FatCow has one of many oddest names within the web hosting area, however that does not imply it is a service to miss. In reality, FatCow has a sturdy internet host that challenges the likes of DreamHost, HostGator, and Hostwinds, our total Editors’ Choices for internet hosting. FatCow falls wanting these top-tier companies by a hair, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a extremely advisable webhosting firm.
Shared Web Hosting
Like a lot of its rivals, FatCow presents shared web hosting. Shared webhosting is a type of internet hosting that sees your web site actually sharing server sources with many different websites. As a results of the divvied-up value, shared webhosting can also be fairly often cheap web hosting. It’s additionally a strong funding for a low-traffic blogger or anybody else who has a web site that has low server useful resource necessities. Of course, you get what you pay for; within the case of shared internet hosting, which means your web site velocity and stability could also be on the mercy of your server-mates. If a web site you are sharing sources with immediately goes viral, for instance, your web site could also be short-term gradual, and even unavailable.
FatCow has a single, Linux-based shared webhosting plan that begins at a wallet-friendly $5.00 monthly. We like the choice of paying by the month, particularly for the cheaper plans. That mentioned, you may drive the value right down to $4.08 monthly if you happen to join three years up entrance. With FatCow’s plan, you get limitless e mail, limitless disk area, and “a great deal of bandwidth.” Technically, FatCow would not say that it presents limitless month-to-month knowledge transfers, however the web site states that its “structure was constructed to assist greater than 99.5%” of their clients’ wants.” The plan additionally features a free area title, which is commonpace on this area.
FatCow’s shared internet hosting is an excellent plan, however HostGator ($2.75 Per Month at HostGator) retains its Editors’ Choice title for shared webhosting companies. The champ’s plans provide limitless storage, e mail, and month-to-month knowledge transfers, however contains Windows servers, too. The Windows server possibility is essential, as some site owners assemble websites utilizing Microsoft’s ASP or ASP.NET tech; tech that is not suitable with Linux.
WordPress Web Hosting
WordPress, for these not hip to the content material administration system, is the world’s hottest web site again finish. It’s extremely easy to make use of, and it has a thriving ecosystem about it that permits you to increase your web site with recent WordPress themes and WordPress plug-ins—with little to no coding required.
FatCow presents two tiers of Linux-based WordPress hosting: WP Starter and WP Essential. WP Starter (beginning at $3.75 monthly) comes with a custom-made management panel and several other advisable WordPress themes and WordPress plug-ins that you would be able to set up at your leisure. WP Essential (beginning at $6.95 monthly) builds upon WP Starter with sooner speeds courtesy of a solid-state drive server, enhanced safety, and WordPress-trained assist employees to help you once you’re in want. Both plans boast limitless storage, month-to-month knowledge transfers, and e mail.
TMDHosting (2.95 Per Month – 65% Off at TMDHosting) stays the Editors’ Choice for WordPress internet hosting, nevertheless. It, too, has limitless month-to-month knowledge transfers, e mail, and storage, however provides limitless subdomains and expert-level assist throughout the board. If you need to discover WordPress, TMDHosting’s providing is a rattling high-quality possibility.
VPS Web Hosting
In phrases of energy, VPS hosting is a step up from shared and WordPress internet hosting. With VPS internet hosting, your web site lives on a server with just some different websites, and has assured server specs. If you anticipate a big quantity of site visitors to your web site however do not need to spend some huge cash, VPS internet hosting is the best way to go. You’re nonetheless sharing with different websites, however your web site is extra remoted and much much less prone to expertise the kinds of issues that may often afflict these hosted on shared servers.
FatCow has three VPS tiers: Basic, Business, and Optimum. Basic (beginning at $24.99 monthly) features a single CPU core, 1GB of RAM, 40GB of storage, and 1TB of month-to-month knowledge transfers. Next up the ladder is Business (beginning at $59.99 monthly), which boasts two CPU cores, 4GB of RAM, 90GB of storage, and 3TB of month-to-month knowledge transfers. The top-tier Optimum (beginning at $99.99 monthly) presents two CPU cores, 8GB of RAM, 120GB of storage, and 4TB of month-to-month knowledge transfers. The VPS servers all run on the Linux working system.
Despite FatCow’s strong VPS plans, Hostwinds reigns because the Editors’ Choice. Hostwinds‘ spectacular VPS servers (beginning at $99) could be outfitted with as much as 3TB of storage, 128GB of RAM, and limitless month-to-month knowledge transfers. The servers are available in both Linux or Windows flavors, too.
Dedicated Web Hosting
Dedicated hosting prices a reasonably penny, however with the excessive price ticket comes wonderful internet hosting muscle. With devoted internet hosting, your web site leverages a server’s full sources, sharing them with nobody. As you’d in all probability suspect, devoted internet hosting plans are for web sites that anticipate extraordinarily excessive site visitors volumes, for which bulletproof stability is an absolute should.
