Hostwinds Review: 7 Pros & 6 Cons You Should Know + Alternatives

Hostwinds Review and Hostwinds Pros & Cons

In this Hostwinds review, we will discuss the many features that this web host offers and the pros and cons of using its services.

Hostwinds Web Hosting Services – Overview

Hostwinds is a web hosting company that has been in business since 2010. They offer various services, including shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers.

Hostwinds prices are very competitive, and they have several features that make them an attractive option for small businesses and individual website owners.

Pros of using Hostwinds Hosting

  1. One of the biggest pros of using Hostwinds is the unlimited disk space and bandwidth. This means you will never have to worry about your website running out of disk space or slowing down because of too much traffic.
  2. Unlimited databases – This means you can create as many websites as you want without worrying about exceeding your database limit.
  3. Hostwinds has complete control over its servers, ensuring you get dependable and high-quality service. They also use the latest technology, meaning your website will run smoothly and quickly.
  4. A big pro of using Hostwinds is their 24/7 customer support team. So if you ever have any questions or problems with your website, you can rest assured that someone will be available to help you. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base and FAQ section, so you may be able to find the answer to your question without having to contact the customer support team.
  5. Hostwinds guarantee rapid read and write speed. This means that your website will almost always be comprehensible to visitors, and you won’t have to worry about losing visitors.
  6. Customers of Hostwinds may take advantage of nightly backups in the basic package itself. This means that you can rest assured that your website is always safe and secure. In addition, if anything ever happens to your website, you can quickly restore it to its previous state.
  7. Money-back guarantee – Hostwinds offers a 60-day money-back guarantee so that you can try their services with no risk.

Cons of using Hostwinds Hosting

While Hostwinds offers many features, there are a few downsides to using their services.

  1. The biggest downside is the price. Hostwinds is one of the more expensive web hosting options available, so it may not be the best choice for those on a tight budget. The base plan starts at $6.74.
  2. Another downside of using Hostwinds is that they don’t offer a free domain. If you want to use their services, you will have to buy a domain name from another provider.
  3. Hostwinds website does not offer an e-commerce hosting package, so if you want to start an online store, you will need to look for a different provider.
  4. The money-back guarantee is pro-rated – meaning that if you cancel your account within the first 30 days, you will only get a refund for the unused portion of your hosting plan.
  5. Hostwinds has poor uptime – 99.91%. Unfortunately, this means that your website may be offline more often than you would like, which can be frustrating and potentially damaging to your business.
  6. Limited server locations – Hostwinds only has servers in the United States and the UK. This may not be ideal for those looking for a global reach or those located outside of these regions.

Visit Hostwinds

How We Review Web Hosting Services

We meticulously review each web hosting provider based on what they can provide an ideal client so that they don’t need to switch to a different provider for one or two services.

We consider different hosting types – shared, cloud, VPS, and dedicated.

Then we look at each provider’s different features and how they can benefit your website or blog.

Finally, we consider the price of each service and whether it is worth the value you get in return.

Hostwinds Features and Benefits

Hostwinds Features and Benefits

Hostwinds offers various features, including a free domain name, unlimited websites, cPanel and Softaculous, free SSL certificates, and more.

Plus, their customer service is top-notch. If you ever have any problems with your hosting account or website, you can rest assured that their team will issue a support ticket and be there to help you resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Another impressive feature of Hostwinds is easy migration. If you are moving your existing website from another host, they will assist you in making the transition as smooth as possible. In addition, they offer free migration assistance with all of their hosting plans.

Hostwinds offers several security features to protect your website from hackers and other online threats. These features include daily backups, firewalls, malware scanning, and DDoS protection.

Nightly backups to a cloud server

Hostwinds provides nightly backups for security reasons. This is a big pro, as it means that you can rest assured that your website is always safe and secure. If anything goes wrong, you may quickly restore your website to its previous condition. Even in the basic plans of shared hosting, you can retain your backups indefinitely.

Easy to use dashboard and control panel

Hostwinds Cloud Hosting Review
Image Source: Hostwinds

 

The Hostwinds dashboard and control panel are easy to use, even for beginners. The interface is clean and user-friendly, and all features are laid out. You can easily find what you’re looking for, and you won’t need any technical knowledge to get your website up and running.

Easy to use cPanel included in all plans

All of Hostwinds’ plans come with cPanel, the industry-standard control panel. cPanel access makes managing your website, email accounts, databases, and more accessible. Plus, it has several valuable features, such as Softaculous, which makes it easy to install popular applications on your website with just a few clicks.

