Looking for the best web hosting in Singapore? Use this simple guide to help you find the right plan for your needs. Compare some of the most popular Singapore server hosting, and get tips on how to get the most bang for your buck.

What is the difference between web hosting and domain names?

To create a website, you need to get a domain name and web hosting. The domain is your website address, or what people type to find your website (ex: mapletreemedia.com).  However, you also need a place for all your files, assets and databases. That’s what web hosting services are for. You rent an Internet server that stores and manages the files you need to build your website.

Many companies offer both domain names and web hosting. However, it’s possible to buy them separately, or keep a domain and transfer to another web host.

singapore server hosting

What are the different kinds of web hosting in Singapore?

All web hosting services can give you storage. The difference lies in the size or capacity, speed and reliability, the tools you get, and the kind of technical knowledge you may need to use it. Here are some of the most common kinds of web hosting.

Shared hosting

Best for: simple, low traffic websites

You share a server and its resources (like RAM and CPU) with other websites. These are the most affordable web hosting packages, and often come with bonus features like built-in website builders and email capabilities.

Pros of shared web hosting

  • Low cost. This is the cheapest web hosting service, and you can even get special discounts or freebies.
  • Technical support. Your web hosting company typically resolves any server issues, so you don’t need an in-house IT team.
  • User-friendly. You don’t need to understand programming or have advanced computer skills to manage your website. In fact, some of the best web hosting Singapore packages include tools to help you create and upload your content. In one day, you can get a domain, buy server space, choose a design template, and then start adding posts.

Cons of shared web hosting

  • Poor security. Your website is  more vulnerable to hackers and malware
  • Unreliable speed. Since you share your server resources with other websites, you can experience sluggish loading speed during peak hours. If the servers are completely overloaded, your website may even freeze.
  • Limited customization. You can’t use software or tools that aren’t compatible with the ones used by your web host.
  • Limited storage. You can’t add a lot of images or videos, or have too many website pages

Because of these limitations, shared web hosting is only suitable for websites that have only a few pages and don’t get a lot of traffic. This includes personal blogs, a community website that is only read by group members, or a small home business.

Virtual private server (VPS) hosting

Best for: medium traffic websites

If you are building a website for your Singapore business, we recommend VPS hosting. While you still share a server, you have your own dedicated resources. You are guaranteed a fraction of the CPU, disk space, and bandwidth.

VPS hosting is considered the “middle ground” between a shared server and a dedicated server. It’s like the difference between a dormitory and an apartment. In dormitories (shared hosting) you have to compete for all communal facilities. In apartments (VPS hosting), your unit may still be small, but it has its own bathroom.

Pros of VPS hosting

Best for: large, commercial or high-traffic website

  • Reliability. Since you have guaranteed resources, there is less risk of being affected by a surge in server traffic.
  • Customization. VPS web hosting allows custom configurations, root access and installations. In this way, you get more value for your money because you’re able to get the features that you really need for your website.
  • Control. You can install applications or do a system restart without the risk of affecting other websites. In the same way, your website won’t be disrupted when your “server neighbors” perform similar tasks.
  • Scalability. You can upgrade your package when your website needs more resources.

Cons of VPS hosting

  • Higher cost. It is more expensive than shared hosting, and you may need to invest in additional tools for customization
  • Requires technical proficiency. You (or someone in your team) must be knowledgeable in website development and server management
  • Dedicated server hosting. You rent the entire server, and have complete control over how it is set up.

Dedicated Hosting

Pros of dedicated hosting

  • Performance. Among all the web hosting services, this gives the most storage and speed. Since the resources are guaranteed, you won’t experience any fluctuation too.
  • Security. It’s harder for hackers to penetrate, and your files and databases are separated from other users.
  • Customization. You have full root and administrative access, and can configure both the operating system and the hardware.
  • Customer support. This premium package often comes with 24/7 technical support. While you will still need a web development team to help set it up, it is easy to contact customer service if there are any issues.

Cons of Dedicated Hosting

  • Cost. While it’s the best web hosting, it’s also the most expensive. It is impractical for small businesses or start-ups, unless powerful and secure servers are central to their business.
  • Technical requirements. You will need an IT expert or a web development company to help set up and maintain your server. You also have to be careful of  configuration errors, which can make your site unstable or vulnerable.

best web hosting singapore

Best Web Hosting Singapore Packages

Looking for reliable Singapore server hosting? These were tested with server speed testers to see if they met Google’s recommended response time. We also looked at other fators, such as price, customer support and tools, and reviews.

