Reseller hosting allows you to start your own web hosting business without the massive investment required for servers, infrastructure, and technical expertise. By purchasing hosting resources wholesale and reselling them to your clients, you can create a profitable hosting business with minimal upfront costs.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about reseller hosting, how it works, the best providers, pricing strategies, and how to build a successful hosting business in 2025.
What is Reseller Web Hosting?
Reseller hosting is a type of web hosting where you purchase hosting resources (disk space, bandwidth, email accounts) in bulk from a hosting provider, then resell them to your own customers under your brand name.
Think of it like wholesale: you buy large quantities at a discount and sell smaller portions at retail prices.
How Reseller Hosting Works:
- You purchase a reseller hosting plan from a provider (parent host)
- Provider gives you allocated resources (e.g., 100GB storage, 1TB bandwidth)
- You create individual hosting packages from your allocation
- You sell these packages to your clients under your brand
- You manage client accounts via control panel (WHM/cPanel)
- Provider handles server maintenance, security, and infrastructure
Who Should Use Reseller Hosting?
Perfect for:
- Web designers and developers: Offer hosting to clients alongside design services
- Digital agencies: Complete website solutions (design + hosting + maintenance)
- Entrepreneurs: Start a hosting business with minimal investment
- IT consultants: Provide managed hosting as additional service
- Freelancers: Add recurring revenue stream to project-based income
- Existing businesses: Host multiple sites (yours and clients’) under one account
Not ideal for:
- Complete beginners with no web hosting knowledge
- Those unwilling to provide technical support to clients
- Anyone expecting immediate large profits without effort
Benefits of Reseller Hosting
1. Low Startup Costs
Start a hosting business for $15-30/month instead of thousands for servers.
2. Recurring Revenue
Monthly or annual hosting renewals create predictable, passive income.
3. Complete Branding Control
White-label solutions allow you to brand everything with your company name and logo.
4. No Infrastructure Management
Parent host handles servers, security, backups, and technical infrastructure.
5. Scalability
Easily upgrade as your client base grows.
6. Additional Income Stream
Supplement existing services (web design, development, marketing) with hosting.
7. Client Retention
Clients stay with you for hosting, increasing lifetime value.
8. Professional Control Panels
WHM (Web Host Manager) and cPanel make client management easy.
Best Reseller Hosting Providers in 2025
1. SiteGround Reseller Hosting – Best Overall
Starting at $60/month
SiteGround offers premium reseller hosting with excellent performance and support.
Features:
- 40GB-120GB SSD storage
- Unmetered traffic
- Free SSL certificates for all clients
- Free CDN (Cloudflare)
- Free daily backups
- WordPress auto-updates
- Staging environment
- White-label hosting
- 24/7 expert support
- Google Cloud infrastructure
Pros:
- Exceptional performance
- Excellent customer support for you AND your clients
- User-friendly interface
- Built-in caching and CDN
- Great for WordPress hosting resellers
- 99.99% uptime
Cons:
- Higher pricing than budget options
- Storage limits lower than some competitors
Best for: Agencies and professionals wanting premium hosting quality for clients
2. Hostinger Reseller Hosting – Most Affordable
Starting at $8.99/month
Hostinger offers incredibly affordable reseller hosting with good features.
Features:
- 60GB-200GB SSD storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free SSL certificates
- WHM/cPanel included
- LiteSpeed caching
- Weekly backups
- White-label options
- Free domain reseller account
Pros:
- Very affordable pricing
- Good performance with LiteSpeed
- Generous storage and bandwidth
- Easy to use
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Support not as comprehensive as SiteGround
- Fewer premium features
Best for: Beginners, budget-conscious entrepreneurs, those testing reseller hosting
3. A2 Hosting Reseller – Best Performance
Starting at $18.99/month
A2 Hosting offers Turbo servers for exceptional speed.
