By Mark Campbell, GreenGreenGreen Editor
Any business owning a website – all bloggers too – should switch to a green web hosting provider. Why? Because the internet causes more carbon emissions than aircraft, and these will double by 2025.
We are constantly being told how we must reduce flying to save the planet – but nobody ever tells us to stop using the internet, which is currently causing 3.7% of all global emissions.
The good news is, if you own a website or blog, you can do something positive to reverse the damage. It won’t cost you any money – in fact, it might save you money. And you will lose nothing in performance. You might even end up with a faster website.
If you’re a business, this will also count towards reaching your net zero and sustainability targets.
What you need is Green Web Hosting – and we’ve found the very best ones for you to launch with or easily switch to, wherever you are in the world.
Here is a quick look at the top performing green website hosts, then we’ll dive deeper into why you need an eco friendly website and what each service offers…
Why are Websites Bad for the Planet?
There are about 2 billion websites in the world, but only 200 million are active. There are 252,000 new websites created each day – that’s three every second. (Source: Internet Live Stats)
Websites are hosted – stored – on huge servers in massive data centres, which demand a great deal of energy use.
The servers run 24/7 and must operate in a cooled environment to run properly. That cooling also uses vast amounts of energy.
To generate most of this electricity, fossil fuels like coal and gas are being burned, making the internet a dirty, polluting, carbon-emitting beast.
>> EXPLAINER >> What Causes the Most CO2 Emissions in the World? >>
Is it all about the web hosting? No – there are many ways you can design your website to make it less energy-intensive, and therefore better for the environment – such things as using smaller images and making sure pages load quickly.
But the biggest boost you can give to the planet through your website, is indeed by choosing a green website hosting provider that offsets the vast amount of carbon emissions it takes to keep your website or blog running smoothly.
What is Green Web Hosting?
Green, sustainable or eco friendly web hosting offers the same features as any other hosting package – with the important difference that action is also taken to reduce the environmental impact of your website.
A green web hosting company will use renewable energy to power up the servers, so instead of relying on fossil fuels, they generate electricity from sources such as wind, solar and tidal.
Many web hosts will point to the fact that they use the Cloud to store data as proof that they are green, compared to running servers on their own premises.
While Cloud computing does indeed reduce the number of servers and data centres, so does cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (some studies say by as much as 95%), the company can only be labelled ‘green’ if the Cloud in question is being powered by renewable energy – as are all the companies in this guide.
Hosting companies can also buy Renewable Energy Credits, with the aim of putting as much renewable energy into the power grid as the energy they took out to run the data centres.
Another way they offset CO2 emissions is by teaming up with reputable charities and other organisations to plant trees around the world, in the areas where they are most needed, helping to capture CO2, as well as creating local green jobs.
Green Web Hosting Providers who are serious about the sustainable side of their business will also seek to gain credible Green Business Certifications, and also employ green work practices such as going paperless, running energy-efficient lighting, recycling and encouraging employees to leave the car at home or work remotely.
How Do I Know If My Hosting Provider is Green?
The best green hosting packages in 2023 are listed below. If you are already with another hosting provider, a check on their website home page will make it immediately apparent if carbon emissions are something they care about – as we all should.
How to Easily Switch to Green Web Hosting
Millions of us switch energy provider when we find a better or greener deal, and this is just the same.
It is easy to park your website or blog in a greener location – all the technical work will be done for you, quickly, and without any cost.
That’s right, website migration is FREE of charge with the green web hosting companies featured in this article.
And because you’ll be a new customer, your monthly plan payments will almost certainly be a lot less than what you are paying now.
So you can make your website carbon neutral while saving money – what’s not to like?
The Best Green Web Hosting Companies in 2023
We have saved you time (and internet use) by searching through the Top Green Web Hosting Companies, according to their green credentials and user ratings.
