Ooma Office Review: The Best VoIP For Direct Dial Numbers

Ooma office logo

Ooma Office is a cloud-based VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software platform that offers business phone service for small businesses to large enterprises. It offers better remote team communication since the software lets you make calls over the internet instead of a standard phone line. Learn if Ooma Office is right for your company. 

Our Verdict

Ooma Office is a VoIP provider that offers convenient voice communications for your team members and clients. The main difference between Ooma Office and its competitors is that each user receives a unique direct-dial VoIP number instead of an extension. Therefore, your company appears more professional, and is easier to reach by your customers.

Ooma Office is an excellent choice for your team if you’re part of a small firm or business with a sizable number of remote workers. The affordable basic plan comes with a virtual receptionist, mobile app, call-forwarding, and a host of additional features. 

  • Affordable plans for small businesses
  • No long-term contract required
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Toll-free service costs extra
  • Lacks integrated productivity capabilities
  • Desktop app requires upgraded plan

Ooma Office at a Glance

Ooma office logo

Ooma Office is a flexible VoIP service with reliable voice and video calling capabilities. Furthermore, Ooma Office combines the ability to easily set up your VoIP service while having unlimited lines for your business. Best of all, there are also no contracts or long-term commitments. You can even try Ooma Office for 30-days with a money-back guarantee.

There are two different pricing options for Ooma Office, both billed every month without needing a long-term contract. The base plan, Ooma Office, includes a user extension, a local phone number, and unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The advanced plan, Ooma Office Pro, adds video conferencing, voice recordings, and more.

Since there are no long-term commitments with Ooma Office, customers can save up to 50% compared to other providers’ monthly plans. Therefore, Ooma Office is an excellent choice for small businesses and startups when committing to a long-term contract isn’t reasonable.

Ooma office devices - Ooma VoIP review
Source: Ooma

Who Ooma Office is Best For 

Ooma Office is the best VoIP app for small and medium-sized businesses that need a comprehensive phone system to manage team and client communications. This software also provides robust enterprise solutions that can deeply support a growing business. 

Pricing 

Ooma Office provides two different pricing packages: Ooma Office and Ooma Office Pro. Ooma Office costs $19.95 each month per user. If you subscribed to Ooma Office and have a team of 25 employees, you would pay $498.75 per month. Furthermore, Ooma Office offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for both packages so that you can try the VoIP software risk-free. 

Ooma office logo

Plans

Ooma Office

Ooma Office Pro

Ooma Enterprise

Ooma Enterprise Call Center

Price

$19.95/month per user

$24.95/month per user

$27.99/month per user with contract

$49.99/month per user with contract

Mobile App

Extension Dialing

Call Forwarding

Video Conferencing

Desktop App

Call Recording

Advanced Custom Call Flows

Custom CRM and Productivity Tool Integrations

Dedicated Customer Success Managers

Custom file permissions

Ooma Office Pro costs $24.95 each month per user and includes everything in Ooma Office, but it also offers video conferencing, a desktop app, call recording, enhanced call blocking, and voicemail transcription. Ooma Enterprise and Ooma Enterprise Call Center software cost $27.99 per user each month and $49.99 per user each month, respectively. 

Ooma Office Features

Ooma Office offers a robust set of VoIP features which include call management, calling capabilities, and an intuitive user interface. Here’s an in-depth overview of each of the core features Ooma Office provides.

Call Management 

Ooma Office offers all the call management features needed in a VoIP service provider. In the base plan, you receive access to a mobile app, virtual receptionist, and ring groups. With the mobile app, your team can easily communicate from any location. Furthermore, the mobile app offers text messaging, picture messaging, and group messages. 

Screenshot of Ooma Office app  dashboard - ooma office review
Source: Ooma

When your phone rings, you’ll be informed that it’s an Ooma Office call. This makes it easy to differentiate between business and personal calls. With the mobile app, you can also transfer calls to any phone number, extension, or voicemail. 

Ooma Office’s virtual receptionist allows small businesses to direct incoming calls and share essential information. The virtual receptionist guides the caller through a series of options, including selecting their preferred language or choosing a specific department. This way, the caller reaches the right person the first time they call. 

Screenshot of Ooma Office edit virtual receptionist page
Source: Ooma

Another outstanding feature we found in our Ooma Office review is Ring Groups. Ring Groups ensure that no call goes unanswered. You can implement Ring Groups within specific departments like accounting or customer service teams. When Ring Groups is implemented, each member who is eligible to answer the call will receive the phone call.

Then, the phone call stops on everyone’s phone as soon as the first person answers. Furthermore, you can set up Ring Groups to ring each person’s phone sequentially, or user by user, until somebody picks up. 

However, there are many more call management features Ooma Office offers. Each Ooma Office plan includes transfer music, music on hold, extension dialing, and call forwarding. You also get access to call logs, a company directory, call blocking, and 7-digit dialing.

Calling

Ooma Office provides an impressive set of calling features, even with the base plan. With each Ooma Office VoIP plan, you get access to unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Ooma Office’s unlimited calling ability is essential if your business or clients are located in these locations.

Additionally, Ooma Office has very low international call rates. For example, a call to China costs $0.025 per minute, and a call to Australia costs $0.038. Therefore, a 30-minute phone call to China or Australia would only cost $0.75 or $1.14. These are some of the lowest international calling rates found in VoIP providers. 

Ooma Office also makes it easy to transfer your existing business phone number to Ooma through porting. Additional calling features include enhanced 911 services, toll-free numbers, new company numbers, direct dialing, and free number transfers. 

Setup

Ooma Office understands that every business is unique with different needs. Because of this, Ooma Office gives you flexible options to set up your VoIP service depending on your business. 

Ooma Office setup is simple
Source: Ooma

You can set up Ooma Office with your existing analog phones, the Ooma Office smartphone app, or Ooma Office’s IP phones. As such, your phones can be set up through the Ooma Office base station, wirelessly, or through an ethernet cable connection. Ooma Office’s setup is so easy that the DIY setup will have your office phone system up and working in just a few minutes. 

Advanced Features

Ooma Office advanced features
Source: Ooma

Ooma Office Pro costs $5 more per user each month than the base Ooma Office plan. This plan offers a few additional features, including video conferencing, access to the desktop app, and call recording capabilities.

Online video meetings are more prevalent than ever before. For this reason, Ooma Office Pro offers a comprehensive video conference platform to host instant online meetings from any location. You can easily set up video conferences through Ooma Office’s website or the desktop app.

Furthermore, the video conferencing feature offers simultaneous screen-sharing, which is not commonly found in other video conferencing platforms. Each meeting can host up to 25 people. The Ooma Office dashboard also shows an extensive calendar of future meetings and the ability to create, edit, view, and search for meetings. 

You can also password protect video meetings, use a chat messenger, and mute individuals if you’re the host. The Ooma Office desktop app allows you to do everything you can from the mobile app except your laptop. This is easier for remote workers who aren’t typically on the go and need mobile calling capabilities. 

The call recording feature allows you to playback phone calls, crucial for accurate note-taking and future references. You can automatically record each call or manually activate the call recording. 

Interface and Usability

The best feature about Ooma Office is how easy it is to use because of its intuitive dashboard. You can easily configure your settings, add your business users and extensions, and set up other features through the online dashboard. 

Screenshot of Ooma Office app directory - Ooma Office interface review
Source: Ooma

Furthermore, most settings within Ooma Office can be customized. For instance, when configuring Ring Groups, you can choose how long each phone rings before moving on to the next person. 

Security and Encryption

All calls between two phones using Ooma Office are fully encrypted. Furthermore, video calls are fully encrypted as well.

However, Ooma Office could improve its account and communications security. This is because Ooma Office doesn’t offer two-factor authentication. As such, there’s not much you can do to protect your phone network if somebody steals your password. 

Customer Support

Ooma Office provides 24/7 customer support through phone, email, and live chat. This way, there is always somebody available to answer your questions when you need help. You can also find an extensive support center with detailed tutorials about how to set up your phone network. 

Alternatives to Ooma Office 

Choosing the right VoIP provider for your business is crucial, so it’s important to learn about a few alternatives to Ooma Office before making your final decision. Similar to Ooma Office, each of these alternatives offers excellent VoIP services. Therefore, your business will be positively impacted regardless of which option you choose to implement. 

Here are three of the best VoIP providers that provide an alternative solution to Ooma Office.

RingCentral is a superb VoIP provider that offers unlimited business SMS, unlimited calls in the US and Canada, team messaging, and voicemail transcription. RingCentral’s higher-tier plans offer international calling in over 100 countries, workflow integrations with Slack, and a CRM integration with Salesforce.

RingCentral is an excellent VoIP provider for larger enterprises who need a phone system that integrates with their existing apps. RingCentral is unique compared to Ooma Office because it offers volume discounts for larger teams.

Pricing

RingCentral carries four different pricing packages:

  • Essentials: $19.99/month per user – Includes message and phone
  • Standard: $27.99/month per user – Includes message, video, and phone
  • Premium: $34.99/month per user – Includes message, video, phone, and open API
  • Ultimate: $49.99/month per user – Includes message, video, phone, open API, and unlimited storage

To learn more about RingCentral’s features and pricing plans, read our complete RingCentral review.

  • Mobile apps for Android and iOS
  • Unlimited calls within the United States and Canada
  • Built-in document sharing and team messaging
  • Steeper learning curve than other options
  • Only one user can monitor chat features for a specific phone line
  • Unreliable customer support

Nextiva is a VoIP provider that offers a solution for internal and external calls in one single package. The base plan comes with the essential features like unlimited calls in the US and Canada, an auto-attendant, and unlimited video calling. However, the higher-tier plan offers more collaboration-based features.

Nextiva is a great VoIP solution for small businesses looking for a productivity-driven communication system with collaboration features. Nextiva is very similar to Ooma Office because both VoIP services are easy to use and set up. However, Nextiva provides more pricing plans, which may be more suitable for your business.

Pricing

Nextiva provides three different pricing options to choose from:

  • Essential: $18.95/month per user – Unlimited voice and video calling
  • Professional: $22.95/month per user – Unlimited conference calls
  • Enterprise: $32.95/month per user – Call recording

To learn more about Nextiva’s features and pricing plans, read our complete Nextiva review.

  • Mobile app access from any location
  • 24/7 customer support team
  • Customizable auto-attendant
  • Call recording is exclusive to higher-tier plans
  • Lacks extensive integration capabilities
  • Confusing to add contacts

Mitel is a VoIP service with a full suite of collaborative tools. These tools include the ability to host video conferences with 100+ people and a platform for business and teamwork SMS messages. Mitel is a great option for small businesses interested in Outlook integration and Telephony for Microsoft support. This way, you can easily call through Teams.

Compared to our Ooma Office review, Mitel is the better choice for teams that need Outlook and Microsoft integration capabilities.

Pricing

Mitel offers three different cloud business phone systems. However, you need to contact Mitel’s sales team to receive a quote.

  • Unlimited minutes each month
  • PC, Android, and iOS app
  • 100-user video conferences
  • Time-consuming initial setup
  • Lack of user customization
  • Mobile app UX could be improved

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Ooma Office Review

Below are a few popular questions surrounding the Ooma Office review.

Bottom Line on Ooma Office Review

Ooma Office offers two different pricing packages depending on what VoIP services your business needs. It’s an easy-to-use VoIP option that offers impressive calling and video conferencing features. However, Ooma Office isn’t the best VoIP service if you’re interested in team collaboration features. 

Dialpad Review: VoIP Ace of AI

dialpad logo plus dialpad's mobile app view

Dialpad levels up the way you call and message your co-workers and customers. It stands out among VoIP providers because it offers cutting-edge AI technology, comprehensive call management features, and affordable pricing. We list pros, cons, features, and competitors in this Dialpad review.

Our Verdict

Dialpad is a smart selection for your business if you’re looking for a combination of multiple VoIP functions, advanced AI platform, and cost-effective plan rates. To begin with, all the plans allow you to manage your incoming and outgoing calls via call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and call transferring.

Plus, the AI system provides real-time recommendations and task automation for better workflows. In addition to this, you can make as many calls and send as many messages as you like to colleagues and clients. Last but not least, the pricing of the Dialpad packages is cheaper compared to similar VoIP services.

Although Dialpad has its benefits, it admittedly has a few drawbacks too. For instance, the basic plan only lets you integrate your VoIP system with essential productivity suites, while the advanced plans come with more integration options.

Aside from this, none of the packages include dedicated VoIP devices, although the app is compatible with computers, smartphones, and softphones. Finally, number extensions are available with the most expensive plan only. At the end of the day, Dialpad is a well-rounded VoIP provider that gives you bang for your buck.

Pricing: Starts at $15 per user/month

dialpad logo plus dialpad's mobile app view
Source: Dialpad
  • Superior AI technology
  • Complete call management features for all plans
  • No caps to VoIP calling, SMS & MMS
  • Limited integrations only for low-tier plan
  • No dedicated VoIP hardware
  • Extensions available for corporate plan only

Dialpad at a Glance

Man wearing a headset using a black laptop talking to someone over Dialpad plus closeup of live call transcript

Dialpad is a VoIP platform that serves as a unified communications solution for business teams of all sizes. Through a single VoIP app, it equips you to contact your customers via phone calls, messages, and video conferencing. Since the VoIP system is customizable, you can scale it to match the growth of your business by adding users and managing phone numbers.

It was founded in 2011 by Craig Walker and Brian Peterson. At present, it now has more than 70,000 brand customers all over the world. It currently employs over 1,000 team members who are based in 11 global offices in various countries.

Dialpad has an edge over other VoIP services because this budget-friendly yet ultra-functional VoIP system is powered by modern AI technology. Its features include VoIP communications, call management, phone numbers, office locations, collaboration tools, auto attendant, software app support, hardware compatibility, third-party integrations, and customer service.

Who Dialpad Is Best For

Dialpad is ideal for business owners who need an all-purpose VoIP service but have a limited budget. It grants you and your team access to a wide variety of call management features plus AI assistance without breaking the bank. The low-tier plan is recommended for small businesses, while the high-tier plans are advisable for mid-sized companies, corporations, or contact centers.

