Though a child prodigy, HostArmada still counts as a toddler among the web hosting giants. Launched in 2019, this growing company has managed to cover four continents while developing its data centers around the world. However, its head office remains located in its place of origin, Delaware, USA. HostArmada covers everything from domain services to a wide variety of cloud-based hosting solutions, including shared SSD, WordPress, SSD VPS, dedicated CPU server, open source, and development-oriented hosting solutions. To provide incredible speed to all users so they can "crush the competition", HostArmada uses powerful cloud technology, a native SSD platform, a redundant network, and the latest AMD processors.
HostArmada operates nine data centers in seven countries (Image credit: HostArmada) In addition, users can choose from nine data center locations, including three in the United States (Dallas, Fremont, and East Newark) and one in Canada ( Toronto), United Kingdom (London), Germany (Frankfurt), India (Mumbai), Singapore (Singapore) and Australia (Sydney). HostArmada's main site looks quite sophisticated with its clever use of the sunset color scheme and is (as well as easy on the eyes) very easy to use. It is available only in English and is priced in USD.
HostArmada regularly updates its official blog with useful articles (Image credit: HostArmada) There is also an official blog, covering a wide range of topics (from tips and tricks to news and product announcements) that most users will find useful. and nice to read. The blog looks and seems to be updated quite regularly. However, if you still prefer shorter text (or just love social media), you can find and follow HostArmada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
HostArmada's plans seem pretty cheap at first glance, but be aware that they increase dramatically upon renewal upon registration (Image credit: HostArmada)
Packages and prices
After reviewing HostArmada's web hosting plans, you should (and rightly so) conclude that their plans are quite affordable. However, if you start paying attention to the fine print, you'll be reminded of an old saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually (and unfortunately) is. The pocket price you see is promotional and is only valid for the first registration. After this period, you will be billed the regular rates and they can be three to four times higher than the promotional rates, which is bad news. For example, HostArmada's cheapest shared hosting plan called "Start Dock" will set you back $3.99 per month, which seems like a real bargain. However, after the promotional period ends, the price will increase to its regular rate of €13.30 per month. This plan supports one website, 15 GB of cloud storage (SSD), unlimited bandwidth, free SSL for all domains, seven daily backups, and one free domain registration (or transfer). On top of that, HostArmada provides another two packages for shared hosting, three for WordPress, four for VPS, and three for dedicated CPU servers. There are also developer packages (three of each type), but these are essentially the same cloud-based shared hosting plans with somewhat different functionality. All plans come with a money-back guarantee: a generous 45-day plan with shared hosting plans or a 7-day plan with VPS and dedicated servers. HostArmada accepts all major credit cards (including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB, and UnionPay) and PayPal.
Ease of use
In order for everything to work, we will use the simplest cloud-based shared web hosting plan called "Start Dock". Choosing this will take you to your domain registration (or transfer) page, where you will have to make a choice. If you register a new domain, it's free as long as you're a HostArmada customer. If you already have one and want to keep it with your current manager, you can choose to do that as well. In general, there is a large collection of domain names and if the one you want is not on the list, you can contact the HostArmada team and see what they can do about it. After that, you'll need to decide your billing cycle (annual, biennial, or triennial), where your data center is located (all nine are available), and think about including some add-ons. To complete the process, you will be required to create an account with HostArmada, and to do so, you will need to provide a list of your personal information (nothing unusual here), billing information, and create a strong password.
This is the HostArmada dashboard where you can manage your services, domains, bills and more (Image Credit: HostArmada) The HostArmada dashboard is remarkably intuitive and from there you can manage your account information, hosting services, add hosting accounts, email (the number is unlimited) and domain, login to their cPanel (yes, they provide an industry standard control panel), and more. . Even if you're a newcomer, managing all aspects of your newly created site should soon become second nature to you thanks to cPanel's intuitive design. And if you get stuck, we recommend checking out some of HostArmada's beginner tutorials.
HostArmada allows you to manage your site using the industry standard cPanel (Image Credit: HostArmada) From cPanel, you can install WordPress in no time (or any of the hundreds of applications available) with Softaculous's one-click installer. If you prefer to use a no-code website builder, HostArmada has one and it comes with plenty of ready-to-use templates to make your website look like a million bucks.
We use GTmetrix to measure the uptime and response time of HostArmada's main site (Image credit: GTmetrix)
Speed and experience
Since HostArmada often emphasizes that your website's loading speed is a key component to your successful online presence, we had no choice but to check the speed of HostArmada's own site. After running several speed tests on the main site through GTmetrix (our tool of choice), we got some pretty disappointing results with a C (76%) as the final score. The site's full load time was 3,5 seconds, which is slightly below the recommended limit. At the same time, the process processed 163 applications, almost half of what it usually does. When it comes to uptime, HostArmada offers a 99,9% guarantee for any month, excluding scheduled (or unscheduled) maintenance. If the amount of downtime experienced by your site exceeds what was promised, you are entitled to a 10% to 100% credit, depending on the amount of downtime experienced. During the two-week trial period (a bit longer, actually), UptimeRobot managed to record just four minutes of total downtime, resulting in a total uptime of 99,98%. With that, we had no legal basis to apply for free credit, and fortunately.
HostArmada provides a comprehensive knowledge base on their site (Image credit: HostArmada)
Support
The first stop for those looking for self-help will probably be HostArmada's comprehensive knowledge base. It contains a full range of how-tos (200, to be precise) covering all common (and some less common) problems. It includes nine categories (Billing, cPanel/WHM, Domains/DNS, Email, Open Source Apps, etc.) which are then broken down into suitable subcategories. In general, navigating is as intuitive as possible, and the articles themselves are incredibly easy to understand and follow. On top of that, you can find a good number of easy-to-use tutorials for beginners in their "Learning Center".
There's also a learning center filled with how-to guides and tutorials (Image credit: HostArmada) As for those who want technical help from HostArmada's support staff, they can get it via a US-based phone number. (Monday through Friday during US business hours), a ticketing, email, and live chat. To ensure the best web hosting service possible, HostArmada offers some form of guarantee, one that promises a "great support experience" and compensation in case a member of their staff makes a mistake.
Competition
Bluehost and HostArmada are hosts from the United States, and both are very beginner-friendly and can provide everything a small to medium-sized business needs. On the other hand, although both hosts offer low-cost hosting solutions, the price increase after the promotional period may leave you indifferent. One thing that sets them apart is the OS support and with Bluehost you can get both Linux and Windows whereas with HostArmada you will only get a Linux option. Another similar (and fan favorite) host from the United States is HostGator. Like HostArmada, HostGator offers a beginner-friendly approach with a full set of fine-tuning features. However, with HostGator you can only pay for one month, while with HostArmada there is no such option. Hostwinds is another US-based web host and offers a wide range of hosting solutions including shared, cloud, VPS, dedicated, and reseller hosting. Their plans also include great unlimited features (including storage, bandwidth, and multiple email accounts). When it comes to speed performance, Hostwinds stands out with a load time of 0.5 seconds and a conclusive rating of A (100%), an extraordinary sight. The last (but not least) of HostArmada's competitors that we will cover is a US cloud-based host known as Kinsta. However, Kinsta focuses exclusively on providing fully managed premium WordPress hosting solutions (the cheapest plan will set you back $30 per month), while HostArmada also offers budget options.
Final verdict
In just a few years of its existence, HostArmada has managed to establish itself as...