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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Scalability: KnownHost offers scalable hosting solutions, so customers can start small and upgrade to more powerful plans as their needs grow.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Conclusion
KnownHost is a strong contender in the web hosting industry, offering a variety of hosting solutions that cater to different needs. Whether you’re looking for reliable shared hosting, powerful VPS options, or custom-configured dedicated servers, KnownHost provides high-quality services with an emphasis on performance, security, and excellent customer support. While the prices may be on the higher end for advanced plans, the value offered in terms of performance, security, and customer care makes KnownHost a worthwhile choice for those who prioritize quality and reliability. The combination of scalable hosting solutions, top-tier hardware, and a fully managed service ensures that KnownHost remains a solid option for both small businesses and large enterprises.
KnownHost FAQs
- What types of hosting services does KnownHost offer?KnownHost offers a variety of hosting services, including:
- Shared Hosting: A budget-friendly option suitable for small websites or blogs.
- VPS Hosting: Virtual private servers that provide more control and resources for growing websites.
- Dedicated Hosting: High-performance hosting for large websites or businesses with heavy traffic.
- Cloud Hosting: Scalable cloud solutions that provide flexibility and high availability.
- Is KnownHost’s hosting managed or unmanaged?KnownHost offers fully managed hosting services. This means that the company handles server management tasks such as software updates, security patches, backups, and troubleshooting. This is ideal for users who prefer not to deal with the technical aspects of server management.
- How much does KnownHost cost?KnownHost’s pricing starts at $3.47 per month for the basic Shared Hosting plan. The price increases depending on the type of hosting service (VPS, Dedicated, Cloud) and the specific features you choose. More advanced plans, like VPS and dedicated hosting, have higher prices due to the increased resources and custom configurations.
- Does KnownHost offer a money-back guarantee?Yes, KnownHost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with the service within the first 30 days, you can get a full refund, making it risk-free for you to try out their hosting services.
- What kind of customer support does KnownHost provide?KnownHost offers 24/7 customer support through:
- Live chat
- Email support
- Phone support
- Knowledge base (for self-service troubleshooting) Their customer support team is known for being highly responsive and helpful.
- What is the uptime guarantee for KnownHost?KnownHost provides a 99.99% uptime guarantee, ensuring that your website will experience minimal downtime. This high level of uptime is backed by their robust infrastructure and data center reliability.
- Can I migrate my website to KnownHost for free?Yes, KnownHost offers free website migration for new customers. Their support team will handle the migration process, ensuring that your website is transferred smoothly from your previous hosting provider to KnownHost.
- Does KnownHost offer any security features?Yes, KnownHost includes several important security features with their hosting plans, such as:
- Free SSL certificates to encrypt data transferred between your site and visitors.
- DDoS protection to defend against malicious attacks.
- Daily backups to protect your data.
- Malware scanning to detect and prevent malicious software.
- Firewall protection to block unauthorized access to your server.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) for added account security.
- What control panel does KnownHost use?KnownHost uses cPanel, which is one of the most popular and user-friendly control panels in the hosting industry. cPanel allows you to easily manage your website files, email accounts, domains, and other hosting settings. KnownHost also integrates cPanel with WHM (WebHost Manager) for those on VPS and dedicated plans.
- Is KnownHost suitable for beginners?
Yes, KnownHost can be a good option for beginners, particularly those who are looking for fully managed hosting services. Their team handles the technical management of the server, and their support is highly praised for being responsive and helpful. However, beginners might need some time to get used to the control panel and hosting features, though cPanel makes it much easier to manage websites.
- What are the payment options for KnownHost?
KnownHost accepts multiple payment methods, including:
- Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express)
- PayPal
- Bitcoin (for cryptocurrency users)
- How secure is my data with KnownHost?
KnownHost takes the security of your data seriously. They implement robust security measures, including:
- Regular software updates and patches.
- Strong server-side security configurations.
- Encryption through SSL certificates.
- Automated daily backups for data recovery.
- How easy is it to upgrade or downgrade hosting plans with KnownHost?
KnownHost allows for easy upgrades and downgrades between plans. If your website grows and you need more resources, you can upgrade your plan, and if you find you’re using fewer resources than expected, you can downgrade your plan. KnownHost’s support team can assist you with the transition between plans.
- Does KnownHost support eCommerce websites?
Yes, KnownHost provides robust hosting solutions suitable for eCommerce websites, including SSL certificates, secure payment gateways, and the ability to install popular eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop through cPanel.
- How can I get started with KnownHost?
Getting started with KnownHost is simple:
- Choose the hosting plan that fits your needs (Shared, VPS, Dedicated, or Cloud).
- Sign up on their website and complete the payment process.
- If needed, KnownHost will assist with free website migration.
- Start managing your website through the cPanel control panel and enjoy fully managed hosting with expert support.
- Does KnownHost offer any special features for developers?
Yes, KnownHost offers several features that will appeal to developers, including:
- SSH access for secure server management.
- PHP version management for compatibility with various web applications.
- Multiple staging environments for testing changes before deploying them live.
- Root access (on VPS and dedicated plans) for full control over the server configuration.
- Can I use KnownHost for email hosting?
Yes, KnownHost provides email hosting as part of its plans. With their hosting, you can create and manage email accounts through cPanel, with features like:
- Email forwarding.
- Spam filters.
- Autoresponders.
- IMAP/POP3 support for accessing your email.
- Does KnownHost offer cloud hosting?
Yes, KnownHost offers cloud hosting solutions for customers who require scalability, flexibility, and high availability. Their cloud hosting plans allow you to scale resources like CPU, RAM, and storage as your website grows, making it an excellent choice for businesses that expect fluctuating traffic or need guaranteed uptime.
- Can I get a discount for long-term hosting plans with KnownHost?
KnownHost offers discounts for long-term commitments. Typically, the longer the subscription period (e.g., one year or three years), the lower the monthly cost will be. These discounts can make KnownHost’s hosting plans more affordable over time.
- Does KnownHost offer a website builder?
Unlike some other hosting providers, KnownHost does not offer a built-in website builder. However, they do provide easy one-click installations for popular CMS platforms like WordPress, which can be used to build websites. Additionally, developers can create custom websites using FTP and other tools provided by the control panel.
Alternatives to KnownHost
1. A2 Hosting
- Starting Price: $2.99 per month
A2 Hosting offers fast and reliable shared hosting with a focus on speed. Their basic plan includes features like unlimited storage and bandwidth, free SSL, and a free website migration service. They also boast Turbo Servers for even faster loading times, although these are available with higher-tier plans.
2. DreamHost
- Starting Price: $2.59 per month
DreamHost offers solid hosting performance with great customer service. Their basic shared hosting plan includes 1 website, free SSL certificate, unlimited traffic, and a 97-day money-back guarantee, which is significantly longer than most competitors. DreamHost also provides strong privacy features, making it a great choice for those who value security.
- Starting Price: $2.29 per month
InMotion Hosting is a reliable option for those seeking quality hosting. Their basic shared hosting plan includes free website migration, free SSL, unlimited email, and access to website builders like BoldGrid. InMotion also offers solid performance and strong customer support, with a 90-day money-back guarantee for peace of mind.
Each of these providers offers robust features and competitive pricing for users who are looking for reliable hosting solutions at an affordable cost.