OVERALL RATINGS
A2 Hosting is renowned for its robust service offerings, packed with an array of fascinating features. However, their uptime may need some improvement.
Best for?
- Individuals
- Businesses
Price
Starting at $1.95 per month
Our Verdict
Reliable Speed with 99.9% uptime. Seperate backup payment plan.
A2 Hosting stands out as one of the longest-standing providers in the industry. Originating from Michigan, they commenced their operations in 2001 with the name Iniquinet, which was later changed to A2 Hosting in 2003.
In this article I’ve undertaken a thorough review of A2 Hosting to provide you with insights into their products, prices, strengths, and weaknesses. Let’s delve into the details and determine if A2 Hosting is the hosting service that meets your needs.
A2 Hosting Feature Images
A2 Hosting Product Offer
A2 Hosting offers domain name registration services at fair prices. While domain name costs vary, you can acquire popular extensions such as .com, .info, .net, and .org for $14.95 per year. However, country-specific TLDs like .co.uk, .de, .fr, .es, or .au are not available.
A2 Hosting offers shared hosting plans, which cater to the needs of majority of its customer projects. The renewal costs for these plans range from $10.99 to $25.99 per month. Unless you have a high-traffic website or specific server requirements, shared hosting is generally sufficient.
A2 Hosting offers managed WordPress hosting plans for WordPress users. These shared hosting packages are optimized for WordPress and come with additional features like staging. A2 Hosting’s support agents are experienced in WordPress, and users also receive automated backups and a free Jetpack License. Managed WordPress hosting starts at $23.99 per month.
A2 Hosting’s offers Virtual Private Server (VPS) plans which is a suitable choice for its users. With VPS, you can configure the server according to your needs and enjoy dedicated resources without sharing with other clients. VPS plans at A2 Hosting range from as low as $7.65 per month to approximately $200.
A2 Hosting’s also offers Dedicated Hosting for websites expecting high volumes of monthly visitors. This entails having an entire server exclusively dedicated to hosting your projects. At A2 Hosting, dedicated hosting plans start at $190 per month.
A2 Hosting offers a reseller program that allows you to sell hosting plans without A2 Hosting branding. Reseller plans start at around $35 per month.
In this A2 Hosting review, our focus will be on their shared hosting plans, as we delve deeper into their features and performance.
A2 Shared Hosting Pricing
- Ignite $1.95/mo
- Accel $3.95/mo
- Turbo Velocity $4.95/mo
- Turbo Nitro $13.95/mo
What Do Their Shared Plans Include?
| FEATURE | IGNITE | ACCEL | TURBO VELOCITY | TURBO NITRO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Allowed Websites |
1 |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
|
Storage |
100 GB |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
|
Max. number of Inodes (total files) |
300,000 |
600,000 |
600,000 |
600,000 |
|
Bandwidth Simultaneous HTTP connections |
Unlimited 35 |
Unlimited 35 |
Unlimited 35 |
Unlimited 35 |
|
Databases |
5 |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
|
Email addresses |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
|
Support |
24 Hours |
24 Hours |
24 Hours |
24 Hours |
|
Performance |
Regular |
Regular |
Turbo |
Turbo |
|
Resources |
0.7 GB RAM 1 core |
1 GB RAM 2 core |
2 GB RAM 2 core |
4 GB RAM 4 core |
|
Backup & restore |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
HTTP/3 |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
WordPress, Prestashop and Magento caching system |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
First-term prices for 1-year deals |
||||
|
Renewal price for 1-year deals |
$12.99/mo |
$15.99/mo |
$24.99/mo |
$29.99/mo |
A2 Hosting operates under an unlimited and unmetered policy, which means you have the freedom to use resources without strict limitations. However, if you exceed the allocated resources, you may be asked to upgrade your plan or optimize your usage.
When it comes to pricing, A2 Hosting offers flexible options with monthly, 12, 24, and 36-month plans. While longer-term plans provide cost savings, it’s important to note that the full payment is required upfront.
During the checkout process, A2 Hosting offers various add-ons that can be purchased separately. For instance, you can opt for 5 GB of backup storage at an additional cost of $1.99 per month. Paid SSL certificates, spam filters, and Cloudflare (a content delivery network) are also available options to enhance your hosting experience.
By offering a range of plans and customizable add-ons, A2 Hosting aims to provide flexibility and cater to the diverse needs of its customers.
A2 Hosting Pros and Cons
- Impressive Speed and Performance: A2 Hosting is renowned for its commitment to delivering high-speed servers.
- Developer-Friendly Features: A2 Hosting provides a host of developer-friendly features, including support for multiple programming languages, SSH access, Git integration, and staging environments.
