As a photographer, you want to be able to share your photos and videos with the world.
Maybe you just want to share them. Or maybe you want to make a portfolio to get more clients.
Either way, you’re going to need a web host for your site to be accessible.
That’s where a web hosting provider comes in.
A quick Google search will tell you that there are so many choices.
And while it’s great that you have a lot to choose from, it’s going to be challenging to pinpoint which one is the best for you.
But I’ve got that covered.
Here, you’ll know about the best web hosting for photographers and their pros and cons.
Let’s take a look at them.
What to Look For in the Best Web Hosting for Photographers
First things first, these are the features you should look for in web hosting:
- Affordability
- Security
- Ease of use
- Customer support
- Storage and bandwidth
Affordability
They say that in a lot of things, you have to look for a package that’s cheap.
I beg to differ (for web hosting at least).
In web hosting, cheap doesn’t equate to a good deal. So while I encourage you to consider providers that offer affordable solutions, I urge you to look more at the added features in the package.
As a photographer, you want to focus on a web hosting provider that gives a large amount of space at a reasonable price.
Security
SSL certificates are signs that a web hosting service is secure and the information of your website and your visitors are safe.
I suggest that you always look for a provider that offers free SSL.
Ease of Use
Most photographers will want to have their own style and design for their website.
So it’s important the web host has a built-in website builder. And that builder should be easily understood by anyone who doesn’t know a shred of code. Or, it should also make it easy to install WordPress.
Customer Support
I can’t stress this enough: customer support is very important.
You want to be able to reach your customer support immediately and easily through many channels. Right now, it’s pretty common that customer service can be reached via live chat, email, or phone.
Storage and Bandwidth
Since you’ll most likely be posting photos and videos, you’re going to need a lot of storage space and bandwidth.
Large storage space allows you to put a lot of multimedia files, while a large (to unlimited) bandwidth will let your website load more quickly (this is a must for a site with multimedia!).
Best Web Hosting Providers for Photographers
Now that you know what to look for, here are the 5 best web hosting providers for photographers:
Let’s go through the pros and cons of each provider.
Bluehost
Quick facts:
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free 24/7 lifetime support
- 50 GB SSD storage (on the basic plan)
- Access to free and premium WordPress themes
- Plan auto-renews using the regular rate
Bluehost is the web hosting provider that is ideal for up-and-coming, seasoned photographers, and anyone in between.
It’s a popular choice for anyone because it’s affordable, reliable, and has a wide selection of WordPress themes.
And even if you don’t want to use WordPress, Bluehost has a browser-based site builder that you can use at your convenience.
Bluehost’s basic plan gives you 50GB of storage. This is already enough for a number of high-resolution photos and videos.
However, if you plan on adding more multimedia content, then you should consider their higher plan, Plus, for unlimited websites, SSD storage, and a free Microsoft Office 365 (for a month).
There are other plans that you can choose from at Bluehost and that’s another reason why people love it. But if you’re not sure if you should take the basic plan or the Plus plan, you can get a free consultation.
Follow these simple steps to create a website for photography:
Quick facts:
- 99.89% (August 2023) uptime
- Free domain for the first year
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free WordPress/cPanel site transfers
- Single-click WordPress installations
HostGator is a pretty popular contender to Bluehost.
This web hosting provider is known for its 99.89% (August 2023) uptime and unmetered bandwidth.
As a photographer, you want that unmetered bandwidth so you’re not charged for the extra storage and data used. However, keep in mind that HostGator has a strict Terms and Conditions policy in terms of storage used.
Nonetheless, you want to take advantage of that unmetered bandwidth. It’s perfect for your photos and videos!
Did I mention that they have built-in e-commerce tools? If you plan on selling your designs and photos in the future, then you should consider HostGator.
Their Hatchling plan (basic plan) is very affordable and they also offer a 45-day money-back guarantee if you’re not impressed with their services.
Quick facts:
- Free SSL certificate and domain
- 10 email addresses
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 customer support through live chat, ticketing, phone, and e-mail
InMotion is another impressive web hosting ideal for photographers.
At an affordable price, you get 2 websites that you can host, 50 GB SSD storage, and unlimited bandwidth.
If you’re looking to host more than 1 website, this is an ideal option to choose since it offers the most value for money.
On top of their basic features, InMotion’s most affordable plan also allows you to make 10 email addresses. You’re also given a free domain name and SSL certificate.
Honestly, if you’re not privy to paying extra for a second website and these features, then you’ll love InMotion.
Quick facts:
- Free one-click WordPress installation
- One-click installations for 150 free apps
- 100 GB SSD storage
- Unmetered bandwidth
- 24/7 network security
GoDaddy might not have a money-back guarantee, but they guarantee that you will have the best value for their plans.
GoDaddy’s basic plan consists of 100 GB storage, 10 databases, and free one-click installations for WordPress and 150 apps.
Since your priority is a lot of storage space, you’ll be able to maximize this provider’s services.
To add to that, you’re not charged for the extra bandwidth that you use. You’re not even charged based on bandwidth at all!
And if these things aren’t convincing, you might be sold when you know that you’re given a free Microsoft 365 email and a free domain in your first year.
Quick facts:
- 100% (August 2023) uptime
- 10 GB SSD storage (approximately 10,000 web visitors per month)
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free 24/7 customer support
- Frequent daily automatic backups
If there is one thing that you will remember about SiteGround, it’s their daily automatic backups.
Yep, their automatic backups ensure that your website’s information is secure and backed up. So even if there’s downtime (this rarely happens), you don’t have to worry about anything.
Of course, that’s not the only feature of SiteGround.
SiteGround has a full-service WordPress hosting ideal for photographers who want to use WordPress. This includes a free installation, migrator, and auto-updates.
I have to warn you, though. SiteGround’s basic plan is a little more expensive than the basic plans of its competitors.
And if you will notice, they only give 10 GB’s worth of space for their basic plan. So if your priority is to have more space than this, then you should consider looking at the other providers mentioned here.
Conclusion
Your ultimate goal in web hosting is to find a provider that can give you enough space for your photos and videos. After all, you want to be able to build a portfolio that you can show or close clients with.
With the web hosting providers mentioned here, you’ll be able to achieve that and so much more!