A web hosting service refers to a kind of Internet service that enables people and businesses to make their sites accessible through the World Wide Web. A hosting provider allots space on a webserver for a site to store files, including code, images, and more for online viewing.
When the hosting company hosts your site, clients can access it by typing your domain name (web address) in their website browser. Their computers are then connected to the server (computer) your site is hosted on.
Web hosting constitutes Shared Hosting, VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Managed Hosting, and Colocation.
Finding a reliable web hosting service can be time-consuming and costly. Other than pricing plans, load time and uptime are the most critical factors to consider when selecting a web host.
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About Web Creation in Kenya
Over the past decade, web technology has evolved to provide enhanced, cutting-edge, and stylish solutions, and things continue to advance. You and I can only wonder what’s in the store for the fastest growing platform globally.
Kenyan web designers or creators are trying to keep pace with the rising demands of the web clients. Currently, Kenyan consumers need fast, user-friendly, and intuitive websites to keep up with the growing demand of site needs. We recently reviewed web hosting providers in Australia and Nigeria too.
To be honest, that was like impossible in the recent past, especially here in Kenya. I remember how hectic it was for people of our period to access exam results in the KNEC site. The shift in the web is propelled by emerging challenges and risks that call for advanced techniques to solve them.
The majority of Kenyan web creators/designers are adopting the use of animations for enhanced user experience, a trend that continues to play a definitive role in web development.
Payment Options Available
Depending on the web hosting company you choose, there are several available payment options including Lipa na M-PESA, Bank Deposit or Funds Transfer, Western Union, and PayPal Billing.
Before you make any payments, ensure your order via the web hosting and request an invoice. Customers who use Kenya-based web hosting companies in Tanzania can pay through Vodacom M-PESA, Uganda MTN Line for Ugandan clients, and Rwanda MTN Line for Rwandan customers. Other methods include Pesapal payments and more.
How to Select the Best Web Hosting in Kenya
Joining forces with the correct web hosting service is crucial as it acts as a partnership. If you make the wrong choice, you can face inconveniences such as stoppages and poor support. It might even get worse.
The cost of a bad hosting can dwarf the loss of the initial capital investment. But selecting a hosting package should not be an overwhelming task, as long as you consider the factors below when conducting your research:
- Type of Hosting – do your provider offer shared, VPS, dedicated, or managed hosting? How much control will you have over your website and servers? Does it compliment your hosting needs? Will you require extra infrastructure?
- Features – what features is your provider offering? For ease of software installation, do they offer the cPanel feature? How much bandwidth and storage do you have? How many domains do a single hosting account offer?
Features are as equally significant as your site’s functionality because website growth is inevitable. As such, check on the hosting’s scalability (both downgrade and upgrade).
- Support – do they offer email, phone, live chat, or forum channels or 24/7 responsive customer support? Anything can happen, from DNS attacks to tech errors, and you will need support to fix them. How available and reliable is their customer support?
Communication is crucial to solving problems, even in web hosting.
- Security – this factor relies heavily on the nature of your business. I’m sure you have your security standards (if you are a serious businessperson). So, does the web hosting provider meet these expectations? Do they include SSL certificates? If not, you have the freedom to move and search for what offers your needs or something close to it.
The Internet is a wild neighborhood, so security should be a priority.
- Platform Specialization – what particular platform do they focus on? Currently, WordPress has dominated the Internet globally, powering over 33% of websites. If your site’s content is CMS (content management systems), how is their managed WP hosting plans?
I’m not campaigning for WordPress, there are other CMS providers on the market so keep your eyes open.
- Mobile Responsiveness – research shows that people spend plenty of time on their mobile devices doing searches or for entertainment. So, as you choose your web hosting provider, look at how their websites are responsive to different mobile devices.
This factor boosts customer satisfaction in addition to higher organic search performance. Make sure your site is adaptable to the iPhone, tablet, and Android.
- Server Locations – the location of data centers should be a concern because it equals your data security. Are you compliance-oriented? Do you keep logs? If so, where does your provider host your servers? Some providers will allow you to choose your preferred datacenter.