- Wide Range of Hosting Options: A2 Hosting offers a diverse range of hosting plans, catering to various needs.
- Concurrent HTTP connections: All shared hosting plans seem to be limited to 35 concurrent HTTP connections to the server.
- On-demand backups paid separately: Backups can be requested as needed but come at an additional cost.
- Higher Renewal Costs: While A2 Hosting offers competitive pricing for their initial term, it's important to note that the renewal costs for their hosting plans are generally higher.
Best Time to Use A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is a dependable choice for those seeking a medium-priced provider with ample storage and bandwidth. It offers unique features like built-in server-side caching, staging areas, and speed optimization plugins for popular CMSs like WordPress, PrestaShop, and Magento.
Although not the most budget-friendly option, these additional features earned A2 Hosting a favorable position among affordable WordPress hosting providers. It is well-suited for:
- New bloggers
- Small to medium-sized businesses in need of reliable hosting
- Digital solopreneurs such as SEO consultants or WordPress developers who require storage for their own websites and potentially their clients’ sites
Worst Time to Use A2 Hosting
I wouldn’t recommend using A2 hosting for large projects due to concurrent HTTP connection restrictions. This could easily become a hindrance for websites expecting heavy traffic.
A2 Hosting Feature Ratings
EASE OF USE
While the backend interface could benefit from a more modern design and improved intuitiveness, A2 Hosting’s cPanel version is clean and user-friendly. However, the checkout page can be overwhelming due to the abundance of add-ons and purchase options.
UPTIME
A2 Hosting has shown improved uptime performance, exceeding the industry standard with a rate of 99.99% over the past 12 months. While they have a 99.9% uptime commitment, businesses with mission-critical projects may require higher uptime rates.
SECURITY FEATURES
A2 Hosting implements various security measures, including virus scanning, protection against DDoS and brute force attacks, and a tool for detecting and quarantining infected files. Free SSL encryption via Let’s Encrypt is provided, and the platform offers easy site restoration from backup points.
SERVER LOCATION
A2 Hosting allows you to choose from four server locations across three continents: Michigan, Arizona, Amsterdam, and Singapore.
SERVER SPEED
A2 Hosting demonstrated excellent performance in web host speed tests, particularly the Turbo plans that offer enhanced resources, reduced server occupancy, and support for HTTP/3. The inclusion of caching systems for popular CMS like Magento, WordPress, and PrestaShop further optimizes speed.
WEBSPACE LIMIT
The Startup plan has a storage limit of 100 GB, while the other plans offer unlimited webspace. However, A2 Hosting has an “Acceptable Use Policy” with specific limitations, and the total number of files (inodes) is capped at 600,000 (or 300,000 for the Startup plan).
MONTHLY DATA TRANSFER LIMIT
A2 Hosting does not impose a bandwidth limitation on traffic. However, there is a restriction of 35 concurrent HTTP connections to the server.
FTP ACCOUNTS AND SECURE FTP
There are no limitations on the number of FTP (and FTPS) accounts, and secure SSH access is available for faster deployment.
SERVER FEATURES
A2 Hosting provides options for both Linux and Windows plans, a feature not commonly found among hosting providers. PHP versions 8, 7, and 5, as well as MySQL 5.6 and PostgreSQL 9.6, are available. RAM allocation ranges from 0.7 GB in the Startup plan to 4 GB in the Turbo Max plan. For PCI compliance, third-party providers are required. The platform also supports other programming languages such as Python and Ruby and offers staging areas for WordPress and Joomla sites.
DATABASES
The Startup plan allows a maximum of 5 databases, while the other plans offer unlimited database creation and management.
DOMAIN NAMES
With the Startup plan, you can have one website/domain name, while all other plans have unlimited domain capabilities. Keep in mind that a .com domain name with A2 Hosting costs $14.95, and it is not included in the base price.
APPLICATIONS
A2 Hosting’s cPanel features an application installer for popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. The integration of the standard Softaculous script provides a wide range of applications to choose from.
EMAIL RATING
All plans include unlimited email accounts with no storage limits per account. However, it’s important to note that A2 Hosting is not suitable for email blasts or sending newsletters.
BACKUPS
Automatic backups are created by A2 Hosting, retaining the last seven days of data. However, additional backup options could be offered. The server rewind feature, allowing file restoration to previous versions, is available exclusively with the Drive and Turbo plans.
CDN
Although A2 Hosting does not have a built-in CDN, it seamlessly integrates with CloudFlare, offering an easy setup process for users.
REFUNDS AND GUARANTEES
A2 Hosting guarantees a 99.9% uptime commitment and provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT
A2 Hosting offers 24/7 support through phone, chat, and email ticketing system. Their extensive knowledge base is comprehensive and user-friendly, featuring clear support materials with helpful screenshots for easy understanding.
