Hostwinds Review

Professional and Reliable Web Host

Founded in 2010 with the primary goal to offer small business owners superior hosting solutions at affordable prices, Seattle-based Hostwinds has grown to become one of the best website hosting services, supporting both Linux and Windows users. Let’s take a closer look at its key features.

99.99% Uptime Guarantee

Hostwinds web hosting is designed with reliability in mind. Backed up by robust infrastructure, it provides a 99.99% uptime guarantee. The servers are located in the USA and the Netherlands and are wired with several power sources. All servers are Tier 4 and SAS Type II audited promising (and delivering) a top-notch performance. 

Additionally, Hostwinds employs redundancy at every level. The A+ B networks enhance the performance and reliability, while the N+1 cooling systems keep the machines functioning smoothly. The Automatic Network Failover enables rerouting for resolving pathway failures instantly. It’s no surprise then that Hostwinds reviews praise the 99.99% uptime. 

Robust Server Speed

Hostwinds utilizes a Litespeed web server which uses fewer resources and delivers better speeds. Also, the SSDs with fast read and write speed promise a smooth experience for your visitors. The web host offers the industry-leading Cloudflare CDN which reduces the distance between the server and visitors. Speed is further supported with the route optimized networking which ensures choosing the most optimal traffic route. 

For improved server performance, there’s the proprietary Windspeed tool. For an additional $40, you’ll maximize the power and speed of your server. Aimed at ensuring the server is working at 100% capacity, the service includes performance analysis, as well as Apache and MySQL optimization. 

Most of the positive Hostwinds customer reviews refer to the web host’s performance. People praise the speed, saying it's the best they’ve seen from a hosting provider.

Reliable Security

Hostwinds provides SSL certificates for free with all shared, business, white-label, and reseller hosting. For an additional cost ($75 for one year and $140 for two years), the web host also provides RapidSSL and WildCard SSL.

Hostwinds also offers a proprietary security suite called Windshield. Coming in at $25, Windshield provides advanced security features for robust protection. By purchasing it, you get technicians that will perform a security audit, then set up a firewall on the server, and employ server hardening services. The web host provides default backups but for an extra fee, you can have them make nightly backups. This option is affordable and useful. 

Free Migration

Free migration is another feature praised in Hostwinds reviews. They will take care of the entire process fast and risk-free. All you need to do is submit a ticket with all the information needed to transfer the website. Then the team of experts develops a migration plan which needs to be approved by the QA team before it’s deployed. Hostwinds gives you 60 days after purchasing a hosting plan to decide whether you want to migrate your site. 

Ease of Use

Creating an account is streamlined and the approval is almost instant so you don’t have to worry about long waiting periods as it is the case with some hosting providers. 

Hostwind sticks to the popular cPanel and provides easy set up of email accounts, redirects, subdomains, FTP users, and more. If you’ve already worked with a standard Linux server, you’ll have no trouble getting started. The cPanel comes with Softaculous, the auto-installer tool that enables one-click installations of the most popular CMS including WordPress, Joomla, and PrestaShop. 

Virtually every Hostwinds user review on the web praises the easy-to-navigate control panel and intuitive website. 

Weebly Website Builder

Hostwinds gives users access to Weebly — one of the best website builders on the market. You can create appealing websites thanks to the drag-and-drop features and customization options.

While this is an incredibly useful feature, it should be noted that you’re getting the limited free plan, meaning you’ll have the Weebly branding on the footer. Additionally, your website will be restricted to 500MB, and you can upgrade at an extra cost. 

Our Hostwinds vs HostGator comparison meanwhile showed that HostGator is a premium hosting choice for web builders. Gator, their proprietary web building platform, provides great flexibility and amazing features at a small additional fee. 

Prorated Refund Policy

Hostwinds used to offer a 60-days money-back guarantee but as of March 2019, this service was replaced by a new refund policy which allows for prorated refunds for new orders or renewals. This is not as flexible as a money-back guarantee but clients can still decide which service would work best for them before making a commitment. 

