EasyWP isn't a web hosting brand like others. EasyWP is the Managed WordPress hosting solution offered by Namecheap. What you get here is an opportunity for a smooth journey into the world of convenient, high-powered web hosting. The key is that EasyWP runs on Namecheap's Cloud infrastructure, giving it a leg up in performance and reliability.

• Want to try EasyWP? Check out the website here

Pricing and plans

EasyWP plans are straightforward: Starter, Turbo, and Supersonic. These follow a tiered pricing system that offers more resources (CPU, RAM, storage) as you progress through the price tiers. On the two higher tiers, you also get Brizy PRO, a website builder plugin for WordPress.

SSL certificates and CDN are also free, but most other hosts offer that as well, so it's not a significant consideration.

For subscription duration, you can choose between monthly, yearly, or two-year plans.

Like most other web hosts, there are significant incentives for longer subscriptions. Savings vary by tier and duration, with the steepest being a 44% price cut.

My advice, however, is to treat that price cut as the short-term bonus it is. Once the honeymoon period is over, you'll be paying full price anyway.

The only problem I see here is the lack of transparency around system resources. Aside from storage space, you have no idea how much CPU and RAM you're getting. For example, all EasyWP mentions are vague intangibles, such as "1.5x more CPU."

Regardless of which plan or duration you choose, however, you essentially get a one-month free trial. You pay nothing up front for the Starter plan on a monthly subscription. For the other plans, you get a one-month money-back guarantee.

Use

Getting on board with EasyWP is a seamless experience. It's similar to most website builders that prompt you for some information as you build your site. Ultimately, it boils down to two choices: Are you starting a new WordPress website, or moving to EasyWP from another host?

The former is what you should choose if you're starting from scratch or if you intend to perform a manual site migration. If you choose this option, EasyWP immediately creates a clean WordPress installation for you.

If you're performing a migration from another host, EasyWP asks for your hosting details so that it can move your entire site on your behalf. It's a hands-off experience that should suit most newbies.

EasyWP's custom dashboard is also impressive. It offers quick access to most of the tools you need to manage your hosting account. From here, you can also jump quickly into your WordPress admin dashboard or access your database via phpMyAdmin.

The user experience as a whole here is positive. The dashboard is comprehensive enough that you get most of what's necessary. At the same time, it's not excessively overwhelming for new users. It's a difficult balance to challenge, but EasyWP has managed it admirably.

Note: Usability in this case comes at the cost of some control over your server. For example, you can't choose the PHP or database version, nor can you easily toggle or restart individual services.

Speed and reliability

When it came to testing, I was at first somewhat apprehensive. I'd signed up for a starter plan and had no information on resources, apart from the 10GB of storage space. Rather than overpromising and underdelivering (or vice versa), EasyWP took the easy way out and simply omitted such information.

Anyway, the show had to go on. For testing, we have a WooCommerce website and database that we upload to all web hosts. This helps us standardize things and evens the playing field between web hosts.

Our core server performance tool is a WordPress benchmarking plugin. This tests the server's performance on a one-off basis and provides a score for vital areas such as CPU and memory, database, and other related metrics.

It was here that I got my first surprise. Despite not listing resource details, EasyWP did remarkably well in CPU and storage performance. Operations with large text data, for example, clocked in at 9.25, which is one of the best results I've seen so far.

The problem is that EasyWP's database operations were quite poor. Its score for importing data was appalling at merely 1.82. Comparatively, hosts like Kinsta and Bluehost scored well over 8 for database performance. For WordPress sites, this is a significant issue since it relies heavily on database operations.

To compound the issue, I was also unable to run Siege, which is what we use for load testing. Attempts to execute the test saw constant errors. Finally, I checked with customer support and was simply told that they block all such tools.

Customer support and knowledge base

EasyWP offers several channels for customer support. That includes access to a knowledge base, how-to videos, a Telegram channel, and live chat via their website. Being the impatient person I am, my first port of call was their live chat.

It was here that the magic happened. I was connected within seconds to an autoresponder bot, and from there quickly escalated to speaking with a customer service agent. There were no loops involved in getting there, and I didn't even have to repeat my problem to the live agent.

Even better, their customer support agents were helpful and extremely problem-resolution focused. I initially had issues doing a manual website import due to server restrictions. The customer service agent offered to do it for me; all I had to do was upload the zip files.

Usage scenarios and recommendations

Here, we come to the million-dollar question: Who should use EasyWP, and why? It's never easy to recommend a specific product or brand because many of us have different needs. What works for me may not work for everyone.

Let's relook at the facts. EasyWP is priced well above most shared hosting plans, but less than premium managed cloud service providers like Cloudways. However, it's also much easier to use but does have a less-than-stellar performance.

Because of this, I'd recommend EasyWP to the following categories of users:

• Those looking to upgrade from shared hosting
• Those who want a cheaper alternative to premium managed WordPress hosting
• Those who are running small to medium-sized WordPress sites.

However, if you're planning for the long term and are more focused on performance, I'd recommend Cloudways instead. It's fast, powerful, and offers more control than EasyWP.

Final verdict

EasyWP sits at a rather unique position in the Managed WordPress hosting space. It offers those with less experience a good first glance into the world of Managed Cloud hosting at prices that don't break the bank. The newbie-friendliness is further amplified by excellent customer support that's easily accessible.

EasyWP FAQs

• We've also highlighted the best managed WordPress hosting

Name.com is best known as a domain registrar, but you might not even know that you're using it. If you've used Wix, you'll likely have got your domain through name.com without giving it a second thought.

Without giving it a second thought seems to be the ethos of name.com which is especially useful for developers who want to build quickly and seamlessly or the less technical ones that don't want to mess around with DNS and might require support when things don't quite go to plan.

Of course, this level of support and innovation doesn't come at the cheapest price but buying a domain isn't always about the lowest bottom line.

Of course, name.com is best known as a domain registrar, and for good reason. It offers one of the largest TLD selections of any registrar with over 600 TLDs, so you can rest assured that you’ll find the exact TLD you’re looking for. From popular TLDs like .com and .co.uk to niche and trendy ones like .ai, .lol, and .cool, name.com has everything.

A standard .com domain will cost you $12.99 for the first year (renews at $27.99), plus $4.99/year for name.com’s advanced security tier, which includes WHOIS privacy, SSL certificate, and protection against spam calls and unauthorized transfers or changes.

However, name.com offers some serious first-year discounts if you bundle Titan Email or Google Workspace. This is how it works:

• If you buy Titan Email (Name.com’s paid email hosting, costs $24 per year), they’ll throw in the domain for free for the first year.
• If you buy Google Workspace (Google’s email/productivity suite, sold via Name.com, costs $42 per year), you can get the domain for only $0.99 for the first year.
• If you buy both, the best discount (i.e. the Titan Email one) will be applied, so your domain will still be $0 for the first year.
• It’s worth noting that both Google Workspace and Titan Email are available at a flat 50% discount with name.com.

Hosting products: web, cloud, and WordPress

Name.com now offers a decent list of hosting products, ranging from simple web hosting to cloud and one-click install WordPress hosting.

