WinHost is a budget hosting company that is focused only on providing simple hosting plans for sites that don’t need all the extras. The WIN in WinHost is a reference to the fact that they only offer Windows (.net) based hosting platforms. They are focused exclusively on providing shared hosting programs, and even those are not on the top end of the spectrum when it comes to server specs. They say that they are focused only on what they do best, which is the entry level hosting services. With that in mind, they do offer fairly reliable services at a low cost, which makes them a pretty good choice for people who don’t need anything fancy. There are millions of people, after all, that just want to host a personal or family blog and don’t need the often confusing options that come with VPS and dedicated hosting companies. They do own their own servers and offer a nice money back guarantee, so for many people looking for an established hosting company without a need to grow their site, this is a nice option to consider.
Uptime & Reliability
Good reputation for reliablity
They offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and from what I have been able to find, they really don’t have many problems with sites going down. The data center is well maintained and has good redundancy built right in, which helps to keep servers up and running. In addition, the customers on social media and hosting forums really didn’t complain about downtime or even excessively slow response times very much so it seems that they don’t oversell their servers.
Features
Basic features available
Each of their hosting plans includes all the basics of what you will need. You’ll have a .NET server with easy installation of WordPress and simple MySQL services. You’ll also have access to free backups, but you need to perform them yourself (or schedule them) from within their control panel. Their data center has fully redundant power supplies with a UPS battery backup to help ensure there aren’t any power related outages. They offer free PHP5, email and allow unlimited domains and subdomains on all their hosting plans. Overall, you’ll get everything you need for your entry level site hosting.
Support
No live technical support avaialble
One big downside to this hosting company is that they don’t offer live chat, phone or even live email support options. Any issues you have need to be submitted through their ticketing system, which has a 24 hour guaranteed turnaround time. From what most customers say, they do fix issues much quicker than this, but it is not guaranteed. They also offer quite a few self-help services and documentations that can help you get through problems without having to use the technical support at all.
Pricing
Average to low pricing for shared hosting services
The hosting packages with WinHost start at just under $4 per month, which is about average for an entry level shared hosting package. This is a pretty good deal, and since the setup is so easy and trouble free, many will consider the price to be low. They aren’t the cheapest on the market, however, despite the fact that they have very limited options to choose from.
Summary
Good shared hosting for basic sites
When looking at this hosting company it is important to make sure you take it based on what it actually is. They are only offering entry level hosting for simple sites. With that in mind, they do a pretty good job. Most people who sign up for their services won’t experience many problems at all and will be happy with the services they are provided. Pros:
- Simple hosting options
- Reliable services for shared hosting
- Easy to upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time
- 30 day money back guarantee
Cons:
- No Linux options
- No VPS, Dedicated or Cloud based options
- No live technical support