Server 1ocation also contributes to your site’s speed and performance.
- Price – yeah, I know what you are thinking: this guy is crazy, why did he not put the price as the first variable? Shouldn’t my hard-earned money be the first factor to consider? Yes, you are right on the important part, but I’m not crazy.
You should be price conscious and compare all the providers in your list. What are their renewal costs? Are there lengthy subscriptions in their pricing plans? Do not be fooled by the prices on offer, instead dig deeper and see what they charge for renewals.
The reason why the price comes nearly last is that you might go for cheap that you will regret later. Remember what they say: cheap is expensive. If you tick all the above features first, then you will know whether the cost is worth it.
We hope that our guideline has opened your third eye into aspects you overlooked or new ones you did not have an idea they are crucial.
Best Local Web Hosting
Below are our best five Kenyan web hosting providers
- Safaricom Web Hosting: Best web hosting provider with the most affordable hosting and domain registration services.
- Skyhost: The leading provider of fast and secure web hosting for all sizes of business in Kenya. Very beginner-friendly.
- HostPinnacle: One of the fastest-growing ICT solutions providers in Kenya and the East Africa region. Uses NVMe SSD’s for speed, and LiteSpeed webservers.
- TrueHost: Secure and reliable email, domain, and web hosting provider in Kenya and Africa. Considerable pricing and numerous packages to choose from.
- HostFiti: a web builder that allows the company to launch a reliable online business. Comes with a drag-and-drop feature for ease of use.
Now, let us dig deeper and see what each web host provides beyond the tantalizing cover information.
Safaricom Web Hosting
Since its founding in 1993, Safaricom PLC has become the leading communications company in Kenya with the widest and strongest coverage. It also stands out as one of the most lucrative establishments in the East and Central Africa region.
Other than communications, Safaricom offers web hosting includes a website and email services that allow you to build and preserve a unique business domain address. This comes with unlimited bandwidth, web builder, domain name, and email addresses.
The service enables you to shift to a professional email address and preserve an expert appearance, create a personal professional website, and market your business online. For more information, Safaricom web hosting provides instructions and user manuals on creating your domain and web hosting service.
Pricing Plans
Safaricom web hosting offers the following packages in either local (.ke) or international domain names (.org and .com):
- Lite
The package starts at Kshs. 1,300 annually for local domains (.ke) only, and Kshs. 999 for international domains (.com and .org). This plan includes features such as:
- 50MB disk space
- Five email accounts
- Two FTP accounts
- Three subdomains
- Bronze
The package starts at Kshs. 2,800 per year for local domains, and Kshs.2,400 annually for international domains. Its features include:
- 500MB disk space
- Ten email accounts
- Two FTP accounts
- Five subdomains
- Silver
The Silver package costs Kshs. 3,800 per year and Kshs. 3,400 annually for local and international domain names, simultaneously. You will have the following features:
- 2GB disk space
- Fifty email accounts
- Fifty subdomains
- Five FTP accounts
- Gold
The Gold package is priced Kshs. 5,300 for local domain names and Kshs. 4,999 for international domains. For this plan, you will, you will enjoy advanced features such as:
- 10GB disk space
- 100 email accounts
- 100 subdomains
- 20 FTP accounts
You can also buy a Kenyan domain from Safaricom here and can check out their hosting pricing plans here.
Skyhost
Skyhost web hosting boasts the top provider of fast and secure web hosting for businesses of all types and sizes, powered by responsive and reliable customer support. What makes it exceptional is its nightly backup and 99.9% guaranteed uptime.
Whether you are a dummy starting an eCommerce service or your first website, Skyhost has got your coverage. The web host has a decade of experience and powers many domains globally to ensure you get the best solution for your needs.
Skyhost offers free site migration and makes sure you get the fastest connection speeds. It offers web hosting services at Kshs. 2,499 per year which includes free SSL certificates, fast SSD storage (Raid10), and is 100% cloud-powered.
