Best hosting for Laravel apps
Laravel needs SSH, Composer, a queue worker that stays alive, and a cron that actually runs. Most shared plans fail at least two of those, so we checked which ones document support for each.
Cloudways
The sweet spot between shared hosting and running your own server. You pay per hour on real cloud VMs and Cloudways handles the stack. No renewal trap, because the price never was…
Full specification comparison
3-year cost assumes one intro term, then two years at the renewal rate| Included | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudways Best overall for Laravel | 8.5 | $11 | $11 flat | $396 | 8.4 | trial | Cloudways Platform | DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, GCP — global regions | –Domain ✓SSL ✓Migration |
| ChemiCloud Best cheap SSH option | 8.1 | $2.49 | $11.95 ×4.8 | $317 | 8.6 | 45d | cPanel | US, UK, NL, DE, IN, SG, AU, CA | ✓Domain ✓SSL ✓Migration |
| Hosting.com Best budget Laravel option | 8.0 | $2.99 | $10.99 ×3.7 | $300 | 7.9 | 30d | cPanel | US (MI, AZ), NL, SG | –Domain ✓SSL ✓Migration |
| FastComet Best regional coverage | 8.0 | $2.95 | $8.95 ×3.0 | $250 | 8.4 | 45d | cPanel | US, UK, NL, DE, IN (Mumbai), SG, JP, AU, CA | ✓Domain ✓SSL ✓Migration |
| Hostinger Cheapest usable option | 8.1 | $2.99 | $8.99 ×3.0 | $252 | 7.5 | 30d | hPanel (custom) | India, Singapore, Indonesia, US, NL, UK, LT, BR | ✓Domain ✓SSL ✓Migration |
Questions people ask about this
What does Laravel need that shared hosting often lacks?
Four things: SSH access, Composer, a queue worker that stays running, and a cron that fires reliably. Plenty of shared plans fail at least two of those. Check for them explicitly rather than assuming — a "PHP hosting" badge does not imply any of them.
Why does web hosting get more expensive after the first year?
Because the advertised price is an introductory rate for your first term only. Across the hosts on this site the renewal price averages about 3.5 times the intro rate, and reaches 8 times at IONOS. It is disclosed in the provider's terms, just rarely next to the number in the large font. Full explanation here.
How much should web hosting actually cost?
For a small site, $3 to $6 a month is normal once the introductory period ends — not the $1 to $3 you see advertised. Over three years the hosts we track range from about $29 to $1,260 depending on the tier and how long the intro rate is locked. Use the true cost calculator to price your own term rather than guessing from a monthly figure.
Is cheap web hosting any good?
Often yes, for the first term. The question is what happens after it. A host at $2.89 that holds the rate for 36 months is genuinely cheap; one at $2.99 that holds it for 12 and renews at $17.99 is not. Cheap is a property of the whole term, not the first month.
Should I buy hosting for one year or three?
The intro rate applies for the whole first term, so a longer term is real value — but it is billed in full up front, and refunds after the money-back window are usually pro-rata at best. Buy the longest term you are genuinely confident the site will still exist for, and no longer.
Can I move my site to a different host later?
Yes, and most hosts will migrate it for you free to win your business, so the cost is your time rather than money. The three things that go wrong are DNS, email and cancelling the old account too early — this guide covers the order to do it in.
Do you get paid for these rankings?
We earn a commission if you buy through some links, disclosed at the top of every page. No provider can pay for a position, a score or the removal of criticism — there are zero paid placements on this site, and the highest-paying host here carries a renewal warning on every page it appears on. The full arrangement.