Free SSL certificate

Hostwinds offers a free SSL certificate with all of their hosting plans. This is important for two reasons. First, it ensures that your website is safe and secure for your visitors. Second, it helps to boost your search engine rankings.

Unlimited email accounts

With Hostwinds, you can create an unlimited email account for your domain. This is an excellent feature if you have a large team or need to set up multiple email addresses for different departments within your company.

Stellar website speed

Hostwinds offers some of the best speeds in the business – 589 ms. This is critical for two reasons. First, it ensures that your website loads quickly for your customers. Second, it aids in the improvement of your search engine positions.

Excellent customer support

Hostwinds offers 24/seven live support via chat or phone. They also have a ticketing system and a knowledge base with hundreds of articles on various topics.

Their customer service is top-notch, and they are always there to help you resolve any problems you may have.

Route optimized network

Hostwinds has a route-optimized network, which means that your website will always be accessible, even during high-traffic times.

Weebly site builder:

Hostwinds Website Builder Review
Source: Bubble

Hostwinds also offers a Weebly website builder. This site builder is an excellent tool for those unfamiliar with coding or who do not have the time to learn how to code. With the Weebly website builder, you can easily create a beautiful website without prior experience.

Data centers boost global presence

Hostwinds has data centers all over the world, so you can choose the one that is closest to your target audience. This helps ensure that your website loads quickly for them, no matter where they are located.

Ease with LiteSpeed web servers

Hostwinds offers Litespeed Servers
Source: GitHub

Hostwinds uses the LiteSpeed web server, known for its speed and reliability. This is an excellent choice for those who want to ensure their website is always up and running.

Ready to get started? Visit the Hostwinds Website.

Hostwinds Web Hosting Plans Review

Hostwinds Web Hosting Plans Review
Source: Hostwinds

Hostwinds owns 100% of its systems, servers, and structures, which means they deal with problems without incurring high costs and pass on this benefit to customers.

The plans have unlimited bandwidth, storage, email accounts, and free website migration.

Hostwinds Shared Hosting Plans:

Shared hosting is the most popular and recommended hosting type for small business websites, e-commerce stores, and blogs.

Shared hosting plans are affordable and easy to use. They come with several features perfect for small businesses, such as unlimited bandwidth and storage, a free SSL certificate, and 24/seven live support.

In addition, shared hosting is an excellent option for those who are just starting their website and do not have a lot of traffic.

Hostwinds shared hosting plans that come in three types:

  • Basic – Beginning at $5.24 monthly, users get one domain.
  • Advanced – Four domains for a minimum of $6.74 monthly
  • Ultimate: For $8.24 monthly, customers get unlimited plans.

Hostwinds Reseller Hosting:

There are several reasons why you might want to use reseller hosting. First, it allows you to offer hosting services to your clients. This can be a great way to earn extra income, and it’s a great way to build your business. Second, it gives you more control over your website. With reseller hosting, you

Hostwinds reseller hosting plans have a starting price of $5.24 and come with unlimited cPanel accounts.

Hostwinds Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting

Hostwinds has VPS hosting plans starting from $27.45 and going up to $97.95 for the top-end plan that gives users eight CPU cores, 16 GB RAM, and 200 GB storage.

Hostwinds Unmanaged VPS Hosting

Windows: For $10.99/month, customers get cPanel and WHM included, root access, unlimited storage space, and bandwidth.

Linux: $4.99/month

Hostwinds Managed VPS Hosting:

Windows: The price begins at $12.74/month with all the features of Unmanaged hosting, plus free site migration, 24/365 support, nightly backups, and a cPanel license.

Linux: $8.24/month.

Hostwinds Dedicated Server Plans

The least expensive Hostwinds dedicated hosting plans start at $122.00/month, offering CPU cores, 32 GB RAM, storage of 500 GB, and bandwidth of 15 TB.

Dedicated servers: For Enterprise Applications

Hostwinds Business Hosting Review


Dedicated hosting gives you the power and flexibility to run any application or website you want. In addition, you have complete control over the server and can customize it to meet your specific needs.

Hostwinds offers a free dedicated IP address with all their dedicated server plans. This is an excellent feature for those who need an extra layer of security for their website. A dedicated IP address can help to protect your website from hackers and other online threats.

If you want the power and flexibility of a dedicated server but don’t want to rent one, then this is the hosting company for you. Hostwinds has you covered. Prices start at $139/month for a server with 16GB of RAM and 500GB of storage.

