No matter whether you search on Google or Bing, you will find many articles comparing, recommending, and evaluating the best web hosting providers. These articles usually list numerous hosting companies, briefly introduce them, and systematically outline their pros and cons, leaving the choice up to you.
Based on these descriptions, it seems that every web hosting provider is excellent and the best choice.
To be honest, such articles cannot truly help those who are comparing and selecting web hosting providers. These review articles provide users with too many options and lack specific recommendations. Moreover, many of the evaluations may not be entirely objective.
In reality, many authors of such articles have not actually used the products themselves; they simply compile the content for the sake of traffic and other purposes.
Additionally, there are always people promoting hosting providers that may not perform well, and those familiar with web hosting reasons are aware of the underlying factors, which need not be elaborated upon.
This article provides a simple evaluation of various website hosting server providers based on my personal experience and subjective impressions. It concludes with some recommendations for individuals or businesses looking to choose a hosting server for their websites.
Firstly, I would like to state that this article reflects purely my subjective perspective, and I apologize if it offends anyone.
Preliminary Remarks
1.There is no perfect virtual hosting service in this world.
In my view, virtual hosting belongs to the low-end category of web hosting and is a heavily stripped-down product. There are significant differences in products and services among different providers.
For example, regarding the storage devices used in hosting products, many virtual hosting services still use SATA SSDs, despite the fact that many new virtual hosting providers have switched to NVMe.
If you have requirements for fast disk file reading speeds, undoubtedly, you should choose NVMe interfaces.
Many other differences arise from aspects such as user control panels, data center locations, network connections, pricing, sales strategies, technical support, and customer service levels.
Of course, expectations for the performance of virtual hosting should not be too high since it is just virtual hosting. However, if you are only building a regular corporate website, virtual hosting is sufficient.
After all, during the first few years of my startup, I also used virtual hosting. My thinking was simple: since the daily traffic to the website was not significant, with only a few dozen visitors per day, it was far from the traffic of any well-known blog. Even those well-known blog websites still use virtual hosting, so why should I spend more money on something better? Do you need a sledgehammer to kill a chicken?
2.Even hosting service providers with currently acceptable reputations may undergo dynamic changes over time.
The market is constantly changing, competition is intensifying, and sales goals, pricing strategies, company organizational structures, actual profit performance, product development efforts, customer support, and service capabilities of providers may all change.
Therefore, a service provider that currently seems to have a good reputation may not necessarily maintain that reputation in the long run.
I hope everyone can approach this issue rationally.
3.Don’t rely solely on speed tests
If you choose virtual hosting based solely on speed tests, you are likely to fall into a pitfall.
4.Dedicated IP is no necessary for beginner
Beginners who are building websites with virtual hosting generally do not need to consider purchasing a dedicated IP. After all, in the initial stages, there is no need for a dedicated IP.
5.Regarding the selection of hosting for B2C sites
If you are building an independent B2C website (WordPress+WooCommerce) or a B2B corporate website with a retail store (i.e., B2B+B2C), it is recommended not to choose virtual hosting but rather opt for managed cloud VPS hosting. This recommendation is based on three considerations: performance, the need for a dedicated IP for online payment gateways, and pricing.
Note: If you are using Shopify or Wix to build an online B2C website in English, these platforms provide tools for website creation, so you don’t need to consider these factors.
However, if you are using the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress to build an online retail B2C website, I advise you to completely abandon the idea of using virtual hosting.
The WooCommerce plugin itself is relatively bulky, and if you also consider using feature-rich WordPress themes or page editors for website creation, both methods will consume a significant amount of server resources, resulting in very slow website speed.
Considering all these factors, if you want virtual hosting to run fast and stable, you should at least choose a high-end package.
However, the price of high-end virtual hosting packages is not as cost-effective as using a VPS or managed cloud VPS hosting. With the same price, you can get higher performance and stronger capabilities. After all, virtual hosting is shared hosting and its resources are limited.
Additionally, payment gateways typically require the use of a dedicated IP due to the involvement of transactions and sensitive user data. Shared IP addresses commonly used in virtual hosting are usually not suitable for configuring payment gateways for online stores.
On the other hand, if a virtual hosting plan includes the option to purchase a dedicated IP, the cost becomes higher compared to a cloud VPS, approaching the cost of a managed cloud VPS server. Therefore, it is more practical to directly choose a managed cloud VPS.
A suitable choice is Cloudways. For more specific information, I will write another article to provide a detailed introduction to Cloudways.
6.Focus on the annual renewal fees
Many virtual hosting packages include one year of free domain registration, but the subsequent annual renewal fees are expensive, typically ranging from ten to twenty US dollars per year.
The cost is not the main factor; the main concern is that if you no longer use the web hosting service provider, you will need to transfer the domain out, which can be inconvenient and troublesome to manage.
Therefore, it is not recommended to use the one-year free domain registration service offered by hosting providers.
For domain registration, Namecheap and Namesilo are recommended options. Additionally, Cloudflare has also introduced domain registration services. Users who utilize Cloudflare’s free CDN can consider registering their domain with them.
7.Prepare credit card or PayPal
To purchase web hosting or cloud servers, it is usually necessary to have a US dollar credit card or PayPal account.
8.In this article, the term “web hosting” is a general term
In this article, the term “web hosting” is a general term that includes shared virtual hosting, managed WordPress hosting (dedicated), unmanaged and managed cloud VPS servers, and even dedicated servers. Alternatively referred to as dedicated servers.
If the term “web hosting” cannot be used as a general term, it becomes cumbersome to continually refer to web hosting and VPS servers separately. Additionally, due to the considerably high cost of dedicated servers, they are generally not involved in website hosting and therefore are not discussed here.
Of course, the vast majority of the reviews in this article are based on shared virtual hosting, which I will also explain in the specific reviews.
The number of websites included in virtual hosting packages
The number of websites included in virtual hosting packages varies among different providers. Typically, the basic package allows for hosting only one website, while higher-priced packages often offer unlimited website hosting or a specific number, such as 100 websites.