Pricing

Dialpad offers three types of plans that vary in terms of pricing and features. Check out the chart below to discover how these packages stack up to each other:

Dialpad logo

Plans

Standard

Pro

Enterprise

Price

$15/user/month

$25/user/month

Contact Dialpad for quote

VoIP Communications

Unlimited calls, SMS & MMS + limited meetings + 3 ring groups

Unlimited calls, SMS, MMS & meetings + 25 ring groups

Unlimited calls, SMS, MMS, meetings & ring groups

Call Management

Phone Numbers

1 local number/user

1 local number/user + additional local or international numbers

1 local number/user + additional local or international numbers + extensions

Office Locations

1

10

Unlimited

Collaboration

Contact syncing + analytics & reporting

Contact syncing + analytics & reporting

Contact syncing + analytics & reporting

AI-powered Auto Attendant

Software App Support

Dedicated VoIP Hardware

Integrations

G Suite & Office 365 integrations

G Suite, Office 365, CRM & productivity tool integrations

G Suite, Office 365, CRM, productivity tool & IAM/SSO integrations

Customer Service

24/5 support

24/7 support

24/7 support

To summarize, Dialpad presents you with three VoIP packages which you can choose from:

  1. Standard
    1. $15 per user/month
    2. Minimum of 1 license

This basic plan is ideal for individual professionals or small business teams who wish to connect with colleagues and customers.

  1. Pro
    1. $25 per user/month
    2. Minimum of 3 licenses

This advanced package is appropriate for multiple small teams or mid-sized business teams that want to simplify the way they communicate with various clients and co-workers.

  1. Enterprise
    1. Contact Dialpad to get a quote
    2. Minimum of 100 licenses

This corporate plan is suitable for large companies or contact centers that reach out to a wide network of customers via VoIP systems or call center software.

Take note that these rates are applicable only if you sign up for annual billing. Higher rates apply if you subscribe to the monthly billing arrangement.

Dialpad Features

Dialpad has a strong set of features that improves the way you connect with your customers and workmates. In this Dialpad review, let’s dive deeper into the features of this VoIP caller, such as VoIP communications, call management, phone numbers, office locations, collaboration tools, auto attendant, software app support, hardware compatibility, third-party integrations, and customer service.

VoIP Communications

Dialpad equips you to reach out to your team members and clients in several important ways. All the plans allow you to make unlimited phone calls and send unlimited SMS or MMS messages. Plus, they give you the chance to participate in video conferencing and team chats.

While the basic communication capabilities of the three packages are the same, the advanced communication features of each plan differ slightly. For instance, the Standard package only includes limited meetings and three ring groups.

Dialpad Contact Center Review 2022
Source: Dialpad

Next, the Pro plan comes with unlimited meetings and 25 ring groups. Finally, the Enterprise package tops them both by showcasing unlimited meetings and ring groups. Be sure to take your business communication needs into consideration as you pick a Dialpad plan.

Call Management

Dialpad makes it a breeze for you to monitor and handle your incoming and outgoing VoIP calls. All three plans boast a slew of call management features, such as call forwarding, call routing, call recording, voicemail transcription, custom voicemail greeting, and number forwarding.

Dialpad Call management
Source: Dialpad

For example, you can forward calls to your smartphone, to co-workers’ stations, or to external numbers. Plus, you can route calls to the appropriate agent or join conference calls via three-way calling to save time. Also, you can record an unlimited number of calls. On top of this, you can keep track of your voicemails through the transcription and playback services.

In this case, the only advantage which the Pro and Enterprise packages have over the Standard plan is the ability to hold queues. That’s why Dialpad has you covered in terms of call handling regardless of the package you select.

Phone Numbers

No matter which plan you subscribe to, Dialpad provides each user of your team with one local number. You also have the option to get additional local or international numbers if you go for the Pro or Enterprise package, although this privilege isn’t part of the Standard plan. Just keep in mind that you can only avail of number extensions if you pay for the Enterprise plan.

Nevertheless, number porting is available for all packages. As a result, you can carry over your existing toll-free, local, or international numbers from your previous phone provider to your new Dialpad system.

Office Locations

Dialpad uses office locations to represent physical workspaces or groups of team members. In addition to this, each office also serves as a basis for the computation of tax rates. Every Dialpad plan comes with a maximum number of office locations.

The Standard package only encompasses a single office, while the Pro plan accommodates up to 10 offices. If you don’t want any office number restrictions, the Enterprise package gives you free reign with unlimited office locations.

Collaboration

Dialpad makes it easier for you to collaborate with co-workers in your team and in other departments. It syncs contacts across the VoIP system so that the appropriate people can quickly access the customer database. Also, it analyzes relevant information and generates reports that will help you and your colleagues gain insights for improved planning.

Auto Attendant

Dialpad is well-regarded for its multi-level auto attendant that’s fueled by AI technology. It provides real-time recommendations so that your agents can instantly share AI-suggested answers to client questions. Plus, it enables them to resolve customer issues right away even without supervisor assistance.

In addition to this, Dialpad comes with tools that empower your sellers and managers to close sales deals, such as scripted responses and objection handling. It also has task automation capabilities that let you attach notes to your CRM platform and prepare the call review procedure.

On top of this, it allows you to keep track of real-time representative activities via leaderboards. Last but not least, Dialpad helps your customers to instantly search for information even without speaking to agents by automating customer touchpoints.

Software

Dialpad has a wide compatibility range when it comes to software support. After all, you can use the desktop app whether your computer is based on Windows or Mac OS. Aside from this, you can install the mobile app on your mobile device, which includes your smartphone whether it runs on Android or iOS.

Hardware

You should be aware that none of the Dialpad plans come with dedicated VoIP hardware. Still, you can use the Dialpad app for calling, messaging, and faxing with your existing laptops, mobile phones, or softphone devices for your business phone system.

Integrations

While all Dialpad plans include third-party integrations, the level of consolidation varies greatly depending on the package you subscribe to. For instance, the Standard plan only allows you to connect your VoIP phone system with basic productivity suites like G Suite and Office 365. 

Dialpad integrations - Dialpad review
Source: Dialpad

Nevertheless, the Pro package accommodates integrations with CRM systems like Salesforce and Hubspot, plus productivity tools like Slack, Zendesk, and Zapier. To level up the game, the Enterprise plan includes all these third-party integrations, while adding cloud services like Azure and Okta to the mix.

Make sure that the package you select is compatible with the essential programs your work team uses on a daily basis.

Customer Service

Dialpad provides customer service for all plans, although the level of support changes based on the tier you sign up for. On one hand, the Standard plan only includes 24/5 chat and web assistance, while the Pro and Enterprise packages both come with full 24/7 phone, web, and chat support. Plus, it’s just the Enterprise plan that falls under the Service Level Agreement (SLA).

On the other hand, the three packages equally grant you access to the knowledge base and community forum. To top things off, all Dialpad plans give you the option to get support-related add-ons, such as a dedicated account manager and professional deployment services.

Alternatives to Dialpad

Dialpad is a viable option for your business if you value AI-enhanced VoIP features. Still, you may check out other notable alternatives if you prioritize other aspects of VoIP services.

RingCentral is a centralized VoIP system that enables you to make calls, host video meetings, write messages, and send faxes through a single app. It gives you the chance to gain new global, local, and toll-free numbers. Plus, it allows you to monitor system activity so that you can assess service quality, team performance, and system usage.

RingCentral is ideal for business teams that use video communications frequently. While Dialpad comes with video conferencing, RingCentral has a bigger focus on video meetings and messaging. However, keep in mind that RingCentral charges much higher rates than Dialpad, especially for the premium plans with progressive features. Also, Dialpad has an edge when it comes to AI technology.

  • Strong emphasis on video communications
  • One central app
  • Real-time analytics for phone calls & video meetings
  • Expensive pricing
  • Some advanced features available for high-tier plans only
  • Less focus on AI than Dialpad

Pricing:

RingCentral MVP

  1. Essentials: $19.99/user/month
  2. Standard: $27.99/user/month
  3. Premium: $34.99/user/month
  4. Ultimate: $49.99/user/month

*Rates applicable for annual billing

Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite is a contact center support solution that includes VoIP telephony and messaging features. It enables you to connect with clients via various channels like live-chat, mobile, and web. In addition to this, chatbots guide you to answer questions of callers.

Freshdesk is suitable for call centers that want to improve user experience (UX). It places more weight on prepping agents to provide excellent customer service to callers, while Dialpad aims for a fairly equal balance between team collaboration and client support.

Nevertheless, the more economical Dialpad offers more internal communication options than Freshdesk. Plus, Dialpad is a better all-purpose VoIP service than Freshdesk.

  • Designed to boost UX
  • Multiple channel options for customers
  • Chatbot assistance
  • Limited collaboration tools
  • Costly plan rates
  • Not as well-rounded as Dialpad

Pricing:

Freshdesk Omnichannel Suite

  1. Growth Omnichannel: $29/agent/month
  2. Pro Omnichannel: $59/agent/month
  3. Enterprise Omnichannel: $99/agent/month

*Rates applicable for annual billing

Ooma is a VoIP provider that offers best voip cell phone, messaging, and video solutions for small businesses and enterprises alike. It showcases mobile apps and video conferencing tools that let you connect with colleagues and clients on the go. Aside from this, it comes with a virtual receptionist which directs callers to the right extension.

Ooma is appropriate for entrepreneurs who need scalable VoIP services for their growing business. The Ooma VoIP system is easy to personalize because it lets you add extra perks to the standard features. In comparison, Dialpad is also customizable to an extent, yet you need to upgrade to a higher plan to avail of some advanced functions. Still, the cheaper Dialpad comes with more built-in call management features plus more plan options than Ooma.

  • Adjustable VoIP services
  • Tools for remote work
  • Virtual receptionist assistance
  • Lacks some complex call management functions
  • Two plan options only
  • Steeper pricing than Dialpad

Pricing:

Ooma Business Phone Plans

  1. Ooma Office: $19.95 per user/month
  2. Ooma Office Pro: $24.95 per user/month

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Dialpad Review

Dialpad transforms the way that you contact your customers and workmates through VoIP calls and messaging. Discover the answers to essential questions about Dialpad and VoIP to evaluate if it’s a practical solution for you.

Bottom Line on Dialpad Review

Dialpad boosts your productivity by streamlining the way you communicate with your clients and colleagues. It’s a clever choice for you if you’re looking for a VoIP service that successfully blends together avant-garde AI assistance, ample call management features, and competitive pricing. We are optimistic that this Dialpad review has helped you decide if the VoIP ace of AI is a good match for your business or not.

ADP Review: Pros & Cons of the Payroll Software for Your Small Business

ADP logo

In this ADP payroll review, you’ll see it’s one of the best on the market, with multiple plans, so you can upgrade as you grow. The company offers plans for organizations with less than 50 employees, but it may be a bit complex, so we recommend it for businesses expecting rapid growth. 

We’ve narrowed down the benefits and downsides of the software and you’ll see why it gets such high marks for ease of use, payroll reporting tools, and its employee portal. Plus, if you need HR tools, ADP payroll might replace what you’re using now.

Screenshot of ADP payroll dashboard
Source: ADP

Our Verdict 

ADP is a comprehensive payroll solution that helps companies automate and manage regular employee payments. ADP offers tax services, including automatic payroll tax filing and ensures you stay compliant. There’s also an employee self-service portal, payroll reporting tools, and standard payroll features.

Besides the traditional payroll resources, ADP comes with helpful additional features, such as expanded human resources functions and software integrations. This makes ADP a more robust solution when compared to its competitors—meaning it should continue to meet businesses’ needs as they grow. 

While these exclusive features are what make ADP stand out from other payroll software, it  adds extra costs to the solution, which can become pricey for a small business looking for simpler and more affordable solutions. 

ADP is great for companies that require a broader set of resources beyond payroll. In addition to basic HR features, ADP also includes add-ons that take payroll to the next level, such as time and attendance, retirement, workers’ compensation, and health insurance resources. 

However, its broad set of features makes ADP an improper fit for small businesses. Companies with fewer than 50 employees might find such features unnecessary, disrupting the cost-benefit scale. On the other hand, businesses quickly scaling up might want to choose ADP at their early stages to adjust their needs as they grow. 

  • Automated tax filing 
  • HR features, including employee access, new hire onboarding, and employee discounts
  • 50+ integrations are available (ERPs, accounting, time and attendance)
  • Extra payroll run costs extra 
  • Some users have reported that customer support isn’t responsive at times
  • Feature-heavy for small businesses looking for more straightforward solutions

ADP Payroll at a Glance 

ADP has a variety of resources and features. In addition, its many available integrations make the software an even more robust solution. Companies can integrate ADP with multiple apps, including QuickBooks, Oracle, ClockShark, ZipRecruiter, and Slack.

With ADP, payroll can be set to autopilot, and payroll taxes are calculated, deducted, and automatically paid. Furthermore, all packages include customizable reports. But HR features set ADP apart from completion—all packages include employee access, new hire onboarding, and employee discounts.

When it comes to costs, ADP does not disclose its pricing upfront—businesses should request a quote at the ADP website. The only pricing available is the Essential Payroll package, starting at $59 monthly plus $4 per employee per month. 

However, many users have stressed that some features available on the payroll software are charged extra, which can be a significant hurdle for small businesses on a budget. 

Who ADP is Best For 

Although ADP is available for companies with as few as one employee, extra charges are what set back small companies from choosing this payroll software. This ADP Payroll review will show you why it’s best for established or fast-growing companies rapidly expanding their headcount.

Pricing

Screenshot of ADP pricing plans
Source: ADP

For companies with less than 50 employees, ADP offers four different plans that vary in terms of pricing and features. All price tiers include payroll and tax, HR, marketing and consulting and services modules. 

ADP Run logo

Plans

Essential

Enhanced

Complete

HR Pro

Price

$59/monthly + $4 per employee/month

Pricing available upon request

Pricing available upon request

Pricing available upon request

Payroll: Computer, Mobile App, Phone Call

Direct Deposit

Reporting

General Ledger Interface

New-Hire Reporting

W-2s and 1099s

Tax Filing

Payroll Delivery

Multi-jurisdiction Payroll

Wisely Direct Debit Card

Check Signing: Security

State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) Management

Labor Law Poster Compliance

ADP Payroll Features

We’ve analyzed and detailed the main features in the Essential package that stand out for this ADP Payroll review:

  • Payroll accessibility 
  • Tax filing
  • Employee access
  • Google Ads setup and management 
  • Time and attendance

Payroll Accessibility

ADP is a cloud-based service, so both employees and employers can access it from mobile devices or desktops. The company also allows you to run payroll via its mobile app (available for iOS or Android). Alternatively, companies can also run payroll by phone. 

Tax Filing 

ADP automates tax filing for companies by calculating, filing, depositing, and reconciling payroll taxes. ADP also responds to inquiries from taxing agencies regarding deposits and returns. 

It is worth mentioning that a few users have reported issues with ADP’s tax filing. However, if there are any tax filing errors, ADP will pay the resulting fines or penalties imposed by taxing authorities. 

Employee Access 

HR features make ADP a more comprehensive tool compared to other payroll software. One of the leading resources available in this module is employee access. Employees can manage ADP retirement accounts, check payment history, and enroll in pay statements. 

