Dotster was founded in the year 2000 and has already established itself as one of the world’s largest web hosting providers serving thousands of customers around the globe. Its headquarters is located in Vancouver and does not only provide web hosting services but also a leader in website design and domain registrations.
Dotster offers feature-rich web hosting plans not only for small and large businesses but also for individuals who seek for no downtime web hosting services. Two years in a row (2005 and 2006), Dotster received the Name Intelligence Users’ Choice Award and was nominated as 2004 Oregon Entrepreneurial Company of the Year. These recognitions show that Dotster is something to consider when looking for a web host service provider. But how good are they?
Value for your money
In terms of value for your money, you can get fast, reliable web hosting from Dotster for as low as $5.75 per month. They offer free setup and no long term commitment. You can choose from basic, deluxe and ultra hosting plans for Linux and Windows OS.
For Linux OS, your basic plan includes 10 GB of disk space, 1 domain hosted, 300 GB bandwidth, unlimited sub domains, 100 email accounts and 5 ftp logins. You also get 10mysql databases, 1 sitebuilder, 15site builder pages, standard forwarding feature, DNS management, web analytic tools, PHP5 and Perl/Phyton for as low as $5.75 monthly.
A deluxe web hosting plan includes the same features as a basic plan but with a larger disk space of 100 GB, 50 domains hosted, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited sub domains, 500 email accounts, 25 ftp logins, 25mysql databases, 6 sitebuilder sites and unlimited sitebuilder pages for $8.75 a month.
An ultra hosting plan includes unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited numbers of domains hosted, unlimited sub domains, unlimited email accounts and unlimited site builder pages. You get 50 ftp logins, 50mysql databases, 10 sitebuilder sites and a lot more for $15.99 per month.
For windows web hosting plans, plans start at $6.75. Both Linux and Windows web hosting plans include a $25 with Google adwords voucher for website promotion; all plans have email and eco-friendly features, other additional features, free applications and discounted term options depending on how many years you would like to have the service of Dotster.
Most of the plan features, especially for a basic plan, are limited like email, ftp, database and domain accounts. But, if you are not a heavy mail user then a $5.75 monthly fee for a basic plan is still a great value for your money.
Performance and reliability
Dotster offers 99.9% uptime guarantee with round the clock network monitoring, regular data backups, full network redundancy and Tier-1 GB internet connection. They offer one-stop shop for various web hosting needs, discounted rates depending on the length of your web host contract.
Sadly, additional services are offered really expensive. The basic hosting plan is very limited, and usually, you will get to see poor customer reviews for Dotster. But after reviewing Dotster offers in detail, it also appears that it is a good web host company to work with. Since they have been in the web hosting business for a decade already and that’s not bad at all.
Support
Dotster provides 24/7 online support to millions of customers worldwide. Whether you are running a small or medium sized business, Dotster is committed to give you quality and fast customer service. They have an extensive knowledge base, 24/7 online help desk, live chat and even phone support.
Dotster also has an online ticket system where you simply submit your concerns using your username and password provided and they will get back to you with a solution to your problem the quickest time possible.
Looking into reviews on Dotster customer support, a few gets noticed: No one seems to man the system on weekends, the support team does not seem to have the right explanation for web hosting problems and usually, it takes 48 hours before you get a response. All these are poor reviews from selected sites but also quite noticeable are the very good comments that say Dotster offers quality support to their clients—the reason why they are still up and running until today. They offer not just quality service but also superb customer support though little improvements are still needed. Their FAQ section on their website is also a great guide for beginners in web hosting.
Ease of use
In terms of usage, their cPanel software is very convenient to administer. It is feature-rich and found very powerful in almost every way. Usually, it is recommended that you sign up for a Dotster VPS plan so you get more value out of their cPanel system.
Important to know
Dotster is one of the largest and best ICANN accredited domain name registrars around the globe.
Summary
All in all, Dotster is a good starter for web hosting beginners. They have affordable web hosting plans, only with a few limited features. So, in case you need simple web requirements and you do not want to spend a lot, then Dotster is a perfect option.
