Looking for a faster-loading website? You should shift to HTTP2 hosting. It’s an advanced version of HTTP that increases the performance of your website.
We will see shared hosting, VPS providers, and managed cloud services as well. People use HTTP/2 to increase the speed of their website. In some hosting services, you will have to manually enable it.
As we move further, we will see the top hosting providers who have optimized servers for HTTP2. The host intro will also cover whether or not Http2 comes enabled by default.
We will first see some of the shared hosting providers. These are cheap hosting providers with HTTP2 enabled. You don’t need to take any extra steps to activate HTTP2 here. It’s activated by default.
1. A2 hosting (Lightning-Fast)
When it comes to shared hosting, A2 Hosting offers turbo speed for lightning-fast web apps. It not only supports HTTP2 but you will also get support for HTTP3. You will get 20 to 30% faster file execution in HTTP3.
The turbo mode makes your website up to 20x faster. The first byte is received at 2x speed. Further, you will also get 3x faster read and write speed. During traffic spikes, you can surely rely on the hosting provider as it can handle up to 9x more traffic.
You will get incredible support here. Their guru crew is always available to help you even with technical issues. Further, the HTTP/2 hosting provider also ensures the best level of security by giving Hackscan, Patchman, dual firewalls, 2FA, reinforced DDoS protection, and a lot more.
They offer RAID 10 NVMe SSD storage for faster speed. As a developer, you can run apps on any technology. You can also use SSH for better security. If you already have a hosting service, the team will migrate your website for free.
If you’re looking for shared hosting, A2 has everything you will need. It also includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Features of A2Hosting
- A2-optimized server for better performance.
- HTTP2/3 support.
- Litespeed server that makes your web page 11x faster.
- Quick UDP connection to make your HTTP traffic more efficient.
- ESI (Edge Side Includes) for better caching control.
- Turbo speed.
- Supports all the versions of Python, NodeJS, PHP, PostgreSQL, Apache, and many more.
- 99% uptime guarantee.
2. SiteGround (For new site owners)
If you are slightly new to the hosting space and looking for a different type of control panel, SiteGround is for you. It’s a premium HTTP2 hosting service providing awesome performance.
It allows HTTP2 protocol. They also support QUIC. It stands for Quick UDP Internet Connections. The higher plans also have premium speed in PHP. The premium speed will give you a 30% faster speed in PHP execution. The premium PHP setup will cut the time to the first byte.
Therefore, it makes your server faster. Talking about PHP, you will get managed PHP 7.4 up to PHP 8.0 and it also supports all other latest technologies.
If you are planning to run an agency and want to provide your client with an HTTP2 web app, SiteGround will allow you to register your customers as a user in your account. They will remove their branding giving you a complete white-label solution.
It’s premium hosting. The plans offer a limited amount of traffic and even storage is limited. Generally in shared hosting, you get unlimited storage (limited by inodes). They use their custom panel. It’s extremely easier to use for beginners. Therefore, if you’re tired of using cPanel, you can give SiteGround a try.
In case you don’t like the service, you can ask for a refund within 30 days.
Features of SiteGround
- HTTP2 and QUIC support.
- 30% faster PHP execution.
- Up to 500% faster with their premium Google Cloud infrastructure.
- Supercacher tech and Memcached for out-of-the-box caching.
- Managed PHP with support to all the tech.
- Let’s Encrypt Free SSLs.
3. InMotion hosting (US-based support)
InMotion hosting offers HTTP2 in all of their shared hosting plans. However, if you’re planning to go with VPS or a dedicated server, you will have to install it manually via WHM. For cPanel (shared hosting), you don’t need to take any steps.
They have NVMe SSDs for better speed. You will also get UltraStack Optimized Performance. This makes your website up to 20x faster depending on your chosen plan. The base plan offers 2x more speed due to UltraStack.
Their Max Speed Zones allow you to host your website in the nearest data center to increase the speed of your website. They also support PHP 8 for faster execution. You will get support for all the other technologies including Ruby, PostgreSQL, etc.
You will also get WordPress and the basic website builder to make your website.
They provide marketing tools with free advertising credits. Further, the best plan includes advanced caching and dedicated IP.
You will get unlimited bandwidth. They also provide a complete security suite with automatic backups for your websites. If you are still looking for more, they have a 90-day money-back guarantee.
InMotion Hosting has 24/7 support for all the plans. They also provide pro-level support for some of their best plans. For US-based support, InMotion tops the competition.
