There are many options out there for hosting websites these days. If you need to purchase a hosting package to host your WordPress site, then you should consider using a proven service like GreenGeeks. Here, we will give an overview of what GreenGeeks has to offer and discuss the pros and cons of using the service.
GreenGeeks Overview
GreenGeeks is a leading web hosting provider based in the United States. The hosting platform is well-known for its 24/7 support, reliably fast performance and excellent security features. However, that is not all there is to the fame of GreenGeeks.
As the name suggests, GreenGeeks is a green solution for your web hosting needs. It puts three times the amount of power it consumes back into the grid through renewable energy generation. With this eco-friendly methodology, GreenGeeks power more than 300000 websites! They use several different techniques to deliver a high-quality hosting experience. They offer things like container-based technology, hosting account isolation, proactive server monitoring, and nightly backups.
PROS and CONS of Hosting a WordPress Site with GreenGeeks
There are a lot of benefits of using GreenGeeks to host your WordPress site. Here we will cover these for you so you can make a better decision.
PRO: Environmentally Friendly
Of course, the most significant and most apparent advantage of GreenGeeks is that it is entirely environmentally friendly. GreenGeeks do not just claim to be a green company but are recognized by EPA Green Power Partner.
While this helps reduce their carbon footprint, they do not stop here. To further bring down their cost and carbon footprint, they have moved one of their data centres to Toronto. This is to take advantage of Toronto’s cold weather to help their cooling systems with a process called “Free Cooling”.
PRO: 30-Day Trial Period
To make it easier for their customers to adopt and experiment with their services, GreenGeeks offers a 30-day trial period. During this period, you can set up your account with GreeGeeks and if you do not like it, you can revert your subscription conveniently. Upon doing so within the trial period, you will be refunded the amount you paid.
PRO: WordPress Maintenance Tools Offered
GreenGeeks doesn’t leave you guessing when it comes to managing your WordPress installation. They offer a one-click installer, and they automatically update WordPress Installation. Automatic updates ensure that bugs are fixed and that security vulnerabilities are patched.
In addition to that, with GreenGeeks, you get unlimited web space. That too, with SSD storage which means that you get one of the fastest loading speeds for your website that you can get. With everything else on offer, GreenGeeks also offers WordPress site migration services for free!
PRO: Container-Based Hosting Technology
Using a container-based approach keeps your resources separated from the resources of other users who share the same physical server with you. This means that everyone has a dedicated amount of resources and can’t encroach on someone else’s share of the pot. This also means that you get the speed that you deserve without any worries.
PRO: Advanced Ecommerce Capabilities
All hosting accounts registered with GreenGeeks are provided with an SSL certificate. This is important for securing the connections of users who are carrying out payment transactions. Also, one-click software is provided, which allows shopping cart functionality to be easily added to websites hosted with GreenGeeks.
To further enhance the e-commerce and security capabilities, you get malware scanning for an individual account. This extends from the container-based hosting approach and ensures that you do not get affected with malware from another account on the same server.
PRO: Backups Provided
GreenGeeks offers free backups to its customers. Backups are overwritten with the latest version of files every 24 hours. This means that if you run into any problems, it’s easy to recover from them by restoring the last backup carried out.
PRO: Great Support Offered
GreenGeeks provides a solid knowledge-base that contains useful information about several different topics. Information from the knowledge base helps solve many of the common problems that users run into. GreenGeeks also offer 24/7 email support. Live telephone support and live chat support are also provided.
CON: Prices Are Misleading
GreenGeeks’s hosting packages are by no means expensive. However, the way that they advertise the prices of their hosting packages is a little misleading. For example, their lowest-tier plan is advertised for $2.95/month. However, you will only get that price if you pay for three years’ worth of service. What happens if you decide that you want to switch hosting providers during that time? If you pay for hosting on a month to month basis, you’ll be paying $9.95/month.
CON: Refunds Don’t Include All Fees
GreenGeeks offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, they don’t return domain name fees or setup fees. This can amount up to close to $15 only for the setup fee and close to $14 for domain fee.
CON: Server Limitations
While the unlimited space clause for GreeGeeks is very tempting, they have very tricky guidelines for Excessive use. Their user policy does not state a time limit for this excessive usage. This means that the instant you use 100% of your allocated limits or go over it, you will be forced to upgrade!
Furthermore, the maximum inodes for GreeGeeks services are merely 75000. This is very low as compared to competing brands that can offer up to 300000. This is a point where GreenGeeks struggles in front of its competition.
CON: Restoring Backups May Come at a Cost
While backups are provided for free, customers only get one free backup restoration per month. Additional restorations cost $25. This can seem confusing if you do not get into the nitty-gritty of the terms and conditions before buying your package.
Final Thoughts
GreenGeeks is a great, environmentally friendly hosting provider that offers lots of great features such as container-based technology. However, please note that there are both benefits and downsides to using this hosting provider. While the disadvantages aren’t significant, you should at least consider them before jumping the gun and signing up for a package.