10 Best Green Web Hosting 2024 (Sustainable and Eco-Friendly)

In this article, I've listed and compared the best green hosting providers, talk about the difference between a standard host and a green host, and various hosting energy issues nowadays.

According to Climate Impact, the carbon footprint from internet activities accounts for 3.7 percent of global greenhouse emissions, which is similar to the amount produced by the airline industry.

Some of the factors contributing to this amount of carbon emissions are the production of servers, powering, and cooling of data centers. Green web hosting providers take cognizance of these factors and aim to provide services with minimum carbon emissions.

There are over 1 billion websites hosted on servers. As more websites continue to be produced each day, switching to green hosting is the best approach to reducing emissions from internet-related activities. This is because the servers consume a lot of energy and are powered by fossil fuels.

Many web hosting providers claim to be green, yet they are not. This is why we did our hosting research on the best green hosting companies in the market. We have prepared a list of these hosting providers who meet the eco-friendly criteria to be considered green hosts.

If you are not sure how to choose the best green host for you, read here to learn what criteria you should use to make the best choice.

The hosting companies in this list are not just eco-friendly, they match up to their green initiatives with reliable hosting services. Have a look at the comparison table below for a quick view of what to expect from these green web hosting.

What is Green (Carbon-Neutral) Web Hosting

Green web hosting is an approach to web hosting that is eco-friendly and limits carbon footprint. A hosting company can produce the required energy using renewable energy sources like wind, water, and solar – instead of relying on fossil fuels.

Not all web hosting providers can produce their own energy. In such cases, the alternative is to source their power from certified green energy suppliers.

There are three approaches any web hosting company can adopt to become green:

• Adopt practices to reduce carbon footprint: Recycling processes, using more efficient hardware and software, and remote working.
• Support green initiatives: Tree planting
• Purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs): Buying credits for green energy to offset their carbon emissions by helping in the provision of equivalent green energy – solar, wind, water etc.
• Carbon Offset Certificate: Also known as VER or voluntary emission reduction

Many of these eco-friendly web hosts use energy off the grid and then purchase 100% green energy like solar and wind power to put back onto the grid – REC.

A hosting provider that seeks to go green may also opt for the Carbon Offset Certificate. The certificates show the number of greenhouse gases the web host has reduced. The units are measured in metric tons. These certifications build credibility and trust.

Going green comes with some consequences.

For example, it is more expensive for hosting companies to use green energy compared to conventional sources of energy. This is because companies are paying an additional energy bill to offset their carbon footprint.

Now, let’s dive in and talk about the best green web hosting providers in the market.

Best Green Web Hosting Providers

Hosting	Green Credentials	Method	Starting Price
Greengeeks	REC certificate	Offset	$2.95
Dreamhost	No certification	Uses renewable energy	$2.95
Inmotion	No certification	Green data center	$2.99
EcoHosting	No certification	Use of renewable energy	£2.50
HostPapa	REC	Offset	$2.77
Siteground	REC through Google Cloud	Offset	$2.99
Hostgator	REC	Offset	$2.75
A2Hosting	No certification	Offset	$2.99
iPage	REC	Offset	$1.99
Ionos	REC	Offset	$0.50

1. GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks is an industry leader in the green sustainable web hosting space. The company’s approach in being climate-friendly is by offsetting its energy consumption – for every amperage used, GreenGeeks invests three times in the form of renewable energy.

GreenGeeks also claim that they plant a tree for every customer that signs up for their hosting services. The company focuses on shared hosting, which is the greenest type of hosting.

The company offers support via phone and live chat. Only the live chat support is 24/7.

Features

• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Free website migration
• 300% match with renewable energy
• Best speed technologies
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• Host unlimited domains
• Scalable plans
• Advanced security
• Stable hosting platform
• Free drag and drop builder
• cPanel & softaculous

Although they have reliable hosting plans, they don't cover all types of hosting. GreenGeeks does not offer dedicated server hosting services. This is because dedicated hosting is the most polluting type of hosting. However, this means large websites have limited options when they want to host with GreenGeeks.

Pricing

These are the prices for a three-year commitment:

• Lite at $2.95 per month special price
• Pro at $5.95 per month special price
• Premium at $10.95 per month special price

The Lite plan renews at $10.95 per month, Pro at $15.95 per month and Premium at $25.95 per month.

