When I decided to switch my hosting provider, I stumbled on HostArmada and decided to give them a shot. It was a risky choice, though. Emerging providers are, sometimes, not recommendable because of their unproven reliability and limited track record. But HostArmada proves to be different. Entirely different.
HostArmada swept me off my feet with its advanced security and performance-focused features out-of-the-box. What's more, their servers are hosted on LiteSpeed web servers – almost 11X faster than the Apache servers! As a website owner and developer, I've evaluated and tested different hosting providers to find the best fit for my clients and projects. I can boldly say it's one of the best new hosts I've reviewed, and you'll soon find out why.
In the rest of this HostArmada review, I’ll conduct real-life tests to evaluate this host's features, pricing plans, performance and customer support. I also included other vitals to help you make an informed decision. Ready? Let’s get started!
HostArmada Review
HostArmada made its debut into the hosting industry five years ago. fresh to the scene. Though they’re still fresh to the scene, they have quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the most popular and reliable web hosts on the internet. In fact, this host is often pitted against industry giants like BlueHost, Hostinger and A2 Hosting…all because of its reliability, speed and performance.
Of course, since they're less than a decade in the game, one would expect basic features out-of-the-box. However, during my research, I discovered that each feature/tool on their platform is designed to give you a stress-free, secure and optimized web performance.
Like every A-list provider, HostArmada offers all kinds of web hosting you'll need – WordPress, shared reseller, VPS, and dedicated hosting services. In addition, they also provide open source and development hosting for developers and programmers.
Whichever plan you choose to settle for, you’ll enjoy all the default hosting features such as free SSL certificates, WAF & network firewall, daily backups, etc. They don’t offer free trials or demos, but you get a 45-day money-back guarantee period to decide if they’re worth your investment.
The company snagged a 4.9 star review from over 800 users on TrustPilot:
HostArmada Rating – my personal take
Do your research. You’ll find hundreds (if not thousands) of web hosting providers, each promising secure, reliable, and fast performance. In my experience using and reviewing web hosts, I've discovered that a sheer number of them aren’t true to their words. Even the best of them sometimes fall short of their claims.
To evaluate each comparatively, I developed a personal web hosting review system that examines key factors such as performance, reliability, customer support, pricing and features. I use a 1 – 5 grading system, with one as the lowest and five as the highest a provider can get.
| Quality | My rating | Why I gave this score |
| Features and specs | 4.9 | Free SSL, backups, DoS/DDoS protection, NGINX & LiteSpeed web servers, SSD servers, and unlimited email accounts are a few features you’ll enjoy when you sign up with this provider. However, I gave them this score because their best features (LiteSpeed servers, for instance) are only available on the highest plans. |
| Pricing | 4.5 | HostArmada is one of the cheapest providers in the market, starting at $2.49/mo. You’ll enjoy many of their enterprise-grade features at this price (best if you're just getting started online!) However, I discovered that the discounts only apply when you’re paying for a longer duration. This is why I awarded them this score. |
| Performance stats | 4.7 | I tested HostArmada’s performance and discovered they have an incredible loading speed (240ms) and uptime (100%). I've encountered hosts within the same price bracket with better performance stats, so I gave them a 4.7 here. |
| Ease of use | 4.6 | HostArmada has an attractive and user-friendly interface, an advantage for beginners and pros looking for a stress-free platform. But they still rely on the traditional cPanel for backend management, which is quite old-fashioned for me. This is why I gave them this score. |
| Customer support guarantee | 5.0 | Reach out to HostArmada's support team at this second, and they’ll respond soon. Aside from their quick responses, they also offer up to five levels of customer support – email, phone, live chat, ticket and knowledgebase. This is why they have a 5.0 here. |
HostArmada Hosting Plans & Pricing – 2024
Just like every other A-grade web host, HostArmada offers all the major types of web hosting – shared, reseller, wordpress, VPS and dedicated hosting.
They also have service-specific hosting plans, such as WooCommerce, Magento, Node.js, Open Source, and development hosting. As I shared earlier, you'll get a 30-day money-back guarantee (this is only available for yearly payments). They also operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you don't have to worry about cancellation fees.
Here’s a summary of their hosting packages.
