Finding a quality hosting provider is no easy task – and with the ever shifting landscape of available providers, it continues to become ever more tricky to navigate. That said, I wanted to share with you my findings about another hosting service, AltusHost.
About AltusHost
AltusHost (https://altushost.com/) is a Netherlands-based hosting service that launched in 2008. The company states its goal as to provide high quality managed web hosting services at the lowest possible rate and highest customer satisfaction – a great goal in my book.
AltusHost operates numerous data centers throughout Europe, with locations including Stockholm, SE, Amsterdam, NE, and Windhof, LU. Each data center is, at a minimum, Tier 3 with web servers located within private suites or cages within the data facilities. The on-site location sets AltusHost apart from its competitors, ensuring that all services are within AltusHost’s direct reach and operation and that the organization itself maintains all hardware and technology – no third party services to worry about. AltusHost has more than 8,000 global clients to date and continues to grow.
The snapshot version of AltusHost is that the company has grown steadily over the past six years – it isn’t an “overnight” company and, with consistent growth, it’s likely to be around for some time to come. The plans are also quite straightforward – the lack of gimmicks is refreshing and makes shopping considerably easier than companies that offer affordable base plans with add-on options. AltusHost also provides 24/7 technical support – a must-have for a Web hosting provider.
AltusHost Hosting Plans
AltusHost offers numerous services, but the three main products include shared hosting, dedicated server hosting, and VPS hosting.
Shared hosting
AltusHost Shared Hosting (click to enlarge image). AltusHost’s shared hosting services specifically refer to its shared hosting environment.
The organization promises that it monitors its servers and server loads closely to ensure the quality, speed, and reliability that its clients require and pay for. AltusHost uses all of its own equipment to operate its servers and its network – something truly unique for this industry. There are four packages available, each ranging in price and, of course, functionality.
Hosting Package Details
The Wood package (base package) includes 5 GB of disk space with a 100 GB monthly bandwidth and limited add-on/parked domains for $4.95 per month. The Bronze package includes 10 GB of disk space with a 200 GB monthly bandwidth for $7.95 per month, while the Gold package provides subscribers with 15 GB of disk space and a 300 GB monthly bandwidth for $9.95 per month. At the top of the list is the Diamond package, which provides 20 GB disk space and a 500 GB monthly bandwidth for $16.95 per month.
Please note that these prices are all based on an annual subscription and reflect a 15 percent discount. All plans include a myriad of included features, such as Cron Jobs, a GD graphics library, unlimited FTP accounts, unlimited email accounts, and more.
VPS hosting
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting with AltusHost includes setup, software installation, security monitoring, and 27/7 technical support. AltusHost includes three types of VPS hosting: OpenVZ, Windows, and XEN; each includes four different package tiers.
AltusHost VPS Hosting (click to enlarge image). Hosting Package Details
Pricing for OpenVZ VPS hosting ranges from $19.95 to $59.95 per month for 512-4096 MB RAM, two-six CPU cores, 1,000-4,000 premium bandwidth, and 20-160 GB disk space. Windows VPS ranges from $29.95-$74.95 per month and ranges from 20-100 GB of hard disk space with 512-4096 MB memory, two-six CPU cores, and 500-3000 monthly bandwidth. Pricing for XEN VPS ranges from $24.95-$69.95 per month with features including 512-4096 guaranteed RAM, 20-160 GB disk space, two-six CPU cores, and 1000-4000 premium bandwidth.
Dedicated server hosting
AltusHost offers four levels of dedicated server hosting. The company manages all servers, eliminating the need for clients to run their own servers or rectify any complications or server issues.
Hosting Package Details
AltusHost Dedi. Hosting (click to enlarge image). All servers are Intel products with the lowest option featuring an Intel Core i3-200 with 4 GB memory and a 500 GB SATA II hard drive – pricing is $149.95 per month.
At the highest price point comes the Intel Xeon E3-1270 with 16 GB memory and two 1,000 GB SATA II hard drives – pricing is $299.95 per month. The remaining two options include the level two Intel Xeon E3-1220 and Intel Xeon E3-1240 servers with the middle-ground memory and hard drive options; pricing comes in at $199.95 and $249.95 per month, respectively.
