Top Features of Host Monster
There are several things that set Host Monster apart from the pack of other hosting companies. In this section, I’ll write about a few of the features that I like a lot.
Of course, you may have different concerns than I do. It just depends on what you need and expect from your hosting service provider.
Variety of Plans
Whether you just want a small hosting plan for a personal website or a plan that will accommodate the needs of your small business, Host Monster has an option that is right for you.
These plans are designed to keep up with your site as it grows. When you are first starting out, you may not have much traffic at all. Even a few hundred people per week may get you excited.
Over time, though, your site will attract more traffic as it becomes more popular.
When that happens, you can simply move up to the next Host Monster subscription level.
In this way, Host Monster makes it easier for growing businesses to get the specific hosting services they need without spending more money than necessary.
VPS Hosting
I prefer virtual private server (VPS) hosting because it gives me more control, privacy, and security than simply keeping my websites on a regular hosting server. With a VPS, I can go into the server and add the specific software that I want.
If you are going to use your website for any type of ecommerce activity, I would recommend using VPS hosting.
Some people will argue that VPS hosting isn’t the same as having your own server. I’m sure that owning your own server has its advantages, but who wants the expense and headache of all that? If you have your own server, then you will need to hire someone to manage it. What about when it breaks down? What if it gets infected with malware?
All of those issues become your problem when you have your own server.
VPS hosting is also a lot less expensive than having your own server. Even if you were to use a third-party provider who manages the server for you, you will end up spending a lot more money on an entire server.
The VPS technology does a good job of replicated dedicated servers, anyway. Unless you have a very popular website that sells millions of dollars of merchandise, I don’t think you will see the difference.
Considering how much cheaper and convenient VPS is, I was happy to see that Host Monster offers that kind of hosting service.
User Friendly Control Panel
Over the years, I have made several websites. I’ve always gotten help from tech experts when doing it, though. I know a little bit about design and coding, but not enough to make a fully functional website that a business could use to connect with its customers.
With Host Monster, I don’t have to know a lot to make my sites work the way I need them to. It has a simple control panel that I find easy to use.
If you want a really complex website, you might still want to get help from a pro. After setting up the site’s features, though, you can use the Host Monster control panel to manage your content, including product descriptions, pictures, and even blog posts that can help attract more traffic to your site.
Even if you don’t have any experience, I bet you could get by with Host Monster. It’s just that easy to use.
Plug-ins, Themes, and Apps
The great thing about today’s website building software is that you can make impressive designs without knowing a lot (or any) code. So many other people have already made plug-ins, themes, and apps that will do exactly what you want for your site. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel, especially when many of these products are free.
With Host Monster, you get access to the Mojo Marketplace, where you will find over 100 open-source plug-ins, themes, and apps that you can install with just one click of your mouse.
You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make a unique site that works just how you want it to.
Host Monster Prices
Host Monster offers three hosting plans. Each one comes with its own features. Choose the one that matches your needs and budget. My guess is that most people will want to use the Plus plan. That’s what I have. It works just fine.
All plans come with unmetered bandwidth and domain registration for one website.
Starter Plan
$5.99/month
Hosting for one website
100 GB of website space
Up to five parked domains
Up to 25 sub domains
Up to 100 email accounts
500 MB of email storage per account
$50 of marketing services
Plus Plan
$6.95/month
Hosting for unlimited websites
Unmetered website space
Unlimited parked domains
Unlimited sub domains
Unlimited email accounts
Unlimited storage for email accounts
$200 in marketing services
Includes 1 SpamExperts
Business Pro Plan
$14.95/month
The Business Pro Plan includes everything from the Plus Plan. You also get:
Two SpamExperts
One SSL certificate
One dedicated IP address
Privacy protection
SiteBackup Pro
Increased performance
If you want the benefits of VPS hosting, then you will need to pay higher rates. As I mentioned above, I think that the benefits of VPS hosting are well worth the extra money. The following prices and features should help you decide whether you want to pay extra for VPS hosting.
All plans come with one free domain name registration and CentOS 6.5 (64-bit) operating system.
Standard Plan
$29.99/month
(first month is only $14.99)
Dual core processor
Two GB of RAM
30 GB space
One TB per month
One IP
Enhanced Plan
$59.99/month
(first month is only $29.99)
Dual core processor
Four GB of RAM
60 GB
Two TB per month
Two IPs
Premium Plan
$89.00/month
(first month is only $44.99)
Triple core processor
Six GB of RAM
120 GB
Three TB per month
Two IPs
Ultimate Plan
$119.99/month
(first month is only $59.99)
Quad core processor
Eight GB of RAM
240 GB
Four TB per month
Two IPs
Criticisms of Host Monster
I don’t have any serious criticisms of Host Monster. If I had to choose something, though, I guess it would be that the introductory rate is a little misleading for some people. When you visit the site, it says that plans start at $4.95. That’s not really true. It’s only that price for 30 days.
With that said, you have to read the details before you sign up for any service. If you don’t, then I don’t know what to tell you. I guess it’s kind of your own fault for not reading the “fine print.” In this case, the fine print is pretty big and it has a big asterisk next to it, so I’m not completely sure how some people miss it.
Customer Support for Host Monster
Host Monster has two ways for customers to get the support they need.
I find that the knowledgebase usually has answers to my questions. It includes tutorials on everything from Host Monster prices to setting up email accounts on an iOS device. If you have a question, I recommend that you go to the knowledgebase first. There is a good chance that someone has already asked the same question, so Host Monster has probably already posted a tutorial that will get you going.
On some occasions, you might not find the answer you need. In that case, you can contact customer support by submitting a help ticket. This is also a useful resource for those who have questions about their accounts.
In my experience, someone from Host Monster will get to within a day or so.
Pros of Using Host Monster
- Variety of plans
- VPS available
- Good pricing
- East to use
- Plenty of open source apps, themes, and plug-ins
Cons of Using Host Monster
- Introductory prices are a little misleading
Conclusion
While there are plenty of hosting companies that make big promises, most of them fall short. That’s bad news when you want to use your website for something more than posting family photos. It’s really bad news if you use your site to attract customers or sell items online.
In my experience, Host Monster offers exactly what a small to medium sized business needs. As your site grows, Host Monster will keep up by giving you access to more services.