2. Dreamhost

Although they don't match up with other big wigs in green hosting like GreenGeeks, Dreamhost tries to be eco-friendly. They use renewable energy to power their servers, therefore reducing their carbon emissions.

DreamHost does not hold REC certifications. Their claim as a green hosting company is therefore not certified, but they take an environmentally-friendly approach in their operations. For example, their cooling systems are designed for efficiency. DreamHost's evaporative cooling plants use municipal and reclaimed water. In addition, their offices are LEED Platinum and EnergyStar-certified.

Although this is an affordable hosting service, they have few free features. Customers have to pay to access additional key features. For example, if you start with the cheapest plan at $2.95 per month, you must pay an extra $1.67 per month to access email services. You will also have to pay $99 to migrate your website. These are services that other hosting companies provide for free.

DreamHost provides 24/7 live chat, knowledge-base, and ticket support.

Features

• Automated backups
• Instant WordPress setup
• Super easy to use
• Fast and reliable
• 1-click installer
• 100% uptime guarantee
• Custom control panel
• Solid-state drives
• Award-winning support

Pricing

This is the pricing for yearly plans:

• Shared starter plan at $2.95 per month
• DreamPress at $16.95 per month
• DreamPress Plus at $24.95 per month
• DreamPress Pro at $71.95 per month
• VPS 1GB Basic at $13.75 per month
• VPS 2GB Business at 27.50 per month
• VPS 4GB Professional at $55.00 per month
• VPS 8GB Enterprise at $110.00 per month

WordPress Hosting Plans:

• WordPress Basic at $1.99 per month
• DreamPress at $16.95 per month
• VPS for WordPress at $27.50 per month

If you are looking for nonprofit web hosting, Dreamhost is a good option because they offer free hosting for organizations.

3. InMotion

InMotion is popularly known for having the first-ever green data center, which is based in Los Angeles. InMotion’s green initiatives have enabled the company to cut its carbon output by 2000 tonnes each year.

InMotion also works with Trees For The Future, a non-profit that champions eco-friendly agroforestry. Through the partnership, InMotion aims to help plant 5,000 trees.

The company offers a wide range of hosting services, which include shared, VPS, WordPress, dedicated, cloud hosting, and reseller.

InMotion offers 24/7 live chat, email, phone, knowledgebase, and ticket support.

Features

• Security features
• Free domain
• SSD storage
• Free SSL certificate
• Unlimited email
• 24/7 365 customer support
• 90-day money-back guarantee
• Host multiple websites
• Free one-click installs
• eCommerce tools

Pricing

This is the pricing for a two-year commitment for shared hosting:

• Core at $2.99 per month
• Launch at $5.99 per month
• Power at $5.99 per month
• Pro at $13.99 per month

WordPress hosting prices for a 2-year commitment:

• WP Core at $3.99 per month
• WP Launch at $7.99 per month
• WP Power at $7.99 per month
• WP Pro at $15.99 per month

4. Eco Hosting

You know this is a green web hosting service just by the name. Eco hosting is a carbon-neutral web hosting company that uses renewable energy. The company offers reseller, cloud, premium, and WordPress hosting services.

Eco Hosting is based in the United Kingdom and all their servers are located in the UK. This is a limitation on their part compared to competitors that have servers in multiple locations across the globe.

The cheapest plan at Eco Hosting starts from £2.50 . This starter plan gives you access to 2GB web space, one-click installs, 5GB data transfer, a website builder, and 10 secure email accounts.

Features

• One-click installer
• Cloud Linux
• Email accounts
• DDoS prevention
• Firewalls
• Free website builders
• Telephone support

Pricing

• Cloud Tier 1 at £2.50 per month
• Cloud Tier 2 at £3.50 per month
• Cloud Tier 3 at £4.50 per month

5. HostPapa

HostPapa targets small businesses and is also one of the first web hosting providers to go green. The company’s green features include RECs which help HostPapa offset 100% of its energy consumption.

HostPapa offers shared, WordPress, VPS, and reseller hosting. They do not offer dedicated and cloud hosting services. The four hosting types fit into their business model – a eco-friendly web hosting company for small businesses. If you host with HostPapa, you get badges and banners that show your visitors they’re on a green website.