Google Ads Setup & Management 

Aside from payroll and HR features, ADP plans come with marketing resources. All small business plan tiers offer Google Ads setup and management, allowing companies to launch a campaign and reach more customers. This benefit is a helpful addition for businesses aiming to reach more customers through a Google Ads campaign. 

Time and Attendance 

With the time and attendance add-on, companies can run payroll accurately, include and manage schedules, hours worked, vacations, and sick time for employees. 

Alternatives to ADP 

For small businesses that don’t need such robust payroll software, there are a few alternatives in the market. Here are a few we find might be a better fit. 

Gusto’s starting package includes full-service payroll, employee profiles and self-service, Gusto-broked health insurance administration, employee health and financial benefits, and several integrations. Gusto might be a better fit for small companies as it offers a complete set of payroll features, with pricing more affordable than ADP. Pricing starts at $39 per month, plus $6 per person per month for the Core plan, and $12 per person for the Complete plan.

Compared to Gusto, ADP offers more features in its basic package, especially in the HR module. But as far as payroll goes, ADP isn’t different from Gusto when comparing pricing and main payroll features in its basic plans. Go beyond our comparison of Gusto to ADP in this ADP Payroll review—read the Gusto vs ADP article to learn more about which is right for your business.

  • Affordable package for comprehensive payroll software
  • Easy-to-use platform and beginner-friendly
  • A broad set of integrations 
  • Unlimited payroll runs
  • Limited customer support hours

QuickBooks is another alternative for ADP that covers all payroll services a small business may need. Pricing starts at $35 for the Payroll Core + QuickBooks Simple Start, with a $4 extra charge per employee, per month.

When compared to ADP, QuickBooks offers fewer HR features and employee benefits. There are also few integrations without QuickBooks Online. Payroll is also limited to the US and Canada. However, for businesses looking for more cost-effective solutions, QuickBooks might be a better fit as it’s more affordable than ADP.

  • Unlimited payroll runs 
  • Next-day direct deposit
  • Affordable pricing
  • Limited customer support hours

Paychex Flex is one of the best-known payroll and HR software for small-to-medium-sized businesses. Pricing starts at $39 monthly with a $5 charge per employee per month.

Similar to ADP, Paychex Flex offers 24/7 customer support and automatic tax payroll administration, including calculation, filing, and payment of payroll taxes. Paychex also comes with HR analytics, a free mobile app, and custom reports. Read the Paychex Flex review to learn more.

  • Unlimited payroll runs
  • Pay any kind of worker (full-time, hourly, or contract) via direct deposit, paper checks, or payment cards
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Some users have reported poor user interface 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for ADP Payroll Review

ADP Payroll software can streamline the way you run payroll in your company. We’ve listed the most asked questions about ADP Payroll to determine whether this software solution is a good match for you.

Bottom Line on ADP Payroll Review

ADP is one of the most comprehensive payroll software out there. It comes with full payroll and tax features that help take off the stress from carrying out employee payments. Additional HR features are what make ADP stand out, along with seamless integration with over 50 platforms that expand the software’s functionalities and benefits. 

However, many of the features available in ADP cost extra. Plus, none of the costs are disclosed by ADP—not even the basic package plans are available on ADP’s website, meaning you should request a quote to make sure about pricing. 

Bottom line, ADP is a robust payroll solution fit for established companies and fast-growing businesses. If your company expects rapid change and quick scaling, we’ve established in this ADP Payroll review that it’s a fine software to meet your needs. However, if you are a small business on a budget, looking solely for payroll solutions, simpler software such as Gusto can perfectly cater to your needs.

HostGator Review: Pros, Cons, Features & Alternatives

HostGator logo

Hosting more than 8 million domains, HostGator is one of the oldest and most popular web hosting service providers out there. It primarily offers different types of hosting but has also added a website builder and domain registration to its services. If you’ve come across one of HostGator’s cheeky ads and are wondering whether it’s a suitable option for you, here’s all you need to know. 

Our Verdict 

With shared hosting plans starting from as low as $2.75 per month, HostGator offers affordable hosting services with some quality features. These include unmetered bandwidth and disk space, one-click WordPress installation, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 live chat support.

HostGator is a reliable web host as it performs well if you’re getting high traffic. Its plans comprise shared, WordPress, VPS, reseller, and dedicated hosting so there are options for businesses of all types and sizes. When it comes to page load time, HostGator sits at 660 ms which isn’t the fastest but isn’t bad either. 

  • Solid uptime
  • 24/7 support
  • Unmetered storage and bandwidth 
  • Higher renewal prices
  • Relatively slower site speeds
  • Aggressive upselling

HostGator at a Glance

Screenshot of HostGator website homepage
Source: HostGator

A jack of all trades is a master of none. HostGator seems to do reasonably well in all aspects from uptime and site speed to pricing and customer support. However, it doesn’t stand out from the crowd for any particular feature. 

HostGator has been in the web hosting game since 2002 and has developed a reputation for being a reliable service provider. It has some of the best shared hosting plans that give you more features than the industry standard and at an affordable price. 

You get a free domain name, SSL certificate, professional email, $150 and $100 worth of Google Ads, and Microsoft Advertising credit with the cheapest HostGator plan. Although HostGator’s plans look low-cost, they’re only affordable if you’re in it for the long haul. 

The attractive monthly prices you see on their site apply if you commit for three years. If the lowest tier (Hatchling plan) costs $2.75 per month in the 36-month plan, the price hikes up to $10.95 for the 6-month plan. 

Who HostGator is Best For

HostGator has hosting plans for all types of websites. It also has a website builder package that gives users an all-in-one solution to create ecommerce sites. With its data centers located in Utah and Texas, HostGator is best if you want to attract primarily US traffic to your site. 

That said, HostGator is a good choice if you’re willing to make a long-term commitment i.e. three years. You can always check if it works for you risk-free as it offers a 45-day money-back guarantee for its shared, reseller, and VPS hosting plans. 

Screenshot of different types of hosting offered by HostGator
Source: HostGator

Pricing – HostGator Review

Although HostGator offers shared, VPS, reseller, and dedicated hosting, we’re going to focus on the most widely-used shared hosting. This comes in three plans: Hatchling, Baby, and Business.  

HostGator logo

Plans

Hatchling Plan

Baby Plan

Business Plan

Price (Total initial payment for 36-months)

$99 (renews at $250)

$126 (renews at $358)

$189 (renews at $538)

Website allowed

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unmetered bandwidth

Free SSL certificate

Free domain

$150 Google Ads spend match credit

$100 Microsoft Advertising credit

Cloudflare CDN with up to 2.5x faster page load times

FREE Dedicated IP

FREE Positive SSL upgrade

Note that the quoted prices apply if you pay for three years upfront. They increase significantly if you pay for a shorter period. 

The Hatchling plan is an amazing choice if you’re new to website development and want to create one site only. But if you want web hosting for ecommerce, the Business plan is a much better option. 

HostGator also offers VPS and dedicated hosting. Check out the pricing plans for other hosting types on its website if you’re interested.

HostGator Features

Let’s take an in-depth look at HostGator’s features and how they match up to some of the best web hosting sites out there. As we mentioned above, HostGator is the jack of all trades so you’ll see it doing reasonably well in all departments but no stand-out performances.

Screenshot of HostGator free Features
Source: HostGator

HostGator Review of Performance – Loading Time and Uptime

Your website’s loading time plays an important role in your rankings and user experience. Expert webmasters prefer web hosts that offer optimal page loading speeds to maximize site performance. 

The average page loading time for sites hosted by HostGator is 660 ms. This is not as fast as Bluehost or A2 Hosting, but it’s definitely not a bad speed. The Business plan comes with Cloudflare CDN with up to 2.5x faster page loading times. 

When it comes to uptime, HostGator upholds a 99.9% uptime guarantee. The guarantee says if your site experiences an uptime of less than that, you may receive a month of credit on your hosting package. We can conclude that the web host maintains pretty solid uptime with a 99.98% average uptime over the last four years.

HostGator Server Network

HostGator has two data centers in Provo, Utah and Houston, Texas. While there are no servers located outside the US, this web hosting service is a good choice if you’re targeting an American audience. 

The data centers are equipped with modern infrastructure that includes strong cybersecurity as well as physical security, advanced cooling systems, and backup power. HostGator uses powerful servers that users can rely on. The servers maintain their performance even if the traffic spikes to 50 users using a site simultaneously. 

Unmetered Disk Space and Bandwidth

Note that unmetered doesn’t mean unlimited. You get unmetered disk space and bandwidth with all HostGator plans, but it just means that it doesn’t track how much data you upload or bandwidth you use. 

While this sounds like unlimited disk space and bandwidth, HostGator doesn’t forget to mention it ‘requires all customers to be fully compliant with their Terms of Service.’ It says customers using more than 25% of their system resources for more than 90 seconds would be violating their ToS. Such users are often sent an email requesting them to reduce usage. 

Site Security

HostGator offers basic website security on the Hatchling and Baby plans. You get a free SSL certificate with all plans, so that’s something to start with. There’s also a server-level firewall, but that’s about it as far as the basic plans are concerned. If you want advanced security like a positive SSL upgrade, SiteLock, or automatic backups, you’d have to lighten your wallet. 

Screenshot of HostGator SSL certificate page
Source: HostGator

Positive SSL is set to cost you $39.99 a year, but it comes free with the Business plan. The SiteLock feature, starting at $5.99 per month, keeps your site safe from malware and other forms of cybercrime. You can get automatic backups starting at $2.75 per month with CodeGuard.

Ease of Use

If you’re a beginner, HostGator is a good choice for you as it offers a resourceful knowledge base you can use to figure stuff out. You get access to a lot of tutorials and walkthroughs, plus live chat support is always available to help you out.

Screenshot of HostGator one-click installs - HostGator Review ease of use
Source: HostGator

Features like one-click WordPress installation make it easy to set your site up with ease. But not just WordPress, it’s as easy to set up other platforms like Magento, Joomla, Drupal, and phpBB. 

The HostGator website comes with an intuitive interface. It’s easy to navigate between different pages and find what you’re looking for. When it comes to site management, HostGator uses the cPanel which is very simple and functional, but has a few snags.

Screenshot of HostGator cPanel
Source: HostGator

HostGator Customer Support

Apart from 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket-based email support, HostGator has a robust knowledge base full of helpful articles and video tutorials. Most customers are happy with its customer service as it has quick response times and the support agents almost always have the answers you’re looking for.

Screenshot of HostGator Knowledgebase page
Source: HostGator

Since HostGator’s customer service is outsourced, we found some customer reviews expressing discontentment with the help they received. Not all support agents are fully invested in solving customers’ problems and not all of them have fluent English skills. But this is rare and can be disregarded. Overall, HostGator does a good job in this department. 

Alternatives to HostGator

HostGator is good, but it’s not the best web hosting company. Can you find a better set of features at an even more affordable price tag? You very well can if you look in the right place. You could even go for free web hosting services if they meet your requirements.

Here are some of the best alternatives to HostGator, how they compare to it, their pros and cons, and pricing: 

Just like HostGator, Bluehost is one of the most popular hosting providers. It offers premium quality features at affordable prices making it a worthwhile choice. With shared hosting plans starting at $2.95 per month, Bluehost offers almost the same feature set as HostGator plus free CDN and its website builder in the most basic package. 

Bluehost is best for hosting WordPress websites. What makes it a better option than HostGator is that its per month cost is the same if you buy a one year plan. So while HostGator offers its basic plan for $2.75 if you buy a 3-year plan, you can get a similar deal from Bluehost without having to commit for that long. 

  • 24/7 customer support
  • Reliable uptime
  • Best for WordPress & WooCommerce
  • Additional costs
  • Higher renewal prices
  • Servers are located in Utah, US only

We’ve ranked Hostinger the best hosting service as it delivers the most value for your money. Starting at $1.99 per month, it has one of the cheapest hosting plans in the market, but that doesn’t mean it lacks features. 

Hostinger gives you ultra-fast page load speeds with an average page loading time of 143 ms. This is truly remarkable given the low price. It also boasts a reliable 99.99% uptime. The most basic includes free SSL, Titan email, and 30GB SSD storage. Read our Hostinger review for an in-depth look at its services.

  • Fast page load times
  • Very affordable
  • Easy to use
  • No phone support with basic plan
  • Slows down in high traffic
  • Doesn’t use industry standard cPanel

As the name suggests, WP Engine is specifically designed to host WordPress websites. Its user-friendly interface and handy workflow tools allow you to set up stellar websites even if you’re a complete beginner. 

It’s not as affordable as HostGator. The most basic plan will cost you $20 per month, and the price only goes up if you go for more advanced plans for ecommerce or any other large website. Check out our WP Engine review to find more about it.

  • Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
  • 60-day money-back guarantee
  • 24/7 customer service
  • Expensive
  • No free domain
  • Caters to WordPress sites only

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for HostGator Review

Bottom Line on HostGator Review

HostGator hosts over 8 million domains, and for good reason. It has all the features of a quality web host and offers them at a very low cost. With solid site speeds and uptime, HostGator is known for its reliability. Plus, it has plans for all types of websites and businesses. If you’re looking for a simple and trustworthy hosting for your site, jack of all trades, HostGator is not a bad choice at all. 

Bluehost Review: Flexible, Famous Web Host Provider

Bluehost logo

Bluehost makes it a breeze for you to build and manage business websites, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. It matches any level of web hosting budget and needs, thanks to its flexible options, easy to use features, and strong customer support.

Get ready to dive deeper into the pricing, features, pros, and cons of this famous, flexible web hosting service in our Bluehost review. Discover if Bluehost is the perfect fit for your business.

Our Verdict

Bluehost logo

Bluehost is a potential match for your business no matter what your web host requirements are, due to its versatility, user-friendly interface, and solid support. First, it provides a broad range of plans which you can choose from.

Plus, the platform is easy to use and navigate whether you’re a newbie or a veteran of web hosting. Last but not least, you gain access round-the-clock customer service regardless of your package.

While Bluehost comes with a lot of perks, it does have certain limitations too. For instance, the pricing presentation isn’t straightforward so it’s challenging to figure out how much exactly you’ll pay each month. Also, the low-tier plans lack some advanced features of high-tier plans. Lastly, all plans only come with one free domain, even the expensive ones.

Overall, Bluehost is one of the best web hosting companies for small businesses that you can find in the market at present.

Pricing: Starts at $9.99/month

  • Wide variety of available plans
  • Simple, streamlined UI
  • 24/7 support for all plans
  • Confusing pricing
  • Limited features of basic plans
  • Single free domain only for all packages

Bluehost at a Glance

Visual representation of Bluehost hosting website statistics
Source: Bluehost

Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider that offers multiple levels of hosting services. It guides you in the various stages of the website creation and maintenance process. To start with, it equips you to register a domain name and design a business site. Afterwards, it enables you to manage your website via insightful analytics and data protection. Moving forward, the scalable tools allow you to upgrade your site as your business grows.

