When choosing the best web hosting provider for your company, you will naturally consider features, price, speed, and other factors. However, users don’t often think about the ‘environmental impact.’ It’s worth thinking about. We’ll be revealing the top green web hosting companies in this roundup.
Continue reading for more information.
The Background
As you might be conscious of your carbon footprint when choosing a web hosting provider, it is important to do so.
A single webpage generates about 20mg of carbon dioxide per second. The Web Neutral Project estimates that 10% of the world’s electricity consumption is due to the internet. If the internet was a country, it would rank 6th in global electricity consumption, after Russia, China, India and the US. The internet also produces 2 percent more global CO2 than the aviation industry.
These statistics are quite shocking.
How can the internet cause CO2 emissions? It happens every time you visit a website/app or stream data. The information is transferred across the internet from the website/app to your device. This is done using energy from fossil fuels.
This is where green web hosting comes in to play.
They offset some of their energy consumption to try and address this problem. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are completely carbon-neutral. However, green web hosting platforms will not contribute as much CO2 to the atmosphere as traditional providers.
GreenGeeks
Who’s GreenGeeks? What are their green credentials?
GreenGeeks was established in California 12 years back and boasts impressive statistics:
More than 40,000 customers
Hosting over 500,000 websites
615 000 kWh/year replacement
Four data centers are located in Chicago, Phoenix and Montreal. Each data centre has climate control, raised floors, 24/7 security, fire suppression systems, generators, UPS, and generators. The latest Intel processors are used for network routing and switching.
The GreenGeeks promises the following:
“Your GreenGeeks account will have an impact on the environment by replacing three times as much energy with wind power credits than your website.”
The platform uses 300% renewable energy. It is a Power Partner of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). GreenGeeks purchase wind energy credits to offset the three times energy their data centers consume from the power grid.
GreenGeeks webmasters may publish a certificate to show their commitment to green energy.
GreenGeeks offers:
All users receive a domain name and a website migration free of charge. They also have the option to create new websites using their drag-and-drop editor.
GreenGeeks provides powerful shared hosting. Customers will “experience exhilarating speeds” because their web files and database are kept on the most recent drives.
Customers receive LiteSpeed, MariaDB, and Powercacher to speed up page loading. Powercacher is their in-house caching technology that speeds up your apps’ load times. Cloudflare will provide content delivery networks and HTTP3/QUIC for fast page loads.
It is also important to note that PHP7 was adopted by GreenGeeks as well.
There are four different web hosting packages available:
WebHosting
Reseller Hosting
WordPress Hosting
Hosting via Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Each has different features, and therefore different pricing plans. We’ll be focusing on GreenGeeks web hosting.
GreenGeeks Web Hosting Prices
GreenGeeks is currently on sale. We’ve listed both the regular and promotional prices below.
Lite
From $9.95/mo to $2.95/mo This includes:
One website
A 1-click app installer
Unlimited web space
Transfer unlimited data
Free domain name registration for the first year
Wildcard SSL for free
Performance standard
Included PowerCacher
Pro
Prices starting at $5.95/mo. All the above and 2x performance are included.
Premium
Prices starting at $11.95/mo, with a $24.95/mo discount All the above plus:
Wildcard SSL – Free Premium
Get a dedicated IP for free
4X Performance
GreenGeeks Security
GreenGeeks divides its security into five areas.
Hosting account isolation: Accounts are protected by a virtual filesystem that ensures no one user can have an impact on another user regardless of site traffic or resource requirements.
Real-time security scanner: It detects malware in real time and isolates it to prevent its spread.
Linux Secure VFS: Each user has their own virtual file system that protects against malware and malicious activity.
Automated administrators monitor all web servers in real time, ensuring that they are up to 100% of the time.
Advanced clustered threat analysis by GreenGeek: GreenGeek employs its own software and third-party software in order to identify potentially dangerous attacks within its network.
GreenGeek Uptime
GreenGeeks Terms and Conditions at the time of writing are:
GreenGeeks…offers 99.9% uptime assurance. This guarantee is only valid for the GreenGeeks servers, and not our primary colocation internet connection.
