A2 Hosting has been making waves for its blazing-fast site speed since it first came out in 2001. It also has a solid uptime and offers a reliable hosting service.
All of these things are important for a number of reasons, especially if you are running a business online because of two things:
- Around 79% of online shoppers are less likely to buy from a poor-performing website
- Over 50% of online shoppers become loyal to sites that load quickly
Regarding website building or management, A2 Hosting plans are developer-friendly. They even throw in a money back guarantee, which diverts most of the risk away from you. If that’s the case, why are we talking about A2 hosting alternative providers?
Perhaps the biggest chink in the A2 Hosting armor is its prohibitive renewal rates. Once the regular prices kick in, you will be paying up to three times what you paid at first. Additionally, its basic plan is pretty basic. It has only one website, limited SSD storage, and zero automatic backups or server rewinds.
In other words, A2 Hosting can be good, but it is not for everyone. That is why you are here in the first place, looking for an A2 hosting alternative. To help you make this decision, here’s a rundown of your best options today.
17 Top A2 Hosting Alternative Providers
A2 Hosting is a wildly popular hosting platform with a number of plans to meet different business needs. It also offers a wide range of attractive features that would be useful to companies with money to burn.
However, small businesses might find it too expensive. If you are like them and it is a bit too rich for your blood, these A2 Hosting alternatives offer a better option.
| A2 Hosting Alternative | Unique Selling Point |
| InMotion | Lower renewal rates |
| Hostinger | More competitive prices across the board |
| FastComet | More data centers |
| Bluehost | Top-notch security features |
| HostGator | Offers one month credit if uptime guarantee is not met |
| Hostwinds | Easily migrate existing websites |
| InterServer | Offers one-click installation for over 400 scripts |
| DreamHost | Has a 100% uptime guarantee |
| GreenGeeks | Pro-nature |
| Kinsta | Uses the Google Cloud Platform |
| HostPapa | Great for small businesses |
| iPage | Can help build and grow your website |
| Liquid Web | Flexible pricing plans |
| SiteGround | Top-notch customer service |
| TMDHosting | Offers feature-packed plans |
| WP Engine | Specializes in WordPress |
| ChemiCloud | Offers free domain for life |
1. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting has all the essential features that people look for in a reliable A2 Hosting alternative. It offers fast and easy web hosting services, round-the-clock customer support, and advanced-technology hosting solutions.
It is up and running 99.99% of the time. Moreover, its free SSL technology provides watertight site security, keeping all your sensitive information away from prying eyes. Its high-power servers are safely ensconced in secure data centers, another reason why it has a very high uptime.
On top of this, InMotion has a comprehensive knowledge base and a very active community of users. If you have questions, there is a good chance you don’t have to rely on customer support at all. You would have to do some reading, though.
When it comes to hosting plans, InMotion has a lot to offer. In its Website Creator plan, they will build your website for you on top of providing all the other essential features. It also has other web hosting packages, such as:
- VPS hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- WordPress hosting
- Shared Hosting
One thing that makes InMotion better than A2 Hosting is its renewal fees, which are much lower. If you are nervous about making a commitment, InMotion offers a 90-day money back guarantee. However, it is only valid with a six-, 12-, or 24-month hosting plan.
You should also note that automatic backups do not come free in its shared hosting plans. The good thing is that it includes a free domain for up to one year. It also has a one-click installer, offers SSH access, and provides unlimited bandwidth.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger is another one of today’s top A2 Hosting alternatives, and if we have to pick one reason, it is its competitive prices. It is insanely affordable, whether you plan on getting shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, or email hosting.
Each plan comes in multiple tiers, giving you more flexibility in terms of cost. You will be hard-pressed to find a more budget-friendly A2 Hosting alternative, especially if you get long-term hosting plans.
When it’s time for you to renew, Hostinger’s renewal fees will put A2 Hosting’s rates to shame. You will be more pleasantly surprised if you consider everything you stand to get for its affordable price.
Most of its hosting plans come with a free domain name, which Hostinger will pay for during the first year. Also, the SSD storage is quite generous. The Shared Hosting plan tops at 200 GB, the Cloud Hosting at 300 GB, and the VPS Hosting at 80 GB.
If you are a WordPress developer or a newbie, Hostinger is a great option for you. It offers fast loading speeds and a support team that knows what it is doing. It also has a 24/7 chat system, contact email, and support tickets.
