iPage web hosting review

Finding good web hosting is a vital part of launching a website or online business, and iPage is a good option for smaller businesses, personal sites and blogs. Originally founded in 1998, iPage is a web hosting platform that has since gone on to host more than 1 million sites.

With perks, like unlimited email accounts, free domain name registration, storage space, and unmetered bandwidth as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee, iPage is a great option for small businesses. However, there are plenty of other options that you could consider.

Find out more about iPage, its features, price plans, and whether it’s suitable for your website in this in-depth iPage hosting review.

⭐ Rating:	3 ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
💵 Price:	From $1.99/month
📑 Uptime guarantee:	99.99%
⚙️ Hosting types:	Shared, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated
🌎 Server locations:	The US
👨‍💻 24/7 live support:	Yes
🔥 Coupons:	Cybernews Web Hosting Coupons

iPage Pros and Cons

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What is iPage?

iPage is a hosting platform that offers a range of features suitable for small business sites and personal blogs. It has just one payment plan which includes some great features like a website builder and unlimited space. You can also opt for WordPress hosting plans and VPS plans if you need a different hosting solution.

Is iPage good for business?

Depending on the size of your business, you might find iPage to be the ideal hosting solution. Its regular Go Plan is very cheap, and comes with a range of features that suit a small or new business. You can also integrate a range of third party features as well as e-commerce payment options. However, the standard iPage plan is not really suited to complex websites or those that expect a lot of traffic.

Unlike most other hosting platforms, iPage only offers one payment plan, which includes all the services’s features. However, pricing differs depending on the length of your subscription. This certainly makes life a bit easier, as you don’t need to weigh up different payment options.

iPage pricing

iPage only has one payment plan - the Go Plan, and it gives you everything you need to create and host a website. It’s a really good package for personal sites, small business and blogs. The main features include:

• Unlimited storage
• Unlimited websites
• Free domain name registration for a year
• SSL certificate
• Standard email address
• Website builder
• 24/7 support

The Go Plan is billed annually, and you have three options. You can sign up for three years, which costs just $1.99 a month ($71.64 in total), two years, which costs $2.49 ($59.76 in total) or one year, which costs $2.99 a month ($35.88 in total).

Unlimited email accounts

You get an unlimited amount of customizable email addresses with your iPage hosting account. That means you can assign as many email addresses with your site’s domain name as you require. This is useful for small businesses and teams.

All of iPage’s servers are located in the United States, in Boston and Waltham. These two data centers currently host over one million websites, so you know you’re in good company if you choose iPage to host your website.

All of iPage’s hosting plans have no limit on space or bandwidth (data transfers), so you are free to use as much space and data as required for your website or online business.

However, there is a ‘normal usage’ limit in place, which looks at whether your site is using space and bandwidth that relates to the amount a small business or personal blog would need for normal use.

If iPage feels your bandwidth or disk space use is exceeding the normal usage policy, it will send you an email giving you 48 hours to reduce your usage, or you could face having your account taken offline.

iPage keeps websites secure with a range of features, like SSL certificates, malware monitoring, email scanning, and SPF authentication.

For even more security, you can sign up for the SiteLock app. This offers features, such as bot blocking, advanced malware scanning, and updated blacklists. There are three tiers of SiteLock, depending on the level of security you need.

When you host a website on iPage, you can use a range of third-party apps and plugins. iPage offers easy integration to services, such as Outlook, Microsoft 365, PayPal, WordPress, ZenPhoto galleries, and Google Apps. There are lots of e-commerce payment options too including OpenCart and ZenCart.

If you're not completely happy with iPage, you can get a full, no-questions-asked refund, providing you cancel within your first 30 days of using the platform. This is a great way of trying out iPage in the absence of a free trial.

WordPress hosting - is it just for blogs?

You may associate WordPress with blogs, but you can use a WordPress service to build all sorts of websites. With an iPage WordPress hosting plan, you get the hosting service, as well as the WordPress control panel, with themes and plugins pre-installed. So, you can easily put a great WordPress site together.

WP Starter hosting plan

The iPage WP Starter plan is perfect for a personal site, blog or small business. It will cost you $3.75 per month on a one, two or three year subscription.