In 2003, the web hosting company was established by Matt Heaton and Danny Ashworth in Provo, Utah. Today, Bluehost powers more than 2 million websites all over the globe. Plus, the Bluehost team is currently composed of over 750 employees who are committed to meeting the hosting needs of customers.

Bluehost shines among web hosting sites because its flexibility gives you room to pick the perfect plan. You can benefit from its features, such as website hosting, domain registration, server support, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, speed, website tools, security certification, and customer service.

Who Bluehost Is Best For

Bluehost is actually a viable option for a wide range of business users because of its versatile alternatives, unlike other hosting services that cater to certain users only. At the end of the day, it all boils down to which plan and tier is suitable for you.

For example, the Shared Hosting packages are ideal for startups and small businesses that have a limited budget for hosting solutions. Aside from this, the VPS Hosting plans work well for mid-sized or growing businesses with developing hosting needs. The Dedicated Server Hosting packages are ideal for large companies and corporations who can afford premium services for advanced hosting requirements.

Pricing

Bluehost offers three main types of web hosting plans, which are divided into several tiers with different rates and features. Check out the chart below to get an overview of the hosting packages.

Bluehost logo

Plans

Shared Hosting

VPS Hosting

Dedicated Server Hosting

Price

Starts at $9.99/month

Starts at $29.99/month

Starts at $124.99/month

Website Hosting

1 to unlimited websites

Unlimited websites

Unlimited websites

Domain Registration

1 free domain registration

1 free domain registration

1 free domain registration

Server Type

Shared server

Virtual private server

Dedicated single-tenant server

Traffic Management

Low-traffic websites & blogs

Expanding websites w/ growing traffic

High-traffic websites

Bandwidth

Unmetered

1 TB to 3 TB

5 TB to 15 TB

Storage

50 GB to unmetered website space

30 GB to 120 GB SSD SAN Storage

2 x 500 GB to 1,000 GB RAID Level 1 Storage

Speed

Standard to high performance

2.2 Ghz CPU

2.3 to 3.3 Ghz CPU

Website Tools

WordPress website builder + Custom themes

cPanel + WHM w/ Root

cPanel + WHM w/ Root

Security

Free SSL certificate + SpamExperts & CodeGuard Basic for higher tiers + Premium SSL certificate for highest tier

Free SSL certificate + Premium SSL certificates & SpamExperts as add-ons

Free SSL certificate + Premium SSL certificates & SpamExperts as add-ons

Customer Support

24/7 customer support

24/7 VPS support

24/7 customer service + Dedicated, expedited support

To sum things up, Bluehost has three main categories of hosting plans. Each category has its own range of tier levels:

  1. Shared Hosting
    1. Basic: $9.99/month
    2. Plus: $13.99/month
    3. Choice Plus: $18.99/month
    4. Pro: $28.99/month
  2. VPS Hosting
    1. Standard: $29.99/month
    2. Enhanced: $59.99/month
    3. Premium: $89.99/month
    4. Ultimate: $119.99/month
  3. Dedicated Server Hosting
    1. Standard: $124.99/month
    2. Enhanced: $169.99/month
    3. Premium: $209.99/month

Aside from the varied tier alternatives, Bluehost is also generous when it comes to contract length options. Bluehost contracts can be as short as one month or as long as 36 months, unlike most providers which only give you a choice between monthly or annual arrangements. The current rates we included in this review are applicable for annual billing agreements. Lower rates are available for longer contracts, while higher rates apply for shorter contracts.

Just be careful as you review the pricing terms of the Bluehost plans you’re interested in. The pricing scheme can be confusing because the Bluehost website usually highlights the promo price for each package, even if this discounted rate is only applicable to the first month. Head to the list of regular rates to learn how much you’ll really pay on a regular basis.

Bluehost Features

Screenshot of Bluehost benefits
Source: Bluehost

Bluehost is a well-balanced hosting provider because it’s got most bases covered when it comes to hosting services. In this Bluehost review, let’s take a closer look at the most important features of this hosting solution. These features include website hosting, domain registration, server type, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, speed, website tools, security options, and customer support.

Website Hosting

Through website hosting, Bluehost provides you a secure virtual space where you can post your business site so internet users can access it. There’s probably a fitting Bluehost website hosting service for you, no matter what kind or how many websites you’re planning to put up.

The cheapest tier of the Shared Hosting plan includes hosting for a single website, while the pricier tiers allow you to host unlimited websites. Similarly, all tiers of the VPS Hosting package come with hosting services for as many websites as you like. Finally, it’s up to you how many websites you wish to host via Dedicated Server Hosting since you have full control over the system.

Domain Registration

Screenshot of domain names offered by Bluehost
Source: Bluehost

The domain name is the URL address of your website which is associated with an IP address. All the plans and tiers of Bluehost uniformly come with a single free domain registration. While it’s a good perk for the low-end plans, it’s a shortcoming for the high-end plans since you won’t get more free domains even if you’re paying more expensive rates.

Server Type

The type of server which hosts your business website is the main difference among the Bluehost plans. For instance, the Shared Hosting plan entails sharing a server with other websites. While it’s a clever way to cut down on expenses, it means you’ll be splitting server resources with other users.

As an alternative, the VPS Hosting package gives you the advantage of your own virtual server. Although it costs more than shared hosting, it does come with fully dedicated server resources and computing power.

Last but not least, the Dedicated Server Hosting plan grants you the benefit of your very own single-tenant server. Just be prepared to shell out major bucks for dedicated hosting. Still, there’s no limit to the ways you can optimize or customize your exclusive server resources.

Traffic Management

The level of website traffic your business websites can handle will depend on the Bluehost plan you sign up for. For example, the Shared Hosting plan is meant for simple websites and blogs, which typically encounter fairly light traffic.

Bluehost WordPress Pro: Marketing Center - Traffic Management - Bluehost review
Source: Bluehost

In addition to this, the VPS Hosting package is appropriate for expanding sites with growing traffic that require more control and power. Finally, the Dedicated Server Hosting plan is designed to handle high traffic for complex sites that call for maximum performance and speed.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth describes the maximum data which can be transmitted over the internet during a particular period of time. The bandwidth capacity of Bluehost varies based on the plan you select.

On one hand, the Shared Hosting package has an unmetered bandwidth within reasonable use so there’s no need to worry about overage fees. On the other hand, both the VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting plans have bandwidth limitations. The monthly caps of VPS Hosting ranges from 1 TB to 3 TB, while the limits of the Dedicated Server Hosting extend from 5 TB to 15 TB.

Storage

Bluehost provides storage for your websites so you can upload and store data like text, media, documents, and files. However, both the amount and type of storage differs according to your plan and tier.

The Shared Hosting plan comes with 50 GB or unmetered website space, but you can only keep a maximum of 200,000 to 300,000 files. While the VPS Hosting package only includes 30 GB to 120 GB space, you get faster access to your files because of the snappy SSD SAN storage. To round things up, the Dedicated Server Hosting gives you 2 x 500 GB to 1,000 GB RAID Level 1 Storage which makes data recovery possible.

Speed

Speed matters when it comes to web hosting since it determines how productive you are in web maintenance and how engaged your audience is in site browsing. Bluehost assures users that the Shared Hosting plan is capable of standard to high performance, although it doesn’t give exact speed measurements.

With better detail, the VPS Hosting package promises lightning fast performance because it combines a 2.2 Ghz CPU and a quick SSD hard drive. To top it off, the Dedicated Server Hosting plan is built for extremely swift performance because it’s powered by 2.3 to 3.3 Ghz CPU. Also, you have the flexibility to upgrade the system for more impressive performance in the future.

Website Tools

Screenshot of Bluehost website SEO tools
Source: Bluehost

Bluehost equips you to create your own business sites through website tools, although the platform you’ll be using depends on your plan. On one hand, the Shared Hosting package comes with an intuitive WordPress website builder. On the other hand, both the VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting plans come with cPanel plus WebHost Manager (WHM) with root access.

Security

All Bluehost plans have security features which protect the privacy of your websites. The lower tiers of Shared Hosting come with a free SSL certificate, while the highest tier includes a premium SSL certificate. Also, the upper tiers give you limited access to SpamExperts and CodeGuard Basic services.

You might be disappointed to learn that both VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting only grant you a free SSL certificate, especially if you’re expecting more because of the premium pricing. As a consolation, you do have the option to purchase premium SSL certificates and SpamExperts as add-on security options.

Customer Support

Screenshot of the customer support section on Bluehost website
Source: Bluehost

Bluehost has exceptional customer service because all plans come with 24/7 hosting support. If you signed up for Shared Hosting, you may call or chat with the support team anytime if you have questions about your website or account. On top of this, VPS Hosting comes with expert VPS support, while Dedicated Server Hosting includes expedited support from agents who specialize in dedicated hosting issues.

Alternatives to Bluehost

Bluehost works well as a web host provider for you if you prioritize elasticity when it comes to selecting a hosting plan. Still, there are other options you can consider if other factors are more important to you.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud web hosting provider which boasts over 200 web services. Our AWS Web Hosting review explains how it lets you build your own personalized plan by mixing and matching hosting services. Plus, it supports many platforms like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Java, PHP, Ruby, .Net, and Node.js.

AWS Web Hosting is ideal for business owners that prefer a pay-per-service arrangement. You only have to pay for the services you use, in contrast to Bluehost which has bundled features per plan. Nevertheless, AWS requires more technical skills than Bluehost since you must know how to put together the right services to optimize your plan. Also, Bluehost has an edge over AWS in terms of 24/7 customer service and built-in cPanel support.

  • Scalable pricing
  • Customizable services
  • Multiple platform compatibility
  • Technical expertise needed
  • Payment needed for advanced customer service
  • cPanel tools only available as add-ons

Pricing:

  1. Amazon Lightsail: Starts at $3.50/month
  2. AWS Amplify: Starts at $0
  3. Amazon S3: Starts at $0
  4. Amazon EC2: Starts at $0

WP Engine is a WordPress hosting solution for small businesses and enterprises. Our WP Engine review elaborates how it equips you to maintain websites, boost performance, and safeguard your privacy. On top of this, it showcases ecommerce solutions which prepare you to start an online store so you can sell products and services over the internet.

WP Engine is appropriate for entrepreneurs who exclusively use WordPress to create websites. Although Bluehost does support WordPress, WP Engine has a greater focus on this web platform. However, Bluehost is better than WP Engine when it comes to free domains, affordable hosting pricing, and number of plan options. Other than WP Engine, here are other web hosting services for ecommerce.

  • Specializes in WordPress
  • Dedicated ecommerce services
  • Strong security features
  • No free domain registration
  • Higher starting price than Bluehost
  • Limited plan alternatives

Pricing:

  1. Managed WordPress: Starts at $25/month
  2. eCommerce Solutions: Starts at $30/month
  3. Advanced Solutions: Contact WP Engine to get quote

*Rates for annual billing

InfinityFree is one of the best free web hosting services for startups. After all, you don’t need to pay anything to take advantage of website hosting with PHP and MySQL. Aside from having no time limits, you can also set up as many ad-free websites as you wish.

InfinityFree is suitable for small business owners who have little to no budget for web hosting. It offers a completely free web host plan without hidden charges, compared to Bluehost which only has paid packages. Still, Bluehost is miles ahead of InfinityFree in terms of storage space, server power, and advanced features.

  • Free web hosting platform
  • Unlimited websites
  • Zero ads
  • Small 5GB disk space only
  • Limited server resources
  • Lacks features for power users

Pricing:

  1. InfinityFree: $0
  2. Super Premium: $3.99/month
  3. Ultimate Premium: $6.90/month

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Bluehost Review

Bluehost gives you the chance to tailor your plan selection based on your specific web hosting needs. Find out the answers to basic questions about Bluehost and web hosting if you’re interested in hosting services.

Bottom Line on Bluehost Review

Bluehost gives you freedom to create and maintain websites for your business according to your basic or advanced hosting needs. It’s easy for you to pick a plan that perfectly suits your hosting requirements and budget, given the abundant plan alternatives, intuitive features, and reliable support.

We hope our Bluehost review has enlightened you if this famously flexible and flexibly famous web host service is the best match for your business or not.

Grasshopper Review: Is It Worth Your Time & Money?

Grasshopper blog banner

Grasshopper is a popular cloud-based phone service that offers voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solutions. In this Grasshopper review, we’ll explain why the platform is ideal for small and mid-sized businesses that are cost-conscious. Among other things, users enjoy an easy and intuitive setup and plenty of team collaboration tools.

Our Verdict

Grasshopper VoIP services provide feature-packed plans to suit the needs of small and mid-sized businesses. Irrespective of your package, you can make unlimited business calls and texts. The service also allows you to use your existing business number or choose one from Grasshopper’s inventory of local, toll-free, and vanity numbers. 

There are numerous enticing features, including VoIP and Wi-Fi calling, custom greetings, multiple extensions, virtual fax, and voice mail, which are also available on mobile and desktop apps. 

Furthermore, you will receive detailed call reports and timely notifications of missed calls and voicemails. Grasshopper has a 7-day free trial period, and your number is activated after you choose a plan.

Screenshot of Grasshopper homepage - How to get the Grasshopper VoIP phone system
Source: Grasshopper
  • No need for special equipment or other phones
  • You can get a local, toll-free, or vanity phone number
  • Mobile and desktop app available (compatible with android and iOS)
  • No video conferencing feature (not a unified communications service)
  • No call recording
  • Lacks CRM integration capabilities

Grasshopper at a Glance

Grasshopper is a phone service that offers reliable VoIP solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. While it provides a whole array of calling features, including call transfers and extensions, it remains a far cry from a unified communications service that blends phone services with video conferencing and email. 

This Boston-based phone service offers a professional way to handle communications, especially for companies with few or moderate communication demands. Grasshopper has a great desktop and mobile app, allowing you to communicate anywhere using any gadget!

Moreover, the service separates your business calls from your personal calls. Even if you stick to using the mobile app, you don’t need to worry about embarrassing blunders where you lack professionalism by greeting a client casually.

Who is Grasshopper Best For?

Grasshopper offers a competitively priced tier-based VoIP service. Even though it has plenty of call management and collaboration features, it lacks CRM services and video conferencing software.

This makes it an ill-fit for larger companies with more significant communication needs. However, it is a solid option for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses with low or moderate communication needs.

Grasshopper Pricing

Grasshopper offers three unique plans ideal for startups and small businesses. These plans differ in price ranges, with the lower-tier package costing $29 monthly or $26 per month under an annual commitment. You can upgrade to the Partner or Small Business plans once your company grows and you need more phone numbers or extensions.