The web host also offers VPS hosting with root access at Kshs. 5,000 per month, Dedicated hosting (99.99% uptime, 100% cloud dedicated servers) at Kshs. 15,000 per month.
Pricing Plans
Skyhost shared web hosting package includes Bronze, Silver, Platinum, and Gold plans. All their plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee and these features, with a difference in those specified under each:
- Multisite ready
- PHP 7 ready
- Consultative onboarding
- LargeFS
- Global CDN
- Page performance
- Unlimited emails
- Readiness assessment
- 24/7 phone support, and more
- Bronze
This is a premium hug-speed web hosting/p that costs Kshs. 2,400 per year and includes unlimited email hosting. It comes with features such as:
- 2GB RAM
- 35GB local storage
- 350GB bandwidth per month
- Silver
This plan comes with unlimited email hosting and starts at Kshs. 5,499 per year and advanced features such as:
- 4 GB RAM
- 50GB local storage
- 500GB bandwidth per month
- Platinum
The Platinum premium plan starts at Kshs. 10,499 per year plus these features:
- 4GB RAM
- 100GB local storage
- 1TB bandwidth per month
- Imported SSL
- Gold
The Gold premium package is the most expensive at Kshs. 18,499 that comes with unlimited email hosting, plus advanced features such as:
- 4GB RAM
- 100GB local storage
- 1TB bandwidth per month
- Imported SSL
Pros:
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Safety and free SSL
- 24/7 customer support
- Good pricing packages
- Robust features for all plans
- Cloud hosting
- Nightly backups
- LiteSpeed webserver
- Free site migration
- Raid10 storage (SSD)
- MariaDB
- Cloudflare w/Railgun
Cons:
- Limited offerings in its low-priced package
HostPinnacle
HostPinnacle KE ranks among the fastest-growing ICT solutions provider in the EA region. The web host uses a powerful network of cutting-edge dedicated support with robust CPUs with protected datacenters.
Customer data is stored on RAID array servers to protect it from going offline because of crashed hard drive. They also use NVMe SSDs which are 900% speedier than traditional SATA Drives, robust LiteSpeed web server for fast load page speeds.
HostPinnacle uses safety encryption that protects you DDoS attacks and traffic spikes, and guarantees money-back on its plans. The hosting package includes unlimited free SSL certificates and a free domain, dedicated (24/7) customer support.
With this web hosting, you get domain names such as .co.ke (Kshs. 379), .com (Kshs. 849), ,org (Kshs. 849), .africa (Kshs. 1,699), and .xyz (Kshs. 99) billed per annum. HostPinnacle offers four packages, including Starter, Standard, Executive, and Budget Reseller.
Pricing Plans
- Starter Package
The package costs Kshs. 1,500 per year and includes:
- 2GB RAM
- 35GB NVMe SSD disk space
- Suitable for starters
- Free SSL certificate, site building tools, lifetime .co.ke domain
- Free M-PESA integration
- Node.js and Python fully supported, and more
- Standard Package
It starts at Kshs. 3,500 per year and includes:
- 4GB RAM
- 100GB NVMe SSD disk space
- Suitable for eCommerce websites
- PHP 7x series
- Softaculous
- LiteSpeed webserver, and more
- Executive Package
The plan costs Kshs. 10,000 per year and includes:
- 4GB RAM
- Unlimited NVMe SSD disk space
- Suitable for Large organizations
- Free lifetime domain
- Over 1000 web templates
- Free WordPress LiteSpeed cache, and more
- 24/7 phone support
- Budget Reseller
This is HostPinnacle’s developer’s package that costs Kshs. 1,000 per year and includes:
- 70GB SSD disk space
- WHM access
- Suitable for Developers
- 35 cPanel accounts
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Wholesaler domain reseller account
- 100% white labeled hosting
- Affordable WHMCS license
- Over 1,000 web templates
- Private nameservers, and more
TrueHost
TrueHost KE is a safe and reliable web hosting, email, and domain company based in Nairobi that guarantees top services in web designs and development in Kenya. It has a wide network of servers that ensure reliable hosting and customer data protection.