Although HostPapa has reliable customer support, they fall short in some areas. For example, they do not have an email ticket support option. In addition, their 30-day money back guarantee only applies to users who commit to at least 12 months.

Features

• Badges show your web visitors you’re a green website
• Free domain
• SSD storage
• 1-click installer
• Easy-to-use tools
• Over 400 apps included

Pricing

• Starter at $2.77 per month
• Business at $2.77 per month
• Business Pro at $9.07 per month

Optimized WordPress Hosting prices:

• WP Starter at $2.77 per month
• WP Business at $4.17 per month
• WP Business Pro at $9.07 per month

Managed WordPress Hosting prices:

• Launch at at $13.97 per month
• Launch Plus at $27.97 per month
• Launch Pro at $48.97 per month

6. SiteGround

SiteGround started to use Google Cloud servers to host its infrastructure in 2020. Google matches 100% of its energy with renewable energy equivalents by purchasing RECs, making SiteGround a green hosting company by extension.

SiteGround also regularly optimizes its server software to reduce client resource usage. In addition, the company’s headquarters are built in compliance with LEED requirements – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. SiteGround offers its employees e-bikes, e-cars, and free charging stations for their daily commutes.

SiteGround gives you an option to choose your preferred server location. Their servers are in the US, Europe, Australia, Singapore, Netherlands, and Germany.

Compared to other green web hosting service providers, SiteGround is more expensive. Despite the high starting and renewal prices, you’ll still have to pay for your domain.

SiteGround offers 24/7 live chat support, a comprehensive knowledge base, and ticket support.

Features

• Free automated daily backups
• 99.99% uptime guarantee
• SSD storage
• Ultrafast server setup
• Collaboration tools
• Premium Google cloud
• Top WordPress speed
• Top notch security
• Staging tool
• Automatic WordPress updates

Pricing

• Startup at $3.99 per month
• GrowBig at $6.69 per month
• GoGeek at $10.69 per month

WordPress hosting prices:

• Startup at $3.99 per month
• GrowBig at $6.69 per month
• GoGeek at $10.69 per month

7. HostGator

HostGator is part of Endurance International Group, a big web hosting company which has green hosting as one of its core principles. Endurance International Group has data centers all around the world.

HostGator started purchasing RECs in 2010 to offset their carbon emissions. These RECs are utilized in the purchase of renewable energy that is put back into the grid. The company aims to offset 130% of its energy consumption. Considering that they host over 2.5 million websites, their dedication to green web hosting is impressive.

HostGator provides a wide range of hosting services, which include shared, cloud, dedicated, Windows, WordPress, reseller, and VPS hosting. They have flexible plans and all the plans include 1-click installs, free SSL, and unmetered traffic.

HostGator offers 24/7 phone and live chat support, in addition to a knowledge base and video tutorials.

Features

• One-click WordPress installer
• SSD storage
• 24/7 live chat and phone support
• 99.99% uptime guarantee

Pricing

Shared web hosting plans:

• Hatching plan at $2.75 per month
• Baby Plan at $3.50 per month
• Business Plan at $5.25 per month

Managed WordPress Hosting plans:

• Starter Plan at $5.95 per month
• Standard Plan at $7.95 per month
• Business Plan at $9.95 per month

8. A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting applies the Carbonfund.org energy offset scheme in its green initiatives. The scheme has allowed A2 Hosting to be carbon-neutral since 2007 by purchasing carbon offsets that are equivalent to 100% of the total energy they consume. The company offers shared, WordPress, reseller, VPS, and dedicated hosting.

A2 Hosting also implements environmental-friendly operations and processes to minimize carbon emissions. For example, all their staff work remotely. In addition, the company repurposes old hardware instead of disposing them off, plants trees, uses SSDs which use less energy compared to HDDs, and reduces wastes .

Regardless of their partnership with Carbonfund.org, A2 Hosting does not use RECs.

A2 Hosting offers friendly and 24/7 customer support. They also offer their customers anytime money back guarantee.

