SiteGround Review
Features: Free site transfer or new site setup with 1-click install
SiteGround is a well-known web hosting company, which offers multiple hosting options.
This web host provides shared hosting, cloud hosting, and dedicated servers as well as email hosting and domain registration.
We have been monitoring SiteGround throughout 2019, and we will share our opinion in the review below.
Here is our SiteGround review:
Meet SiteGround
SiteGround is a web hosting company, founded in 2004 in Sofia by a group of university friends. At the moment, this company employs over 500 people and services more than 2 million domains worldwide.
SiteGround has 5 data centers in 4 countries: the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. This web host has developed software for account isolation, monitoring, reaction, and speed optimization. SiteGround uses SSD to store data.
SiteGround partners with multiple companies such as SingleHop, SoftLayer, CloudFlare, OpenSRS, cPanel, GlobalSign, Softaculous, 1H, Spam Experts, Open Classifieds, and Printfu.
On July 30th 2019, SiteGround launched its redesigned user area with a new control panel known as ‘Site Tools’. It is stated that it took more than 3 years and over 20 new technical staff to develop this new system.
Advantages of SiteGround
1. Reliability
This web host is #2 on our list, so we are continuing with a good uptime trend.
With an average uptime of 99.99%, there is not much we can add. As good as it gets. For the past three months, SiteGround has a 100% uptime. So 0 seconds offline.
SiteGround actually guarantees network uptime of 99.9% on a yearly basis. If they go under that, you will get an additional month of free hosting.
Again, uptime is very important because it means that your web hosting service is online and your website is available for your visitors. If your website is not available online then mostly this has a bad impact on your business/blog.
2. Customer Service
As with every other web host, we have contacted SiteGround Customer Service and we were amazed by a friendly and knowledgeable approach.
Customer Service agent Lillia D. provided answers for every question, even to those that we didn’t ask.
They are reachable via Phone or Chat, and they have an excellent knowledge base.
3. Load Time
SiteGround excels at another important topic, which is Load time. It indicates how long it takes for a page to load after the user clicks on a link.
According to our records, it takes 620ms on average for a page hosted by SiteGround to load. Just over a half-second, so this is very fast.
4. WordPress Recommended Host
On the official WordPress website (WordPress.org), this open-source software has listed their three favorite web hosts. On that list, you will find SiteGround, DreamHost, and Bluehost, rich hosting environments, as WordPress put it.
When WordPress, as the largest CMS (content management system) recommends a web host, that has to hold some weight as WordPress has cooperated with almost every web host there is.
5. Free Site Migration (With something extra)
You already have a website, and you want to move it to SiteGround? Of course, with no additional fees.
Since we already saw that SiteGround does a little bit extra on almost every category we mention, this is no exception. They have created a WordPress plugin that allows you to move a WordPress site to the SiteGround account!
And, they have provided step-by-step instructions on their website.
When it comes to load time, Bluehost has made some major steps in improving this metric over the years. Understanding that speed is one of the most important key performance indicators in a modern age, this web host invested in upgrading their servers and now has one of the fastest load times in the industry.
6. Free SSL certificate
SSL is there to encrypt and protect information such as IP address or your credit number. It prevents the third party from stealing this information, and it is practically a badge for a secure website.
For Google Chrome especially, as when you are visiting a website without an SSL certificate, Chrome will warn you about an insecure connection.
SiteGround is providing a free SSL certificate, for every plan they are offering.
7. 30-Day money-back guarantee
SiteGround offers a full 30-Day money-back guarantee for every shared hosting plan.
There are terms stated on their website if you are looking for a refund before these 30 days:
Disadvantages of SiteGround
1. Domain Name – NOT FREE
Almost every web host will include a free domain name if you are looking to join them.
SiteGround is not in that group, as this web host will charge you from the beginning, which is a $15.95 annual fee.
2. Renewal price
Starting at $3.95 per month, SiteGround offers a packed plan from the start.
This price is created to attract new clients, rightfully so, but it has a huge spike when you are looking to renew your initial hosting plan.
When it is time to renew, that $3.95 price per month goes to $11.95.
As with other web hosts, our suggestion is to take the 3-year plan and enjoy a major discount from the beginning.
Ease of use
As already mentioned, SiteGround has an amazing knowledge base, that is easy to use and quite helpful. It provides answers for topics such as: Hosting, Billing, cPanel, and Applications.
SiteGround also uses cPanel, which makes managing your account and domains pretty easy.
Pricing plans
There are three shared hosting options from SiteGround:
– StartUp: For $3.95 per month, this plan can host one website, has 10GB of Web Space, and unlimited bandwidth. This plan is created to handle up to 10k visits on a monthly basis, and you are also getting free SSL and unlimited emails.
– GrowBig: $5.95 per month, this plan can host multiple websites, 20GB storage can handle up to 25k visits monthly and also features unlimited bandwidth. You also have Premium Features such as WordPress staging, on-demand backup, and SuperCacher for better loading time.
– GoGeek: The most expensive plan will set you back $11.95/month, but it will also mean that you can host unlimited number of websites, 30GB of Web Space, and up to 100k visitors a month. It has all the Premium Features like GrowBig, and in addition to that, it has Geeky Features: Priority Support, the highest level of server resources, and Git Repo Creation.
Conclusion
Do we recommend SiteGround? Without a doubt, yes.
Uptime and loading speed makes a winning combination, as long as you take advantage of the starting low price and purchase a three-year plan.
And, let’s not forget, you are getting free SSL and free migration.
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