If you are a photographer, one of the main necessities you need to have is a web hosting service. You procured a domain name and considered proper keyword density of the domain. It is important but your hosting service is just as important as those two factors. Your content needs to be accessible for everyone who wants to view it. Your website should be rich in search engines so that potential customers can find your site easily. A good web hosting company will allow you to maintain your digital products such as images, photos or videos without having to worry about space or storage restrictions .
Best Web Hosting Service For Photographers
Our full photography website hosting comparison
Choosing a web host can feel stressful – after all, hosting is what determines factors like the storage space and speed of your website. That’s why we’ve conducted extensive research into the best photography website hosting providers, paying special attention to factors like storage, backups, and pricing – all of which help determine the success of a photography website.
In this ranking, we discuss how each provider’s shared and VPS plans perform in terms of photography hosting. Many of the providers mentioned here also offer cloud and/or dedicated hosting, which are two different but equally scalable hosting types. We’ve decided to focus on shared and VPS hosting, though, because these types are ideal for most small to midsize photography websites.
Best hosting for photographers
Bluehost – best all around provider for photography websites.
HostGator – best for storage space.
InMotion – best for value for money.
A2 Hosting – best for those looking to sell online.
SiteGround – best for reliability.
DreamHost – best for back ups and recovery.
Hostinger – best for offering cheap hosting.
GoDaddy Hosting – best for extra features.
Without further ado, here’s a closer look at each provider.
1
Bluehost
2
HostGator
3
InMotion
4
A2 Hosting
5
SiteGround
6
DreamHost
7
Hostinger
8
GoDaddy Hosting
9
Best Photographer Website Hosting: Summary
10
Best Photographer Website Hosting: FAQs
1 Bluehost
Best all-around provider for photography websites.
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.95 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes: 30 days
Uptime: 99.98%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Yes
Disk space: 50GB – Unlimited
bluehost homepage view
Bluehost is the best overall photography hosting provider because it delivers on all of the important fronts: Bluehost’s uptime, customer support, and value for money are all excellent. It’s also the number one recommended hosting provider by WordPress, so if your site is (or will be) built on WordPress, Bluehost is as good as it gets. Take a look at how it performed in our research:
bluehost logo
Best overall photography hosting provider
4.7out of 5
TOP CHOICE
Types of Hosting
4 out of 5 stars
Hosting Features
5 out of 5 stars
Disk Space
4 out of 5 stars
Uptime
4 out of 5 stars
Help and Support
5 out of 5 stars
Value For Money
4.65 out of 5 stars
Read Review
Plans and Pricing
Shared hosting
VPS hosting
Help and Support
Bluehost scores a perfect 5 out of 5 in our research for help and support, due in large part to its 24/7 phone and live chat support. Having 24/7 help and support is one thing – whether it’s any good is another. When we tested out Bluehost’s live chat ourselves, we found that the support team asked helpful follow-up questions and seemed genuinely invested in the conversation.
bluehost hosting
Is Bluehost the best choice for your photography site?
Bluehost is the best overall photography host, and came top in our research. But will it wow you?
Find out more
Interested in Bluehost? Learn more about this affordable, feature-rich provider from our Bluehost Review
If you want more detail on Bluehost’s price plans, check out our in-depth Bluehost Pricing Review
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2 HostGator
Best for storage space.
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.75 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes: 45 days
Uptime: 99.99%
Free backups? No
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? No
Disk space: Unlimited
hostgator homepage view
While not as well-rounded as Bluehost, HostGator excels in a lot of areas. HostGator’s storage capacities in particular earn it a strong second place for photography website hosting. As the owner or soon-to-be owner of a photography website, you’ll want a provider that can handle a large volume of high-quality images. HostGator is up to the task, and you can see how it fares in other areas below:
HostGator hosting
Best for storage space
4.6out of 5
Types of Hosting
4.2 out of 5 stars
Hosting Features
4.25 out of 5 stars
Disk Space
0 out of 5 stars
Uptime
4.5 out of 5 stars
Help and Support
5 out of 5 stars
Value For Money
0 out of 5 stars
Read Review
Plans and Pricing
Shared hosting
VPS hosting
Help and Support
HostGator offers 24/7 live chat and phone support, but we were most impressed by its extensive Knowledge Base.
hostgator knowledge base screenshot
HostGator’s searchable Knowledge Base gives you instant access to tons of helpful information, on every topic from website security to Windows hosting.
