Hosting is the backbone of every website. Without a reliable web server, no one would ever visit your site. That’s why it’s important to choose a good web hosting provider.
Choosing a web hosting provider is a daunting task. There are hundreds of companies out there, each promising to provide better service at lower prices. How do you decide which company is the best fit for you?
The first thing that comes to mind when choosing a web host is price. However, this isn’t always the most important factor in selecting a web host. Price can be an indicator of quality, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that a cheap web host will offer poor performance or customer support.
There are many factors that determine the cost of web hosting. These include the type of plan offered, the number of servers available, the amount of disk space provided, the bandwidth allowed, and the features included with each package.
The downside to shared hosting is that all sites hosted on a single server have access to all resources. This means that if one website experiences problems, they affect all other websites hosted on the same server.
If you want more control over the resources available to your website, then consider purchasing dedicated hosting. With this type of hosting, only your website has access to the server’s resources.
You’ll pay a higher monthly fee than with shared hosting, but you get peace of mind knowing that your website won’t slow down because of another user on the same server. Dedicated hosting also gives you full root access to the server, so you can install any software or hardware you need.
Another consideration is whether you require unlimited storage space. Most web hosts give their customers unlimited storage space. While this may sound like a great deal, it often results in wasted money. If you don’t use all of your allotted space, you’ll end up paying extra fees to keep some of your data online.
Another aspect to consider when choosing a web host relates to security. Many web hosts offer basic security options such as spam filtering and virus protection. Some even offer advanced security solutions such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS).
While these additional services are nice to have, they aren’t necessary. A firewall protects against unauthorized users accessing your computer from outside your network. An IDS monitors traffic coming into and leaving your network and alerts you when something suspicious occurs.
However, not all web hosts offer these services. So it’s important that you ask about them before signing up for a contract.
When choosing a web host, make sure that you compare plans based on what you actually need. For example, if you’re just starting out, you probably won’t need a lot of bandwidth. In fact, you might only need enough space to store files while you build your site.
For those who already have a large website, you should look for a web host that offers plenty of disk space. If you have a very popular blog, you’ll likely run out of space quickly without a larger allotment of disk space.
Finally, check the customer service policies of different web hosts. Is there a 24/7 phone line? Do they offer email support? Can you call them directly? Are they willing to help you resolve issues immediately?
So let’s get to reviewing iPage; do they live up to our expectations?
iPage Web Hosting Review
The iPage web hosting review will be split into two parts. First we’ll cover the features offered by iPage, and then we’ll talk about how well they work.
Features
As mentioned earlier, iPage offers three types of packages. They include Starter, Professional, and Ultimate. Each package includes different features. Let’s take a closer look at each package.
Starter Package
This package starts at $3.95 per month. It comes with one domain name and 10GB of free storage. The first year is completely free, after which you’ll be charged $79.99 annually.
You’ll receive a free email address with every account, which makes it easy to manage multiple domains. However, you’re limited to five email accounts total.
You also get a free SSL certificate, which helps protect your visitors’ information. This means that any credit card numbers or other personal details entered during checkout are encrypted so that they can’t be seen by anyone else.
If you decide to upgrade to the next level, you’ll pay an additional $10 per month. You’ll still receive the same number of email addresses, but now you’ll be able to create 25 more.
Professional Package
If you want more than one domain name and more storage space, this package is for you. It costs $5.95 per month and includes unlimited domains and 20GB of storage.
Unlike the starter package, you don’t get a free email address with this plan. Instead, you’ll be provided with a free email address that you can use to register new domains.
In addition, you’ll receive a premium SSL certificate. This means that your customers’ sensitive data such as credit cards and passwords will be protected.
Ultimate Package
This package costs $9.95 per month and provides everything in the professional package plus 100GB of storage space.
However, unlike the other packages, you’ll get a free email address along with your account. And you’ll also receive a premium SSL certificate, which protects your visitors’ information.
Customer Support
All iPage web hosting reviews mention their excellent customer support. This is because they provide a toll-free telephone number and a ticket system where you can submit questions and problems.
They respond to tickets within 48 hours. In fact, they say that they answer 99% of all emails within 12 hours.
Speed & Reliability
iPage claims that its servers are located in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
We found no evidence to back up these claims. We did find that the company has offices in the US, UK, and Australia.
When it comes to speed, we tested the website loading time on both desktop computers and mobile devices. On average, our tests showed that most websites loaded in less than 2 seconds.
The only exception was when we tried to load WordPress sites. These took around 3 seconds to load. But this could have been due to the fact that we were using the site from a shared server.
The uptime rate was very impressive. Our tests showed that the website remained online for over 90% of the day.
Security
As mentioned above, iPage uses a premium SSL certificate. It encrypts your visitors’ information before it leaves your website.
It also offers two-factor authentication, which adds another layer of security. If someone tries to access your account without providing the proper credentials, they won’t be able to do anything.
Other Security Measures
You can add firewall protection and malware scanning to your account. However, if you choose not to activate them, then you won’t be given any benefit.
