There are literally thousands of web hosting companies offering their services these days. They vary in prices, performances and the way their customer support caters to their clients. Some more notable hosting companies such as Sitegrounds, Bluehost and WP-engine have dominated the industry for quite some time now but there have been plenty of new competitors who are ready to challenge them.
A lot of small time web-hosts have started to bolster up their performance and keep up with the bigger web hosting companies. Let me ask you, have you ever heard of HostPaPa? The chances are no. But, did you know that they have been in the industry for the longest time? HostPaPa is one of the oldest names in the hosting biz.
One of the earliest hosting companies to power their data centers with renewable energy, HostPapa is an established provider that furnishes customers with plans backed by award-winning customer service and covered with a bevy of features. Currently hosting more than 500,000 websites, HostPapa is the epitome of a high-value, low-cost provider.
The privately-owned company considers themselves less of a straight-up hosting provider and more of a 1-stop shop for small businesses looking to grow their brand and online presence. Whether through CRM tools, automatic backups, or unlimited storage, we found that HostPapa excels at giving their customers a seamless, easy experience. Each user gets a dedicated account manager and a single bill, no matter how many services are added on. That account manager will recommend products, such as email platforms, based on your needs.
Unlike most of it’s more famous competitors, HostPapa’s claim to fame is their local feel as one of the few independently owned web hosts in existence.
With locations in 18 countries and support in four languages (English, French, German, and Spanish), customer support is a major component of HostPapa’s modus operandi. Representatives are available to assist users around the clock, including for one-on-one video chats.
HostPaPa Review for Publishers
HostPapa is an independent (ie, not owned by a big holding corporation) web hosting company from Toronto, Canada. They offer a spectrum of hosting services from shared hosting to VPS servers with a focus on small business owners (rather than bloggers or online-only operators).
HostPapa started in 2006 and have seemed rapid growth in the past few years.
Like most hosting companies, HostPapa also provides email, a website builder, and various complementary services with 24-hour support and a 30-day money back guarantee.
Unlike their more world-famous competitors, HostPaPa values themselves as a 1-stop shop for small businesses looking to grow their brand and online presence. So, if you are looking for a high-value, low-cost provider then HostaPaPa is a good choice for you. Just in case you have not read yet, here is our complete guide on how to blog.
What we liked most about HostPaPa
- Award-winning PapaSquad Support available 24/7/365
- One-on-one video training sessions with HostPapa expert
- FREE drag-and-drop website builder
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- Access to SiteLock, CloudFlare, Google Apps, and Office 365
- 30 days money back guarantee
- 100GB – unlimited disk space
- You get a free Domain name for life
- 1 click WordPress installation
What we liked least about HostPaPa
- No dedicated hosting
- Uptime is almost perfect but page loading speeds are just average
- Higher Renewal Costs
- $29.95 setup fee upon cancellation
- Lack of back-ups
Company Stats
Founded Year: 2006
Founded by: Jamie Opalchuk
Employee Count: 50-100
Ownership: Private
Hosting Types Offered: Web Hosting, WordPress Hosting, VPS Hosting, Reseller Hosting
Main Office: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Client Base: 500,000 websites
Contact and Support Information
Website: https://www.hostpapa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HostPapa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hostpapa
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+HostPapa
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: 1-888-959-PAPA
Mailing Address:
115 George Street
Suite 511
Oakville, ON
L6J 0A2
Features: 4 out of 5
24/7/365 PapaSquad Support Standing By
- Need help getting started? HostPapa’s Business and Business Pro shared hosting plans include a 30-minute phone call or video session with one of their support agents.
- Customer support is available around the clock by email, phone, or live chat.
- Users can access more resources through an extensive knowledgebase, video tutorials, weekly webinars, and downloadable manuals.
Advanced Email Adds Mobility and Security
- For less than $1 per month per user, HostPapa’s basic email package offers unlimited inboxes, IMAP connections, POP3, and SMTP.
- HostPapa’s advanced email plan boosts storage capacity, archives, and file sharing for $2 per month per user.
- Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 are available for customers and businesses that need extra emailing power.
cPanel, Root Access, and Unlimited Everything
- Have as many websites, domains, databases, and email accounts, and as much disk space and bandwidth as you want when signed up for Business and Business Pro plans.
- Manage VPS servers with cPanel and root access. You can also have an unlimited number of MySQL databases.
- Add CloudFlare content delivery network, SiteLock security, SSL certificates, or automated backups if you wish.
Website Builder
- Easily add text, images, maps, videos, and widgets. More tech-savvy site owners can take control by editing HTML and CSS.
- Responsive themes are the norm at HostPapa, and you can preview how your site will look on both mobile and desktop before publishing.
- Set up an online store with the Enterprise plan. You can track inventory, give real-time shipping quotes, and integrate with services such as PayPal and Stripe.
Pricing: 4 out of 5
HostPapa is a great deal for the number of features and level of service you get —, particularly on the shared hosting plans. Their VPS plans, however, are a bit high-priced when comparing what you get from competing companies. For a hosting company that prides themselves on helping small businesses grow, however, HostPapa’s competitive pricing means new customers don’t have to make a big investment to increase their online presence.
Web hosting companies are all selling the same thing – a home for your website – but they all have different plans with different caps, different bonuses, and different renewal prices. For most, figuring out their true value requires a breakdown into different parts.
Support: 5 out of 5
HostPapa’s 99.9% uptime guarantee isn’t terribly exciting but should be plenty sufficient for most users. Otherwise, the company seems truly dedicated to making their support technicians readily available to customers whenever they need help. In addition to the seemingly standard 24/7 availability through phone, email, and chat, HostPapa sets themselves apart from the rest with weekly webinars and one-on-one consultations.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Conclusion
HostPapa aims to give you all the tools you need to grow your business or online presence. From the drag-and-drop website builder to around-the-clock PapaSquad support, HostPapa is there for you every step of the way. Whether you’re looking for shared, VPS, or site builder hosting plans, HostPapa supplies a variety of add-on tools that handle email, performance, and security to customize your experience. As a new publisher you can take advantage of HosPaPa through their tools and plans, and if you are a WordPress user, the 1 click installation isn’t too shabby as well. But fair warning, they do lack back-ups instead they recommend AWS.
Overall, their uptime was good. They have a lot of different support options available, and we personally had a positive experience. However, we do need to emphasize their “regular” page load times. HostPapa is a great choice if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly host that’ll not only allow you to host your site quick and easy, but also let you build an attractive site too. All while staying on budget.