HostGator hosting
Does HostGator sound like your perfect fit?
HostGator’s storage space and customer support make it a strong contender for any site – but does it make the cut for yours?
Find out more
Find a full breakdown of HostGator’s features and services in our HostGator Review
If you want to know more about your pricing options, check out our in-depth HostGator Pricing Review
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3 InMotion
Best value for money.
Key Features
Starting Price: $2.49 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes: 90 days
Uptime: 99.97%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? Yes
Disk space: Unlimited
inmotion homepage screenshot
InMotion’s shared and hosting prices are competitively low, and it still manages to score a perfect 5/5 for features, so you won’t be sacrificing any quality here! Its 90-day money-back guarantee is also a lot longer than the industry standard of one month. Check out our quick summary of InMotion below:
InMotion hosting
Best for value for money
4.4out of 5
Types of Hosting
4 out of 5 stars
Hosting Features
5 out of 5 stars
Disk Space
5 out of 5 stars
Uptime
3.5 out of 5 stars
Help and Support
5 out of 5 stars
Value For Money
4.45 out of 5 stars
Read Review
Plans and Pricing
Shared hosting
VPS hosting
Help and Support
Like Bluehost and HostGator, InMotion offers 24/7 phone and live chat support, so you won’t have to worry about being left in the dark if your site ever has an issue.
inmotion support page
In addition, InMotion’s Support Center provides tons of helpful articles, all written by InMotion employees, so you can access in-depth information on your own terms.
InMotion hosting
Do You Want Great Value For Money?
InMotion could be just what you’re looking for! Take a closer look to see if it’s right for you.
Find out more
Weigh up this provider’s strengths and weaknesses with our InMotion Hosting Review
Check out the 41 best free photography website templates
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4 A2 Hosting
Best for those looking to sell online.
Key Features
Starting Price: $3.92 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes: anytime
Uptime: 99.95%
Free backups? Yes – on certain plans
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? No
Disk space: Unlimited
a2 hosting homepage view
A2 Hosting’s robust security measures make it the perfect option if you’re looking to sell your photos online, because customers will feel safe sharing their payment information on your site. In addition to the standard free SSL certificate, A2 also has an in-house Perpetual Security initiative, which includes free HackScan protection, server hardening, and and reinforced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack protection.
You can see how A2 Hosting performs in other areas below:
A2 hosting
Best for those looking to sell online
4.3out of 5
Types of Hosting
5 out of 5 stars
Hosting Features
4.25 out of 5 stars
Disk Space
5 out of 5 stars
Uptime
2.5 out of 5 stars
Help and Support
5 out of 5 stars
Value For Money
4.35 out of 5 stars
Read Review
Plans and Pricing
Shared hosting
VPS hosting
Help and Support
The Guru Crew, as A2 Hosting’s customer support team like to be called, are available 24/7 via phone and live chat. A2 also offers a searchable knowledge base and email tickets, so you’ll have plenty of options for help and support.
A2 hosting
Are you sold on A2 Hosting?
If you’re looking to sell your photography online, then it doesn’t get better than this provider.
Find out more
If you’re wondering about A2’s pros and cons, learn more with our A2 Hosting Review
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5 SiteGround
Best for reliability.
Key Features
Starting Price: $6.99 per month
Money-back Guarantee? Yes: 30 days
Uptime: 99.98%
Free backups? Yes
One-click WordPress install? Yes
Free domain? No
Disk space: 10GB – 30GB
siteground homepage view
SiteGround is great for photography website hosting because it’s reliable and easy to use. Free, automatic daily backups and automatic WordPress updates are just a few of the many ways in which SiteGround has your back. That being said, this provider isn’t the most scalable out there. If you’re looking to host a large site or need a lot of storage, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
best cms for photographers
Photography websites are all about the pictures. If you are creating a website for your photography business, you need a CMS or Website Builder that lets you make huge galleries and amp up your graphics potential. Your CMS should make it incredibly easy to upload photos and prominently display them. We’ve done a roundup of the best photography website builders and listed them for you. If you’re a hobby photographer or know a photographer who is wanting to break into the business, a killer website is the way to start so read on.
