About A2 Hosting

Numerous web hosting providers compete for your attention and investment, making it essential for a service to distinguish itself in this crowded market. A2 Hosting manages to do just that by delivering exceptional uptime, stellar customer support, and attractive package offerings. Particularly noteworthy are A2’s top-tier WordPress plans, which position the company as a leading choice for WordPress hosting.

Types of Web Hosting Available

Shared Web Hosting

If you’re aiming to launch a website without breaking the bank, shared hosting is the way to go. With a shared hosting package, your site resides on a server alongside numerous other sites, enabling you to split server resources and reduce your hosting costs significantly. While it’s an economical choice, shared hosting lacks the robustness of other options. One notable drawback is that if other sites on the same server experience crashes or sudden spikes in traffic, it can potentially affect the performance or even cause downtime for your own site.

A2 Hosting provides four levels of Linux-based shared web hosting: Startup, Drive, Turbo Boost, and Turbo Max. The Startup package, starting at $2.99 per month with an annual contract, includes 100GB of SSD storage, unrestricted monthly data transfers, and unlimited email addresses. However, it restricts you to a single domain. The Drive package, beginning at $4.99 per month with an annual contract, expands upon the Startup offering by providing unlimited storage and domains.

Turbo Boost, starting at $5.99 per month with an annual contract, surpasses the other two tiers by hosting your files on NVMe SSDs located on A2’s AMD EPYC servers, complete with pre-configured site caching. Lastly, there’s Turbo Max, starting at $12.99 per month with an annual contract, which boosts the memory from 2GB to 4GB and increases the server cores from two to four.

While A2 Hosting’s shared plans are commendable, they fall slightly behind what HostGator offers. HostGator provides free domain registration, unlimited monthly data transfers, and unlimited email addresses with every shared hosting plan. If you’re considering shared hosting, HostGator is a prime choice to begin your exploration.

VPS Web Hosting

Similar to its shared hosting options, A2 provides various Linux-based virtual private server (VPS) packages. VPS hosting operates similarly to shared hosting, with multiple sites sharing a server. However, VPS hosting allocates more resources per site. This is achieved by hosting fewer sites on each server and isolating each site from others on the server.

A2’s Unmanaged VPS, tailored for experienced website administrators with their own IT team, begins at $5.99 per month with an annual contract. This service includes 1GB of RAM, 500GB of monthly data transfers, and 20GB of storage as its starting configuration. Opting for the next tier, starting at $6.99 per month with an annual contract, boosts the resources provided. In this tier, you’ll get 2GB of RAM, 75GB of storage, and 2TB of monthly data transfer allocation.

A2’s Managed VPS, starting at $35.99 per month with an annual contract, presents the base Lift 4 plan, featuring 4GB of RAM, 150GB of storage, and 2TB of monthly data transfers. Moving up, the mid-tier Mach 8 plan, beginning at $54.99 per month with an annual contract, provides 8GB of RAM, 150GB of storage, and 2TB of monthly data transfers. At the top tier, the Mach 32 plan starts at $89.99 per month with an annual contract, offering 32GB of RAM, 450GB of NVMe storage, and 4TB of monthly data transfers.

Every A2 plan includes a complimentary SSL certificate. Additionally, they come with the HostGuard Management service, sparing you from dealing with technical intricacies. Managed plans entail A2 taking care of server maintenance, but they don’t allow for customization of RAM, storage, or monthly data transfer limits. It’s important to highlight that both managed and unmanaged VPS options offer root access, granting full control over your website. Root access is standard on unmanaged VPS plans and an available option for managed ones.

Dedicated Web Hosting

A2 offers numerous Linux-powered dedicated server packages. The managed servers, starting at $119.99 per month with an annual contract, and unmanaged servers, starting at $99.99 per month with an annual contract, are equipped with a minimum of two CPU cores, 16GB of RAM, 6TB of monthly data transfers, and two 1TB hard drives. The key distinctions between them lie in their provision of root access and HostGuard Management usage.