The most basic web hosting plan lets you build a single website and set up 100 email accounts for $6 a month on a 1-year subscription. Note that name.com does not offer multi-year subscriptions for its hosting services. The business plan, which is built for scale, is priced at $13 a month on a 1-year subscription and supports unlimited websites, unlimited email accounts, and unlimited storage.

Every account also includes a free SSL certificate, automated backups every 48 hours, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and the industry-standard cPanel for easy management. Even better, you’ll get a free domain name for the first year. For example, if you choose a .com domain that usually costs $12.99, it will be free for the first year and then renew at its usual rate from the second year onward.

That said, keep in mind that the privacy bundle for a domain name (around $4.99) is not included in the free package. You’ll have to pay for that separately.

Cloud hosting is also more than decent. Name.com has partnered with DigitalOcean and offers its basic shared Droplets. For a standard 60 GB Droplet, you’ll have to pay $216 a year, and if that wasn’t expensive enough, backups - which are usually free with other providers - will set you back another $72 a year. This is pretty expensive by industry standards.

That said, there are still some strong points on offer: you get global data centers, one-click deployments, and support for popular platforms like WordPress, Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS. The provider also mentions easy upgrades. However, with cloud hosting, the gold standard is automatic scaling and geo-redundancy. Name.com doesn’t clearly state how many data centers it offers, while other dedicated cloud hosts are more transparent, letting you confirm redundancy before signing up.

Also, this is shared hosting and not managed cloud, so you won’t get managed extras. In fact, the website’s FAQs state directly that you’ll need a base-level understanding of Linux and the command line to take full advantage of this self-managed cloud hosting. So it’s definitely not for everyone.

As for WordPress hosting, name.com offers just a single plan at $29.95 a year. It comes with everything you’d need for a basic website: one-click installation, unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, free daily backups, plugin support, and a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate. However, if you’re looking for more advanced features like staging environments, automatic updates, or optimized caching, you might be better off elsewhere.

All in all, unless you’re looking into name.com’s hosting products to simply get everything (hosting, domain, site builder) in one place, you’ll be better off with a dedicated web host, as you’re likely to get more features there - and at a better price.

Performance & customer support

The last time we tested name.com, it actually cropped up above-par performance, delivering consistent uptime and impressive speeds.

Our latest tests, though, are still ongoing, and we’ll soon update this page to reflect the most recent findings - so stay tuned.

Name.com's hosting is aimed more or less at beginners, and that means the company needs to provide the quality support its target audience requires. The company's knowledgebase is decent enough, with menus and links pointing you to various topics, featured articles highlighting common issues, and there's a search box to help you track down what you need.

We tried a few test searches. The engine regularly reported finding large numbers of articles, but these cover all name.com products, not just web hosting, so we had to scroll through various domain registration and email hosting articles to find what we needed.

The situation picked up once we located more relevant content. There's usually not a lot of detail, but most articles cover the core points, with screenshots to point you in the right direction, and some video tutorials if you prefer.

There's a support team to deal with more complex queries. They're available via telephone and live chat, only for a limited number of hours (7am to 10pm phone and 12pm to 3am Monday to Friday for phone, 2am to 8pm chat), but there's 24/7 ticket support if you need it.

Final verdict

Name.com is a fantastic storefront where you can find everything you need to get an online business underway. It offers excellent and affordable domain registration, along with bundled extras like Google Workspace with Gemini and Titan Email with AI-driven features. On top of that, you also get hosting options, including WordPress hosting.

That said, if your main priority is hosting, you’ll likely be better served by a dedicated web host. While name.com has expanded its hosting range, these services still feel more like strong add-ons that complement its core strength: domain registration.

Web.com was founded in 1999 and worked its way to become one of the leading web hosting technology companies, as well as one of the largest providers of online marketing services in the USA. It was a part of the Web.com Group which also owned a whole portfolio of brands including Network Solutions and Register.com. Their main aim was (or so they claim) to “help customers of all sizes build an online presence that delivers results”.

In 2021 web.com merged with Endurance Web Presence resulting in a new company Newfold Digital. Then, in 2025 web.com was absorbed by Network Solutions.

Plans and pricing

Web.com services aim to cover all the bases when it comes to hosting, website design and the problem of security. Besides shared hosting, they provide domain registration (and transfer) services, their own website builder and WordPress-optimized hosting (managed and unmanaged).

At first, the pricing seems cheap and cheerful, but if you decide to dig a bit deeper you’ll reveal that the displayed price is valid for the first month only. From the second month onward, the price will be more than doubled and if you haven’t read everything through and through, you might feel like you’ve been played for a fool. For instance, the cheapest hosting package (labeled as “Essential Hosting”) is priced at $5.95 per month, yet this goes for the first month only and the second one is going to cost you $14.95, which is a broad daylight robbery in comparison. Well, at least you should get a “free” domain name registration with every package in addition to their beginner-friendly website builder.

As for supported payment methods, they accept all major credit/debit cards and PayPal. If you are wondering about their refund policy, they are rather rigorous about not providing any, although you can cancel their services at any time.

Ease of use

To kick off your website, you’ll first have to decide which is the right hosting solution for you and whether you want to build your website by yourself (there are several ways to do so) or you would rather put it in the hands of experts (by opting for the “Build It For Me” option). If the latter is the one you want, you should schedule a call with Web.com’s team to get a consultation on the matter (at no cost).

Anyhow (sooner or later), you’ll have to pick out a plan and, since they are well presented, this should be as easy as anything. If you are new to all this, the FAQ section below might be of some help. After adding this plan to the cart, you’ll be asked (as expected) to register a new domain (all of them are free for a year, except for “.co”) or use the one you possess. However, keep in mind that after the renewal period your domain can cost you up to $38 per year, which is a handsome sum of money. There, you can apply a promotional code (if you are lucky to have one), enter your name,e-mail address and password and proceed to create your Web.com’s account.

With all shared hosting packages, Web.com provides its users with an access to cPanel, which is great news. Thanks to its intuitive and beginner friendly interface and one-click installer (for about 25 open-source applications), your website will be on fire in a heartbeat. If you haven’t had much experience with coding and yet you want to develop your website by yourself, Web.com offers a newbie-friendly drag-and-drop website builder which should do the trick.

Speed and experience

Although Web.com is quite keen on presenting itself in the best possible light, it (curiously) doesn’t emphasize blazing speed performance as one of its greatest assets. Nevertheless, after putting Web.com’s main website to the test, we learned that they have nothing to worry about concerning this. After taking into account all of the vital web metrics, GTmetrix (our speed testing tool) rated speed performance of Web.com’s website with a B (95%), which is a pretty good result.

Web.com promises an industry-standard uptime of 99.9%. However, after consistent monitoring of Web.com’s main website for a month we got a less favorable outcome resulting in 99.83%. There were four instances of downtime and together they lasted for 67 minutes, the longest one persisting for 28 minutes straight. Although this is not the most dreadful performance we’ve seen, it’s needless to say that we were hoping for better results.