Services purchased on an annual, biennial, or triennial billing cycle are eligible for a prorated refund if they are canceled within 30 days of purchase (the time frame is 14 days for renewed Hostwinds plans). The services purchased on a monthly, quarterly, or semiannual billing cycle are eligible for a refund if they cancel within 48 hours of purchase or renewal. 

After completing the cancellation, you’ll have to send a refund request within 14 days to receive the prorated refund. If you cancel a service that doesn’t fall in the above-mentioned categories, you’ll receive prorated Hostwinds Account Credit. 

Domains, software licenses, IP addresses, SSLs, product upgrades or downgrades, as well as products and services that are billed per hour, are not eligible for any type of refund. If you pay with cryptocurrency, you’re not eligible for refunds either.

Superb Customer Service

The impressive customer support is what truly sets Hostwinds apart from rivals. As noted in many Hostwinds reviews, the support is exceptional and second to none.

Agents are available 24/7 via phone, live chat, and ticket. They are quick, knowledgeable, efficient, polite, and helpful. Some users go on to call Hostwinds’s support “the best support team on the planet”. There are no long waiting times. If you reach them via phone or live chat, you’ll get an almost immediate answer, and if you submit a ticket, you can expect a response within 10 minutes. 

If you’re a beginner or not so tech-savvy, the support team will explain everything step-by-step and guide you to overcome the issue. Many users also emphasize the helpfulness of the support team during the setup process. 

Hostwinds also has a solid knowledge base where you can find information about many topics from general guides to specific issues. 

Hostwinds Pricing Overview

Hostwinds is dubbed the most affordable web host on the market. Not only does it provide good introductory discounts, but its renewal prices are cheaper than those of many rivals. 

Keep in mind that there are also hosting providers that offer a price-lock guarantee. For example, during our research, we came across an InterServer review that showed the customers’ appreciation of this feature which guarantees them to pay the price they have signed up for — no extra costs, no hidden fees. 

Still, when weighing in the features included and the price, we concluded that Hostwinds provides good value for money. 

Hostwinds offers introductory discounts on the first invoice. These discounts are auto-applied and don’t require a Hostwinds promo code. After the first invoice, the service renews at the normal prices. Limited-time promotions like Black Friday discounts also apply to the first invoice of newly-created accounts. 

Plans & Pricing

Hostwinds offers a variety of plans to suit the needs of individuals, small, and medium-sized businesses. Below we give you the details of all plans including their standout features and pricing details. 

Shared Hostwinds Hosting Review

Shared hosting is a low-cost hosting option, and Hostwinds offers attractive plans that support unlimited data transfers and storage, a dedicated IP address, as well as a free domain. All plans come with the option to activate nightly backups. The shared hosting comes with end-to-end management and website monitoring. 

Users appreciate the unique features and opportunities to grow. Also, they consider Hostwinds is the best shared host for the money. 

Shared Hosting Pricing

• Basic — supports one domain and comes at $3.29/month (normally $8.99)
• Advanced — supports four domains and its monthly price is $4.23 (normally $10.99)
• Ultimate — supports unlimited domains and its introductory price is $5.17 ($12.99 after the promotion period) 

Business Web Hosting

Our Hostwinds review showed that the business web hosting plans provide more power and better speed. With fewer sites per server and more resources, the plans are designed to handle higher traffic volume. They up the standard shared hosting plans with LiteSpeed web servers, MySQL databases, a larger outbound email limit, and higher PHP memory. 

Business Web Hosting Pricing

• Basic — supports one domain and costs $5.64/month (renews at $13.99)
• Advanced — supports four domains, and the monthly price of the package is $6.58 ($15.99 after the promotional period)
• Ultimate — supports unlimited domains and comes in at 7.99/month (normally $18.99)

Hostwinds Reseller Review

The reseller plans also offer unlimited disk space, bandwidth, databases, email accounts, and subdomains. Users seem to particularly love the white label reseller hosting which allows you to brand the products and services you offer to your clients. 

