The majority of web hosting packages use Linux servers. This is not any shock—Linux is free, safe, and extremely dependable, and it gives glorious internet functions for a spread of use instances.
That stated, there are additionally good causes to make use of Microsoft over Linux for internet hosting. This is especially true for websites based mostly on ASP.NET, .NET, or different Microsoft applied sciences. Furthermore, anybody planning to make use of Microsoft stack merchandise ought to depend on Windows fairly than Linux hosting.
Fortunately, you should utilize Windows hosting with out being dedicated to Microsoft apps. A range of plans assist widespread apps equivalent to PrestaShop, WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. Even with out cPanel, Plesk and comparable instruments will allow you to generate electronic mail accounts, verify your web site’s standing, use distant desktop options, and extra.
While hosting through Windows comes with notable issues together with license charges, a smaller choice of functions, and restricted troubleshooting choices, it’s nonetheless the best choice in some conditions. In this text, we’ll check out 5 of the most effective Windows hosting services and show you how to discover the suitable choice for your corporation.
High costs are one of the most typical downsides of Windows hosting in comparison with Linux. 1&1 IONOS gives glorious hosting services at inexpensive charges.
The base 1&1 IONOS subscription begins at $1 per thirty days for the primary 12 months adopted by a rise to $7.99 per thirty days. It comes with one web site (together with a free area and SSL certificates), limitless bandwidth, 100 GB of house, every day backups, 24/7 assist through electronic mail or telephone, and as much as 25 electronic mail addresses, every of which incorporates 2 GB of extra storage.
1&1 IONOS additionally gives sturdy options tailor-made to Windows customers. Subscribers obtain 5 SQL databases restricted to 1 GB every, ASP.NET Ajax and 4.7, and MVC 3, 4, and 5. It additionally helps a spread of capabilities equivalent to Windows Server 2019, SSI with devoted app swimming pools, and SQL import.
Users may also improve to the 1&1 IONOS Expert Windows plan for a quantity of notable options. Expert subscribers rise up to 500 databases and electronic mail addresses plus malware scanning, a devoted IP, and a Cloudflare CDN. This subscription prices $1 per thirty days for the primary six months adopted by a everlasting enhance to $14 per thirty days.
Along with shared subscriptions, 1&1 IONOS additionally gives devoted plans and versatile VPS at surprisingly inexpensive costs. You can host through Windows fairly than Linux for a further $14 per thirty days. Considering its options, pricing, and one-month free trial for brand new customers, 1&1 IONOS is a superb place to start out for anybody all for Windows hosting.
A2 Hosting gives a big quantity of plans with completely different pricing and options. These subscriptions present all the things from electronic mail and WordPress hosting to cloud VPS, reseller plans, and devoted servers together with fundamental shared merchandise.
The Swift subscription prices $5.88 per thirty days at first, though the value will increase to $11.99 per thirty days after you renew. Although it’s a shared product, customers nonetheless get limitless web sites, electronic mail addresses, subdomains, and databases. Other options embody normal SSD storage, handy web site migration, Cloudflare Free CDN, and automated backups.
While A2 hosts through Windows Server 2012 by default, customers may also swap to Windows Server 2016. The 2016 iteration of the platform comes with a number of instruments that aren’t out there with Windows Server 2012 together with containers, assist for Linux Secure Boot, ReFS, and Nano Server. That stated, these options aren’t notably related for anybody utilizing a shared hosting subscription.
A2 hosting additionally gives thorough assist for each legacy and present variations of Microsoft merchandise. The Swift plan is suitable with ASP.NET 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x, .NET Corps 2.2, traditional ASP, IIS 8.5, Silverlight 4 and 5, and ASP.NET MVC 4 and 5. You may also use PHP 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, or 7.2, phpMyAdmin, WordPress, PrestaShop, Drupal, and a spread of extra platforms.
Furthermore, A2 gives managed VPS subscriptions for anybody who needs to keep away from shared hosting. These plans begin at simply $25 per thirty days for the preliminary subscription adopted by $49.99 per thirty days after renewing. More costly plans are additionally out there for those who want a wider vary of options.
Pricing is clearly one of crucial elements to think about when searching for a hosting supplier. That stated, many people who find themselves searching for a Windows hosting answer require performance and pace past what most finances choices can present.
With ten completely different plans out there, Hostwinds has a subscription for just about each use case. In distinction, most hosting suppliers are restricted to a couple subscriptions, forcing customers to pay for options they don’t want or get monetary savings whereas dropping entry to vital instruments.
While every plan is completely different in notable methods, each subscription gives free migration, SSD storage, and community connectivity at 1 Gbps. The platform is suitable with Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016, though there’s no details about assist for the 2019 iteration.
Additionally, Hostwinds gives glorious buyer assist, with response occasions of roughly 30 seconds for stay chat and telephone inquiries, and simply 5 minutes for assist tickets. The platform ensures an unbelievable 99.999% uptime, which works out to round 5 minutes of downtime per 12 months.