Features

• Windows servers are available
• Highly secured servers
• SSD storage

Pricing

Shared web hosting prices for 3-year commitment:

• Startup at $2.99 per month
• Drive at $5.99 per month
• Turbo Boost at $6.99 per month
• Turbo Max at $12.99 per month

Managed WordPress hosting prices for 3-year commitment:

• Turbo Run at $11.99 per month
• Turbo Jump at $18.99 per month
• Turbo Fly at $28.99 per month
• Turbo Sell at $41.99 per month

Read More: Kinsta vs A2 Hosting

9. iPage

This is one of the cheapest green web hosting service providers. The hosting service is fully powered by wind energy. The company purchases wind energy RECs enough to cover the amount of energy it actually uses, and manages to offset its carbon footprint by 200%.

The company gives their customers badges that they can display on their websites. iPage only offers shared, dedicated, WordPress, and VPS hosting. Cloud and reseller hosting are not available on this web hosting company.

Although you’ll start with $1.99 for a 3-year commitment when starting with iPage, their renewal price is $7.99 per month. In addition, compared to other web hosting companies in the list, iPage records lower speeds.

Features

• Free SSL certificate
• Easy to set up
• 99.94% uptime
• Free site builder
• Search engine ad credits
• Email marketing integration
• Customisable, mobile-friendly layouts
• Easy WordPress installs
• Site analytics
• eCommerce functionality

Pricing

iPage has only one plan for shared hosting – the Go Plan. The plan costs $1.99 per month, billed at $71.64 for 36 months.

The Go Plan gives you access to unlimited storage, unlimited websites, free domain for a year, free website builder, and 24/7 support.

If you want to host your WordPress site with iPage, there is a different pricing structure:

• WP Starter at $3.75 per month
• WP Essential at $6.95 per month

The WordPress plans come with pre-installed WordPress themes and plugins.

10. IONOS

1&1 IONOS is a green hosting company that strives to minimize carbon emissions in its operations. The company’s data centers in the UK and Germany use 100% renewable energy. The other data locations use either local renewable energy sources or offset by green certificates.

1&1 IONOS offers three shared hosting plans. The Expert Plan includes 500 GB of web space, the Business Plan includes 100 GB, and the Essential Plan includes 10 GB. There are no limits on bandwidth in all the plans.

1&1 IONOS offers free 24/7 customer support.

Features

• 99.97 uptime
• Free domain for one year
• Fullstack security
• Mobile admin app

Pricing

Shared web hosting prices:

• Essential Plan at $4 per month
• Business Plan at $0.50 per month
• Expert Plan at $8 per month

WordPress plans:

• Essential Plan at $3 per month
• Business Plan at $0.50 per month
• Expert Plan at $8 per month

Why Use Green Web Hosting Services

Whether you are an entrepreneur who runs your businesses online, a blogger, or a webmaster, your activities on the internet have an impact on the rest of the world.

Carbon emissions and greenhouse gases are the most contributing factors to industrial pollution. Using green hosting companies to host your website, therefore, helps in minimizing these environmental hazards.

Globally, there is a shift towards renewable energy. By going green, companies consume less energy, therefore minimizing pollution.

Choosing the Best Green Web Hosting Company

Environmentally-conscious business owners and individuals prefer to partner with companies that have taken green initiatives in their operations. When looking for a climate-friendly web hosting service, the following factors will come into play:

• Price: Is their pricing within your budget? Are they affordable compared to other alternatives?
• Environmental Initiatives: Which specific green initiatives have they taken?
• Main Features: Do they offer specific features that you prioritize on when shopping for a web hosting service?
• Target Users: Is the hosting service suitable for an eCommerce business, a blog, or is it all-inclusive?
• Social Credits: Are they offering badges that you can display on your website to show visitors that they’re visiting an environmentally-friendly site?

Conclusion

Choosing the best green web hosting should now be easy for you. All web hosting service providers in the list have taken initiatives to go green, including those without certifications.

Using a green host means that you have also taken a proactive approach toward the reduction of carbon emissions. Some of the hosts will give you badges to display on your website, showing visitors that they are on a green website.

Switching from conventional hosting providers to green web hosts should not be difficult. In fact, some of these green web hosting companies offer free website migrations as part of their services. Choose a host that fits your needs and make the switch smoothly.

Green Hosting FAQ