SiteGround
Who’s SiteGround? What are their green credentials?
SiteGround hosts over 2m domains and offers a high level of customer satisfaction.
They were founded in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital. SiteGround offers data servers around the globe: USA (Iowa, Alexandria), Australia (Sydney), Germany [Frankfurt], Bulgaria (Sofia], Eemshaven (“Netherlands”), UK (London), and Spain (Madrid).
SiteGround offers the following options:
Web hosting
WordPress Hosting
WooCommerce Hosting
Cloud hosting
Google Cloud has powered its platform since January 2020. SiteGround is a Google Partner and has green credentials due to Google Cloud’s ecofriendly efforts. Google also matches 100% of its energy with renewable energy.
SiteGround is not a green web host platform, even though Google Cloud has committed to being carbon neutral.
SiteGround offers
SiteGround offers the following:
Web design
SiteGround supports team can help you with site migration/transfer
All plans include WordPress installation
Simple site management with content management systems such as Joomla, WordPress, and Magento
Domain management
A reliable email service
SiteGround Pricing
There are three pricing options for web hosting, and they are currently discounted
StartUp
StartUp is a program that targets newbies and small-business owners. It costs $2.95/mo, which is a significant reduction from the usual $11.5/mo.
You’ll find:
One website
10GB web space
Maximum 10,000 visits per month
Traffic that is not accounted for
Free WP installation
Free WP migration
WordPress auto-updates
Free SSL
Daily backups with 30 copies of your account saved
To speed up loading times, we offer a free content delivery network
Emails are free
WP-CLI & SSH
Unlimited databases
100% Renewable energy match through their primary partner, Google Cloud
A 30-days money-back guarantee
GrowBig
This plan is for you if you are looking to increase your traffic. You get all the features of the StartUp plan for $5.95/mo, which is a significant discount from the $19.95/mo price.
Unlimitted websites
20GB of web space
Maximum of 25,000 visits per month
Backup copies on-demand of your website
Speed-boosting caching
You can make a replica of your site live to test new code or designs before it goes live.
To help you build and maintain your website, you can add collaborators using their logins
GoGeek
GoGeek is ideal for large organizations and businesses that attract a lot of traffic. This plan is available at a reduced $11.95/mo (down to $34.95/mo).
The GrowBig plan includes everything, plus:
40GB Website Space
100,000 monthly visitors
Integration with Git to create repositories for your website that can be accessed later, downloaded, and edited on local branches
White labeling: Your clients can be registered as users in your account without SiteGround branding
Access to the top tier of resources – access to more server resources, including simultaneous connections and processing
Support for priority customers
SiteGround Security
SiteGround customers receive a free SSL certificate and website updates are automatically performed. An AI-powered antibot system is also available. This system blocks millions of security threats each day. Each account is backed up every day and at least 30 copies are kept. You can quickly restore your account if there is a security problem.
SiteGround Uptime
SiteGround’s latest stats indicate that SiteGround has a 99.9% uptime and 673ms of speed at the time of writing. Logging in to SiteGround will allow you to view the latest stats and other information about uptime.
DreamHost
Who’s DreamHost? What are their green credentials?
DreamHost, an independent web host company that has been in existence for over two decades, is privately owned and operated. DreamHost hosts more than 1.5 million websites. It has high approval ratings among its users. PCMag rates it a remarkable four-star rating out of five.
DreamHost’s “Green Hosting” service claims it is:
“Making conscious efforts to reduce our environmental impact with optimized facilities and policies that respect natural resources as the heart of what we do.”
This means that their offices are Energy Certified and use LED and low mercury lighting. They also have balanced HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) plants and advanced lighting controls with occupancy sensor.
DreamHost’s data center have extremely efficient cooling systems; energy efficiency processors can be used whenever possible and are powered by grids that receive their electricity from renewable sources. DreamHost partners with state-level programs for wind power.
