosting for basic websites

Why it’s best: Built-in features like site transfers and open-source scripts like WordPress can be installed with just one click.

$4.76 per month

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  • 24/7 support
  • Free domain
  • Website builder
Liquid Web

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Best dedicated hosting for Windows

Why it’s best: Bare-metal dedicated servers come with Proactive Sonar Monitoring and ServerSecure hardening.

$169 per month for dedicated hosting

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  • 24/7 (live rep), online
  • Signature management
  • Archiving/retention
1&1 Ionos

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Best Windows hosting in Europe

Why it’s best: Huge hosting group with offices in Europe, North America, and South America.

$5 per month for Business

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  • Solid-state drive (SSD) storage for faster speed
  • Distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection
  • Unlimited visitors
GoDaddy

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Best hosting bundle

Why it’s best: Four plan types to choose from depending on business needs.

$5.99 per month

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  • Utilize Windows Server 2012 R2
  • 24/7 security monitoring and DDoS protection
  • 1-click install of popular apps — like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal
Hostwinds

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Best customization for Windows hosting

Why it’s best: Fully managed and unmanaged hosting plans available.

$10.99 per month

See Pricing

  • Nightly backups
  • Server monitoring
  • Unlimited visitors

 

How Did We Choose the Best Windows Hosts?

We gathered all the Windows options from the more than 1,500 hosting plans we’ve reviewed over the last decade. Then we combined them with our thousands of customer reviews to determine the top 10 Windows hosts.

What Is Windows Web Hosting?

A Windows-driven hosting solution can provide significant advantages for those using ASP and .NET scripts or Microsoft Exchange (at a premium price). All web hosts will allow you to get a simple website online. However, we recommend choosing Linux hosting unless you have a specific reason to select Windows.

While Windows is easy to use and can create powerful sites and apps, you may be limited in options for support, low pricing, and Windows hosting availability. For those willing to pay a little more or who require certain Windows-specific features, Windows-based hosting provides a stable platform for building robust Internet applications and websites.

How To Choose the Best Windows Hosting

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best Windows web hosting provider. You have to look at several different things to make sure it meets your business needs. This includes the pricing, security, customer support, and uptime guarantee:

  • Pricing: Look at the available plans and their prices when comparing these Windows hosting providers. It is important to be informed about your alternatives. This helps you assess if you receive a good value.
  • Security: Ensure that your website and its visitors will be safe and secure by comparing the various security options each hosting provider offers, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, DDoS attack protection, available backup services, and scanners for viruses and malware.
  • Customer support: Your business will suffer during downtime, so quick email responses are valuable. The best Windows Hosting provider should offer customer service around the clock, and the best-case scenario has 24/7 live support.
  • Uptime: A fast and stable environment for your website is a big plus. To verify the uptime guarantee of each web hosting provider, run several tests and do in-depth research by reading customer reviews.

 

Best Windows Hosting Providers

HostGator Logo

HostGator

Best Windows hosting for basic websites

  • 24/7 Support
  • Free Domain
  • Website Builder
Visit HostGator
Why it’s best: Built-in features like site transfers and open-source scripts like WordPress can be installed with just one click.

Hostgator Landing Page

Hostgator’s credibility spans almost 20 years and over 2 million websites. Its various hosting options can accommodate even the most demanding website. The Windows hosting solutions have two levels based on whether you’re running a small to medium-sized (SMB) business or a larger enterprise company. Its Plesk control panel is feature-rich, making it easy to create sites and deploy applications.

Hostgator provides unlimited sub-domains, FTP and email accounts, MySQL, Microsoft SQL, and access databases, including proper compatibility with your Windows-based programs to match the needs of your e-commerce website. It has a 99.9% uptime guarantee and programming features that allow you to customize your website according to your business needs.

It uses firewalls to protect its servers and offers SSL certificates as part of all hosting offerings. Also, it comprises admin tools such as secure directories, file managers, scheduled tasks, and SmarterStats. HostGator offers built-in free features like site transfers and open-source scripts such as WordPress, which can be installed with just a click. You will likely love having 24/7/year-round customer support available should you experience any issues.

Pros and cons of HostGator

Pros

  • Free domain and SSL
  • Premium support
  • 45-day money-back guarantee

Cons

  • Poor uptime
  • Higher renewal rates

What customers are saying about HostGator:

Hostgator is a good fit for beginners seeking a web host with various features. The customer service and prices are favorable, but there are limitations to the SEO capabilities.