Features of InMotion
- Max speed zones for better speed.
- Their optimized servers make your website up to 20x faster.
- UltraStack includes Ngnix Proxy caching, and Redis caching.
- Brotli Compression for utilizing fewer resources.
- PHP-FastCGI Process Manager.
- JIT compilation.
- Zero downtime migration.
3 Best HTTP2 VPS hosting
We will now see the VPS providers. It’s great for the people who want better performance than shared hosting providers.
Here, you will have to manually activate HTTP2. In most cases, it will not be activated by default.
4. Dreamhost
Dreamhost offers managed VPS. The managed services include performance, security, as well as the latest updates. You can completely rely on the server as they offer dedicated resources. You can expand and scale your server on the go.
The HTTP/2 comes installed on the Nginx server. If you are using a custom version of Apache, you can contact the support team to activate HTTP/2. The support is incredible as well. They offer PHP 7, Pearl, Python, Ruby version manager, and support for other technologies as well.
They have many plans you can choose from. You can customize any plan as per your need. If you want more discounts in Dreamhost HTTP/2 VPS, you can simply increase the billing cycle.
They also have more options for caching and optimizing speed (by compressing images, auto-updates, and installing only essential plugins) for WordPress websites.
You will get a custom panel for managing your VPS server. If you are running an agency, you can also add sub-accounts to your VPS from the panel. As it’s a managed server, the updates are automatic. It includes OS updates and software updates.
The system takes care of security. You will also get free SSL certificates.
They also have an unmanaged server. However, it’s recommended to go with the managed server as the cost is reasonable. The code is open-source. So, their entire architecture is public. So, you can easily find out about their hardware as well.
Features of Dreamhost
- HTTP/2 support comes activated by default.
- Ngnix or Apache server.
- Phusion Passenger optimized platform.
- SSL/TLS certificates.
- 100% uptime.
5. Contabo (for small budgets)
Many people want to go with cheap HTTP/2 VPS, Contabo is right for you as it offers a high-specs server at a reasonable rate.
Unlike others, here you won’t get an auto-installation of HTTP/2. You will have to do it manually. Therefore, I only recommend Contabo for advanced developers who are looking for a high-spec server and running tight on budget. As of now, they don’t even have a proper tutorial for the installation.
Now, let’s talk about why Contabo is on our list of the best HTTP2 hosting despite manual installation. The base plan comes with 4 virtual cores and unlimited incoming traffic. They offer DevOps features. So, if you are a developer, you will love this.
The server is fully customizable. You can add SSD, NVMe, or you can even go with the HDD. In the same way, you can also add managed option to get the managed services for your hosting.
Therefore, Contabo is for you if you’re looking for more control over the configuration and you’re an advanced developer.
So, you will have to add the disk to the configuration. If you go with an annual billing term, the setup fee is removed.
Features of Contabo
- German quality hardware.
- KVM and Proxmox virtualization.
- All technologies are supported along with custom ISO for OS.
- You can add monitoring, management, backups, etc. as extra add-ons.
- 99.6% uptime.
6. Namehero
If you’re looking for fully managed cloud instances with direct support for HTTP2, Namehero offers the best VPS services. You will get complete access to the control panel as well as they offer managed services.
So, you can also manage your server on your own. As you might have guessed, you will also get root access.
It’s a cloud server. So, you can add the resources you need and pay as you go. They have NVMe storage and premium compute power as well. The HTTP2 is activated by default. In case it’s not activated for your VPS, you can head over to WHM > Easy Apache > Apache Modules.
You can enable it from there. Alternatively, you can also search for HTTP/2 in the control panel.
You will also get PHP-FPM. FPM stands for FastCGI Process Manager. It allows you to speed up the PHP. The incoming bandwidth is free. The outgoing bandwidth is limited to 10 TB.
As it’s a cloud server, it will surely cost you more. On the other hand, the performance and security are awesome. They use machine learning to proactive monitor and protect your server from threats.
Features of Namehero
- HTTP2 support.
- Premium dedicated resources.
- 24/7 support.
- Personalized security.
- Scalable cloud with flexible resources and pricing.
Managed HTTP/2 hosting
We will now see the top managed HTTP/2 hosting providers. These are managed services with cloud infrustructure. It’s great if you don’t want to manage the technical aspects of the hosting providers.