Support

If you find yourself in need of help, proceed to Web.com‘s “Online Help Center'', which has familiar functionality of a knowledgebase. There, the articles are sorted out into eight fitting categories and each of them is rated by a system involving stars, from one to five. Most of these are beginner-oriented and offer solutions to various potential problems described in great detail, more often with pictures than without. Using the search box should get you a good deal of hits, although a number of them might be rather loosely connected to the actual problem.

As an addition, there is a FAQ section on Web.com‘s site for each product type presented and it provides some helpful insight for all the newcomers.

As a more human-centered alternative, you can reach out to Web.com's technical team via telephone, ticket and live chat, all of which should be available day-and-night. Other than that, you can get in touch with them via text messages on Facebook and Twitter, which is a nice touch for all the users out there.

The competition

As children of the same parent company, Network Solutions and Web.com are somewhat similar. Both try to be accessible to new users and offer some affordable hosting solutions without the need for compromising the quality. That being said, Web.com gives its users an access to cPanel (probably the user-friendliest solution of its kind out there), while Network Solutions doesn’t, so the choice might be up to that.

Both Bluehost and Web.com have packages aimed at new users in particular, and pretty good ones to boot.  Nevertheless, if you’re looking to save some bucks, Bluehost is a better choice, since its entry-level plan goes for $2.95 per month, while it is $5.95 with Web.com. However, if you fail to read about the renewal rates after the promotional period, both hosts might make you jump out of your skin.

While both HostGator and Web.com are more than able to cover everything needed to launch a small business, HostGator can do the same for medium-sized businesses as well. In addition to shared hosting, it provides several options for reseller, VPS and dedicated servers, which is a must-have for a growing business.

WestHost is a fellow US-based web hosting provider with more than two decades of experience in the industry. The smallest plans with both of them are beyond budget-friendly at start (especially WestHost’s entry-level plan which is going for $0.99 at the moment), but they will raise the price after the promotional period to its fullest capacity. Even so, Web.com’s starter plan (which comes as no surprise) puts less restriction on its features and throws in a free domain registration to even the odds.  

Final verdict

At the end of the day, Web.com is pleasantly honest in not trying to be something more than it actually is. Their hosting solutions are primarily aimed at newcomers, which they try to supply with everything it takes so they can quickly kickstart their website across the virtual web highway. Hence, if you consider yourself one of them, Web.com’s hosting packages might provide you with a good value for money.

However, if you have bigger plans for your website (or are determined to save some money for the rainy days), your dream website might find a forever home with more celebrated companies like Hostgator, Bluehost or GoDaddy.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

Buzzsprout has always been on my list to test out when talking about podcast hosting providers. While it’s known for its beginner-friendly interface and powerful features, Buzzsprout’s extensive support stood out for me.

I tested Buzzsprout’s features, set my podcast live, and explored its analytic tools to get to know how it really works.

For a comparison on how Buzzsprout compares against the competition, check out the best podcast hosting providers.

Advantages of Buzzsprout (Pros)

Unlimited storage

Except for the free plan, all paid subscriptions have unlimited storage, so you never have to worry about running out of space for your podcasts.

Unlimited team members

Using just one account, you can add as many team members as you want. This allows your editors, managers, and others to access it without having to create separate access.

Manage multiple podcasts in one place

Running multiple podcasts? With Buzzsprout, you can manage them all under one roof. From uploading them to editing and even checking statistics, find everything in one account.

Plenty of learning materials

Buzzsprout has plenty of guides and support materials for you to learn everything that you need to. From their tutorials on YouTube to DIY fixes, there's plenty of content.

Free Plan Available

There is a free plan available for users who want to test out the platform. However, it is only available for 90 days, and features are limited. For instance, you can’t have a podcast website, import podcasts, etc.

Multiple monetization options

While I’ve talked about this in detail ahead, Buzzsprout offers various monetization options like ads, subscriptions, and direct payments that you can receive from your listeners.

Buzzsprout Celebrates Your Milestones

To ensure you never give up or lose the motivation of your podcasting journey, Buzzsprout sends you reminders of your achievements so far. In addition, it also shows you how close you are to your next achievement. Eventually, you’ll always strive for the best!

Who is Buzzsprout Right For?

Buzzsprout is perfect for beginner podcasters who want a simple, all-in-one solution to launch and grow their show without technical know-how.

You don’t need any advanced skills to get started. Features like Magic Mastering and one-click distribution make it easier to make your podcast live without spending hours on editing or hosting knowledge.

Furthermore, you get automatic updates to the latest version, dynamic ad insertion, and reliable hosting, so you can focus on content rather than tech.

Lastly, Buzzsprout takes the initiative to guide you step by step in publishing and making your first episode live. While Buzzsprout works for experienced podcasters, its biggest strength is removing barriers for newcomers, making it ideal for first-timers who want a hassle-free start.

Using Buzzsprout (Interface)

Buzzsprout's interface is clean and easy to understand. You can visit your statistics, podcast episodes, fan emails, your website, etc., all in one place.

Even as a beginner or a new podcaster, you won’t have a hard time figuring out how Buzzsprout works or how to publish your episodes. Secondly, I like how the dashboard also gives you a glimpse into your podcast pace (meaning how your podcast is performing) and shares resources.

From here, you can even check your fan emails and edit any existing podcast. If you want to upgrade your plan, you can do so directly from your dashboard.

Features Breakdown

Magic Mastering

It works like an Instagram filter for your audio, and this feature uses advanced technology to optimize your audio with the best practices. This makes your podcast more professional with high-quality audio.

Automatic episode optimization

Forget about figuring out technical audio details. Upload your podcast recording directly to Buzzsprout and let their smart system handle all the optimization work behind the scenes. The platform automatically processes your audio to sound professional without requiring you to understand complex audio terminology or settings.

Transcriptions

For every episode, Buzzsprout lets you add a transcript to make your podcast easily accessible to people and search engines. In this feature, you can also choose your export format to use on other platforms as texts.

Embed And Sharing Options

With a one-click sharing option, you can embed your podcast directly into your website by customizing it to match your brand color. Moreover, your listeners can also directly hear your podcast from the embed and control it for speed, rewind, forward, etc. Lastly, you can also enable a sharing button that lets your listeners share your podcast with others.

Friendly Mobile App

Buzzsprout offers a mobile app that is available on Android and iOS. The mobile app works similarly to the website, allowing easy access to edit and publish your episode, check your stats on the go, or even celebrate your milestones.

Customizable Podcast website

Irrespective of the plan you choose, Buzzsprout gives you a free podcast website with your own domain (except for the free plan). This sharable website lets your audience find you without wandering on multiple platforms. At the same time, you can customize the majority of the aspects of the site.

How to Get Started With BuzzSprout?

You can sign up on Buzzsprout for free without entering your credit card. Once you’ve signed up, you can start your new podcast by entering your podcast title and description.

Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Enter your title and description that aligns with what your podcast is going to be about.

Step 2: Once you’re redirected to your dashboard, click on “Upload a New Episode.”

Step 3: Enter your podcast details as asked on your screen. These include title, episode description, artwork, etc. You can also choose to post it immediately or schedule it.

Step 4: Your episode is now live! You can customize or edit it by adding chapter markers, mid-roll placements, and visual soundbites.