HostArmada’s Shared Hosting Plans
Start Dock
Space offered – 15 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 30 GB
Number of websites – 1 website allowed
Price – $2.49/month
Web Wrap
Space offered – 30 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 6GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $4.11/month
Speed Reaper
Space offered – 40 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 90 GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $2.49/month
Want the best value for your money? Opt for HostArmada's Web Wrap plan. For $4.11/month, you can host multiple websites simultaneously without worrying about performance lags or downtime. You'll get all the default hosting features, up to 14 days of daily backups, 4 CPU cores, three free website transfers, unlimited email accounts and many others.
Who’s is this for?
HostArmada's shared hosting plans are perfect for digital nomads seeking a portfolio website. It's also an excellent choice for small and medium-sized business owners with up to 120,000 monthly visitors. The Speed Reaper plan features LiteSpeed servers, so you may consider this if performance is your priority.
HostArmada’s WordPress Hosting Plans
Start Dock
Space offered – 15 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 30 GB
Number of websites – 1 website allowed
Price – $2.49/month
Web Wrap
Space offered – 30 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 6GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $4.11/month
Speed Reaper
Space offered – 40 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 90 GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $2.49/month
HostArmada's WordPress hosting plan is almost similar to the shared hosting plan, so I'll also recommend the Web Wrap Plan if you want the best value for your money.
Who’s it for?
WordPress is the largest CMS (content management system) in the world. It’s suitable for all kinds and sizes of businesses, whether large or small. The large community also makes it easier to find solutions to issues faster. HostArmada's WordPress plans are fully managed and coupled with WordPress-specific features to give you the best digital experience.
HostArmada’s Reseller Hosting Plans
Sitedust
Space offered – 15 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 3 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $21/month
Protoseller
Space offered – 80 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 6 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $28.02/month
Web Giant
Space offered – 110 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 9 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $35.03/month
Site Nova
Space offered – 200 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 12 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $53.96/month
If the shared plans are not enough for you, HostArmada’s reseller plans are the way to go. The Web Giant Plan has multiple advanced features, including cPanel & WHM, free WHMCS, LiteSpeed cache plugin, 110 GB SSD storage, 9 TB bandwidth and more.
Who’s this for?
HostArmada's reseller hosting plans are an excellent choice for web developers/designers who want to add web hosting as a complementary service … or anyone who needs to manage multiple websites simultaneously with minimal to no downtime. All plans allow you to enjoy the speedy performance of LiteSpeed web servers, HTTP/3 protocols, advanced caching, free white label, etc.
HostArmada’s VPS Hosting Plans
Web Shuttle
Space offered – 50 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 2 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $29.95/month
Web Voyager
Space offered – 80 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 4 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $35.73/month
Web Raider
Space offered – 160 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 8 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $46.73/month
Site Carrier
Space offered – 320 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 16 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $74.23/month
VPS plans are your best bet if you’re tired of shared servers but need a reliable and scalable alternative without overcommitting on costs. HostArmada VPS plans are built to handle resource-intensive projects.
For a balance between costs and features, go for the Web Raider VPS plan. This gives you access to all the features on lesser plans, cPanel and WHM, up to 5 TB bandwidth, 160 GB SSD space and Nginx web server caches for faster load times.
Who’s this for?
If your website traffic is growing sporadically, it’s likely a sign that you need VPS hosting. Compared to other types of plans, HostArmada VPS hosting is designed to provide redundant and scalable cloud hosting solutions. On all plans, you'll enjoy all fully managed hosting services, hosting features, full root access, a minimum of 2 CPU cores, five free cPanel accounts, and advanced caching features.
HostArmada’s Dedicated Hosting Plans
Lift off
Space offered – 160 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 5 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $81.95/month
Low orbit
Space offered – 320 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 6 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $114.95/month
High Orbit
Space offered – 640 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 32 TB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites
Price – $180.95/month
HostArmada’s Low Orbit plans offer a well-balanced combination of performance, resource capacity, flexibility and affordability. The 8-core AMD EPYC Cores, 16 GB RAM, and 320 GB SSD storage keeps your websites and applications running smoothly and efficiently, even under heavy use.
Who’s this for?
Do you need a server that can accommodate your large web traffic? Then dedicated hosting might be right for you! More specifically, it is important to protect user data from the risks of a shared server. Agencies, developers, and IT professionals looking to manage their client's websites on one platform can also opt for a dedicated server.