We have used Trustpilot as a credible gauge of people’s happiness with important factors in choosing a web host:
Reliability – Including the average uptime of a hosting service
Load time – How long it takes your website pages to load on to all devices
Support – The quality and speed of help you get if you encounter a problem
Cost – Starting prices and renewal fees
Security – Including the ability to back-up your website
Range of hosting plans – There are different types of hosting, shared is less energy-sapping
Extras – Things like email addresses and free domain names
Of course, we have looked in detail at the claims of being green, eco friendly, ethical and sustainable.
Only the best are on this list, so consider which one seems a better fit for your needs, and please make the switch to help tackle the climate crisis.
At the same time, boost your own environmental credentials and mention on your website that you are now green hosted.
GreenGeeks
Calling itself the “World’s #1 Green Energy Web Hosting Provider,” GreenGeeks formed way back in 2008 and was recognised a year later by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Green Power Partner.
GreenGeeks works closely with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) in Portland, Oregon, which calculates the company’s yearly energy consumption and carbon footprint.
It then puts three times as much energy as it has consumed, back into the grid, via renewable sources.
GreenGeeks Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at just $2.95 a month | Currency Converter
- Free website(s) transfer from your current host
- Free domain registration transfer for the first year
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- 24/7 technical support
- Multiple hosting options, including WordPress, WooCommerce, Reseller and Virtual Private Servers
- Unlimited email accounts
- Free SSL security certificates
- Free nightly backups
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Free drag and drop builder
GreenGeeks Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. GreenGeeks currently scores 4.2 out of 5, which is rated as ‘great’.
Siteground
Officially recommended by WordPress for quality of service, SiteGround has an excellent record of keeping websites live and working speedily. But what about its commitment to sustainability?
Well, SiteGround partners with the Google Cloud platform, as Google’s data centers match 100% of the energy consumed by their global operations with renewable energy.
Extra green credentials include offering company e-cars, e-bikes and free e-charging stations, banning plastic water bottles, containers and water coolers in the office – and for every order made they plant a tree.
Siteground Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at £2.99 a month | Currency Converter
- Free website(s) transfer from your current host
- Latest technologies integrated with emphasis on website speed
- Free SSL security certificates
- Free daily backups
- Speedy support
- Unlimited free, spam-free email
- Ecommerce enabled
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Enhanced security
Siteground Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service, Siteground currently scores a highly impressive 4.9 out of 5, which is ‘excellent’.
Kualo
Kualo take their eco responsibilities extremely seriously. They run datacenters both in the UK and US with 100% renewable power. The UK hub is powered by E.ON, one of the leading renewable generators in the country with more than 20 on-shore and off-shore wind farms.
In the US. renewable energy is sourced through Native Energy, who also deliver social benefits for communities including schools, family farms and Native American tribes.
Kualo is also big into tree planting to offset carbon emissions. The company plants a tree for every order received, plus 12 additional trees for each of its employees, every month, partnering with Ecologi.
Kualo Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at £6.99 a month| Currency Converter
- Free website(s) transfer from your current host
- Free domain transfer or new domain name
- Free SSL security certificates
- Free daily backups
- 24/7 phone and online support
- Spam-free email
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Engineered for speed
- 60-day money back guarantee
- No lock-in or long term contracts
- Drag and drop website builder
- 300+ one-click install apps
Kualo Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. Kualo currently scores a very impressive 4.8 out of 5, with 92% of reviewers rating the company ‘excellent’.
Eco Web Hosting
Although this UK-based company is smaller than its rivals, it scores highly among those who use it, and offers impressive green credentials.
Eco Web Hosting publishes monthly sustainability reports as proof of its work to protect our natural world. Carbon offsets come by way of working with tree-planting organisations for each website hosted – trees have been planted in 21 countries to date.
All websites are hosted on extremely energy-efficient servers, and Eco Web Hosting partners with non-profit organisations that support environmental projects around the world.
Eco Web Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at £3.49 a month | Currency Converter
- Free website(s) transfer from your current host
- Free support
- UK-based hosting
- Email accounts
- Free SSL security certificate
- Anti-hacking firewall
- 45-day money back guarantee
- More than 70 applications available in one click
Eco Web Hosting Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. Eco Web Hosting currently scores an insanely impressive 4.9 out of 5, with 96% of reviewers rating the company ‘excellent’.
