WestHost review | TechRadar

Since its founding in 1998, WestHost has been offering easy but complete web hosting options to all kinds of companies, serving to them “depart their mark within the digital world.” With greater than twenty years of expertise, information facilities all around the world and a objective to stay pocket-friendly, it’s hardly shocking that they’ve registered over a million domains to this point.

As the identify suggests, WestHost’s major workplace is located within the West (clearly). It is located in Providence (the USA), to be extra exact. Their information facilities are outfitted with tier- 3 know-how and deployed in a disaster-safe zone close to Salt Lake City (the USA), whereas others are scattered throughout seven international areas, a few of them being the UK, Canada, Brazil and India.

Upon reaching WestHost’s major web site we have been struck with an eerie feeling we’ve seen all this earlier than after which it dawned upon us. Since each hosts are underneath the wing of UK2 group (firm from the UK) WestHost’s web site is sort of indistinguishable from Midphase’s web site (in addition to the one from the UK2 itself) and we’re positive the similarities are past skin-deep.

Although the format is a bit totally different, WestHost’s official weblog is very similar to the one discovered with its counterparts, which is (truly) a praise. It isn’t overflowing with articles, however these that are there cowl a few of the most vital points associated to internet hosting, particularly for newcomers (what internet hosting package deal to decide on, how you can defend your web site, does SSL have an effect on web site’s site visitors and so forth).

WestHost is meant to be current on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, however the first two accounts appear relatively uncared for and the Google+ one is definitely unavailable and has been in that state since 2019.

All in all, WestHost’s major web site, though removed from essentially the most visually lackluster web sites we’ve seen, would tremendously profit from being polished up a bit.

Plans and pricing

WestHost’s internet hosting plans are offered in a transparent means during which they’re straightforward to check and distinction with one another. There are loads of them to select from for every supplied sort: shared hosting, email hosting, WordPress-optimized internet hosting, managed VPS and dedicated servers.

The starter shared internet hosting plan will price you mere $1.99 per 30 days, nevertheless, after the preliminary  one 12 months the value will rise as much as $8.00, which is (evidently) 4 instances greater than initially requested for. This plan comes with quite a few restricted options: capacity to host one web site, 50GB of disk house, 1000GB of bandwidth and one database. Refusing to boost the deal even additional, this plan comes with out free area registration or an SSL certificate, which isn’t notably encouraging to the first-time customers. To purchase an SSL (which is a must have at this time), you’ll must go for the “Business” package deal, which is the most costly one out of the three.

For shared internet hosting plans, WestHost gives its customers with a ordinary 30-day money-back assure (which, predictably, excludes domains), so you’ll be able to attempt them out with out the necessity to fear. 

As anticipated, obtainable strategies of fee are all main bank cards plus PayPal.

Ease of use

As it normally is with the businesses which are a part of the UK2 group, all internet hosting plans are launched in an easy style, making certain that the choice making course of stays a bit of cake. After going for a plan, you’ll be required to pick a billing cycle, which may go on month-to-month, annual or biannual foundation. It virtually goes with out saying, the longer the cycle, the decrease the fee. We should add that we’re at all times glad to see a month-to-month billing possibility, since it’s not at all times obtainable, even if it could attraction to the first-time customers.

On the identical web page you’ll be able to embrace a few add-ons for an additional money, certainly one of which (SiteLock, to be exact) requires to be bought for a 12 months at a minimal. The subsequent step is to resolve a website identify drawback, and you may both register a brand new one (at no cost in case you didn’t go for the most affordable package deal) or use the one you have already got. If you might be registering a brand new area, you’ll absolutely discover that there are a lot of of them on the provide, some on sale, however all with a whole DNS management.

During the third step, if you’re a brand new buyer (as you most likely are), you’ll be requested to supply your identify (or the identify of your organization), your e-mail and the nation of residence. That is all and it’s pleasantly uncomplicated. After you make your fee, the account must be arrange inside 24 hours and ready-and-willing. WestHost’s person interface is easy-to-use and comes with a totally built-in business main Linux-based cPanel, which is at all times a very good factor to see. With this one-click installer and a website builder (with tons of of relatively handsome templates) your web site must be up and operating very quickly.

