Hosting & Cloud · Review · Updated 16 October 2026
SiteGround reviewShared web hosting tuned for WordPress, with email, backups and CDN included
Very good
Brent score, out of 5
SiteGround is a polished, easy host for WordPress sites: daily backups, free CDN, free email and staging on the mid plan make it a complete package. The catch is the renewal price, which jumps to several times the first-year rate. It suits people who value convenience and support over the lowest long-term cost.
Price
From A$4.99/month (first year, prepaid); prices vary by region
Free option
Paid only
Best for
Small businesses wanting hosting and email in one place
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Best for
- Small businesses wanting hosting and email in one place
- WordPress beginners who want a managed, easy dashboard
- Freelancers running a handful of sites on GrowBig or GoGeek
- Sites with up to about 100,000 monthly visits
Skip it if
- Budget buyers who will stay for years at renewal prices
- Fast-growing sites that need dedicated cloud resources
- Developers who need root access
You need a website up this week: a business site, a blog, maybe a small shop. You don't want to configure servers, and you want email on your own domain without a second bill. But every hosting comparison mentions slow sites, missing backups or support that takes days.
SiteGround is a hosting company built around WordPress. Its plans include daily backups, a free CDN and free email, and the dashboard handles installs, staging and caching for you. That makes it one of the simplest ways to get a professional site live.
The important detail is pricing: the first year is cheap, and renewals are not. Here is what each plan includes and what you will pay after year one.
What is SiteGround?
SiteGround is a web hosting provider offering shared hosting plans optimised for WordPress and WooCommerce, with sites stored on premium Google Cloud storage. You buy a plan, install WordPress or another app from the Site Tools dashboard, and SiteGround handles server upkeep, caching, daily backups and the CDN. Plans differ by number of websites, storage, expected traffic and extras like staging, Git, white-label access and priority support.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Free daily backups on every plan, plus on-demand backups from GrowBig
- Free email accounts and CDN included
- Staging on GrowBig and GoGeek, plus Git on GoGeek
- Unlimited websites from GrowBig upward
- 30-day money-back guarantee
What could be better
- Renewal prices are much higher than the intro price (StartUp A$4.99 to A$26.99/month)
- Storage is tight: 10 GB on StartUp, 50 GB on GrowBig
- StartUp hosts only one website and has no staging
- Intro prices need a 12-month prepaid term
Overall
Very good
- Features4.4
- Ease of use4.5
- Value3.6
- Support4.4
Key features of SiteGround
Daily backups
Every plan includes free daily backups. GrowBig and GoGeek add on-demand backups, so you can save a copy right before a risky update.
Free email and CDN
Email accounts on your domain and a free CDN are included in all plans. That removes the extra cost of separate email hosting for many small businesses.
Staging and Git
GrowBig and GoGeek include staging copies of your site for testing changes. GoGeek adds Git integration for developers.
Google Cloud storage
Sites run on premium Google Cloud storage: 10 GB on StartUp, 50 GB on GrowBig and 100 GB on GoGeek. GrowBig also advertises 30% faster PHP.
Agency extras on GoGeek
GoGeek adds priority support, private DNS and white-label client access, which suits freelancers who hand sites to clients.
SiteGround pricing
Checked 2026-10. Prices can change; confirm on SiteGround’s site.
StartUp
A$4.99/month intro, then A$26.99/month
12 months prepaid, ex GST
- 1 website, 10 GB storage
- About 10,000 visits/month
- Daily backups, free email and CDN
GrowBig
A$7.49/month intro, then A$39.99/month
12 months prepaid, ex GST
- Unlimited websites, 50 GB storage
- About 100,000 visits/month
- Staging, on-demand backups, 30% faster PHP
GoGeek
A$12.49/month intro, then A$64.99/month
12 months prepaid, ex GST
- Unlimited websites, 100 GB storage
- 400,000+ visits/month
- Git, priority support, white-label
Watch out: Prices shown are SiteGround's Australian prices in AUD excluding GST (other regions see different prices and currencies), and the intro rate applies only to the first prepaid term before the much higher regular price applies.
See current SiteGround pricing →What people use SiteGround for
A tradie's business website with email
A plumber or electrician gets a WordPress site, a professional email address and daily backups on StartUp, with no separate email bill.
A freelancer hosting five client sites
GrowBig allows unlimited websites with staging, so a freelancer can test changes before clients see them and keep all sites in one account.
A growing WooCommerce store
GoGeek gives 100 GB of storage, on-demand backups before updates and priority support for a store that can't afford downtime.
How to get started with SiteGround
- 1
Choose a plan; GrowBig is the best fit if you have more than one site or want staging.
- 2
Register or connect your domain during checkout.
- 3
Install WordPress from Site Tools.
- 4
Create your email accounts and check that the CDN is on.
- 5
Set a reminder before renewal to review your plan and price.
SiteGround alternatives
| Product | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| SiteGround 4.2 | Small businesses wanting hosting and email in one place |
| Cloudways4.4 | Choose it if your site has outgrown shared hosting and you want a dedicated cloud server managed for you. |
| DigitalOcean4.5 | Choose it if you are technical and want a raw cloud server at a low, stable monthly price. |
| Hostinger | Choose it if the lowest possible hosting price matters more than premium support. |
SiteGround: frequently asked questions
Is SiteGround good for WordPress?+
Yes. Plans are built around WordPress, with daily backups, caching, a free CDN and staging on GrowBig and GoGeek. It is a common choice for small WordPress sites.
Why is SiteGround's renewal price so high?+
The advertised price is an intro rate for the first prepaid term. In Australia, StartUp renews at A$26.99/month, GrowBig at A$39.99/month and GoGeek at A$64.99/month, excluding GST.
Does SiteGround include email?+
Yes. Free email is included on StartUp, GrowBig and GoGeek.
Which SiteGround plan should I choose?+
StartUp suits one small site with about 10,000 monthly visits. GrowBig suits multiple sites or around 100,000 visits and adds staging. GoGeek suits stores and agencies that need more storage, Git and priority support.
Does SiteGround have a money-back guarantee?+
Yes. SiteGround offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Final verdict
Is SiteGround worth it?
If you want a WordPress site with email and backups handled for you, SiteGround is one of the easiest ways to get there. Pick GrowBig for the best balance of sites and features, launch your first site today, and use the 30-day guarantee to make sure it fits.
See SiteGround plansAffiliate link · we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by
Amjid Ali, Founder and editor
Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.
Last updated 16 October 2026 · How we review
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SiteGround 4.2
From A$4.99/month (first year, prepaid); prices vary by region