Some have complained that it is a bit hard to get through to chat support. However, the team will be able to resolve your problems quickly once you manage to get in touch with someone.
3. FastComet
FastComet is one of the fastest-growing names in the very competitive web hosting industry. Its claim to fame is that it has multiple data centers, which reach a total number of 11. These data centers are in different parts of the world, including Tokyo, Mumbai, Sydney, and Singapore.
Why is this important?
It means that even if A2 Hosting enjoys a faster site speed, FastComet can actually hold its own in certain locations. As such, you won’t be giving up much in terms of performance, especially if you are in Asia, India, or Oceania.
In terms of reliability, FastComet guarantees an uptime of 99.9%. It delivers on this promise for the most part and even does status checks every minute across the globe to stay on top of things.
Another thing you would like about FastComet is its custom control panel. This feature is included in every plan. Here, you can perform several tasks, like creating email accounts, managing domains, contacting customer support, and more. Even better, this control panel is mobile-friendly, which means you can do all these even on the go.
If you are a stickler for security, FastComet has you covered. It offers enhanced security features like daily backups, one-click restore, and DDS and DDoS protection. These are on top of the standard solutions you would expect from a reputable web host.
4. Bluehost
Founded in 1996, Bluehost is one of the oldest web hosting platforms you will find today. It powers more than two million sites and is a great option if you are new to the process of setting up a website. It is also the perfect A2 Hosting alternative if you plan on using WordPress.
Bluehost offers many different plans to meet different needs, and all of them come with a free domain name for the first 12 months. It is also pretty fast for a beginner-friendly web host.
Other features that make it a great choice for newbies are its drag-and-drop website builder, free SSL certificate, free CDN, and solid uptime. In other words, it has everything you need to build and launch your website.
While Bluehost is easy to use and is a great web host for beginners, its security features are top-notch. In fact, it has one of the most reliable security measures in the web hosting industry today. This feature is very important, especially for those who are not yet familiar with current best security practices.
All Bluehost plans are equipped with resource protection. You can do daily backups and monitoring with CodeGuard Backup Basic for an additional monthly fee.
If you run into some problems or have some questions, you can reach out to its customer support team. You could also check out its wealth of knowledge resources, including FAQs, info articles, videos, and more.
One downside to Bluehost’s web hosting services is that it does not provide an uptime guarantee. Still, it has been known to deliver close to 99.99% efficiency.
5. HostGator
If you have been in the web hosting space for some time, chances are you have heard about HostGator. It is one of the biggest and most widely known companies in the world that offer a wide range of web hosting related services, such as:
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- Dedicated servers
- WordPress hosting plans
HostGator was founded in 2002, and it quickly established a firm foothold in the crowded web hosting industry. It offers attractive web hosting plans, reliable web hosting services, and responsive customer support.
Its customer support team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is accessible via different channels. You can reach them through email, phone call, or live chat for any of your concerns.
HostGator also guarantees an uptime of 99.9%, an industry standard for the top web hosting companies. If it does not deliver as promised, you will get back one month of credit in your account.
Additionally, if for some reason you are not happy with the company’s web hosting services, you can get your money back within the first 45 days. Before you go out and get a HostGator web hosting plan, you need to keep a few things in mind.
Firstly, its monthly web hosting plans are much more expensive than its annual web hosting plans. That said, you can take a gamble on the annual plan since you have a 45-day money back guarantee to fall back on anyway.
Secondly, you need to be mindful about unwittingly getting additional web hosting services. Make sure they are left unchecked if you do not need them yet. After all, you can always add more later on.
6. Hostwinds
If you are looking for a high-quality A2 Hosting alternative, you can never go wrong with Hostwinds. It does not offer the most affordable prices, but it does provide one of the most reliable web hosting services in the industry.
Its customers love its fast loading speed, 99.99% uptime guarantee, and unlimited storage, which are all included in Hostwinds’ web hosting plans.
Another thing that attracts customers in droves is that it can easily migrate any existing website. All it takes is a few clicks, and it is done. It also offers free SSL certificates for all its websites. Hostwinds hosting plans come in three tiers: Basic, Advanced, and Ultimate. Nightly backups are included even in the Basic plan.
The company owns all of its servers, so if there are any issues, it can resolve them more quickly. It also has a customer support team you can reach 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
One thing you must remember about Hostwinds is that its plans are a bit more expensive than others. It also does not offer domain names for free. Plus, you should be careful about the fine print, which says that prices will go up after the first billing cycle.