Podcast Distribution With Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout allows you to submit your podcast to all the major directories. From Apple Music and Spotify to YouTube, you can manually submit episodes. This can also be done if you are on the free plan.

While this is great, there is no option for Buzzsprout to automatically submit your podcast, unlike its competitor RSS.com, which offers automatic submission once you upload your episode. We have broken down this in detail in our RSS.com Review.

Migration from Other Podcast Hosting to Buzzsprout

Migrating from another podcast hosting provider to Buzzsprout is easy. You can directly import your podcast by typing the name or add from an RSS feed URL.

Once you’re done, Buzzsprout will automatically take care of migration without you having to struggle with technical know-how. You will be notified once the migration is successful, and you can start editing and uploading your podcast through Buzzsprout without having to start over.

Monetization Options

Buzzsprout allows you to monetize your podcast with two primary options – let your listers be supporters and pay a “value 4 value” amount, or enable a subscription to provide exclusive content.

All the payments received will be collected in your Buzzsprout wallet. You can either take it out or carry it forward to your next paid plan invoice. Also, note that Buzzsprout charges a 15% fee for the payments you get.

Another monetization option is to allow ads on your podcast. For this, you get complete control over which ads you want to display and the ones that align with your audience's needs.

What Is BuzzSprout Ads?

A separate feature called Buzzsprout ads is where you can reach millions of listeners across 120,000+ active podcasts. You can customize your ad as per your preference and reach a wider audience directly.

This privacy-focused ad campaign targets podcasts that are related to yours, helping you find the right audience. The price for these ads is two cents per impression. You can further customize your ad budget.

Analytics & Data

Buzzsprout’s analytics and statistics for your podcast stood out the most to me. From 30 days of statistics of your podcast to custom dates, you can find all the details of how your podcast is performing. These include your top episodes and top apps where your audience found your podcast.

But this isn’t the reason why I liked analytics. Buzzsprout has a built-in feature (even for free users) called “The Podcast Predictor,” which predicts how many downloads your podcast will receive in the next 90 days.

Another amazing option is that you can directly import your statistics from Spotify and Apple Music without having to track them separately.

Buzzsprout Pricing & Plans

Buzzsprout has a free plan that hosts your episodes for 90 days and offers 2 hours of upload every month. The free plan comes with restrictions wherein you get limited storage, no access to monetization, and restricted features. While restricted, the free plan is perfect for anyone who wants to test our Buzzsprout before committing to its paid plan.

Talking about its paid plans, you can choose from its 3 options:

Buzzsprout hasn’t named its plans because the features with all the tiers are the same. The only difference is the upload hours you get every month.

All plans include embedded players, statistics, podcast websites, and directories. But here’s a drawback I found. Despite paying for the premium plans, you don’t get Cohost AI and Magic Mastering as a part of your subscription. Instead, you need to add them separately to your plan by paying $10-30/month. This can add an extra cost for podcasters besides the regular subscription, especially if you’re looking for an all-in-one podcast hosting provider.

Customer Support & Resources

Known for its award-winning customer support, Buzzsprout has a detailed resource section that covers guides, FAQs, news, etc. The resource hub is updated every month with new guides that you can check out. If you’re new to podcasting, their detailed guides will help you get the basics right.

If the DIY method doesn’t work or you are stuck, you can contact the Buzzsprout team by email. The “Help” option at the right corner of the header of your dashboard will automatically redirect you to email support. Note here that the team responds Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 EDT (GMT-4).

Besides, you can tune into their YouTube channel or join the private Facebook community to stay updated with the podcasting world.

Verdict: Is Buzzsprout Worth It?

Buzzsprout is absolutely worth it if you want to begin podcasting without any technical hassle. Its beginner-friendly user interface allows you to set up everything within a few steps. Besides, you can market your podcast with its easy social sharing and customizable embed and even monetize it with ads and subscriptions.

All plans are loaded with the right features a podcaster needs to kickstart their career. And if you get stuck, do not forget to check out their award-winning customer support and plenty of free resources to help you.

Meet the authors

BisectHosting has been around since 2011 as a child company of Venture Node LLC and was registered in Ohio. The company focuses on providing the best Minecraft server hosting but also covers several other games including Rust, Terraria, 7 Days to Die, Valheim, ARK: Survival Evolved and many more.

Relatively unusually for a game hosting provider, BisectHosting also provides other web hosting services such as shared hosting, VPSand dedicated server hostingto those who want to launch their own website.

BisectHosting’s main website is a good example of a user-friendly approach done right, where you’ll be able to find everything you need within a reach of a click or two. It has 20 server locations around the world with the majority in Europe and USA, but others scattered across the globe. Bear in mind that some of these are only accessible for those signing up to a Premium plan.

With strong claims of being the ultimate destination for seemingly everything, I dived into BisectHosting to see how well it works as a Minecraft server provider, looking at its pricing, how easy it is to use, and more.

BisectHosting plans and pricing

For those interested in Minecraft server hosting only, BisectHosting offers forty packages in total (a half of which are “Budget” while the other half belongs to “Premium” ones), which is such a considerable amount of choices that we were struck with analysis paralysis straight away.

Even the budget-friendly ones are chock-full of features that are fundamental in Minecraft, including custom JAR support, full FTP access, free MySQL, a free subdomain, free DDoS protection and more. The most affordable “Budget” plan will cost you mere $5.98 per month and provide 2GB of RAM and support for up to 12 slots, in addition to everything mentioned above.  

Apart from Minecraft, there are fitting packages for other popular multiplayer games including: Terraria, Valheim, ARK: Survival Evolved, Left 4 Dead 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, 7 Days to Die, Rust, Counter Strike: Source, Arma 3, Garry's Mod and Team Fortress 2.

Besides gaming-focused hosting, BisectHosting offers a few options for those looking to host a website (or several of them) which include shared hosting (that start at $2.99 per month), VPS (from $4 a month) and dedicated server hosting solutions (from $109 a month).

All hosting packages (with the exception of dedicated ones) come with 3-day money-back guarantee. Although it is far below the industry’s standard, at least there is one being actually offered.

As for payment methods, BisectHosting currently accepts credit cards, PayPal, and Paysafecard.

Ease of use

One thing BisectHosting provides all of its users with is an abundance of choice, with something being offered to suit most tastes. Whether you want hosting for a small multiplayer community or a large one, BisectHosting should get you covered with its unlimited slots.

Those who are on the lookout for Minecraft server hosting services can select from Bedrock (mobile) and Java (original) edition, with more pre-designed packages being provided for Java. Whichever you opt for, the following step is to select a plan and check all of its details, such as data center location, billing cycle and add-ons.

If you aren’t hell bent on saving a few bucks, you could go with the most pocket-friendly out of the “Premium” packages, since they come with all features you could wish for without the need to pay extra for each of them. The most noteworthy are: unlimited slots, NVMe SSD space, dedicated IP, daily backups, Sponge installation and modpack updates and installations. Of course, all of “Budget” server features are included in this one as well.  

Creating an account with BisectHosting will require you to provide a number of personal details (although nothing out of the ordinary) and since instant setup is one of their key features, your server will be ready to use in the blink of an eye.