Cloud Web Hosting

Cloud hosting is gaining popularity rapidly, distinguished from traditional hosting by its distribution of resources across multiple servers, whereas traditional hosting relies on a single server for power. A2, like many other web hosts, provides various tiers of cloud hosting. However, it’s worth noting that their offerings are restricted to the Linux operating system.

The Runway 1 plan, priced at $5.99 per month with a one-year contract, includes 1GB of RAM, 20GB of SSD storage, and 500GB of monthly data transfers. Stepping up to the mid-range Runway 4 plan at $8.99 per month, you get 4GB of RAM, 150GB of storage, and 3TB of monthly data transfers. At the top end, the Supersonic 32 plan, priced at $84.99 per month for one year, offers 32GB of RAM, 450GB of NVMe SSD storage, and 8TB of monthly data transfers.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress is a name closely associated with web hosting, being the platform that fuels over 40 percent of the web. Its popularity is understandable: WordPress is user-friendly and boasts a vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, allowing users to customize the content management system to their preferences.

A key advantage of opting for A2’s WordPress hosting plan is its optimized environment, which facilitates faster page loading compared to their regular shared hosting package. A2 claims that their WordPress plans are 6X faster than traditional hosting. Additionally, A2’s WordPress plans offer unlimited storage and monthly data transfers at each tier, with the exception of the Startup plan, which provides 100GB of SSD storage. Given these features, A2 emerges as our top choice for WordPress hosting.

For those seeking a more tailored solution, A2 also provides managed WordPress servers. With this option, the company takes care of updates and patches on your behalf. If you’re concentrating on a single website, you can avail yourself of the service for $14.99 per month for one year, which includes 50 GB of storage, unlimited monthly data transfers, and 4GB of physical memory. This offering scales up to the Sell plan, starting at $40.00 per month, which grants you unlimited websites, unlimited NVMe storage, and 16GB of RAM.

Reseller Web Hosting

If you’re interested in venturing into the web hosting business without the hassle of managing infrastructure, consider exploring A2’s reseller hosting packages. These plans, starting at $19.99 per month and scaling up to $44.99 per month, offer unlimited email accounts and provide up to 250GB of storage along with 3500GB of monthly data transfers.

Furthermore, A2 Hosting allows you to apply your own branding to the servers you rent and offers 24/7 technical support. However, it’s worth noting that A2’s reseller packages may not be as comprehensive as those offered by Hostwinds. As the Editors’ Choice winner in this category, Hostwinds provides a range of exceptional packages that are likely to satisfy anyone considering entering the reseller business.

Website Speed and Uptime

A2 Hosting achieves remarkably fast website loading speeds by leveraging a plethora of modern technologies to enhance performance. This process begins with fundamental components like high-speed drives and extends to more advanced features such as pre-configured LiteSpeed cache.

A website hosted in the US data center typically yields the best results within the US, with the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measuring at 859ms. As one moves further away from the server location, the loading time for the website increases accordingly.

LCP, or Largest Contentful Paint, is a vital metric used to measure the loading performance of web pages. Google now factors in metrics like LCP when determining the ranking of web pages. Websites with shorter LCP times have a better chance of ranking higher in search results. Keeping the LCP under 2.5 seconds is considered optimal for maintaining good search ranking performance.

Website uptime is a crucial aspect of web hosting. When your site experiences downtime, it means clients or customers cannot access your products or services, potentially leading to dissatisfaction and loss of business. Ensuring a reliable web host that can maintain your site’s availability is paramount. Otherwise, customers may seek alternatives, and the loss of trust could result in long-term consequences.

A2 Hosting fits perfectly within this time slot, boasting an impressive lowest time of 859ms. Even in regions like India, the site manages to load quickly enough to meet the criteria. While there’s room for improvement, the current loading time is satisfactory, and there are no complaints thus far.

In assessing A2’s reliability, we employed a website-monitoring tool to monitor our test site’s uptime for a duration of two weeks. This tool pinged our website every 15 minutes and promptly notified us via email if it was unable to establish contact with the site for a minimum of 1 minute.