All options include 5,000 GB of bandwidth and reboot capabilities over IP.
* The above reflects standard server offerings; high-end server space is currently sold out, but you may contact AltusHost directly for additional information or to inquire as to availability.
The Latest and Greatest – SS-1, MC-2, and MC-3
Technology is constantly evolving – and, thankfully, so are AltusHost’s offerings.
The company recently introduced enterprise level dedicated hosting; service is available via three packages (SS1, MC2, and MC3) with a Cisco-powered network.
Quoting one of the emails from AltusHost spokesperson during my research for this review –
MC-2 and MC-3 are Enterprise Class Servers.
They come with fully redundant power supply, who ensures 100% Power Uptime and redundant Cisco Network. Those servers are good for anyone who needs ultimate stability and uptime on a Dedicated Server.
And btw, our services are Managed (if you purchase control panel), which means you do not have to be Linux geek to run big website on powerful Dedicated Server. Our experienced Support team is always available to setup, configure, optimize all that “geek” stuff for you. And your only task is to focus on your business.
The MC2 and MC3 levels include servers with a fully redundant power supply – this makes them unique, as they are able to provide a truly rare offering of 100 percent uptime on the power supply. Additionally, these levels include 24/7 technical support, free server migration service, and an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) or KVM.
AltusHost – The Good
AltusHost offers a slew of great features and benefits, including reasonable pricing, easy payment (they accept wire transfers, PayPal, Payza, WebMoney, Visa, MasterCard, and even Bit Coin payments), and a partnership with Global Sign SSL which supports a number of highly attractive SSL offers.
AltusHost Customer Review
In doing some research, it does appear that AltusHost had a bit of trouble prior to 2011/2012 – the host apparently incurred the wrath of hackers – however, there are lots of genuine, positive reviews from the past couple years – take into consideration this AltusHost review from Tinie, for one (read below).
AltusHost Review 5/5
Ok long time has passed, i have gone anywhere.. so far Singlehop, liquid and everywhere..
Leaseweb was good, Singlehop best connection.. but one thing guys i can tell you for sure. And is that Altushost.com has no comparison to anyone around, i ordered 7 servers yesterday
- 4 -> 16gb
- 2 -> 8gb
- 1 -> 4gb
And this was done and delivered the same day, i ordered 3 domains also… all 3 the same day confirmed and up and running, the support is very kind with anything they do.. sometimes they take sometime to answer like 10 minutes… too much time for my business, but a good rate for most of the people around, this company has the best prices at an offshore facility, a good quality to be outside of the states, and most important of all they are reasonable, it was one moment in which the support made a mistake installing whm on the wrong servers, and i got a little mad, but they were so comprehensive and kind that fixed the issue as fast as i could open a new ticket saying sorry.
I don’t have words to explain how this feels, but every time i think im f*ck*d up i just send an email to them, and they come up with a solution very fast..
3 Years ago – http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=962904
I made that thread, now 3 years later Altushost has changed in every aspect, they can be called a company now, and they know what they are doing. All Legal Problems they had before seems to have caused a positive impact instead of a bad one as the support and service increased drastically over those months that i needed some help, i have been 3 years with them, and this feels great, over 25 servers delivered.. all good and running
Now this long timer WHT says good bye until i find another company that makes me mad or happy.
You win this time.
-Tinie
The Not-So-Good About AltusHost
On the down side, the 45-day refund policy is available only to shared hosting customers; VPS subscribers have only 14 days to test and apply for their refund. Dedicated hosting users do not receive a money-back guarantee at all.
In the name of transparency, I should mention that I personally do not hold an account with AltusHost, but I have worked with the folks at AltusHost on numerous occasions, including the most recent Black Friday promotion deals.
My experience in working with them has always been positive and they have always been most professional.
Verdict: A Trustable e-Commerce Web Host
All in all, AltusHost seems like a very promising e-commerce host, in my opinion. The company handles negative feedback well and has a history of responsibly and professionally managing verbal attacks – which leads me to believe that the company is genuinely confident about its service quality and product offerings.
If you are looking for premium hosting services based outside of the United States, I recommend giving AltusHost a try – it’s seemingly great service with a variety of options for every hosting and budgetary need with internally managed servers; you can’t ask for much more.