DreamHost offers the following:
DreamHost also offers other hosting options:
Hosting for WordPress and WooCommerce
Hosting shared websites
VPS Hosting
Managed WordPress Hosting
Hosting on dedicated VPS servers
Cloud hosting
The most popular option for hosting is the shared hosting. That’s why we’ll be looking at it here. DreamHost’s shared hosting offers 100% support, 24/7 customer service, 1-click installation, a custom cpanel and lightning fast load times.
DreamHost Pricing
DreamHost offers two shared hosting plans. Prices are reduced for certain periods but prices return to their full price after the period.
Shared Starter
This is a discount of $4.95/mo in the first three months, and $6.99/mo monthly if you pay monthly. You pay $3.95/month if you sign up for a full year. You pay $2.59/mo if you sign up for 3 years.
This is what you get:
One website
Free domain name
Unlimited traffic
Pre-installed WordPress
Automated WordPress migrations available for free
Access to the WP website builder
SSD storage with lightning fast speeds
Free SSL Certificate
Add email to your account for as little as $1.67 per month
Shared Unlimited
Multiple websites or anyone who needs email hosting with their domain. The plan is $10.95/mo for three months (if you pay monthly), and $11.99/mo thereafter. You pay $4.95/mo for the first year and $9.95/mo thereafter. You pay $4.95/mo for three years and $7.95/mo after the third year.
Shared Unlimited includes all of the benefits offered by the Shared Starter Plan, plus:
Unlimited storage
Unlimited email using your domain
DreamHost Security
DreamHost’s WAF and a free SSL certificate keep malware away. Multi-factor authentication, Let’s Encrypt secure hosting, and DreamHost’s WAF keep malware at bay.
DreamHost Uptime
Dreamhost promises a 100 percent uptime. DreamHost’s system status page indicated that the site was operational at the time of writing. There was however a partial disruption to email service in May and some network disturbances. This page will also show you when DreamHost is scheduled maintenance. It’s worth looking at if DreamHost customers!
iPage
Who’s iPage? What are their green credentials?
The most important thing iPage emphasizes on its homepage is its prices (see below), plus all the additional features that each plan offers.
First, who is iPage?
Founded in 1998, iPage claims that their technology powers more than 1 million websites with “two data centers” in Boston, MA.
iPage is unapologetically clear about its mission to support small businesses. This is why their prices are so reasonable.
Google searches quickly bring up several reviews that iPage is an EPA Power Green Power Partner. We looked hard enough to find no mention of its green credentials on its website. We checked the EPA’s extensive list of Green Power Partners and found iPage not there.
Here’s an example of what an old 2014/5 iPage Blog says:
“iPage buys enough RECs [Renewable Energy Certificates]” to cover twice the amount of energy it uses. Customers who have their website hosted with iPage will be able to display a badge certifying that their site is eco-friendly.
This blog post is the only information we found on iPage about its green credentials. They haven’t said much about their green initiatives since then.
What iPage offers
All customers get:
Free domain name
Unlimited email accounts
Unlimited bandwidth
Unmetered disk space
Guaranteed refund within 30 days
Backups are important
Drag and drop website editor/builder
Support available 24/7
Google Ads worth $100
SiteLock offers free security scans
$100 Bing Ad Credits
WordPress tools for free
Unlimited domains can be hosted
Get 1000+ website templates
Site analytics
Installer in a Click
Free SSL Certificate
Email addresses are free
iPage Pricing
iPage offers a single-size-fits all plan. However, prices will vary depending on how long you sign-up. This is not immediately obvious unless you go through choosing a domain. Then, you’re offered the option of signing up for either.
1 year: $2.99/mo, down from $9.99/mo
Two-year contract starting at $2.49/mo, down from $8.99/mo
Three-year contract starting at $1.99/mo, down from $7.99/mo
After your term ends, your renewal price rises to the regular rate. If you register a domain with iPage, but then migrate to another web hosting platform, you will have to pay a $15 fee in order to retain your domain name.
There are two options available for anyone looking to create a WordPress website:
WP Starter
The cost starts at $3.75/mo, with a discount of $7.49/mo. When you renew, the price you pay is not discounted.
