HostDime is a premium web host which gives high-end business-oriented internet hosting to demanding customers world wide.
The corporate does not waste your time with feeble shared internet hosting, or restricted WordPress plans. It’s miles extra centered on energy, with ranges together with KVM-based managed VPS, co-location and naked metallic servers.
These can look costly, with for instance HostDime’s web site highlighting its VPS internet hosting as ranging from $75 (£57.70) for 1vCPU, 2GB RAM and 60GB storage. 1&1 can provide you 4vCPU, 8GB RAM and 160GB of storage for £19.99 ($25.99) a month for the primary 12 months, and £29.99 ($38.99) afterwards.
There is a distinct scarcity on bundled extras, too. No free SSL certificates right here, for example – costs begin at a minimal of $30 (£23.07) a 12 months.
The headline figures do not inform the total story, although. That HostDime $75 determine is for absolutely managed VPS internet hosting within the Orlando information middle, billed month-to-month, and in case you select self-managed internet hosting, and pay yearly, the value can drop to an efficient $32.08 (£24.67) a month.
Even essentially the most primary HostDime plans supply actual benefits, together with a alternative of information facilities unfold throughout 4 continents, 15TB allotted bandwidth, a speedy 1Gb/s GigE uplink and a few usable IPs. 24/7/365 in-house assist (no outsourcing right here) is readily available to rapidly remedy any points.
Devoted servers supply higher worth. Even the baseline four core system comes with 16GB RAM, 480GB of SSD storage, four usable IP addresses and a really spectacular 25TB bandwidth, for example. The comparable Liquid Internet plan offers you solely 5TB for across the identical value.
HostDime does not have any type of trial, sadly, however that is no nice shock for a enterprise host. You continue to get a beneficiant 45-day money-back assure, and that must be loads of time to seek out out what the service can do.
Account setup
HostDime has comparatively few merchandise, and at first look they appear simple sufficient to check. Browse the entrance web page, click on the Discover VPS Choices button, and also you’re in a position to decide on the quantity of CPU energy, RAM and storage you want.
Sadly, it is a bit of extra sophisticated than that. As we have talked about, costs fluctuate relying on whether or not you are selecting managed or unmanaged internet hosting (HostDime takes care of the server, otherwise you do), and the server location you select. For instance, US unmanaged VPS begins at $35 (£26.92), UK managed VPS begins at $50 (£38.46), and US managed VPS begins at $75 (£57.69).
Options fluctuate between places, too. UK managed VPS is reasonable partially as a result of the baseline value does not embody cPanel, and including it’ll price a further $15 (£11.54). US VPS internet hosting continues to be dearer, nevertheless it helps many extra working programs than the UK’s CentOS 7, with choices together with Debian, Ubuntu and even Home windows 2012 Server Commonplace, in case you’re keen to pay the $30 (£23.08) month-to-month premium.
The HostDime web site does not present any central method to clearly examine these, however in case you select your location first, or open a few places side-by-side, it is simpler to grasp what’s accessible.
We signed up for UK internet hosting inside a few minutes, went on to finish a really lengthy ‘Create a brand new account’ type, and eventually handed over our money (unusually, HostDime helps Bitcoin, in addition to PayPal and bank cards.)
Some internet hosts activate your account instantly, however HostDime is a bit more relaxed, with our internet house taking round seven hours to turn into accessible. That is common for high-end internet hosting, although, and HostDime compensated by sending a really detailed Welcome electronic mail which got here filled with important data: IP addresses, WHM/cPanel login URL, SSH credentials, title servers, assist hyperlinks, firm insurance policies and extra.
Managing your website
HostDime gives a number of routes to entry and handle your internet house. Precisely what you may get is determined by the package deal, the management panel and the extent of administration you select, however these had been the three important choices supplied with our UK VPS product.
HostDime’s CORE system is a proprietary console for dealing with some account and server administration duties. It created a poor first impression by instantly demanding we learn and settle for greater than 14,000 phrases of poorly formatted small print, however picked up instantly afterwards.
CORE opens with the same old account and call data, however there’s loads of different performance. You’ll be able to arrange null routes, entry a VNC console to handle the positioning, cease and restart a VPS, test bandwidth use, change passwords, make and handle assist requests, and extra.
WHM (Internet Host Supervisor) is a robust set of instruments for managing servers and a number of web sites. Many internet hosting corporations use WHM to divide up a server into a number of accounts, assign domains and DNS zones, create cPanel accounts, monitor efficiency, handle backups and extra. People can achieve this, too, though it is in all probability overkill for single websites.
Should you’re simply on the lookout for common cPanel administration, you may use WHM for lengthy sufficient to create an account, then change again to cPanel and use it as regular. It isn’t easy, however when you’ve got sufficient internet expertise to register a site and replace your DNS information, you may don’t have any vital issues.
Alternatively, actual specialists who want the utmost flexibility get root entry to the server by way of SSH.
Optionally available extras embody the power to purchase Softaculous licenses ($5 a month), enabling simple set up of WordPress and different high internet apps.
Total, HostDime gives a great set of normal options which embody all of the high-end performance it’s essential to handle your VPS or server.
Efficiency
All internet hosting plans want high quality assist, nevertheless it’s notably necessary whenever you’re managing your personal server and possibly utilizing it to host a number of web sites.
HostDime claims it gives a ‘continued give attention to private buyer care’, and can ‘deal with prospects as companions’. Many hosts say one thing related, and it is typically simply advertising spin, however the HostDime web site does have some uncommon and attention-grabbing touches.
Once we signed up for our VPS, for example, an online type prompted us to enter any customized Apache modules we might like the corporate to put in, or some other particular setup directions. We did not take a look at that so cannot make sure precisely what HostDime will do, nevertheless it does point out the corporate is making an attempt to supply a very private service, and it deserves some credit score for that.
There’s excellent news on tech assist, too, with HostDime’s in-house staff accessible 24/7/365 by telephone, reside chat and a well-designed ticket system. All these assist routes are not equal, and for example the reside chat window suggests its assist brokers primarily assist “in case your internet hosting service is unavailable” or “you have got different primary technical assist points.” Nonetheless, our deliberately obscure assist ticket acquired a useful and detailed response in lower than 30 minutes, considerably higher than you may see with a lot of HostDime’s funds competitors.
Operating server efficiency exams doesn’t suggest very a lot when HostDime has so many servers and information facilities to select from, however we checked out our UK location anyway, and located it delivered above common speeds to simply about all over the place. Your mileage might fluctuate, however that is an excellent begin.
Last verdict
HostDime is not low-cost, however the well-specified merchandise and highly effective administration instruments might present the best answer for demanding enterprise customers.