Something that stands out about Grasshopper’s pricing is that the tier packages have a flat monthly fee. The billing process is straightforward, so you don’t have to worry about hidden costs. Also, there are plenty of add-ons like professional voice studio and call blasting that you can include in your package to create a personalized VoIP service.

Screenshot of Grasshopper pricing plans
Source: Grasshopper
Grasshopper logo

Plans

Solo

Partner

Small Business

Cost Per Month

$29

$49

$89

Cost with Annual Billing

$26/Month

$44/Month

$80/Month

Free 7-Day Trial

Phone Numbers

1

3

5

Extensions

3

6

Unlimited

VoIP and WIFI Calling

Unlimited Calls and Texts

Call Transfer

Virtual Fax

Call Recording

Voicemail Transcription

24/7 Support

Grasshopper Features

Grasshopper offers a reliable range of features that complement your existing phone systems. Because some features are standard in all plans, most startups and solo enterprises can choose the lower tier package and upgrade as their businesses grow. Here are some of Grasshopper’s features.

Grasshopper Mobile and Desktop Apps

Grasshopper offers a desktop and mobile app that makes the phone service portable. You can make and receive business calls from anywhere as long as you can access your laptop, smartphone, tablet, or desktop. 

These applications are compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS gadgets.

One of the significant benefits presented by the apps is that they allow you to separate your business calls from your personal calls.

There is also the convenience of having access to your call history to make timely follow-ups on any missed calls. The apps provide an all-in-one dashboard to view all your communications. This includes calls, texts, emails, voicemails, and video calls.

Screenshot of Grasshopper homepage - Run your business from anywhere
Source: Grasshopper

Virtual Phone Numbers

You can choose a custom phone number for your business through the virtual phone numbers feature. This allows you to further enhance your professional image by separating your business from your personal affairs. The available numbers include:

  • Local phone numbers—These boost your brand’s presence within your area and make it easier for your business to attract a local client base.
  • Vanity phone numbers—Allow you to select a number based on a keyword’s spelling. For instance, you can create a custom number with your brand or product name as the keyword. This makes it easier for your clients to remember your business number.
  • Toll-free numbers—Give you a more established and credible image by letting your clients reach out for free.

VoIP Calling

All Grasshopper plans allow users to make unlimited calls to the US and Canada. You can also make international calls at an added fee. Using Grasshopper’s calling card feature, you can mask your personal number and instead display your business number. Other functionalities enabled by the calling features include:

  • Calls over Wi-Fi 
  • Call transfers
  • Call forwarding
  • Phone extensions
  • Hold music
  • Number blocking 
  • Voicemail Transcription 

This service allows you to have your voicemails transcribed and sent to your business email. You can also send them to a virtual assistant or your text inbox. Better still, this feature allows scanning of business voicemails using keywords. This can be a real-time server, allowing you to sieve out the most urgent voicemails.

Automated Greetings

A professional greeting can enhance your brand’s image and create a sense of being legitimate and more established. Grasshopper allows you to record your IVR audio greetings or pay a fee to access the professional voice studio service. 

Screenshot of Grasshopper automated greetings.
Source: Grasshopper

Instant Response

The instant response feature makes it easier to take advantage of all available business opportunities. The feature works by sending an automatic text each time you miss a call. This lets your caller know that:

  • They have reached the correct number
  • You are currently unavailable but will respond as soon as possible
Screenshot of Grasshopper Instant response
Source: Grasshopper

Add-On Features

Grasshopper offers the flexibility to scale up with add-on features. As your business expands, you can include the following services to ensure your company enjoys personalized VoIP solutions without changing your service plan.

  • Ruby Receptionists—Gives you a virtual receptionist to pick up incoming calls and give your callers a professional and personalized experience.
  • Video Studio—Allows you to hire a professional to create polished customized call greetings.
  • Call Blasting—Activates simultaneous calling to reduce call wait time and enhance customer satisfaction.
  • International Calls—Offers a personalized international calling plan and reach out to your clients beyond the US and Canada.
  • Extra Numbers and Extensions —Customizes your existing plan to include more business numbers or extensions without changing your service package.
Screenshot of Grasshopper add-ons
Source: Grasshopper

Grasshopper Alternatives

Grasshopper has competitively priced tier-based plans. While it is a solid option for startups and small businesses, there are better alternatives for solo entrepreneurs and larger businesses that require more robust software. Here are three of the top alternatives to using Grasshopper VoIP services.

RingCentral is one of the best alternatives to using Grasshopper. This VoIP service is well-known for its ease of use, reliable call quality, and range of pricing plans ideal for all business sizes.

RingCentral is a unified communications service, and its features provide more than just essential professional calling services. You can make phone calls, video calls, conference calls, and text messages using one platform!

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers tier-based services and allows users to pay monthly or annually. An annual subscription makes you eligible for a 33% discounted rate. The platform’s plans include:

  • Essentials—$29.99 monthly or $19.99 when billed annually
  • Standard—$37.99 monthly or $27.99 when billed yearly
  • Premium—$44.99/ month or $34.99 under yearly billing
  • Ultimate—$59.99/month or $49.99 under annual billing

Who Is RingCentral Best For?

RingCentral is a solid alternative to consider if you want a phone service with plenty of VoIP and collaborative features. The platform stands out for being an all-in-one communications service ideal for all businesses, including those with greater communication demands.

How Does RingCentral Compare To Grasshopper?

RingCentral offers more features, allowing it to cater to more than just startups and small businesses. Unlike Grasshopper, it is a unified communications service that will enable you to make video conference calls. Also, it has a clean and good-looking interface, which is a definite plus point above Grasshopper.

  • Video conferencing (HD quality)
  • Enhanced scalability with a wide range of add-on features
  • User-friendly desktop and mobile app
  • Limited interactive voice response options
  • Hard to navigate fax feature
  • Conference call greeting can’t be customized

Google Voice is an excellent VoIP service to consider if you have a Google Workspace account and want to enjoy straightforward phone services. This cloud-based platform blends communication channels and provides comprehensive integrations and call functions. While it is quite popular among small and mid-sized businesses, it is rich in premium add-on features ideal for large enterprises.

Google Voice Pricing

Google Voice is one of the most budget-friendly VoIP services available. If you are a solo entrepreneur, you could even benefit from the platform’s free plan. The three tier-based plans include:

  • Starter—$10 monthly
  • Standard—$20 monthly
  • Premier—$30 monthly

Who Is Google Voice Best For?

If you are searching for the best VoIP provider to help your business enjoy an international presence without overstretching your budget, Google Voice is your best bet. The platform offers call rates as low as a cent/ minute, making it ideal for large-scale companies with a global customer base. Read our in-depth review on Google Voice to find out if it’s the best for you and your business.

How Does Google Voice Compare To Grasshopper?

Both Grasshopper and Google Voice are reliable VoIP services. However, Grasshopper offers customization with advanced features like instant response, simultaneous call handling, and custom greetings. Unless you desire a simplified phone service, it is better to stick to Grasshopper.

  • Unlimited domestic calls and texts 
  • Allows call routing to multiple devices simultaneously
  • Smooth integrations with Google Workspace
  • No vanity or toll-free numbers
  • Limited advanced features
  • Google might have access to your confidential information 

Vonage is an excellent alternative to Grasshopper because it is a unified communications provider. The VoIP service makes business communication and collaborations straightforward and cost-effective for startups and small businesses.

Vonage Pricing 

Vonage offers three tier-based services. They include:

  • Basic—$19 per month
  • Premium—$29/month
  • Advanced—$39/ month

Who Is Vonage Best For?

Vonage is an excellent option if you want a competitively priced VoIP service that offers all the essentials you need to work from anywhere and on any device. It is also attractive for businesses looking for more scalability. The platform has numerous add-on features, meaning businesses can choose only the features they need.

How Does Vonage Compare To Grasshopper?

Both Grasshopper and Vonage are ideal options for startups and small businesses. The main difference is that while Vonage is a platform built on robust technology, Grasshopper mainly depends on its features to create a package ideal for the communication needs of different businesses. 

  • Video conferencing feature
  • All plans allow unlimited calls and texts
  • Secure (FCC, HIPAA, PCI, and GDPR compliant)
  • The basic plan has limited features
  • Too many add-ons at an extra fee
  • No online faxing or toll-free numbers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Grasshopper Review

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions to help you further evaluate whether the service matches your business needs.

Final Thoughts on Grasshopper Review

Grasshopper is a VoIP provider with just enough features to suit the needs of small and mid-sized businesses. It also matches the expectations of solo entrepreneurs and small startups that want to set up a professional phone system cost-effectively. The 7-day free trial offers a risk-free means to sample the service and determine whether it suits your business needs.

So is it a good fit for your business? Hopefully, our Grasshopper review has helped you answer that question.

Hostinger Review: Is Cheap Web Hosting Worth it?

Hostinger logo

Hostinger, formally known as Hosting Media, is a popular web hosting service that offers cloud, VPS, and shared hosting. Since its rebranding in 2011, it has given brands like Bluehost a run for its money. Affordable pricing, user-friendly interface, and solid performance are just a few of the things we cover in this Hostinger review. 

Our Verdict

Hostinger is a reputable web hosting service known for its competitive pricing and fast loading time. The company accommodates both simple and complex, picture-heavy websites, and you don’t have to worry about a high bounce rate caused by a slow website loading pace. However, you will have to contend with low storage space especially in the basic plan. 

Screenshot Hostinger website landing page
Source: Hostinger
  • Low prices and a free web builder (Zyro)
  • Fast server speed and 99.9% uptime guarantee
  • Effective cache manager for faster loading speeds
  • User-friendly and intuitive dashboard 
  • Unlimited bandwidth in top-tier plans and free domain name with higher priced plans
  • 30-day money-back guarantee and responsive WordPress support in over 20 languages
  • No free daily backup in single and premium plans
  • Money-back policy has exceptions not available for refund
  • Free domain name only for one website

Hostinger at a Glance

Hostinger, formally known as Hosting Media, was formed in 2004. In 2007, the company launched a free web hosting service and then rebranded in 2011, when it began offering paid hosting plans.

Today, it is one of the most popular brands that offers complete web hosting services. Through Hostinger, you can build, manage, and run a website quickly, affordably, and conveniently.

Who Should Use Hostinger?

In our Hostinger review, we found it’s an excellent option to consider if you are looking for well-balanced web hosting and want value for your money. The service provides the perfect blend of fast server speed, well-thought-out features, reliable customer support, and affordable plans. 

Hostinger Pricing & Features

For a first-timer building a website, choosing a service package can be confusing. The company offers four unique services to ensure you can get all your hosting needs catered for under one roof. You only need to choose a web hosting type and plan that suits your business needs.

The four primary Hostinger services include:

  • Shared Web Hosting
  • WordPress Hosting
  • Cloud Hosting
  • VPS Hosting

Hostinger Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting involves sharing the resources of a single server with multiple websites. This makes the service plans more pocket-friendly and ideal for small and medium-sized websites.

Depending on factors such as whether you have a picture-heavy website or a simple site that only requires limited bandwidth, or whether you need one or multiple professional email addresses, you can choose from the Single, Premium, or Business shared web hosting plans.

Hostinger offers a tier-based service where the introductory prices are pretty enticing. For example, the basic Single Shared Plan costs $1.99 per month for the first year and $3.99 once you renew the service. The Premium and Business plans offer nearly identical specifications and performances as other web hosting services but for roughly half the cost.

Who Is Shared Hosting Best For?

Hostinger’s shared hosting service is an affordable option ideal for beginners. The only catch is that you share server resources with other websites. If you run a small or medium-sized site, you are likely to find one of the three plans suitable for your business needs.

Hostinger logo

Plans

Single Shared Hosting

Premium Shared Hosting

Business Shared Hosting

Introductory Price

$1.99/month

$2.99/month

$4.99/month

Renewal Fee

$3.99

$6.99

$8.99

Number of Websites

1

100

100

Free SSL

Yes

Yes

Yes

SSD Storage

30GB

100GB

200GB

Bandwidth

100GB

Unlimited

Unlimited

Backups

Weekly

Weekly

Weekly

MySQL Database

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

WordPress Acceleration

Yes

Yes

Yes

Free Domain Name (1 year)

Yes

Yes

Yes

24/7/365 Support

Yes

Yes

Yes

FTP Account

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

Hostinger WordPress Hosting

The WordPress Hosting service is optimized for maximum WordPress website performance. The service offers machine-level plugins, adjustments, and memory enhancements to ensure your WordPress site works more flawlessly. 

WordPress hosting is ideal for bloggers, small and medium-sized stores, big ecommerce stores, and entrepreneurs with picture or video-heavy websites. You must first choose a plan that best suits your website needs. The main difference between the plans is their pre-configured settings that make top-tier packages ideal for sites with more significant demands.

Screenshot of Hostinger WordPress Hosting Plans
Source: Hostinger

Who Is WordPress Hosting Best For?

If you have a WordPress site, the WordPress Hosting option is likely to best align with your needs. The service has plans tailor-made to ensure your website’s running smooth and gets maximum performance.

Plans

WordPress Single

WordPress Starter

WordPress Business

WordPress Pro

Price

$1.99/month

$3.99/month

$6.99/month

$11.59/month

Renewal Fee

$3.99/month

$5.99/month

$11.99/month

$19.99/month

Number of Websites

1

100

100

300

Monthly Visitors

10,000

25,000

100,000

200,000

Subdomains

2

100

100

300

Free SSL Certificate

Free Domain

Cloudflare Protection

SSD Storage

30GB

100GB

200GB

200GB

Bandwidth

100GB

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

FTP Account

One

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

Backup

Weekly

Weekly

Daily

Daily

JackPack

Free C Plug-in

Free Plug-in

Personal

Personal

Email Accounts

1Q2

100

100

100

Free CDN

Hostinger Cloud Hosting

With the Cloud Hosting service, you enjoy dedicated server resources, which reduce the risk of downtime. Hostinger uses CloudLinux with LVE containers to make setting up the cloud hosting service, managing it, and account migration simple. 

Even first-time website owners with little or no training in web development don’t have to worry about bumping into unexpected technicalities. Hostinger’s admins manage the back end and significantly reduce your workload. 

Generally, the Cloud Hosting service is a worthwhile step up from Shared Hosting if your website demands have grown bigger, calling for more server resources. They are ideal for entrepreneurs who want enough resources to power multiple heavy ecommerce websites and still be assured of dependable speeds.

Screenshot of Hostinger cloud hosting page
Source: Hostinger

Who Is Cloud Hosting Best For?

An upgrade from the shared hosting option may be imperative if your website requires more resources. The Cloud Hosting service is powerful, user-friendly, and best for resource-intensive projects like large ecommerce stores.