All server hosting plans come with a highly modified version of MultiCraft as your control panel, and which variation you’ll get depends on whether you chose a plan from the “Budget” or “Premium” section. Both control panels share the same easy-to-use functionality and will enable fast navigation for Java and Bedrock users alike. Even if you haven't used any version of MultiCraft before, with its user-friendly interface you should be able to swiftly find ways to customize your server by installing modpacks, plugins, server JARs and much more.

Speed and experience

In order to fulfil its goal and become one of the best Minecraft server providers out there, BisectHosting should present us with close to perfect performance, even more so since they claim that NVMe or SSDs are used exclusively to run all of their game servers. After testing the speed of BisectHosting’s main website by utilizing GTmetrix as our tool we got somewhat expected and highly satisfactory results. All vital web metrics related to speed performance were well above the average, resulting in near-perfect an A (99%)

Although BisectHosting offers no uptime guarantee, according to the results we got after monitoring it for a month (via UptimeRobot) it should be close to 100%. No major oscillations were recorded in response time and not a single second of downtime on top of everything. Admittedly, one month of perfect performance doesn’t have to be indicative of a whole year, but it sure seems like a good start. 

Support

As reported by a large number of their users (and supported by our own first-hand experience) BisectHosting’s customer support team is one of their major selling points. Not only they are at your disposal around-the-clock, but the persons in charge are responsive, resourceful and very respectful in their approach to customers. This “dream team” can be reached via support ticket and live chat.

If you want to be more self-sufficient, you’ll find a major source of information in BisectHosting’s knowledgebase. It currently contains 139 articles in total which are split into ten corresponding categories (Billing Panel, Domain Management, Game Servers, Minecraft Java/Bedrock Servers and so forth). As far as we can see, most of these articles are easy-to-follow and often supplemented with pictures or video tutorials from BisectHosting’s official YouTube channel.

We should give a special mention to their YouTube channel as well, since it is only less than a year old and, yet, it is overflowing with how-to videos which seem to be coming out on a weekly basis.

The competition

When placed side by side, Shockbyte and BisectHosting seem quite similar in terms of pricing, features and support, but there are small differences that might be decisive for some users. Shockbyte is more famous for its overall performance (which means high response time, low latency and lag improbabilities), while BisectHosting’s technical team is doing a better job with support for unlimited domains, SSL certificates and backups.

Both Apex Hosting and BisectHosting offer servers of all sizes with a myriad of additional options. However, the cheapest Minecraft server hosting option with Apex Hosting will cost you $4.49 per month (and for the first month only, after which it will rise to $5.99), while with BisectHosting it’s merely $2.99 per month. On the other hand, with Apex Hosting you’ll get a somewhat longer money-back guarantee.

Besides game server hosting, BisectHosting provides a shared web hosting option with a few attractive features and pricing that is a match for Bluehost’s. The cheapest plans with both hosts come at quite an attractive price, which is $2.95 per month with Bluehost and $2.99 with BisectHosting. However, with Bluehost’s plan you’ll get free domain registration, a free SSL certificate and CDN, which is hard to beat.

HostGator is a great alternative both to Bluehost and BisectHosting for all those looking for a simple-to-use yet feature-packed hosting service equally fit for individual users and small businesses. As expected, even with its cheapest plan, HostGator provides users with a wide array of beginner-friendly and useful features (free domain registration, one-click installs, a free SSL certificate, free domain and website transfer, free MySQL and script transfer, and a generous 45-day money back guarantee), so it might be a better choice.  

Final verdict

On the question if BisectHosting is likely to make your gaming dreams come alive, we would have to say “yes, probably”. It offers a great diversity with its Minecraft packages, a full set of favorable features, prompt and proficient customer support and all at a pocket-friendly price.

Its web hosting packages are, however, another matter and leave out some of the beginner-friendly bonuses we are accustomed to see with other providers. Newcomers who would like to get some of those benefits are better off with fan-favorites such as HostGator, Hostinger or Bluehost.

Apex Hosting is a US-based company which launched in 2013. Its goal according to the site is to "deliver the highest level of customer support to our Minecraft server hosting clients". It makes sense then to see it feature prominently in our look at the best Minecraft server hosting. Registered in Florida, USA, its main office is situated in Sarasota with data centres across 18 locations around the world .

These include six locations in the USA (Portland, Las Vegas, San Jose, Dallas, Vint Hill and Miami), and one each in the following countries: Canada (Montreal), Brazil (Sao Paulo), the UK (London), France (Gravelines), Poland (Warsaw), Germany (Frankfurt), Israel (Tel Aviv), Russia (Moscow), China (Hong Kong), Singapore (Singapore), Australia (Sydney) and Turkey (Istanbul).

While its website isn't the most visually appealing of sites, Apex Hosting knows what counts for users. Below, you'll find exactly how I found the service with most of the things available within a few clicks.

Apex Hosting plans and pricing

Apex Hosting offers 14 Minecraft packages with the most budget-friendly plan starting at $5.99 for the first month (renewing at $7.99). For the price, you get 2GB RAM which Apex explains is good for basic servers and some modpacks.

To be able to confidently enjoy all modpacks imaginable, opt for the 8GB RAM package which costs $20.99 for the first month recurring at $27.99. In all cases, there’s a discount for committing to paying quarterly but this is still a little pricier than some game server alternatives.

The most expensive option offers 32GB RAM for $77.99 for the first month, increasing to $103.99. All plans offer unlimited player slots, dedicated live chat support, full DDoS protection, automated backups, a free subdomain, one-click pack installers, and unlimited storage.

Another option is to sign up for the Ex Series which has 16GB RAM but also a more powerful server with the Ryzen 9 5900X 4.8GHz, NVMe SSDs, free premium support, and a free dedicated IP.

Although there is no free trial, Apex Hosting provides a 7-day money-back guarantee, which is always handy to have.  As for payment methods, Apex Hosting accepts credit/debit cards, and PayPal.

Ease of use

With so many Minecraft server plans, it's pretty easy to figure out what will work best for you. They all offer unlimited player slots but you will be somewhat limited by the RAM available to you. Fortunately, users have the flexibility to change their chosen plan at any time, so if one plan doesn’t fit your bill, there is probably another one that will. However, if neither of them work for you, don’t forget about their money-back guarantee.

After choosing your server, you’ll have to configure some details about it (billing cycle, your Minecraft username, server version and optional subdomain) and decide if you want to include a few add-ons for extra cash (plugin installations, permissions setup, dedicated IP or premium support). Oddly, there are only two options in regard to the billing cycle (monthly and quarterly) with a saving of 10% when you commit to quarterly. After this, you’ll have to provide your personal information, pick out a payment method, create a password and proceed to checkout.

Since Apex Hosting utilizes a customized version of easy-to-use Multicraft as its control panel, keeping your server running and managing all of its aspects should become a straightforward experience in no time. In addition to that, video guides are found only a click away, as is one-click modpack installer, all of which is sure to make things even easier.

Another noteworthy feature that is included with every package is automated backups, which will ensure the safety of your Minecraft world.