Features:
- 60GB-300GB SSD storage
- Up to 600GB-3000GB bandwidth
- Free SSL certificates
- Turbo servers (up to 20x faster)
- Free site migrations
- WHM/cPanel
- Free WHMCS license (higher tiers)
- Anytime money-back guarantee
Pros:
- Excellent speed (Turbo servers)
- Developer-friendly
- Anytime money-back guarantee
- Free WHMCS with higher plans
- Green hosting (carbon neutral)
Cons:
- Interface less modern
- Support response can be slow
Best for: Performance-focused resellers, developers, growing businesses
4. InMotion Hosting Reseller – Best for Agencies
Starting at $24.99/month
InMotion offers robust reseller hosting with excellent support.
Features:
- 100GB-200GB SSD storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Free SSL certificates
- Free WHMCS license
- Free dedicated IP
- Free backups
- eNom domain reseller account
- White-label nameservers
Pros:
- Excellent U.S.-based support
- Free WHMCS (billing automation)
- Solid performance
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Great for agencies
Cons:
- Data centers only in U.S.
- Higher renewal prices
Best for: U.S.-based agencies, businesses needing strong support, those wanting WHMCS included
5. Cloudways Reseller Program – Managed Cloud Reselling
Custom pricing based on usage
Cloudways offers a unique reseller program for managed cloud hosting.
Features:
- Resell managed cloud hosting (DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.)
- Custom branding
- Flexible pricing model
- Premium performance
- Built-in CDN and caching
- Staging environments
- 24/7 support
Pros:
- Premium cloud infrastructure
- Excellent performance
- Pay-as-you-grow model
- Great for WordPress resellers
- White-label dashboard
Cons:
- No traditional cPanel (uses custom panel)
- Higher pricing than traditional reseller hosting
- Requires more technical knowledge
Best for: Agencies managing WordPress sites, premium hosting resellers, tech-savvy entrepreneurs
Essential Reseller Hosting Features
1. WHM (Web Host Manager)
Your control panel for managing client accounts, creating packages, and monitoring resources.
2. cPanel Access for Clients
Each client gets cPanel for managing their own hosting (email, files, databases).
3. White-Label/Private Branding
Remove parent host branding and replace with your own company name and logo.
4. Free SSL Certificates
Essential for all websites. Ensure provider offers free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) for all client sites.
5. WHMCS or Billing Software
Automate billing, invoicing, and client management. Some hosts include WHMCS free.
6. Domain Reseller Account
Resell domain names alongside hosting through partners like eNom or ResellerClub.
7. Free Migrations
Makes it easy to move existing client sites to your reseller hosting.
8. Automated Backups
Regular backups protect client data. Daily or weekly backups are standard.
9. Resource Monitoring
Track disk space, bandwidth usage to ensure you don’t exceed limits.
10. Priority Support
Fast support for you ensures you can help clients quickly.
How to Start a Reseller Hosting Business
Step 1: Choose Your Niche
Specialize in a specific market:
- WordPress hosting for bloggers
- E-commerce hosting (WooCommerce, Shopify alternatives)
- Small business hosting
- Developer/agency hosting
- Geographic niche (local businesses in your area)
Step 2: Select Reseller Hosting Provider
Choose based on:
- Budget and pricing
- Performance and uptime
- Support quality
- Features included (WHMCS, SSL, backups)
- Scalability options
Recommendations:
- Best quality: SiteGround
- Best budget: Hostinger
- Best performance: A2 Hosting or Cloudways
Step 3: Create Your Brand
Establish your hosting company identity:
- Choose a company name
- Design logo and branding
- Register domain name
- Create professional website
- Set up business email (support@yourhosting.com)
Step 4: Create Hosting Packages
Design tiered hosting plans:
Example Package Structure:
Starter Package – $5/month:
- 1 website
- 10GB storage
- 100GB bandwidth
- 5 email accounts
- Free SSL certificate
Business Package – $12/month:
- 5 websites
- 25GB storage
- 250GB bandwidth
- 25 email accounts
- Free SSL certificate
- Daily backups
Professional Package – $25/month:
- Unlimited websites
- 50GB storage
- 500GB bandwidth
- Unlimited email
- Free SSL certificate
- Daily backups
- Priority support
Step 5: Set Up Billing System
Use WHMCS or alternatives:
- WHMCS: Industry standard, $18.95/month
- HostBill: WHMCS alternative, $24.95/month
