BOTTOM LINE
Domain.com provides numerous options for setting up an entry-level online destination, but it lacks the complex hosting tiers that developing sites may require in the future.
$3.75 mostly on street in the United States
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PROS
- Packages for shared and WordPress hosting are good.
- Exceptional uptime.
- Exceptional client service.
- There are a variety of website-building tools available.
Cons
- No alternatives for cloud, VPS, dedicated, or reseller servers.
- There are no monthly plans.
- There are no Windows-based servers available.
Web hosting is the basis on which you’ll construct your online presence if you operate a blog or a business. But how can you decide which service to use? Enter Domain.com, a competitor in the congested website hosting industry; offers a comprehensive set of tools to help you realize your website goals. Although it lacks the extensive hosting tools; and customizable plan options offered by the top competitors; it is nonetheless a viable and dependable web host, especially for novices.
Shared Web Hosting
Domain.com, like HostMonster, does not provide month-to-month plans for most of its services. Rather, even its most basic shared hosting service necessitates a one-year commitment. Furthermore, unlike other hosting providers, Domain.com does not offer savings for longer-term commitments. Whether you sign up for a yearly or three-year membership, you will pay the same price each year.
Basic, Domain.com’s entry-level shared hosting option, costs $3.75 per month with a one-year commitment, or $45 yearly. Unlimited disc space; unlimited monthly data transfers, unlimited email inboxes, 10 databases, five FTP log-ins; and the ability to host a single site are all included in the basic plan. The Deluxe option which starts at $6.75 per month with a one-year commitment; and includes unlimited domain hosting as well as 25 databases and log-ins; costs $6.75 per month with a one-year contract. Unlimited databases and log-ins are included with the Ultra plan, which costs $13.75 per month.
It’s worth noting that these deals necessitate the purchase of a domain. If you want to utilize a domain from another registrar, you’ll need to contact support. Domain.com offers a discount coupon for free one-year domain registration to make the procedure easier online. This is useful if you’re starting from scratch; but less so if you already have an address and are searching for a host. Finally, the prices indicated above are the introductory rates for your first term of service; after that, the renewal rates are higher. The Basic plan, for example, costs $59.88 per year when renewed. It is not free site hosting, but it is reasonably priced.
Keep HostGator (the Editors’ Choice for shared hosting); on your radar if you don’t want to commit to an annual web hosting contract. It provides monthly hosting options beginning at $10.95. On the other hand; if you’re ready to commit, a three-year plan will bring the price down to $2.75 each month. All of HostGator’s shared hosting plans provide unlimited email, storage, and monthly data transfers. When it comes to shared hosting, this is a wonderful addition that makes HostGator more appealing than Domain.com.
WordPress Web Hosting
WP Starter and WP Essential are two WordPress hosting plans offered by Domain.com. Unlimited storage, monthly data transfers, email; and a chosen selection of WordPress themes and plug-ins are all included with WP Starter; (beginning at $3.75 per month with an annual commitment). Expert WordPress support, automated malware removal; and increased site security are all included with WP Essential (beginning at $6.95 per month with an annual commitment). These WordPress plans, like Domain.com’s shared plans, do not provide a discount if you sign up for a year.
These are excellent packages, but our Editors’ Choice selections for WordPress Hosting are A2, BlueHost, and WP Engine. WP Engine caters to enterprise-class WordPress hosting; A2 specializes in small-business friendly WordPress packages; BlueHost provides a built-in, WordPress-enhancing toolset; and WP Engine specializes in small-business friendly WordPress packages.
What It Lacks
Domain.com has decent shared and WordPress hosting plans; but it lacks the cloud, dedicated, VPS, and reseller hosting choices included in our top recommendations. There are no Windows server alternatives on Domain.com, either. For reseller and VPS options, a Domain.com customer support representative recommended FatCow, the company’s sibling site.
Domain.com has a limited ability to develop into other web hosting tiers due to its shared-hosting concentration; which is a fundamental flaw in the business. You’ll need to relocate your site elsewhere if you wish to make use of the benefits of a dedicated server; for example. Many providers provide a variety of web hosting options; as well as a simple way to upgrade as needed; so a developing business may not want to waste time doing so. Domain.com is still a good alternative if you’re comfortable with the thought; of developing a Linux-based site on shared or WordPress hosting.
Building a Website
Domain.com offers a variety of website-building tools, including its own website builder. We were able to rapidly create a nice test page with slideshows; contact forms, social network connections, and more because of its drag-and-drop capability.
You can create up to six pages with the Starter plan (beginning at $1.99 per month); but you can create limitless pages with the Business plan (starting at $6.99 per month). PayPal connectivity, inventory management, tracking; and the ability to sell things online are all included in the eCommerce plan (which starts at $12.99 per month). Unlimited storage and a free SSL certificate are included in all options.
Another website builder worth considering is Weebly. Weebly’s free edition provides basic capabilities (unlimited pages and custom HTML); but subscribing to the Professional tier ($12 per month) gives you even more options (custom themes, password-protected pages, and more).
Security Features
Security features include 24/7 network monitoring, DDoS protection, and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) support in Domain.com’s web hosting services. An SSL certificate serves as a digital passport; allowing data to travel via secure networks while safeguarding sensitive information; such as financial and credit card transactions, signups, and so on. SSL should be regarded as a must-have feature if you want to sell things online.
Good Uptime
One of the most significant components of a hosting service is website uptime. Clients and consumers will be unable to discover you or access your products or services if your website is down. That is something you do not want to happen.
Over the course of two weeks; we employed a website monitoring tool to measure the uptime of our Domain. com-hosted test site. The program pings our website every 15 minutes; sends us an email if it is unable to contact it for at least one minute. Domain.com has been relatively reliable during the previous two weeks, with only one outage in a 14-day span. Although minimal downtime is ideal, Domain.com was online 98 percent of the time in our tests.
Customer Service
Domain.com offers both telephone and online webchat assistance, which we tried. On a weekday morning; we called Domain.com’s phone tech support to inquire about the distinctions between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. Although there is an automated computer procedure to follow; we were chatting with a representative in under three minutes who provided us with a helpful response.
On a weekday afternoon; we used the online chat to ask a professional how to import my WordPress.com configuration into Domain.com. We had to wait just over two minutes for a technician to answer our call. He walked us through a process that allowed us to easily import an existing blog. We questioned how to acquire hosting if we held a domain from a different registrar during a subsequent online chat; we were given detailed answers. Overall, the customer support representatives were kind and helpful; with the exception, that webchat requires you to enter your name and email address before you can ask inquiries. Other companies provide web chat services that are happy to answer your questions right away; whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time customer.
You can terminate a hosting package at any time; Domain.com will reimburse you for the balance of your current payment term. Domain.com will reimburse your hosting payments in full if you terminate; the service within the first 30 days after signing up. That’s a decent deal, but DreamHost goes above and above with their 97-day money-back guarantee.
A Solid Service
Domain.com has a lot going for it, especially it’s affordable shared, e-commerce, and WordPress hosting services. Domain.com, on the other hand, lacks VPS, dedicated, and cloud server alternatives, as well as reseller possibilities. There are no alternatives for Windows-based servers, either. Check out DreamHost, HostGator; and Hostwinds for more robust web hosting plans that include most (if not all) of these levels. These three Editors’ Choice winners provide a variety of hosting services that make creating a website a snap.