Other offerings include Reseller web hosting, shared cPanel web hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, personal and business cloud apps, SSL certificates, and Dedicated hosting.
Pricing Plans
TrueHost offers four pricing plans or packages including Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Unlimited.
- Bronze
The package comes for free and offers features such as 144MB disk space, 1TB transfer, and free domain.
- Silver
The Silver package costs Kshs. 999/year and features such as 10GB disk space, unlimited transfer, and free domain.
- Gold
It costs Kshs. 2,499/year and comes with 30GB disk space, unmetered site transfer, and free domain.
- Unlimited
The highest-priced package in TrueHost web hosting that costs Kshs. 7,499/ year and comes with unlimited disk space, unmetered site transfer, and free domain.
TrueHost domains include .co.ke that costs Kshs. 570/year and .com at Kshs. 1,000/year.
Check their site for Dedicated, Reseller, and Cloud pricing plans.
HostFiti
HostFiti is a web builder service that allows businesses to launch trustworthy online businesses and comes with a drag-and-drop feature for easy building. Their premium plan includes extra web building requisites like hosting, unlimited-based email accounts, and domain.
The web host includes an intuitive user interface for full control over your site, especially for customization. There are also advanced filters that help users locate the precise content that visitors want to view on your website.
HostFiti provides an eCommerce module that comes with all the significant features to sell unlimited products online, receive weekly or daily sales, and Lipa na M-PESA. You can also use it to deliver products through Sendy, among others.
The web host includes live chat integration, 24/7 customer support, and responsive representatives who help you solve problems in actual-time to enhance satisfaction.
Pricing Plans
HostFiti includes a free trial to ensure you get what you are looking for, and offers four pricing plans:
- Startup
The package is available at Kshs. 19.77/month (billed annually), and includes features such as:
- One site
- Unlimited pages
- SSL certificates
- Google Analytics
- FB and WhatsApp Chats
- Business
Starts at Kshs. 24.71/month (billed annually) and includes features like:
- All features in the Startup package, plus
- Form Builder
- Enterprise
The package costs Kshs.29.65/month (billed annually) and features such as:
- All features in the Business plan, plus
- eCommerce support
- Agency
The Agency package costs Kshs. 123.59/month (billed annually) and comes with features such as:
- All features in the Business package, plus
- 5 sites
We hope that you are now fully-equipped with the information you need to get the best web hosting company in Kenya. Remember, these are not the only providers, we conducted our research and they featured our top list.
If you need an international web hosting provider with services in Kenya, check our list below for detailed information.
Best International Web Hosting in Kenya
- Bluehost: The best web hosting provider on the market with considerable pricing options, suitable for site managers and business owners.
- SiteGround: Includes a reputation for being among the web hosts with the best customer service and top fan base.
- A2 Hosting: Ranks as the web hosting provider with the fastest services on the hosting market.
- HostPapa: Operates on robust infrastructure fortified with multiple GigE fiber connections to the Internet support.
- GreenGeeks: The web host provider with a reputation for being the eco-friendliest hosting services.
Now, let’s have an in-depth review of these web hosts.
Bluehost
Priced at $7.99/m, Bluehost has a reputation for being the default web hosting choice. Their decades of experience in the hosting market have made them top in hosting prices and responsive 24/7 customer support, via live chat and phone.
Their hosting services encompass all business growth in all directions, offering easy WordPress installation even with their standard shared hosting plan. As your website grows, you can upgrade to managed WP hosting for increased speed and security.
If you need more control over your site, you can easily upgrade to either dedicated or VPS hosting plans. In short, Bluehost offers all you need from a host, including a reliable 99.9% uptime.
