Recently, I switched web hosting providers (from Bluehost to Hostinger) and wanted to share my reasons for moving to Hostinger. As it’s been a few days, it would also be helpful to share my initial thoughts on using it. You may also be considering switching, so I hope what I share is beneficial.
This post is not intended to discredit Bluehost, as it’s served me well. Bluehost is arguably one of the best (and cheapest) hosting services for beginners available on the market today. For the growing needs of my business and audience, I needed to make sure I had the best and most affordable service to deliver.
My backstory into web hosting
Like many new bloggers, Bluehost was recommended as one of the best hosting services for new bloggers. It was cheap and offered what I needed at the time. However, I did not completely understand hosting, the difference between WordPress hosting and traditional hosting, and so much more. More importantly, I did not know what I truly needed as a newbie.
As with anything, I decided to try an entry-level plan. Knowing I would launch multiple sites, I opted for the recommended Choice Plus Plan at 36 months and purchased additional add-ons. This plan was ideal for multiple sites needing storage, security, and backups. This plan allowed for three websites and offered things like free CDN, free SSL, and 40 GB SSD storage, which were great for me. So I said, why not and made the purchase.
So first, why did I switch?
Over the next 36 months, I used Bluehost and experienced two short outages, multiple updates, and redesigns to the main dashboard. An email from Bluehost notifying me that I would be charged extra due to overages outside of the plan motivated me to look elsewhere. Therefore, I had a choice to make.
With the renewal period looming in 30 days, I peeked around the web, watched many YouTube videos, and read hundreds of Reddit posts on the best hosting services. After my research, I grew more uncertain about switching and staying with Bluehost at the same time. One thing’s for sure: I solidified my reason for switching web hosting services.
Reason 1: I needed more speed (and Bluehost was pricier)
Receiving the email from Bluehost was a turning point that led me to make a strategic business decision. I had launched multiple websites and desired more speed and storage. I realized that Bluehost was not the best deal in town for my needs, and I needed a provider that could sustain my current needs and new growth. This decision empowered me to take control of my business’s future.
Reason 2: I wanted to try something new (and compare)
In addition to finding the best deal coupled with resources, I wanted a fresh start and to try something new. By doing this, I also hoped to learn some new lingo and approaches that I would otherwise not have learned.
This new reason is an honest point that needs to be mentioned more. Sometimes, we want to try something else and see if it aligns better with our usage case and needs. This point segues into my next point—trusted reviews. Most business decisions I’ve made have been influenced by reviews in some way.
Reason 3: I do not trust all of the reviews out there
Reviews are crucial to my business as they offer insights, real experience, and honest takeaways on products and services that we may have yet to learn before purchasing. After reading countless reviews, I felt like I needed more answers. Many Hostinger reviews are sales-driven and do not attest to any real-world usage.
Other times, it was apparent that the reviewer did not even use the product or service. To ensure I was getting reliable information, I focused on reviews from reputable sources, such as tech blogs and forums, and also sought feedback from other users in online communities.
What did I switch to?
After crunching the numbers, I switched to Hostinger’s Cloud Startup plan, an entry-level option in their hosting lineup. Since I was still trying to figure out the service, I decided to try Hostinger for one month and see how things went. The Hostinger plan I chose offered daily backups and a 30-day money-back guarantee, which was refreshing.
For those who don’t know, Hostinger’s Cloud Startup plan is designed for websites that have outgrown shared hosting but don’t reasonably need the power of a dedicated server. The cost for one month was $24.99. Spending a little more on a subscription was a relatively low risk, and I could always return to Bluehost if things did not work out.
Conclusion
To conclude, the switch to Hostinger has been pain-free. There was one minor hiccup, which was a user error in the migration process. Specifically, I forgot to update the DNS settings for one of my websites, leading to a brief downtime. However, the overall experience was very good. I plan to write more about Bluehost and Hostinger over the course of the year, so if you’d like to read more, consider subscribing to the newsletter.