Your website host can impact the speed of your website, the features you can use, and the support you need when something goes wrong.
Our recommended host is a great fit for any small and medium size nonprofit website.
SiteGround WordPress Hosting for Nonprofits
SiteGround is a great fit for cost-conscious nonprofits. Nonprofit WP itself is hosted by SiteGround!
Among affordable hosts, SiteGround is consistently on the cutting edge of technology. SiteGround’s unique combination of cost, ease, and technology is unparalleled.
Get SiteGround Nonprofit Hosting
- New accounts automatically use HTTPS and PHP7, technologies that make your site faster, more secure, and search-friendly.
- GrowBig and GoGeek plans come with a custom “caching” feature to make websites faster. It just works.
- They provide good support and heavily invest in the WordPress community.
- The custom WordPress Toolkit and SG Optimizer plugin give you tools to quickly do complicated tasks like change the website address or turn on HTTPS for security.
Small and young nonprofits will be well-served by the StartUp plan while larger organizations should use the GrowBig or GoGeek plan. Buy longer-term plans to save money and lock-in your low rates.
WP Engine
For organizations with higher traffic or more complex websites—like those with a store or active online forum—WP Engine is a go-to hosting company.
WP Engine stands apart from cheaper WordPress-specific hosts because of its premium features. It offers custom caching, automatic daily backups, and excellent support along with these extras:
- User-triggered backups, and automated site restores are built right in and super easy to use.
- Fast servers exclusively used for WordPress and configured accordingly.
- Impressive “Staging Site” feature to make a copy of your site for testing and building new features. (SiteGround’s GoGeek plan also offers a staging feature.)
Free Hosting for Nonprofits
There are multiple companies that offer free or discounted hosting for nonprofit websites. While I have recommended these hosts in the past, I’ve had increasing performance issues with most of them in the past few years. Just about any organization can afford the affordable SiteGround hosting recommended above.
If you’re especially concerned about hosting costs and technical maintenance, consider using WordPress.com.
Domain Registration
Many web hosts offer domain registration with your account. Some even give you a free domain for a year, so choose your web host first before buying a domain.
If you do select a host that doesn’t offer domain registration, I recommend using a service that focuses on offering domain registrations.
Google Domains has a nice interface, integrates directly with Google Workspace (aka G Suite), and tends to offer the lowest rates for domains available.
Hover.com also does nothing but domain registrations and is similarly easier to use. For less common TLDs (like .vote, .theater, .education, etc.) you can get these at Hover but not Google.