Strong uptime (>99.95%) and ultra low price - Suitable for newbies who to start at minimum cost. Shared hosting plan only comes with basic features and average tech support.
iPage has been around since 1995 (based on domain WhoIs records) but didn't gain recognition until it underwent a company relaunch back in October 2009. Founded by Thomas Gurney in Burlington, Massachusetts, the company has since gained traction for being a hosting provider that caters to those with a limited budget.
I was given the opportunity to be one of the first few to test out iPage's services during their soft relaunch period, which at the time, was known for being the Best Budget Hosting service for bloggers and smaller websites.
However, that was then, this is now. And in 2018, is iPage still considered good today? Let's find out.
About iPage, the company
Headquarter: Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S. (unverified)
Established: 1998; major revamp in 2009.
Services: Shared, VPS, dedicated hosting
The iPage brand is owned by Endurance International Group (EIG), a NASDAQ-listed company that owns some of the biggest names in hosting industry, including BlueHost and Hostgator. At time of writing, EIG claims that their cloud-based platform is serving approximately 5.5 million subscribers globally.
After testing and using more than 60 web hosting services, here's one thing I have learned: Most budget shared hosting providers actually offer more or less the same thing: “unlimited” addon domain, one-click app installer, basic webmail service, and so-so technical support.
There's nothing to shout about in their feature list. Nor that the server performance and support are great.
But given the ultra cheap price tag, they work just fine for small websites.
And this is why iPage is awesome for newbies who want to start at minimum cost.
Compare iPage Price with Other Hosting Brands
If you compare iPage with other hosting brands – they are 100 – 200% cheaper than their peers. Even Hostinger – my current #1 Budget Hosting Pick, Hostinger, is selling at $2.95/mo.
Web Hosting
Signup Price
vs. iPage
Control Panel
Free Domain?
iPage
$1.99/mo
–
vDeck
A2 Hosting
$4.90/mo
150% Higher
cPanel
WebHostingHub
$6.99/mo
249% higher
cPanel
Arvixe
$7.00/mo
250% Higher
cPanel
HostMonster
$4.95/mo
149% Higher
cPanel
GreenGeeks
$3.95/mo
98% Higher
cPanel
HostPapa
$3.95/mo
98% Higher
cPanel
iPage long-term cost – still the cheapest!
iPage's introductory prices for the first term of service only and automatically renew at the regular rate.
Shared hosting plans renew at $7.99, $8.99, and $9.99 per month for 36-, 24-, and a 12-month term.
But as this is what most budget hosting companies are doing – iPage's price is still one of the lowest in long run (see table).
** Note [1]: Total 5 year hosting cost = (36 x Signup) + (24 x Renewal) + Domain Cost
* Note [2]: No free first-year domain for Hostpapa and A2 Hosting.
2. Free one-year domain for all new customers
One of the great things about iPage is that they offer a free one-year domain name when you sign up with any of their plans. This is great if you want to reduce some costs when you're creating your website or blog. Given that domain registrations can be costly, being able to register a domain name for free is absolutely a steal!
When signing up for a plan, you'll be taken to a page where you'll face the option to add-on your free domain name registration.
Just put your domain name of choice under the search bar and if it's available, you can go ahead and claim it.
* Click image to enlarge.
You have the option to register a domain name for free with a one-year domain registration
Setting up an account for a new web host can be a hassle. Thankfully, iPage's overall onboarding process is very newbie-friendly.
I should know because I've purchased their plans twice and used it both times (once for creating test accounts, the other for a friend who was starting a website). In both cases, I was able to set up my account immediately after making my payment.
This goes to show how smooth the entire process was with iPage as everything, from the ordering process to the on-boarding process, was designed to be simple and idiot-proof for the customers.
* Click image to enlarge.
The entire ordering process was so simple, it can be done in a few clicks.
If you signup to iPage shared hosting, chances are you will upgrade to their VPS plan in future.