HostArmada’s Open Source Hosting Plans
Start Dock
Space offered – 15 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 30 GB
Number of websites – 1 website allowed
Price – $2.49/month
Web Wrap
Space offered – 30 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 6GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $4.11/month
Speed Reaper
Space offered – 40 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 90 GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $2.49/month
HostArmada's open-source hosting plans are a combination of their shared hosting plans and Open Source-specific features. If you're just starting with them, I recommend you opt for the Web Wrap plan because it gives you access to advanced features at a friendly price. Their services are fully managed, so you don't have to worry about installing or updating your applications, visual themes, and modules.
Who’s this for?
The HostArmada open-source plans are designed for tech startups, developers, enterprise organizations, service providers, and anyone who needs to build or manage open-source projects efficiently.
HostArmada’s Development Hosting Plans
Start Dock
Space offered – 15 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 30 GB
Number of websites – 1 website allowed
Price – $2.49/month
Web Wrap
Space offered – 30 GB SSD storage
Bandwidth – 6GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $4.11/month
Speed Reaper
Space offered – 40 SSD storage
Bandwidth – 90 GB
Number of websites – Unlimited websites allowed
Price – $2.49/month
AAs you can see, this is also similar to the shared and open-source hosting plans. I recommend the Web Wrap plan to enjoy rich features at a friendly cost. Luckily, HostArmada's plans are scalable, so you can seamlessly move to higher plans as your needs grow.
Who’s this for?
Well, you guessed right. The HostArmada Development Hosting plan is designed for developers or other IT professionals needing a developer-friendly hosting environment. You have full access to developer tools such as PHP, SQL, Python, Node.js, SSH access, WP – CLI, etc.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into the exciting parts.
HostArmada’s Features
Here are some of the top features offered on all the HostArmada plans:
- Free website transfer and SSL certificates
- Unlimited databases and FTP accounts
- Multiple PHP versions
- 24/7 human support
- Free drag and drop SiteBuilder
- Free WAF & IP Firewall
- AMP EPYC CPU Cores
- Daily backups
Yes…all of these are default hosting features. What makes HostArmada different from other providers in the same category?
For me, it's their commitment to innovation and providing advanced and modern performance-based features at a competitive price. In fact, all their services pass ten levels of quality assessment before they are released to users!
For starters, I love how they invest in advanced speed-enhancing features. They use the latest AMD Epyc processors, identified as the fastest CPU processors compared to the AMD architectures. At the core of their services is the LiteSpeed web server, which outperforms Apache and Nginx servers combined!
Do you know that most of their services are fully managed? This means if you have other pressing business commitments or are growing beyond your capacity, you don’t have to worry about losing revenue because they manage the technical side of your web hosting.
Their quality customer support makes them top my list. As a website owner, I’ve had my fair share of struggles with web hosts with subpar customer service. Seeing HostArmada’s distinctive performance is a breath of fresh air. See what other users have to say:
Impressive!
HostArmada’s Performance
You’d hardly find a web host who’s upfront about its performance metrics. A good number of them promise reliable performance and speed with minimal downtime. How do you validate this?
Personally, I always recommend trying out the host’s performance before committing for the long term. Sometimes, you’ll find hosts willing to give you a demo or free trial to eliminate all guesses. HostArmada doesn’t offer any of these, so I’ll share my experience with this web host after purchasing their shared hosting plan.
For this test, we’ll focus on three vital performance metrics:
- Uptime measures the reliability of your web host. It is the percentage of time your website is accessible to users. No web server is perfect, but a good uptime is 99.0% – 99.99%.
- Load time measures how your web page loads when users click on the URL. A good loading time should be >3s.
- TTFB measures the time a user takes to receive the first byte of data from your web server. Google recommends a TTFB of 800ms or less.
In a sentence, the faster (or lower) the load time and TTFB, the faster the server delivers your web data to users when they click on the URL. A good uptime also means your website will experience little to no downtime yearly, which is an advantage if you're in the eCommerce or SaaS niche. All these metrics improve your search engine performance and conversion rates.
HostArmada uses NGINX & LiteSpeed web servers, has advanced caching features, SSD storage drives, high-performance AMD EPYC CPU Cores, and integrates with CloudFlare CDN (content delivery network) – all of which are designed to boost your performance above others hosted on average providers.
