January 29

Best Anonymous Hosting 2024: Reviews and Rankings of Top Providers

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There may be varied reasons why you want to stay anonymous online. These could be anything from avoiding political persecution and evading stalkers to establishing an adult website and running a black hat hacking forum. Regardless, there are web hosts that offer anonymous hosting but first, let’s make the important distinction between anonymous hosting and offshore hosting, as they are often confused with one another.

Anonymous vs. off-shore hosting

Anonymous hosting is purpose-built to obfuscate your identity. Basically, you are not required to register with your actual name or mailing/physical address. The web hosts allow you to pay through means that cannot be used to unmask or trace your identity, such as cryptocurrencies for example. Anonymous hosting is a spectrum, with its most basic aspect being domain privacy. Domain privacy hides your personal data from DNS listings. 

More advanced forms of anonymous hosting go further by not requiring you to provide this data in the first place. That’s because, in certain jurisdictions, governments can compel web hosts to disclose your personal information despite your signing up for domain privacy. Your data may also become public if the web host experiences a data leak

Off-shore hosting occurs when your website is hosted on servers outside your country of residence. If you consider that the data centers of the world’s leading web hosts are located in about one or two dozen countries, off-shore hosting is a common occurrence and often the default albeit unintentionally. 

In practice, however, the term off-shore hosting is applied when someone is actively looking to have their website hosted outside their country for a specific reason. Often, it’s for privacy, free speech, freedom from persecution, or tax avoidance. In this sense, the reasons for intentional off-shore hosting are similar to those for anonymous hosting.

Top 3 anonymous web hosting providers shortlist

Hostinger

Hostinger is number one for free SSL certificates, accepting cryptocurrency, a location-diverse data center network, and weekly automated backups.

HostGator

HostGator is second best for the free SSL certificates as well as the non-disclosure of non-US data center locations. All plans include unmetered bandwidth, unmetered storage, and unlimited email accounts.

Hostwinds

Hostwinds takes third place for its free SSL certificates, nightly backups, and cryptocurrency payment options. All plans include unmetered bandwidth, unlimited disk space, unlimited email accounts, unlimited databases, and free dedicated IP.

The best anonymous hosting brands on the market

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Hostinger

Hostinger

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Weekly automated backups;
9.6
Visit Hostinger
Hostgator

Hostgator

  • Regular automatic backups;
  • Unmetered bandwidth;
  • Unmetered storage.
9.5
Visit Hostgator
Hostwinds

Hostwinds

  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Nightly backups;
  • Domain privacy protection on request.
9.5
Visit Hostwinds
AccuWeb Hosting

AccuWeb Hosting

  • Free daily backups;
  • Domain privacy protection on request;
  • All plans are fully managed.
9.4
Visit AccuWeb
DreamHost

DreamHost

  • Automated daily backups;
  • Free domain privacy;
  • Phone support callbacks.
9.4
Visit DreamHost
Namecheap

Namecheap

  • Domain privacy protection;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Low-cost entry-level plan.
9.2
Visit Namecheap
ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Automated daily backups;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.
9.2
Visit ScalaHosting
Shinjiru

Shinjiru

  • Offshore hosting specialist;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.
9.2
Visit Shinjiru

1. Hostinger

We ranked Hostinger number one not only because it accepts cryptocurrency payments but also because it has one of the most location-diverse data center networks with data centers on four continents. So if you are looking for anonymous off-shore hosting, it checks all the right boxes. The company has 10 data centers spread across Europe (Lithuania, Netherlands, UK), Asia (India, Singapore), North America (US), and South America (Brazil).

All anonymous hosting plans include free SSL certificates, weekly backups, and access to CloudFlare CDN. Its entry-level plan comes with 50 GB SSD storage space, one website, one email account, and two databases. Hostinger’s proprietary control panel is exclusively designed with ease of use in mind.

Customers get 24/7 support via live chat. Hostinger has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • 10 data centers in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America;
  • Weekly automated backups;
  • Extensive knowledge base.

Cons

  • Support through live chat only;
  • Daily backups not available for Single plan or Premium plan.

Payment plans

  • Single ($9.99 monthly) - 100 GB bandwidth, 50 GB SSD storage, one website, one email account, and two databases;
  • Premium ($12.49 monthly) - Single plan features except has unmetered bandwidth, 100 GB SSD storage, 100 websites, 100 email accounts, unlimited databases;
  • Business ($16.99 monthly) - Premium plan features except has 200 GB SSD storage.

UpTime

99.9 percent.

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage. SSD storage is between 3 to 15 times quicker than HDD;
  • Custom-built caching solution for quicker speeds and load times.

2. Hostgator

HostGator is our number two pick for anonymous hosting as their offer includes free SSL certificates, unmetered bandwidth, unmetered storage, and unlimited email accounts for all plans. The entry-level plan comes with one website, one email account, two databases, and access to CloudFlare CDN. You get digital advertising credits as well, which is a welcome sign-up bonus.