Screenshot of Hostinger cloud hosting pricing plans
Source: Hostinger
Hostinger logo

Plans

Cloud Startup

Cloud Professional

Cloud Enterprise

Price

$9.99/month

$18.99/month

$69.99/month

Renewal Fee

$18.99/month

$38.99/month

$84.99/month

Renewal With 1 Year Commitment

$12.99/month

$22.99/month

$79.99/month

Number of Websites

100

100

100

Dedicated Server Resources

Free Dedicated IP

Free SSL Certificate

Free Domain Registration

SSD Storage

200GB

250GB

300GB

Bandwidth

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

CPU Cores

2

4

5

RAM

3GB

6GB

12GB

Daily Backups

24/7/365 Support

VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting

If you are looking for speed and no downtime, Hostinger’s VPS Hosting is an option you should consider. Cloud and VPS Hosting are similar, only that the latter is not a fully managed service.

You can manage your back end for enhanced customization, which is a major plus point if your company relies heavily on your websites to generate profits or run other resource-intensive projects. Having access to your back end also means you must have some tech know-how or an in-house tech specialist to handle server updates and maintenance.

Who Is VPS Hosting Best For?

If you have ample technical knowledge, you will like the flexibility offered by VPS hosting. With access to your back end, you will have complete management freedom to take on larger, resource-intensive projects.

Alternatives to Hostinger

Hostinger is well-known for its low prices, fast servers, and reliable customer support. While these aspects make it a popular option for entrepreneurs with small and mid-sized websites, it might not be right for you. If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for after reading this Hostinger review, here are some alternatives you might want to consider.

InMotion is a top choice for first-timers using web hosting services. The platform offers a host of website tools to make it easy to get your personal or business site up and running. Each service package is reasonably priced, and users enjoy excellent uptime and customer service. 

InMotion Pricing

InMotion Hosting prices highly depend on the type of hosting you need. Shared Hosting will cost you $2.29 monthly, while Managed WordPress hosting costs $4.99 per month. The VPS hosting option, ideal for high-traffic sites like online stores, will cost you $17.99.

If you want more customization flexibility, you could opt for Reseller hosting for $15.39 monthly. The most advanced hosting option is the Dedicated server, which offers the highest customizability levels.

Also, you can choose a plan depending on the number of websites you want to host and the resource intensiveness of your projects. The Core plan costs $2.29 monthly, where you can host two websites and have up to 10 email accounts. The Launch and Power plans cost $4.99, while the more advanced Pro plan goes for $12.99.

Who Is Inmotion Best For?

InMotion is best for those looking for reliable enterprise solutions with dedicated and VPS hosting options. While the company does not offer the cheapest web hosting services, it is a top choice for entrepreneurs who want to enjoy the security and convenience of having a host with their own-operated data centers.

How InMotion Compares to Hostinger

Hostinger and InMotion may provide nearly similar services. However, there are differences in the performance and pricing of both companies. Hostinger offers more competitively priced services. In terms of performance, InMotion offers 99.98% uptime while Hostinger provides 99.99% uptime. This could be a make or break factor, especially for ecommerce sites.

  • Excellent uptime and fast page loading time
  • Dedicated and VPS hosting are available 
  • Shared and WordPress plans come with unlimited data transfers
  • Unlimited emails with all plans
  • 90-day refund guarantee and user-friendly website builder for WordPress (BoldGrid)
  • Prices are on the steeper end of the spectrum
  • No free automated backups
  • Some plans lack a monthly subscription option

Bluehost is a reputable web host best known for its solid plans that are ideal for beginners. With the basic plan, you get a free domain name registration, a free drag-and-drop page builder, automatic WordPress installation, and detailed guidance to get your WordPress up and running.

Bluehost Pricing

Bluehost is designed to give WordPress users an all-rounded experience. The company offers dedicated Hosting, shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and multi-tiered plans to suit the needs and budgets of diverse personal and business site owners.

The Shared Hosting plan ranges between $2.95 per month and $13.95 under a 36-month commitment or $4.95 and $18.95 under a 12-month commitment. Bluehost also offers an Online Store plan where the standard package costs $15.95 per month under the 12-month option or $12.95 on the 36-month commitment option. The premium package costs $32.95 or $24.95, depending on the terms you choose.

If you go for the Managed WordPress Plan, you can choose from the Build, Grow and Scale packages. These cost $9.95, $14.95 and $27.95 respectively. Dedicated Hosting plans range between $79.99 and $119.99, depending on the package you choose.

Who Is Bluehost Best For?

If the process of setting up a WordPress website feels daunting, you should give Bluehost a try. Even the basic plan comes with all the essentials to build, run and manage a website. If you are not a tech-nut, the slightly steeper price is just a small price to pay for a more simplified web hosting experience.

How Bluehost Compares to Hostinger

Although Bluehost isn’t a free web hosting service, it offers a broader range of free features with each hosting plan than Hostinger. For instance, even the basic plans provide a free website builder, automatic WordPress installations, free WordPress themes, free domain name registration, $200 Marketing credits, and free CDN. 

Also, Bluehost’s basic plans come with 50GB SSD storage, while Hostinger’s basic plans provide as low as 10GB SSD. As we pointed out in this Hostinger review, it offers relatively lower prices to compensate for the few shortcomings. Read the Bluehost review to learn more about its features and pricing.

  • Easy-to-use platform
  • Fast site load speeds and server response time
  • High-performance servers maintain 99.99% uptime and highly responsive support reps
  • Excellent security features like CodeGuard Basic, SiteLock and SpamExperts
  • No uptime guarantee
  • Site migration isn’t free

A2 Hosting is a web host best known for speed. While “Blazing Fast Hosting” is arguably nothing more than a marketing gimmick, real users claim that the brand offers pretty dependable and fast servers for all their plans. A2 Hosting has extra Turbo, and Turbo Boost servers that play a fundamental role in making the service rank as a speedster.

A2 Hosting Pricing

A2 Hosting has five types of web hosting services. The Shared Web Hosting service costs between $2.99 and $14.99 per month, depending on your plan. A2 Hosting’s WordPress Hosting service also offers a Tier-based plan, with the basic Startup costing $2.99 and the advanced Turbo Max plan going for $14.99.

Also, the company offers a VPS Hosting service for $5 to $50 monthly. The Reseller Hosting service costs between $13.19 and $40.91. If you want more freedom for customization, you could opt for the Dedicated Server Hosting, which costs between $99.59 and $290.49 monthly for the Mach plan.

Who is A2 Hosting Best For?

A2 Hosting is best for enterprises that emphasize page loading speed. If you want the best chance of maintaining a low bounce rate and giving your visitors a smoother user experience, A2 Hosting is a service you could consider.

How Does A2 Hosting Compare to Hostinger?

A2 Hosting and Hostinger are a close match in terms of performance. However, Hostinger plans go for nearly half the price. Even though A2 Hosting offers slightly more enhanced security and more storage space, these added benefits hardly justify the exorbitant cost of the top-tier plans.

  • Fast page load speed and 99.9% uptime commitment
  • Free daily backups
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Expensive top-tier plans
  • No unlimited SSD storage and free daily backups with the Starter Plan

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Hostinger Review

The following are some common questions about Hostinger.

Final Thoughts on Hostinger Review

So, is “cheap” web hosting worth it? We can confidently conclude from our Hostinger review that the brand’s competitive pricing is a smart business strategy that genuinely sets it apart. Hostinger offers dependable web hosting solutions where you don’t have to worry about your site’s speed, performance, downtime, or hefty recurrent fees.

GoDaddy Review: The Best Web Hosting Service Out There?

GoDaddy logo banner

GoDaddy is a web hosting platform that goes above and beyond with a slew of additional tools. From website creation to online payments and social media connections, GoDaddy seems to have it all. In this GoDaddy review, we’ll go over the good, bad, and everything in between.

Our Verdict

GoDaddy’s web hosting service has caught the eye of many entrepreneurs and is currently the world’s largest domain registrar. Business owners across the globe are using GoDaddy to construct online companies and start selling. Just about anyone can take advantage of its simple interface and friendly website builder with no previous experience required.

  • Built-in tools for online selling
  • Domain included in a paid subscription
  • Comes with an easy-to-use website builder
  • Plans are on the expensive side
  • Prices increase significantly when you renew
  • Software offers a lot of upsells

GoDaddy at a Glance

Screenshot of GoDaddy website homepage
Source: GoDaddy

GoDaddy knows how to do web hosting well, with a ton of features to kick your online business off in the right direction. Each plan comes with an SSL certificate to keep your clients safe, and all but the free plan throw in a custom domain for the first year.

It shines in the payment department, allowing customers to pay with credit card, debit card, or link up through PayPal. If you have a physical store, GoDaddy’s payment systems extend there with smart terminals. Higher-tier paid plans allow you to sell on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or Google.

Pricing for each tier is a bit on the expensive side to begin with, and these introductory rates disappear when it’s time to renew. Keep in mind you’ll have to start paying for your domain at this point also. In the midst of fee confusion, GoDaddy seems quick to try to upsell add-on features you may not need.

The platform really stands out with its website building software, making it easy to create the site of your dreams. Drag and drop systems simplify the process for anyone, with no programming skills required. You’ll also receive a professional email address for the first year to make your business look that much more legit.

Who GoDaddy is Best For

The web hosting service has a plan for everyone, from new entrepreneurs to veterans of the business world. It’s easy to choose the one you need and upgrade as you need more functionality. GoDaddy also offers smart terminals and card readers for brick and mortar businesses looking to sync seamlessly with an online store.

Pricing

GoDaddy has five different pricing models for its plans, each adding a bit more sustenance as the price point goes up. It is possible to sign up for a free version with limited functionality, but this trial lasts only 30 days. Beyond monthly fees for paid plans, you’ll pay online or in-person credit/debit card rates and costs for in-person terminals if necessary.

GoDaddy logo

Plans

Free

Basic

Premium

Commerce

Commerce Plus

Price

$0

$6.99 per month

$13.99 per month

$14.99 per month

$29.99 per month

Website Builder

Custom Domain

Website Chatbot

Listings on Online Store

5,000

Unlimited

Online Pay Links

Marketing Emails

100

100

25,000

25,000

100,000

Post to Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

Five different plans can make signing up feel like an overwhelming process, but each tier has unique features you can use to gauge your purchase. Each plan comes with GoDaddy’s stellar website builder, but you’ll have to shell out some cash to get a custom domain.

Free, Basic, and Premium plans work best for businesses offering a service, as these platforms allow minimal online payment options. You can make use of GoDaddy’s marketing emails at any price point, although the number you can send goes up significantly once you hit premium.

The Commerce Plans are all about online sales. You can list a large number of products on your online store and extend these listings to popular eCommerce sites like Amazon and Etsy. GoDaddy makes it possible to take advantage of marketing and sales opportunities on social media as well.

GoDaddy Review: Features

GoDaddy has a long list of features contained in its web hosting plans. Let’s look at what the web hosting service does well with some of its top tools.

Website Builder

Screenshot of GoDaddy website builder page
Source: GoDaddy

One of GoDaddy’s premiere features is a comprehensive website builder that starts with one of a long list of available templates. From there, you can add your products, services, and business information to personalize it just the way you like. Thanks to a drag and drop approach, it doesn’t take much computer know-how to set up the perfect site. Linking between pages and adding in sales information is a breeze.

Bandwidth and Disk Storage

In our GoDaddy review, we found it doesn’t overtly share information about disk storage or bandwidth on its pricing page. However, there’s no limit to the amount of data you can upload when building your site. All GoDaddy plans offer unmetered bandwidth, so all your clients can shop without fear of your site reaching a monthly limit.

Domains

Screenshot of GoDaddy domain name services
Source: GoDaddy

All paid plans include a year of domain service at no extra charge. After that year is up, you’ll have to pay an average of $20 to keep the address. Through this single domain, you can build up to 100 subdomains to fully flesh out your site.

Analytics

GoDaddy has a dashboard you can use to track all your important metrics in one convenient place. From this command center, it’s possible to view website traffic and engagement from social media. You can also see orders and sales to discover what’s selling and what isn’t.

Payment Options

An online business isn’t much without payment options. Even with the limited free plan, you can send payment links directly to your customers for payment on goods and services. You’ll need to upgrade your service to accept credit or debit card purchases through your site. GoDaddy does subject you to credit card rates for these purchases.

If you have a physical store, you can connect payments with your online business through GoDaddy smart terminals and card readers. These devices handle multiple payment types and have the capability to print receipts.

Marketplaces

Certain tiers allow your online business to sync up with popular social selling marketplaces like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Etsy. GoDaddy communicates across all these platforms to ensure inventory numbers remain accurate from location to location.

Marketing Tools

You can use GoDaddy’s built-in marketing campaigns to reach current and potential customers with sales, new products, and the like. While you’re limited to 100 emails with the Basic plan, more expensive tiers allow up to 100,000 each month. You can generate more business credibility with GoDaddy’s professional email directly tied to your domain name.

Social Media Connections

Because GoDaddy links up with social media applications, you can create and launch social ads straight from the web hosting platform. As you upgrade, you can customize these posts more and add in shoppable links.

Customer Support

GoDaddy uses 24/7 web chat and phone service for customer support inquiries. Wait times can pick up during busy parts of the day, but the team is responsive and informative for the most part.

GoDaddy Review: Fine Print

GoDaddy’s fine print isn’t quite as hard to discover as other web hosts out there. To make things even easier, we’ve listed a few pertinent points below.

Refund Policy for GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s refund policy differs depending on whether you pay for a monthly or annual membership. Month-to-month members can request a full refund within 48 hours of signing up, where those signing up for annual plans have an entire month to change their minds.

GoDaddy Contact Info

Many companies hide contact information behind forms or multiple layers of web pages, but GoDaddy isn’t one of them. If you visit GoDaddy’s “Contact Us” page, you can start a web chat or call 1-480-366-3550 for help.

Alternatives to GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a popular web hosting service with all-in-one functionality, but it may not appeal to everyone. There are some GoDaddy competitors that may work better for your business needs.

Bluehost looks to mirror GoDaddy with its new website builder, featuring over 300 templates to choose from. It similarly offers a free year of domain service and no cap on data or bandwidth usage. Bluehost has an impressive built-in gallery you can use to your heart’s content if you’re short on pictures.

You’ll have email marketing at any price point, but you’ll need to choose appropriately if you’re hoping to generate an online store. Online payments happen through WooCommerce and its plugin.

Web hosting comes in cheaper, starting at only $2.95 per month. Tools for building an online store run $24.95 monthly but lack the reach to social media and online marketplaces that GoDaddy has access to. Read the Bluehost review to learn more about its features and pricing.