However, these numbers can be misleading and should not be interpreted as the maximum number of websites that can run simultaneously.
In reality, the resources allocated to a user account on a virtual hosting server are limited, making it challenging to ensure the smooth operation of multiple websites.
Even if you only plan to host a single website, it is advisable not to choose the most basic package, as it may have limited memory capacity due to resource sharing.
Virtual hosting has its limitations, regardless of how it is advertised or marketed. Performance is always subject to bottlenecks, such as handling multiple website visits, CPU rendering for page loading and editor usage, memory consumption, and database I/O operations.
The Different Types of Website Hosting Servers
You can refer to the article I wrote:Types Of Web Hosting And How To Choose The Right Plan
Now let’s take a look at different types of hosting servers:
- Well-regarded hosting providers with good reputation and performance:
- SiteGround
- ChemiCloud
- FastComet
- Cloudways (Managed Cloud VPS Hosting)
- Kinsta (Managed WordPress Hosting)
- WP Engine (Managed WordPress Hosting)
- Flywheel (Managed WordPress Hosting)
- Linode (Cloud VPS Hosting)
- Digital Ocean
- Vultr
- Hosting providers with average performance:
- ScalaHosting
- GreenGeeks (Backup functionality may be lacking)
- Hosting providers with mixed or poor reputation and performance:
- Hostinger
- NameHero
- DreamHost
- Bluehost
- HostGator
- iPage
- Arvixe
- JustHost
- A2 Hosting
- GoDaddy
- NameCheap
- InMotion Hosting
- LiquidWeb (Nexcess)
- IONOS
Please note that this is a subjective evaluation based on personal experiences, and it does not include detailed performance testing data.
SiteGround
SiteGround is the best virtual hosting for beginners to create a website. It has a highly reputable customer service in the hosting industry. I have tried many virtual hosting providers, but SiteGround is the one with the best quality assurance.
SiteGround offers several features such as daily backups, website migration, free SSL certificate (supporting wildcard domains), and temporary staging for testing websites.
However, it has a drawback of higher renewal prices, and the initial purchase discount period is relatively short. The total cost of buying two years upfront is the same as buying one year and renewing for another year. Therefore, purchasing one year is the most cost-effective option.
So, buying one year is also fine. You can use this year to familiarize yourself with the website creation process and become acquainted with WordPress backend operations. One year is enough time to build a website using hosting.
Once your website is established, if you don’t anticipate frequent changes and your server expires and requires renewal at the regular price, you have a few options:
1.Renew at the regular price and spend money for peace of mind.
Drawback: It costs more than the initial purchase, and many people struggle with this decision. However, if you can accept an annual cost of $150-200 for your main website hosting expenses, then it’s not a problem.However, it’s worth noting that the hosting fee is only a part of the annual expenses for a website. Apart from hosting, you may also need to budget for premium themes or necessary paid plugins that you may be interested in. So, the specific choice depends on your budget.
2.Switch to other quality alternative virtual hosting providers and migrate the website.
For example: ChemiCloud or FastComet, both offer a three-year initial purchase discount period, outstanding performance, and prices below $4 per month. Each provider will be introduced in detail below.You will also need to migrate your website from SiteGround to the new hosting space. You can use website migration plugins for this purpose, as there are many such WordPress plugins available now, and they are relatively easy to use.
3.Switch to managed cloud servers and migrate the website.
Such as Cloudways. The advantage of managed cloud VPS hosting is that even users without extensive technical backgrounds can build websites using the user dashboard, as many features are preconfigured.This option is suitable for website creators who prioritize high-performance experiences or users who are already familiar with virtual hosting and want to enhance their website’s performance.
4.Use fully managed WordPress hosting.
Such as Kinsta. This is the best choice for users who want a hassle-free experience and are not concerned about the cost. The service also includes website migration.
Of course, SiteGround virtual hosting also has some drawbacks. For example, some users have reported the following:
Slow server TTFB (Time To First Byte).
TTFB refers to the time it takes for the server to respond with the first byte of data.
Many people worry about slow website speed, but TTFB is just one aspect of webpage loading. In this aspect, SiteGround may indeed have slightly slower TTFB compared to other mainstream hosting providers, but it is faster than other providers in terms of overall webpage loading speed.
Falling behind in one aspect does not necessarily mean falling behind in overall performance.Moreover, based on my recent tests, SiteGround has made significant improvements in addressing the slow TTFB issue.
CPU usage limitations.
I genuinely understand the service provider in this regard because, after all, it is a virtual hosting, and resources are shared. If you constantly use high CPU-consuming software, can other users tolerate it?
If you genuinely need higher CPU configuration and performance, virtual hosting is not suitable for you. Instead, consider cloud VPS servers or managed cloud servers.
When I just graduated from college, I rented a house with a stranger, and we had a 1 Mbps broadband connection. That roommate often used BT software to download movies and TV shows or watch online videos. Every time he used such P2P network tools, my internet speed would become extremely slow.
Later, I explained the issue to him, but he completely disregarded it and did not cooperate. Helpless, I decided to leverage my technical advantage and installed a LAN management tool that limited his internet speed to 512KB. Only then did I resolve the issue of normal internet usage. Later, I set it to lift the speed restriction during periods when I didn’t need to use the internet.
The same situation applies to virtual hosting. If your website is hacked, and malware is planted to continuously consume server resources for cryptocurrency mining, or if there is a security vulnerability on your website that hackers are exploiting and attacking, it may seriously affect the security and stability of other users’ websites. Will the hosting provider turn a blind eye to this situation?
I initially used Bandwagonhost’s cloud server. I have also encountered numerous attacks on Vultr in the past, with the most severe ones using specialized attack tools that launch high-frequency search requests as brute force attacks, resulting in the CPU usage skyrocketing to 100% and completely paralyzing the website.
When my website was under attack, Bandwagonhost directly suspended access to my website, which meant I had to restart and open the website, which was a bit troublesome.
So I implemented some technical measures and set up alerts for CPU usage reaching 70%. Once I received a text message alert, I immediately implemented measures to block and limit search frequency, which solved this type of attack problem.
