KnownHost Review: Features, Pricing, Support, Pros & Cons

KnownHost Review: Features, Pricing, Support, Pros & Cons

About KnownHost

KnownHost is a well-established managed hosting provider that has been in the business for over a decade. Founded in 2005, KnownHost has grown to become a respected name in the web hosting industry, known for its reliability, speed, and customer-centric approach. Based in the United States, the company specializes in providing high-performance hosting solutions, ranging from shared hosting and VPS hosting to dedicated servers and cloud hosting.

KnownHost prides itself on offering fully managed services, ensuring that clients can focus on growing their online businesses while leaving the technical complexities to the experts at KnownHost. KnownHost’s reputation for customer support, combined with its robust infrastructure, makes it a popular choice for both individuals and businesses seeking dependable hosting solutions.

Key Features

1. Fully Managed Hosting Services: KnownHost offers fully managed solutions, meaning that all technical aspects of the server management, including updates, security patches, and maintenance, are handled by their team. This makes it a great option for those who want high-performance hosting without the need to manage the server themselves.
2. High-Performance Infrastructure: KnownHost uses top-tier hardware for its servers, ensuring fast speeds, minimal downtime, and optimal performance. This includes the use of solid-state drives (SSDs) for faster data retrieval.
3. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: KnownHost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on its services, allowing customers to try out the service risk-free and decide whether it fits their needs.
4. Scalability: KnownHost provides a range of hosting plans that can scale with your business. Whether you’re just starting out or have a large enterprise, KnownHost has hosting solutions that can grow with you.
5. Data Backup Services: Automatic backups are included in most plans, ensuring that your website data is protected and recoverable in case of emergencies or data loss.
6. 99.99% Uptime Guarantee: KnownHost boasts an impressive uptime guarantee of 99.99%, which assures clients that their websites will be available and performing well nearly all the time.
7. Customizable Hosting Options: KnownHost allows for high levels of customization with VPS and dedicated server options, meaning that clients can tailor their hosting solutions to match specific needs.
8. Free Website Migration: New customers can take advantage of free website migration, which is particularly helpful for those switching from another hosting provider.

Basic Plan Starting Price and Features

KnownHost’s entry-level hosting plan is their Shared Hosting plan, priced starting at $3.47 per month. This plan offers basic features designed for personal websites or small businesses looking to establish an online presence. The features of the basic Shared Hosting plan include:

• 1 Website: Host a single website with this plan.
• SSD Storage: 1GB of SSD storage for faster data access.
• 1GB RAM: Sufficient for handling moderate web traffic.
• Free SSL Certificate: Ensures secure connections for your website visitors.
• cPanel Control Panel: Easy-to-use interface for managing the hosting account and website files.
• Free Migration: KnownHost offers free migration services to make switching hosting providers hassle-free.
• 1 Free Domain: The plan includes one free domain for the first year of service.
• Email Accounts: Up to 10 email accounts.
• Unlimited Bandwidth: While there are storage limits, the bandwidth is unlimited, meaning you don’t need to worry about traffic spikes affecting your website’s availability.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Excellent Customer Support: KnownHost is highly regarded for its customer support. The support team is available 24/7 via live chat, email, and phone, with most customers reporting fast and helpful responses.
2. Reliable Performance: With SSD storage and a focus on high-performance hardware, KnownHost offers exceptional speed and uptime, ensuring that websites hosted on their platform are fast and available.
3. Fully Managed Service: KnownHost’s fully managed hosting means that the technical burden of server management is taken off the customer’s shoulders, making it a good option for those with limited technical knowledge.
4. Scalability: KnownHost offers scalable hosting solutions, so customers can start small and upgrade to more powerful plans as their needs grow.
5. Money-Back Guarantee: The 30-day money-back guarantee allows customers to try the service risk-free, providing peace of mind if they’re not satisfied.

Cons:

1. Higher Prices for Advanced Plans: While the entry-level plans are reasonably priced, KnownHost’s more advanced plans, such as VPS and dedicated hosting, can become quite expensive, making it less appealing for budget-conscious users.
2. No Free Website Builder: Unlike some other hosting providers, KnownHost does not offer a free website builder, which might be a disadvantage for beginners who prefer a drag-and-drop tool.
3. Limited Shared Hosting Features: The entry-level shared hosting plan has limited storage and resources, making it less suitable for larger websites with heavy traffic.

Performance and Speed

KnownHost provides exceptional performance and speed due to the use of SSD storage, which allows for faster data retrieval compared to traditional HDD storage. The key aspects of KnownHost’s performance and speed include:

• SSD Storage: SSDs ensure quicker website loading times and better performance.
• Optimized Server Configuration: Servers are configured for optimal performance, and KnownHost continually upgrades their infrastructure to meet growing demands.
• Data Centers: KnownHost operates data centers in the U.S., offering fast access speeds for North American users, but also serving global audiences effectively.
• LiteSpeed Web Servers: For shared hosting, KnownHost uses LiteSpeed web servers, which offer significant speed improvements over traditional Apache servers.

KnownHost’s 99.99% uptime guarantee is another testament to their reliable performance, which means that customers can expect minimal downtime, making it an excellent choice for mission-critical websites that need constant availability.

Security Features

KnownHost offers a comprehensive set of security features to keep websites and hosting accounts safe from cyber threats. Some key security features include:

• Free SSL Certificates: SSL certificates are included with most hosting plans, ensuring secure connections between your website and its visitors.
• DDoS Protection: KnownHost includes DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection to defend against attacks that could bring your website offline.
• Daily Backups: Automatic backups are taken every day, ensuring that you have a recent restore point if your website data is compromised or lost.
• Firewall Protection: KnownHost implements firewalls to block unauthorized access and secure the servers.
• Malware Scanning: KnownHost offers malware scanning as part of its security package, helping to detect and prevent malicious software from harming your website.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): KnownHost supports two-factor authentication, adding an extra layer of protection to your account.

Customer Support

KnownHost is known for its responsive and knowledgeable customer support team. Customers can contact support via:

• Live Chat: Available 24/7, live chat provides immediate assistance for common issues and inquiries.
• Phone Support: KnownHost offers phone support for those who prefer to speak with someone directly.
• Email Support: Customers can also reach out via email for support or troubleshooting.
• Knowledge Base: KnownHost provides a comprehensive knowledge base with articles, guides, and troubleshooting steps to help users solve issues independently.
• Ticket System: For more complex issues, KnownHost offers a ticketing system where customers can submit detailed inquiries and track their resolution.

KnownHost’s support team is praised for its professionalism, and many users note that the team is quick to resolve issues, making them one of the best hosting providers in terms of customer service.

Control Panel and User Interface

KnownHost uses cPanel as its control panel, which is the industry standard for web hosting management. cPanel offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface for managing your hosting account, including:

• File Management: Users can easily upload, download, and manage files on their website.
• Email Management: The cPanel interface allows users to set up and manage email accounts, forwarders, and spam filters.
• Domain Management: Users can add and manage domains, subdomains, and DNS settings through the cPanel dashboard.
• One-Click Software Installations: cPanel includes a built-in installer for popular applications like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, simplifying the website-building process.
• Website Stats and Analytics: cPanel provides access to website traffic statistics, resource usage, and other performance metrics.

The user interface is designed to be easy to navigate, even for those with limited technical experience. The combination of cPanel and the robust customer support ensures that users can manage their hosting accounts effectively and without stress.