  • Budget-friendly basic plan
  • Website builder with over 300 templates
  • Built-in photo gallery
  • No social media connections
  • No access to online marketplaces
  • Online payments only through WooCommerce

HostGator rises to the challenge with its own suite of website building plans. It uses artificial intelligence to build a site for you based on answers to a series of questions you’ll receive on sign-up. From there, throw on a logo and a few products, and you’ll be on your way. Instead of hours, your site could be up and running in just minutes.

Along with web hosting, you’ll receive a free domain name for a year and unmetered bandwidth. The service also includes email marketing campaigns and eCommerce tools to monitor inventory and orders.

Plans start as low as $3.84 per month, but you’ll want to upgrade to the Store plan at $9.22 if you’re building an online store. If you’re not happy with your service in the first 45 days, you’ll be able to cancel for a refund of hosting fees – no questions asked. To learn more about its features and pricing, read our HostGator review.

  • 45-day money-back guarantee
  • Intelligent website builder
  • Budget-friendly plans
  • Upcharges for most features
  • No social media tools
  • Limited customer service hours

Wix has a free forever web hosting plan for those on the tightest of budgets. Unsurprisingly, there are several limitations regarding storage space, bandwidth, and eCommerce tools. You’ll still be able to use Wix’s website builder and hundreds of templates to create the website you’re looking for.

Its comprehensive design features meld well with any type of business, from eCommerce to restaurants or an online photo gallery. When upgrading to a paid plan, you’ll have at least 50GB of storage space to work with alongside unlimited bandwidth and a custom domain. Wix handles all payments securely through its dashboard.

With several plans to choose from, pricing can get a bit tricky. They’re not a cheap hosting platform either, with the lowest eCommerce plan starting at $27 per month. If you want to maximize the feature set, monthly fees could total $59.

  • Easy to scale and upgrade as needed
  • Over 500 customization options
  • Drag-and-drop builder
  • Minimal storage and bandwidth
  • No custom domains
  • Wix ads

If you’re hunting for a website you can design through programming software, look no further than InfinityFree. The web host supports Perl, PHP, Python, and Ruby on Rails alongside DNS management and mail support. The platform is entirely ad-free, and the only branding customers see will be your own.

InfinityFree’s free web hosting provides unlimited bandwidth and 5GB storage space for your data. Should you need email accounts or more space, you’ll need to consider switching to paid plans that top out at $6.90 per month.

Because of its open nature, InfinityFree doesn’t have any built-in business features for you to use. The sky and your programming skills are the limit when it comes to what you want your site to be.

  • Unlimited domains and bandwidth
  • Ad-free
  • Can import a domain name
  • Limited server power
  • No email accounts
  • Maximum 50,000 daily hits

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for GoDaddy Review

GoDaddy’s extensive repertoire can be confusing for some. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the service.

Bottom Line on GoDaddy Review

GoDaddy is an excellent foundation for any type of website, from informational to eCommerce. Beginners or otherwise, the web hosting service works for anyone who can stomach the costs.

Its website building tools stand out among the competition with hundreds of templates and a drag and drop system. Add in payment options and ways to connect to customers through email and social media and you have a well-rounded platform for your business to thrive.

Dreamhost Review: Affordable WordPress Web Host

In this Dreamhost review, you’ll see how it makes it easy and affordable for you to create and manage WordPress websites for your business. This web host service transforms your web development dreams into reality through dynamic WordPress tools, generous bandwidth allotment, and budget-friendly pricing.

Our Verdict

Dreamhost is a smart choice for you if you plan to build, manage, and promote websites for your business using WordPress. After all, this provider equips you with web creation tools that let you maximize the possibilities of the WordPress platform. Plus, it allows bountiful amounts of data transfer so you can upload a lot of content to your websites. Finally, the available plans are accessible no matter what your budget is, thanks to the cost-effective rates.

Although Dreamhost is a well-rounded web host, it has certain drawbacks too. For instance, you need to pay extra to register “.com” domain names if you go for the monthly version of the shared or WordPress plans because it is only free for the annual plans and VPS plans. Also, the shared starter plan doesn’t come with email unlike the higher tiers, although you can purchase email services for a monthly fee. Finally, the customer service is only strong in terms of chat support, but not in terms of phone support.

  • Rich WordPress features
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Very economical pricing
  • Additional payment required for domains for monthly shared or WordPress plans
  • Email not included in the most basic monthly plan
  • Support is chat-based, not phone-based

Pricing: Starts at $1.99 / month

Dreamhost at a Glance

Screenshot of Typewolf homepage

Dreamhost is a web host service that focuses on digital content creation and sharing. It showcases a suite of WordPress tools that make it simple for newbies and tech experts alike to build and manage sites. It aims to improve the WordPress platform through coding, community collaboration, and advanced support.

Established in 1997, it now boasts more than 400,000 users in over 100 countries. It currently hosts more than 1.5 million websites, blogs, and applications on the internet. At present, it offers a variety of services, such as WordPress hosting, website hosting, VPS hosting, WP website builder, dedicated hosting, and cloud hosting.

Dreamhost shines among web host providers because it fuses together WordPress expertise and fairly cheap pricing. It comes with features like web hosting services, domain name registration, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, WordPress tools, migration assistance, customized control panel, web management tools, email, security certification, and customer service.

Who Dreamhost Is Best For

Dreamhost is the ideal web host solution for entrepreneurs and content creators who plan to create business websites using the open-source software WordPress.org. We recommend it for you if you have a limited budget because it seamlessly combines competitive pricing with strong functionality. It is also a terrific fit for you if you need to upload abundant text, photos, videos, and documents because it comes with a high or unlimited amount of data transfers.

Pricing

Dreamhost offers three types of web hosting plans that differ in terms of rates and features. Check out how these Dreamhost monthly plans stack up against each other:

Dreamhost logo

Plan

Shared

DreamPress

VPS

Price

Starts at $1.99 / month

Starts at $12 / month

Starts at $15 / month

Web Hosting

Buy “.com” domain for $7.99 each

Buy “.com” domain for $7.99 each

Unlimited domains

Traffic Management

Unlimited traffic

100,000 visits / month

Unlimited traffic

Bandwidth

Unmetered

Unmetered

Unmetered

Storage

Fast SSD storage

30 GB to 120 GB SSD storage

30 GB to 240 GB SSD storage

WordPress Tools

Pre-installed WordPress or 1-click instant WordPress install plus WP website builder

Pre-installed WordPress or 1-click instant WordPress install plus WP website builder

1-click instant WordPress install

Migration Assistance

Free automated WordPress migrations

Free automated WordPress migrations

Contact Dreamhost for details

Control Panel

Custom

Custom

Custom

Web Management Tools

Automated backups

Automated plus on-demand backups w/ 1-click restore, free pre-installed Jetpack & 1-click staging

Unlimited MySQL databases & sub account creation

Email

Add email starting at $1.67 / month for Shared Starter or free unlimited email for Shared Unlimited

Unlimited email

Unlimited email

Security

Free SSL certificate

Pre-installed SSL Certificate

Free SSL certificate

Customer Support

24/7 chat & email support

24/7 WordPress chat & email support

24/7 chat & email support

To sum it up, there are three main kinds of Dreamhost web hosting plans with various tiers:

  1. Shared (Starts at $1.99 / month): Entry-level shared hosting for new websites which is suitable for business owners with a limited budget and basic requirements
  2. DreamPress (Starts at $12 / month): Specialized WordPress hosting for entrepreneurs who prefer to build websites using the WordPress platform
  3. VPS (Starts at $15 / month): VPS hosting for content creators who wish to establish business websites on their own Virtual Private Servers for optimal privacy and performance

On top of this, Dreamhost also provides other types of services, such as:

  • WP Website Builder (Starts at $1.99 / month): Design tools for easy WordPress website creation
  • Dedicated Hosting (Starts at $169 / month): Dedicated hosting on fast web servers with root access
  • Cloud Hosting (Starts at $0.0075 / hour): Cloud hosting on speedy servers with root access, SSD storage, and open API-powered networking

Take note that these rates are applicable only to the contract-free monthly plans, while different rates are available for annual plans. Since Dreamhost gives you a broad range of options to choose from, you can pick the plan that matches the web hosting budget and needs of your business team.

Dreamhost Features

Dreamhost exhibits a wide range of functions that empower you to establish and run your business websites. The features of Dreamhost include web hosting, domain names, traffic management, bandwidth, storage, WordPress tools, migration assistance, control panel, web management tools, email, security, and customer support.

Web Hosting

Dreamhost offers web hosting services that allow you to publish and maintain your business sites and blogs on the internet. It provides a secure virtual environment where you can store and tweak your content online.

The Shared Starter plan lets you publish a single website via shared hosting, while the DreamPress package equips you to establish one WordPress website on WordPress-optimized servers. On top of this, the VPS plan enables you to set up unlimited websites on Virtual Private Servers.

Domain Name

The domain is the name of your business website which is linked to a physical IP address on the internet. The most common kind of domain is “.com”, although other domain types include “.org”, “.edu”, and “.gov”.

The contract-free monthly versions of the Shared and DreamPress packages don’t include a free domain, although the annual versions come with complimentary domains. Nevertheless, you can still purchase “.com” domain names for $7.99 each if you go for the monthly plans. As an alternative, you can sign up for the VPS plan which provides unlimited domains.

Traffic Management

Dreamhost assists you in managing the regular traffic of your business websites. On one hand, both the Shared and VPS plans support unlimited traffic so you don’t need to worry about overage expenses.

On the other hand, the DreamPress plan can handle up to 100,000 site visits every month. Still, this is just a soft limit so Dreamhost won’t stop the operations of your website in case you surpass this amount, although it could potentially slow down the performance of your site.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of information which can be transferred over the internet during a certain period of time. All the Dreamhost hosting plans flaunt unmetered bandwidth so you can upload as much digital content as you wish to your business websites. Since there is no limit to your data transfers, there’s no need to be concerned about potential overage fees.

Storage

Dreamhost provides SSD storage with all its plans. Solid state drive (SSD) is around 200% quicker than hard disk drive (HDD) in terms of caching and database queries. As a result, it can reduce the website loading time of your visitors.

The Shared package includes fast SSD storage, although the exact storage amount is not indicated in the product website. The DreamPress plan offers 30GB to 120GB SSD storage along with its various tiers. Finally, the VPS package comes with high-performance SSD hard drives with storage that starts at 30GB and goes up to 240GB.

WordPress Tools

Screenshot of Funnychord homepage

Dreamhost puts the spotlight on WordPress, which is why it’s not surprising that it packs a powerful arsenal of WordPress tools. If you subscribe to the Shared or DreamPress plans, you can let Dreamhost pre-install WordPress on your behalf or you can do it yourself through the easy 1-click instant WordPress installation tool.

You can take advantage of pre-assembled apps to avoid the hassle of designing a site from scratch. Plus, the WP website builder comes with a creation wizard, drag-and-drop editor, and professional templates. Keep in mind that the VPS package has less website creation tools than the Shared and DreamPress plans, but it does come with 1-click instant WordPress install. 

Migration Assistance

Dreamhost makes it simple for you to carry over your WordPress websites from your previous hosting provider without any downtime. Both the Shared and DreamPress packages include a free automated WordPress migration plugin that you can use regardless of the level of your technical skills. The VPS plan doesn’t list down any migration tools in its feature set, but you may inquire with Dreamhost to confirm if it comes with migration assistance or not.

Control Panel

All the plans of Dreamhost include a control panel which grants you admin access to your websites. This custom panel has advanced features which enable you to add new email accounts, update domain information, adjust email settings, and authorize new users.

Web Management Tools

Aside from web development tools, Dreamhost also includes other features that help you with web management tasks. If you sign up for the Shared plan, your WordPress websites will be automatically backed up on a daily basis.

In case you go for the DreamPress plan, you can request for additional backups on demand, plus you can restore your site with just a single click. In addition to this, you will also get free pre-installed Jetpack and 1-click staging.

If you select the VPS plan, you can set up unlimited MySQL databases using the control panel. On top of this, you can add sub accounts that allow you to manage client accounts, access websites of your clients and contractors, and handle FTP or billing matters.

Email

Email is an essential communication tool so having your own custom email bestows a professional touch to your work correspondence. Take note that the low-tier Shared Starter monthly plan requires you to shell out $1.67 per month for each email domain you purchase. Nevertheless, the next tier called Shared Unlimited plan, as well as all tiers of the DreamPress and VPS packages, include unlimited email with your own domain.

Security

No matter which plan you choose, Dreamhost protects the privacy of your websites through the free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate. The HTTPS technology safeguards your data by encrypting your web traffic. At the same time, it improves your SEO results on the Google search engine.

Customer Support

All the Dreamhost packages come with round-the-clock customer service. Both the Shared and VPS plans include 24/7 general web support, while the DreamPress package showcases 24/7 WordPress support that is specifically geared towards the open-source platform.

However, you should be aware that customer service mostly comes in the form of live chat and email support, instead of phone support. Actually, you even need to pay extra just to request for callbacks from the technical support team. For example, it will cost you $9.95 for a single callback, while you have the option to spend $14.95 each month for three callbacks.

Alternatives to Dreamhost

Dreamhost is a good fit for you if you need a web host provider that brings WordPress solutions within your reach regardless of your budget. Still, you may consider other options in case other aspects of web hosting are more important to you. These are some notable alternatives to Dreamhost:

WP Engine is a web hosting service that centers around the WordPress platform. The web developer tools make it possible for you to create and manage WordPress websites for your business. 

WP Engine is ideal for you if you have a larger budget for expert WordPress services and strong customer support. In contrast to Dreamhost’s chat support, WP Engine provides accessible phone support for higher tiers. Still, Dreamhost is way more affordable than WP Engine so your choice will be influenced by how much you’re willing to allocate for hosting services. Read the WP Engine review to find out if it’s the perfect alternative for you.

  • Specializes in WordPress sites
  • 24/7 phone support for higher tiers
  • Expensive pricing compared to Dreamhost
  • Domains and emails aren’t included in plans

Pricing: Starts at $30 / month

Squarespace is a website builder that provides a wide variety of ready-to-use templates. You can customize these flexible templates based on your preferred designer fonts and color palettes.

Squarespace is appropriate for you if you want to achieve a sophisticated site appearance with minimal effort. After all, it is more design-centric compared to Dreamhost. Nevertheless, Dreamhost offers more hosting solutions than Squarespace so your selection could depend on whether you prioritize design or web management more.

  • Broad range of professional template options
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Pricier rates than Dreamhost
  • Limited video storage

Pricing: Starts at $19

*Rates applicable to monthly plans. Lower rates available for annual plans.

