Launched in 2009, phoenixNAP has been a part of the global web hosting industry for over a decade. As the name suggests, the hometown of the company is Phoenix (United States), as well as the headquarters. Specializing in high-end hosting services, phoenixNAP provides a robust network built on a "state of the art" infrastructure capable of delivering 100% flawless uptime with world-class performance, reliability and security.
phoenixNAP prides itself on the speed and low latency of its global network of data centers (Image credit: phoenixNAP) phoenixNAP offers six world-class data centers in the US, North America, Europe and Asia, which They claim to offer low latency, high connectivity, and high overall speed. Staffed with around 200 trained technicians, sales experts and customer support staff, they say they have only one goal in mind and that is the success of their customers. The official phoenixNAP website is draped in shades of space blue and a familiar layout that makes navigation as easy as possible. In addition to English, the site is available in German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The phoenixNAP website has a regularly updated blog (Image Credit: phoenixNAP) They also have a blog that seems to be bursting with new content on a fairly regular basis. The articles themselves seem easy to use and are in line with the latest trends in theology. They also include great tips and tricks for users with at least some technical experience. As far as social media is concerned, anyone interested can follow phoenixNAP on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and (in particular) YouTube. There you will find some full webinars as well as announcements, briefings and tutorials.
PhoenixNAP dedicated server plans are for organizations and not individuals (Image credit: phoenixNAP)
Packages and prices
Since phoenixNAP specializes in providing premium hosting solutions and services, the price is based on the value you'll get for the money you're willing to spend. While full cloud is its main draw, phoenixNAP also offers managed and unmanaged VPS packages, hybrid cloud solutions, dedicated server hosting, and colocation services. Full cloud packages are presented in detail with their main features, available data center locations, and pricing information. While there's no free trial or money-back guarantee, the pricing model is quite flexible, allowing you to pay by the hour or by use. You can also choose to commit for one month, one year, two years, or three years. Right now, you can try the cheapest bare metal plan for just €0.96 per hour. However, if you go for a full month, it will cost €550.26 and the price will drop if you sign up for a longer period. To get pricing for some phoenixNAP services (such as VPS), you will be required to submit a form (with some of your personal details) and wait for their team to contact you. It's also worth noting that phoenixNAP bundles are often offered at discounted prices, so it's wise to keep track of sales discounts before making a final purchase.
You will need to register with phoenixNAP to test their services, as there is no free trial available (Image credit: phoenixNAP)
Ease of use
phoenixNAP provides quick and easy deployment of dedicated servers, so instead of waiting hours (or even days) for your machine to be provisioned, you should spend no more than a few minutes (they guarantee a 60 second deployment). Before we begin, we must (again) point out that since phoenixNAP offers premium hosting services, there are no freebies that the most versatile providers have spoiled us with and some of the simpler services. For example, if you don't already have a domain, you won't be able to register one with phoenixNAP, as they assume you're already an experienced webmaster (and owner of multiple domains) looking for a way to scale. Despite the absence of some simple features, you will enjoy a number of advanced features such as top-notch performance with 100% uptime, flexible RAM, hybrid processor and SSD storage, full DDoS protection, backups managed, compatibility with SaaS and Suite. The first step in creating an account with phoenixNAP will require you to provide your email address, create a strong password, and read (and agree to) the Master Service Agreement. After email verification, you'll need to add additional personal information (including a phone number), company name, and billing information. Only after validating your phone number will you be able to access the phoenixNAP user interface and complete your purchase. In general, the whole process is quite intuitive and simple.
You can manage your servers or deploy new ones from the phoenixNAP PNCP portal (Image credit: phoenixNAP) With phoenixNAP's own customer portal (called PNCP), all aspects of your dedicated server will be easy to monitor and manage, including DNS, RAM and upgrading/downgrading CPU or other resources. On top of that, if you prefer to use a control panel you're familiar with (such as cPanel, Plesk, or Webmin), you have the option to purchase it for an additional price.
We use GTmetrix to test the uptime and response time of the main phoenixNAP site (Image credit: GTmetrix)
Speed and experience
Premium web hosting services should mean premium speed, generally speaking. When it comes to speed performance, phoenixNAP promises just that, and delivers on that promise with flying colors. After testing their main site (powered by GTmetrix), we were presented with perfect performance with an A (100%) as the final score. The page only took 756 milliseconds to fully load and 13 requests concurrently, making it perhaps the best speed performance we've seen so far. When it comes to uptime, phoenixNAP boldly guarantees 100%, which is backed by the SLA. After monitoring the availability of their official site for two weeks, we managed to register quite a few cases of downtime (six, to be precise). However, most of them only lasted 3 minutes, resulting in an overall 100% uptime. Although this trial period is relatively short, it is a good sign.
Support
phoenixNAP has provided us with 24/7 support, accessible by phone, live chat, and email. There are two phone numbers available, one toll-free and the other not. If you want to contact sales, be sure to do so during business hours, Monday through Friday. Another good thing about phoenixNAP customer support is that it is backed by an SLA that ensures that all email inquiries will be answered within 20 minutes to an hour (depending on the hosting package you have purchased).
You can find answers to common problems in the phoenixNAP Knowledge Base (Image credit: phoenixNAP) Those who prefer to fend for themselves can rely on the phoenixNAP knowledge base, official blog and resources section. The knowledge base is full of helpful guides and most of them are supplemented by proper screenshots. On top of that, you can access a series of easy-to-follow tutorials on their GitHub and YouTube channels.
Competition
Like phoenixNAP, OVHcloud is a strong web host aimed at tech-savvy users, with a preference for those in France. Both offer a similar range of services, but if you want to back them up with excellent customer support, you'll have to go with phoenixNAP. While OVHcloud has great self-help options, there's no live chat, which is one of the most popular help channels overall. HEFICED is another comparable host that specializes in bare metal server solutions and is trusted by notable companies like IBM, PureVPN, and Avast. They provide a range of services similar to phoenixNAP but at a lower cost, making them a great option. One of the most popular options for newcomers and veterans alike is HostGator, a resourceful, trustworthy, and friendly host from the United States. However, while phoenixNAP's products are aimed at high-end customers, HostGator has something for every budget. The same goes for Bluehost, a US-based web host that offers everything from shared and (managed and unmanaged) WordPress hosting to VPS and dedicated servers, all at affordable prices. Like most web hosts of the same type, Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you'll have plenty of time to test them before making your final decision.
Final verdict
If you need a high-end solution for a business or small business, phoenixNAP is most likely the solution. Their dedicated and full featured servers, as well as their cloud and colocation services are all they promise: fast, scalable and reliable. They also come with wonderful 24/7/365 support that will never let you dry. However, since phoenixNAP doesn't offer much (or almost nothing) for those with more modest needs, if you're looking to host a single website or start a small business, you're good to go. Better with hosts like HostGator and Bluehost.