Included with the WP Starter plan, you will get:

• Hosting for one website
• Free SSL certificate
• One year free domain registration
• Unlimited storage
• Unlimited bandwidth
• WordPress themes and plugins pre-installed
• 24/7 specialized WordPress support

WP Essential hosting plan

The iPage WP Essential plan is more suited to people who are looking to build on an already established web presence. It will cost you $6.95 per month on a one, two or three year subscription.

With the WP Essential plan, you will get:

• Hosting for unlimited websites
• Free SSL certificate
• One year free domain registration
• Unlimited storage
• Unlimited bandwidth
• WordPress themes and plugins pre-installed
• 24/7 specialized WordPress support
• Automatic malware removal
• SiteLock professional security

iPage VPS Hosting - is it any good?

If you need hosting options for more complex websites, such as e-commerce sites that get a lot of traffic, then look no further than VPS hosting. With iPage VPS hosting you get more power, control and flexibility than a standard hosting package. It’s a good option for those who are seeking a larger web presence.

VPS pricing & plans

The VPS options are split into three different plans - Basic, Business and Optimum. Let’s take a look at what you get in each plan.

Features	Basic	Business	Optimum
Price per month	From $19.99	From $47.99	From $79.99
CPU core	1	2	4
RAM	1GB	4GB	8GB
Disk space	40GB	90GB	120GB
Bandwidth	1TB	3TB	4TB
Domain registration	One year free	One year free	One year free
IP addresses	1	2	2

For even more flexibility and control with complex websites, dedicated hosting could be the way to go. With iPage dedicated hosting, you get more power, RAM, storage space, speed, uptime and security, thanks to your own dedicated server that’s not shared with any other users. This is the most premium type of web hosting you can get.

Total hosting environment customization

With dedicated hosting, you are free to customize your hosting environment to suit your needs. You can install all the software you want. And, with the simple control panel, you can organize and arrange your site however you want to.

iPage control panel

Previously, iPage offered cPanel for its control panel, but it has now switched to vDeck. You will find that vDeck has a clear, intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that even beginners will be able to use without any fuss. Your user dashboard is clean and well organized, so you can always find the options you need and manage your website efficiently, without having to cycle through seemingly endless dropdowns.

Easy WordPress installation

Installing WordPress onto your iPage site is very easy. You can just download the latest version of the software from WordPress.org and then follow the simple instructions. Or, for an even easier install option, go for one of iPage’s WordPress plans to find WordPress pre-installed.

Are there any website builders included?

More than just a hosting service, you can also use iPage to build a website from scratch. But what website builders does iPage offer? Does it use its own builder? Here are the website builders that come with an iPage plan.

The web hosting platform currently offers its very own drag-and-drop-website builder for free on its payment plan. That means anyone who signs up to the hosting service can also build a website quickly and easily using the simple drag-and-drop iPage website builder.

Weebly

Weebly is one of the most well-known website builders on the market. In fact, iPage previously offered a Weebly website builder tool with its payment plan. However, since October 2020, the Weebly tool is no longer included with iPage. Instead, you can use iPage’s own website builder.

E-commerce website builder Ecwid

If you’re looking to start up an e-commerce website, iPage lets you do this with the Ecwid e-commerce builder. Ecwid's simple builder enables you to create a webshop from scratch, with a range of options for product listings, payment methods and more. Ecwid sites are also optimized for mobile, so visitors can buy your products from both desktop and mobile devices with ease.

iPage speed and uptimes - why does it matter?

Speed and uptime are two really important factors when considering a hosting platform. Uptime is the amount of time your site is online for. No site reaches 100%, as you need to account for necessary site maintenance. What you want is as close to that 100% as possible.

Website speed is also vital. For a start, Google favors fast-loading websites in its SEO rankings. And, if you have a slow loading website, visitors may be put off from using your site.

iPage uptime

iPage has an average monthly uptime of around 99.99%. This is a strong number and shows that your site will have virtually no downtime. However, as it is an average, the actual time may fluctuate, with lower uptimes of around 99.90% reported at certain times. But even that figure is nothing to really complain about.

iPage site speed

Websites should load in well under 3 seconds to be considered fast loading. And iPage does well in this regard with an average load time of 1.49 seconds for a 4.3MB webpage, which is pretty good.

Domain name services

You get a free domain name for one year with an iPage hosting account, but you can also use iPage to buy a domain name. You can also transfer over an existing domain name if you move to iPage from a different hosting service.

