HostGrid Review

HostGrid is an all-in-one hosting solution providing everything you need to host and manage your website. Free domain name for life is very generous we have never seen this from any other host before. The scope of features they offer make them suitable for a range of users, first time website owners who are new to the essential web hosting tools, right up to experienced site managers who know the tricks of the trade.

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Services And Features

HostGrid have successfully managed to keep things simple; when you first click to ‘Get Started’ there are no confusing plans to choose from, meaning all the features you see on their website you actually get. Whilst this is reassuring, does it then mean their one and only plan is expensive? No it isn’t, great stuff! HostGrid are competitively priced and their hosting package includes all the standard features you’d expect such as unlimited bandwidth and storage, the ability to host unlimited domains, 99.9% uptime and a 30 day money back guarantee.

hostgrid features

A key feature that makes HostGrid stand out from the hosting crowd is their inclusion of a free domain for the lifetime of your subscription.  This is a big difference to most other web hosts who only register your domain for free for the first year. They also include a free email address, free SSL, impressive marketing tools and high performance servers.

Sign Up

The HostGrid sign up process follows a similar path to many web hosts where you choose your domain name first.  The free domain included in all annual subscriptions can have a .com, .org, .net or .info TLD or many of the available ccTLDs.  If your chosen domain isn’t available they offer helpful suggestions with both different TLDs and variations on your domain content.  

 

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Next you need to create your account which asks for just 3 pieces of information and then you are onto the order form.  The checkout process is simple to follow and doesn’t include confusing additional services on this page like many others.  You need to choose your subscription term and if you would like Domain Privacy added to your domain name. They accept payments via the usual methods of credit/debit card or PayPal.

The final steps of sign up is where you can choose any extra services that should compliment your hosting package.  HostGrid offer Site Backup, Website Security and SEO services to help get your business ranking on the leading search engines.  They also show you available domains that are similar to your chosen domain which is a helpful touch as we all know how important it is to protect your brand so we suggest registering any related domains while you can.

Website Builder And Control Panel

Customers are given an impressive choice of options to build a website with HostGrid.  Their user control panel features quick links to start using WordPress, their drag and drop website builder or for the slightly more technical user you can go straight to their hosting control panel, Plesk, and create your site from there.

Their website builder is very easy to use and is suitable for beginners to website building.  They have a strong selection of templates, which can all be customized to suit any website or business theme.  They also include a helpful Website Import tool for people moving existing websites over which is a great touch.  The builder feature set includes everything a user will need to create a business’ first website and goes above and beyond in areas like ecommerce with a huge amount of payment gateways to choose from.

hostgrid website builder

You can see HostGrid are trying to bridge the gap between the standard hosting control panel and their custom user interface.  They have built in access to manage your domains, email accounts as well as website building tools and it makes for a great user experience.

Customer Support

Offering 24/7 customer support is expected by any leading web host and HostGrid don’t disappoint here.  They have a helpful knowledge base covering all the key areas along with a skilled team on hand via email for technical issues with Plesk, domains and their website builder.

They are also available via live chat for any queries and if you need a quick resolution you can call them at any time with any account questions.

 

Domains And Email

The process of registering a domain with HostGrid is straight-forward and quick.  As mentioned you get a free domain for life with them which you register during the sign up process.  You can also choose to transfer an existing domain to them as part of your hosting plan. Once you are a customer of theirs you can register additional domains at any point through your user control panel.

The free email address included with each hosting subscription is easy to set up and access via the user control panel and it comes with 5GB of space which is ample for most users.  Additional mailboxes can be purchased which all come with spam and virus protection and secure multi language webmail.