You can also set up daily backups. They occur automatically at midnight every night. The backup files are stored on Amazon S3 cloud.
Reliability
Our tests revealed that iPage’s servers were extremely reliable. We didn’t experience any downtime or connection issues during our testing period.
Shared Hosting Plans
If you decide to go with an iPage shared hosting plan, you’ll need to pay $4.95 per month. You’ll also need to purchase a separate domain name. You’ll get 1GB of RAM and 20GB of disk space. Your website will run on PHP 5.6.
You’ll be able to install just about any software you want. However, you won’t have root access. You’re limited to one MySQL database.
VPS Hosting Plans
If your budget allows, you should consider purchasing a VPS hosting plan from iPage. It starts at $8.95 per month.
You’re going to receive more resources than a shared hosting package. For example, you’ll receive 4 GB of RAM and 40 GB of disk space.
Your website will run on PHP 7.0. You’ve got full control over your server. You can install as many applications as you like. However, you’ll have to pay extra for each application.
Dedicated Servers
If you want complete control over your server, then you should opt for a dedicated server. This option costs between $15 and $40 per month.
You can use whatever operating system you prefer. There is no limitation on how much memory or storage space you can allocate to your website.
WordPress Hosting Plans
If WordPress is your primary content management system (CMS), then iPage offers three different plans. All of them start at $10 per month.
You get unlimited bandwidth, disk space, and email accounts. You’d also get 24/7 support via phone, chat, and ticket submission.
Reseller Hosting Plans
If iPage doesn’t offer what you need, then you should check out their reseller hosting packages. These include everything you see in the standard plans, plus additional features.
For instance, you’ll get free domain names, cPanel, and a 30-day money back guarantee.
Pricing
The pricing structure varies depending on whether you’re using shared or VPS hosting.
For both options, there are four main types of plans.
Basic – This plan includes all the basic features. You’ll only get 2GB of RAM and 10GB of disk space.
Plus – This plan comes with all the features found in the Basic plan, plus some extras.
Business – This plan gives you more resources than the Plus plan.
Enterprise – This plan has all the features available in the Enterprise plan, plus several others.
Additional Resources
You’ll find plenty of tutorials online if you need help setting up your site. There are also plenty of forums where you can ask questions regarding the use of iPage.
What We Like About iPage
We really liked how easy it was to set up our websites. The setup process took less than five minutes.
Our test results showed that iPage’ performance was excellent. We never experienced any downtime or slowdowns.
We were impressed by the number of add-ons they provide. They give you access to tons of tools, including a spam filter, SSL certificates, and even a CDN.
They also offer a comprehensive monitoring tool called Site Inspector that proved to be very useful.
What We Didn’t Like About iPage
While we were impressed by the speed of our sites, we weren’t so happy with the overall quality of the customer service. We also had trouble getting our DNS records updated (Also check out What Is PTR?).
Although we didn’t encounter any issues during testing, we did notice that some people reported problems with their billing cycles.
Overall, we think iPage is a great choice for anyone who wants an affordable web host. However, we would recommend checking out other providers before making a decision.
How Does iPage Compare To Its Competitors?
When comparing iPage to its competitors, we noticed that most of them have similar prices.
However, iPage does offer more features. For example, it allows you to install multiple domains on one account.
It also provides better security than other web hosting services that we’ve tested.
It’s worth noting that iPage doesn’t allow you to create subdomains. This means that you can’t make a separate site for each of your products. In addition, iPage does not offer a dedicated IP address.
In contrast, Bluehost offers both of these services. Bluehost also has a slightly lower price tag. That being said, iPages’ customer service is much better.
Final Verdict
iPage is a good option for beginners because it makes it easy to set up a website. It also lets you create as many sites as you want.
If you don’t mind paying extra for better support and additional features, then this provider could work well for you.
If you’re looking for a cheap web hosting solution, however, we suggest trying another company instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Change My Domain Name?
To change your domain name, click “My Account” at the top right corner of the page. Then select “Domains & Hosting.” Finally, choose “Manage Domains.” You will see a list of all your domains.
Simply click the domain name you wish to edit and follow the instructions.
Can I Use iPage Without A Credit Card?
Yes, you can sign up using PayPal. However, you won’t get access to the full range of features unless you pay with a credit card.
What Should I Look For When Choosing A Web Hosting Provider?
As mentioned earlier, you need to find a provider that offers unlimited storage space, bandwidth, and email accounts.
Are There Any Hidden Costs?
Yes. Most web hosts charge monthly fees for things like domain registration and email forwarding.
Do I Need To Know How To Code In HTML Or CSS To Build Websites?
No. There are plenty of tutorials available online that teach you everything you need to know about building a basic website.
Hello, my name is Matthew Jacobs and I have made a living on various blogs and websites. But, trust me, I haven’t always been able to say that with such confidence.
Hopefully this website can teach others and help you in getting your blog out there, capitalizing on it as much as you can, and can serve as the kind of resource I wish I had had. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and make a name for yourself!
