Typically, when someone is looking for a hosting provider they are considering factors such as pricing, features, reliability, repuatin, and customer support. Although these factors are undeniably important, there is another aspect that many do not even think about, and that’s the environmental impact of a hosting provider. The fact is, web hosting is extremely energy-intensive which is harmful for our planet. To prevent computers in their data centres from overheating, hosting providers will manage temperatures by running huge cooling systems. These systems leave a massive carbon footprint and are the reason why hosting providers’ data centres currently account for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions (equivalent to the world’s airline industry!).
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint and implement sustainable practices in your business, then you should consider choosing an eco-friendly (green) hosting provider. A green hosting provider will make a conscious effort to protect the planet through carbon offsetting schemes, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and other practices that can lower their environmental impact. If you want to contribute towards saving our planet, then keep reading to find out the best green hosting providers in 2023!
The best green hosting providers quick guide
- GreenGeeks – Best overall choice
- Hostgator – Ideal for beginners
- A2 Hosting – Value option
What is green web hosting?
Green web hosting refers to hosting providers that take steps to be more eco-friendly and have less environmental impact. This can range from a number of practices such as carbon offsetting schemes, RECs, and recycling initiatives. Additionally, the most environmentally-friendly web hosts will also try to power their data centres with renewable energy to help combat climate change. Different hosting providers will use varying practices and some are much more committed to being ‘green’ than others, but they will all have the same goal of reducing their carbon footprint.
Despite making a conscious effort to be carbon neutral, green web hosts still provide all the same features that regular web hosts do. You can also still choose between shared, dedicated, VPS, and cloud hosting plans from various green web hosts. You may notice that green web hosts are generally more expensive, as it can cost more for providers to engage in sustainable practices. However, if you want to do your part in protecting the planet and fighting climate change whilst still hosting your own website, then we believe that choosing a green web host is definitely worth paying a bit extra.
Our top recommended best green hosting providers in 2023
The best green hosting providers will, most importantly, be using sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint. However, you’ll still understandably want a web host that provides fantastic uptime, top-notch security, and reliable customer support at a reasonable price, allowing your website to flourish whilst still having a reduced environmental impact. With this in mind, we’ve handpicked the top three best green hosting providers in 2023 based on their price, performance, and eco-friendliness. Let’s check them out –
- GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is dedicated to being the most eco-friendly and green web host around and has even been recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Green Power Partner since 2019. This web host has gone above and beyond to reduce its carbon footprint and help contribute positively to the world.
This web host works with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to calculate their year;y energy consumption and purchase RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) three times as much as they have consumed to put back into the grid. This form of carbon offsetting is highly admirable as it shows GreenGeeks is not just interested in reducing their carbon footprint, but are actively trying to make a positive impact. Aside from this, GreenGeeks also works with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every hosting account that they provision.
You’ll be pleased to discover that GreenGeeks is more than just a eco-conscious web host. Rather, they also provide feature-rich and affordable hosting plans along with unrivalled customer support. GreenGeeks has hosted over 600000 websites over the past 14 years and has built an incredible reputation for being reliable, secure, and most of all, environmentally-friendly.
With GreenGeeks, you can choose between WordPress, shared, VPS, dedicated, or reseller hosting. All accounts are backed up every single night whilst the provider’s services are monitored in real-time to quickly address issues and maintain a 99.9% uptime. There’s also a built-in website builder which includes hundreds of templates, mobile-friendly themes, and an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. When creating an account, users can choose between 5 data centres located in Amsterdam, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, and Phoenix.
GreenGeeks has a range of detailed tutorials to follow that can assist you with the setup and maintenance of your website. Additionally, this web host has a helpful knowledge base and provides 24/7 customer support for all users, so you’ll receive all the help you need when setting up and running your eco-friendly, green web hosting account.
Try out one of GreenGeek’s hosting plans now for free for 30-days with their money-back guarantee!
- Hostgator
Hostgator is a reliable web host that’s best suited to beginners who are new to the web hosting world as it offers cost-effective plans and plenty of flexibility. Not only this, Hostgator has made a conscious effort to be environmentally-friendly which is why it’s our runner-up green web hosting provider in 2023.
Hosting over 2 millions websites, Hostgator has certainly built up an impressive reputation over the years. To offset the carbon emissions that are produced by Hostgator’s servers, the provider has been purchasing RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) through 3Degrees. This web host aims to offset over 130% of its consumption to help reduce its digital footprint. As praiseworthy as this is, we hope to see Hostgator engage in other green interviews in the future such as tree planting and recycling.
Hostgator has shared, WordPress, dedicated, cloud, VPS, and reseller hosting plans available. New users will enjoy the one-click WordPress installation as well as Hostgator’s built-in website builder and logo making tool. This web host also has a range of security measures in place such as free automatic site minitorziation, free SSL certificates, and automatic malware removal.
If you need any assistance then you can contact Hostgator’s friendly 24/7 customer support team through phone, live chat, or email. You can also check out the informative knowledge base for guides, how-tos, and video tutorials. This web host even goes the extra mile by providing users with tips on how to optimise their website to be more sustainable and green.
Try out one of Hostgator’s hosting plans now for free for 45 days with their money-back guarantee!
- A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is another fantastic hosting provider that offers highly affordable plans whilst still making an effort to be eco-friendly and sustainable. This web host currently has a range of green initiatives to save up to 705 tons of CO2 and 9200000 (kWh) of energy every single year. If you want a green web host that still provides cost-effective plans, then A2 Hosting is best for you.
This web host started its journey towards being greener in 2007 when it formed a partnership with Carbonfund.org to help offset their server’s CO2 emissions and reduce their carbon footprint. A2 Hosting also resells and recycles retired hardware as internal servers as well as using SSDs (Solid State Disk Drives) and NVME which use less energy than traditional HDDs. Additionally, this web host’s employees work remotely to prevent CO2 emissions from commuting and slash their yearly energy consumption.
With A2 Hosting there are shared, VPS, WordPress, dedicated, and reseller hosting plans available. This web host has a 99.9% uptime guarantee, so no matter which plan you choose, you can expect minimal downtime and an overall high-performing website. A2 Hosting also provides free SSL, free email accounts, and unlimited email addresses. You can also make use of A2’s built-in site builder which provides tons of templates to help you effortlessly design a beautiful and functional website.
If you run into any obstacles then you can contact A2 Hosting’s knowledgeable customer support team who are available 24/7. Alternatively, you can check out their knowledge base which is full of guides, tutorials, and FAQs. You can even check out this article which fully explains how A2 Hosting is making an effort to protect the environment through green initiatives.
Try out one of A2 Hosting’s web hosting plans now for free for 30 days with their money-back guarantee!