Creating a website will require you to have a web host. While there are a lot of local options, most of them give unsatisfactory services, speeds, and pricing.
What’s worse is that there are providers whose uptime rates are so low you will always experience downtimes.
And we both know that this is a big no-no, regardless of what you’re website is for.
But don’t worry, there are lots of international web hosting providers that you can choose from.
Here, I’m going to be talking about the best 5 web hosting providers available in Nigeria. This way, you can trust that your website is in good hands.
Let’s get started.
What to Look For in the Best Web Hosting in Nigeria
Before I get to the web hosting providers, it’s first important to know what you should look for. Here are 5 features that your provider MUST offer:
- Affordability
- Security
- Ease of use
- Customer support
- Uptime
Affordability
Whether you have a lot of money to spend or not, an affordable provider is always best.
You don’t want to be spending a lot for a provider that offers the same features as an affordable one.
Thankfully, some of the best web hosts are not that expensive. Or if they are, they come with exceptional features.
Security
Ever heard of SSL certificates? These certificates guarantee that all information on your website is encrypted.
In other words, SSL certificates guarantee a certain level of protection. Of course, you don’t want any privacy or data issues to spring up and ruin your website.
Ease of Use
Working on your website is going to take time, so it makes sense that you don’t waste any of your precious time figuring out your web host.
Look for a provider with a dashboard that can easily be understood and used. If you can set it up fast enough with a simple drag-and-drop option, then that makes everything better!
Customer Support
Nobody wants to experience technical problems with their site. But if you do, I’m sure you don’t want to wait for someone to solve your site issues.
That’s where a 24/7 customer support feature becomes handy. Regardless of the time, someone is bound to answer your queries and help resolve technical issues ASAP.
Uptime
When I say uptime, I’m talking about the rate your website is operational and accessible to people on the World Wide Web.
If you want your site always available to people, you should get a web host provider that has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
The 5 Best Web Hosting Providers in Nigeria
In a hurry?
Here’s an easy-to-read chart that will help you compare the 5 best web hosting providers in Nigeria:
STARTING RATE | MAX STORAGE SPACE | DOMAIN | SSL CERTIFICATE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$2.95/month | 50 GB | Free 1 year | Free | |
$1.39/month | 30 GB | Available on Premium and Business Plans | Free | |
$6.99/month | 10 GB | With extra fee | Free | |
$2.99/month | 100 GB | Free 1 year | Free | |
$2.59/month | 50 GB | Free 3 months | Free |
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Quick facts:
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free domain for a year
- Free CDN for faster site speed
- 50 GB SSD Storage (basic package)
- One-click install for WordPress
When it comes to features, Bluehost outshines all the other web host providers out there.
This web hosting provider is known to be the best choice for beginners who want to maximize what they pay to their provider.
Bluehost’s basic package starts at $2.95.
You shouldn’t belittle this package because this comes with features such as free CDN, SSL certificate, domain for a year, and a rate of 99.93% (August 2023) uptime (that’s the actual rate).
So when it comes to reliability and features, this web hosting provider is better than its competitors.
As for their customer service, Bluehost has a 24/7 dedicated customer team that you can reach through call, email, and chat support.
Creating a website with BlueHost is a breeze. Check out this step-by-step guide on how to accomplish it:
Quick facts:
- Free SSL
- 99.98% (August 2023) uptime
- LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress
- 30 GB SSD Storage
- 1 email account and 1 website
Of all web hosting providers listed here, Hostinger is the most affordable plan when it comes to basic shared hosting.
And yes, their rates are affordable even on a monthly basis.
To give you an idea, Hostinger’s Single Shared Hosting plan starts at $1.39. This already includes 30 GB’s worth of storage, an SSL certificate, and one email and website.
However, this single plan doesn’t include a free domain. If you want a domain, you will have to subscribe to either a premium or business plan.
And the problem with those plans is that they’re much more expensive compared to what’s stated above.
Nonetheless, Hostinger is a really good choice for anyone who already has a domain and is looking for affordable monthly subscriptions for web hosting.
Quick facts:
- 100% (August 2023) uptime
- Free SSL certificate
- Free CDN
- Unlimited databases
- Unmetered traffic
SiteGround may not be the most affordable web host on this list, but they’re definitely one of the most reliable in terms of uptime.
Boasting an uptime of 100% (August 2023), this web hosting provider is a great choice for anyone who doesn’t want to have downtimes on their site.
To add to that, SiteGround gives both SSL certificates and CDN as freebies on all of their packages.
But the problem with this web host is that they don’t have any data centers near Nigeria. This means that your site’s loading speed won’t be that fast because it’s far from its nearest server.
Moreover, SiteGround has expensive packages. Even their startup plan is more expensive than the premium packages of some of its competitors.
Quick facts:
- Free SSL
- Free and unlimited site transfers
- 100 GB SSD storage
- Free website builder
- Your choice of data center location
Another well-rated web hosting service is A2 Hosting.
A2 Hosting is known for its large storage space and a good number of freebies on their plans. That includes a domain, SSL, CDN, and site transfers.
A2 Hosting’s storage plans are impressive. Their startup plan already gives you 100 GB of SSD storage. This is big even for medium-sized websites.
What’s even more impressive is the provider’s unlimited site transfers. These come for free, too. So if you came from a different web host, you don’t need to pay extra to transfer to A2 Hosting.
What I don’t like about A2 Hosting is their price. If you want an affordable package, you have to take a 3-year subscription.
3 years might be too long for you. And in that time, you might find a better web host.
So make sure you think about that before you subscribe to A2 Hosting.
Quick facts:
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Unmetered traffic
- 50 GB storage
- Free domain for 3 months
- Free SSL certificate
- Automatic daily backups
DreamHost makes it to this list thanks to its affordable plans, large storage, and daily backups.
Yep, you read that right.
DreamHost has automatic daily backups that ensure your files and data are saved in case of emergencies and server problems.
But other than their commitment to having backups of your site, they also have free domain privacy and an SSL certificate to match.
Did I also mention that DreamHost has a 97-day money-back guarantee?
This is the longest money-back guarantee I’ve encountered and that’s another reason to love this web host provider.
Web Hosting in Nigeria FAQs
Got some questions on web hosting?
Here are some commonly asked questions that might help you out.
What type of web hosting should you get?
If you don’t expect a lot of traffic on your site (or you won’t be posting a lot of multimedia), then you can start with a shared hosting plan.
A shared hosting plan is a lot more affordable and less complex, which is great for beginners.
However, if your site has a lot of visitors every month, then you might have to consider moving to a VPS or dedicated hosting plan.
How much does web hosting cost?
In general, a shared hosting plan can range from ₦500 to ₦2500 a month.
However, there are a lot of factors that affect your monthly fees, like the length of time your subscribing.
Most web hosts have higher discounts when you subscribe to them on an annual or 2-year basis.
Conclusion
When it comes to web hosting, you must find the right web host that is affordable and has your needed features.
And while I’m all for supporting our local web hosts, international hosts offer more competitive pricing and superb service and customer support.