Note that while the company offers a money back guarantee, you won’t be getting back the full amount that you paid. For instance, if you request a refund for an annual plan after the second month, only the remaining 10 months will be returned to you.
7. InterServer
Another battle-hardened veteran in the web hosting community, InterServer has been providing high-quality services for the better part of the last two decades. It now offers Shared Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Quick Servers, Dedicated Servers, and other hosting solutions.
InterServer stands out among the many A2 hosting competitors out there for a number of reasons. For example, only a few web hosting platforms offer one-click installation for more than 400 scripts, but InterServer is one of them.
It also provides web hosting for both Linux and Windows, whereas A2 Hosting supports Linux only. Note that InterServer has only one plan for Linux, which is not much. However, it does come with ultra SSD storage, email accounts, FTP accounts, and a treasure trove of other resources.
What’s more, InterServer’s basic plans are quite generous. Unlike others, they include advanced security features, free SSL, and many one-click install cloud apps.
InterServer’s shared web hosting plan comes with a similar price tag to its other providers’ counterparts. The good news is that as you move to its VPS or dedicated hosting plans, its offers become much more attractive.
Once you outgrow your current plan, you can scale it up for a minimal monthly fee. With this approach, you do not have to go through the pains of getting a brand-new plan to meet your evolving needs.
8. DreamHost
Another A2 Hosting alternative you should look at is DreamHost, a web hosting company with almost two decades of experience. It supports over 1.5 million sites. The exciting part is that it does this on a platform built on top of open-source technology.
There are many other things that make DreamHost stand out, but the most notable one is its month-to-month pricing plans.
With this method, you can meet your hosting needs without having to make a long-term commitment. Even better, you can do it for a fraction of the cost if you go with a leading hosting provider.
Aside from the affordability and flexibility of its monthly billing, another reason you should consider DreamHost is its uptime. Of course, you would want your website to be up and running 100% of the time, especially if you run a business. DreamHost guarantees precisely that and will give you a refund for any amount of time that your site will be down.
On top of this, its money back guarantee stretches for as long as 97 days. You can cancel your contract for any reason and promptly get a refund. However, note that it only applies to shared web hosting services.
Here’s a rundown of its other key features:
- Free domain
- Free SSL Certificate
- Automated backups
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- Round-the-clock customer support
9. GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is one of the few web hosting companies that are openly pro-nature. It claims to put back three times the amount of power it consumes in the form of renewable energy. It is a major selling point in this day and age, where sustainability is more than just a buzzword being thrown around.
Established in 2008, GreenGeeks now supports over 500,000 websites, with data centers in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands. Here are some of the highlights of its web hosting related services:
- Free domain name
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- User-friendly but powerful website builder
- Expert 24/7/365 support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
GreenGeeks has a solid performance when it comes to uptime. Some tests even show that its usual uptime is north of 99.9%, which is more than what they promise. The loading time of its websites is around 503 milliseconds, which is above the industry average.
Next to its uptime, its biggest draw is its customer support services. It recommends the 24/7/365 live chat as the best way to reach them, but the phone and even email support are pretty responsive.
One thing you have to consider before signing up with GreenGeeks is that its renewal rates are a bit high. The good thing is that you can get a more budget-friendly rate if you lock up a long-term plan.
10. Kinsta
Before anything else, let’s get one thing out of the way first: Kinsta is much more expensive than A2 Hosting. Even so, it is a good A2 Hosting alternative, although the reasons have nothing to do with cost.
Firstly, it is optimized for WordPress hosting. So, if you are on this website creation platform and want to get the most out of it, you would be better off with Kinsta. In comparison, A2 Hosting’s strength is in shared, VPS, dedicated, and reseller hosting.
You would find that the MyKinsta dashboard, explicitly designed to manage WordPress sites, is easier to use. With A2 Hosting, you will use the generic cPanel or Plesk control panel.
Next, Kinsta is the first web hosting company to use Google’s premium cloud network exclusively, the Google Cloud Platform. It means that all the sites it supports run with maximum speed, performance, and security.
When it comes to backups, Kinsta offers six different options on all its plans. A2 Hosting has only one for its WordPress hosting plans: the Jetpack.
Another reason why Kinsta is a great A2 Hosting alternative is its stellar customer support service. It has a team of WordPress experts ready to lend you a hand, whatever plan you get. Finally, Kinsta has 29 data centers spread in different parts of the world. More than that, you will like that they are all calibrated to fit WordPress.