I understand why Bandwagonhost and other shared hosting providers implement such restrictions. After all, they are shared hosting services, and not intervening in abnormal situations like these could potentially affect other users.
Moreover, after intervention, their customer service and technical staff collaborate to investigate and resolve issues, so personally I don’t see any problem with this.
However, to keep my website running smoothly, I migrated my main website from Bandwagonhost to Digital Ocean.
Price increases and higher renewal fees.
Regarding SiteGround, it has had a couple of price increases, in 2018 and 2020. Previously, they offered a maximum three-year initial purchase discount period, but now they only offer a one-year discount.
Additionally, buying two years upfront is not the most cost-effective option, as the total cost ends up being the same as buying one year and renewing for another year. This reduction in discounts is quite apparent.
After the first year, the renewal is at the regular price, which is around 4-5 times higher, a significant increase. Many existing customers consider exploring alternative hosting providers or upgrading to managed cloud VPS when renewing.
Furthermore, SiteGround used to provide free professional website migration services (which was somewhat inspired by managed WordPress hosting services).
However, now they offer a free website migration WordPress plugin and have discontinued the free manual professional website migration service.
If needed, you can request a website migration through a support ticket, which costs $30 per migration.
To be honest, there are many free WordPress website migration plugins available now, so in this aspect, the offerings of their virtual hosting packages have been reduced.
SiteGround has also discontinued services for users from certain countries and regions, such as India, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Philippines.
SG Optimizer performance doesn’t meet expectations.
SG Optimizer, their website caching and acceleration tool developed in-house, has some overlapping features with WP Rocket and other caching plugins. Many caching plugins have similar functionalities, such as WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, Autoptimize, and WP Fastest Cache.
The most valuable features of SG Optimizer are dynamic caching and Memcached caching, but it doesn’t optimize many core web vitals.
Core web vitals are a set of web page factors introduced by Google in 2021 that enhance user experience and are beneficial for SEO.
SG Optimizer doesn’t delve deep into optimizing these aspects, while professional caching plugins like WP Rocket offer such optimization features.
In summary, it’s best to use WP Rocket for website acceleration with any virtual hosting.
When using SiteGround virtual hosting, you can enable the caching feature of SG Optimizer (enable dynamic caching and Memcached caching) and disable all other features, leaving them to be handled by WP Rocket.
This will significantly improve website speed.
To summarize in one sentence: SiteGround is above average in terms of virtual hosting products, but its strength lies in its excellent customer support and service.
ChemiCloud
ChemiCloud, founded in 2018, has swiftly established itself as a rising star in the hosting industry. With its stellar performance in various aspects, it offers users a remarkable experience, boasting powerful configurations.
ChemiCloud’s virtual hosting is built on the Linode cloud platform, and all hosting packages utilize the impressive LiteSpeed. Personally, I have hosted one of my blog website on ChemiCloud and found it to be stable and exceptionally fast. The configurations surpass those of other hosting providers, especially in terms of memory. It seamlessly integrates with plugins like Elementor Pro and various others.
Although ChemiCloud’s prices may be slightly higher compared to Hostinger or Dreamhost, they are certainly more economical than SiteGround. Notably, when it comes to renewal, ChemiCloud generously offers discounted prices (not the original ones).
During last year’s Black Friday, they provided a renewal discount of 35% off. This is a rarity, as most hosting providers do not offer additional discounts for renewals.
ChemiCloud employs LiteSpeed for its web servers, ensuring swift speed and receiving positive feedback from users.
They utilize the cPanel control panel and provide a 45-day money-back guarantee, prioritizing customer satisfaction. It presents an excellent choice for beginners seeking to build and refine their website-building skills.
They have established seven data centers worldwide, strategically located in New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Bucharest (Romania), Mumbai (India), London, and Singapore.
Impressively, ChemiCloud’s website speed test results classify it among the hosts with fast speed and exceptional cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, all virtual hosting plans offer the option to add a dedicated IP for a mere $3 per month (although a dedicated IP is not always essential for website hosting, it can be added if necessary).
ChemiCloud also shines in its customer payment services. Their youthful customer service team provides commendable support, unlike NameHero, which I will discuss below, and exhibits a genuine commitment to their customers.
Note: There is no need to select the Rapid SSL certificate service during the purchase process, as the hosting plans already include a free Let’s Encrypt certificate.
However, if you are running a cross-border e-commerce store or building a brand-specific website, you might consider purchasing a paid Rapid SSL certificate for branding purposes. Nevertheless, in the initial stages of website development, these options are usually unnecessary unless one is particularly concerned about using a free SSL certificate for a branded website.
Scanning services and SEO tools do not require separate purchases. From my perspective, these additional services often end up costing more than the hosting itself and are unnecessary expenses.
When you add up the costs of all these supplementary services, it becomes nearly comparable to purchasing managed WordPress hosting from Kinsta. So why not simply opt for Kinsta directly? If security is a concern, take appropriate security measures. If you desire SEO, rely on popular and robust WordPress plugins.
ChemiCloud boasts an impressive Trustpilot rating of 4.9 out of 5, based on 440 user reviews.
In summary, ChemiCloud proves to be a viable alternative to SiteGround hosting. For those seeking to save costs, it offers a more economical solution than SiteGround, with an enticing three-year initial purchase discount. This makes it a suitable option for those contemplating a switch from SiteGround due to expensive renewals.
FastComet
I have been utilizing FastComet as an alternative to SiteGround for nearly six months, and I must say, it has been quite satisfactory.
FastComet presents affordable hosting plans, ranging from $1.99/month to $3.99/month. I opted for their highest-tier plan, the FastCloud Extra, which comes at a price of $3.99/month. This cost is comparable to the low-cost hosting plans BlueHost used to offer several years back during their ambitious expansion. It is worth noting that regardless of the chosen billing cycle, whether it be a one-year or three-year commitment, the price remains consistent at $3.99/month—an appealing feature indeed.