Hostinger

This is one of the best web hosting in Singapore and around the world. It has 25 million users, and even has a data center right in Singapore. Site speed will never be a problem!

The Premium Shared plan is just $2.90 a month for a 48-month subscription, and $5.08 a month for a 12-month subscription. For this very affordable rate, you get unlimited site hosting, monthly data transfers, 20 GB of storage, and a free domain name. The Business Plans also includes a free SSL certificate and daily backups.

BlueHost

This always appears in Editor’s Picks of PCMag, TechRadar and other web insiders. Aside from speed and reliability, it offers 24/7 customer support, a free domain, and a basic website builder. The Business Plan gives unlimited domains, unmetered bandwidth, free dedicated IP, free positive SSL, and one-click installs. TechRadar said: “It’s a mix of user-friendly aspects alongside a good amount of power, and potential tweaking for more advanced users.”

Siteground

This is one of the best web hosting services in the business. For just $8 a month, you get 20 Gigabytes of storage, and allowed 20,000 visits a month. You can also host several websites within your plan limit.

But the biggest reason it’s one of the best web hosting for Singapore sites is the speed. Tests show that 56 millisecond response time – that’s really fast! Users also applaud its reliable customer service. They have a 24/7 hotline, and their tech support team resolves your issues without transferring you to different departments.

HostGator

This is one of the most popular web hosting companies. It is fast and reliable (it even has a 99.9% uptime guarantee!) and offers a wide range of hosting packages to choose from: WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. Even the most basic plans have unlimited bandwidth or disk space, subdomains, MySQL databases, FTP and email accounts. However, it doesn’t have Windows-based VPS hosting.

PCMag gave it 4.5 stars for its user-friendliness, reliability, and customer service. “It’s our top pick for shared web hosting and for novice webmasters in general!” It also applauded HostGator’s dedicated hosting packages: you get 1TB of SSD storage, 32GB of RAM, and unlimited monthly data transfers. It can also be used for both Windows and Linux.

Exabytes Singapore

Exabytes is one of the oldest and most well-established web hosting Singapore companies. It has a loyal clientele who have used it for their first business websites. It’s reliable, and they do take care of their customers. As for speed, they perform pretty decently at 74 milliseconds for Singapore, and 173.9 milliseconds worldwide.

However, Exabytes is more expensive. You pay $14.99 a month and get just 10 gigabytes of storage. SSD storage is only available for premium plans, and you’re only allowed to host one website.

A2 Hosting

While it’s not as fast as SiteGround, it has a good speed score of  173.2 milliseconds worldwide, and 71.3 milliseconds in Singapore. For $6.61 a month, you get unlimited SSD and bandwidth, A2 optimised WP, and free site migration. It’s also comaptible with WordPress, Joomla, Magento and many more.

GoDaddy

Techradar says that this one of the best web hosting for Singapore business websites. Not only does it have the world’s biggest domain name registrar, but it offers stable web hosting at affordable rates, free backup and restore, an uptime guarantee of 99.9%, and unlimited storage and bandwidth.

GoDaddy can also increase your hosting capacity on-demand. That’s very useful if you get seasonal surges in traffic. For example, ecommerce sites will get more visits during sale season or holidays.

Vodien

This is a superstar among web hosting Singapore options!  Customer reviews give it 4.6 stars. It’s actually the #1 hosting provider and domain registrar in Singapore, and is used by 1.5 million individuals and businesses. Features include free set-up and transfer, automatic back-up, WordPress themes and plug-ins, and email hosting.  It also offers one-click installation of Shopify, Magento, and CMS (content management systems) like WordPress and Joomla

This is one of the best web hosting Singapore options for medium to large websites. The entry-level plan provides 5GB of disk space, 10 email accounts, unlimited data transfer, and 99.9% network and hardware SLA times. You can have up to 5 websites and 100,000 monthly visits.

However, it is very expensive (sometimes double the price of competitor packages) and you will need to buy your domain name and your SSL certificates separately.