Subscribe to RSSSearching for a new hosting provider
I’m in the process of searching for a new web hosting provider.
I’ve been hosting several small business sites using a business DSL line and a personal site on free dedicated server at a local ISP. My requirements are fairly basic however I have would prefer to have some functionality that may be more difficult.
- 10 GB storage space
- 2 GB monthly bandwidth
- PHP and MySQL support
- Ability to host 5-10 domains
- Ability to customize my MX record and add additional A records.
- Prefer hosts that support Ruby on Rails
- Prefer ssh access
The first three or four requirements are basic and are supported by most hosts. The requirement to host multiple domains and more advanced DNS functions are a little more difficult. I found that most reseller accounts that use cPanel and Web Host Manager will allow me to do both. Finding a host that supports Ruby on Rails and ssh access is more difficult.
After doing some research I narrowed my list down to four providers. I’m going to sign up with an account from each provider before making a decision. My initial list is:
Liquid Web
The first provider I tested was Liquid Web. My experience with them was very good. I wrote a review of them here. However after about two months I decided not to use their service.
The primary reason was because I was learning I didn’t want to use a cPanel to host my sites and couldn’t justify the cost of a VPS and cPanel. The secondary reason is I wasn’t able to get Ruby on Rails completely working. My best option to get RoR was to recompile Apache with mod_fcgi. This wasn’t very difficult to get working but the performance was too slow. All the recommendations I read to improve the performance seemed to require using Apache 2, which isn’t supported with cPanel.
Web Pro Technologies
My experience with Web Pro Technologies was very good. I liked their attitude on the web page and they offered excellent presales support. I was very impressed by the company. However I signed up before I thought about my requirements. After thinking about my decision I decided that they wouldn’t meet all my requirements. Mainly because cPanel was the primary reason I left my last host and this account also used cPanel. I’ve kept the account open for now because I’ve been impressed with their service and I haven’t decided how important RoR and not using cPanel is to me.
Planet Argon
My experience with Planet Argon was very good. I wrote a review of them here They offer excellent support for anyone looking for a Ruby on Rails host. They allow ssh access and each shared account uses apache by default and also has an extra port they can use to run lighttpd. You can still host this on port 80 by using their proxy server. They offer a lot of flexibility for a shared account and the servers are stable and fast.
Server Axis
I’m currently testing with Server Axis. Server Axis offers Xen virtual dedicated servers with your choice of operating system. Control panels are an optional add-on. I am finding that a self managed virtual server with no control panel is a good option for me. I have control over what software I want to install and can edit the config files by hand. The server I am on has been stable and is very fast. I haven’t had to contact support yet so I’m not sure what their response time is. It did take over a day for my account to be created.
Conclusion
Both Planet Argon and Server Axis look like they will meet my needs. I’ll probably wait another month or two before making my final decision. Currently most of my sites are on both Planet Argon and Server Axis and I modify my DNS to change which one is the active site.
I’ll post an update when I make a decision. I would recommend all four hosts that I have tried during this test. A few didn’t meet my individual requirements but they would work for most people.
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