This is where Dylan Harty, iPage VPS hosting user, kicks in. I first knew Dylan when he emailed to point out some mistakes I made on this page. After some discussion, I decided to add his feedback on iPage VPS to this review. Dylan is not affiliated to iPage in any way. I do, however, paid for his effort in writing this helpful review.
iPage VPS Hosting Review
This section is a little long. In summary, here are the pros & cons of iPage VPS (according to Dylan):
What Dylan likes:
Very affordable
24-7 VPS/dedicated server support line.
Very helpful support team able to use SSH.
Good support ticketing system
Competitive server hardware
No restrictions like shared hosting
No overcharge for bandwidth
Ability to run a source server
Dislikes:
The odd support hiccup
Downtime for DDOS attacks and such
Some servers have a soft boot on initial registration
Hello, my name is Dylan Harty and I have been a part of the online hosting community since I was eight years old. My passion is everything web and OS based. You can find me at soulstice.ca [site no longer exist] helping to support the people that need it. I have used iPage shared hosting for most of my major projects, including freelance work. I am a PHP developer so I chose iPage's shared hosting because the PHP.INI is editable unlike most shared hosting providers. Shared hosting is great, but does not always have the resources that you need. This brings me to the next topic of, iPage's VPS hosting.
I have been hosted on iPage’s VPS platform since it was released for purchase. The date would have been around October 2013.
They are highly affordable. The lowest grade VPS server costs only $19.99/mo for the first 24 months. I bought the “business” plan and it has not given me any trouble.
iPage VPS Hosting Plans & Pricing (Feb 2018).
What I like the most about iPage VPS Hosting
Very helpful support team able to use SSH: Coming from shared hosting this was a surprise, the support teams actually know about servers! I have asked some of the technicians on duty very high-level questions and they are able to answer them thoroughly. Also, most of the VPS/Dedicated support members are located in the USA.
Ability for the server to be completely un-managed: iPage started a revolution in VPS hosting; no more fees for management. This saves me money that I do not need to spend. Other VPS hosting providers charge a lot of money for server support and maintenance, a service that iPage does for free. A good example is: I can call in on the phone and ask the support team to help address server issues without being charged or sold a service.
No overcharge for bandwidth: I noticed on most VPS sites you get a fixed amount of bandwidth then you must pay fees. I feel this type of fee is unfair to the person renting the server. The whole time I have been with iPage VPS hosting I have never been charged extra fees. I asked a support member if they charge above a certain level of bandwidth, their response was “We do not charge client’s when they are over their bandwidth for the month. We do however monitor the bandwidth once the client is passed their threshold.” I can live with that. No random charges to my credit card, server/website is still up, so I am happy.
Ability to run a source server: My favorite. I decided to transform this VPS into a gaming server for a little while. It was not easy. If you guys want an iPage VPS source server how-to that is for another time. Furthermore countless hours later of remotely upgrading the OS and help from the support team (even though they said they really cannot help me) I got a GMOD server up. No lag with 20 spots, which looking at other gaming servers saves a person lots of money!
What I dislike the most about iPage VPS hosting
The odd support hiccup: Ok iPage does not always have flawless support, I have to mention this. On occasion, you will get a guy in training or some support member with little server experience. How do I fix this problem? I hang up and dial again. If the same guy picks up I wait and try again. Important: Only VPS/Dedicated server clients get to use this support phone number: 1(877)447-9872. Do not call shared hosting support line; they usually do not know what they are talking about.
(Rare) downtime for DDOS attacks and such: Just like any hosting provider iPage datacenters also get attacked. They had an attack about 4 months ago that took their servers down for 2 days. When I asked support what happen, they avoided the subject but stated: “new technology is in place to stop or lessen these types of attacks.”
Some servers have a soft boot on initial registration: I believe this is fixed now, but it could still happen to you. If you try to access your VPS server and it does not seem to be starting correctly or it gets stuck in a boot loop (soft boot) call the support number I gave you above. They should have it fixed in a matter of hours, as they can reboot it at the datacenter. This is just a problem with their default server image file.
Dedicated servers take 12-48 hours to set-up: VPS servers from iPage get set-up usually in a matter of 2 hours. When I bought a dedicated server from iPage when they were first released it took a good two days to get it set-up correctly. It was not a fun time; they did not know what was going on. So I now stick to VPS hosting from iPage. Although that was over a year ago now, by all means, give it a try as you can always downgrade to a VPS.