WP Essential
You’ll pay $6.95/mo, which is a discount of $10.49/mo. When you renew, the price you paid will be charged.
iPage Security
SiteLock scans your website for malware and ensures that there are no security holes. iPage also provides free daily backups for your websites.
iPage uptime
At the time this article was written, iPage’s average uptime over the past 24 months is around 99.96%, with typical load times at 746ms.
Greenhost
Who’s Greenhost? What are their green credentials?
Greenhost, as its name implies, offers sustainable and green web hosting for small businesses or organizations who need a virtual private server.
Their cluster is powered by Dutch-produced wind farm energy. They have been in business for over 15 years. Greenhost employs only local people and provides organic, vegetarian and vegan food for their employees.
GreenHost offers additional green guarantees:
SSD hard drives are used to build their primary storage systems (which consume less energy).
They use centralized storage to make it easier to manage hardware.
They have flexible server capacities that allow them to adapt to customer demand so servers don’t run in excess.
DNSSEC for almost all domains (Domain Name System Security Extensions).
Two-factor authentication
They can be reached via GPG encrypted email
GlobaLeaks software is used to create amazing platforms for whistle-blowing
GreenHost Uptime
Mail, Hosting, VPS, and Hosting were all up and running at the time of writing, as they had been for the past ten consecutive days without any incidents.
A2 Hosting
Who’s A2 Hosting? What are their green credentials?
Since 2007, A2 has been a partner with an energy offset company. A2 doesn’t brag about their green credentials, but we can tell that A2’s headquarters has been in Ann Arbor since 2003. This is also known as “Tree Town” because it boasts 150 parks and 50,000 trees. A2 Hosting launched the FutureServe Green Hosting Company initiative to preserve the environment for future generations.
A2 Hosting is also a Carbonfund.org partner. It is a partner with Carbonfund.org and supports its reforestation efforts and campaigning for clean and sustainable energy sources. It encourages staff to use green practices and recycle old hardware.
What are the A2 Hosting Deals?
A2 Hosting, like many other green web hosting providers, offers four options. Each hosting option comes with its own pricing plan and features.
Web hosting shared
Reseller Hosting
VPS Hosting
Dedicated Server
This is where we are focusing on shared web hosting.
A2 Hosting Pricing
There are four pricing options for shared hosting. These plans are often discounted but renewals will be charged at full price
StartUp
You’ll receive:
One website
100 GB Storage
Five databases
Transfer unlimited
7GB of memory
Speed boost for your motor vehicle at no cost
SSL Free
Perpetual security
Anytime money-back guarantee
Support available 24/7/365
99.9% uptime guarantee
Migration is free
Cloudflare is free
Additional $4/mo for a dedicated IP address
Drive
All StartUp features and pricing are available for $4.99/mo, down from $11.99/mo
Unlimited storage, databases, and transfer
1 GB of memory
Server rewind backups
Turbo Boost
You get all StartUp and Drive features for $9.99/mo, down from $19.99/mo
2GB of memory
Turbo servers
HTTP/2
A2 optimized site accelerator, preconfigured site caching
Turbo Max
You get all the above and 4GB of memory for $14.99 per month.
A2 Hosting Security
A2 Hosting offers two-factor authentication in addition to:
Virus scanner
Dual firewall
Packman enhanced security tool detects malware and infected files
A2 Hosting offers security protection that is proactive against malicious hackers and security threats through server hardening, 24/7/365 security monitoring, automatic and daily updates, DDoS (Denial-of-Service) protection, and enhanced DDoS (Denials of Service).
A2 Uptime
A2 claims it will guarantee 99.9% uptime. However, 100% uptime was reported as of the writing date.
Conclusion
This is our guide to green web hosting. GreenGeeks is our favorite. Why? It offers a competitive pricing and an average uptime 99.98%. Furthermore, it offsets its carbon emissions by 300%. Its price is also very affordable. It’s quick, secure, has high-performing features, and comes with a 30-day guarantee of your money back.
This is what I love most about it. !
What green web hosting company will you choose? We’d love to know what green web hosting service you choose in the comments section below.
