If you are committed to creating a sustainable web, then eco-friendly web hosting (also, green web hosting) is the right solution for your business.
With the increasing number of providers to choose from, we thought to list down the best of the bunch and provide with a brief on how to choose the right green web hosting provider, using our research with small and large businesses in mind.
In this article, we’ve introduced the concept of green web hosting and provided details on each provider’s offerings to help you make your decision. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
What is green web hosting and why it is important?
Green web hosting is the web hosting that uses eco-friendly technologies and methods, with the focus to negate the carbon emissions.
Every year, the industries increase their usage of digital technologies. This leads to an increase in the energy demands to keep the data centers running, leading to an increased energy consumption by 9% each year. Most web hosting providers don’t think about the energy their web hosting consumes and the impact it causes on the environment.
According to Henrique Cecci, senior research director at Gartner, the climate is changing cloud providers’ focus towards carbon-neutral goals. He says, “New sustainability requirements will be mandated over the next few years and the choice of cloud services providers may hinge on the provider’s ‘green’ initiatives”.
That is why green hosting is rapidly becoming a priority in organizations today. Thankfully, there are already some companies who think about it and understand the importance of eco-friendly web hosting.
How to choose a green web host?
There are different practices a web hosting provider follow that you can check before you buy green hosting services. Some of them include, but are not limited to:
- Maintains sustainable work: This includes everything from using energy-efficient lighting to recycling to promoting paperless work.
- Uses 100% renewable power: This includes running web hosting with 100% renewable power, and other eco-friendly power sources.
- Owns green business certificates: This includes renewable energy certificates (RECs) that verify that the provider follows renewal energy practices.
- Provides carbon-neutral website hosting: Hosting providers share a carbon offset credit or certification that shows CO2 or other harmful gases have been reduced to the amount as stated in the certificate.
- Follows green office practices: This includes using energy-efficient and low-power systems. Mechanisms are incorporated by which heat produced by the servers is reduced and they keep running for longer period of time.
Top green web hosting providers
In our research, we studied various user reviews and claims made by the vendors. The green web hosting providers have been listed in alphabetical manner. Here’s the list:
1. Acorn Host
This small web hosting company is based in Portland, Oregon and mainly caters to non-profits and green-oriented groups. They are very dedicated towards green hosting and are also REC certified. They have partnered with Servint and Liquidweb, and with their help they contribute to reforestation efforts, use low-voltage servers, and recycle hardware parts whose lifespan is over.
Credit: Acorn Host
Acorn also provides special discounts to students and teachers, as well as non-profit organizations. The way they work, you can easily get a sense how kind and genuine Acorn Host team is.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from Acorn Host:
| Type of Hosting | Limited hosting plan options (All hosting plans are green). |
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2. Dream Host
DreamHost is one of the most reliable web hosting providers and it is the provider of some of the best green web hosting options in the market today. So, if you’re looking for a green web hosting solution, then DreamHost is the provider you can go for.
Credit: DreamHost
They use ultra-efficient cooling systems, processors, HVAC, and lighting systems to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Besides this, DreamHost partners with state-level clean energy programs and sources energy from grids, powered by green energy.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from DreamHost:
| Type of Hosting | Shared, Managed, Dedicated, VPS, Cloud |
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3. Eco Web Hosting
Eco Web Hosting not only works towards eco-efficiency but also supports conservation efforts. It has worked to re-establish biodiversity and provide natural habitats for animals. It also puts money into reforestation projects and forestry research as well as supports conservation in its native country – UK. The company is VER-certified.
Credit: Eco Web Hosting
Because it does not have a data center located outside UK, Eco Web Hosting is suitable for you if you don’t have more international audience. But, if your target is UK-based audience only, then the company has a lot to offer.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from Eco Web Hosting:
| Type of Hosting | Web, WordPress, VPS, Reseller |
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4. FatCow
FatCow provides no fluff, easy-to-use green web hosting service. To do this, they have purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to reduce the carbon emissions from their processes. They also encourage their workforce to implement sustainable practices at work, for example, recycling or paperless offices.
Credit: FatCow
Anyone who needs to create a successful website can use FatCow. They offer guaranteed ‘online’ presence and friendly 24×7 support.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from FatCow:
| Type of Hosting | WordPress, VPS, reseller |
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5. GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks offers super quick and ultra-green web hosting solutions. Using them, you can automatically make your website carbon negative or carbon neutral. For this, GreenGeeks uses the most efficient energy resources for their data centers. They also purchase three times more efficient energy and have different certificates, such as RECs, to make them the greenest web hosting solutions provider.