Summary

HostGator Logo

HostGator

Visit HostGator
  • Starting Price
    • $4.76 per month
  • Money Back Guarantee
    45 Days
Features
  • 24/7 Support
  • Free Domain
  • Website Builder

LiquidWeb

Best dedicated hosting for Windows

  • 24/7 (live rep), online
  • Signature management
  • Archiving/retention
Visit LiquidWeb
Why it’s best: Bare-metal dedicated servers come with Proactive Sonar Monitoring and ServerSecure hardening.

Liquid Web Landing Page

Liquid Web offers managed dedicated server solutions to support your business needs. It is available with Linux or Windows operating systems; the bare-metal dedicated servers have Proactive Sonar Monitoring and ServerSecure hardening.

The Windows hosting comes with optimized security settings with exclusive ServerSecure protection. It offers Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) access that allows you to monitor and manage your dedicated Windows server remotely without compromising access or security.

Liquid Web’s Windows hosting offers single- and dual-processor bare-metal dedicated servers. Depending on your business needs, you can choose between self-managed, core-managed, and fully-managed dedicated server hosting plans. Both Windows hosting plans come with Threat Stack Oversight Intrusion Detection System and 1000 GB Acronis Cyber Backups.

Pros and cons of LiquidWeb

Pros

  • High-performance plans
  • 100% network/power uptime guarantee
  • Excellent support team

Cons

  • High entry-level price
  • No free ad credits are offered

What customers are saying about Liquid Web:

Liquid Web is known as one of the best managed WordPress hosting companies that allows you to easily host many websites. The tech support is open every day of the year, but there are some billing and customer service issues.

Summary

LiquidWeb

Visit LiquidWeb
  • Starting Price
    • $169 per month for dedicated hosting
  • Money Back Guarantee
    Full refund within 30 days
Features
  • 24/7 (live rep), online
  • Signature management
  • Archiving/retention
1&1 Ionos Logo

1&1 Ionos

Best Windows hosting in Europe

  • SSD storage for faster speed
  • DDoS protection
  • Unlimitedvisitors
Visit 1&1 Ionos
Why it’s best: Huge hosting group with offices in Europe, North America, and South America.

1&1 IONOS Features

1&1 Ionos is designed for Windows developers with three-tiered Windows hosting plans, namely Business, Pro, and Expert, packed with collaboration tools, security features, marketing solutions, and a Railgun CDN. Its Windows hosting gives you Windows Server 2019, ASP.NET 4.8, and .NET 6.0, Geo-redundancy, and guaranteed availability. Also, it comes with a Wildcard SSL certificate which guarantees the security and protection of all information exchanged between your website and visitors.

You will be provided daily data backups with all ASP.NET hosting packages. Windows Hosting runs the latest versions of Windows Server, ASP.NET, and .NET. With geo-redundancy, the performance of your ASP hosting will be stable even if physical problems occur on a server. It ensures top levels of speed and performance. The operating system of the VPS is available on the Windows server.

The Windows hosting plans from 1&1 Ionos come with SiteLock, which checks your website and databases for malware, security leaks, and other hacker attacks. You can use the SiteLock certificate on your website to earn credibility, including the SSL certificates with the HTTPS security protocol. IONOS has a 99.99% uptime guarantee and provides 24/7 customer support with IONOS Windows server hosting.

Pros and cons of 1&1 Ionos

Pros

  • Unmatched introductory offer for the Business subscription
  • The content delivery network (CDN) and malware protection are available with Expert tier
  • All plans come with a professional email

Cons

  • More expensive than budget alternatives over the long term

What customers are saying about 1&1 IONOS:

Part of the IONOS family of products, 1&1 is a low-cost and simple web host ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It offers a lot of customization options and provides top-notch customer support.

Summary

1&1 Ionos Logo

1&1 Ionos

Visit 1&1 Ionos
  • Starting Price
    • $5 per month for Business
  • Money Back Guarantee
    30 Days
Features
  • SSD storage for faster speed
  • DDoS protection
  • Unlimitedvisitors
GoDaddy Logo

Go Daddy

Best hosting bundle

  • High-performance platform
  • Easy setup
  • Frequent updates
Visit Go Daddy
Why it’s best: Four plan types to choose from depending on business needs.

GoDaddy Pricing

GoDaddy’s Windows Hosting offers four plans (Starter, Economy, Deluxe, and Ultimate) depending on your business needs. The Windows hosting is designed for ASP.NET, ASP, .Net Core, and SQL Server users. All plans utilize Windows Server 2012 R2, a flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use server solution designed and priced for small businesses with up to 25 users and 50 devices.

It is an ideal first server that helps to reduce costs, increase productivity, and act as the primary server in a multi-server environment for small businesses.

