PCMag UK web-hosting

The Best Cheap Web Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:51 +0000

Building a website on a tight budget? The top cheap web hosting services we've tested provide all the features you need for $100 per year or less.

How We Pick the Best Cheap Web Hosts

To be included here, a web host must be evaluated based on its regular annual pricing, not introductory discounts. After all, a web host may not really be cheap if its price doubles 12 months later. Our cutoff for inclusion? A web host …

WordPress.com

Jeffrey L. Wilson, Jordan Minor — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:23:40 +0000

Although it started life as a pure blogging play and still includes many blog-focused community features, the updated WordPress.com now handles most website-building needs—including e-commerce, social media integrations, drag-and-drop functionality, and mobile presentation. Editors' Choice winners Duda and …

Your Web Host Is Probably Just Reselling AWS and Charging You Extra

Gabriel Zamora — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:06:32 +0000

As your small business grows, free yourself from the limitations of managed web hosting. You're better off using powerful raw compute hosting and leveraging AI to automate website maintenance. Here's how.

I test web hosting services for a living, and in 2026, it's clear that the traditional managed hosting model is at a crossroads. Those "soft-walled" systems are a great starting point for small businesses that want zero backend responsibility. However, that means paying a significant …

Still Not Ranking? Try These 12 Ridiculously Easy SEO Hacks

Gabriel Zamora, Mike Williams — Sun, 10 May 2026 20:00:01 +0000

Get your website picked up by Google, Bing, and other top search engines with these simple SEO tips.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for websites. It's a blanket term for the processes that webmasters use to improve their sites' chances of ranking well in search engines, especially Google, the market leader. Whether your site is powered by a web hosting service …

The Best Website Builders for 2026

Jordan Minor — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:47:34 +0000

Want to build a website with minimal cost and effort? The best website builders we've tested include useful tools for quickly creating attractive, well-designed pages for blogs, online businesses, and everything in between.

What Is a Website Builder?

A website builder is a service that lets you create a website, typically using software featuring a simple, drag-and-drop interface for positioning text, images, and videos. But why would you need one? On a personal level, you wouldn't want to send prospective …

Don't Learn the Hard Way: 7 Website Hosting Basics You Can't Afford to Ignore

Jeffrey L. Wilson, Gabriel Zamora — Thu, 07 May 2026 17:13:12 +0000

Tripped up by confusing web hosting details? These essential hacks will help you get your website online in swift fashion.

Whether you work or play online, you've encountered something powered by web hosting. The lifeblood of the internet, web hosting allows you to read articles, download p odcasts, stream music, and make online purchases. If you're looking to …

The Best Web Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Wed, 06 May 2026 14:30:42 +0000

Selecting the right web host is essential for online success. The best web hosting services we've tested cater to a wide range of users, from small bloggers to big businesses, and everything in between.

What to Look for in a Web Host

Web hosting services offer varying amounts of monthly data transfers, storage, email, and other features. Even how you pay (month-to-month vs. annual vs. prorated payments) can be radically different, too. So, taking time to plot exactly what your company needs for online success …

The Best Shared Web Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Tue, 05 May 2026 20:18:39 +0000

The top shared web hosting services we've tested provide a simple, cost-effective foundation for building a website, especially if you're on a tight budget or don't expect much traffic.

What Is Shared Hosting?

Unlike a dedicated hosting server that powers a single site, a shared web hosting server houses multiple sites. The upside? It's cheap web hosting. In fact, it's sometimes free web …

The Best Dedicated Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:06:15 +0000

Dedicated servers are vital hosting platforms for resource-intensive online businesses. These tested, top-rated web hosts deliver the reliability and power that mission-critical websites demand.

What's the Difference Between Shared Web Hosting and a Dedicated Server?

Shared hosting is exactly what it sounds like: your website shares server resources with other sites. Building your website on a shared server means that your pages may be affected by a neighboring site that devours too many CPU and …

The Best VPS Web Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:43:04 +0000

Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is an excellent combination of affordability and power. The top VPS web hosting services we've tested let you build an attractive, stable, and secure website with ease.

What Is VPS Hosting?

With VPS hosting, your website resides in a partitioned server area with its own operating system, storage, RAM, and monthly data transfer limits, ensuring smoother and more stable site performance compared with shared hosting. The sites with which you share your server are far less likely to …

The Best WordPress Web Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:59 +0000

WordPress is a powerful content management system that makes building a website a whole lot easier. For a smooth, feature-packed experience, check out the top WordPress hosting services we've tested.

Is Managed WordPress Hosting Worth It?

While researching the WordPress hosting tier that best fits your site's vision, you'll likely see an option to select either managed or unmanaged (aka self-hosted) WordPress hosting. That choice is important, as the two options offer radically different server maintenance experiences.

With managed WordPress hosting, …

The Best Small Business Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:43:09 +0000

Web hosting is an essential small business tool that lets you set up shop online and attract potential customers. If you're ready to create a site, these tested and recommended services are a great place to start.

What Is Web Hosting?