Speed and experience

While boasting (and rightfully so) about hosting over 200,000 Minecraft servers and having the best support in the whole industry (which should be put under question), Apex Hosting brings up  their dedicated hardware features such as “high clock speed” CPUs and the use of SSDs. This should indicate high TPS and lag-free servers for all of their customers. To check out the speed of their servers we tested the performance of their main website with GTmetrix as our tool. The results we got were pretty promising, with all the vital web metrics being above the average and rated with a conclusive grade of an A (100%).

Apex Hosting promises a 99.9% uptime and, as reported by UptimeRobot, it is very likely that you’ll be able to uphold it. We monitored Apex Hosting’s main website for more than a month and were presented with a report showing an impeccable 100% of uptime, which came as a welcome surprise. Not a second of downtime was recorded and while there were several oscillations in response time, they should have no substantial impact on the overall performance.

Support

Although we were rather skeptical about Apex Hosting’s claims to have “the best support in the industry” we decided to give them a chance to prove us wrong. Their customer support is available 24/7 through tickets and live chat, which they seem to take great pride in. From our perspective, chat seems well-organized and functions as a one-stop-solution for most of the problems one might encounter along the way. A support agent we got in touch with responded within five minutes and provided us with everything we wanted to know in a very kind way. If you are using some of the same social platforms they are active on, you can try to reach them there as well.

If you prefer finding solutions on your own, Apex Hosting’s knowledgebase should probably be your first stop, although their YouTube channel shouldn’t be overlooked since it offers a decent number of easy-to-follow video guides.

The competition

Both Shockbyte and Apex Hosting tend to get high on the majority of “best Minecraft host” lists, and rightfully so. While Shockbyte has more server options in general, a longer list of features and all at a budget-friendly price, Apex Hosting is stronger in terms of customer support.

BisectHosting is another provider determined to make a Minecraft server hosting experience as easy as possible, much like Apex Hosting does. However, BisectHosting is slightly stronger in terms of package options, features and included add-ons, while Apex Hosting provides superior support to its customers. Additionally the daily backups you’ll get with Apex Hosting are a great bonus.

Another difference between the two is the availability of web hosting options (shared hosting, VPS and dedicated server hosting) you have with BisectHosting, but not with Apex Hosting, since it’s focusing on Minecraft. Another web hosting alternative and quite a popular one, would be Bluehost, since in addition to attractive pricing, it provides a full range of hosting services capable of responding to most needs.

Another good (and beginner-friendly) choice for those looking to launch their own website would be HostGator. Besides everything one would expect from a well-known host, they offer their own easy-to-use website builder with all of their shared hosting plans (even the cheapest one) and a 45-day money-back guarantee with “no questions asked”.

Final verdict

There are several reasons behind Apex Hosting’s growing popularity among Minecraft fans, including a variety of server options and total control over it. When we add fast and lag-free performance, backups and DDoS protection, simple-to-use control panel and first-class support to the deal, it’s really hard to say “no” to Apex Hosting.

Although the money-back guarantee is valid for only seven days and might not seem particularly generous, it is actually a bit longer than what is found with some of the company's Minecraft-focused competitors. For a usual 30-day one, you can try out Hostinger, which is one of top web hosting providers out there, with and without Minecraft.

However, if you are on the lookout for a reputable and reliable host for your website and don’t even know how you ended up here in the first place, don’t miss out on checking Bluehost and HostGator.

ScalaCube has long been one of the best Minecraft server hosting options available. It offers a selection of products, all the features you could need, and some easy one-click install solutions.

In our ScalaCube review, we explain exactly why this host holds such a large share of the market. The cheapest plan costs less than a cup of coffee, while there are extensive options for those with more ambitious plans and a growing community. What more could you need?

ScalaCube plans and pricing

ScalaCube has nine different subscription options, covering different budgets. For American and European servers, Premium plans range from $2 to $96 a month for the first month, renewing at $5 to $192.

The cheapest plan comes with 768MB RAM and 10 player slots. That plan won't suffice for most needs but there are mid-range options such as 6GB RAM and 100 player slots for $18 per month (increasing to $36), right up to the $96 plan which has 600 player slots and 32GB RAM.

A dedicated IP costs a $20 one-off fee with automated backups costing a $10 one-off fee.

ScalaCube features

ScalaCube focuses on Minecraft hosting, and its products are backed by a suite of premium features. Some of the most notable are listed below.

One-click modpack installation

With ScalaCube, you will have access to one-click installations for more than a thousand modpacks. These include standard packs, Spigot, PaperMC, CurseForge, and more. You can also create and upload your own custom modpack if you would like to.

Server monitoring

On your ScalaCube dashboard, you will find a monitoring tab that enables you to keep track of your server’s RAM and storage usage. You can use this to help you decide whether or not you’re using the correct plan for your needs.

Interface and in-use

To start with ScalaCube, simply select the plan you want to sign up for and work through the checkout process. This is very straightforward, and you shouldn’t have any issues. The main dashboard is simple but easy to navigate and familiarize yourself with.

One thing worth noting is that ScalaCube’s servers can take a significant amount of time to deploy. Expect to wait at least ten minutes, but this could stretch to an even longer period of time in some cases. 

The server management dashboard is packed full of a great selection of tools, including a backup system, FTP/SSH access, and a Minecraft launcher. Installing a new game server takes just a few clicks, and it’s a very straightforward process in general.

Support

ScalaCube’s customer service is limited to online ticketing. You need to be signed in to your account to submit a ticket, and this is done from your main dashboard. The support team is only active from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (GMT+2). 

There are a number of self-help resources available via the support page. Here, you will find dozens of Minecraft tutorials outlining how to create your server, the best ways to configure it, and various other popular actions.

Alternatives to ScalaCube

ScalaCube is a top-rated Minecraft host, and its free plan stands out as one of the best we’ve seen, but there are numerous alternatives worth considering. 

For example, Hostinger offers powerful Minecraft hosting at much lower prices than ScalaCube, making it a great option for those on a tight budget. Setup is very straightforward, and you will benefit from the Game Panel, which enables you to create a new server in just a few minutes. There are numerous server types, and prices start at just $4.99 monthly (on a 24-month plan) for 4GB RAM and 1 vCPU core.

Another popular option is MCProHosting, which enables you to host and switch between multiple games on the same server—a feature that ScalaCube doesn’t have. This makes it a great choice for those who like to switch between Minecraft and other games such as ARK, CS GO, Starbound, and Rust. 24/7 support is available if you run into any problems.

Final verdict

Overall, ScalaCube presents as one of the best Minecraft hosts available. Its free plan is great for those looking to create their first server, while its premium options cater to users of all skill levels. There are some small flaws, like limited customer service. But overall, there’s a lot to like here, and we’d highly recommend giving ScalaCube a try.

Further reading on game server hosting

We've got in-depth on all you need to know about the best Minecraft server hosting. For other games, check out the best game server hosting currently available.

OpenDNS is a cloud-based Domain Name System (DNS) provider that delivers enhanced security with web filtering and various blocking features – and OpenDNS Family Shield is its consumer product for protecting entire households from inappropriate content on the internet. So while it isn't a fully fledged parental control app, it does offer some similar functions.