7. Cloudways
Cloudways offer a fully-managed HTTP/2 optimized server. It’s a managed service that has partnered up with other data center providers to providers including Linode, Digital Ocean, AWS, Google Cloud, and Vultr. As a customer, you can choose any of these.
If you’re looking for premium hosting, you can select AWS or Linode. On the other hand, if you want cheap HTTP/2 cloud hosting, Digital Ocean or Vultr will be the right choice for you. You will get Cloudways services in all of them. So, you can choose any of the providers you like.
You will get all the advantages of the respective data center provider. Along with this, Cloudways adds auto-healing, real-time monitoring, automatic backups, and a complete layer of security to ensure the safety of your server.
It also includes an advanced dev stack to get the best out of hosting services. You can use the tools as well as APIs to automate your cloud. You will get blazingly fast performance with faster loading times. Not to mention, you can scale up as you need.
If you are still unsure, you can try Cloudways for 3 days without giving out your credit card details.
Features of Cloudways
- HTTP/2 enabled.
- Multiple PHP versions.
- Memcached and Varnish Cache for all the plans (Object Cache Pro for most plans).
- PHP-FastCGI Process Manager enabled.
- A dedicated environment with smart assistants.
- Simple to use cloud panel with team management.
8. WPEngine (Specialized in WordPress)
If you want to host WordPress in a managed cloud environment, WPEngine offers the fastest WordPress environment ever with Http2. The majority of the fastest WordPress websites are hosted on WPEngine. The websites load in less than 200 ms.
It’s a more expensive hosting option. However, if you want the best performance, the price is worth it. The managed service covers most of the aspects of WordPress including updates, security, multiple caches, managed CDN, etc.
They use faster PHP versions pushing your website’s request per second to (up to) 3x.
The world-class infrastructure will help you in maintain proper uptime to your website. They even guarantee 99.99% SLA. WPEngine is made just for WordPress. Therefore, you will get all features you will ever need to run your CMS.
You can add geo-target, Genesis pro, smart plugin manager, etc. You can also request a SOC2 Type II report to know the user permissions and users. They provide complete code-level monitoring and insights.
It’s great if you are only planning to keep your website on WordPress. It doesn’t allow you to host any other website. You can scale up your WordPress website as much as you want. Most of the reputed brands using WordPress are using WPEngine as their host.
Features of WPEngine
- 40% increase in speed.
- Fully managed HTTP/2 WordPress hosting.
- Fastest performance for WordPress.
- Multiple data centers.
- Optimized for all Core Web Vitals metrics.
Buying guide for http/2 hosting
Let’s have a quick look at the buying guide. This will cover how you can choose the best Http2 hosting provider.
Server Configuration
At first, you need to see how HTTP/2 is installed. Most of the hosting providers have activated HTTP2 by default. You need to see if it’s manual or automated.
Thereafter, you need to see if the host is running Apache 2.4.17 or above. HTTP/2 is supported from this version. Lastly, you can also see if it has SSL certificates. Most Http2 hosting providers offer the same.
Control panel
For VPS, you need to see if it has WHM or if they have “Easy Apache”. It’s required to install mod_http2. If they don’t have any, you need to see how they allow you to install HTTP2.
Further, if you are a beginner, you can see if it’s easy to manage or not.
Customer support
Support is essential especially when you are going with performance-based hosting. You can see if they have 24/7 support. Most importantly, you need to see if they have the technical knowledge to help you with the http2 installation.
The hosting providers we mentioned are well capable of that.
Conclusion
One of the core things to keep in mind while going with HTTP/2 hosting is the performance. You don’t just need HTTP2 to speed up your website. Along with this, the server must be optimized for better speed. So, choose the server keeping these things in mind.
Here’s the final result if you had to choose the best one.
- Best Overall: Cloudways
- Best Price: InMotion Hosting
- Best for WordPress: Wpengine
FAQ
Does SiteGround use HTTP2?
Yes, SiteGround uses HTTP2 for shared hosting as well as all the other hosting services.
Does HTTP2 improve performance?
Yes, HTTP/2 is the latter version of HTTP. It gives better performance. That is the main reason for going with HTTP/2.
Web Hosting Expert, Content Writer, SEO Consultant, and Web Developer with over 10 Years of Experience.
He has a passion for technology and has spent over a decade reviewing and testing web hosting companies to provide his readers with honest and accurate reviews of the companies he had experiences with.
Tommy loves helping people and has helped hundreds of people start their own successful blogs.