In terms of specifications, both FastComet and ChemiCloud offer superior configurations compared to SiteGround and Hostinger, particularly regarding memory. For instance, the entry-level FastCloud plan provides 2 CPU cores and 2 GB of RAM, while the top-tier FastCloud Extra plan boasts 6 CPU cores and 6 GB of RAM. Those well-versed in website development understand the significance of memory in the realm of virtual hosting.
FastComet prides itself on transparency by providing detailed information about the hardware specifications included in each hosting plan. This sets them apart from other hosting providers who merely emphasize speed and capacity without explicitly disclosing the actual hardware particulars.
IT professionals will undoubtedly appreciate FastComet’s comprehensive resource quotas, encompassing concurrent connections, process count, script executions, CPU utilization, and more. In terms of value for money, both the mid-tier FastCloud Plus and the high-tier FastCloud Extra plans offer enticing options. Among them, the $3.99/month FastCloud Extra plan reigns supreme as the sole plan supporting LiteSpeed caching.
When compared to Nginx and Apache, LiteSpeed exhibits superior efficiency and speed in managing web services. Given its reasonable price, it is pragmatic to opt for a hosting provider that supports LiteSpeed.
FastComet includes customary hosting services such as the employment of the cPanel control panel and Softaculous, a renowned auto-installation tool allowing for swift WordPress setup in a mere 10 seconds. While the cPanel control panel is a classic and enduring user interface, boasting a multitude of features, it may lack the user-friendliness found in custom panels developed by other hosting providers (albeit those custom panels may not possess the full functionality of cPanel).
However, considering that SiteGround utilized cPanel for a significant duration without substantial grievances, it appears that no significant issues arise from its usage.
Furthermore, FastComet offers the original cPanel control panel, the pioneer of web hosting control panels. It functions as a remote operating system, empowering users with deeper insights into remote host operations and the ability to customize various details. Nevertheless, hosting providers must pay a licensing fee to employ cPanel, and enabling all features adds a notable burden to server resources. Consequently, many hosting providers tend to simplify cPanel significantly. It is a rarity to find a hosting provider like FastComet that still offers the original panel to users in this environment, which is commendable.
All in all, FastComet garners high ratings and is widely regarded as a hosting provider delivering excellent value for money.
When placing an order, it is advisable to refrain from selecting additional services, as they offer limited utility and primarily serve as upselling tactics.
FastComet possesses 11 globally distributed data centers, ensuring swift and dependable access for users. These data centers are strategically located in Dallas, Fremont, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Singapore, Toronto, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo.
One drawback of FastComet is the absence of a dedicated IP in any of their hosting plans. Dedicated IPs are solely provided with VPS plans and dedicated servers. This may prove slightly inconvenient, as numerous hosting providers furnish a free dedicated IP with their highest-tier hosting plan or allow users to acquire one separately, if required.
Although a dedicated IP is not indispensable for website hosting in contemporary times, having the option is certainly advantageous for SiteGround and ChemiCloud users. If necessary, they can choose to procure a dedicated IP, albeit at an additional cost. Conversely, FastComet does not extend this option to their shared hosting plans.
Nonetheless, if your website does not involve an online store with sensitive ordering and payment data, utilizing a shared IP is perfectly acceptable. FastComet can still serve as an excellent choice for honing your website building skills.
In summary
FastComet presents a viable alternative to SiteGround, offering cost savings, particularly for users who find SiteGround’s renewal fees exorbitant.
Cloudways
Cloudways stands as a widely recognized managed cloud VPS hosting provider, simplifying the concept by offering a managed cloud VPS service.
Unmanaged cloud VPS hosting, on the other hand, is exemplified by providers such as Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Digital Ocean, Linode, Vultr, and others. For beginners lacking technical expertise or server management experience, the plethora of cloud VPS options can be overwhelming.
Cloudways bridges this gap by setting up a server on your behalf and furnishing an easily navigable cloud VPS control panel. You have the liberty to choose from the aforementioned popular cloud VPS providers while paying a slightly higher price than their direct offerings.
However, this elevated cost encompasses the value-added services bestowed by Cloudways, enabling you to engage in website hosting via a cloud VPS without necessitating extensive technical background.
Thus, you can relish the heightened performance and reliability offered by a cloud VPS server.
Essentially, Cloudways leases cloud VPS servers from distinguished cloud hosting providers, pre-configuring them for WordPress websites.
Acting as an intermediary that sells both products and services, they earn a margin while extending an array of value-added services to you. Cloudways boasts its own user interface control panel, distinct from the outdated cPanel employed by traditional shared hosting providers. This distinctive control panel liberates you from the burdensome tasks of installation, configuration, maintenance, and security measures.
Cloudways offers fixed package prices without any new customer discounts or locking periods, ensuring transparency with no hidden fees. The lowest-priced package commences at $12/month, encompassing 1 CPU and 1 GB of RAM.
Who should consider utilizing Cloudways?
- It proves ideal for website creators yearning to experience the enhanced performance of a VPS while lacking technical expertise and possessing a sufficient budget.
- If you possess prior exposure to shared hosting, possess familiarity with WordPress, yet find yourself dissatisfied with the performance of shared hosting, Cloudways presents a compelling option.
- Novices in the realm of website creation can commence their journey with shared hosting to cultivate their skills. Once they gain proficiency in WordPress website creation and require heightened performance, the transition to Cloudways becomes a viable consideration. Furthermore, Cloudways offers complimentary website migration services.
- For those willing to invest slightly more in pursuing superior performance and evading the inconveniences of switching hosting providers and migrating websites in the future, employing Cloudways for website creation emerges as a fitting choice.
In summary, Cloudways garners a recommendation for individuals lacking technical knowledge but willing to allocate additional resources for the high-performance experience of a VPS in the realm of website creation.
Kinsta
Kinsta is renowned for its professional managed WordPress hosting services. It offers comprehensive hosting services, and its closest competitor in the market is WP Engine, another managed hosting provider.
If you have a critical website that brings in substantial traffic and generates stable income, and you don’t want to spend time and effort on the daily maintenance of your website, and you have a sufficient budget for website hosting, then investing in managed WordPress hosting is worth considering. With managed hosting, you can experience professional support from WordPress experts and a wide range of hosting services.