The company has data centers in the US (Atlanta and Provo) and in other unspecified locations. The non-disclosure of non-US server locations is certainly a plus for customer anonymity. HostGator’s customers have access to 24/7 support via phone, live chat, and social media. The company provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Data centers in the US (Atlanta and Provo) and in other unspecified locations;
  • Regular automatic backups;
  • Unmetered bandwidth;
  • Unmetered storage.

Cons

  • Does not accept cryptocurrency;
  • Backup frequency not guaranteed unless paid for separately.

Payment plans

  • Hatchling ($11.95 monthly) - Unmetered bandwidth, unmetered storage space, one website, unlimited email accounts, two databases, regular automatic backups;
  • Baby ($12.95 monthly) - Hatchling plan features, except it has unlimited websites;
  • Business ($17.95 monthly) - Baby plan features except it has free SSL upgrade, dedicated IP and SEO tools.

UpTime

99.9 percent;

Speed

3. Hostwinds

Hostwinds takes third place for its unmetered bandwidth and unmetered disk space that complements the free SSL certificates. The company accepts cryptocurrency payments and has three data centers split between the US (Seattle, Dallas) and Europe (Netherlands). 

All Hostwinds anonymous hosting plans also include unlimited email accounts, unlimited databases, unlimited FTP accounts, and free website migration. The entry-level plan (Basic) allows just one domain.

The company does not have a money-back guarantee though you can request a refund on any payment within 72 hours of the transaction. Hostwinds provides 24/7 support through live chat, email, and support tickets. You can choose the location of the data center for your website.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Data centers in the US and Europe;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Nightly backups;
  • Domain privacy protection on request

Cons

  • No money-back guarantee.

Payment plans

  • Basic ($5.24 for the first month ($6.99 monthly from the second month though subscription tenure is unclear)) — Unmetered bandwidth, unlimited disk space, one domain, unlimited databases, unlimited email accounts, unlimited FTP accounts, free dedicated IP;
  • Advanced ($6.74 for the first month ($8.99 monthly from the second month though subscription tenure is unclear)) — Basic plan features, except it has four domains;
  • Ultimate ($8.24 for the first month ($10.99 monthly from the second month though subscription tenure is unclear)) — Advanced plan features, except it has unlimited domains.

UpTime

99.9999 percent.

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage;
  • Unmetered bandwidth

4. AccuWeb Hosting

We ranked AccuWeb Hosting fourth primarily for the large number and diverse locations of its anonymous hosting data centers. The company has more than a dozen data centers spread across Europe (France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, UK), Asia (India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea), North America (Canada, US), Australia, and Africa (South Africa).

Its entry-level anonymous hosting plan comes with one website, 50 GB SSD storage space, 750 GB monthly bandwidth, and 150 email accounts. All AccuWeb Hosting’s plans include free SSL, free daily backups, free spam filter, free website migration, enterprise-level technical support, as well as LiteSpeed web server.

Customers get 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email. AccuWeb Hosting provides a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 99.9999 percent uptime commitment.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Free daily backups;
  • Domain privacy protection on request;
  • More than a dozen data centers spread across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and Africa;
  • All plans are fully managed.

Cons

  • None of its anonymous hosting plans include unmetered bandwidth, unlimited emails, or unmetered storage;
  • No longer accepts cryptocurrency.

Payment plans

  • Basic ++ ($4.99 monthly ($8.99 from the second month));
  • Premium ++ ($8.99 monthly ($14.99 from the second month));
  • Enterprise Pro ++ ($10.99 monthly ($18.99 from the second month)).

UpTime

99.9 percent.

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage;
  • LiteSpeed web server technology;
  • 1 Gbps port connection on all servers

5. DreamHost

DreamHost is a veteran player in the industry with 25 years of hosting experience under their team’s belt. We ranked the company fifth best for anonymous hosting due to its free domain privacy, free SSL certificates, and automated backups. Also, all anonymous hosting plans include SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth. 

These features are in line with DreamHost’s overarching vision and mission to help its customers own and control their digital presence. Their entry-level anonymous hosting plan comes with one website, 50 GB of web storage space, and six databases.

Customers get 24/7 support via live chat, ticket, and email. Phone support callbacks are available as well. The company has an expansive knowledge base that benefits from its extensive industry experience. DreamHost has a bold 97-day money-back guarantee and a 100 percent uptime commitment. It has two data centers, both based in the US.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificate;
  • Automated daily backups;
  • Free domain privacy;
  • Unmetered bandwidth;
  • Phone support callbacks.

Cons

  • Does not accept cryptocurrency;
  • Only US-based data centers;
  • Against convention, no free email accounts for the entry-level plan. Must be purchased separately.

Payment plans

  • Shared Starter ($4.95 monthly (renews at $7.99 after the introductory period);
  • Shared Unlimited ($8.95 monthly (renews at $13.99)).

Up Time

100 percent.

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.

