Compare Web Hosting Services

With all the hosting options available, it pays to compare web hosting services.  

I personally have used several web hosting services, some were good, some not so good.

Obviously I haven't used them all, but my personal experiences with choosing a web host will help you understand what to look for and what to stay away from when finding a hosting service that is adequate for your needs and reliable.    

 Thirdsphere Hosting

I used Thirdsphere hosting for about 4 years and I never experienced any down time or problems whatsoever until I made a mistake with some blog files and my blog went down. 

Because my blog was down I needed immediate support but Thirdsphere offers only email support, very frustrating.  They have no phone or online chat support either,  I was stuck.

As reliable as Thirdsphere had been in the past, I had to switch to another hosting service.  Having your website go down with no immediate hosting support was simply not acceptable.  

If you're ok with no phone or immediate support, Thirdsphere is certainly one of the most reliable hosting services around, and they have all the disk space, bandwidth and tools you will ever need, however if you need someone to respond at the moment you need them, Thirdsphere may not be an ideal solution for you.

• 500 Megabytes of disk space
• 30 Gigabytes of monthly bandwidth
• Your own cgi-bin to run scripts
• Host multiple domain names (additional $10 per domain)
• Create unlimited sub-domains
• Unlimited e-mail accounts & aliases
• Unlimited follow-up autoresponders
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• Instant account activation
• Daily back-up system & 24/7 monitoring
• Cpanel & Fantastico

Cost: $24.95/Mo.

Read my extended review of Thirdsphere Hosting review

 HostGator Hosting

After careful consideration and evaluation I switched from Thirdsphere Hosting to Hostgator.  It was a tough decision but after extensive research and many discussions with colleagues, I decided to make the change. 

Besides getting unlimited disk space, bandwidth, websites and email, I have all the same tools I had with Thirdsphere with even a few additional ones, and certainly the price is right. 

Switching hosts in never easy but I made it with the great help and support I got from Hostgator. I am currently with Hostgator to this day and have had no problems, including no down time, and they are always available if I need help.

• UNLIMITED Disk Space
• UNLIMITED Bandwidth
• Host UNLIMITED Websites
• FREE Instant Setup
• 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
• 45 Day Money Back Guarantee
• CGI, PHP 5, RoR, Perl MySQL, SSH, SSL, IMAP, POP
• FREE Site Builder
• cPanel & Fantastico
• 24/7/365 Upgraded Support
• No Contracts or Hidden Fees

Cost: $7.95/mo.

Click here for your first month free at Hostgator (opens to a new window) 

In Summary...

As you can see, Thirdsphere Hosting has run into some hefty competition with Hostgator. As good as Thirdsphere is, I think their lack of immediate support has hurt them. 

Pricing tip:  Keep in mind that web hosting fees vary depending on whether you pay monthly or prepay for 2-3 years in advance.  

Hostgator for example is $9.95 a month if you pay monthly, however it's considerably less if you prepay for 2 or 3 years in advance. 

Read this if you've been to Hostgator and are confused on pricing.