If you have a site, app, or other service online that relies on a Microsoft software technology, such as ASP.NET or .NET, or you need to run a Microsoft database (on Microsoft SQL Server), it may be best to look into a Windows hosting plan. These come with Microsoft's server tools and are configured to support Microsoft services. This makes it easier for you to set up your site if it relies on a Microsoft technology. Among the major hosting companies in the U.S., 1&1 IONOS offers the best deal on a plan tailored for Microsoft's platforms.
Best Deal Overall: 1&1 IONOS
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1&1 IONOS sells three Windows hosting plans on servers running Windows Server 2019. There's the Business plan, which includes 100GB of web space, along with Pro, which includes 250GB, and Expert, which has 500GB. There are no bandwidth limits under these plans. A certain number of email accounts are assigned to each plan: 25 with Business, 100 with Pro, and 500 with Expert. Each email account gets 2GB of storage. All three plans also include domain registration and SSL certificate.
Microsoft tools included/supported: ASP.NET 4.8; ASP.NET AJAX, ASP.NET MVC 3, 4, 5; .NET Core 2.2. All three plans support Microsoft SQL Server 2017 databases. Business allows for 25 databases, Pro allows 100, and Expert allows 500. Each database gets 1GB storage.
Price Specifics: Business is $8 per month, Pro is $10 per month, and Expert is $14 per month. Business comes with an introductory promotional price of $1 for 12 months; the other two have an introductory price of $1 for six months. 1&1 IONOS doesn't state a money-back guarantee other than that you can cancel anytime.
Best with Legacy Software: HostGator
HostGator sells two shared hosting plans on servers running Windows Server 2008 R2. Both come with unlimited web space and no bandwidth limits. They also allow for an unlimited number of email accounts, and include a SSL certificate. The main difference between the two plans is that the Personal plan only allows you to use one domain, while the Enterprise plan permits up to five domains.
Microsoft tools included/supported: ASP Classic; ASP.NET 2.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5; ASP.NET AJAX; IIS 7. Both plans support MS SQL Server databases, and you get an unlimited number of databases.
Price Specifics: Personal is $4.76 per month, and Enterprise is $14.36 per month. Plans come with a money-back guarantee within 45 days.
Best Original Windows Hosting: AccuWebHosting
AccuWebHosting's original business was built on web hosting with Microsoft server tools and platforms; it was later that the company offered hosting on servers running Linux. It sells three hosting plans on servers running the Windows 2016 Server. The Personal plan includes 10GB of web space with 500GB of monthly bandwidth. Small Business includes 30GB space with 750GB of monthly bandwidth. Finally, the Enterprise plan includes 50GB with 1GB of monthly bandwidth. Storage for all plans is on SSD. Each plan also comes with 150 email accounts and SSL certificate.
Microsoft tools included/supported: ASP.NET 2.x and 4.x, ASP.NET Core 1.x and 2.x, ASP.NET MVC 4 and 5, Internet Information Services (IIS) for Windows Server 10, Access database hosting. The three plans support MS SQL Server 2017 databases with 500 MB storage for each database. The Personal plan allows for one database, Small Business allows three, and Enterprise allows five.
Price Specifics: The Personal plan is $3.52 per month (the cheapest on this list), Small Business is $6.58 per month, and Enterprise is $12.46 per month. Plans come with a money-back guarantee within 30 days.
Best with Office 365 Email: GoDaddy
GoDaddy sells three hosting plans on servers running Windows Server 2012 R2: Economy, Deluxe, and Ultimate. They have no bandwidth limits, and include domain registration and email through Office 365 with 5GB for storage. Of course, there are some differences among these plans: Economy comes with 100GB of web space, and only one website can be hosted on it, while the other two have no limits on these items. Only the Ultimate plan gets an SSL certificate.
Microsoft tools included/supported: ASP Classic; ASP.NET AJAX; ASP.NET MVC 3; IIS 8.5; Microsoft Access database hosting. The three plans support MS SQL Server 2012 or 2014 databases with 200 MB storage for each database. The Economy plan allows for one database, Deluxe allows two, and Ultimate allows an unlimited number.
Price Specifics: Economy is $6 per month, Deluxe is $8 per month, and Ultimate is $13 per month. Plans come with an anytime money-back guarantee.
Bottom line
Among these companies, 1&1 IONOS stands out for providing Windows hosting with the widest range of Microsoft developer tools and support for Microsoft platforms, using the latest versions that include its servers running Windows Server 2019. Their plans also come with unlimited bandwidth, domain registration, and SSL certificate.