Family Shield is designed to offer fast, easy parental control – the kind of product where parents can set it up once and forget about it, knowing that it’ll block adult content on all devices. It’s easy to use, but doesn’t include customization.

OpenDNS also has a free product called OpenDNS Home, which allows parents to customize their web filtering and view basic usage stats. It’s more involved, but trickier to set up.

Since 2015, OpenDNS has been part of the Cisco organization, so there’s no shortage of cloud computing and cybersecurity knowledge underpinning this tool.

Plans and pricing

Family Shield gets off to a pleasing start – because it’s entirely free, just like the customizable Home product.

Despite that free status, Family Shield covers an unlimited number of devices, and it doesn’t require an account to use – unlike the free Home product, which requires account creation in order to use its customization abilities.  

Features

Family Shield is free, then, but what does it do? Put simply, it’s a preconfigured web filter that you can set up on your router, PC, smartphone or server. Once it’s configured, it blocks potentially harmful traffic.

The best way to use OpenDNS is to set it up on your router – that way, it’ll filter all the traffic that goes through your router, whether that’s from phones, games consoles, laptops or anything else.

Family Shield’s preconfigured filter blocks content in four categories: pornography, tasteless, proxy/anonymizer, and sexuality. You’ll find virtually everything you don’t want your children seeing within those four categories. On top of that, OpenDNS Family Shield also blocks phishing sites and other potentially dangerous websites.

The filter works extremely well, and the fact it works on routers means it works across a broader range of devices than most parental control tools.

Bear in mind, though, that more conventional tools like Qustodio or MMGuardian allow you to filter using a far wider array of categories.

If you want a wider array of categories or if you want to add your own permitted or blocked sites to lists, then you’ll have to use OpenDNS Home – a more customizable product that’s admittedly a bit more technical.

Once Family Shield is configured, there’s no dashboard, control panel or app to worry about – you apply the settings and let it work.

It couldn’t be easier, then, but it’s worth noting that OpenDNS Family Shield is a filter, not a conventional parental control app, so you miss many features you’ll find elsewhere.

You won’t find screen time controls, location monitoring, app blocking or anything else here, for instance – because OpenDNS Family Shield is simply not that kind of product.

If you want those, you’ll have to explore a free tool from Microsoft, Google or Mobicip, or a paid product like Norton Family Safety, Qustodio or Bark.

Interface and use

The most effective way to use OpenDNS Family Shield is by setting it up on your router – that way, it filters all of the web traffic that goes through the router across your array of devices.

To set up Family Shield on your router, you’ll have to go into your router’s browser settings and alter its DNS settings – the numbers that control how web traffic flows through the router. Once those settings are saved, web traffic is routed through OpenDNS’s filters, which means inappropriate sites are blocked.

The process will likely be almost identical for most routers, but OpenDNS provides dozens of useful guides, with pictures, for many common models.

That’s great, although people who aren’t technically savvy may still struggle to set OpenDNS Family Shield up because they’re unsure about delving into router or device networking settings – and that’s entirely understandable.

If you want to install OpenDNS filtering on individual devices, like smartphones, then it’s just as easy – and this is an effective way to apply filtering on technology that won’t always be connected to the internet through your home router.

On Android and iOS, it’s as simple as heading to the network settings and changing the DNS configuration. On Windows and macOS, it’s a similar process. And for a huge variety of devices, from phones and games consoles to Linux laptops and Windows devices, OpenDNS provides clear tutorials.

If you want to use OpenDNS Home instead, setup is largely similar – and you can use a web-based dashboard to manage your network, alter filters, and view statistics about network usage.

Support

We’ve already mentioned the wealth of setup guides you can use with OpenDNS Family Shield, and support is comprehensive elsewhere. The Documentation section is full of guides that take a deeper look at OpenDNS technology, and you can delve into configuration if you’d like to use OpenDNS Home instead.

The user forum is extremely busy, so it should be relatively easy to get answers to common technical issues, and there’s a ticket-based system for submitting support requests. Reports online suggest that replies are both quick and helpful.

The only thing missing here is phone support or live chat, but that tends to be offered by larger organizations with parental control apps that have more features. While OpenDNS is certainly a huge company, Family Shield is a relatively basic filter rather than a fully-featured parental control app.

The competition

That status means that it’s quite difficult to weigh up OpenDNS Family Shield with any close rivals – because this web filtering product is unique.

It does a great job of filtering your network, for instance, but you’ll also find excellent filtering in Qustodio and MMGuardian – albeit on individual devices. Both of those products, and Bark, also provide a broader slate of parental control features, even though they are paid-for products.

And if you want parental control without paying a penny, then shop around: Microsoft Family Safety and Google Family Link both have basic filtering, and Qustodio offers a free parental control app for single-device monitoring.

Final verdict

There’s no doubt that OpenDNS Family Shield is an excellent web filter. When applied to your router, it’ll do a tremendous job of blocking inappropriate traffic across every device in your home – and all for free.

When used on smartphones and laptops, it’ll block those same websites when children are using other networks, too, and OpenDNS Home is an ideal next step for customization if you’re comfortable with more technical setup and customization.

Beyond the filter, though, OpenDNS Family Shield has little to offer because it’s not a full parental control suite.

If you’re happy with using a filter on your networks, then Family Shield is a free and effective option. But if you want parental control features like location tracking, screen time restrictions and app control, then you’ll have to look elsewhere – and maybe spend some money, too.

• Save your data online with the best cloud storage.

Imperium Hosting is a veteran-owned game server host which caters for a wide range of games. We focused on its place among the best Minecraft server hosting, but if you can think of a game with an online community, Imperium probably has a server plan for it.

For Minecraft, Imperium Hosting focuses on a range of configurable options rather than specific plan names which means a lot of variety. Besides game server hosting, Imperium also provides web hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. Potentially a good option for someone seeking the best dedicated server hosting, we’ve specifically looked at Imperium Hosting’s dedicated Minecraft server hosting options. Here’s what we found during our time with Imperium.

Plans and pricing

Unlike other game server host providers, Imperium Hosting doesn’t use dedicated names for its plans. Instead, you pick your game then configure the options you need.

For Minecraft, that means you can adjust the memory allocation between 2GB and 20GB, and the disk space between 50GB and 200GB. Additionally, there are options like a superior CPU and other add-ons as needed.

It’s great to have such flexibility but if you’re new to game server hosting, some guidance as to what plan works best for your situation would help.

All plans offer DDoS protection, global server locations, extensive customer support, and one-click mod pack installation.

Refreshingly, while Imperium Hosting offers some add-ons during sign up, like migration, everything is opt-in. As standard, you’re provided with the cheapest plan with Minecraft plans starting from $2.99 for a basic 2GB RAM/50GB disk space plan (you’ll need more RAM in most scenarios). It’s laid out well so you know what you’re getting.

The cheapest plan starts at $2.99 with the price rising to $72 for the maxed out 20GB RAM/200GB disk space/RealTime CPU plan. There’s no extra fee for any of the server location with servers based in Washington, California, Virginia, the UK, France, and Canada. Payment is accepted via PayPal or credit/debit card.