Pros:
- Reliable uptime
- Responsive support
- Clear pricing
- WordPress recommended
- Regular updates
Cons:
- Ultimate site control requires upgrading to higher plans
- Pricey renewal fees
You can get started with Bluehost here
SiteGround
For years, SiteGround has maintained status for the top web hosting provider, large client base, and blazing client reviews on the Internet. It is also amongst the WordPress-recommended web hosts, with everything you need from WordPress available. That means auto-updates, top-security, and professional tech support.
SiteGround offers lightning-fast and secure servers as well as regular news updates for improved site performance. The web host’s shared hosting plans are robust and tops in the highest-tier shared plan (GoGeek).
While its features are awesome for large businesses, they might be overwhelming for personal and small business sites. It guarantees 99.9% annual uptime, offers dedicated and cloud hosting, and a 30-day trial period.
Pros:
- Reliable uptime
- Excellent customer support
- WordPress-recommended
- High-tier shared plans
Cons:
- Pricey renewal plans
- Focused on large enterprises
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is known for offering the fastest web hosting services in the market, topping on the speed with every hosting tier, including shared, dedicated, and VPS. Are you searching for reliable and ultra-fast loading speed? A2 Hosting is a fantastic choice.
The web host commits to 99.9% uptime on all its packages, free site migration, and one-click installs for all famous CMS tools such as WP, Drupal, and Magneto. For personal website clients, A2 Hosting offers a low-tier (Lite Plan) with one site.
If you wish to host multiple sites, you need to upgrade to its Swift Plan. To save money with A2 Hosting, take advantage of their promotional prices that end on renewal. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the tri-annual billing (three years plan) to receive 63% off, plus free hosting for two years.
Pros:
- Reliable 99.9% uptime
- Free site migration
- Easy installation
Cons:
- Costly renewal fees
HostPapa
The 1998-founded HostPapa runs three cutting-edge datacenters that are fortified with several GigE fiber connections to internet support. Its infrastructure includes seismically fixed cabinets and racks, diesel backup generator, redundant Liebert HVAC cooling systems, and pre-action dry pipe fire suppression system.
Being privacy-conscious, HostPapa offers Let’s Encrypt SSL and free AutoSSL in all its pricing plans. The web host provides complex services for tech experts, yes, but has a Weebly web builder for tech-savvy individuals.
HostPapa does not offer uptime monitoring, but some packages provide SSD performance and have gained a reputation for its Windows and Linux offerings. If you are tech-savvy, you can have SSH at a $2/m upcharge as a dedicated IP address.
The web host enables backup via its several dashboards and allows clients to create scripts for auto-backups.
Pros:
- Robust features
- Strong security encryption
- Considerable pricing options
- Backup
Cons:
- No uptime info
- Not beginner-friendly
- Complex interface
GreenGeeks
While GreenGeeks has no reputation as the hosts above, they boast over a decade of using renewable energy to run their hosting services. The web hosts provide the best eco-friendly web hosting solutions, ideal for environment-conscious individuals.
They offer everything you need to create and manage your site at considerable prices with all their packages. If you love WordPress, GreenGeeks offers a one-click WP installer and automatic updates to maintain your WP website.
To ensure your data safety, GreenGeeks offer daily backups and cutting-edge security features to keep your data protected. They use the latest tech such as CDN, PHP 7, SSD, and more to ensure your site stays fast and safe.
GreenGeeks has exceptional 24/7 customer support via live chat, ticket system, or phone. Typically, their client reps are responsive and have diverse abilities.
Pros:
- WordPress-recommended
- Responsive customer support
- Eco-friendly
- Considerable pricing
- Robust features
- Daily backups
Cons:
- Average uptime
We tried to tackle all the questions that we reviewed on our customer requests and hope the review was helpful to you. Wishing you the best as you choose the ideal web hosting provider for your website.
My name is Nate Reiner and I am the editor here at 10Webtools. I have 8 years of experience using 50+ different web tools ranging from podcast, web hosting, email marketing, and much more. I previously managed a team offering support services to a large conglomerate that utilized tens of software solutions. I now run this blog full-time and when I am not reviewing or testing software, I enjoy riding bikes and supporting my clients achieve internet success. You can reach me directly at [email protected]