If you aren't familiar with web hosting, here's a simple explanation. A web host is a company that has servers that you'll use to store and deliver the audio, video, documents, graphics, and other files that make up your website and its content. These servers can be …

SiteGround Web Hosting

Jeffrey L. Wilson, Gabriel Zamora — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:06:44 +0000

There are many variables to consider when selecting a web hosting service. Features like pricing and storage have universal relevance, while e-commerce applications and server location might be more nuanced, business-focused considerations. SiteGround nails all of these factors admirably. While it lacks conventional VPS …

6 Simple Strategies to Lower Your Web Hosting Bill

Gabriel Zamora — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:40:58 +0000

I'll show you how to dodge hidden fees, skip the extras you don't need, and pay less for web hosting without hurting performance.

Building your own website is a rewarding venture that can attract an audience or generate revenue, especially as a budding blogger or a new business. However, first-time site builders often fall victim to inflated costs. In my experience, the greatest hurdle for novices isn't the learning to use the technology; …

The Best Free Website Builders for 2026

Jordan Minor — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:49:05 +0000

Creating a site won't cost you a cent with the top free website builders we've tested.

Which Free Website Builder Is Best?

A free website builder is, more often than not, the no-cost tier of a larger paid website builder. Not all website builders offer free tiers; some opt for affordable base tiers that cost a few dollars per month. Other services offer some features for free …

Italian Consumers Score $500 Netflix Refund Amid ‘Streamflation’

Will Mccurdy — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:25:22 +0000

Italian Netflix subscribers could be entitled to a refund of approximately 500 euros if they were subscribed continuously from 2017 through the time of writing.

If you're mad about the seemingly never-ending wave of price increases hitting streaming services, sometimes called "streamflation," you're not alone. Some 47% of US consumers say they pay too much for streaming, according to market research from Deloitte, with the …

The Best Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now (April 3-10, 2026)

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:16:44 +0000

Thrills and laughs top the chart this week with Anaconda, so let's snake in some other top picks about these slithering creatures and those that feature the movie's stars.

Scrolling through the movies on Netflix will take you all day, and with over 7,000 to choose from, it can be hard to decide what to watch. That's why I've put on my streaming cap to recommend four top choices for the week, using …

What's New to Watch on Netflix the Week of April 3, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Fans of international content have a ton of cool stuff to see on Netflix this week, with shows and movies from Korea, Spain, Italy, India, and more premiering.

One of the biggest selling points of a Netflix subscription is the diversity of its content. While most streaming services focus exclusively on Hollywood, Netflix flexes global muscle for shows and movies from all over. This week brings HBO Max will lose its identity and merge with Paramount+ later this year, but until that happens we'll be spotlighting the best new content that hits the service every week. There's not a lot of volume this week, but …

What's New to Watch on Disney+ and Hulu the Week of April 3, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0000

The new month starts with some big franchise players returning. Disney has a new Star Wars series and Hulu has a new... Handmaid's Tale series?

Disney+ and Hulu are really working hard to sell their value proposition before they merge, with both of the streaming platforms dishing out hot content this week. Disney has always drawn subscribers with the Marvel and Netflix. I love the variety of terrific movies and TV shows you offer. I’ve been a loyal subscriber for years, but you keep testing my loyalty every time you increase your prices.

Yep, the popular video-streaming service has Paramount+, it leans heavily on Hollywood for massive drops of movies and TV shows from network partners, with less original programming compared with Netflix and the …

The Best Cloud Hosting Services for 2026

Gabriel Zamora — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:29:54 +0000

Cloud hosting offers the resource flexibility and power that you won't find with standard, single-server web hosting. Here's everything you need to know to choose the right cloud hosting service for your website, along with our top picks.

What Is Cloud Hosting?

Traditional hosting lets your website leverage the resources of a single server, including its CPU, RAM, storage, and data transfers. With shared hosting, for example, your website shares resources with other sites hosted on the same server. The result is many annoying …

What to Watch on Disney+ and Hulu in April 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Darth Maul finally gets his own series, plus tons of new movies and shows this month.

Disney+ and Hulu continue the process of becoming a single streaming service, with the standalone Hulu app being shut down later this year. Many movies and shows are now overlapping between both, but there are still some separations. April's not fooling …

What to Watch on HBO Max in April 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Two popular shows, Euphoria and Hacks, return this month, along with all the Alien films and tons of other cool stuff

We're not sure how long we'll have HBO Max as a standalone service before it merges into Paramount+, but it's still worth the subscription fee. This is a really good month, with two of the network's biggest shows returning, …

The Best Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now (March 27-April 3, 2026)

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:34:47 +0000

The Peaky Blinders spin-off movie is getting tons of views. Here are similar flicks worth streaming.

You'll never run out of movies to watch on Netflix, and with over 7,000 to choose from, it can be hard to decide. That's why I've put on my streaming cap to recommend four top choices for the week, using metrics like popularity, ratings …

What's New to Watch on Disney+ and Hulu the Week of March 27-April 2, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Hulu and Disney+ have a megaton of new movies dropping as April begins, plus popular shows and more. Here are the week's top picks.

