The 5 Best Django Hosting Providers | Website Builder Expert
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Looking to use Django to fuel your next website building project? Wise idea. Around 100,000 sites around the world – including Instagram and Pinterest – rely on Django’s scalable, super customizable CMS (content management system).
So, how do you set your Django site up for success? Well, choosing a compatible web host is a good place to start. We’ll get to why in a sec – but for now, simply feast your eyes on the best web hosting providers for Django in 2021.
After hundreds of hours of user-led hosting research, we can definitively tell you that these are the best.
Best Django Hosting Providers
- Bluehost – Best for VPS Django hosting
- HostGator – Best for technical help and customer support
- InMotion Hosting – Best for ease of installation and setup
- A2 Hosting – Best for faster page loads and CPU performance
- GreenGeeks – Best for environmentally-friendly Django hosting
Best Django Hosting Providers Comparison
Use the arrows at the top of the chart to compare each Django host side-by-side. We’ve included all of the key information on each host, from pricing to uptime, and whether they come with free backups or not.
Bluehost | HostGator | InMotion | A2 Hosting | GreenGeeks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall Rating/5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
Starting From | $2.95 | $2.75 | $2.49 | $2.99 | $1.39 |
Average Uptime | 99.98% | 99.99% | 99.97% | 99.95% | 99.90% |
Free Backups | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
What is Django?
Django – named after the Belgian jazz guitarist Reinhardt, not the Quentin Tarantino film – is both a CMS and a high-level Python programming framework. Favoring “clean, pragmatic design”, Django enables you to compose secure, maintainable websites on the fly.
Used by thousands of website owners, content editors, businesses, and developers, Django’s open source nature means that anyone can download, utilize, and modify it to their own set of unique requirements.
Essentially, Django handles most of the hassle of web development for you, meaning you can build a website – and then start publishing content through it – without sweating having to start from scratch.
Offering more flexibility, scalability and creative control than a website builder tool – but without the time, costs, and technical know-how required to build your site from nothing – Django provides a more efficient way of creating a website or app. And it has some pretty famous admirers, too – the online presences of Mozilla, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), and National Geographic are all built around Django.
However, you’re not ready to rush off and start build your website just yet – first, you’ll need to sort out the matter of web hosting. All sites need somewhere to ‘live’ on the internet, and so too will yours – which means you’ll need to get acquainted with the best hosting providers on the market.
The thing is, Django doesn’t support any old hosting providers. Given Django’s unique file structure – as well as its special syntax and flow – it’s vital to pick a host that supports it fully.
Fortunately, this list does just that – so read on for our top picks of the best Django hosting providers in 2021, broken down by ease of use, pricing, and features.
What Types of Hosting is Django For?
Django works well with both dedicated and VPS hosting plans.
- Dedicated hosting is an option in which one or more physical servers are ‘dedicated’ to your website. You’ll have complete control over your hosting solution – meaning you can customize and optimize it to fit your own unique needs, and won’t have to share it with any other businesses or users (as is the case with a ‘shared’ hosting plan).
- VPS hosting is similar to shared hosting, in that it’s – technically, at least – still a server that you’ll share with other customers. However, there are more resources set aside specifically for your site than you’d otherwise have access to with a shared hosting setup. VPS hosting is the best option if you want to scale up your website, and expand its reach and potential.
Of the five web hosts featured below, Bluehost, HostGator, and InMotion offer both dedicated and VPS Django hosting. A2 Hosting and GreenGeeks support Django hosting on their VPS plans only.
1. Bluehost
Best for VPS Django Hosting
Supports Django on its VPS and Dedicated Hosting Plans
With 24/7 support, unlimited bandwidth, and the ability to host an unlimited amount of domains and websites, Bluehost isn’t just our favorite Django host – it’s our top VPS and dedicated host, period. It’s plans aren’t the cheapest around, but you will receive dedicated power and server resources, with all the CPU, RAM, and storage you’ll need to support your growing Django site.
Bluehost Gallery
Bluehost Gallery
Perhaps the only drawback is that, while Python – the coding language that Django is built around – does come pre-installed, it’s not always the latest release. Because of this, you may need to install an updated version of Python locally, which can involve a little extra time and effort on your part.
- 2 cores
- 30 GB SSD storage
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 TB bandwidth
- 1 IP address
- Route access, with unlimited FTP accounts
- Access control
- Multi-server management
2. HostGator
Best for Technical Help and Customer Support
Supports Django on its VPS and Dedicated Hosting Plans
Scalable, affordable, and reliable, HostGator’s VPS and dedicated hosting plans are ideal for growth-minded Django sites with expansion on the brain. On top of unbeatable 24/7 customer support (plus a 45-day money-back guarantee), HostGator also relies on the user-friendly cPanel dashboard, and boasts an uptime of 99.9% – meaning it’s as dependable as it is dynamic.
HostGator Gallery
HostGator Gallery
Both we – and HostGator itself – recommend enlisting a developer to help you implement one of the provider’s dedicated or VPS hosting plans for your Django site. HostGator still promises to provide the environment for Django to run in, and to make the error logs available to developers. At the end of the day, though, HostGator is still one of the most developer-oriented hosts around, and also offers an excellent hosting option for those using Microsoft’s ASP.net open-source framework.
For more info, check out Django’s quick install guide, or drop us a comment below.
- Unlimited file storage
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Full root access
- Free content transfers
- Up to 4 cores, and 8 GB of RAM
- 2 dedicated IPs
- Up to 240 GB SSD
- Python support
3. InMotion Hosting
Best for Ease of Installation and Setup
Supports Django on its VPS and Dedicated Hosting Plans
Scoring full marks in our research for features, disk space, and help and support, InMotion Hosting is a strong choice for anyone looking to take their site to the next level. More importantly, though, its team will even (for a fee) install Django for you – taking the hassle and headaches out of hosting, and freeing you up to focus on growing your site.