6. Namecheap

Namecheap was one of the first web hosts to accept cryptocurrency payments. Still, that is not the only reason we placed the company in sixth place among the best anonymous hosting providers. 

All of its anonymous hosting plans include unmetered bandwidth, domain privacy protection, free SSL certificates, and free access to Supersonic CDN. Namecheap’s entry-level plan comes with 20 GB SSD storage, three websites, 30 email accounts, and 50 databases.

Customers have access to 24/7 support via live chat and help desk tickets. Namecheap has data centers in the US and Europe. Anonymous hosting on the European data centers is about 20 percent more expensive than if you opt for the US-based ones. 

The company has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Namecheap is one of the few web hosts that commit to 100 percent uptime.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Domain privacy protection;
  • Data centers in the US and Europe;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Low-cost entry-level plan.

Cons

  • Does not accept cryptocurrency;
  • 12-month minimum billing cycle, unlike most web hosts who offer a monthly billing option.

Payment plans

  • Stellar ($4.48 monthly);
  • Stellar Plus ($6.48 monthly);
  • Stellar Business ($9.48 monthly).

UpTime

100 percent.

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage;
  • Unmetered bandwidth;
  • Apache/LiteSpeed web server technology.

7. ScalaHosting

In business for more than two decades, ScalaHosting has been ranked seventh for its raft of privacy-friendly features. All anonymous hosting plans include unmetered bandwidth, free SSL certificates, free access to CloudFlare CDN, unlimited emails, unlimited databases, and automated daily backups retained for at least seven days. Its entry-level plan comes with one website and 50 GB SSD storage.

Customers have access to 24/7 support via live chat, email, and help desk tickets. The company has data centers in the US (Dallas and New York) and Europe (Bulgaria). ScalaHosting also has access to DigitalOcean data centers in North America (San Francisco and Toronto), Asia (Singapore and India), and Europe (UK, Germany, and the Netherlands).

ScalaHosting has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  Pros

  • Free SSL certificates;
  • Automated daily backups;
  • Data centers in the US and Europe as well as access to DigitalOcean network of data centers;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.

Cons

  • Does not accept cryptocurrency;
  • 12-month minimum billing cycle, unlike most web hosts who offer a monthly billing option.

Payment plans

  • Mini ($6.95 monthly (renews at $9.95 after the introductory period));
  • Start ($8.95 monthly (renews at $11.95));
  • Advanced ($11.95 monthly (renews at $15.95)).

UpTime

99.9 percent

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.

8. Shinjiru

Shinjiru rounds out our top eight anonymous hosting providers. The fact that they are last on this list by no means takes the shine away from this web host provider that has been a leader in anonymous hosting for over 20 years. Unlike the top seven, Shinjiru is the only one that has gained a reputation as an offshore hosting specialist. 

It makes our best eight list thanks to the company’s central mission of protecting customer and user privacy. Shinjiru runs an in-house 100 Gbps anti-DDoS attack network though this is not included in the plans — you have to pay for it separately.

All anonymous hosting plans are covered by automatic backups and unmetered bandwidth. The entry-level plan includes 100 GB SSD storage, one website, one database, and ten email accounts.

Customers get access to 24/7 support through help desk tickets, live chat, and phone calls. Shinjiru has eight offshore locations spread across Europe (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Russia) and Asia (Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore).

  Pros

  • Offshore hosting specialist;
  • Data centers in Europe and Asia;
  • Accepts cryptocurrency;
  • Automatic back-ups;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.

Cons

  • Plans exclude DDoS protection by default. It must be purchased separately;
  • No free SSL certificates, unlike the majority of leading web hosts;
  • No data centers in North America.

Payment plans

  • Linux Basic ($9.95 monthly);
  • Linux Superior ($12.95 monthly);
  • Linux Ultimate ($14.95 monthly).

UpTime

99.9 percent.

Speed

  • Uses SSD storage;
  • LiteSpeed web server technology;
  • Unmetered bandwidth.

Anonymous hosting FAQ

How to go about picking the best anonymous website hosting?

Start by identifying your primary reasons for seeking anonymous web hosting. Armed with this information, evaluate web hosts to identify the one that provides the best value proposition and has the anonymity strengths you would consider the highest priority.

Are anonymous hosting solutions reliable?

As with any hosting product, reliability varies from one web host to the next. Still, the eight we have covered here stand out for the reliability of their anonymous hosting solutions.

What’s the lowest cost that I can pay to get this service?

True to its name, Namecheap has the lowest cost entry-level anonymous hosting plan at $4.48 monthly.

Who and why get anonymous hosting?

Other than just wanting to maintain your personal privacy, there may be varied reasons why you want to stay anonymous online. These could be anything from avoiding political persecution and evading stalkers to establishing an adult website and running a black hat hacking forum.

Conclusion

Anonymous hosting plans are a spectrum. The most suitable web host and plan will depend on what your reasons are for seeking anonymous web hosting. This review does the difficult groundwork for you so you have a shortlist you can more easily work through to find the most appropriate anonymous host provider and plan for you.


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