Credit: GreenGeeks
And the best part? They charge as low as $2.95 per month for their shared WordPress hosting solution.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from GreenGeeks:
| Type of Hosting | WordPress, WooCommerce, Reseller, VPS |
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6. HostGator
HostGator has been a green web hosting provider since 2008. By purchasing RECs, they reduce their carbon emissions by 130% which helps in reducing gas emissions by 3,600 tons, each year. That’s an impressive achievement when compared to many other green hosting providers.
Credit: HostGator
Besides RECs, the company also optimizes its hardware and software resources to practice green hosting efficiently, making sure that every energy is utilized completely. On top of everything else, HostGator is known for its most affordable yet powerful plans.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from HostGator Hosting:
| Type of Hosting | Shared, Reseller, WordPress, VPS, Dedicated |
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7. HostPapa
HostPapa can be an excellent choice for small businesses. They provide great security features that come built in, simple installation process, and easy-to-use tools for building websites. Their green features include green certificates, i.e., Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and Carbon Offset Certificate (VER) and they offset 100% energy they consume back to the grid through green resources.
Credit: HostPapa
HostPapa does not offer dedicated or cloud hosting solutions. But it is great for small businesses or start-ups that get several options to choose from – shared, reseller, VPS, and WordPress hosting.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from HostPapa:
| Type of Hosting | Shared, WordPress, VPS, reseller |
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8. InMotion Hosting
InMotion hosting is a popular and reputable hosting company. It offers five different hosting services: Shared hosting, Reseller hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and Dedicated server hosting.
Credit: InMotion Hosting
The company believes in reducing the carbon footprint than to simply offset it. They make sure that their own offices follow go green practices by reducing the paper usage, planting trees, etc. InMotion uses advanced outside air-cooling technology that helps them reduce their carbon output by more than 2,000 tons per year. This shows how they are committed to the cause of green business.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from InMotion Hosting:
| Type of Hosting | Shared, Reseller, WordPress, VPS, Dedicated |
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9. iPage
iPage has become famous by providing low priced web hosting services. It has also built a name as a green host by offering some of the most recognized green web hosting plans in the market. The company sticks to its commitment and ensures that you get authentic green hosting solutions.
Credit: iPage
iPage purchases enough RECs to cover 200% of the energy it produces. They use 100% wind as a renewable source to offset their carbon emissions. So, if you buy one of their green hosting plans, you’ll help internet in offsetting the carbon footprint.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from iPage Hosting:
| Type of Hosting | Web, VPS, Dedicated, WordPress |
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10. Kualo Hosting
Kualo’s datacenter has got some excellent PUE rating, i.e., between 1.2 to 1.3. Based in the UK, they are quite open about the energy they emit and by using 100% renewable energy, they promise to provide eco-friendly hosting to their customers. Currently, they are carbon negative and also fund climate projects with the help of their partnership with Ecologi.
Credit: Kualo Hosting
Since the company mainly focuses on smaller businesses, it would be great for those who have a small number of sites to host.
Have a look at the kind of hosting you can expect from Kualo Hosting:
| Type of Hosting | Shared, Business/Semi-Dedicated, WordPress, VPS |
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Conclusion
The environmental pollution caused by the use of the Internet is not going anywhere. This pollution will intensify as more and more people use different technology devices, generate more data, and demand more bandwidth and storage. Environmentally responsible companies are joining the community in large numbers, but the purposeful effort of customers seeking green hosting services will change the direction of the industry in a big way.
Eco-friendly Web Hosting Services: Summary
| GreenGeeks | Kualo Hosting | DreamHost | HostPapa | FatCow | InMotion Hosting | HostGator | AcornHost | Eco Web Hosting | iPage | |
| Type of Hosting | WordPress, WooCommerce, Reseller, VPS | Shared, Business/Semi-Dedicated, WordPress, VPS | Shared, Managed, Dedicated, VPS, Cloud | Shared, WordPress, VPS, reseller | WordPress, VPS, reseller | Shared, Reseller, WordPress, VPS, Dedicated | Shared, Reseller, WordPress, VPS, Dedicated | Limited hosting plan options (All hosting plans are green). | Web, WordPress, VPS, Reseller | Web, VPS, Dedicated, WordPress |
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Read Next: Top 10 Web Hosting Providers in 2022 (With Comparison)
Disclaimer: The green hosting features offered by the mentioned providers are as per the information available in the public domain as of 31st January 2022. This write-up should be used for informational purposes only. Vendors may change their product or service pricing and features from time to time. It’s therefore advised in the interest of the website visitor that before taking a decision or making a purchase, updated information should be verified from the respective vendor’s site. Though we make best endeavours to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, we do not guarantee its 100% accuracy or timeliness.
