Ask HN: Who is your preferred web host?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1349100

by mikeknoop • 16 years ago

10 16 16 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Very short and simple question, but one that I'm sure has a lot of discussion behind it.

Who is your preferred web host and domain registrar. Also, why?

mikeleeorg• 16 years ago

For web hosts, I've used:

+ 1and1.com - Cheap, but not terribly responsive.

+ GoDaddy - I don't like their constant upsell techniques and have clients who've been confused enough to accidentally purchase all sorts of unnecessary extras.

+ ThinkHost - I dig their green angle.

+ DreamHost - This is who I've finally settled upon, because they allow an unlimited number of domains, subdomains, and databases to their most basic account. They're affordable, I've found them responsive and upfront when there are outages, their system is pretty easy to use. And when dealing with clients, I can easily map a client's DreamHost account to mine, so I can access their account without seeing their private billing info.

For domain registrars, I've used:

+ Network Solutions - Way back in the day, I used to use them. Then they went through their shady period and I haven't gone back.

+ GoDaddy - Same reasons as above; I dislike their upsell techniques.

+ NameCheap - This is who I use now. No frills a fairly cheap. They aren't the cheapest, and don't offer discounts for purchasing multiple years, but I like their straight-forward services.

DreamHost also offers domain registrar services, though I haven't used them because I already have my accounts set up on NameCheap.

Pheter• 16 years ago

I was disgusted with my experience with 1and1.com.

Payments to them were not going through, despite me repeatedly trying and contacting them about this. They ended up getting a collection agency to handle the money (assuming that I was refusing to pay, not unable to. Clearly their admin sucks) and I paid double what I should have once debt collection fees were factored in.

deutronium• 16 years ago

I've had the exact same problem with payments not going through, which has become rather frustrating.

grayrest• 16 years ago

For shared hosting, I like webfaction. Only shared account I've seen that lets you create long running processes. The guys that run it are fairly involved in the Python OSS community, which I also consider a plus.

grep• 16 years ago

_delirium• 16 years ago

For shared hosting, https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/. Well-run, good docs, some nice aspects of their custom-written provisioning system, and particularly good pricing for smallish sites and/or sites with a large static component.

For a VPS, http://prgmr.com/xen/, though they frequently close signups due to new servers selling out as fast as they can put them up (probably a sign that they should raise prices).

pedalpete• 16 years ago

- GoDaddy - not a fan. They're not an 'above board' company, seems like lots of shady stuff going on, and navigating their control panels is atrocious.

- ThePlanet - I had a good experience with a dedicated server from them. Good pricing, good control panel, good notifications on the one downtime incident I had.

- ServerBeach/Peer1 - Also had a good experience with ServerBeach. Good pricing on dedicated server. I didn't like their control panel at the time I signed up, but they've recently changed it, but I moved to cloud hosting, so didn't stick with them.

- Rackspace Cloud - I had some initial issues which I brought to the attention of their GM. He was great. Amazing service, and I've been VERY impressed with the performance of their lower tier cloud. Their documentation I thought was VERY well done.

- Linode - I've got a cloud server with Linode, I'm happy with the performance, but had to move up to a larger size then I was expecting. Their service is clear and easy to use. Upgrading/downgrading is a snap. Prices are very good.

I would say go cloud if you're into that kind of thing. Linode or RackSpace, I'm having trouble deciding which route I'm going to stick with myself.

ElbertF• 16 years ago

I've been a very happy http://Gandi.net customer for a while now (registrar and VPS host). Decent performance and service, their web site interface is great and I love having a prepaid account.

wrs• 16 years ago

You didn't say what you're hosting. So...

- If compatible with your app, Heroku. Eliminates entire categories of tedium and stress.

Otherwise:

- Shared: I give a big "meh" to shared hosting in general, but if you must, then try DreamHost. (BTW, my impression is that you'll get locked to a server that doesn't get upgraded for years, but if you cared that much about performance, you probably wouldn't be on shared hosting.)

- Virtual: Linode or Slicehost (or Rackspace cloud, which is essentially Slicehost). They all seem to "just work", and feature smart responsive people.

- Dedicated: I've had good experiences with Softlayer. Very flexible system and responsive support. I don't do anything with dedicated nowadays, though.

For the registrar, I like Dynadot. Simple, fast, cheap, works.

Do consider an independent DNS provider as well (e.g., dnsmadeeasy).

ebiester• 16 years ago

For small projects, nearlyfreespeech.net is great. I also use them as my registrar.

danmonterey• 16 years ago

Shared hosting: I've used Dreamhost, Bluehost and GreenGeeks fairly extensively. I prefer Bluehost of those three but GreenGeeks has been moving up the scale recently.

Domain Registrar: I like enom.com but I'm a reseller there and I'm not sure there's a huge difference among players in this space.

earl• 16 years ago

web host: prgmr.com -- cheap, works, what else do you want?

registrar: godaddy 'cause they're cheap and do dns... I don't actually like them but I haven't been motivated enough to move.

known• 16 years ago

http://hostdime.com

myffical• 16 years ago

http://www.asmallorange.com/ Friendly, starts small and scales up, run by smart guys who answer tech support within minutes (literally).

shadowz• 16 years ago

Been with LiquidWeb for over a year now and their support team is excellent. Just started on their new service, Storm On Demand, but can't really give an opinion yet.

staunch• 16 years ago

I only use dedicated servers for full blown web apps. I want 4GB+ memory and at least two dedicated processors.

I used ServerBeach for a few years and definitely liked them. The problem is they never improved their price:performance at all over years. They're particularly lame about extra memory. They also made a really big DNS snafu a while back, and that was the last straw for me.

Now I'm using "Joe's Data Center". Pros: Awesome price:performance (50% of ServerBeach), small responsive company. Cons: Not the greatest quality bandwidth, no access to a network power switch.

I'd recommend them if you have a bit of a tolerance for risk. So far I've had only a couple minor hiccups, but I do worry more than if I used ServerBeach or Rackspace. It's also nice to support an underdog that understands what people like me want.

http://www.joesdatacenter.com/

Ask HN: Who is your preferred web host?

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