Services provided by Kinsta’s managed hosting include automated backups, website migration, regular scanning for malicious activities, assistance in repairing websites after hacker attacks, monitoring suspicious access, WordPress optimization, core component upgrades, and website crash recovery, among others.
The starting price for a single-site package is $30/month. Considering Kinsta’s reputable and professional position in the managed WordPress hosting industry, this price is reasonable.
However, when choosing a package, keep in mind that additional services come with high pricing. If you have a sufficient budget, you can consider adding these services. It is the best choice for users who want peace of mind and are not concerned about the cost.
In summary, Kinsta is the best choice for users who want peace of mind and have a sufficient budget for managed WordPress hosting.
WP Engine
WP Engine is another service provider known for its expertise in WordPress. Like Kinsta, it offers managed WordPress hosting and has a generally positive reputation in the WordPress industry.
Overall, Kinsta performs better in terms of panel usability and pricing for additional services.
In summary, WP Engine is a reputable managed WordPress hosting provider with years of experience in the industry.
Flywheel
Flywheel, similar to WP Engine, provides managed WordPress hosting. It has a good reputation in the market and was acquired by WP Engine in 2019.
In summary, if you can’t beat them, join them!
Linode
Linode is not a web hosting service provider but rather a Cloud VPS hosting provider. It offers Cloud VPS hosting services and has been a favorite for many, including Sam, for several years.
However, it should be noted that Linode provides self-managed Cloud VPS, which is equivalent to a bare VPS. Users are responsible for installing all the necessary environments and application packages and configuring them correctly. This requires technical knowledge and basic Linux server administration experience, making it less beginner-friendly for website creation.
For beginners who want to try using (Cloud) VPS for website hosting, it is better to choose a managed Cloud VPS provider like Cloudways.
Many installations and configurations are integrated into the user control panel, allowing for one-click operations. With a short period of familiarization and understanding, it is easy to get started quickly.
In summary, it’s a great service that I would like to recommend to everyone. However, the barrier to entry is a bit high.
DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider based in the United States. It offers virtual private servers (VPS) primarily aimed at software developers. The company is headquartered in New York City and has data centers around the world. As of 2022, it has a total of 16 data center locations in San Francisco, New York, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Toronto, Bangalore, Singapore, and others.
DigitalOcean uses the latest AMD and Intel CPUs and mainly operates VPS and VDS (Virtual Dedicated Servers), with the former sharing CPU cores and the latter providing dedicated CPU cores.
It offers hourly billing and the ability to destroy servers at any time, effectively allowing for unlimited IP changes, which is beneficial for website owners who require specific IP addresses.
However, this can also have a downside, as popular locations may have many unusable IP addresses, requiring multiple attempts to select a suitable one.
DigitalOcean is a well-known and reputable VPS provider that offers stable services. It caters to various scales of developers, from individuals to enterprises. They provide cloud-based hosting at different levels, depending on your storage and capacity requirements, with monthly or hourly billing. The level you choose determines the memory capacity, CPU cores, disk space, and bandwidth limits included in the plan.
Developers can create virtual servers (known as Droplets) on DigitalOcean within a minute and have full root access, including the ability to customize server settings and choose the operating system.
Digital Ocean’s plans include:
- Solid-State Drives (SSD)
- DNS management
- Simple account control panel
- Global image transfer (replicating snapshots from one data center to another)
- Private networking (allowing communication between multiple VPS within the same data center without counting towards bandwidth limits)
- Multiple Linux distributions and FreeBSD to choose from
- Pre-built operating system images
- Automated backups
- Cloud firewalls
If that’s not enough, DigitalOcean also provides a variety of convenient one-click installers, including MySQL, Docker, LAMP Stack, Node.js, MongoDB, WordPress, PhpMyAdmin, Ruby on Rails, Ghost, Machine Learning, and more.
Advantages of DigitalOcean:
In addition to its good reputation and high-quality hosting, DigitalOcean offers many attractive features.
New users receive a $10 credit upon registration.
Equivalent to two months of free usage for a cloud server with 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, and 1TB bandwidth. This is a significant discount for new users.
Hourly billing
DigitalOcean is one of the few providers that offer hourly billing. This is a cost-effective solution for users who don’t need to keep their servers running continuously. Users can start their servers when needed and destroy them when idle, saving money. The basic configuration of a VPS server costs only 4 cents per hour. It’s important to note that fees continue to accrue until the server is destroyed, so pausing or shutting down the server will still incur charges.
Seamless scaling and quick modification of server configurations
DigitalOcean allows users to easily scale up or down their server configurations without significant disruption. This flexibility is especially beneficial when estimating server requirements prior to purchase.
KVM architecture
All servers are based on KVM architecture, which ensures stable performance and eliminates overselling.
Gigabit network
DigitalOcean provides a 1 Gbps network connection, ensuring fast speeds for website hosting, file storage, and VPN setups.
Excellent customer service and fast technical support
Support tickets are typically responded to within 15 minutes, and the customer service team is attentive, knowledgeable, and patient.
Snapshots
DigitalOcean supports server snapshots, allowing users to create backups. However, there is a charge for snapshot storage, which is $0.05 per GB per month.
Vultr
Vultr, established in 2014 and operating for 9 years now, has gained recognition in the VPS market due to its quality services and competitive pricing. It offers high-performance hosting solutions and easily scalable features, positioning itself as a strong contender in the global VPS market.
Vultr caters to users with a certain level of VPS experience. They primarily provide four types of products or services:
- High Frequency (slightly pricier than regular VPS hosting but worth considering)；
- Cloud Compute (the cheapest option starting at $2.5/month)；
- Bare Metal (premium hosting with varying prices depending on the data center)；
- Dedicated Cloud (dedicated resources starting at $60/month).
If you are unfamiliar with Linux, Apache, Nginx, or WordPress, I would recommend starting with other hosting providers’ shared hosting services. Once you have a good grasp of VPS and how to create a WordPress website on your own, then you can explore Vultr’s VPS servers.