Disney+ and Hulu aren't going to be separate for much longer, and there's a combined login now so you can get Hulu either in its own app or as a Disney+ channel. Disney leads with the

What's New to Watch on HBO Max the Week of March 27-April 2, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:30:00 +0000

The first four Alien movies in all of their permutations hit HBO Max this week, plus lots of shows for every audience.

HBO Max continues its countdown to merge with Paramount+ later this year, but it still remains a good subscription for lots of hit movies and original programming. The last week of March heads into April with one of the …

What's New to Watch on Netflix the Week of March 27-April 2, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Let's head into a new month on Netflix with a ton of new shows and movies. Here are our three top picks for the week.

We close out March and enter April this week on Netflix, and the first of the month always brings a ton of new content for subscribers to stream. Every week, I go through the listings to …

Watch While You Can: Everything Leaving Netflix in April 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

All the James Bond movies retire from Netflix this month. Plus, everything else on the kill list.

It's an eventful month for Netflix, as the streaming service is losing a whole movie franchise and more to make room for the new stuff. Licensing deals mean streaming content is always in flux, and …

What to Watch on Netflix in April 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The first Stranger Things spin-off lands on Netflix, plus tons of movies, shows, specials, and more.

No fooling, April brings some pretty interesting surprises on Netflix. First and foremost, Stranger Things makes a return in animated form, along with a new season of Love on the Spectrum, international movies and shows, live boxing with Tyson Fury, and much more. Here's our guide to the …

Netflix Just Raised Prices Again. Here's Your Guide to Streaming Service Costs and Increases

Chloe Albanesius — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:02:36 +0000

Netflix is the latest streaming service to get a price increase, following Prime Video, Paramount+, HBO Max, and more. Here's how we got here and what you can expect to pay.

The streaming revolution was supposed to let us swap expensive cable TV bills for a more affordable, a la carte viewing experience. And while a Netflix membership is cheaper than a Comcast or Spectrum TV subscription (for now), the cost ticks up if you also need HBO Max for The …

The Best MLB Streaming Services for 2026

Jordan Minor — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:34:07 +0000
Major League Baseball returns on March 25, but you don't need cable to watch the games. Catch every homer, strikeout, and stolen base with these top, tested video streaming services.
How to Watch Baseball Without Cable
If you've gotten rid of cable, fear not: You can still watch all the baseball you want with a live TV streaming service. You can watch select nationally televised games on ESPN, Fox, and TBS. You'll also most …

Is Netflix Password Sharing Dead? 5 Workarounds That Still Work (for Now)

Jason Cohen — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:19:20 +0000
In theory, the era of shared streaming passwords is over, but thrifty binge-watchers can try these tricks before forking over cash to Netflix (or Disney+ and HBO Max).
In a bid to boost subscriber numbers and revenue, Netflix has cracked down on password sharing and now requires you to pay for an extra member if they live outside your household. Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and Peacock are …

Crunchyroll Investigating Possible Breach Involving 100GB of User Data

Michael Kan — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:54:30 +0000
However, the anime-streaming site says the hacker may be exaggerating their claims.
UPDATE: Crunchroll now says: "At this time, we believe that the information is primarily limited to customer service ticket data following an incident with a third-party vendor. We have not identified evidence of ongoing access to systems in relation to these claims. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely."
As …

The Best Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now (March 20-27, 2026)

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:30:00 +0000
The world is captivated by Louis Theroux's dive into the Manosphere on Netflix this week, so here's what you should watch.
Netflix has a huge amount of material to watch, and with over 7,000 movies on the service, it can be hard to decide on just one. Some are obviously more worthwhile than others, which is why I've put on my streaming cap to recommend …

What's New to Watch on HBO Max the Week of March 20, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:00:00 +0000
The third season of The Comeback begins, 21 years after the first. Plus investigations, animation, and more.
HBO Max looks likely to merge with Paramount+ later this year, so things are a bit nebulous at the streaming service. It still has plenty to watch every week, so here's our picks for the best shows to catch, …

What's New to Watch on Disney+ and Hulu the Week of March 20, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:30:00 +0000
Marvel's battling blind superhero returns for another season of protecting Hell's Kitchen, plus a multi-Oscar nominated Danish drama and more this week.
Disney+ and Hulu are merging this year, with a combined login so you can get Hulu either in its own app or as a Disney+ channel. Disney leads with the Marvel and

What's New to Watch on Netflix the Week of March 20, 2026

K. Thor Jensen — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:00:00 +0000
Return to the world of Peaky Blinders with a new movie, plus grim Norwegian detective tales, wedding horror, and more
March is a pretty impressive month for Netflix, as every week brings a ton of new content for subscribers to stream. Every week, I go through the listings to pick out new material that's worth your …

Hulu

Jordan Minor — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:46:13 +0000

Differentiation becomes increasingly important as the competition between video streaming services intensifies. The Disney-owned Hulu leans into that idea by offering a strong on-demand streaming library and a robust live TV option that I thoroughly enjoy. The service is …