HostWinds WordPress Hosting Plan:

Hostwinds WordPress Hosting Plans Review

Hostwinds WordPress hosting plans start at $39.95/month and come with a free domain name, unlimited storage and bandwidth, and a free SSL certificate.

Business Hosting Plan:

Hostwinds offers business hosting plans starting at $8.99/month. These plans come with a free domain name, unlimited storage and bandwidth, and a free SSL certificate. They also include support for Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint.

Domains and Enterprise Email

Hostwinds provides a free domain with all hosting plans, and if you have an existing domain, they will help you transfer it for free. You can also buy domains directly from Hostwinds or transfer your domains to them.

They also offer enterprise email accounts starting at $5/month per account. These accounts have several features, including unlimited storage, Microsoft Exchange, 24/365 support, and more.

Hostwinds Cloud Hosting Plans

Hostwinds Cloud Hosting Review

Hostwinds Cloud Hosting is an excellent option for those who need the flexibility to scale their resources up or down. With Cloud Hosting, you only pay for the resources you use, and you can easily add more resources as your website grows. For CPU, RAM, and storage, prices start at $0.6931/hour.

Cancelling Hostwinds

Hostwinds has no long-term contracts so you can cancel your service anytime.

However, if you cancel within the first 30 days of signing up, you will not receive a refund.

Hostwinds is an excellent option for those who need quality web hosting and don’t mind the high price tag. They offer a wide range of features and plans to meet the needs of any website.

If you need a reliable host that can grow with your website, then Hostwinds is an excellent option.

What Makes Hostwinds Stand Out From Other Hosts?

Faster site loading speed – Your website will load quickly for visitors no matter where they are located in the world. This is because of the data centers that Hostwinds has worldwide.

  1. Daily backups even for shared hosting services: Hostwinds offers nightly backups for even the basic plan in shared hosting services.
  2. Unlimited domains: You can host an unlimited number of domains on your account if you choose their “Ultimate” plan. This is great for those who have multiple websites or need the ability to add more in the future.
  3. Unlimited disk space: You will never have to worry about running out of storage space for your website. Hostwinds offers unlimited disk space with all of their hosting plans.
  4. No long-term contracts: You can cancel your service at any time without having to pay the penalty. This is great for those who need the flexibility to change hosts as their website grows.
  5. Free website transfers:  If you have an existing domain, Hostwinds will help you transfer it for free. They will also help you migrate your website to their platform without downtime.
  6. 24/365 technical support: You can always reach the Hostwinds support team by phone, chat, or email anytime you need help.

What Operating Systems Does Hostwinds Use?

Hostwinds offers both Windows and Linux operating systems. You can choose the one that best fits your needs. This is vital because it will determine the software you can use on your website.

Is Hostwinds Worth It?

If you don’t mind the cons we list in this Hostwinds review and the spotty uptime performance, Hostwinds is a fantastic web hosting service with many features.

The free domain and site migration are a great bonus, and the customer support is top-notch. If you’re looking for a quality host that can grow with your website, then Hostwinds is an acceptable option.

Hostwinds Performance Review

Load Time – the faster, the better

Uptime – you want your site to be up and running all the time.

Hostwinds offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee, which means your site will be up and running most of the time. There have been some downtime reports, but this is to be expected with any web host. Overall, Hostwinds has a good track record when it comes to uptime.

Security

Hostwinds offers a dedicated IP address and SSL certificates to help keep your site secure. They also have a firewall and malware scanner to help protect your website from online threats.

Speed – Using SSDs to Improve the Website’s Speed

Hostwinds uses solid-state drives (SSDs) to improve the speed of your website. SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives, so your website will load quickly for visitors.

What Are the Best Hostwinds Alternatives?

Hostwinds vs SiteGround

Hostwinds VS SiteGroundHostwinds and SiteGround are two of the most popular web hosting providers.

Both offer quality services, but there are some differences that you should be aware of.

  • SiteGround is a bit cheaper than Hostwinds.
  • Hostwinds offers more storage space and bandwidth than SiteGround.
  • SiteGround has better customer support than Hostwinds.
  • SiteGround offers more affordable shared hosting plans, but Hostwinds offers nightly backups in the basic plan of shared hosting.

So, which one should you choose? It depends on your needs and budget.

If you need more storage space and bandwidth, then Hostwinds is a good option. If you’re looking for a cheaper option with excellent customer support, then SiteGround is a better choice.