If you sign up for an iPage hosting plan, you get a domain name for free as part of the package. With an iPage domain name you also get an SSL certificate, automatic email forwarding from your domain to another address, secure domain lock and automatic domain name renewal to prevent someone else from stealing it away from you if it expires.

Pre-domain registration

It’s easy to transfer your existing domain registration over to iPage. All you need to do is make sure you have unlocked your domain name, and have requested an authorization code from the hosting service your domain name is registered with. Alternatively, you can simply have your domain name point to iPage by updating your DNS settings.

What kind of customer support is available?

If you ever have a query about iPage or a problem with your hosting service, you can get in touch with iPage directly to resolve the issue. The hosting platform offers a phone line and instant chat service, as well as a database of articles and guides to dive into.

You can phone iPage to chat about its products, any problems you have with the service or general queries at any time. The iPage support line is on hand all day every day, 24/7. So any time you have an issue with your webhosting, domain name or general online needs, you can just pick up the phone and get in touch with a member of the iPage team.

Live chat

An alternative option to the phone support line is the 24/7 iPage live chat support. You can get instant answers on any questions you have relating to hosting, domains, your websites and more. Just open the chat window, enter your query and you’ll soon receive a response from a member of the team.

Knowledgebase

If you would rather find an article or guide, you will be pleased to know that iPage also has an extensive knowledge base with a huge range of content including written guides and tutorials on all sorts of topics relating to iPage, including hosting, security, and features.

Does iPage provide any other services?

There's more to iPage than just hosting. The company also offers marketing and professional services in the shape of SEO tools, web design and online advertising. Utilising these tools can really help a small business take off so it’s worth exploring your options if you’re looking to establish a strong online presence.

Web design

The web design team at iPage can build you a responsive, professional, website that looks great on all platforms including desktop and mobile. While using a website builder yourself is certainly a good option, if you want that professional sheen then qualified web designers will be the option to go for. Get in touch with the iPage team if you’re interested in a consultation.

SEO

You can use iPage to increase your customer base and find new audiences thanks to its SEO features. Your website will be given maximum visibility and iPage will optimize your site’s content with keywords. iPage will also write bespoke content that suits your business, as well as delivering detailed SEO reports every week.

iPage alternatives

We think iPage is a good hosting option for blogs and small businesses. But it's always worth shopping around to find the perfect service for your specific needs. Here are a couple of alternatives to iPage.

Bluehost

Bluehost is a hugely popular hosting service, and with over two decades of service under its belt and over 2 million websites currently being hosted, it’s built a solid reputation for reliability.

Bluehost stands out for its security, speed, and affordability. With prices starting at $1.99 per month for its Basic plan, which includes features like an SSL certificate, Weebly website builder, and cPanel interface, it certainly represents good value.

These last two points are something that iPage lacks. While iPage used to have a Weebly builder tool, it has since been replaced with an in-house builder. Plus, iPage offers vDeck instead of cPanel, which is seen as the industry standard.

Pick Bluehost over iPage if: you want to use cPanel and the Weebly website builder.

Hostinger

Hostinger is another big name in the world of hosting platforms, with around 30 million websites currently hosted on the platform.

Starting at just $1.66/month, it's cheap and reliable. Hostinger has also chosen not to use the industry standard cPanel, and, like iPage, it gives users a different control panel. If you are keen to use cPanel, you might be disappointed, but it’s worth noting that Hostinger’s control panel is also easy to use. And, by keeping the tech inhouse, Hostinger can keep charging low prices.

Hostinger’s key feature is its focus on cloud storage. The platform offers three plans that are geared specifically for users who require cloud storage - Cloud Startup, Cloud Professional, or Cloud Global. You get a varying amount of storage depending on the plan you pick, and you also get features such as SSL certificates, RAM, SSD storage, and hosting for up to 300 websites.

Pick Hostinger over iPage if: your websites require cloud storage.

Final thoughts

If you’re starting out online with a personal website, blog or small business, then iPage is a great option. It’s extremely affordable and offers a robust set of features that are ideal for new websites.

From a free domain for a year to unlimited space, the Go Plan is a great package to help you get online and give your new site or business a foundation. It even comes with a free website builder, so you can create a site and host it with one service.

If you have more complex needs, you can always opt for the VPS or dedicated hosting options, although these cost a fair bit more.

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