11. HostPapa
If you manage a small business, HostPapa is a tremendous A2 Hosting alternative for you. It has low starting costs, so you can get entry-level plans at an affordable price. Its starter plan supports the usual one website and comes with free domain registration, SSL certificate, and unmetered bandwidth. It also has 100 GB of SSD web space and 100 emails.
What makes it eye-catching is that you can get it for the price of one cup of coffee per month. It is something you do not often see in other providers. Also, its free domain comes with no hidden costs.
Aside from its affordable introduction rates, HostPapa is beginner-friendly. This is a good thing since virtually anyone who wants to build a website can afford its shared hosting plans. For instance, if you are an affiliate marketer, this hosting provider can help grow your business.
When it comes to reliability, HostPapa is pretty solid, as it guarantees a 99.9% uptime. It also has an award-winning support team standing by to help you with any problems or answer questions.
Overall, it is a good A2 Hosting alternative. That said, note that the starting rates are lowest if you get the three-year billing term. You could go with the 12-month billing term, but your monthly rate will be a bit higher.
12. iPage Web Hosting
iPage is another solid A2 Hosting alternative. While it falls short in some features, it has all the essentials that businesses look for in a host. You can expect these things if you decide to work with iPage:
- Free domain for a year
- An SSL certificate
- 99.9% guaranteed uptime
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 24/7 customer support
Aside from allowing you to build your site, iPage provides everything you need to grow it. It lets you install WordPress quickly and safely, and you can host as many domains as you want in your iPage account. There is also no limit on how many email addresses you can create.
Once you sign up, you will receive $200 worth of ad credits, which you can use on search engines like Google and Bing. iPage also has an eCommerce functionality that can help you sell your goods online once your site is up and running. It has analytics tools that can help you monitor your site’s performance, allowing you to make the right tweaks as you go.
As you can see, iPage has a lot going for it. Nevertheless, if you are still hesitant about trying it, you could give it a test run first. It has a 30-day money back guarantee, and you will get a refund if you are unsatisfied.
13. Liquid Web
Liquid Web is another reliable managed WordPress hosting provider that will make a great A2 Hosting alternative. It has a wide range of plans and pricing, starting with the Spark plan.
This product offers 15GB of storage, 2TB of bandwidth, 30-day backups, an unlimited number of email accounts, and one site. On top of this, it has automatic updates, one-click installs, and access to an array of apps and WordPress plug-ins.
Liquid Web allows you to choose between monthly and annual billing. Of course, you get a better deal for the longer contract. However, the monthly term is not so bad either. You will even get a discounted price for the first three months.
Aside from WordPress hosting, Liquid Web has a wide range of dedicated, cloud, VPS, and reseller packages. They are all feature-packed, have great uptime, and are backed by terrific customer service.
If you have a thriving business with varying needs, you can’t go wrong with Liquid Web. Note that its services do not come cheap, but they do offer great value for your money.
14. SiteGround
SiteGround is one of the best alternatives to A2 Hosting. It is a very popular choice within the WordPress community because of its unique speed and security solutions. Tests show that its pages load in just over half a second, or 600 milliseconds, to be exact. Even better, they are stable, and the sites do not experience any fluctuations in load time.
On top of this, SiteGround offers stellar round-the-clock customer service, fast servers powered by Google Cloud, location-specific hosting, and more. It is no wonder that after 18 successful years of hosting, it now supports over 2.8 million domains. We won’t be surprised if this number has increased by the time you read this.
SiteGround has a variety of hosting options that come at different price points. So, whether you are putting up a blog site for affiliate marketing, running a small business, or managing a large online store, SiteGround has you covered.
Another thing you would like about its services is that they are scalable. In other words, its plans are designed to meet your growing and evolving needs.
15. TMDHosting
TMDHosting is a feature-rich web hosting company that offers different types of hosting services, including:
- Cloud hosting
- WordPress hosting
- VPS hosting
- Reseller hosting
- Dedicated servers
It has an extensive selection of plans, all with a 60-day money back guarantee. One of its bestsellers is the Shared Hosting Starter plan. This plan includes unlimited SSD space and bandwidth, one free domain, and access to cPanel.
It uses the Weebly Sitebuilder, which allows you to build your site using a quick drag-and-drop method. It can host one website. For businesses, the aptly named Business plan offers the most value. It can host unlimited websites and performs two times better than the basic plan.