Kinsta
Your websites will run on 100% renewable energy if hosted with Kinsta, because the company stores them with Google Cloud Platform and Cloudflare.
Google has, for a number of years, bought enough renewable energy – from solar to wind power – to match 100% of its electricity use around the world. Google also claims its data centers use about half the energy of other similar hubs.
Kinsta claims that the most efficient way to reduce your website’s carbon footprint is by improving its overall performance, which it does by optimizing data transfer, reducing page sizes, and by offering free built-in caching on all its plans.
Kinsta Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at $35 a month (two months free with an annual plan) | Currency Converter
- Unlimited free basic website migrations from any host
- Automatic daily backups
- 99.9% uptime guaranteed
- Free SSL security certificates
- Expert WordPress support
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Hack and malware removal
Kinsta Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. Kinsta currently scores 4.2 out of 5, which is rated as ‘great’.
Guru
Guru is a UK-based cloud hosting provider with more than 20 years’ experience. Its Centro Datacentre has always used 100% renewable-backed energy.
Green practices extend across the business. All company vehicles are electric, and retired servers and IT equipment are either repurposed or dismantled, with reusable materials recycled.
Guru’s new HQ building has plenty of smart eco features, and the company is using eco-friendly merchandise for its promotional materials, packaging and envelopes.
Guru Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at £7.49 a month | Currency Converter
- Free website(s) transfer from your current host
- Free email migration
- Unlimited domains
- Free SSL security certificates
- Free backups
- 100% uptime guaranteed
- 24/7 UK support
- Web Application Firewall
- Faster service or your money back
Guru Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. Guru currently scores an incredible 4.9 out of 5, with an astounding 98% of reviewers rating the company ‘excellent’.
HostPapa
HostPapa was one of the first web hosting companies to make a public commitment to going green. It purchases 100% green renewable energy to power its datacentres, web servers, office computers, laptops, and office space.
Since HostPapa began purchasing green energy, the company has of course removed thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases affecting the environment.
HostPapa Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at $2.95 a month | Currency Converter
- Free website(s) transfer from your current host
- Free domain registration
- Free SSL security certificate
- 24/7 support
- Free email accounts
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Website builder
- 400+ apps installer
HostPapa Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. HostPapa currently scores a fantastic 4.7 out of 5, with the company rated as ‘excellent’.
IONOS
IONOS data centres in Europe run entirely on electricity from renewable sources. Its main US data centre is powered solely by wind energy.
In addition, IONOS uses highly efficient hardware at all its data centres, to reduce energy usage.
IONOS recycles servers that are no longer functional, and employees are encouraged to carpool or use greener forms of transport.
IONOS Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at £5 a month (£1 for 6 months) | Currency Converter
- Free domain registration
- Free SSL security certificate
- 24/7 support
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Free email account
- 30-day money back guarantee
IONOS Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. IONOS currently scores 4.3 out of 5, with the company rated as ‘excellent’.
Webhosting UK
Fast, reliable, and affordable website hosting from a UK-based host with more than 22 years’ experience.
Webhosting UK’s ultimate goal is to have no negative impact on the environment – that’s net positive.
Their data centres are certified to the ISO 14001 international standard, which requires an effective environmental management system.
Carbon offsetting also takes place, with Webhosting UK contributing to Project Green Connect to help reverse the destruction of the Indian jungle.
Webhosting UK Hosting Highlights
- Plans start at £2.99 a month (£1 for 6 months) | Currency Converter
- Unmetered bandwidth
- 24/7 support
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Unlimited email accounts
- Daily back-ups
WHUK Trustpilot Review
Based on website performance, including uptime, features, pricing and customer service. Webhosting UK currently scores a very impressive 4.9 out of 5, with the company rated as ‘excellent’.
And one more reminder of all high performing green web hosts at a glance…