Web Hosting: Reviews

Updated April 2007

So you've got your domain name, now you need a host. ConsumerSearch compares the different types and levels of web hosting to help you figure out which features you need (and don't need) and how much help you want when creating your website or blog.

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Best web hosting service

WebstrikeSolutions.com

$30 fee for first year Learn More

In an industry where every provider has many happy and unhappy customers, Webstrike Solutions has the lowest percentage of unsatisfied customers in the reviews we read. Subscribers say the 8-year-old company is above… expandaverage in all regards. Support is by e-mail, and reviews say questions are promptly answered. The base plan includes 1 GB of disk space and a monthly bandwidth of up to 20 GB -- more than enough for the majority of personal, enthusiast and small professional websites. You can choose a Windows or Linux server, as well as a la carte service plan upgrades. Webstrike Solutions has an excellent track record, and because the company has no debts, it is likely to stay in business for the long term -- a plus in this volatile industry. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

HostSearch.com: Webstrike Solutions is one of the top three web hosts reviewed here, with a rating of 9.3 (out of a possible 10), based partly on over 400 ratings and reviews from users – which look quite current.

VistaInter.com: Webstrike Solutions gets mixed reviews here – 18 positive, 13 negative.

WebHostingRatings.com: Based on monitoring four websites hosted at Webstrike Solutions, the average uptime is calculated at 99.67 percent.

WebHostMagazine.com: Based on tests and user feedback, editors give Webstrike Solutions an overall rating of 85 (out of a possible 100), with especially high ratings for features.

Budget web hosting service

PolurNET.com

starting at *Est. $5 per month Learn More

PolurNET is a Canadian company with U.S. offices that has only been in business since 2004. Even so, the company has a reliable parent company and has no debts, both of which bode well for long-term stability. Reviews say… expandPolurNET attracts customers with low prices and keeps them happy with good customer service. The cheapest plan, Basic Paw LITE, includes 150 MB of disk space and a monthly bandwidth of up to 6 GB -- plenty for a family or hobby website. As your website grows, upgraded plans are available. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

VistaInter.com: PolurNET gets overwhelmingly positive reviews here, with 380 positive and only 11 negative.

WebHostingJury.com: Over 120 users give PolurNET near-perfect average ratings for reliability, support and pricing.

MyBiggestComplaint.com: This customer reports that when unexpected publicity brought a rush of visitors, the site was shut down just when most needed.

WebsiteHostingTalk.com: This forum discusses the same disagreement between PolurNET and a customer who exceeded the CPU usage limit.

WebHostingStuff.com: A handful of users review PolurNET here, (the most recent in April 2008), giving it top marks and praising the prompt technical support.

Best blog hosting service

WordPress.com

basic plan is free Learn More

If you only want to start a personal blog, you don't really need a full-featured web host -- rather, you can go with a free blog host. WordPress is based on open-source software that reviewers and sophisticated users… expandlove. You do not need to download the software, and unlike some other free web hosts, WordPress doesn't post advertising on your pages. A la carte upgrades include extra storage (for photos or MP3 podcasts), a custom CSS editor and a private domain name. Features include many templates, spell-checking, a private blog option, statistics and a support forum. Reviews say WordPress offers more features and user-control than Google's Blogger, Microsoft's Windows Live Spaces, or Yahoo! 360. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

PCMag.com: This review gives WordPress.com an overall rating of only 3.5 stars (out of a possible 5), partly because customization is limited.

PC World: This review recommends WordPress as more feature-rich than Blogger, with more customization options than Windows Live Spaces and Yahoo!

Climb to the Stars: Blogging consultant Stephanie Booth has tested over a dozen free blogging hosts, recommending WordPress.com as the best.

TopTenReviews.com: WordPress is the top-ranked blog service, compared with the other nine top blogging tools reviewed – earning the highest possible ratings for promotion and technical support, and only a slightly lower rating for ease of use.

Robin Good: In a 92-page review aimed at more sophisticated bloggers, publishing expert Robin Good tests six leading weblog services, ranking WordPress last.

Knowledge Is Everywhere (blog): This review urges Typepad users to switch to WordPress.com, primarily because it's indexed faster by Google and brings more traffic.

InternetDuctTape.com: This interesting article is not so much a review of WordPress.com – though the author loves it – but rather, a review of various WordPress themes available.

Free web hosting

50Webs.com

basic plan is free Learn More

50Webs.com is one of the few services to offer free websites without plastering ads on them. A free site includes 60 MB of disk space, unlimited bandwidth, one e-mail address and e-mail customer support. 50Webs has an… expandintegrated HTML editor to help you maintain your site. In general, users say free web-hosting services are slow, and hosts often attempt to sell more services and plans to site owners. But if you have a relatively small website to post, and speed isn't crucial, reviews say 50Webs.com is worth a try. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Free-webhosts.com: Based on votes from over 900 users, 50Webs gets a near-perfect average rating for features: 9.59 on a 10-point scale.

VistaInter.com: Users' have posted 41 positive ratings of 50Webs.com and only six negative.

WebHostingJury.com: The handful of users reviewing 50Webs here give it top marks, saying it's fine for small, simple sites and that hosting works well.

Budget e-commerce hosting service

Netfirms.com

*Est. $10 to $15 per month Learn More

Of the half-dozen services recommended in credible professional reviews, Netfirms is the only one that isn't disparaged in a high percentage of user reviews. The company's strength in the industry and low prices are… expandpraised by expert reviewers and customers alike. The base business plan includes 250 GB of disk space and a monthly transfer of up to 2,000 GB of data, 500 e-mail accounts, two domain names, a shopping cart, and a WordPress business blog. Although Netfirms offers 24/7 support, telephone support is not toll-free -- one small drawback. If you're looking to open an online store, Netfirms.com is the best starter web host. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Business Week: After researching web hosts suitable for business owners without a lot of website experience, Catherine Holahan recommends Netfirms as "one of the best values on the Web for small businesses." The review notes that Netfirms is designed for ease of use, and provides generous disk space and bandwidth for a relatively low price.

E-commerce Guide: This review praises Netfirms for including the popular and well-reviewed OSCommerce shopping cart.

VistaInter.com: Site monitoring rates Netfirms as providing 99.995% uptime, but users have posted 50 positive ratings of Netfirms vs.

TopTenReviews.com: Netfirms is ranked in the middle of the pack here, ranked tenth in a list of 20 web hosts reviewed – but the review praises the control panel, 30-day money back guarantee, overall track record and the use of multiple servers to speed up sites and avoid downtime.

Hosting-Review.com: Netfirms doesn't seem to earn a place on any of the "top ten" lists at this big web-hosting review site, but does earn fairly high ratings (8 on a 10-point scale) for reliability, performance, value and customer support.