Thinking of getting iPage as your web host?
Or are you still on the fence if it’s the right provider for your site?
iPage is one of the more popular web hosts that services at least a million sites all over the world.
But that doesn’t mean they’re the best for YOU.
And as with any decision you’ll make in setting up a website, you don’t want to choose a web host based solely on their popularity.
So before you commit, let’s look at this iPage hosting review 2023.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Pros and cons
- Reliability and performance
- Products and features
- Pricing
- Security
- Customer support
- Reviews
Let’s get started.
iPage Hosting Overview
iPage was founded back in 1998. While it’s a technology-driven company, it puts a lot of effort into creating a positive environment in its workplace. They also put a lot of focus on delivering great customer service.
And those are two areas where the company shines.
To date, iPage has reached 1 million websites hosted and has built 2 data centers in the United States.
Here’s a chart to get a glance at what iPage offers:
Price | Starts at $1.99/mo (for a 3-year subscription) |
---|---|
Uptime | 99% uptime |
Security | SSL certificates, SiteLock (starts at $3.99/mo) |
Hosting Plan | Shared Hosting |
Customer Support | 24/7 hosting support via live chat and phone |
Features | Free SSL certificate, unlimited websites, unlimited storage, free domain for a year, free website builder, PayPal integration |
iPage Hosting Review |
Now, let’s get to the actual review.
Pros and Cons
Just like any other web host, iPage has its pros and cons. Here’s some of them:
pros | cons |
---|---|
|
|
Straightforward Single Plan For All |
What iPage does differently than a lot of web hosting providers is that it only has one plan.
You would think that this is going to be a disadvantage, but it’s not. The plan itself is flexible and has a lot of features that will help you build or scale your website.
Responsive Customer Support
Another advantage of subscribing to iPage is having strong customer support that is always willing to help you.
Even if you contact them at peak times during the day, there will always be a customer representative that will respond. And you don’t have to wait for 15 minutes for that.
Affordable Hosting Plan
At the end of the day, one of the strongest advantages of iPage is its affordable hosting plan.
Starting at $1.99 per month, you already have features that most web hosts have on their premium packages.
No Other Hosting Plans
As we mentioned, their having only one plan could be a good thing.
However, even if their shared hosting plan is flexible, not everyone’s comfortable with just having one plan to choose from.
Some prefer having enterprise-focused hosting plans, while others want other options for monthly plans.
So though this was listed as a pro, it can also be listed as a con, depending on the site owner.
Aggressive Upselling
This is one of the worst things about having a very affordable web hosting plan.
If you ask me, I’d rather pay a little extra so that I don’t need to pay for add-ons. Unfortunately, iPage doesn’t share the same point of view.
Instead, they always try to upsell their security feature, SiteLock, and some of their add-ons. This can be very annoying at times.
Storage Isn’t Fully Unlimited
Unlimited storage is a great feature until it ends up being a cause for a terminated subscription.
iPage may claim to have unlimited storage, but if you end up using more space than normal, the web host can just terminate your contract without any notice.
Yep, there are no heads up as stated on their Terms and Conditions.
Reliability and Performance
I have to say, for a web host that isn’t known for its uptime rate, iPage hasn’t forgotten its commitment to reliability and performance.
Despite having only two data centers, iPage has a remarkable uptime of at least 99%.
And whenever they have downtimes, their customer support will be the first one to give you a heads up.
When it comes to performance (a.k.a. speed), iPage just gives you the right loading speed - it’s not the fastest, but it’s also not the slowest.
When compared with other web hosts like Bluehost or A2 Hosting, iPage falls short of their performance.
To give you an idea, iPage usually loads 3x slower than the two leading web hosts.
This is probably because of the lack of data centers or a lack of speed-boosting software.
Still, its reliability and performance are good enough, just not the best.
Products and Features
There are two main products that iPage offers - their single Go Plan and SiteLock.
The Go Plan is iPage’s main product. This is their only plan, so any chance of you wanting an upgrade to a bigger (or better) plan is non-existent.
But that’s okay because iPage’s Go Plan has all the features even large businesses need.
For example, this plan has unlimited websites allowed, unlimited storage, free website builder, free domain for a year, and free SSL certificates.
You also get a one-click installation for WordPress and a lot of choices for premium and customizable themes.
Planning to make an e-commerce site? You can do that with the Go Plan, too.
This plan can be integrated with PayPal and can be connected with other apps for marketing, SEO, and shopping carts.
The other product of iPage is SiteLock.
SiteLock is more of an added security feature than a web hosting plan.
But unlike the Go Plan, SiteLock comes with three different packages to choose from. Each varies in terms of response time, security monitoring, and additional malware protection.
Pricing
Since iPage only has one plan, you only need to know that it starts at $1.99* if you get it for 3 years.
Yep, you have a lock-in period just for you to get this very affordable price.
Unfortunately, there are no monthly subscriptions. The shortest package you can get is a year. And if you get this, you’ll be paying $2.99 per month.
It’s still affordable when you compare it to other shared hosting plans.
Security
What are the security features of iPage?
Their regular plan has a basic 24/7 security monitoring and SSL certificate. this is actually a very basic security package and most medium to large businesses might need more than this to protect their website.
This is where SiteLock comes in.
SiteLock is iPage’s add-on for security features. And this is the most pushed-for add-on by their customer support.
SiteLock is a 1-year to a 3-year subscription plan for additional security features like faster response time, database scanning, malware scan, and malware removal.
If you need that extra security, then it’s definitely worth the price.
Customer Support
Just like most web hosts, iPage’s customer support is available 24/7. They’re reachable through live chat and phone.
The good news is that they’re responsive. What some didn’t like, however, was their upselling strategy.
When their team helps you out, they will try to upsell you some kind of add-on (usually it’s SiteLock).
This can be very irritating for most people, so you have to take note of that before subscribing to iPage. But if you don’t mind that, then their customer support is up there.
What Do Customers Have to Say?
To help manage your expectations, let’s take a look at what iPage’s customers have to say about their performance:
Unfortunately, not everyone is satisfied with iPage’s support and pricing:
Images from Website Setup
FAQs
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting is a type of web hosting where you share a physical server with other websites.
Is iPage secure?
Yes, iPage is secure. Its Go Plan already includes a free SSL certificate and 24/7 security monitoring.
But for additional protection, you may want to purchase their SiteLock product where you get to enjoy malware protection, malware removal, and blacklist detection.
Is iPage worth it?
Overall, iPage is a good choice if you want a plan that’s flexible and you’re able to commit to a year with the web host.
However, you have to be extra careful about its “unlimited” storage because you wouldn’t want your account to be terminated.
Conclusion
So is iPage’s popularity a good testament to its performance and reliability?
I’d say yes, at some point. There’s no doubt that its flexibility and affordable rate is its best selling point. However, you have to be careful with your use of storage and you need to be more patient with their aggressive selling.