throlson
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AI features changed what hosting has to survive. A site running a chatbot, an AI content pipeline, or image generation makes way more PHP and API calls than a brochure site from 2020. I host dozens of production sites, and here is how the options I actually use stack up.
What AI workloads need
Three things: fast PHP workers (8.1 or newer, generous execution limits), enough memory that API-heavy plugins do not time out, and object caching so repeat AI responses do not hammer your database. Cheap shared plans fail on all three.
My daily driver: Hostinger
Most of my portfolio runs on Hostinger. The price to performance ratio is unmatched right now: LiteSpeed servers, per-site isolation, built-in weekly backups, and a control panel that does not fight you. This site you are reading runs on it.
The premium pick: SiteGround
When a client has the budget and wants managed-level support, SiteGround is my step up. Their staging workflow and support response times are the best I have used in this price class.
The short version
Starting out or consolidating an agency portfolio: Hostinger. Established business that bills enough to not think about 20 dollars a month: SiteGround. I keep a running comparison of everything I have tested at my hosting recommendations page.
Not sure what your site needs? Get a straight answer at webguynick.com.