Indeed, if you are well-versed in VPS, Vultr is undoubtedly an excellent choice. It offers the following functionalities and features:
- Custom ISO Images: Vultr allows the use of custom image files, enabling easy installation, customization, and redeployment. Upgrading and migrating within Vultr is a breeze with the snapshot feature.
- Fast SSD Storage: Vultr’s SSD drives deliver impressive speeds. Among all the VPS servers I have used, Vultr stands out with the fastest disk speed. This is particularly noticeable when compiling files on the server, where Vultr outperforms other VPS servers by more than 50% in terms of speed with equivalent configurations. Faster disk speed translates to faster server response time.
- Affordable and Flexible Pricing: The best part is that Vultr offers hourly billing, rounding up to the nearest hour. You only pay for the exact duration of your usage. This pricing model is incredibly practical. For instance, if you want to try out new services or higher-tier VPS packages, you don’t need to commit to a yearly or monthly plan. You can test the higher configurations at minimal cost. If you are satisfied, you can continue using them. If not, simply destroy the service, and the billing stops.
Currently, the lowest available package starts at $2.5/month (IPv6 only, available in Atlanta and New York (JN) data centers) or roughly $0.0035/hour. A promotional tip: Vultr often runs a promotion where you get $100 bonus for every $25 recharge. It’s worth trying out if you’re interested.
- Global Data Centers: Vultr has an extensive network of 32 data centers worldwide, spanning across Asia, Europe, and America. This allows you to purchase VPS or cloud hosting in any of these locations. The choice of data center significantly impacts your website’s speed. If your target audience is primarily in Japan, opting for a VPS in a Japanese data center will undoubtedly provide much faster network speeds compared to a US data center. Website loading speed plays a crucial role in your website’s ranking on search engines like Google. Therefore, if your target audience is from mainland China, you can consider VPS or cloud hosting in Singapore, Tokyo, Japan, or Seoul, South Korea. For European users, server options in Stockholm, Sweden; London, UK; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Frankfurt, Germany; and Paris, France would be suitable.
However, Vultr does have one drawback when it comes to handling complaints.
If you are a legitimate website owner, Vultr is an excellent choice.
But if you engage in activities like file-sharing, file downloading, or providing access to copyrighted content such as images, novels, videos, or software without proper authorization, Vultr will take strict action upon receiving a DMCA complaint.
Typically, for the first DMCA complaint, Vultr will suspend your VPS service and notify you to remove the infringing content. Once you have deleted the content and responded to Vultr, they will reactivate your VPS.
In other words, any DMCA complaint will result in a service suspension. If there are multiple DMCA complaints, usually exceeding three, Vultr will terminate your VPS contract and service. They provide a mere 24-hour window for you to migrate your server data.
If you have a substantial amount of website data or lack familiarity with website management and maintenance, you may end up losing all your website content.
Other VPS providers, on the other hand, are not as aggressive as Vultr in handling DMCA complaints.
Most providers, such as DigitalOcean, tend to leave the resolution of such complaints to the user and do not proactively suspend services.
In conclusion, Vultr’s extensive range of data centers, competitive pricing, and impressive hardware specifications make it one of the top choices in the market. If you are a law-abiding website owner, Vultr is undoubtedly a great option to consider.
ScalaHosting
I am not particularly familiar with ScalaHosting, but I have a friend who uses their WP Start package for virtual hosting. It costs $5.95 per month and can be locked in for three years. It uses Cpanel as the default control panel, without any notable features.
The highest package, Entry WP Cloud, supports Open LiteSpeed + LiteSpeed Cache and uses Spanel, an optimized user panel. However, the price is quite high.
I haven’t personally used or extensively tested it, but I did a quick speed test, and it didn’t perform particularly fast among virtual hosting providers. If you are comparing virtual hosting options, you might consider looking elsewhere.
In summary, the overall value for money is not high, and there are no strong recommendations. It’s an average choice.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks, established in 2008, is an established hosting provider that focuses on the concept of green and eco-friendly hosting. GreenGeeks is committed to renewable energy and replaces over 615,000 kilowatt-hours with green energy annually.
Perhaps their main focus is on hosting server products, as the design and construction of their website is honestly on par with A2 Hosting in terms of quality. The design and user interface don’t come across as particularly professional, unlike other well-known hosting providers whose websites are aesthetically appealing and sophisticated. It’s possible that this is their geeky style, emphasizing practicality.
However, their hosting products are decent, with affordable prices and reasonable configurations. They use the traditional Cpanel for the user panel, which provides website manual backup, database management, and other necessary functionalities. GreenGeeks also provides a LiteSpeed Cache plugin. The web server is Litespeed, which, in its default settings, can utilize the LiteSpeed Cache plugin, resulting in a noticeable improvement in website speed.
GreenGeeks has three data centers, which is a bit limited: Chicago, Montreal, and Amsterdam.
In my tests, the website speed performed quite well. However, there are some noticeable flaws in the backup functionality:
- There is no daily automatic backup (Daily Auto Backup).
- Although all virtual hosting plans come with free nightly backups, users cannot manually control backups, restore or back up their websites themselves. They need to contact customer support to restore their websites or access backups.
- Additionally, the account registration process requires approval. If you want to cancel your hosting plan renewal, you need to send a cancellation request for review seven days in advance.
The customer support is average. Considering their longevity in the industry and their emphasis on being eco-friendly, one would expect prompt customer support and appropriate responses to inquiries. However, the actual customer support service is not ideal. GreenGeeks received my question email and claimed to respond within 24 hours, but it has been seven days, and I haven’t received a response. I have even checked my spam folder, but to no avail. This is quite frustrating. Meanwhile, the email exchanges with other hosting providers during the same period have been relatively normal.
In summary, there are some advantages, but the drawbacks are apparent: 1) the backup experience is poor, even difficult to use, and 2) the customer support service is lacking.
Hostinger
Hostinger is a hosting provider based in Lithuania that offers low-cost virtual hosting. They have invested heavily in promotion, similar to how Bluehost aggressively advertised through partnerships. However, their actual reputation is not ideal.