In addition, all the websites are hosted on the cloud, which means improved scalability, reliability and flexibility! They also promise a 99.9% uptime, which means your website will always be accessible except during scheduled maintenance.
Let’s validate their claims!
I used GTMetrix to test a website hosted on HostArmada and these were the results:
HostArmada’s performance didn’t fall short of my expectations! Their servers responded in 293ms (0.293s), which is impressive. The overall performance was 99%, which is super impressive.
To test their uptime, I used Uptime Robot to evaluate their performance in the last 30 days. Here’s what I got:
So far, their website has been experiencing 100% uptime, which validates their 99.99% uptime claims.
HostArmada’s Customer Support
HostArmada offers six levels of customer support – knowledgebase, tutorials, live chat, email, phone and ticket.
Let’s examine each in detail:
Knowledgebase
Are you new to web hosting? No problem! HostArmada has a rich resource that caters to almost all vitals on its platform. This includes DIY how-to articles on web hosting, open-source applications, billing and many more:
There’s also a search bar to help you find solutions to issues swiftly.
Tutorials:
If you prefer DIY solutions, you’ll love the detailed articles provided in the HostArmada Learning Center on how to get started or manage your website on their platform. They have a guide on almost all web hosting-related topics and website-relevant topics like how to use Google Analytics:
Support Ticket:
HostArmada also allows users to submit queries via an online ticket, although this is only available to paid users.
Phone:
If you prefer a faster response, HostArmada allows you to speak directly with any of their expert support team via phone. However, there are call charges for locations outside the US.
Live Chat:
HostArmada also allows you to chat live with their hosting experts 24/7/365. The live chat button is tucked at the bottom right corner of their website so that users can easily submit queries.
I initiated a chat to inquire about their services and test their response time. I got a response almost immediately.
Lastly, if all other channels are unresponsive, you can reach out to them via email. You can easily create support tickets on their website that will automatically be forwarded to your email for further assistance.
The best part is that you can chat with specific agents for an even faster response. For example, if you’re experiencing issues related to payments, you can contact the sales department instead.
HostArmada’s security features
I personally love how HostArmada prioritizes the security of websites hosted on their platform. They go beyond the surface-level free SSL certificates and backups to provide top-of-the-line security features, even on their smallest plans.
Their security checks begin with their web servers. Unlike other hosts, they built a security system that checks every IP address connecting their web servers for threats and cyber attacks. For example, they reduce/eliminate the risks of DDoS attacks by establishing a ‘Connection Limit’ for each IP address. This limit reduces the number of requests sent from a single IP address.
Another advantage is their all-round security system – Environment Security Fleet – that secures user web hosting accounts and their associated files. They use advanced network firewalls (with reCAPTCHA protection) and WAF, intrusion detection and prevention systems, malware scanning, and OS patch management features to protect your website from further attacks.
Amazing!
There's a caveat, though. HostArmada's daily backups are limited (7 for the smallest shared hosting plan). I've seen other providers with similar features provide unlimited daily backups. I hope they can improve on this in the future.
HostArmada’s website builders
Another thing I love about this provider is how they’ve made it easier for anyone to kickstart their digital journey. They have an extensive domain directory where you can find and register the perfect domain for your business:
You can register your domain name for one year without paying any charge:
And when it’s time to build your website, you can opt for any of their plans to access their custom drag-and-drop website builder — HostArmada Website Builder:
You can also build your website with one-click on any of their affiliated CMSs – WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop, and Magento.
Note: If you’re choosing a specific website builder, for instance, WordPress, opt for the web hosting service that specializes or offers support for that platform. HostArmada has WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento Hosting plans.
User-Friendliness – Ease of use
HostArmada has a modern and intuitive user interface. I find it attractive at first glance, likely because of the blue, purple and pink pastel colors. The icons and texts are also well placed, which makes it easy for anyone to operate, even for beginners. Having a modern design is only one part of the puzzle. Let's see how easy it is to register and manage an account on HostArmada:
Registering an account with HostArmada
To have full access to any of HostArmada’s hosting features, you have to pay for any of their hosting plans. Here’s how:
Step 1:
Navigate to the top menu bar and click ‘Hosting.' Proceed to choose any hosting plan from the list. Next, select your preferred package and click ‘Get Started.’
