From my review of HostPapa, the 100% green shared host (Ultrahosting is a more robust solution (dedicated hosting) featured at the bottom of this page):
Overview: Host Papa is a shared host with a single hosting plan, as many companies have gone to these days. Host Papa really does most everything well, but one of the things that really distinguishes it from other hosting companies is that they have gone 100% green.
From their website, here is a list of what they feel it is important for you to know:
Exclusive Tools:
Unlimited email accounts
Webmail
Control panel
Online Billing
Technical Support Experts
Easy Setup
Fantastico
Site Builder
B2Evolution
Freebies:
Host unlimited subdomains
Host unlimited parked domains
Free Domain for Life
Free Domain Transfer
Free Site Design Software (Soholaunch)
E-mail Features:
Organizer, Task Manager, Personal Memos, Address Book, Calendar
SPAM Filter
POP3 E-mail Access
SMTP for Outgoing email
Sendmail Access
Auto-Responders
Forwarding Addresses
SpamAssassin
Online Statistics & Reporting:
Analog
Webalizer
Counters
Current Visitors Reports
Sub-domain Stats
What I feel is important:
It wears me out ; ) to type this over and over again, but shared hosting does have its limitations. As soon as I get a full-fledged post up about that, I’ll link to it from all the reviews. For now, just know that shared hosting is perfectly fine for 99 percent of all websites. Complex sites or sites with major traffic may have to look to grid or dedicated hosting. This is really the only drawback that I can find with Host Papa.
Cost: You get a free domain for life, which is nice, and free set-up. Charging for set-up can catch a lot of newbies by surprise when they start with a host, so you won’t have to worry about that at Host Papa. Their pricing is very good, but doesn’t allow you to pay monthly, which can cause some people difficulties. The annual rate comes in at $6.95 per month, but if you are willing to go to 3 years, you can get that down to $4.95. They also offer a 30 day guarantee.
Speed and Uptime: Host Papa’s uptime is at 99.99%. That is world-class no matter who they are grouped with. Their SQL servers are responsive and well designed, so sites rarely go through any significant slow time. Host Papa is at or near the top of the class in both speed and uptime, even when compared to much more expensive hosts.
Want to test drive a couple of sites that are hosted by Host Papa? Here is an insanely complex site that is hosted with them: VI VAA. I find it remarkable that that sort of site can operate at all on a shared host, much less be reasonably (sort of) responsive.
For a more realistic test, visit Mafic Studios. Notice how that site, well, signs. You go from page to page without effort. This brings me back to my delayed lecture on shared hosts. With a reasonable site and a good shared host, like Host Papa or Host Gator, you can do a lot and be very happy. Go nuts with a shared host, and you are likely to be disappointed; not because of anything the host is or isn’t doing, but because you are trying to do something unreasonable with what you have bought. A Toyota Camry is a fine car, but don’t try to enter it in the Daytona 500.
Customer Service: Host Papa is also a clear front-runner in customer service. I’ve stated my preference for live chat before, and they have that, but they also have 24/7 email support and telephone support that is 24/7 Monday through Friday and most of the day on Saturday and Sunday. This is another host I’ve never had to call for customer support, so I can’t personally attest to the quality of help you receive, but most customer reviews are favorable.
Ease of Use: Again, Host Papa does it right and one-ups most of their competition. You have cPanel to control your site, which is very easy to use; Fantastico Deluxe to install software with but a click or two; and then they go one better, offering users a very robust web designer program, Soholaunch, which is worth the price of admission by itself.
Going Green: This is important to many people these days, and Host Papa jumped out in front of this problem early. They offer 100% green hosting. Does that mean that if the wind stops blowing your site will crash? Not so much. Let me allow them to explain it to you:
HostPapa has taken the initiative of going green by purchasing 100% green renewable energy to power our data center, web servers, office computers, laptops and office space. These energy sources supply HostPapa’s entire equivalent energy consumption into the power-grid with certified 100% renewable green energy sources, such as wind and solar-powered energy.
How do we do it?
We certainly do not have a wind turbine on the roof of our data center! Sure, it would be a neat thing to have, but that is not the case. After an energy audit by an outside provider to calculate our total electrical energy consumption from traditional sources, HostPapa purchased “green energy tags” or certificates from a certified green energy supplier. That supplier calculates the total energy consumption of our operation and uses their suppliers of green energy to pump in 100% equivalent energy back into the power grid. This effectively cuts down on the carbon dioxide-producing (CO2) energy that we normally would have required from non-green energy sources.
Bottom Line: Host Papa is a great selection for those whose needs match with a shared host and who can afford paying a little in advance. And if you have environmental concerns, they are THE choice as a shared host. Speed, customer service, up-time, easy to use and green. What more do you need to know?
As I said at the top, Ultrahosting, if you are looking for both green and a very powerful hosting solution, is the way to go. They use CarbonFund.org to offset their carbon footprint and are committed to being a great green solution for those who need VPS or dedicated hosting.
