

Ask HN: Who is your preferred web host? - mikeknoop

Very short and simple question, but one that I'm sure has a lot of discussion behind it.<p>Who is your preferred web host and domain registrar. Also, why?
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wrs
You didn't say _what_ you're hosting. So...

\- If compatible with your app, Heroku. Eliminates entire categories of tedium
and stress.

Otherwise:

\- Shared: I give a big "meh" to shared hosting in general, but if you must,
then try DreamHost. (BTW, my impression is that you'll get locked to a server
that doesn't get upgraded for years, but if you cared that much about
performance, you probably wouldn't be on shared hosting.)

\- Virtual: Linode or Slicehost (or Rackspace cloud, which is essentially
Slicehost). They all seem to "just work", and feature smart responsive people.

\- Dedicated: I've had good experiences with Softlayer. Very flexible system
and responsive support. I don't do anything with dedicated nowadays, though.

For the registrar, I like Dynadot. Simple, fast, cheap, works.

Do consider an independent DNS provider as well (e.g., dnsmadeeasy).

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mikeleeorg
For web hosts, I've used:

\+ 1and1.com - Cheap, but not terribly responsive.

\+ GoDaddy - I don't like their constant upsell techniques and have clients
who've been confused enough to accidentally purchase all sorts of unnecessary
extras.

\+ ThinkHost - I dig their green angle.

\+ DreamHost - This is who I've finally settled upon, because they allow an
unlimited number of domains, subdomains, and databases to their most basic
account. They're affordable, I've found them responsive and upfront when there
are outages, their system is pretty easy to use. And when dealing with
clients, I can easily map a client's DreamHost account to mine, so I can
access their account without seeing their private billing info.

For domain registrars, I've used:

\+ Network Solutions - Way back in the day, I used to use them. Then they went
through their shady period and I haven't gone back.

\+ GoDaddy - Same reasons as above; I dislike their upsell techniques.

\+ NameCheap - This is who I use now. No frills a fairly cheap. They aren't
the cheapest, and don't offer discounts for purchasing multiple years, but I
like their straight-forward services.

DreamHost also offers domain registrar services, though I haven't used them
because I already have my accounts set up on NameCheap.

~~~
Pheter
I was disgusted with my experience with 1and1.com.

Payments to them were not going through, despite me repeatedly trying and
contacting them about this. They ended up getting a collection agency to
handle the money (assuming that I was refusing to pay, not unable to. Clearly
their admin sucks) and I paid double what I should have once debt collection
fees were factored in.

~~~
deutronium
I've had the exact same problem with payments not going through, which has
become rather frustrating.

------
pedalpete
\- GoDaddy - not a fan. They're not an 'above board' company, seems like lots
of shady stuff going on, and navigating their control panels is atrocious.

\- ThePlanet - I had a good experience with a dedicated server from them. Good
pricing, good control panel, good notifications on the one downtime incident I
had.

\- ServerBeach/Peer1 - Also had a good experience with ServerBeach. Good
pricing on dedicated server. I didn't like their control panel at the time I
signed up, but they've recently changed it, but I moved to cloud hosting, so
didn't stick with them.

\- Rackspace Cloud - I had some initial issues which I brought to the
attention of their GM. He was great. Amazing service, and I've been VERY
impressed with the performance of their lower tier cloud. Their documentation
I thought was VERY well done.

\- Linode - I've got a cloud server with Linode, I'm happy with the
performance, but had to move up to a larger size then I was expecting. Their
service is clear and easy to use. Upgrading/downgrading is a snap. Prices are
very good.

I would say go cloud if you're into that kind of thing. Linode or RackSpace,
I'm having trouble deciding which route I'm going to stick with myself.

------
staunch
I only use dedicated servers for full blown web apps. I want 4GB+ memory and
at least two dedicated processors.

I used ServerBeach for a few years and definitely liked them. The problem is
they never improved their price:performance _at all_ over years. They're
particularly lame about extra memory. They also made a really big DNS snafu a
while back, and that was the last straw for me.

Now I'm using "Joe's Data Center". Pros: Awesome price:performance (50% of
ServerBeach), small responsive company. Cons: Not the greatest quality
bandwidth, no access to a network power switch.

I'd recommend them if you have a bit of a tolerance for risk. So far I've had
only a couple minor hiccups, but I do worry more than if I used ServerBeach or
Rackspace. It's also nice to support an underdog that understands what people
like me want.

<http://www.joesdatacenter.com/>

------
ElbertF
I've been a very happy <http://Gandi.net> customer for a while now (registrar
and VPS host). Decent performance and service, their web site interface is
great and I love having a prepaid account.

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grayrest
For shared hosting, I like webfaction. Only shared account I've seen that lets
you create long running processes. The guys that run it are fairly involved in
the Python OSS community, which I also consider a plus.

~~~
grep
+1

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_delirium
For shared hosting, <https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/>. Well-run, good docs,
some nice aspects of their custom-written provisioning system, and
particularly good pricing for smallish sites and/or sites with a large static
component.

For a VPS, <http://prgmr.com/xen/>, though they frequently close signups due
to new servers selling out as fast as they can put them up (probably a sign
that they should raise prices).

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danmonterey
Shared hosting: I've used Dreamhost, Bluehost and GreenGeeks fairly
extensively. I prefer Bluehost of those three but GreenGeeks has been moving
up the scale recently.

Domain Registrar: I like enom.com but I'm a reseller there and I'm not sure
there's a huge difference among players in this space.

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myffical
<http://www.asmallorange.com/> Friendly, starts small and scales up, run by
smart guys who answer tech support within minutes (literally).

------
shadowz
Been with LiquidWeb for over a year now and their support team is excellent.
Just started on their new service, Storm On Demand, but can't really give an
opinion yet.

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ebiester
For small projects, nearlyfreespeech.net is great. I also use them as my
registrar.

------
known
<http://hostdime.com>

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earl
web host: prgmr.com -- cheap, works, what else do you want?

registrar: godaddy 'cause they're cheap and do dns... I don't actually like
them but I haven't been motivated enough to move.

