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HostPapa Review: Web Hosting Review |
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| A good choice for intermediate users; green hosting and domain privacy are a plus, though data was slow on big files | |
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HostPapa offers web hosting for $6.95 per month for twelve months and has no set-up or annual registration fees. This puts it in the median range for hosting plans, but has some compelling offerings that may make it worthwhile for some users. Included in the fee is free domain privacy, something we strongly recommend for users who have a personal site. HostPapa also calls itself a green host, meaning it uses 100% renewable energy. Those concerned with shrinking their carbon footprints should take note as this is one of the few hosts to offer it.
HostPapa is not a powerhouse in the stats department. During our four months of testing HostPapa's uptime percentage was 99.65%, below the 99.88% group average. This translates to a downtime of a little over 10 hours over four months. Its server response time was just barely slower than average, coming in at .534 seconds, versus the .518 second average. It was likewise slower in downloading our 78MB test movie, taking an average time of 2 minutes 22 seconds. While still faster than FatCow and iPage, it was nowhere near some of our download champs. HostPapa offers two options for site creation: ViaStep and SoHo Launch. We used SoHo launch, since Via Step requires you to choose a template, download that template, edit it on your computer, and then upload it again. This feels cumbersome. While SoHo Launch is the preferable option, it is not one of the best editors we've seen. It lacks true WYSIWYG functionality, and may be confusing for first-time users. There are three options for shopping cart installations: CubeCart, osCommerce, and Zen Cart. All require a fair amount of tinkering, and don't approach the ease of use of other options like ShopSite. Still, if you have a fairly large catalog of goods, you'll probably want to invest the time in learning one of these options. HostPapa offers offers 24/7 email support as well as chat and phone (24 hours a day, Monday through Friday and 6am to 7pm EST on the weekends). In our tests, two attempts at chat were unsuccessful, though their phone support was quick, friendly, and responsive. There's a 30-day Money back guarantee, with a pro-rated refund policy after that. HostPapa charges a fairly substantial $24.95 charge for the domain for early termination. Users with moderate experience and their own site-building software will probably get the most out of HostPapa, as well as those who like the idea of green hosting. |
| Cheapest Plan: | $4.95/mo 3 years |
| 1 Year Plan: | $83.40/yr; $6.95/mo |
| $ Back Guarantee: | 30-day full refund, pro-rated after; $24.95 domain charge |
| Domain: | Free for life |
| Support: | Phone, Chat, Email |
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