Hostinger offers four different pricing packages for their virtual hosting products. I would advise against considering the Single WordPress and WordPress Starter packages.
These packages have limited resources, with only 1GB of shared memory for multiple websites. Moreover, the weekly backup frequency is less secure compared to the daily backups offered by the Business package. However, let me clarify that I personally wouldn’t recommend any of Hostinger’s packages to my friends.
While Hostinger does provide Free Email service, allowing users to use their website domain as their email domain, it’s worth noting that each email account has a storage limit of only 1GB. Their customer service believes that this space is sufficient for daily use.
Hostinger even supports a discounted price for new customers who choose to purchase hosting for four years upfront. Most hosting providers used to offer a discount for a three-year commitment, but Hostinger allows customers to lock in the lowest advertised price for up to four years. However, I would suggest refraining from committing to a four-year term if you are not familiar enough with Hostinger.
Numerous users have reported issues with Hostinger, such as slow performance, frequent website downtime, delayed customer support ticket responses, and unhelpful attitudes. Their customer support is lacking, and many people in hosting-related Facebook groups have expressed their dissatisfaction with Hostinger’s products and services. To control the narrative, Hostinger has even resorted to using their 200+ employees to create fake positive reviews on TrustPilot.
In order to get a genuine experience of Hostinger’s hosting service, I personally purchased their Business WordPress package for a year and tested it with a new website. Hostinger’s user panel, hPanel, is clean and user-friendly, which is a positive aspect. It surpasses other hosting providers who rely on the outdated cPanel. Additionally, the use of LiteSpeed for web servers and keeping PHP up to date are commendable efforts to improve speed.
However, the most unacceptable aspect of using Hostinger was the frequent scheduled maintenance, performance degradation, and service interruptions. Hostinger’s hosting service agreement explicitly states that “Service interruptions caused by scheduled maintenance are not covered by the guarantee of normal service operation time.” While it’s common for hosting providers to exclude service interruptions caused by server maintenance from their uptime guarantee, Hostinger’s frequent maintenance activities that lead to website downtime are quite frustrating. Furthermore, the stability of website access speed on Hostinger is not ideal, and in my opinion, falls short of their claimed 99.9% Uptime Guarantee.
Hostinger has even experienced severe security issues, resulting in the compromise of account information for 14 million users in 2019.
In terms of customer service, Hostinger lags far behind other virtual hosting providers, especially when compared to SiteGround. SiteGround has set a high standard for customer service, providing exceptional support and assistance to beginners in website building. Their customer support team not only explains the underlying causes of issues but also provides step-by-step solutions with reference articles and videos. They reassure customers that if the problem persists, their technical engineers will attempt to assist in resolving it.
On the other hand, when I emailed Hostinger with a question, it took them two days to provide a brief response containing a link to a help article.
In summary, in my view, Hostinger falls into the category of low-end virtual hosting providers. Is it worth committing to a four-year plan? It’s not worth being locked in for such a long time.
NameHero
Established in 2015, NameHero is a hosting service provider that offers a three-year introductory discount for virtual hosting. Their virtual hosting prices are competitive, and they utilize LiteSpeed to ensure good hosting speed.
However, upon examining their Managed Cloud products, particularly the managed VPS, it becomes apparent that the pricing is not as affordable as it initially seems. While the base package starts at $15 per month, additional costs for system image, backup quota, and LiteSpeed Web Server quickly add up, making the overall price less appealing.
For instance, the cheapest Managed Cloud VPS package is priced at $15.18 per month for a 2-core, 2GB setup. However, when adding it to the cart, it is mandatory to select a system image for a minimum of $10 per month, and backup quota options range from no backup to a minimum of 100GB for $15 per year. Opting for LiteSpeed requires an additional $45 per month. With the annual discount, the total monthly cost amounts to $40 with LiteSpeed or $25 without it.
While the virtual hosting aspect may still have potential, a thorough evaluation cannot be made within a few days. However, their managed cloud VPS service is subpar. The service offerings are limited, and the pricing is relatively high. The value of their so-called “Managed” service is questionable. With the available budget, wouldn’t it be better to choose Linode for those with technical knowledge? Or perhaps Cloudways for those less tech-savvy? It seems unwise to invest in a relatively unknown provider for managed cloud VPS at this price range.
One notable drawback is the unsatisfactory customer support service. It gives the impression of being outsourced, and they struggle even with basic promises like a refund within a specified number of days. Of course, if customer support is not a concern, it may still be an option to consider.
In summary, there is not much to recommend about NameHero. The concerns lie particularly with their customer support service.
DreamHost
DreamHost is another well-established website hosting provider, alongside SiteGround and Bluehost, being recommended by WordPress itself (due to their contributions and donations to the WP community). However, DreamHost’s presence seems relatively weak compared to the other two.
In terms of pricing, DreamHost offers significantly cheaper virtual hosting compared to other brands. Their virtual hosting plans are straightforward, with only two options, making it easier for users to choose. DreamHost still offers a three-year introductory discount, and their WordPress Unlimited virtual hosting plan, priced at $3.95 per month, remains highly attractive. They even provide free domain registration and SSL certificates, along with a 100% uptime guarantee and an extended refund period of “97 days if unsatisfied.”
However, upon proceeding to the checkout, additional services are recommended by default, which are quite expensive and somewhat hidden. For example, DreamHost automatically selects the DreamShield Protection service for $3.00 per month, which seems like a minimal increase from the total hosting price. However, upon closer inspection, this service is billed automatically on a monthly basis. In other words, while the hosting is $3.95 per month, the website protection service alone costs an additional $3 per month.
Another example is the DreamHost SEO Toolkit, priced at $4.99 per month per site. It appears to be aimed at stimulating additional spending from users who are not well-informed. Typically, users would opt for professional SEO WordPress plugins like SEOPress or Rank Math.
