I learned it the hard way in trying different hosting providers in Nigeria. So you can tell that this guide is born out of my real experience hosting websites for businesses since 2013. Stay with me.
You don’t need a Nigerian host to start an online business in Nigeria. Your website can serve customers in Lagos or Abuja, while it is hosted in Germany. Your customers don’t know the difference as long they can access the site. I have to say this because that’s the lie you have been sold.
If paying in Naira is your main worry, you can use any of these virtual dollar cards.
So, what are hosting services?
Hosting is the process by which your website is stored in servers connected to the internet for people to view your site at all hours. While domain name (e.g Oluboba.com) is the link people use to access your website.
Hosting is the land, website is the house on the land, domain name is the address to the house.
The hosting you choose determines how fast your website loads, how much money you will spend, and how much technical work you will do.
Below is a quick glance on how the hosts in this article compare with each other. Each is good at something specific, and I have scored all of them on the criteria of speed, security, scalability, storage, and support.
| Host | Best at | Speed | Security | Stability | Storage | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | Safe default for client sites | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Rocket.net | Speed and stability | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Hostinger | Value in Naira | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Webdock | Custom, scalable VPS | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| xCloud | Large projects that must scale | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
Disclosure: some of the links in this guide are affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra and doesn’t influence my evaluation either.
1. Rocket.net
Best hosting company for Speed and Stability on a WordPress site that must go down
Rocket.net is the best managed hosting service I have ever used in terms of stability and performance. The period that I spent using their services passed without any single moment of downtime, and the customer service is the best I have ever encountered.
In addition, anytime I write through their chat, I receive the response within one minute from a real person, not from some kind of AI. I was really enjoying the highest level of hosting services, with the sense of true peace of mind.
I transferred my website to Rocket.net by myself, so I cannot say anything about their migration service. All I can say about is the fact that the website was working well after the transfer.
WordPress Website Hosting on Cloudflare Enterprise
Rocket.net is managed WordPress hosting built on Cloudflare Enterprise. This is the first explanation of why pages are fast and scalable enough. Also, they provide you with WP Rocket Premium plugin for free, which allows you to use it without purchasing a paid caching plugin.
If you are going to launch either a news/media site or online shop and you need something that will be able to deal with traffic spikes without forcing you to upgrade plans like cheap web hosts do, I recommend Rocket.net to you. Unlimited traffic and PHP workers will not leave you helpless in the face of unexpected high load.
My Concerns with Rocket.net
Storage capacity is low. This web host is at the bottom of my ranking by that criteria. The workaround is using external cloud storage like Cloudflare R2 for media files, and this is something you need to consider at the very beginning.
Also, the prices are high, particularly in Nigeria because of the naira to dollar exchange rate today. Apart from that, the service is excellent. In case you cannot afford Rocket hosting, you can try their sister firm Hosting.com.
Rocket.net charges in dollars but you can make use of any of the virtual dollar cards in Nigeria.
2. Hostinger
Best hosting provider that allows payment in Niara without giving up quality
I switched from Rocket.net to Hostinger for reasons related to the cost of service. I had done a lot of research on various host sites, but I wanted to find something that was both affordable and reliable. Hostinger offered me this combination of speed and price that I was looking for.
It all started with the price tag. It was presented to me in Naira, so I did not need to do any currency conversion and knew how much I was going to pay for sure.
The two and four year subscription periods became my next reason to pick Hostinger, especially the two-year period. I like paying my bills two years in advance, down to my house rent.
The migration with hostinger
I was provided with free migration when I logged into their hPanel. This was the easiest migration experience I have ever had with any host provider.
I filled in the details around 5pm on a Saturday, and I received an email by noon the following day confirming that the migration had been completed. I added my domain name via A records and was good to go. There were zero downtime and no technical problems.
Hosting companies in Nigeria accepting Naira payments: how I made payment to Hostinger
I paid using Opay. Hostinger itself isn’t a Nigerian company, but it has another Nigerian company named DEMERGE NIGERIA LIMITED through which it accepts Naira payments. The process went without a hitch.
Before making the payment, ensure that Naira payments are still being accepted for the desired plan at the time of purchase. Check the renewal fee as well. Long-term plans usually become expensive at renewal time compared to signing up for them.