Weebly is an ecommerce platform that enables you to set up online stores and websites. It lets you launch ecommerce shops with the help of the drag-and-drop builder, which comes with shipping, inventory, and SEO tools.

Weebly is suitable for you if you are interested in selling the products or services of your company to consumers through a virtual store. As you can see from its feature set, it concentrates more on ecommerce than Dreamhost does. Still, Dreamhost is more savvy when it comes to WordPress site creation. In the end, your choice will be based on whether you are focusing on building online shops or WordPress websites.

  • Ecommerce expertise
  • Free basic plan available
  • No special WordPress support
  • No free domains for basic plans

Pricing: Starts at $0

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Dreamhost Review

Dreamhost is a web hosting solution that is worth taking a look at if you prioritize creating WordPress sites. Discover the answers to common questions about Dreamhost and WordPress to learn if it’s ideal for your business.

Bottom Line on Dreamhost Review

Dreamhost makes web hosting services accessible to you, whether you have a small budget or a big one. We recommend this well-rounded web hosting provider if you plan to create WordPress websites, thanks to its featured-packed WordPress tools, unlimited bandwidth, and cost-effective rates. After reading our Dreamhost review, we expect that you can now easily make up your mind if this affordable web hosting solution is a great match for your business.

Novo Review 2023: Is This Business Checking Account Worth It?

Novo logo

Novo is a digital banking tech company ideal for entrepreneurs with small businesses or side hustles. The company allows you to separate your personal and business income and provides a reliable banking experience. Through a partnership with Middlesex Federal Savings F.A, the platform offers one of the best business checking accounts online.

About 61% of internet users bank online. If you are earning a passive income from your side hustle or small business and wish to open a small business checking account, Novo might be for you. But before you make the decision, read this detailed Novo review to know whether it’s right for you. 

Our Verdict

Novo logo

Novo

Visit

Novo is a fintech (financial tech) company that provides digital checking accounts for small businesses. The service allows you to open a business account easily, deposit income from your side hustle, and use banking data from your cash flow and expenses for bookkeeping and reporting.

Novo stands out for simplifying opening a small business checking account. You don’t need to stand in line for hours or handle massive paperwork to open your account. Moreover, Novo services are affordable with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements.

Screenshot of Novo Homepage
Source: Novo
  • Unlimited fee-free business checking transactions
  • Unlimited ATM fee refunds
  • Smooth integrations with third-party software like Shopify and QuickBooks
  • No option of automating recurrent bill pay
  • No option to open a savings or interest-bearing account
  • No lines of credit or loans

Novo at a Glance

Novo is an independent fintech company that offers online financial services through its partnership with Middlesex Federal Savings F.A. Users enjoy safe digital banking packed with the security protections of a traditional bank and FDIC insurance.

Using the Novo platform gives you access to a robust suite of helpful digital tools designed to help entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners manage their routine banking tasks. Opening a Novo account is straightforward, and it will only take you ten minutes to unlock attractive fintech features, including fee-free banking, free ACH transfers and unlimited invoicing.

Eligibility Criteria

You do not need a perfect credit score to open a Novo business checking account. The company does not check the credit histories of users because it does not offer any credit line or money lending services. If you need fast and easy access to capital with a business line of credit you should consider credit unions for business banking accounts.

You are free to open a small business bank account for your LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. Companies specializing in money services, gambling, cannabis, crowdfunding, or cryptocurrencies are the only exceptions. While opening a Novo account is relatively easy and fast, you must submit essential business documentation. Other eligibility requirements include:

  • Account owner must be a U.S. resident with legal status
  • You must be at least 18 years and with a Social Security Number – it is also possible to open a business account with an EIN
  • Account owner must have a valid U.S. mailing address

Who is Novo Best For?

Novo offers digital banking services where users enjoy a free checking account, invoicing tools, and smooth integrations with third-party business tools that can streamline financial processes. Because of the lack of essential features like cash deposits, a Novo account is only ideal for entrepreneurs with small businesses or side hustles who primarily operate digitally.

Screenshot of Novo Our-Users Page
Source: Novo

Novo Pricing

Novo offers relatively inexpensive digital business banking. Apart from providing fee-free business banking accounts with no monthly maintenance fees, there are no fees allied with ACH transactions or wire transfers. Novo offers full refunds for all ATM fees, whether you use a local or international ATM. Other perks include free:

  • Transfers, irrespective of their volume
  • Debit card replacement
  • Check deposits
  • Paper statements
  • Stop payments
  • Mailed payments by physical checks

Features

Cost

Opening Deposit

$50

Min Balance Requirement

$0

Cash Deposit Fees

N/A

Monthly Fee

$0

ACH Fee

$0

ATM Fees

Fully Refunded

Wire Transfer Fees

0%

Foreign Transaction Fees

0%

Returned Payment

$27

Insufficient Funds

$27

 

 

The only significant fees users incur are the $50 opening deposit for unlocking the platform’s features and $27 for insufficient funds or reversing uncollected funds. You also need to purchase money orders from approved vendors whenever you want to make a cash deposit through the platform’s mobile check deposit feature. It is also crucial to beware of the following transaction limits and expected processing time.

Transaction Type

Transaction Limit

Processing Time

ATM Withdrawals

$1,000

Same Day

ACH Transfers

$1250 or $5,000/day

2-3 Business Days

POS Transfers

$5,000 or 20 Transactions/Day

Same Day

Mobile Check Deposits

$20,000/Day or $40,000/ Month or a Monthly Maximum of 20 Transactions

5 Business Days

Mailed Checks

$5,000

10 Business Day

 

 

Novo Features

Novo offers a decent range of business checking account features and tools that benefit entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners. Apart from an easy and fast application process, here are other features users enjoy from the platform.

Fee-Free Banking

Novo offers fee-free banking, meaning freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, and small businesses don’t have to worry about recurrent account maintenance fees. The only cost you will incur is a $50 initial deposit.

Mobile App

A Novo online business checking account gives users the flexibility of managing their business finances from anywhere. You can download the mobile app to your iOS or Android phone to enjoy a range of online and mobile banking features in the palm of your hand.

Free ACH Transfers

The free ACH transfers from other bank accounts make it easier for users to fund their Novo accounts or spend their money. Novo does not accept cash deposits, although you can conveniently deposit a physical check by simply taking a picture. Also, you can fund your checking account by integrating it with Stripe and receiving credit and debit card payments from your clients.

Another option for funding your account is to purchase a money order and then deposit it into your account through the platform’s mobile check deposit feature. Some of Novo’s approved money order vendors include Grocery Stores, USPS and Walmart.

Novo provides a free debit card, and you can expect a full refund of any fees incurred during ATM withdrawals. Also, you can use the Novo Virtual Card feature to pay vendors through mailed checks, ACH transfers, or wire transfers. The free transfers also make it convenient to pay yourself from the side hustle by occasionally sending funds to your personal account.

Unlimited Invoicing

The Novo platform allows you to create unlimited invoices, send and manage them from your checking account. You can also accept invoices from customers via Stripe or ACH transfers.

Business Budgeting

You can create up to 5 reserves through the Novo reserves and set aside funds for predetermined expenses like payrolls or taxes. This allows you to plan ahead, create multiple budgets and business objectives and even transfer your statements to bookkeeping software like QuickBooks.

Screenshot of Novo Business Budgeting Features
Source: Novo

Integrations

Novo offers plenty of flexibility by allowing smooth integrations with third-party software. Once you install your mobile app for Android or iOS, you can connect your account with other digital tools, including Zapier, which allow you to connect to thousands of business apps that automate various processes.

You can connect to about 15 popular apps through your Novo business checking account. If you need eCommerce options, the platform allows integrations with Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce. It also integrates directly with accounting software like Zero and QuickBooks. Furthermore, you can link to the platform’s POS partners like Square and Stripe.

Also, having a Novo business checking account makes you eligible for discounts on software offered by the platform’s partners. For instance, you enjoy fee-free credit card processing worth $20,000 with Stripe. Other Novo partners that offer equally enticing discounts to users include Snapchat, HubSpot, QuickBooks, and Gusto.

Screenshot of Novo App Marketplace
Source: Novo

Novo Alternatives

Novo provides a platform where freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, and small businesses can create business checking accounts and make easy and free transactions via ACH transfers or integrations with TransferWise, Slack, and Stripe. 

Unfortunately, the platform may still not offer the best digital banking solutions for some ventures, personal consumers, or larger enterprises.

Here are a few good alternatives to consider if the Novo business checking account does not match your business needs or goals.

Kabbage logo

Kabbage

Visit

One of the best alternatives to Novo is Kabbage Business Checking. This is a fintech company that offers checking accounts at equally competitive rates. There are no monthly fees or transaction fees, not to mention that users can also benefit from other Kabbage products, including a business line of credit from $2,000 to $250,000.

Kabbage Pricing

Kabbage offers a fee-free business checking account just like Novo. It also provides the added benefit of making cash deposits at a fee. Here is the pricing to expect:

  • Minimum balance requirement—$0
  • Monthly fee—$0
  • Unlimited electronic transactions—$0
  • Teller cash withdrawals —$3
  • Foreign transactions—3% of the transaction amount
  • Domestic wire transfers—$25 per transaction
  • APY on balances up to $100,000—1.10%

Who is Kabbage Best For?

Kabbage is best for entrepreneurs and small businesses who desire the flexibility of having a business checking account and enjoying other financial products like a business line of credit. If you are an established company that has operated for at least a year, you can benefit from attractive loan terms like a repayment term of up to 18 months with an APR of 9% to 36% on average

How Does Kabbage Compare to Novo?

Both Kabbage and Novo offer reliable business checking accounts. However, they target a different audience. Novo is best banks for startups, freelancers, and small businesses who merely want to separate their personal and business accounts without taking out loans.

On the other hand, Kabbage is ideal for more established ventures and business borrowers who have already built a good FICO score and wish to benefit from a business line of credit. Read the Kabbage review to learn more about its features and pricing.

  • No minimum opening deposit, minimum balance requirement, or monthly fees
  • 1.10% APY interest on account balances up to $100,000
  • Integrates directly with Kabbage Loans
  • Lacks integrations with third-party software
  • Cash deposits are not free (vendors charge $4.95 per deposit)
  • Complex fee structure for outstanding balances
BlueVine logo

BlueVine Business Checking

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BlueVine is a fintech company that provides financial solutions through a partnership with Coastal Community Bank. The company offers innovative digital banking solutions ideal for small businesses that want feature-packed checking and savings accounts.

 While the checking account is not entirely fee-free, BlueVine eliminates most fees and offers a competitive interest rate on balances up to $100,000.

BlueVine Pricing 

BlueVine offers a range of fee-free online banking features, coupled with the ability to make cash deposits through Green Dot at a $4.95 fee. Also, users enjoy an Annual Percentage Yield of 1.5% for balances up to $100,000.

  • Minimum balance requirement—$0
  • Monthly fee—$0
  • Unlimited in-network ATM transactions—$0
  • Out-of-network ATM transactions $2.5
  • Bill Pay with Credit Card transaction fee—2.9% of the transaction amount
  • ACH and incoming wire transfers—$0
  • Outgoing wire transfers— $15 per transaction

Who is BlueVine Business Checking Best For?

BlueVine offers a business checking account ideal for entrepreneurs and small businesses that primarily handle online transactions. If your operations do not need the traditional branch-based banking services, this platform is a solid option. Using a BlueVine checking account, you can dodge the pain points of high transaction and account maintenance fees while earning attractive interest on your unused funds.

How Does BlueVine Compare to Novo?

Both BlueVine and Novo offer comparable financial tools. However, BlueVine has an edge above Novo for providing attractive interest rates on balances up to $100,000, not to mention that there’s no opening deposit requirement. While Novo offers the best integrations with third-party software, a BlueVine checking account is the least expensive to maintain. Read the Bluevine review to learn more about its features and pricing. If you need more banks for a lesser expense to maintain, read this Lili Review and Oxygen Review.

  • No minimum opening deposit, minimum balance requirement, or monthly fees
  • High-yield APY—up to 1.5% (terms and conditions apply)
  • Unlimited fee-free transactions
  • No free cash deposits (vendor fees apply)
  • No customer service on the weekends
  • No savings account
Capital one logo

Capital One 360 Banking

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Unlike Novo, Kabbage, and BlueVine, which are fintech companies, Capital One is an online bank. It offers full-service digital banking services at a reasonably low cost compared to the rates of traditional land-based banks. Apart from providing business and commercial solutions through360 Checking accounts, the company also offers credit cards and auto loans.

Capital One 360 Banking Pricing

Capital One 360 Banking does not offer the cheapest digital banking solutions. However, users commend the company for being straightforward with all fees and charges.

  • Minimum balance requirement—$0
  • Monthly fee—$0
  • In-network ATM transactions—$0
  • Overdraft fees—$0
  • Stop payment— $25 per item
  • Outgoing domestic wire transfer — $30
  • Outgoing foreign wire transfers—$0

Who is Capital One 360 Banking Best For?

Capital One 360 Banking is a solid alternative for entrepreneurs and small businesses that want all the perks of a digital fintech company while still enjoying the option of visiting local bank branches for in-person support. What sets Capital One apart is its hundreds of branches and Cafes across the U.S.

How Does Capital One 360 Compare To Novo?

Capital One is a better alternative to Novo if you need more than just a business checking account. It offers a range of financial and banking resources and a generous APY interest on all checking accounts. However, Novo is the more affordable option, ideal for not just small businesses but also freelancers and startups. Read the Capital One review to learn more about its features and pricing. Here’s also a detailed US Bank Review and Axos Review with a lot of information that you need when looking for a business checking account.

  • Plenty of mobile and online banking tools and features
  • Automatic savings account transfer option
  • 0.10% APY interest on the checking account with balances up to $1
  • No ATM fee refunds
  • Bank branches are limited to two Southern and seven Eastern states
  • CD rates aren’t competitive

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Novo Review

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions to further acquaint you with what this fintech company has to offer.

Final Thoughts on Novo Review

With digital banking users expected to exceed 65% of the US population, the markets are quickly getting swamped with platforms offering digital business checking accounts. We hope our comprehensive Novo review makes it easier to decide whether this relatively new fintech company offers the perks necessary to help you manage your business finances.

In a wrap, Novo is a solid option to consider for its affordability, integrations, and small business-friendly offerings. However, alternatives like Capital One and Kabbage are attractive options for larger enterprises that don’t mind added fees as long as they enjoy a business checking account with increased functionality.

If you are interested in opening a business account, here is a detailed Bank of America Review, NBKC Bank Account Review, and Chase Bank Review packed with information about the pros, cons, and alternatives.

Best Business Bank Accounts by State

Below you will find an interactive U.S map that can help you locate and compare different banks and financial institutions that offer business accounts in your area.

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC