A2 Shared Hosting Review 2022 (LITE, SWIFT and TURBO Plan)

A2 Shared Hosting Review
A2 Shared Hosting Review

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A2 Hosting has got a great reputation as a top web hosting provider. They have started their journey as A2 Hosting since 2003. But, even before that, they were on the scene. Yes, they have been providing web hosting solutions since 2001. But, from 2001-2003, they were known as ‘Iniquinet’. Now, they are known as A2 Hosting all over the world.

If you are interested in getting A2 Hosting shared hosting service. Then it is the article you were looking for. Here, you will find our unbiased-opinion about their shared hosting plans. In addition, we will also be sharing some crucial data/stats about A2 Hosting.

So, without wasting our time, let’s begin…

Check A2 Hosting Shared Server Details Here

A2 Hosting Shared Server Review

What is a Shared Hosting Service?

There’s a good chance that you already know all about shared hosting. Yet, for the readers who don’t have any idea about the topic, we will explain the concept for you next.

The web hosting provider companies own their data centers where they store all of their customers’ data. A data center consists of multiple servers. Now, when you buy a shared hosting service, you will get a server where your website’s data will be stored. But, that server will be shared with many of the other customers as well. That is why it is called a ‘shared’ hosting service.

Although usually, you will have unlimited storage space to host your website. But remember, as it will be shared with other users, they will also have unlimited storage. But, in truth, when there will be more users on a server, your website might crash during traffic spikes as the resources of your server is shared with others.

It is true that you will have some limitations while using a shared hosting service. But the best thing about this is that all shared hosting plans are very much affordable compared to other hosting solutions like Cloud, Dedicated, VPS, Reseller Hosting.

A2 Hosting Shared Hosting Plans:

A2 Hosting categorizes their shared hosting packages based on the Windows and Linux operating systems. There are 3 shared hosting plans on each category. The Linux OS-based plans are a tad cheaper than the Windows OS based plans.

Windows and Linux OS based plans
Windows and Linux OS based plans

You can get any of the plans of your choice. For your information, we will share the details about the shared hosting plans of A2 Hosting next. First of all, we will start with the Linux OS based plans.

Linux OS based packages:

There are 3 shared hosting plans which are named as Lite, Swift, and Turbo on the Linux OS category.

Linux OS based shared packages
Linux OS based shared packages
  • Lite:

This is the most basic plan among all the other 3. It will cost you only 3.92 $ per month. Although, you will have unlimited storage and unlimited transfer. You will have only 512 MB RAM and one 2.1 GHz CPU.

However, as it costs you so less, you will also have some limitations using this package. First of all, you can’t host more than 1 websites using the ‘Lite’ plan. Then you can only create up to 5 databases. Plus, you can only add 25 parked domains. So, if you want to use more than 1 websites then skip this plan.

  • Swift:

If you are searching for a shared hosting plan which has it all but at the same time affordable then you are in the right place. The ‘Swift’ plan is the most popular shared hosting plan of A2 Hosting. Why? Because it costs just 1$ more than the previously mentioned ‘Lite’ plan. But, you will be able to host unlimited websites using this plan. You will have 1 GB RAM and two 2.1 GHz CPU. It will cost you only 4.90$/monthly.

There are no restrictions on the creation of databases, storage, and transfer as well. You will get all the advanced features too. But, it lacks the ‘Turbo Booster’ feature. If you want to get that feature, then you have to look into the next plan.

  • Turbo:

First of all, let me tell you that this plan will cost you the most. If you happen to be in a budget-related problem and want all the advanced features then it is the fittest choice for you. You have to pay 9.31 $ per month.

You will be able to host unlimited sites using this plan. As always, you will also have unlimited storage space, unlimited transfer, and unlimited database. Along with all these, you will have 2 GB of RAM and two 2.1 GHz CPU. This is not all.

You will also have the famous ‘Turbo-Booster’ feature. This feature enables your websites to be up to 20 times faster than usual. Additionally, you will get ‘A2 Site Accelerator’ which will also help your site to be faster.

You will also get other features and tools like free cPanel, free SSD storage, anytime money-back guarantee etc. with all of these plans. We will cover those in the ‘Features and Services’ section later in this article.

Windows OS Based Plans:

The windows OS based plans are similar to the Linux OS based plans. They have the same names but they will cost you a bit more.

Windows OS based shared packages
Windows OS based shared packages
  • Lite:

For this plan, you have to pay only 4.90$ per month. As this is the most basic plan, you will be able to host only 1 website with this plan. However, you will have unlimited storage and unlimited transfer. So, you can host your site with more flexibility. You can create only 10 databases of MySQL & MSSQL (5 of each). With this plan, you will receive one 2.1 GHz CPU and 512 MB of Physical RAM. Although the virtual memory will be up to 4 GB.

There are some other limitations which we already covered in the Linux based section. So, we won’t discuss them here.

  • Swift:

The Swift plan will cost you 5.88$ each month. You will be able to host as many websites as you want. You will also have unlimited storage and transfer. The users will get 1 GB RAM (Physical), 8 GB RAM (Virtual) and two 2.1 GHz CPU. If you require to host multiple sites and also want to save money then this is the best plan for you.

  • Turbo:

This is the costliest plan among all the 3 plans. You have to pay 10.78$ monthly. And, you will get all of the features which come with the both the ‘Lite and Swift’ plans. But, in addition, you will get the ‘Turbo Booster’ feature which is lacking in those two plans. The ‘A2 Site Accelerator’ is also included in this plan. Both of these features will help your site to get faster dramatically.

You will get 2 GB of Physical memory but up to 8 GB of virtual memory. And then you will have two 2.1 GHz CPU as well.

As these plans are windows OS based, you will have the Plesk Onyx 17.8 Control Panel instead of cPanel. And, with all of these plans. You are getting free SSL, SSD and anytime money back guarantee as well.

Who should take the A2 Hosting Shared Hosting Plan?

Long story short, everybody can use the A2 Hosting Shared Hosting Plans. There are no restrictions for anyone. However, everything depends on your personal preference and requirements.

These plans are shared which means your website/s will be hosted on a server which is shared with other users as well. So, you have to remember that you will not have the resource of the entire server to yourself. It will limit your usage freedom. So, if you have bigger websites or a website which is growing rapidly then you are not going to like using a shared hosting service.

It is not actually any fault of the hosting providers. It is the way it is. So, if you are just beginning your online journey, let’s say, you own a private blog or a normal e-commerce online shop which doesn’t get more than 30,000 visitors monthly, then the shared hosting plans are good for you.

Remember, it is not worth to use the basic ‘Lite’ plan if you receive more than ten-thousands visitors per month. That way, your site will crash. It is best for web developers or designers. Because you can use this plan to maintain your personal ‘developer’ site where there won’t be many visitors per month.

However, if you need to use multiple sites from the same hosting account then you can’t use the ‘Lite’ package as well. But, with the other two plans (Swift and Turbo) you can host as many sites as you want. But, if you want the fastest service, then you would have to break your bank. You have to use the ‘Turbo’ plan as it comes with the ‘Turbo Booster’ feature.

If you don’t know much about web hosting then don’t worry. The ‘Guru Crew Support Team’ of A2 Hosting will be there for you always. If you want to get an account with them, they will help you from the beginning to end. And we will talk more about their customer support in detail later.

So, you can see that there are all kinds of plans available. So, you will find the suitable plan for your needs with ease. In a few words, if you are in short budget or just trying your luck on the online journey, or else you have a blog with low traffic, you can use the shared hosting packages of A2 Hosting service.

Great for hosting what applications?

It is possible that if you are using a shared hosting service, then you might have a brand new site. In that case, you might have already decided that you’re going to use one of the popular CMS on your website. There are a number of CMS (Content Management System) out there.

And, it is already proven that WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are the most popular ones. However, among them, WordPress has the most number of fans. Now, if your web hosting company doesn’t support those CMS then you are doomed. You won’t be able to use your favorite CMS on your website.

Compatible with all popular web applications
Compatible with all popular web applications

That’s why A2 hosting has made their web hosting servers fully compatible and optimized for all types of popular and newly released CMS out there. You will have special tools like Cache plugins, security plugins etc. with all of the shared hosting plans. All of the tools and features were crafted exclusively to make your experience better while using the service of A2 Hosting.

The ‘AutoInstaller’ and ‘Autoupdater’ features are also there as well. These features are so important. If you don’t update your CMS when a new update comes out, then your website is in danger of being hacked. And, it is not actually possible to update the CMS just the moment a new update comes out as we might be busy at that moment. So, with the help of the ‘Autoupdater’ tool, your CMS will be automatically updated every time.

With the help of the Softaculous tool, anybody can install any popular CMS within seconds. This is a real time saver. However, it is also very helpful for people who are not professional. You don’t have to be techy to install your favorite CMS or web applications when you have the Softaculous AutoInstaller. And, using A2 Hosting shared hosting plan, you will get Softaculous auto installer preinstalled on your cPanel.

Services you’ll get with Shared Hosting of A2 Hosting:

A2 Hosting shared hosting packages come with a number of useful services. We will explore some of the most remarkable ones.

Services of A2 Hosting Shared Hosting Package
Services of A2 Hosting Shared Hosting
  • Advanced Security:

A2 Hosting has taken a lot of security measures to keep all of their customers’ websites secure. They have some automatic tools to deal with any vulnerabilities. Some of the security features include KernelCare, Brute Force Defense, Server Hardening, and Virus Scanning etc. Moreover, they run manual scanning on a regular basis.

  • Choose your desired data center:
Choose your desired data center
Choose your desired data center

A2 Hosting has 4 data centers all over the world. Fortunately, they allow you to choose your favorite data center before you get an account with them. So, you can host our site nearer to the majority of your site’s visitors.

  • Free Migration:

This is a great service from A2 Hosting. If you already own a website and want to transfer that to A2 Hosting, then they will do it for free on behalf of you. If you’re techy, then it is not a problem to migrate a site from one host to another. But, for the people who are not tech-savvy, it is a life saver.

  • A balanced number of users on each server:

As you’ll be sharing the server with other users too, the server could crash if there’s enormous load. It can happen if there are a lot of users on a single server. And, this is usual for a shared hosting plan.

But, A2 Hosting has taken a good step to prevent the servers from crashing. They don’t add unlimited users to a single server. Rather, they add specific numbers of users on a server. They keep the balance between the users and the resources of all the servers. So, you will not face any problem, even though you are utilizing a shared account.

  • Anytime money-back guarantee:

Another great service from A2 Hosting. You don’t have to worry if you don’t like their service after using for some time. If you don’t like it, you can always cancel your account. But, the best part is that you’ll receive a full refund if you cancel your account within the first 30 days.

Conversely, if you want to cancel your account after using their service over 30 days, you can do that too. In that case, you will receive the refund for the unused period of time.

There are more beneficial services available. You can know about them from the A2 Hosting website.

Features of A2 Hosting Shared Hosting Service:

They have so many features which come with the shared hosting service. Thus, we will give a quick rundown of some of them. For more details, please refer to their website.

Notable Features of A2 Hosting Shared Hosting Service
Notable Features of A2 Hosting Shared Hosting
  • Super-fast servers:

A2 hosting has their servers optimized for the best performance. As a result, the users of A2 Hosting experience super-fast speed on their websites. They offer ‘SwiftServers’ which includes features like SSD storage, Anycast DNS, HTTP/2, Litespeed plugin, CloudLinux etc. All of the servers have the best and latest version of the hardware and software. So, your websites hosted on A2 hosting will be faster than your competitions’.

  • Spam Protection:

The webmail service of A2 hosting is protected with the ‘Barracuda advanced spam filtering system’. Each of the incoming emails will be scanned for spams and viruses. So, your inbox will be always secured and free from spammers.

  • Cloudflare CDN Free:

A2 hosting offers Cloudflare CDN service pre-loaded with all of the shared hosting plans. As Cloudflare is free, you aren’t losing your money. Rather, you are getting faster speed on your website/s locally and internationally.

  • Free Features:

Although most of the features of A2 Hosting are free, however, some of those should be mentioned specifically here. In particular, you will get unlimited custom email accounts (e.g. [email protected]) on the ‘Swift and Turbo’ shared plans. On the ‘Lite plan’, though, you can create up to 25 custom email accounts.

They also offer free backup feature named as ‘Server Rewind’. With the help of this, they take backup of the websites of all their customers automatically in a timely manner. So, if anything goes wrong and you need to restore your website, you can do that.