Reseller Hosting Pricing

• Basic — $3.29/month (normally $8.99)
• Advanced — $4.23/month (normally $10.99)
• Unlimited — $5.17/month (normally $12.99)

With reseller hosting, the more active accounts you have, the more you’ll save. For example, for 5-10 active accounts, you’ll save 5%, while for 51 or more, you’ll save 30%. 

Cloud Hostwinds Web Hosting Review  

A great option for websites with traffic spikes, the cloud hosting combines the best of shared and VPS hosting. Your site will be deployed on a Hostwinds cloud server in a convenient geographical location. 

Additionally, you get dedicated resources to ensure consistent speed and reliability. The cloud servers are scalable so you can increase the resources at any time. You’ll only pay for the resources you use, making the solution cost-efficient.

You can choose from multiple operating systems and use custom templates. The Hostwinds Cloud Portal lets you add extra storage space, create or import SSH keys, and more. 

Cloud Hosting Pricing

There’s rarely a Hostwinds review that doesn’t praise the flexibility and convenience the cloud plans provide. The hosting provider allows you to pay only for what you use and you can also choose a billing option that works best for you. 

• $0.006931/hr — 1 CPU, 1GB RAM, 30GB storage, and 1TB bandwidth
• $0.013875/hr — 1 CPU, 2GB RAM, 50GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth
• $0.026375/hr —  2 CPU, 4GB RAM, 75GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth
• $0.040264/hr — 2 CPU, 6GB RAM, 100GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth
• $0.054153/hr — 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 150GB storage, and 3TB bandwidth
• $0.069431/hr — 4 CPU, 12GB RAM, 200GB storage, and 4TB bandwidth
• $0.106931/hr —  6 CPU, 16GB RAM, 300GB storage, and 5TB bandwidth 
• $0.173597/hr — 8 CPU, 32GB RAM, 400GB storage, and 6TB bandwidth 
• $0.298597/hr — 12 CPU, 64GB RAM, 500GB storage, and 8TB bandwidth 
• $0.456931/hr — 16 CPU, 96GB RAM, 750GB storage, and 9TB bandwidth

Hostwinds Dedicated Servers

If you want more customization options and dedicated resources, Hostwinds offers dedicated server options. You can choose a server and then customize the drive bays, select an operating system, RAID, pick the amount of outbound bandwidth and the number of IPs, and more. You can adjust the options right on the Hostwinds site and see the total price of the current configuration before placing the order. 

According to Hostwinds dedicated server reviews, the majority of users are happy with the services and especially appreciate the affordability of the plans.

Dedicated Hosting Pricing

The prices of Hostwinds dedicated hosting vary depending on the CPU cores, storage space, RAM, and a number of IP addresses you choose. To get a better idea, we outline the basic prices. Keep in mind that the prices mentioned are valid for the initial period with a 10% discount calculated. 

• E3-1270 v3 — from $79.50/month — 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 10TB bandwidth, 8 IPs
• E3-1270 v3 — from $90/month — 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 10TB bandwidth, 8 IPs
• E3-1271 v3 — from $90.75/month — 4 CPU, 24GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 10 TB bandwidth, 8 IPs
• i7-3930K — from $121.50/month — 6 CPU, 64GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 10TB bandwidth, 8 IPs
• E5-1620 v2 — from $132/month — 4 CPU, 48GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 10TB bandwidth, 8 IPs
• 2 x 6272 — from $195.75/month — 16 CPU, 128GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 10TB bandwidth, 8 IPs
• 2 x E5-2670 V2 — from $273/month — 10 CPU, 256GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 10TB bandwidth, 8 IPs

Hostwinds VPS Review

Hostwinds is one of the top VPS hosting providers. It offers both Linux and Windows VPS plans. All plans include 1 GP/s ports, snapshots and ISOs, choice of data center location, as well as protection against DDoS. Hostwinds VPS offers real-time monitoring which allows users to proactively solve issues. The redundant network provides first-class stability while the enterprise hardware promises both speed and reliability. The plans are scalable so you can upgrade or downgrade the server. 

You can choose from multiple Linux OS options including Fedora, CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu, or one of the latest Windows versions including Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016.