The actual experience with DreamHost falls slightly below expectations. In terms of speed and customer support, it falls behind SiteGround. Over the past few years, their reputation for customer service has noticeably declined, with service quality becoming a concern. Even compared to Bluehost, the norm has become waiting several days for a response to support tickets.
Stability is also subpar, as my website hosted with them experienced two to three crashes (although one instance was resolved through a support ticket, the others automatically recovered within 2-3 minutes).
Even after implementing various optimizations following their official recommendations, the quality of DreamHost’s virtual hosting plans is not promising. This may be one reason why their sales performance lags behind SiteGround and Bluehost.
Another drawback of DreamHost is that they only have server data centers in the United States. If your website’s visitors primarily come from a specific market, you may prefer a data center closer to your target audience.
DreamHost typically has a strict verification process for new account registrations, involving multiple back-and-forth emails and the submission of various documents. This can be a rather unpleasant experience.
In summary, DreamHost’s reputation outshines its actual performance. Their service fails to keep up with expectations.
Bluehost, HostGator, and Other EIG Hosts
Bluehost, acquired by the Endurance International Group, Inc. (EIG) in 2010, has been a prominent representative of EIG’s website hosting products alongside HostGator for over a decade.
EIG has garnered a negative reputation in the hosting industry and online community. Their approach primarily relies on acquisitions rather than innovation and research and development. They allocate significant funds to marketing and advertising. Furthermore, they continue to focus on selling shared virtual hosting, domain names, and related products, following the same strategies as they have for the past 20 years. EIG has recently rebranded as Newfold Digital in 2021.
Many users perceive EIG as a greedy corporation, providing subpar services and displaying a lack of user-friendliness. The most prevalent issue with EIG’s hosting products is the widespread problem of overselling.
In simple terms, it’s like cramming 100 people into a bus designed for 50. Can you imagine how comfortable that would be?
Let’s briefly evaluate some other EIG hosting products on the list:
- Bluehost: They have aggressive promotions and substantial discounts, but honestly, their level of virtual hosting is average at best. Stability is often compromised, possibly due to overselling.
- HostGator: Known as the “alligator host.” They heavily promote their services, but the actual user experience falls short.
- iPage: A budget hosting option with mixed reviews.
- Arvixe: A relatively small user base and average quality.
- JustHost: Similar to Arvixe, they have a small user base and average quality.
In earlier years, virtual hosting products were divided into two categories: EIG hosts and non-EIG hosts. To long-time users of virtual hosting, EIG hosts were perceived as similar products. What sets Bluehost, HostGator, and JustHost apart from each other?
In summary, Bluehost has a larger marketing presence, but looking back after many years, has its reputation truly stood the test of user scrutiny?
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting has a poor reputation for technical support and customer service. Buyers beware! They have also experienced prolonged ransomware attacks lasting up to two weeks, resulting in unstable hosting services for users.
Again, it’s worth emphasizing that when choosing virtual hosting, don’t solely rely on speed tests. If your selection process is solely based on speed, you’re likely to encounter issues.
In summary, if you come across recommendations for A2 Hosting, it’s best to steer clear.
GoDaddy and NameCheap
GoDaddy is renowned for its domain-related services, but their hosting falls short.
NameCheap is well-known for its affordable domain registration, but their virtual hosting is not up to par. While the prices are low, their self-built hosting infrastructure lacks performance and stability compared to many other hosting providers that utilize reputable cloud servers. It seems they are somewhat behind the curve.
Similarly, domain registrar Namesilo also offers virtual hosting, but it is rarely used. As a domain registrar, they excel in providing convenient, simple, and cost-effective domain services, but their hosting does not entice users. In the world of the internet, the focus is on showcasing the strongest products or services to stand out.
In summary, virtual hosting under domain registrars tends to be somewhat disappointing.
InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting is a hosting provider with a long-standing history. They offer a variety of products, including shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated hosting. However, their shared hosting servers are only available in the United States.
The user experience is average. The specific configuration details of the shared hosting plans are unclear, and the UI interface is outdated and unattractive. The user panel can be confusing. The speed is moderate, leaning towards slower rather than faster.
The quality of customer service is mediocre. However, one can trust established hosting providers like InMotion Hosting, as their overall reputation is better than the previously mentioned A2 Hosting and Hostinger.
In summary, InMotion Hosting is quite mediocre in the shared hosting market and lacks a strong presence. Additionally, their website and user interface resemble those of hosting providers from over a decade ago. Given the numerous options available, I wouldn’t choose them.
LiquidWeb
LiquidWeb offers a wide range of server products and has a comprehensive product line. Their prices are quite high, approaching those of RackSpace and similar service providers.
The cheapest hosting package is their Managed WordPress Hosting, operated by their subsidiary, Nexcess. However, even the basic package is priced at $19 per month, which is still quite expensive, and there are many other options available at that price range.
In summary, it seems that LiquidWeb is rarely used by foreign trade website builders due to its high cost.
IONOS
IONOS is a European hosting provider established in 2018. It is a brand under 1&1 (www.1and1.co.uk), which offers services such as VPS hosting, cloud hosting, dedicated servers, enterprise cloud, shared hosting, domain registration, and SSL certificates. 1&1 is an established hosting and domain service provider with a 30-year history. In 2018, after acquiring ProfitBricks’ cloud infrastructure, they established1&1 IONOS.
IONOS offers extremely low prices for their shared hosting plans in the first year. Their Business Plan, which allows unlimited websites, is priced at $1/month. All shared hosting plans include free SSL wildcard certificates, daily automatic backups, site malware scanning, and DDoS protection.
While there are many advantages, there are also some significant drawbacks:
There are restrictions on the countries where their services can be used. Despite being based in Europe, IONOS is not very user-friendly for European customers. The restricted countries include Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Myanmar, and various European countries such as Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
After the first-year promotional period, the prices revert to their original rates, which can be up to 10 times higher. The Business Plan, for instance, renews at $10/month.
Customer service is not very convenient, and the online chat feature is often unavailable. The attitude and quality of service from the customer support team are lacking.
In summary, 1&1 has never been fond of certain countries’ users. Who would want to use their services anyway?