The data obtained during testing showed that A2 exhibited remarkable stability throughout the evaluation period. Impressively, it did not experience any downtime whatsoever. Typically, websites may encounter brief periods of downtime over the course of a month, as observed in our uptime tests. Based on our rigorous testing, A2 proves to be a dependable and rock-solid foundation for hosting your website.

Website Security

A2 Hosting takes security very seriously and doesn’t compromise in this area. The host excels by providing a comprehensive array of security features across all its shared hosting plans. This includes SSL certificates, firewalls, DDoS protection, and 2-factor authentication (2FA), ensuring robust protection for websites hosted on their platform.

Firewalls

A2 Hosting implements a dual firewall system across all its plans: the Config Server Firewall (CSF) and ModSecurity. CSF functions as a server firewall, safeguarding against attacks and enhancing overall server security. On the other hand, ModSecurity serves as a Web Application Firewall (WAF), filtering, blocking, and monitoring inbound and outbound traffic to protect web applications from various threats.

DDoS Protection

A2 Hosting further solidifies its security offerings by providing enhanced protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. In essence, DDoS attacks involve flooding a website with malicious internet traffic from compromised systems in order to disrupt its operation.

A2 Hosting achieves this through Imunify360, a robust tool designed to defend against various malicious activities, including brute-force attacks and other suspicious behaviors.

SSL Certificate

A2 Hosting includes a complimentary Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate with all of its shared hosting plans. This is a standard feature that I would expect from a reputable provider. What’s particularly convenient is that these SSL certificates are automatically activated, eliminating the need for manual setup by the user.

Pacthman Security Tool

Patchman serves multiple functions, primarily functioning as a malware and vulnerability detection and patching tool. Initially, it detects and alerts users about outdated software. Additionally, Patchman identifies security vulnerabilities in content management systems (CMSs) and automatically applies patches to address them. Moreover, it automatically quarantines all infected files for a period of 24 hours, minimizing the potential impact of malware infections on the website.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a straightforward yet essential aspect of website security. It adds an additional layer of protection beyond passwords by requiring users to provide a second form of verification. With the increasing prevalence of password hacking and social engineering attacks, 2FA has become increasingly important in safeguarding user accounts and sensitive information.

Ease of Use

A2 Hosting relies solely on the classic cPanel for hosting management. While it is user-friendly and functional, it does have its drawbacks. One downside is its outdated interface, reminiscent of the early 2000s. This might feel like a downgrade, especially if you’re accustomed to more modern interfaces.

Accessing the cPanel requires navigating through the account management panel, where you can also find support, renew your plan, and add extra services. Admittedly, this interface appears outdated, prompting users to swiftly click on the cPanel Login button. It’s puzzling how A2 Hosting manages to maintain such antiquated interfaces alongside its relatively high prices.

Customer Support

If you ever require technical assistance, A2’s appropriately named Guru Crew is readily available to provide support. Accessible 24/7 via phone or live chat, the Guru Crew stands out as one of the most proficient and helpful customer support teams in the web hosting industry.

We reached out to the team on a weekday morning to inquire about plans offering Windows-based hosting (none available!) and to seek guidance on installing WordPress. In just a matter of seconds, a knowledgeable Guru Crew member addressed our queries. A2’s customer service team stands out as one of the best in the industry, rivaling the excellence of GoDaddy’s support.

A2 Hosting provides an Anytime Money Back Guarantee, ensuring a full refund if you cancel your account within a 30-day period. While many web hosts offer similar refund policies, A2 goes a step further by offering a prorated refund if you choose to terminate your account after the initial 30 days.

Conclusion

A2 Hosting encompasses nearly everything one would anticipate from a top-tier web host, boasting exceptional uptime and a team of knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives. The company’s hosting packages are notably robust, particularly its WordPress plans, positioning it as our top choice for anyone looking to build a WordPress-based website.