Ease of use

As mentioned, the sign up process on the Imperium website doesn’t involve clicking on specific plan names. Instead, you pick the memory and disk space you need along with the CPU priority you would like. It’s not as clearly laid out as other hosting options (and I never could find full details on concrete differences between the CPU options), but it does give you plenty of control.

In a similar vein, once signed up, the dashboard and control panel aren’t as clearly laid out as others either but there’s all you need once you dig around. Log in and you can dive into the MySQL manager (1 database comes as standard), or the game service manager. The latter is where you’ll be spending much of your time with clearly laid options for adding mods, checking logs, or scheduling tasks? Attractive to look at? Not in the slightest but it gets the job done.

There are many modpacks available as well as the option to switch between Spigot and Paper, or Vanilla. If you’re completely new to setting up a Minecraft server, Imperium Hosting can be a little intimidating but it’s as powerful as you need it to be.

My favorite highlight is how easy it is to add sub users as not every game server host makes that as obviously simple as this. Just go to Create a Sub User and you can easily get set up.

Speed and experience

Imperium Hosting has servers located around the world. These include three within the US, one in Canada, one in the UK, and one in France. When signing up, your options are a little more restricted to Western America, Eastern America, or Western Europe.

Elsewhere in the world, you may find this a little limiting but based in Western Europe, I achieved a steady ping under 40 at all times. While there could be more varied servers, the core market is covered with North America and Western Europe.

As with all Minecraft server plans, aim high if you want to install any mods. Checking out the most basic plan and installing a couple of mods soon maxed out the memory usage. That’s typical when managing any Minecraft server but bear in mind that it’s a smart move to research what you need for your plans as Imperium Hosting doesn’t provide any recommendations.

Support

When it comes to support, it’s a benefit that Imperium Hosting is fairly small. Support is friendly and well-respected by many users. There’s Live Chat, a Discord server, as well as a more typical ticketing system. There’s also a Knowledgebase which covers most queries.

A YouTube channel would round things up nicely but like a lot of the service, Imperium is all about function over form and it still works reasonably well.

Imperium doesn't provide insight into its uptime on the site so there are no statistics to compare with other hosting providers. However, in my experience using the server, there was no downtime.

Final Verdict

Imperium Hosting isn’t the prettiest or most novice friendly of game server hosts, but it deserves some attention. If you’re keen to back a smaller game server hosting service, you’ll gain a decent pricing structure and good customer service.

There’s no chance of paying for features you don’t need here as Imperium Hosting keeps it simply laid out even if it isn’t ideal for newbies. Similarly, while you won’t be regaling Minecraft buddies with tales of how good looking the control panel is, it gets the job done.

Simple yet effective in all the right ways, I’d still recommend Imperium Hosting even if it could be a little more refined in places.

Empower Servers might not be a major name in Minecraft game server hosting but it’s been around since 2018 and offers some key services.

It isn’t quite of the standard to feature among the very best Minecraft server hosting but its choice of standard or premium plans and a sliding scale all ensure it’s well suited for novices and experienced server admins alike.

We focused on our time with its Minecraft server but Empower provides hosting for many of the most popular games including Palworld and Rust. It also offers Discord bots and website hosting if you have wider plans in mind. If you’re looking for some of the best Palworld server hosting, this could be a good option for that as well as Minecraft. There are also options to rival the best Rust server hosting. Here’s how we found the dedicated Minecraft server hosting options within Empower.

Plans and pricing

Pick the game you want a server for and you’re presented with configuration options relating to that game. With Minecraft, that means a choice of tiers between standard and high performance, and the ability to adjust how much RAM you need. Predictably then, there’s a lot of flexibility here.

Once you’ve picked the basics, it’s also possible to pay extra for daily backups, a dedicated IP, plugin and mod install, and a domain registration, As standard, all the Empower plans promise 20GB of NVMe storage, a free subdomain, full mod and plugin support, no player limit, and unmetered bandwidth. Premium plans offer a dedicated IP, daily backups, and unlimited NVMe storage as part of the bundle.

Empower uses a mixture of AMD Ryzen 3900X, Intel i9-11900K, and Xeon-E 2286G CPUs. It’s not possible to pick the specific CPU your server uses if you’re keen for that level of control.

All plans have a 48 hour refund policy which is a little brief compared to the competition which typically offers 72 hours, but should still be sufficient for giving you enough time to figure out if you like how Empower does things.

Ease of use

Empower Servers focuses on a simplified process when signing up which continues throughout use. Sign up is simple enough with you picking the game then working out what extras you want to pay for. It’s clearly laid out.

Once set up, the control panel is similarly obvious. It takes seconds to find the console, find plugins or modpacks to add, and all the other essentials you need.

It’s simple enough that you don’t need exactly how to set up a Minecraft server as Empower takes out most of the hard work. In particular, it’s great to see how easy it is to install extras without needing expert knowledge. You can also easily add files via the file manager so it’s not like you’re held back either if you know what you’re doing.

One neat addition is that you can easily add other admins with Empower laying out exactly what each option does via a series of tick boxes. That’s particularly useful for anyone figuring out the basics behind server hosting.

Speed and experience

Empower has servers located in eight locations. These include Canada, Germany, New Zealand, United States, Netherlands, UK, Australia, and Singapore.

While signing up, you can choose the location. I picked the UK one and had a steady ping of around 40 throughout use. Empower promises 100% network uptime.

Unusually, I did have brief downtime with my server crashing and restarting. However, I suspect that was because of a configuration issue rather than a fault on Empower’s end. I’d installed an out-of-date plugin which was causing connection issues. I think that ultimately led to the server rebooting.

It’s possible to sign up for a 2GB RAM plan but it’s not advisable. Empower suggests that such a minimal plan is only suitable for the Bedrock edition and in my experience, 4GB RAM at minimum is best for small server aims.

Once you install a few mods and plugins, less RAM can really negatively affect performance. Fortunately, Empower’s dashboard shows at a glance how your CPU and memory usage is being affected at all times.

Support

Empower offers quite a few different ways to reach out for support. At its simplest, it has an extensive knowledge base which covers a wide range of the most common issues you might come across.

When you need more assistance, there’s also a Discord for more direct help or general advice. Alternatively, there’s a live chat facility with AI assistance at first leading into human help. If it’s not too urgent, you can also email Empower.

Another option is to watch the Empower YouTube channel which offers some great tutorials on how to complete many tasks.

I found the service across the board pretty efficient and also helpful. Having so many choices means you shouldn't feel stuck with any issue or query you might have.

Final Verdict

Empower is good for everyone but its strength lies with being fairly user friendly. It doesn’t dig too deep into the details at first glance unless you want to go looking for it. Instead, it’s welcoming and ensures its control panel and dashboard make logical sense with clearly laid out terms that don’t require as much prior knowledge as you would expect.

The best option with Empower is a premium plan but you can still get good value from money from a standard plan. It all comes down to your needs. For someone looking to host a few friends, a standard plan will suffice, while those looking to create a community may wish to go for the premium plan.