Network Solutions is one of the oldest web hosting companies around. They were originally a DNS registry company, but they have expanded to offer cloud hosting services as well. Their Starter plan is quite basic, but it’s also very affordable. If you’re looking for a cheap cloud host, you’ll want to read our Network Solutions Starter Review. It may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Pros
- Offers many apps you can install with a single click.
- Very affordable.
- Supports a wide range of programming languages.
- You can easily upgrade to a different plan if needed.
Cons
- Small amount of disk space.
- Limited to five email addresses.
- Domain name is not included as it is with their other plans.
- No malware scanning.
Network Solutions Starter Review & Analysis
If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable web host, Network Solutions does provide that. However, you may find what you get with their cloud hosting Starter plan is simply not enough. It’s important to compare their plans as well as what Interserver cloud hosting and other companies offer. You may look at the Starter plan and see that it’s not going to provide everything you need.
Who This Hosting Plan is For
- Small websites.
- Individuals and small businesses with limited budgets.
- Websites that need more email inboxes.
Who This Hosting Plan is Not For
- Companies that need more than a basic website.
- eCommerce sites.
- Anyone planning on using the same hosting account for multiple websites.
- Sites that will have a large amount of content.
Bottom Line
Overall, Network Solutions does offer some good hosting options. Unfortunately, their Starter plan really isn’t that useful for many people. It’s limited to 15 GB of storage space and only five email addresses. That may work for some small personal websites or businesses. For eCommerce sites or bigger websites, though, it’s simply not enough. While it is very affordable and does give you everything a cloud server offers, it isn’t the best option. You may want to consider Google web hosting or another cloud service instead.
Network Solutions Starter Cloud Hosting Features
- Count on your website being up and running 99.9% of the time.
- Live technical support.
- Easy-to-upgrade web hosting plans as your business grows.
Additional Features
- Proven Reliability
- Malware Scan and Removal
Add-On Features
- CodeGuard
- SSL Certificate
- MyTime Support
- SiteLock
Network Solutions Standard Cloud Hosting Prices
The Benefits of Cloud Hosting
The benefits that come with cloud hosting is one reason to consider Network Solutions or an option like Dreamhost cloud hosting. Cloud hosting is similar to shared hosting in a way. However, instead of multiple websites being on the same server, they’re on a server cluster. These multiple servers have more resources, so you don’t have to worry as much about your site being slowed down. They also offer multiple redundancy. If one server goes down, another takes its place. Your site will very rarely, if ever, be unavailable.
Network Solutions Developer Tools
If you know you’re going to need custom applications for your website, you’ll want a host with a good number of developer tools. Network Solutions offers WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and MySQL databases that can be installed with a few clicks. You can create custom applications with PHP, Python, Ruby, Perl, and other languages. Their library is very expansive, so you’re likely going to find everything you need.
They Also Offer Add-Ons
If you do select their Starter option, you can always add various extras to your website if you need them. Network Solutions allows you to add SiteLock, CodeGuard, SSL certificates, and MyTime support for additional costs. This does mean that their basic support is not going to be as good as you might expect. MyTime support helps you set up apps and other tasks, so you may not get that help from their free support.
What Are the Other Network Solutions Cloud Server Hosting Options?
Network Solutions has three additional cloud server hosting plans. The second, and the one they recommend, is the Essential plan. It’s about double the cost of the Starter plan. However, it offers 300 GB of disk space, which is a giant leap from the 15 GB. You can create three websites and 1000 email addresses. A free domain name is included. You also have access to SiteLock for free, which is a malware scanning program.
The next option is the Professional level. It’s designed for freelancers and entrepreneurs, though small businesses may also find it meets their needs. It offers unlimited disk space and emails. You can create ten websites. A domain name and SiteLock Premium are both included.
The most expensive plan, which is around four times the cost of the Starter option, is Professional Plus. It’s aimed at business owners. You get unlimited disk space and emails. You can build ten websites per account. A domain name, Sitelock Premium, and an SSL certificate are all included. You’re basically paying for the SSL certificate here.
Who Will Find the Starter Plan Useful?
The Starter plan may not be the best option for many, but that doesn’t mean it won’t fit some people’s needs. If all you’re planning on doing is creating a blog, it may be offering everything you want. You could look at Hostgator cloud hosting and other services, but you’ll likely find basic plans are priced about the same.
The Starter plan is also good for professionals who want to create an online portfolio. Artists who plan on uploading a good number of high-resolution images, though, may hit their 15 GB limit quickly. Small businesses that also plan on using their website to share basic information about their business might also benefit from the Starter plan. Just be aware that you can only create five email addresses. This means if you have more than five employees, you will need to look at other options.
If you’re looking for a cloud server to share apps, Network Solutions probably isn’t the option you want. Instead, look at Quickbooks cloud hosting and other cloud servers designed for app and data sharing.
Keep Your Needs in Mind
While the Network Solutions Starter plan is cheap, it’s also very limited. Be sure you look at all of your needs, including your future needs, before signing up for it. You can always upgrade in the future, but you may want to start with the Essential plan instead of dealing with that.
Review Network Solutions Starter (Cloud Hosting) Review.