The Cloud Control Panel allows you to easily enable Custom Firewall Profiles to servers and create custom rules for IPv4 and IPv6, incoming and outgoing traffic, and specific ports — whatever you need to keep the servers protected. Additionally, you can personalize the traffic distribution through the Load Balancers solution, storage space capabilities, take snapshots and convert them into working templates for a comp, or take snapshots for real-time server backup. 

Hostwinds VPS reviews on the web highlight users’ satisfaction with the service. Many customers appreciate that they get all features needed at an affordable price, and enjoy the user-friendly interface, excellent speed, and top security.

Hostwinds Linux VPS Pricing

Managed Linux VPS

• $5.17/month (normally $10.99) — 1 CPU core, 1GB RAM, 30GB SSD disk space, and 1TB data transfer
• $10.34/month (or $21.99 after the first billing cycle) — 1 CPU core, 2GB RAM, 50GB SSD disk space, and 2TB data transfer
• $18.80/month (normally $39.99) — 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, 75GB SSD disk space, and 2TB data transfer
• $23.97/month ($50.99 after the initial discount) — 2 CPU cores, 6GB RAM, 100 GB SSD disk space, and 2TB data transfer

Unmanaged Linux VPS

• $4.49/month — 1 CPU, 1GB RAM, 30GB storage, and 1TB bandwidth
• $8.99/month — 1 CPU, 2GB RAM, 50GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth 
• $17.09/month — 2 CPU, 4GB RAM, 75 GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth 
• $26.09/month — 2 CPU, 6GB RAM, 100GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth 
• $35.09/month — 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 150GB storage, and 3TB bandwidth 
• $44.99/month — 4 CPU, 12GB RAM, 200GB storage, and 4TB bandwidth 
• $69.29/month — 6 CPU, 16GB RAM, 300GB storage, and 5TB bandwidth
• $112.49/month — 8 CPU, 32GB RAM, 400GB storage, and 6TB bandwidth 
• $193.49/month — 12 CPU, 64GB RAM, 500GB storage, and 8TB bandwidth 
• $296.09/month — 16 CPU, 96GB RAM, 750GB storage, and 9TB bandwidth

Managed Windows VPS

• $7.99/month (normally $16.99) — 1 CPU core, 1GB RAM, 30GB SSD disk space, and 1TB data transfer
• $13.16/month (or $27.99 after the promo period) — 1 CPU, 2GB RAM, 50GB SSD disk space, and 2TB data transfer
• $21.62/month (or $45.99) — 32 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, 75GB SSD disk space, and 2TB data transfer
• $26.79/month (normally $56.99) — 2 CPU cores, 6GB RAM, 100GB SSD disk space, and 2TB data transfer

Unmanaged Windows VPS

• $9.89/month — 1 CPU, 1GB RAM, 30GB storage, and 1TB bandwidth
• $14.39/month — 1 CPU, 2GB RAM, 50GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth 
• $22.49/month — 2 CPU, 4GB RAM, 75GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth
• $31.49/month — 2 CPU, 6GB RAM, 100GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth
• $45.89/month — 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 150GB storage, and 3TB bandwidth
• $55.79/month — 4 CPU, 12GB RAM, 200GB storage, and 4TB bandwidth 
• $85.49/month — 6 CPU, 16GB RAM, 300GB storage, and 5TB bandwidth
• $134.09/month — 8 CPU, 32GB RAM, 400GB storage, and 6TB bandwidth
• $225.89/month — 12 CPU, 64GB RAM, 500GB storage, and 8TB bandwidth 
• $339.29/month — 16 CPU, 96GB RAM, 750GB storage, and 9TB bandwidth

The Verdict

Our Hostwinds review shows that the hosting provider offers great services at affordable prices. It has dependable uptime, solid speed, superb customer support, and robust security. On the flip side, there’s no managed WordPress hosting option, refunds are prorated, and the Weebly website builder comes with limitations. In the grand scheme of things, however, these are just a few bumps on the road. All in all, Hostwinds is an excellent choice for small and medium-sized businesses.