Step 2:
You’ll be redirected to a domain selection page. Here, you can either register a new domain, transfer your domain from another registrar or use your existing domain and update your nameservers:
Step 3:
Next, choose your billing cycle and data centers. You’ll likely see upsells on this page to improve your web performance:
Then, click ‘Preview Order’ to make payments.
Step 4:
Next, review your orders before making payments. I noticed they added an ID protection to the checkout by default. Although it’s useful, I don’t like how it was pre-selected:
Step 5:
Lastly, you’ll be redirected to the checkout page to make payments for your order. Here, input your name, billing address and billing details. They accept only two forms of payment – PayPal and Credit Card. Once you’ve imputed all the necessities, click on ‘Complete Order.’
HostArmada’s Control Panel
As you can see, HostArmada has an intuitive user interface. I would have loved it if they built a custom control panel to match.
However, they use the traditional cPanel to reduce the friction in learning for their web users. This can easily be accessible via the ‘Client Area'
Here, you’ll find all the functionalities to set up and manage your account, including setting up email accounts, installing WordPress in one-click, creating databases, etc.
HostArmada is also compatible with WHM for managing multiple cPanel accounts simultaneously. This is a great feature if you’re buying reseller, VPS or dedicated hosting plans:
Installing WordPress on HostArmada
Installing WordPress on HostArmada is equally effortless. As with other hosting providers with cPanel, you can find and install WordPress in one-click with the Softaculous Auto Installer.
To do this, log into your cPanel account and navigate to the Software section, where you’ll find the Softaculous Apps Installer:
Once you click on it, you'll be directed to the Softaculous Dashboard, where WordPress is listed under ‘Top Scripts'
Proceed to click on the WordPress icon:
Before you install it, you’ll be required to configure some things. Navigate to the ‘Software Setup’ section to do this. First, choose the WordPress version you wish to install:
Next, enter the site name/ description and create an admin account. Make sure you use details you can easily remember when creating your admin account.
Lastly, select your preferred WordPress theme and click ‘Install’
Voila! You’ll get a congratulatory message once it's installed:
Server FootPrint and CDS
While fast loading times and uptime are excellent performance metrics, you also need to consider the server footprint of a web host before making any commitments. This is because the closer your host server is to your target audience, the faster your website will load for users in that location. You also need to consider how widespread the data centers are. Web hosts with large server footprints offer better global coverage, which means users from different regions can experience optimal performance when navigating your site.
In addition, if your web host uses a content delivery network (or CDN), it significantly improves loading times by reducing the time to the first byte.
HostArmada has 23 data centers in 5 continents, including North America, Europe and Asia. Their web servers are also powered by CloudFlare CDN, one of the biggest and most reliable in the market.
Conclusion: Do We Recommend HostArmada?
HostArmada might be less than a decade old, but its performance, specs, competitive pricing and customer support make it one of the best in the market. I definitely recommend it!
Whether you're just launching a new website or a tech startup needing robust infrastructure and reliable support, HostArmada is a good start. Plus, their newness is an advantage. Since they're already making strides in the hosting industry, I believe they still have better features and updates coming up. Don't miss out!!
FAQs
What is the speed of HostArmada?
HostArmada claims their infrastructure is connected with 7000 Mbps (Gbps). This means that their servers can handle large volumes of data flow, even during peak hours. This means a better user experience and higher chances of topping the search results.
HostArmada vs Hostinger: Which is better?
HostArmada and Hostinger are reputable providers, each with strengths and service offerings. The difference between the two largely depends on your specific needs and the feature combination these providers have to meet your needs.
For performance, I'll opt for HostArmada. They both have an impressive load time. However, Hostinger doesn't offer SSD storage in any of their plans.
If you're looking to save costs, Hostinger is the way to go. Their plans start at $2.99/month (plus an extra three months free), while HostArmada costs $2.49/month (for a triennial payment).
Overall, I'll pick HostArmada over Hostinger because of their rich feature list, advanced performance and security technologies and excellent customer support.
What are some HostArmada’s alternatives?
If you’re thinking of using other HostArmada’s alternatives, try out Siteground, BlueHost, ScalaHosting, and Cloudways.
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