My Hostinger experience fast facts
Hostinger is fast. Its speed is defined by three factors:
- Go for the Cloud plan to guarantee uptime.
- Optimize with the LiteSpeed option (Insanely fast).
- You don’t need the Hostinger’s CDN; use Cloudflare instead.
That way, I was 99% ahead of time in speed.
There is also an AI website builder at Hostinger. It is among the best website builders for small business owners in Nigeria and you can find it on my blog.
3. Webdock:
Best hosting company for a custom-built, scalable VPS
When trying to set up a project using a cloud VPS, I tried a bunch of different options and Webdock stood out among all the other VPS providers that I tested. I wonder why is it not as popular as others.
I love the options to stack up your needs and pay only for what you want. If you do not want to choose from one of their preset VPS options, you can just build what you need by adding any number of resources: storage, memory, vCPU, and everything else. This makes it very scalable.
VPS Hosting Meaning
A virtual private server is a piece of the physical server which only your website will use. In shared hosting, your website will have to share the server space with hundreds of other websites. Your RAM and CPU will be yours on a VPS server; thus, no other website will affect your performance.
There is, however, a downside to it; you take the responsibility of allocating these resources yourself. Depending on the setup, there might be tasks such as the installation of software, updates and backups that you will have to do.
Webdock has a managed WordPress solution which will reduce your workload a bit.
There were no issues at all with my project being hosted by Webdock. Their support is decent as well.
Don’t choose the custom VPS it if you need something to be plug-and-play. Else, you use your years starting and reinstalling server. Go for the WordPress plan. Not as simple as a managed WordPress solution but still easier.
4. Namecheap
My favourites hosting company in Nigeria for peace of mind on client websites
If you were to ask me which hosting to use for your business and i don’t want to give it a second though, I would recommend Namecheap. I see it as the general hosting solution for all needs.
When I needed to move away from Nigerian host, Namecheap was my first choice. I was a digital marketer designing websites for businesses, who was tired of calls from clients that their sites are down.
Out of the pain, I moved all my projects to Namecheap. I have no regrets now. More of my websites are hosted by Namecheap than any other company.
It’s hard to identify why feel at peace with the company. Maybe, it is the sense of assurance that Namecheap provides. An old company that has been in the industry since year 2000. The same feeling you have when you deposit in Firstbank.
Domain and hosting are free: both under one roof
The fact that Namecheap is a domain registrar means that you can purchase your domain name and have hosting all in one place. Domains that come free with hosting plans are typically limited to the first year, so be sure to read the latest terms and renewal prices.
But if I have going to be sincere with you, don’t take the free domain offer.
I have a principle, never buy a domain name with the same provider hosting your site. for domain name registration, I recommed Cloudflare or Porkbun. You even pay less with them.
What’s wrong with Namecheap?
Performance isn’t going to be as fast as with Rocket.net. Also, Namecheap has excellent support, but there is a twist recently. The chat box now starts with the AI assistant that refers you to the knowledge base.
Tip: Keep typing “Hello” in the chat box several times until a real human join the conversation.
Namecheap has sister brands depending on what you want: Spaceship and EasyWP. EasyWP is better for WordPress single site like a blog. Spaceship, if you need more of a cloud VPS solution.
5: xCloud
Best provider for hosting big projects where scaling Is non-negotiable
I discovered xCloud when the need arose for an even larger project, where scalability was as important as the need for water. The shared hosting solution would not work in this case, and I did not have weeks for configuration of a new server.
The two options offered by xCloud were: to use the server provided by them, or my own server. I decided to go with the server from them at first since it was urgent and I wanted to start immediately. Also, the information about WPDeveloper team being behind xCloud also helped to make the decision promptly.
Comparing Hosting Services: xCloud Managed Server & BYO Server
One thing I noted on the managed server was the actual performance improvement on their NGINX stack. They did a good job.
But soon the RAM and vCPU of the managed server ran out of resources pretty quick. It would cost more to upgrade the plan than to run the server on my own, so I made the switch. A Hetzner server was deployed, the data center was located in Frankfurt, Germany, and it was linked to the xCloud.
This is the critical decision that you need to make with xCloud.
If you use your own server, then you can expect to be hit with two expenses: one from the server provider, and another from xCloud. Combine them and compare to the all-in-one managed hosts.
Is xCloud worth it?