InMotion Hosting Gallery
InMotion Hosting Gallery
That said, you’ll still be eligible for a fee if you’d like the InMotion Hosting team to install Django for you. You can get a quote for that by pinging an email to support@inmotionhosting.com, or – alternatively – hire a developer to take care of it.
For dedicated Django hosting, InMotion’s plans range form $139.99 to $539.99 – check out the screenshot in the gallery above for more information about the transfers, storage, and IPs each one offers.
- cPanel and WHM included
- Free website transfers and server setup
- A 90-day money-back guarantee (that’s twice the length of what you get with HostGator)
- Unlimited bandwidth
- A free domain for the first year
- Unlimited email
- Servers that are optimized for PCI compliance and ecommerce
- SSH and DDoS protection
4. A2 Hosting
Best for Faster Page Loads, CPU Performance, and Read/Write Speeds
Supports Django on its VPS Hosting Plans
It’s not every day that a provider can claim to offer Django hosting that – when it comes to page speed, at least – is around 20 times faster than competitors. A2 Hosting, though, does. And, not only does it back up this bold statement with lightning-fast read/write speeds, A2 also offers 24/7 customer support, affordable rates, and a range of flexible pricing plans for Django sites of all shapes and sizes.
A2 Hosting Gallery
A2 Hosting Gallery
The ‘Standard’ pathway begins at $4.99 per month, with prices climbing to $8.99 for a plan with more RAM, SSD storage, and cores. Going down the ‘Turbo’ avenue, however – so named for it being up to 20 times faster than other servers of its ilk – will cost you a minimum of $35.99 per month. To supercharge this plan with more storage and features, you can expect to pay up to $57.99 per month.
- Full root access
- cPanel dashboard
- 150 GB SSD
- 1 core
- 1 GB RAM
- 2 TB transfer
- Command line management
- Your choice of operating system
5. GreenGeeks
Best for Environmentally-Friendly Django Hosting
Supports Django on its VPS Hosting Plans
GreenGeeks has a lot going for it. Not only do its features score among the top echelons in our research, but it’s also one of the industry’s leaders in eco-friendly ‘green’ hosting. The company’s been recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency since 2009, and replaces over 615,000 kilowatt hours per year in spent energy.
Through that lens, then, GreenGeeks isn’t only good for Django enthusiasts – it’s great for the environment, too!
GreenGeeks Gallery
GreenGeeks Gallery
As with all the best Django hosting providers working today, you’ll still need a strong level of technical expertise to get GreenGeeks talking effectively to your Django site. You know the old saying, though – if in doubt, call a developer to help out!
- 2 to 8GB of RAM
- 50 to 150 GB SSD
- 10 TB transfer
- An intuitive cPanel dashboard
- A free SSL certificate with all plans
- Free website transfer with all plans
- Free cPanel migrations
- DDoS protection
How to Choose a Django-Friendly Host
While the five options above are all sound choices that’ll work in harmony with your Django site, you may still want to do some further research. And that, of course, is fine – though we’d recommend getting to grips with our two top tips for choosing the right Django-friendly provider for you.
Make Sure They Offer the Hosting You Need
Remember, there are three main types of hosting: dedicated, shared, and VPS.
While shared hosting is ideal for small businesses with less demanding websites, it’s not going to cut the mustard for larger, more ambitious setups. Similarly, whether you opt for a VPS option or the more premium ‘dedicated’ form of hosting will depend on your budget and scalability goals.
With that in mind, it’s crucial to pick a Django provider that offers the type of hosting you require. Of the above hosts, for instance, A2 and GreenGeeks offer only VPS Django-compatible hosting, whereas Bluehost, InMotion, and HostGator all provide dedicated options, too. It’s vital to look before you leap, here – you don’t want to wind up stuck with a provider that’s not the right fit for your aims and ambitions.
Ensure the Host Supports the Latest Version of Python
As we mentioned towards the beginning of this article, Django is a Python framework – so it goes without saying that you’ll need your host to support Python. Moreover, you’ll ideally need your prospective Django hosting provider to have the latest version of Python installed. If it’s not, you’ll need to install an updated version locally yourself, which can involve extra hassle.
Best Django Hosting: Final Thoughts
The best Django providers are Bluehost, HostGator, InMotion Hosting, A2 Hosting, and GreenGeeks. Dive into the list below for one last look at why they’re our favorites (and why they should be yours, too!):
Best Django Hosting Providers
- Bluehost – Best for VPS Django hosting
- HostGator – Best for technical help and customer support
- InMotion Hosting – Best for ease of installation and setup
- A2 Hosting – Best for faster page loads and CPU performance
- GreenGeeks – Best for environmentally-friendly Django hosting
Ultimately, the provider that’s best for you will come down to the highly unique needs and circumstances of your own Django website.
Need a tried-and-tested VPS solution? Try Bluehost. Want the assurances that only the finest 24/7 customer support can provide? Give HostGator a call. And, if you want to place your head on your pillow at night safe in the knowledge that your Django hosting selection is giving something back to the world, pick GreenGeeks.
The world is your oyster!
FAQs
Django provides the platform with which to create a website, but not host one – so you’ll need to utilize a separate hosting service (any of the five above will do!) in order to ‘house’ your website, and make it accessible to potential visitors.
If you’re not so tech-savvy, though, we’d recommend enlisting a developer to help out. Django isn’t like the one-click installations you get with the likes of Drupal or WordPress – it’s a little trickier, particularly if your host doesn’t automatically apply the latest version of Python. Don’t be reluctant to ask for help!
Moreover, the complexity of the Django framework and language mean that installing it typically requires more administrative access than the majority of shared hosts are able to provide.
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