Preinstall of CentOS 6.4-6.5 only: Most VPS hosting providers give the client a few options when they purchase a new server. iPage servers come “as is”, so you can only run CentOS 6.x. On a side note, you can upgrade the OS remotely but is not supported by support.
The live chat was quick to respond, often times replying within minutes, and all of my questions and issues were answered and solved by a professional. All in all, my experience with the live chat support team was quite good.
6. Good and honest billing practice
Paying for a web host service is never a fun process and most of the time, hosting companies tend to add to the headaches instead of making it easier. iPage, on the other hand, practices an honest billing process and encourages their users to check the Billing Central to receive their latest statement. Plus, cancelling an iPage account is as simple as contacting their support team via live chat.
For new users, they get a 30-day money back guarantee for any iPage plan that they subscribe to. Basically, if you decided to cancel your account within that period, then you'll get a full refund with no questions asked. It should be noted that the refund does not apply to add-on services such as purchasing a domain name.
Cons of iPage
1. Mix results in server speed test, rated C at Bitcatcha
I ran a number of speed tests on iPage, namely with Bitcatcha and WebpageTest. The Time-to-first-byte (TTFB, the measurement of server speed) on WebpageTest came out at 354ms. This was especially impressive considering that it's a budget host that starts at $1.99/mo.
Unfortunately, The results with Bitcatcha were less than impressive as they tend to range within the B+ to C rating. While performance on U.S. servers was still quite impressive, iPage was noticeably slower in different parts of the world. Hosting services such as Interserver, Fast Comet, and InMotion Hosting manages to churn out better results (at a slightly higher cost) in terms speed.
iPage Speed Test Results at WebpageTest.org
TTFB at 354ms for the test site.
iPage Speed Test Results at Bitcatcha
Test site #1 (March 2016): iPage server speed from 8 different test points. Response time in the U.S. below 100ms (impressive). Host rated B+ by Bitcatcha.Test site #2 (February 2018): Test site hosted at iPage performed well in United States, Japan, England, Australia, and Brazil. Host rated C by Bitcatcha.
2. Prices jump to $8.99/mo when renewal
While iPage offers one of the cheapest hosting plans around, their renewal plans are unfortunately much more expensive. if you're a blogger or a website owner on a budget, seeing the price go up when you renew your plan is not a good feeling.
With shared hosting plans, you will have to pay either $7.99, $8.99, or $9.99 per month for plans that are 36, 24, or 12-month terms respectively.
Of course, the practice of increasing the renewal fee is common among budget hosting companies, so you need to be aware of that before signing up with them.
iPage renewal pricing can be quite high for shorter terms (source)
3. Base plan covers basic features only
Since iPage Essential Plan is targeted towards website beginners and newbies, they offer only the essential features at minimum price.
Now, the plan is comprehensive enough that you can build and host a pretty good website with it. But the downside is that the features are very basic.
No SFTP, no custom cron job, no auto backup
There is no SFTP, no CDN, limited server resources, no custom cron job, no auto backup. Even iPage's built-in website builder allows you to build only six pages (more about this later).
The whole setup, apparently, is meant for hobby blog or small business who want a simple site online.
You can, however, purchase and add in advance features when ordering.
Image on your right shows additional features you can buy from iPage during order.
iPage base plan is ultra cheap ($1.99/mo) – but you get what you paid: the basics. Want extra features? Pay.
Website Builder to build 6 pages only
iPage Site Builder is easy to use and good for newbies. However, the downside is that it limits you to create only 6-pages for a website.
As good as a website builder can be, having only 6 pages to work with is not good.
All you have to do is just install WordPress using the 1-click installer under the iPage control panel and you can start creating as many pages as you want with it.
Despite being handy, the website builder feature is quite limited.
Yes, iPage allows you to host unlimited addon domain at your hosting account; but it’s only “unlimited” if you are not exceeding the CPU resources allocated to your account. If you exceed a certain level of CPU usage (which it normally won’t), iPage will have your hosting account suspended.
iPage offers “unlimited” disk space and MySQL databases.
