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About Me
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ClickHost Web Hosting
Strong security features. Robust app library. Powerful WordPress-testing features. Gentle upselling. Good customer service.
ClickHost makes it easy to create a website, but a lengthy setup time, a skimpy introductory tier, and high prices prevent it from being the best.
If you're looking to give your business a presence online, you need a Web hosting service to act as your site's foundation. ClickHost (starting at $8.50 per month) is one such option that leverages the power of the cloud, mini virtual machines, and an army of solid-state drives to create an environment in which you can quickly and easily create a website. ClickHost is a solid service, but it's also got some issues that keep it from greatness.
ClickHost's PlansClickHost positions itself as the Web host for non-techies, and its presentation conveys the idea quite well. The company eschews the standard shared server, virtual private server (VPS), and dedicated server labels for its packages. Instead it offers three easy-to-understand cloud-based Web hosting plans: Basic, Better, and Best.
The Basic plan (starting at $8.50 per month) grants 10GB of monthly data transfers, a ridiculously skimpy 500MB of storage, just 50 email addresses, and the ability to host a single domain. If you're looking to start a business, you'll want to pass on this plan, which is best suited for personal websites.
Moving up the ladder you'll find the Better plan (starting at $13 per month), which offers 1TB of monthly data transfers, 10GB of storage, a free domain name, and unlimited email and domain hosting. The Best plan (starting at a relatively pricey $45 per month) tops Better by including a free static IP, dedicated SSL, free malware cleanup, and an option for managed WordPress hosting. These two latter plans are best for small- and medium-sized businesses.
Like other Web hosts, ClickHost gives you a discount if you sign up for a multiyear plan; for example, the Best plan drops to $25 per month if you agree to a three-year contract.
ClickHost boasts a respectable 45-day money-back guarantee. That window isn't as lengthy as Dreamhost's 97-day money-back guarantee, but tops many Web hosts' 30-day refund policies.
The Sign-Up Process Signing up for ClickHost is a breeze. After selecting a plan, you either register a free domain name or transfer an existing domain name, and then you set up your email accounts. ClickHost then nudges you into signing up for services that help you transfer your site, set up email, and provide more frequent site backups, but the prompting isn't anywhere near as pushy as with some other Web hosts. Note that if you buy a domain name, it can take up to 48 hours for it to propagate throughout the Web.
And that's not the only potential delay. Unfortunately, it took more than an hour for ClickHost to set up my account and email me the necessary log-in information. Honestly, that felt like an eternity, especially when Web hosts like Arvixe, one of PCMag's overall Editors' Choice for Web hosting services, allowed me to start building my website right away.
ClickHost Web HostingClickHost only offers Linux-based servers, so if you absolutely need a Windows server to run your website, you must look to Arvixe or a similar service. Should you choose to set up shop, the service includes a website-builder that lets you create a simple, but attractive site in a just a few minutes.
This RVSiteBuilder offers far more site-construction options than 1&1's WebsiteBuilder, but it isn't overwhelming. I found it easy to drag-and-drop text, add images, and change the template and color scheme. Unlike 1&1's WebsiteBuilder, RVSiteBuilder lets you add your own code to the prefabricated elements, which opens the door to a more custom look. In fact, 1&1 requires you to subscribe to WebsiteBuilder Plus ($9.99 per month) if you want to add your own code.
ClickHost offers numerous e-commerce apps available, too. Magento, Open Cart, and Zen Cart are just three of the many shopping options that await you in the site's Softalicious library. In fact, the Softaclicious library contains more than 250 apps.
Managed WordPress HostingClickHost also has managed WordPress hosting (starting at $25 per month). The content management system comes preinstalled, so it requires virtually no effort to get started. You can create posts, pages, and galleries as you would with any other self-hosted WordPress site. I was able to put together a good-looking basic site in just a few minutes. There are plenty of WordPress-friendly themes to choose from, too.
Much like WP Engine and Pressable, ClickHost lets you test changes on a clone site before releasing them on your live, WordPress-powered site. It's an incredibly useful tool if you fear borking your site by experimenting a bit.
Still, InMotion Hosting continues to reign as the PCMag Editors' Choice for managed WordPress hosting. The service tops the competition by offering unlimited websites, disk space, and data transfers per month. Many of the managed WordPress hosts we've reviewed have caps in place that limit the plans in some regard.
Note: At one point, I attempted to log into my ClickHost account to view billing information, but my account information was apparently down due to low resources. My site itself was unaffected, however.
Security FeaturesEach ClickHost plan includes free spam filtering and malware scanning, but the latter feature comes with a price if you've signed up for the Basic or Better plans. Although those plans include a malware scanning tool, they lack a malware removal tool, which is equally important. You have to cough up an additional $3.50 per month for Sucuri to kick malware to the curb—unless you have a Best account. In that case, the malware removal tool is part of your plan.
Static IPs and dedicated secure socket layers (SSL) are also available, depending on the plan. They're included with the Best plan's price, and are Better plan add-ons ($3.50 per month for a static IP, $119 per year for a SSL). Unfortunately, static IPs and dedicated SSLs aren't options available to those who invest in Basic plans.
Customer ServiceI contacted ClickHost's 24/7 email and technical support several times during testing—early morning, midday, and at night—to get a sense of its support team's effectiveness. I asked the support team members about the proper method of contacting the company should I have a billing issue, how I'd actually build a website once I signed up for a plan, and other miscellaneous questions. My queries were answered within a few minutes, and I was pleased with the responses. Unfortunately, ClickHost's billing support is only available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm EDT. If you have site problems on the weekends or evenings, you're out of luck.
A Solid Web HostClickHost provides plenty of tools to help you create an attractive website, including flexible hosting and the ability to add plenty of extra features. Small- and medium-sized business will likely prefer the more robust—and wallet-friendly—packages offered by Arvixe and Dreamhost, the PCMag Editors' Choice winners for Web hosting novice and advanced users, respectively. Still, ClickHost may prove a worthy Web host for those looking to create a personal or hobbyist website, thanks to its no-nonsense approach to hosting and mild-mannered upselling.
By Jeffrey L. WilsonFor the last decade, Jeffrey L. Wilson has penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications including 2D-X, E-Gear, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, PCMag, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He mentors, practices Jeet...
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Source: ClickHost Web Hosting
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