- Blesta: One-time payment option, $250
- ClientExec: Budget-friendly, $14.95/month
Billing software automates:
- Invoice generation and sending
- Payment collection (credit cards, PayPal)
- Account provisioning
- Suspension for non-payment
- Support ticket system
Step 6: Set Up Payment Processing
Accept payments via:
- PayPal Business Account
- Stripe (credit card processing)
- Square
- 2Checkout (international)
Step 7: Create Support System
Provide customer support through:
- Email support (support@yourhosting.com)
- Support ticket system (via WHMCS)
- Knowledge base/FAQ section
- Live chat (optional – Tawk.to free, LiveChat premium)
Step 8: Market Your Hosting Business
Marketing strategies:
- Existing clients: Offer hosting to web design/development clients
- Content marketing: Blog about web hosting, WordPress, website tips
- SEO: Rank for “web hosting [your city]” or niche keywords
- Local advertising: Target small businesses in your area
- Referral program: Reward clients for referrals
- Social media: Share tips, promote packages
- Partnerships: Partner with web designers who don’t offer hosting
- Google Ads/Facebook Ads: Paid advertising (be careful with costs)
Pricing Your Hosting Packages
Pricing Strategy:
Calculate your costs:
- Reseller hosting plan: $20/month
- WHMCS billing: $19/month
- Domain name: $12/year ($1/month)
- Total monthly cost: $40
Set profit margins:
Aim for 60-80% profit margin after costs.
Example calculation:
- Starter plan: $5/month (8 clients needed to break even)
- Business plan: $12/month (4 clients to break even)
- Professional: $25/month (2 clients to break even)
With 20 clients (mix of plans) averaging $10/month = $200/month revenue – $40 costs = $160 profit
Pricing Tips:
- Research competitor pricing in your niche
- Don’t compete on price alone – focus on service quality
- Offer annual discounts (10-20% off) for upfront payment
- Bundle services (web design + hosting + maintenance)
- Charge setup fees for complex migrations
Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Challenge 1: Technical Support
Solution:
- Learn basics of cPanel, WordPress, email configuration
- Create knowledge base for common issues
- Escalate complex issues to parent host support
- Set clear support boundaries (e.g., hosting issues only, not website design)
Challenge 2: Resource Management
Solution:
- Monitor resource usage via WHM
- Set package limits conservatively
- Upgrade reseller plan before hitting limits
- Address resource-heavy clients individually
Challenge 3: Client Acquisition
Solution:
- Start with existing client base
- Offer introductory discounts
- Provide exceptional service for referrals
- Focus on niche marketing
Challenge 4: Competition
Solution:
- Differentiate through superior support
- Specialize in niche markets
- Offer bundled services (hosting + maintenance)
- Build long-term relationships
Reseller Hosting vs VPS vs Dedicated
Reseller Hosting:
- Cost: $10-60/month
- Best for: Small-medium hosting businesses, agencies
- Management: Easy, no server knowledge needed
- Scalability: Limited to reseller plan resources
VPS Hosting:
- Cost: $20-100/month
- Best for: Growing businesses needing dedicated resources
- Management: Requires technical knowledge
- Scalability: Highly scalable
Dedicated Server:
- Cost: $100-500+/month
- Best for: Large hosting businesses, high-traffic sites
- Management: Requires expert knowledge
- Scalability: Maximum resources
Recommendation: Start with reseller hosting, upgrade to VPS when you have 50+ clients or need more control.
Conclusion: Start Your Hosting Business Today
Reseller hosting offers an accessible path to starting a web hosting business with minimal investment. By choosing the right provider, creating competitive packages, and providing excellent support, you can build a profitable recurring revenue business.
Quick Start Checklist:
- Choose reseller host (SiteGround for quality, Hostinger for budget)
- Create hosting packages
- Set up billing (WHMCS)
- Build professional website
- Market to existing clients first
- Provide excellent support
- Scale as you grow
Success in reseller hosting comes from providing value beyond just hosting – offer exceptional support, reliable uptime, and become a trusted technology partner for your clients.
Ready to start your hosting business? Begin with a reliable provider like SiteGround or Hostinger and build your hosting empire today!
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