HostPapa is a Canada-based, privately owned web hosting supplier that entered the market in 2002 with its utility software program associated to dedicated hosting companies. Three years later, they started providing their first internet hosting companies and, lastly, in 2006 the corporate was formally based in Ontario, Canada by Jamie Opalchuk. Throughout the years they’ve been offering shared, reseller, WordPress and VPS internet hosting to prospects throughout the globe. At the identical time, they’ve managed to construct a reasonably good fame for his or her dedication to safety, reliability, technical experience and stable buyer help.
HostPapa has acquired quite a few awards since its founding, together with Uptime Awards from NCM Online and WHTop. In addition, they’ve appeared on the PROFIT 500 rating of Canada’s fastest-growing firms record on three events, the final time being in 2015. In the identical yr, they’ve introduced a partnership with Dropmysite, a Singapore-based international cloud software program platform that gives backup for web sites and databases.
One approach HostPapa stands out amongst its rivals is specializing in being and staying inexperienced. Their eco-friendly strategy is clear within the utilization of 100% inexperienced renewable power to energy up information facilities, internet servers and all digital units of their workplaces. Concerns concerning the impression their firm is having on the setting have been featured of their promotional materials and are their distinctive promoting level proper from the start. Additionally, in 2011, HostPapa financed the planting of 10,000 timber throughout Africa on Earth Day as a part of the Love Trees charity.
HostPapa can also be no stranger to curious advertising and marketing actions, such because the one by which it promised to donate $5 to Save the Elephants for every former Bluehost consumer that migrates to HostPapa.
While visually easy at first look, HostPapa’s official weblog is full of sufficiently participating and extremely informative articles on varied interrelated matters, all related to each current and potential prospects. Judging by the publication dates from 2020, the weblog seems to be up to date at the very least as soon as every week.
Plans and pricing
HostPapa claims its aim is to offer each buyer with a fully-featured internet hosting package deal on the lowest attainable value with out compromising the standard. All of the above ought to come along with the assistance of top-notch customer support and powered by renewable inexperienced power. With this in thoughts, we had been anticipating budget-friendly costs and that is roughly what we bought.
The shared internet hosting Starter plan begins at $3.95 per thirty days (though it would value $7.95 on renewal after the primary three years), helps internet hosting as much as two web sites and features a free area, starter web site builder (two pages restrict), 100GB of SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth. This seems like a reasonably good worth for cash.
Although all prospects are entitled to cancel HostPapa’s companies at any second, there’s a 30‑day risk-free cash‑again assure. However, it applies to shared and reseller website hosting plans solely, which appears a bit reductive.
As for the fee methodology, HostPapa accepts credit score/debit playing cards and PayPal.
Ease of use
If you’ve chosen one of many shared internet hosting plans, the very first thing you’ll discover will in all probability be the absence of an possibility for month-to-month billing. Instead, you’ll be capable of choose between billings for 12, 24 or 36 months solely, which appears unnecessarily rigid.
On a extra constructive aspect, all plans provide a good worth for cash and the purchasers can select from a couple of (not too specified) server areas: the US, Canada and Europe. Additionally, at a fairly excessive worth you possibly can throw in a few add-ons labeled as “web site necessities”. A number of of those could come already examine marked, however you possibly can unselect every of them simply sufficient.
After this, you’ll be able to select a brand new area identify or switch an current one, freed from cost. To proceed, you’ll have to offer HostPapa with quite a few fairly common private data, choose a fee methodology and finalize the acquisition. All in all, it’s a reasonably simple course of.
All particulars about your order will likely be displayed on the far proper aspect of the display screen in a clear method, with each particular person and complete bills proven, which is at all times good to see.
Given that HostPapa doesn’t help Windows internet hosting, you’ll be utilizing Linux-based cPanel, which is intuitive and easy-to-use, even for common customers. From there you’ll be capable of set up WordPress very quickly by way of Softaculous app installer, and the identical goes for a whole bunch of in style apps, reminiscent of Joomla or PrestaShop.