Yes, for the project I have created. This one is definitely worth considering by those who have their site scaling beyond the capabilities of shared hosting. It is medium-ranked in terms of speed because it greatly depends on the quality of the chosen server rather than xCloud.
Don’t go with xCloud if
This is your first time hosting a website. Instead, pick a managed WordPress host from the list of options like Hostinger for budgeting.
Which Host Should You Choose?
Pick depending on what your website needs and how much money you can afford to spend in Naira. The following list will help you select the best host, based on my experience in running websites.
It is your first time hosting a website: try Hostinger. It is the easiest host to pay for from Nigeria, and the migration was the most straightforward I ever had.
Your website cannot afford any downtime and your budget allows: go for Rocket.net. In case it costs you too much money, consider its sister company Hosting.com.
You want to give all your clients’ websites to one dependable host: Namecheap is the choice I would make again.
You have no idea about VPS hosting: avoid using Webdock and xCloud for now. Come back when your project becomes bigger and requires switching hosts.
The way to go that will resemble my experience
You don’t need to decide once and forever. For me, it was different hosts for each project: Namecheap for my clients’ websites, Rocket.net where I needed stability, Hostinger in case of cost, and Webdock and xCloud when projects required space to grow. Choose the host that will be suitable for your project.
Hosting Companies in Nigeria: FAQs
Which are the best web hosts in Nigeria?
Hostinger, Namecheap, Rocket.net, Webdock and xCloud are the five that I have used to host sites from Nigeria. They are not all Nigerian companies, but I did not see this affecting my websites. Use Hostinger if you need affordable web hosting, Namecheap as a fail-safe option, Rocket.net for stability, Webdock if you need VPS customization and xCloud if you have big projects.
Which should be considered while choosing web hosting for small business in Nigeria?
Firstly, you need to consider the purpose of your website. You need a reliable shared hosting plan if it is a brochure, stability if it is a store and a VPS if it is an application. Then you need to consider payment methods and the renewal price and also whether support provides access to a live person.
Location of your server vs location of your audience
The location of your server will influence loading times. If your audience are primarily in Nigeria, choose a datacenter in Europe. If you can go further, choose Germany or France.
Is foreign hosting suitable for a website in Nigeria?
Yes, absolutely. Your business’s location and server location are not related to one another. I have all my websites hosted in foreign servers and no one noticed. Make sure to add Cloudflare to your site and select the server which is nearest to your target audience and perform a speed test in Nigeria.
What is the best hosting with the cheapest price for a startup in Nigeria?
It is Hostinger for me. I switched to it from Rocket.net because of the prices quoted in Naira. Another cheap hosting company could be Namecheap. Don’t forget to compare the renewals cost as well, since in the long run, it may turn out to be more expensive.
Can you host abroad and run your business in Nigeria?
Yes. Where your business operates and where the server is hosted are two different things. What matters is how fast your website loads and how long it remains online and does not matter where the machine is located. Most of my websites use the servers from outside Nigeria. The only problem was paying for them.
What is the comparison of cheap WordPress hostings that can be found in Nigeria?
I know two cheap WordPress hosts in Nigeria: Hostinger and Namecheap. In terms of performance, Hostinger was faster for me, especially after using Cloud plan and LiteSpeed and Cloudflare on top. They both accept Naira. Namecheap is not so fast on shared plans but I am happy to use it for clients’ websites.
Is it possible to have free hosting with a free domain?
Sometimes providers offer a free domain in addition to hosting for just the first year. Then, the usual rates apply. But make sure before relying on the offer by checking the cost of renewal of the domain, and whether you will be able to transfer the domain after.
Paying in Naira versus paying using virtual dollar card
International hosting companies usually accept payments in dollars, which means that you will need a virtual dollar card. If payment in Naira is what you want, go with Hostinger.
Is it safe to use free hosting for a business website?
I wouldn’t recommend using free hosting for business. With free hosting, there are lots of restrictions and not much support. You won’t have anybody to call if something happens to your website at 2 o’clock in the morning. Free hosting is for practicing and learning. For an eCommerce website, please pay.
How is it possible to pay for hosting without a dollar card?
Hostinger allowed me to do that. Prices were indicated in Naira and I could pay through Opay. Hostinger partners with a local company, DEMERGE NIGERIA LIMITED, and gets their Naira money. Just make sure the provider allows you to do that as options vary.