TMDHosting is currently celebrating its 12th year anniversary and offering product discounts. If you get one of their plans now, you will save 40% from the original price. Regardless of your plan, you will enjoy 99.99% uptime and blazing-fast pages that load 16 times faster.
16. WP Engine
WP Engine is one of the best alternatives to A2 Hosting if you are dead set on using WordPress for your next website. This hosting company has dedicated all its resources to perfecting website creation on this platform.
It offers excellent uptime, daily backups, outstanding customer service, real-time threat detection, and other great features. It even lets you choose between Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services for cloud hosting.
Here’s a quick look at some of its other features:
- Unlimited data transfers in WordPress
- Unlimited storage in WordPress
- Linux servers
- Award-winning, 24/7 support
If you own or run a business, WP Engine can help you make more money by giving you a faster website. It provides automated updates, managed upgrades, and other site maintenance services so that you can focus on what you do best. Moreover, its enterprise-grade security will ensure you and all your visitors are well-protected.
With WP Engine, you can migrate an existing website or build one from scratch using a simple drag-and-drop tool. You will get an engaging site within a few minutes that runs seamlessly on any device.
17. ChemiCloud
Established in 2016, ChemiCloud is a relative newcomer in the web hosting industry. Nevertheless, it has already established itself as one of the go-to platforms and a great alternative to A2 Hosting.
ChemiCloud ticks all the boxes for typical web hosting checklists. It guarantees an uptime of 99.99%, ensuring your site is always available to your target audience. It also offers a free domain for life, something you could not find in most of its older hosting competitors.
For a website host company with less experience than some, ChemiCloud certainly knows what it is doing.
All ChemiCloud hosting plans come with a free SSL certificate, and there are compelling offers for newcomers. Its 45-day money-back guarantee will give you peace of mind whatever plan you get.
ChemiCloud has several plans for both shared hosting and WordPress hosting. It also provides reseller hosting and VPS hosting services. Its shared hosting plans are a bit pricier, but with all the features packed into them, you will surely get more value for your money.
What Makes a Good A2 Hosting Alternative?
At this point, you probably have a good idea of what we look for in a good A2 Hosting alternative. However, in case you missed it, here’s another peek at all the essential features that your host should have.
Affordable Hosting Plans
One of the biggest barriers that keep people from getting an A2 Hosting plan is its prohibitive price tag. This is especially true for its renewal rates. For this reason, a good alternative must be friendlier to the budget. At the same time, it must be able to meet all your basic hosting needs.
Knowledgeable Customer Support Team
No matter how good your web hosting company is, you are bound to run into some problems. One of the hallmarks of a good A2 Hosting alternative is its customer support. It must be accessible at any given time or day and through different channels. More importantly, it must be able to provide the right solutions to specific issues when needed.
Free Domain Name
One of the few ways that A2 Hosting falls short is that it does not offer a free domain. This is true for any of its hosting plans. Even worse, you have to pay good money to get one. A good alternative host should be able to bridge this gap.
Performance
A2 Hosting’s biggest advantage over its competitors is its speed. It claims to be up to 20 times faster, and they are not mincing words. For a host to be a good substitute for A2 Hosting, it must be able to hold its own when it comes to speed and uptime.
FAQs
1. Why should I go with an A2 Hosting Alternative?
A2 Hosting is fast, but it falls short in some categories like pricing, WordPress optimization, and a few others. If these features are more important to you, you should choose an A2 Hosting alternative.
2. What is the best hosting type?
A dedicated server offers faster speeds and more uptime, which is expected since you alone use it. However, it can be more expensive.
3. When should I get dedicated hosting?
If you need the most power that money can buy for your business, you should invest in dedicated hosting. For instance, if your website is growing fast or need a very high level of security, a dedicated server is your best option.
4. Which is the best hosting for WordPress?
Many of these A2 Hosting alternatives focus on WordPress, like WP Engine, SiteGround, and Bluehost.
5. Is WordPress free with SiteGround?
SiteGround offers free WordPress resources like themes and extensive tutorials. It also offers free templates and specialized WordPress services.
Which A2 Hosting Alternative Is Best for You?
A2 Hosting is a great hosting provider. It is fast, reliable, and offers a budget-friendly starter plan. However, it has very steep renewal rates. It is also not optimized for WordPress and does not have industry-leading customer service.
In other words, it is not perfect, especially for businesses or individuals with specific needs. If you are one of them, just take your pick from the many options we have laid out for you.