FatCow has three cloud-based devoted internet hosting plans on provide. Startup (beginning at $149 monthly) has two CPU cores, 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, and 5TB of month-to-month knowledge transfers. Next up the ladder is the Professional plan (beginning at $189 monthly) that ups issues with its 4 CPU cores, 8GB of RAM, 1000GB of storage, and 10TB of month-to-month knowledge transfers. The top-of-the-line Enterprise plan builds upon Professional by rising the RAM and month-to-month knowledge transfers to 16GB and 15TB, respectively.
AccuWeb is our Editors’ Choice for devoted internet hosting, with plans that begin at $105 monthly (for 8GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and 20TB month-to-month knowledge transfers) and high out at $360 monthly (for 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and 20TB of month-to-month knowledge transfers). As with AccuWeb’s VPS plan, the Windows-based devoted internet hosting plan permits you to create as much as 250 e mail accounts; with a Linux-based devoted plan, you may create limitless e mail accounts.
Reseller Web Hosting
If you are seeking to get into the webhosting enterprise, however you do not need to cope with infrastructure issues, reseller hosting is your path to success. With reseller internet hosting, you lease server area from a longtime participant and resell it to your personal clients. FatCow’s reseller internet hosting plans are $49.95 monthly, and embrace limitless month-to-month knowledge transfers, storage, e mail, subdomains, and databases. You can apply your personal firm branding, too, which is a pleasant contact.
FatCow’s reseller plans have good specs, however they are not sufficient to topple Hostwinds, the Editors’ Choice for reseller internet hosting. Hostwinds’ plans, beginning at $25 monthly, have limitless e mail, storage, and knowledge transfers. On provide are devoted and VPS packages of each the Linux and Windows selection, in addition to shared internet hosting, which is restricted to Linux. The servers have the identical RAM and storage quantities as those who Hostwinds provides straight, which isn’t at all times the case. Hostwinds additionally permits you to apply your personal branding to the servers you lease, and it provides 24/7 tech assist, too.
Building a Website
The merely named WebsiteBuilder, the website builder that I used to construct my take a look at web site for this evaluate, is included with FatCow’s internet hosting packages. There are quite a few enticing templates obtainable for customizing your web site, so you do not have to look elsewhere to decorate your on-line presence.
WebsiteBuilder let me key in my web site’s title, after which use the HTML5-powered builder to pull and drop web site components, similar to textual content and pictures. It’s simple to make use of, too. Of course you needn’t use Website Builder. You also can leverage the aforementioned WordPress, in addition to Weebly, FileManager, or FTP.
E-Commerce and Security
FatCow has a number of e-commerce choices so that you can promote items on-line, together with Ecwid Online Store, Mojo Marketplace, and ShopSite Starter. The back-end Control Panel contains firm listings for search engine marketing (web optimization) and e mail advertising companies, too.
If you are seeking to promote merchandise, you may want Secure Socket Layer (SSL) safety to safeguard cost transmissions. FatCow has partnered with Comodo to promote SSL certificates, beginning at $35.99 per yr. The vanilla model offers you safety over a number of subdomains, a $10,000 guarantee, safe buyer data, and a Seal of Trust emblem. The top-tier E-Commerce Protection plan (beginning at $269 per yr) features a $1,750,000 guarantee and a inexperienced “belief” visible bar.
Ultimate Uptime
Website uptime is likely one of the most essential facets of a internet hosting service. While your web site is down, purchasers or clients can be unable to seek out you or entry your services or products—and they may not come again. if a web site has poor uptime it will not get a great ranking in a PCMag evaluate, irrespective of how good different facets of it might be.
For this testing, I take advantage of a website-monitoring software to trace my take a look at websites’ uptime. Every quarter-hour, the software pings every web site. If it is unable to contact the location for longer than one minute, it sends me an e mail. I take a look at the info for the most-recent two weeks for every internet hosting service I take a look at.
In my newest spherical of checks, FatCow proved impressively secure. In reality, my web site did not go down a single time. As lengthy because it retains on this course, you may depend on it to ship a rock-solid webhosting expertise.
Cool Customer Service
FatCow has each internet chat and 24/7 phone buyer assist. When I requested for the definition of cloud internet hosting through internet chat, a FatCow customer support rep jumped into the chat in lower than a minute. I additionally gave the 24/7 phone assist a name with the identical query. The rep gave me a passable reply.
I’m extraordinarily happy with FatCow’s assist squad. It is well top-of-the-line customer support groups I’ve encountered within the webhosting area. The web site additionally has a data database to discover.
FatCow has an honest 30-day money-back assure, however DreamHost bests it with a powerful 97-day money-back assure.
A Worthy Web Hosting Service
FatCow has many attractive options, although it simply misses claiming the Editors’ Choice crown within the shared and WordPress classes. Still, anybody seeking to construct a web site ought to give it a glance, as this internet host has terrific uptime, well-rounded plans, and wonderful customer support.
For extra on getting began on-line, learn our tips about how to create a website. You may also need to take a look at our story on how to register a domain name for your website.
The Bottom Line
Web internet hosting service FatCow is secure in our testing and has top-notch assist. It’s notably good at shared and WordPress internet hosting.