OVERALL RATINGS
This is the best app you could ever ask for. Let’s go!!!
A2 Hosting Performance Tests
Speed and uptime testing of A2 Hosting reveals that while advanced technology and features are crucial, a hosting provider must also deliver reliable performance to meet website requirements effectively. Allow me to share the findings with you.
A2 Hosting Speed Test
Having a fast hosting provider is crucial for optimal website performance, as slow sites lead to poor user engagement and lower conversion rates. Additionally, search engines like Google prioritize fast-loading sites. Throughout the past year, I thoroughly evaluated A2 Hosting’s speed and uptime compared to other web hosts using various tools. A2 Hosting excelled in these tests, demonstrating remarkable reliability and speed, with an average loading time of 1.30 seconds—second only to one competitor among the 15 tested. The chart below provides a visual comparison of their page load times against other web hosts.
| Page Load Time in Seconds | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreenGeeks | 1.56 | 1.29 | 1.21 |
| A2 Hosting | 2.01 | 1.30 | 1.25 |
| GoDaddy | 1.94 | 1.44 | 1.28 |
| Cloudways | 1.73 | 1.46 | 1.30 |
| SiteGround | 1.54 | 1.56 | 1.35 |
| Hostinger | 1.61 | 1.63 | 1.35 |
| WP Engine | 1.65 | 1.66 | 1.37 |
| Namecheap | 1.60 | 1.69 | 1.40 |
| Dreamhost | 1.84 | 1.75 | 1.63 |
| Kinsta | 1.77 | 1.82 | 1.70 |
| Bluehost | 2.87 | 2.07 | 1.89 |
| IONOS | 1.95 | 2.32 | 2.20 |
| InMotion | 2.75 | 2.58 | 2.35 |
| iPage | 2.76 | 2.60 | 2.58 |
| HostGator | 2.78 | 2.72 | 2.70 |
A2 Hosting Uptime
Search engines pay close attention to another factor called Uptime, which refers to the amount of time a website experiences interruptions or is offline. If your website has a low Uptime, meaning it frequently goes offline, it can negatively impact your organic rankings. For instance, having an Uptime of 99.95% or higher is considered desirable.
| Uptime Chart | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround | 99.97 | 100 | 100 |
| WP Engine | 99.99 | 99.99 | 100 |
| Namecheap | 99.99 | 100 | 100 |
| Kinsta | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| InMotion | 99.73 | 99.95 | 100 |
| A2 Hosting | 99.99 | 99.98 | 99.99 |
| Cloudways | 100 | 100 | 99.99 |
| HostGator | 99.91 | 99.99 | 99.98 |
| GreenGeeks | 99.98 | 99.98 | 99.97 |
| GoDaddy | 99.90 | 99.96 | 99.95 |
| Hostinger | 99.48 | 99.92 | 99.95 |
| Bluehost | 99.96 | 99.99 | 99.95 |
| iPage | 98.45 | 99.85 | 99.95 |
| Dreamhost | 99.99 | 99.96 | 99.83 |
| IONOS | 99.91 | 99.93 | 99.71 |
A2 Hosting’s uptime performance over the past year has been excellent, as indicated by the chart. With minimal interruptions and high availability, A2 hosting has remained online for a significant portion of the time.
This reliable uptime ensures that businesses and online projects relying on A2 Hosting’s services experience minimal disruptions and maintain strong organic rankings in search engine results.
A2 Hosting Review: Do I Recommend It?
While A2 Hosting may not be my personal favorite, it definitely deserves a spot in the top 5. Although it may not be suitable for hosting large-scale projects due to certain limitations like HTTP concurrent connections, it offers numerous advantages at an affordable price.
These include fast performance with SSD drives and server-side caching, excellent uptime, unlimited bandwidth, ample storage, reliable support, and enticing options for WordPress site owners such as staging and speed optimization.
Additionally, A2 Hosting provides a choice of server locations across three continents. If you’re seeking an affordable hosting solution with decent renewal prices, A2 Hosting is a reliable choice. Don’t forget to also explore our roundup of the best web hosting providers.
>Take advantage of their offer and try A2 Hosting free for 30 days.
A2 Hosting Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What services does A2 Hosting offer?
A2 Hosting provides web hosting solutions, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting, along with domain registration and website migration assistance.
What sets A2 Hosting apart?
A2 Hosting focuses on speed and performance, utilizing high-performance servers, SSDs, Turbo Servers, and developer-friendly features.
How reliable is A2 Hosting?
A2 Hosting boasts reliable infrastructure with global data centers and offers 24/7/365 Guru Crew support to ensure uptime and assist customers.
