Large websites need much more than what a shared hosting account can provide. Many may even be too much for a VPS host. When that is the case, you have two options: you can buy and run your own server, or you can pay for dedicated hosting. A dedicated server has several benefits. In fact, it may be better than buying your own equipment. Our HostWinds Dedicated Servers review will help you determine if a dedicated host is right for you and if HostWinds should be your hosting partner.
Pros
- HostWinds provides a large amount of flexibility and customization.
- Pricing is extremely competitive and, in some cases, cheaper than other hosting options.
- Your website will not share resources.
- 365/24/7 tech support that responds quickly.
- Windows and Linux OS are both available.
Cons
- Because it is so customizable, you do need to understand more about servers than you would with other hosts.
- Upgrades can quickly add up.
- There are dedicated server hosting options that are a bit better for the price.
HostWinds Dedicated Servers Review & Analysis
HostWinds has a reputation for outstanding server uptime and great customer service. Their hosting plans at all levels also offer a lot of flexibility and customization. While every dedicated server level does come with a base configuration, having the ability to customize them is very helpful. You can add only what you need to the server. This will help you save money since you will not be paying for anything you do not need.
Who This Hosting Plan is For
- Large websites that need a lot of resources.
- Websites that will get a lot of traffic.
- Anyone who wants more control over what their hosting plan offers.
Who This Hosting Plan is Not For
- Small websites or websites that do not require dedicated resources.
- Small businesses and individuals with limited budgets.
Bottom Line
HostWinds dedicated server hosting plans are perfect if you want to customize your host to your needs. You can choose the hard drives, RAM, operating system, amount of bandwidth, IP addresses, and more. If you do not want to do all of that, though, you do not have to. You can go with the pre-configured server setup. The price, the options, and the good customer support combined give HostWinds an edge over many other services. While there are a few companies out there that might give you a little more for your money, there are not many.
HostWinds Dedicated Server Hosting Features
- 1 Gbps Ports
- Fully Managed
- Nightly Backups Available
- 24/7 Tech Support
- RAID
- Built for You
- Dedicated Resources
- Serving Multiple Locations
- High-Quality Networking
Other Features
- Nightly Backups
- Server Monitoring
- Full Management
HostWinds Dedicated Server Plan Prices
Do You Need Dedicated Server Web Hosting?
Do you truly need dedicated server hosting? This is one of the first questions you should ask before you look at what HostWinds has to offer. A dedicated host does provide you with all the resources a server has available. You are not sharing anything with other websites because there are no other sites on the server. This also gives you the ability to customize the operating system and configure it to your needs.
On the downside, of course, is the cost. Even cheap dedicated server hosting is more expensive than shared and VPS hosting. Small businesses or individuals who have limited budgets are likely to find that they cannot make use of dedicated hosting. The cost is simply too much.
However, for small or new websites, this option usually is not needed. Shared or VPS hosting is often enough. HostWinds will also work with you if you discover you need to upgrade your hosting later.
Dedicated Server Hosting Customization
When you visit the HostWinds website to select your dedicated server, you will find a list of pre-configured servers and their price. You can select one of these servers as-is if it offers everything you need at a price you can afford. This is similar to what Interserver offers. You can read our full review of their hosting options here: Interserver dedicated server review
If it does not, you can click through the various options to customize it. For example, you can upgrade the hard drive to a solid-state drive or add an additional storage device. You can improve the RAM, too, or select anywhere from 10 TB of bandwidth a month to unlimited. Another option is to add more IP addresses to your server.
One option many dedicated server web hosting companies do not always offer is the option to select your operating system. Most web hosts run on a version of Linux. With HostWinds, however, you can select Windows. You also have the option of selecting the specific Linux OS. HostWinds offers CentOS, Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu.
What Comes with all HostWinds Dedicated Servers?
In addition to the flexibility HostWinds offers, they have some features that are standard on all dedicated hosts. Their servers are fully managed. This means they handle all of the setup and maintenance of your server. You will not need to do anything other than build and maintain your actual website.
Their team also performs daily backups and can restore your website quickly should data be lost. Their team monitors servers 24/7 for errors, malware, and other issues. If there is a problem, it is dealt with as quickly as possible.
This support team is also available via phone, chat, or ticket at any time. This means you will have help around the clock should something happen with your website. Fortunately, HostWinds does have 99.99% uptime, so your website will be down very, very rarely.
Is HostWinds Dedicated Hosting Right for You?
Now that you have an idea of what HostWinds offers, it is time to decide if it is the best dedicated server hosting option for you. The flexibility is genuinely nice, but it also means you need to have some technical knowledge. You do not need to fully understand how servers work. However, you may not feel comfortable selecting a Linux operating system or deciding if you need a RAID without understanding what those are.There are other options out there. For example, you can read our Dreamhost standard dedicated server review to see how HostWinds compares. Once you have done that and analyzed your own needs, you will be able to determine hosting is best for you.
Review HostWinds Dedicated Server Hosting Review.