Speed and expertise

WestHost describes its community of knowledge facilities as “highly effective” however cleverly avoids any guarantees with regard to its pace efficiency. With a very good motive, it seems, because the outcomes we received after testing the pace of WestHost’s major web site (as supplied by GTmetrix) have been a bit underwhelming. The load time was above the typical (5.2 seconds compared to the typical results of 8.1), however a lot of the core metrics have been simply round common, some above and others beneath. This is just not a nasty efficiency per se, however it may’t be described as a stellar one both. With GTmetrix score the location’s efficiency with a C (75%) we reckon that the “common” is essentially the most appropriate phrase.

Interestingly, WestHost affords no uptime assure, which doesn’t instill a lot belief in reliability of their companies. However, after monitoring the uptime of their major web site for one month (as enabled by UptimeRobot), we have been offered with 100% of uptime. The solely recorded occasion of downtime lasted for 13 minutes earlier than the difficulty was solved, which appears fairly promising, particularly since our expectations weren’t too excessive.

Support

There are fairly just a few methods to get in contact with WestHost’s help staff and they’re (like they are saying) only a click on away. The stay chat is open 24/7 in case you want fast assist. If not, there’s an choice to submit a ticket or attempt to attain them by way of certainly one of a number of e-mail addresses, every equivalent to a selected division. In addition, there are two phone numbers: one is worldwide and one other is reserved for the UK residents and is toll-free.

Reading by way of evaluations on totally different buyer platforms (most notably on Trustpilot) left us considerably skeptical when it got here to the standard of WestHost’s buyer help. The commonest criticism was associated to the time it took the brokers to answer some comparatively complicated points the shopper had, which was (based on one person) a complete of 18 days. Although our personal expertise with WestHost gave us no trigger for criticism, we did, admittedly, ask just a few relatively easy questions, whereas these dissatisfied customers wanted technical help which they didn’t get quick sufficient.

Fortunately, since WestHost’s web site is totally outfitted with self-help choices, customers who wish to discover options on their very own (or these nonetheless ready for a response from the WestHost’s help staff) can browse FAQ part, guides for newcomers, knowledgebase and their official weblog.

The competitors

Bluehost and WestHost are US-based firms that share sure commonalities with regard to cost and options, and each are more likely to drop a bombshell with worth spikes after the promotional interval. Both are equally beginner-friendly and   will most likely attraction to these new within the commerce, particularly since the usual 30-day money-back assure (which each hosts present) ensures that nobody ought to really feel double-crossed on the finish of the day.

Midphase is a youthful youngster of the identical dad or mum firm (as WestHost) that gives a full record of hosting-related companies, information facilities in each the US and the UK and all the things at reasonably priced costs. Although each hosts are extremely expert, prospects from the UK may discover Midphase’s information facilities extra handy and all customers are more likely to respect its customer support, since most evaluations described it as “immediate and painless”, which (a minimum of sometimes) isn’t the case with WestHost.

Like WestHost, HostGator is a well-liked internet hosting firm from the USA with years of expertise underneath its belt and greater than a few enticing options. Although each hosts domesticate a beginner-friendly perspective, HostGator goes a step additional and gives a free area registration, SSL certificates and a web site builder even with the entry-level plan (which begins at mere $2.75 per 30 days).

To those that are searching for a pocket-friendly shared internet hosting plan to fireplace up their web sites, each Hostinger and WestHost could seem like a sensible choice and (to some extent) they are surely. However, after taking pricing, options, efficiency and buyer help into the account, Hostinger is the one that may carry the day in each respect.

Final verdict

Much like its sister firms, WestHost has been offering every kind of shoppers with well-thought-out internet hosting options for greater than twenty years, which is a testomony to the standard of its merchandise. Although WestHost has an abundance of robust factors, customer support is just not certainly one of them. Hence, in case you’re used to discovering options by yourself, take a look at WestHost, since its do-it-yourself part has a lot to supply. However, in case you would favor buyer help you’ll be able to depend on (and virtually all the things else WestHost can provide), think about Hostgator and Bluehost as a starter house in your web site.