The short version
If you work in WordPress or plain PHP, shared hosting will do, and some shared plans include SSH. The plan we recommend is $2.79/mo.
If you need to install something at the server level — Node, Docker, a PHP version they don't offer — you need a server, and those start at $6.49/mo.
What each gives you
| Shared | Server (VPS) | |
|---|---|---|
| SSH access | Yes, on some plans | Yes |
| WP-CLI | Yes | Yes |
| Root access | No | Yes |
| Install anything | No | Yes |
| You administer it | No | Yes, and that's work |
| Price from | $2.79 | $6.49 |
These figures are read from our table when you open the page. See the comparison page.
The difference is not only power. A server gives you everything and leaves you to run it. If that is not your job, shared saves your time. The detail is in shared vs VPS.
If you're staying on shared
Hostinger Unlimited at $2.79/mo.
What matters to you in it:
- Unlimited websites — a staging copy beside every project without a second bill
- 50 GB NVMe
- Daily backups with easy restore
- A free domain for the first year
One thing said plainly: our table does not record SSH, WP-CLI, PHP versions, cron, or staging per plan. If those matter to you, confirm them on the company's own page before buying. We will not print a figure or a feature we have no source for.
When to leave shared
When you need one of these:
- To install Node, Python or Docker
- A PHP version or extension they don't provide
- A service running continuously, not just web pages
- A site that has got too heavy for shared — the sign is pages getting slower without you changing anything
If none of those apply, stay on shared and save your time.
Servers
Hostinger KVM 2 at $8.79/mo — 2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe, AMD EPYC. This is the one we recommend for most people.
Cheaper is KVM 1 at $6.49 if your work is light or you're experimenting.
The full comparison is in best cheap VPS hosting.
Before you buy
Budget on the renewal. The first-year price is a promotion. The real number is the renewal, and we print it beside every plan.
A server is work. Security updates, monitoring, backups. If you won't do them, shared is safer for you.
Start small. Upgrading is easier than downgrading, and you won't know your real needs until you've worked for a month.
Let's start
See the Unlimited plan if shared is enough · See KVM 2 if you need a server — or compare every plan.