At a minimal, HostPapa gives a fundamental model of its nice drag-and-drop web site builder with all its plans, however there’s a catch. This product is just provided to customers whose domains have been registered with HostPapa. Therefore, if you have already got a registered area elsewhere, you could switch to HostPapa earlier than utilizing a web site builder or join a brand new internet hosting plan. Unfortunately, when you’ve got a number of domains in your account and need a web site builder with every of them, you’ll must pay for every occasion of web site builder individually.
Speed and expertise
A repeated GTmetrix pace take a look at of HostPapa’s principal web site gave us a couple of causes for concern. It took a whopping 20.8 second to totally load the web page compared to the typical results of 8.0 seconds and 253 requests in comparison with a median of 88. Not surprisingly, GTmetrix determined to grade the web site’s pace with a agency F (34%). Truth be instructed, GTmetrix’s take a look at on HostPapa’s web site just isn’t a sole figuring out issue with regards to the pace of your future web site, however it’s a step within the questionable route.
On the brilliant aspect, an uptime take a look at by way of UptimeRobotic that ran on HostPapa’s principal web site for over a month didn’t present a single hint of downtime and confirmed only some main oscillations in response time. Considering that HostPapa ensures that their uptime won’t ever drop under 99.9%, we are able to solely verify that.
Support
If you click on the Support button on HostPapa’s touchdown web page after which proceed to Customer Care Center, you’ll be offered with a couple of (and undoubtedly greater than we normally see) self-help companies executed proper.
The knowledgebase comprises outstanding 2539 articles and 74 totally different classes. As for his or her high quality, so far as we might inform, they’re written in a really easy-to-understand, instructive and useful method masking varied potential questions, issues and points.
Additionally, HostPapa gives video tutorials, data on community standing and choices to put in writing an e-mail, submit a help ticket, open a reside chat or contact the help group by way of phone. Both chat and phone help companies can be found 24/7.
In addition to the above, there are cost-free weekly webinars in addition to 30 minute one-to-one coaching programs which absolutely deserves reward.
HostPapa doesn’t have an official discussion board for the time being, however given the extent of help they supply their customers with, it isn’t a major subject.
The competitors
HostNoc is a fellow Canadian internet host supplier which, very similar to HostPapa, gives a variety of well-rounded and adaptive internet hosting options to international prospects and at budget-friendly costs. While HostNoc throws in free every day backups and a continuing safety monitoring, HostPapa provides free area registration to all of its plans. Since each rivals appear to be reasonably priced, reliable and dependable, the selection could also be a matter of non-public choice.
If competent buyer help is a vital issue for you, each HostPapa and Hostgator will meet the standards. However, with regards to internet hosting plans, Hostgator will present each consumer with a free SSL certificates, whilst you’ll must pay an additional for it with HostPapa.
Bluehost is one other sturdy rival to HostPapa and some of the in style international internet hosting choices. However, Bluehost doesn’t provide reseller internet hosting as an possibility, whereas HostPapa does, so if that’s what you’re on the lookout for, the selection is evident.
Doteasy is one other Canada-based supplier which goals to offer high quality but reasonably priced internet hosting options to the worldwide clientele. In distinction to HostPapa, Doteasy offers month-to-month billing for shared internet hosting plans. Unfortunately, they’re fairly costly and exclude a money-back assure.
Final verdict
The principal benefit of selecting HostPapa as your host is an effective worth for a worth. It gives a good vary of internet hosting choices, a couple of engaging options (reminiscent of a starter plan supporting two web sites), excellent self-help choice and pocket-friendly costs. If you might be on the lookout for an equally reasonably priced host which won’t pressure you to compromise on internet hosting choices or options, you possibly can’t go unsuitable with suppliers like Bluehost and Hostgator as alternate options.