Read our SiteGround web hosting reviews or visit SiteGround now.

Hostwinds vs InMotion Hosting

Hostwinds VS inmotion hostingInMotion Hosting is an excellent option for those who need quality web hosting and don’t mind the high price tag.

Rather than focusing on the limitations of a single CMS, platforms like WordPress and Drupal are meant to be used with other applications.

They provide a wide selection of features and plans to fit any website’s needs. If you’re looking for a quality host that can grow with your website, then InMotion Hosting is a great option.

Hostwinds and InMotion Hosting are great options for those needing quality web hosting. Both are good alternatives for any website. If you’re looking for a quality host that can grow with your website, then either Hostwinds or InMotion Hosting is a great option.

The main difference between Hostwinds and InMotion Hosting is the price. InMotion Hosting is more expensive than Hostwinds. If you’re on a budget, then Hostwinds is an excellent option. If you’re willing to spend more money on quality web hosting, then InMotion Hosting is a great option.

Hostwinds vs. HostGator

Hostwinds VS HostGatorHostwinds and HostGator are two of the market’s most well-known web hosting businesses.

To fulfill the demands of any website, they provide a wide range of features and pricing options. So, which one is better?

Hostwinds is the better option if you’re looking for a quality host that can grow with your website. They offer a free domain and site migration and a 99.999% uptime guarantee.

HostGator is an excellent option if you’re looking for a host that can provide fast speeds and excellent customer support. They offer unlimited storage and bandwidth and a 99.99% uptime guarantee.

Visit HostGator

Hostwinds vs Bluehost

BlueHost Review 2022Bluehost is another popular web hosting service that offers a wide range of features and plans to meet the needs of any website.

If you need a reliable host that can grow with your website, then Bluehost is a great option.

Hostwinds is a slightly faster web hosting service than Bluehost. However, Bluehost is a bit cheaper than Hostwinds.

Bluehost is better suited for beginners or those hosting a website for the first time.

If you’re on a budget and don’t mind sacrificing some speed and reliability, then Bluehost is the better option.

Read Our Bluehost Review or Visit the Bluehost website.

Hostwinds vs. Namecheap

Hostwinds VS Namecheap Hosting

Both Hostwinds and Namecheap are quality web hosting providers that offer a wide range of features and plans to meet the needs of any website. So, which is best for you?

Hostwinds offers a wider variety of operating systems, including Windows and Linux. They also offer free domain and site migration. So if you’re searching for a trustworthy host that can expand your website, Hostwinds is an excellent alternative.

Namecheap offers unlimited storage and bandwidth, and they have a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Namecheap is a fantastic choice if you’re searching for a high-quality host that won’t break the bank.

Both Hostwinds and Namecheap are quality web hosting providers that offer a wide range of features to meet the needs of any website. So, which one is the best option for you?

It depends on your needs. If you need a host that offers more operating systems, then Hostwinds is an excellent option.

If you need a more affordable host, then Namecheap is a great option. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Read our reviews of Namecheap or Visit the Namecheap Website.

Three additional Hostwinds alternatives you could consider are Hostinger, A2 Hosting, and Dreamhost.

Which Host Would We Choose?

Hostwinds, with its many benefits, is a good web hosting choice for some website owners searching for a high-quality hosting solution.

The free domain and site migration, 24/365 support, and the utilization of SSDs to enhance internet speed are all appealing features of Hostwinds.

Having said that, we just think there are better overall hosting choices than Hostwinds.

If you are just getting started we would choose BlueHost.

If you have hosted a website before, we would choose Dreamhost.

Lastly, if you need the best hosting options and cost is not an issue for you, go with Cloudways. We host StartingaBlog.io with Cloudways.

Hostwinds Review – Final Thoughts

Hostwinds Review, final thoughts


Hostwinds is a good (but not great) web hosting company with many features, including free domain and site migrations. With excellent customer service, they utilize SSDs to speed up your website’s loading time.

However, they have occasional downtime, and their pricing is higher than that of other hosts. But if you can do without those things, we recommend Hostwinds for your business website.

Visit the Hostwinds Web Hosting Website

About Me
About Me

Hi! I'm Tim Schroeder the founder of StartingaBlog.io

I've been creating blogs and business websites for the last 20 years. I'm passionate about blogging and online business in general. Based on my years of experience, I hope to help you learn how to blog and ultimately turn your website into a thriving online business.

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