The Windows hosting plans come with a one-click install of popular apps such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. Included in every Windows Hosting plan is Onyx Plesk, a control panel that easily manages your server and installs third-party applications to help manage your e-commerce website.

In addition to the Windows Hosting features is a 99.9% uptime guarantee, 24/7 monitoring with DDoS security, and a 1-click setup for domains registered with GoDaddy.

Pros and cons of Go Daddy

Pros

  • Wide selection of hosting plans
  • One year of Microsoft 365 email included for free with all shared hosting plans
  • 24/7 phone and live chat support
  • High-quality video guides

Cons

  • Affordable, but cheaper plans are available elsewhere

What customers are saying about GoDaddy hosting:

A well-known player in the web hosting business, GoDaddy is a decent option for those needing web hosting and a domain for their website. Its hosting prices are in line with other companies in the space, but not among the cheapest. GoDaddy provides helpful video guides and 24/7 phone and live chat support.

Summary

GoDaddy Logo

Go Daddy

Visit Go Daddy
  • Starting Price
    • $5.99 per month
  • Money Back Guarantee
    30 Days
Features
  • High-performance platform
  • Easy setup
  • Frequent updates
Hostwinds Logo

Hostwinds

Best customization for Windows hosting

  • Nightly backups
  • Server monitoring
  • Unlimited visitors
Visit Hostwinds
Why it’s best: Fully managed and unmanaged hosting plans available.

Hostwinds Features

Hostwinds offers fully managed and unmanaged Windows VPS hosting plans and allows you to launch your server with the version of Windows you need; choose from Windows Server 2019, 2016, and 2012 depending on your expertise and business needs.

The proprietary Cloud Control Panel gives you the tools to manage your Windows servers and cloud firewalls from Hostwinds enable you to manage what traffic you want your Windows VPS to allow. The Windows hosting plans are equipped with load balancers that allow you to instantly begin dividing your traffic between your various Windows servers at Hostwinds.

Hostwinds has a 99.99% uptime guarantee and 24/7 customer support. Server Monitoring proactively watches your server and automatically opens a support ticket on your behalf in case of a technical issue.

Pros and cons of Hostwinds

Pros

  • Offers a wide range of payment options and services, including Skrill and bitcoin
  • 24/7 support is available through live chat, email, and phone, plus a great knowledgebase
  • It’s one of the few hosts to offer both Windows and Linux hosting, as well as managed and unmanaged options
  • SSDs and other features are available on many plans to speed up your website

Cons

  • Hostwinds only has 2 U.S.-based data centers, so your site will not be as fast for visitors internationally
  • You have to pay extra for SSL certificates, which many hosts provide for free
  • Refunds have strict conditions, and the money-back guarantee only applies to specific plans and services

What customers are saying about Hostwinds:

Hostwinds is known for its customer service and fast loading speeds. It backs its affordable offerings with a 99.99% uptime guarantee. The user interface is easy to use and Hostwinds includes free secure sockets layers with its web hosting.

Summary

Hostwinds Logo

Hostwinds

Visit Hostwinds
  • Starting Price
    • $10.99 per month
  • Money Back Guarantee
    30 Days
Features
  • Nightly backups
  • Server monitoring
  • Unlimited visitors
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Frequently Asked Questions About Windows Hosting

Why is Windows hosting more expensive than Linux?

Linux hosting is cheaper than Windows hosting because it is an open-source application that can be installed free on any computer. Still, Windows requires a paid subscription for installation. A Windows license costs around $200, typically built into the hosting plan’s price.

The Windows OS also utilizes more disk space and RAM than the Linux OS. More resources mean a higher price tag. However, depending on your needs and preferences, paying for Windows hosting may be worth it.

Can I use a Windows computer to host a website?

Yes. Windows has its server software, which can be used to publish websites. You can purchase a Windows hosting plan for many providers, but it is less common than Linux hosting.

What kind of hosting can I buy on a Windows server?

Depending on the host, all types of hosting are available, from shared packages to dedicated servers.

Which version of Windows do hosts provide?

They all run Windows Server. You’ll need to check the plan specifics to see which version of Windows Server they’re offering because all hosts are different.

Can I use cPanel on Windows?

CPanel is unavailable for Windows, so you’ll need an alternative control panel. Many hosts offer Plesk, but there are others.

What’s the default web server on Windows?

Microsoft has a web server, IIS, which runs on the Windows Server operating system. Apache Web Server is available for Windows, although it’s less common than IIS.

Can I use Remote Desktop to manage a Windows server?

If you have a VPS or dedicated server running Windows, you can usually connect to it using Remote Desktop, just as you would if you were connecting to a regular Windows computer. But you can't use Remote Desktop if you have a shared hosting account on Windows.

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