Along with all these, you are also getting free SSL certificate, unlimited FTP accounts, free Plesk/cPanel and access to their advanced security tool named as ‘Patchman’. The ‘Patchman’ run regular scans all over the servers to detect any anomalies. If it detects anything, it tries to patch it.

Testing the website load time of A2 Hosting:

It doesn’t matter if a web hosting provider has the most features or add-ons if they don’t have good performance. If your website loads slowly, you will lose visitors. They will find another site and won’t come back to your site ever. So, the page load speed time of a website is very important.

Yes, it does depends on a lot of factors. But, you have to agree that the web hosting provider is also responsible for the load speed of your website. For that reason, we are going to test the load speed of a website which is hosted on A2 Hosting. As a result, we will be able to know if A2 Hosting has got it. Let’s go…

Test from the USA (Washington D.C) server of Pingdom:

Pingdom test from the USA (Washington D.C)
Pingdom test from the USA (Washington D.C)

Test Result:

Test Result
Test Result

Interpreting the result:

Let me tell you that, it is ok if a website loads within 2 seconds. But, amazingly, our test website was loaded within 827 ms. We have conducted the test using the Pingdom test server of Washington D.C. USA.

So, it is certain that A2 Hosting has the most important thing a website hosting company should have. If our test website was more optimized, we are sure that it would be faster than that. So, this time, A2 Hosting has passed our test comfortably.

Uptime Record of A2 Hosting:

Before you choose your next shared hosting provider, you must consider the uptime record of the company you are going with. Remember, shared hosting users face the most downtime as the servers are shared among multiple users.

Now, after visiting the website of A2 Hosting, we have noticed that they are claiming that they have the industry-standard uptime. But, we didn’t believe their claim. As it is normal for web hosting companies to fool their customers with falls claims.

So, we went ahead and bought an account from them. Next, we have hosted a test website of ours. Why did we do that? The simple answer is to help you out. After launching that site, we are keeping that site under observation incessantly. We are regularly monitoring the uptime stat of that site from our end.

For our readers, we will be sharing the uptime stat of that website now. Consequently, you’ll be able to perceive it for yourself. Here is the uptime record of that site.

A2 Hosting Uptime Record
A2 Hosting Uptime Record

So, from the image above, we see that our website was up almost 100% of the time. Nevertheless, it is a fact that our website was down as well. But, it was for a short period of time.

The key thing is that our test website has maintained the industry-standard uptime. If you don’t know it already, the industry-standard uptime is 99%+. So, we can say that A2 Hosting has made a legit claim that they have the industry standard uptime.

A2 Hosting Customer Support:

A2 hosting has an FAQ section on their website’s support page. It is possible that you will find most of your questions regarding hosting service answered on that FAQ section. They have 7 categories on their FAQ section. You will find FAQ about Billing, MySQL, DNS, cPanel, A2 Portal, and Plesk control panel.

FAQ Section
FAQ Section

On top of these, you will also find knowledge-based articles, guides, and tutorials regarding all the critical operations related to web hosting. Now, it is likely that you might have not found the solution to your problems.

In that case, you can directly contact there support representatives. You can find them 24/7 all-around the year. It doesn’t matter from where you are trying to contact them, you will always find them.

A2 Hosting Customer Support
A2 Hosting Customer Service

You can contact them by using any of the following methods.

  • BY Submitting Ticket
  • By Direct Call
  • Using Live Chat
  • Via Email

Their ‘Guru Crew Support team’ is always ready to help you out. So, whenever you face any problems regarding your hosting account, let them know. You will find a solution in no time.

Conclusion: Should you go with A2 Hosting Shared Web Hosting?

Without a doubt.

There’s no denying that A2 hosting has some of the best features which come with their shared hosting plans. However, we are not onto features. We believe that we should judge a hosting company according to its performance, support and its uptime record. Because these are the most important factor for a web hosting company.

And, we have tested A2 Hosting, where it came out as the winner. We have also talked about the services and features of A2 Hosting. Afterward, we have shown you the real uptime record of A2 Hosting. So, you can decide for yourself.

Frankly, we are happy with their service. A2 Hosting shared hosting solution has it all from the perfect support, fast performance, stable servers to industry standard uptime record. So, it would be a good decision for you if you go with A2 Hosting.

Check A2 Hosting Shared Server Details Here

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