The Hostwinds Tier 1 subscription contains 1 GB of RAM, a single CPU core 1 TB of site visitors per thirty days, and as much as 30 GB of disk house. It presently prices $9.89 for the primary month, adopted by $10.99 per thirty days upon renewal. Unlike another suppliers, Hostwinds payments month-to-month with none annual contracts.
Of course, upgrading to a dearer plan considerably will increase these limits. Tier 5, for instance, comes with a complete of 4 CPU cores plus 8 GB of RAM, 3 TB in bandwidth, and as much as 150 GB in disk house. For the primary month, the Tier 5 subscription prices $45.89, going as much as $50.99 per thirty days following renewal.
Along with its vary of subscription tiers, Hostwinds additionally gives some elective add-ons at a further cost. Cloud backups can be found for $1 per thirty days, whereas you may get fundamental server monitoring services for simply $5.
With unbelievable flexibility and powerful hosting plans for a spread of use instances, Hostwinds is price contemplating for any person with strong Windows hosting wants. The service additionally gives a 60-day money-back assure to all new subscribers, so you possibly can try it out risk-free for roughly two months earlier than committing to a subscription.
HostGator is one other extremely versatile hosting service for Windows customers, with subscriptions out there for all person sorts, from people to massive companies that require devoted servers. Its flexibility is a serious profit in comparison with suppliers that solely provide restricted assist for Windows.
With HostGator, you could find all the things from shared hosting plans for particular person customers to devoted servers with considerably extra energy. Furthermore, HostGator imposes comparatively few restrictions on its subscribers, notably at dearer tiers.
The Personal plan, for instance, prices $2.64 per thirty days once you decide to a three-year contract. The worth will increase to $6.95 per thirty days once you renew. While Personal customers solely get one web site, they will create a vast quantity of emails, subdomains, and Microsoft SQL and MySQL databases whereas accessing limitless disk house and bandwidth.
Unfortunately, HostGator depends on outdated software program, particularly when in comparison with some of the opposite choices on this record. Its software program presently contains Windows Server 2008 R2, ASP.NET as much as 4.5, IIS 7.5, Access Databases 2007 and 2010, PHP 5.2.17, PHP 5.3, and MSSQL Server 2008 R2 Web Edition.
While HostGator gives assist for extra present choices by means of its devoted subscriptions, these plans are nonetheless outdated relative to many opponents. Dedicated plans assist Windows Server 2012 R2, SQL Server 2014 Express, IIS 8.5, and ASP.NET 2.0-4.6.
HostGator typically prices inexpensive charges, with Value Server subscriptions out there from $119 per thirty days. We’ve additionally seen promotional pricing at simply $79.99 per thirty days for some legacy servers. Keep in thoughts that HostGator costs signify the month-to-month value of a three-year contract and might enhance considerably upon renewal.
Another standard internet hosting supplier for companies, Liquid Web is one of probably the most highly effective choices for corporations searching for a Windows hosting answer. Its Cloud VPS instruments allow customers to host throughout units for optimum scalability and efficiency. In truth, Liquid Web describes itself because the “quickest managed VPS hosting on the planet.”
Furthermore, the supplier’s plans embody options which can be typically thought-about add-ons by competing services. For instance, all subscriptions include Gigabit switch, limitless websites, safety from DDoS assaults, Cloudflare CDN, and hosting in both the EU or US.
Users can run both Windows Server 2012 or 2016 for simply $59 per thirty days, or $29 per thirty days when paid yearly. Liquid Web additionally provides customers the power to select from SQL Server, 2014 or 2016 Express. Web Editions can be found as an add-on for $35 per thirty days, though you may as well subscribe to the Standard or Enterprise plan.
Liquid Web additionally gives Private Cloud Servers for organizations all for devoted servers. The most inexpensive plan is $1,599 per thirty days, with no low cost for signing up for an annual contract, so these subscriptions are supposed for bigger companies.
Private Cloud Server plans allow subscribers to create, use, and handle a number of digital servers, together with each Linux and Windows VPS cases. You could also be charged a Windows licensing price on prime of the price of your subscription, however these are solely charged a single time for every Cloud Server. You may also keep away from this price by eradicating Windows cases.
The platform additionally comes with glorious assist choices together with stay chat, telephone, and electronic mail assist. The information base and weblog present detailed responses to widespread questions and technical points, so be certain that to verify these sources earlier than contacting the assist crew.
Liquid Web backs up its pricing with a service stage settlement guaranteeing 100% uptime for its customers. This form of assure is uncommon amongst hosting services, and suppliers that do provide ensures usually don’t decide to 100% uptime. While Liquid Web targets bigger companies than some of the opponents on this record, it’s among the many prime hosting suppliers for a lot of use instances.