Website Builders for Photography Websites
Format
Every photographer needs a portfolio. Format is focused on delivering high-quality photography portfolios. These are portfolios that go way beyond the average, allowing for endless customization and more options than you could possibly exhaust in a lifetime of photography. Many of the themes are dynamic, and all of them feature vivid photo prominence. The editor side of Format is a blissfully easy drag-and-drop experience. For its pro-level service, the prices aren’t too bad, either ($6.99 – 24.99/mo).
Note: You can get 10% off your annual subscription by using the code CMSCRITIC
Pixpa
Our top choice for photographers is Pixpa – an online platform that lets you easily create and manage your professional portfolio website, client galleries, e-commerce store and blog – all in one place. Pixpa’s all-in-one platform requires no coding knowledge and saves time and money for photographers by enabling them to manage their complete online presence through one platform.
Whether it’s a portfolio website, an e-commerce store or a blog, it’s easy to build a professional website on Pixpa using its beautiful, customizable themes that help you get off to a fast start. Pixpa includes all the features you need to showcase, share and sell online with ease and style. You can get started for free and then choose from their affordable pricing plans that start at just $5/month.
Zenfolio
Your complete portfolio and online client proofing website is ready as soon as you open an account. There is no coding necessary to create a beautiful website with plenty of design options and customizations in just a few clicks. Impress your friends and clients with your gorgeous, professional website. The homepage is the first page your viewers see, so make it unforgettable with professionally designed layouts. Include a navigation menu, welcome message, your logo, photo thumbnails or music to make your website personal. Everything is customizable, so you can create a website just as unique as your photography.
Weebly
Weebly is a great option if you are looking for a way to showcase your work. Check out our if you want to learn more about it. Not only does it let you design beautiful sites with no code required, it’s easy to use and elegant. We think it’s a great option and highly recommend you check it out. Here is an example of a beautiful photography website built on Weebly:
WordPress
WordPress, the world’s most widely-used CMS, is also a top choice for photographers. It’s easy to build an impressive photography site that requires just a bit of web savvy. Right out of the box, it’s easy to add galleries into a WordPress site, but it works best when paired with plugins and the right template. As far as photo plugins go, you might have a hard time paring down the list of thousands to one that works for you.
If you choose to go with WordPress or something similar and need a great web host, I recommend GoDaddy whom I’ve personally used for projects such as this. They offer great support at an affordable price. Click here to sign up
We suggest that you check out the following plugins and/or themes:
- Envato sells hundreds of beautiful photography themes for WordPress: Check them out.
- NextGEN Gallery (plugin)
- Photocrati (theme)
- Enigma (theme)
PhotoShelter
Another photo-specific CMS is PhotoShelter, a wildly popular website creator. It has a cult following of photographers, with good reason. There are ten templates with layout options for each template. Each template delivers a stunning photo-centric appearance. Some of the icing on the PhotoShelter cake is unique features like automatic fulfillment from printers (only two printers available) and their powerful ecommerce tools. If you’re looking for a site with strong conversion funnel for photo sales, PhotoShelter is the way to go. (Ducati not included.)
Koken
Koken is cool. Part of what makes a photo-CMS helpful is online image management. There’s no shortage of online storage platforms, but a storage site + CMS designed for photographers is especially handy. Koken’s desktop-like interface makes it easy to upload and manage both images and videos. The CMS also allows you to add content from Flickr, Instagram, Vimeo, SoundCloud, and Twitter. Koken also has a publish services plugin for Lightroom. Koken works best for the serious photographer who isn’t afraid of technology. You can even customize your own CSS. As it is by itself, Koken is a strong contender for gaining the loyal clientele of the most demanding photographers, designers, and other creatives.
The ultimate qualification for a top-notch photographer is the photography itself, not the website. Still, in today’s world, you’ve got to have a quality website. These photography CMSs are the way to get you the website you need.
Clickbooq
clickbooq was created by an award-winning interactive design firm, whose founding partners have gained invaluable experience working with some of the largest and best known advertising and interactive agencies in the world. It features an easy to use editor, tons of features, beautiful themes and a reasonable price tag ($8 – 24 / month).