It is clearly written in iPage TOS that the company's hosting is only “unlimited” under normal usage.
Though iPage is not the only one in this practice – every unlimited hosting provider limit users' server usage.
5. No free site migration for first-time customers
Transfering your site from an old host to iPage?
You're going to have to migrate it yourself as iPage does not offer free site migration when you sign up for their hosting plans. iPage uses vDeck for its platform so if you're using a different platform, say a cPanel, then you're going to have quite the headache migrating all that data.
Given that other web host often include a free site migration service, for iPage to not offer one as well seems like a missed opportunity. If you're going to do the migration process yourself, my guide on how to transfer a site might be helpful in this situation.
6. Users can only host their sites in the United States
iPage data centers are located mainly in the United States, which means you don't get many choices on where to host your website. In fact, you can only choose to host your site in the U.S. This can be quite troublesome if you're located outside of the U.S.
If your target audience is in a specific region outside of the U.S., say United Kingdom or India, then you might suffer performance drops when it comes to speed and server resources. You can alleviate some of that issue by using caching plugins to improve loading speed for users.
7. Not so helpful Help Documents
The purpose of Help Documents is to assist you with issues that you might face with using a web host.
Unfortunately, with iPage, there's barely any useful guide or tips that can actually be of use to you, let alone help you troubleshoot your problems.
Their Advanced Hosting page is so barebones, it only covers a few subjects on the dedicated and VPS topics section. If you want more information that's actually helpful, you're going to find it outside of iPage.
The help document of iPage is too barebones and lack depth on topics.
8. Aggressive up-selling and overpriced website builder
Most cheap hosting companies practice up- and cross-selling. Hosting companies usually promote add-on services and web applications to offset the big price cuts given to their users. These services usually include necessity for website owners from all walks of life – SSL certificates, advanced email hosting features, domain names, CDN services, email marketing tools, and so on – and I am cool with that.
But iPage has apparently crossed the line with their up-selling practice. New customers are now auto opt-in to services they might not need when they place their order. This includes website security and expensive site backup & restore features.
Also iPage is now charging $10.99/mo for their website builder – which in my opinion, is over-priced. In contrast, Weebly costs just $8/mo and that includes hosting and hundreds of pre-built themes. If you are signing up to iPage, be very caution during the check out process – make sure that you don't signup with any software or web service you don't need.
This is the third page of iPage ordering process. Users are auto opt-in for Website Security ($19.95/year) and Site Backup & Restore ($1/mo).
iPage Hosting Plans & Pricing
Shared hosting plan
Features
Essential
Storage / Data Transfer
Unlimited
MySQL Database
Unlimited
Email Spam Filter
Customizable
Control Panel
vDeck
Signup Price
$1.99/mo
* For more details on iPage's Essential Plan, please refer to table on your right.
Despite being a budget hosting provider, iPage offers quite an array of features that are useful for a person who's just starting out on their blog or website. When you compare it to GoDaddy, iPage etches out as the better choice.
The reason being, not only do they offer similar features to GoDaddy, they are much cheaper in terms of their hosting plans.
Features
iPage
GoDaddy
Plan in Review
Essestial
Economy
Websites
Unlimited
1
Storage
Unlimited
100 GB
Data Transfer
Unlimited
Unlimited
Control Panel
vDeck
cPanel
WordPress & Joomla
Virus & Spam Protection
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
30 days
Signup Price (36-mo subscription)
$1.99/mo
$4.99/mo
iPage vs BlueHost (Price & Features)
Although both companies are under Endurance International Group (EIG), it's hard to compare iPage to Bluehost as they cover different features and run on different pricing strategies.
iPage Essential Plans are very basic and suitable for users with multiple low traffic sites. BlueHost, on the other hand, includes more features in their shared hosting plans to cater the needs of advanced users. You can learn more about BlueHost in this review.
iPage scored 51 in our 80-point review checklist (WHSR rating: 3.5-star, revised Feb 2018).
Their original shared hosting plan offers very basic features.
Company’s technical support seems poor based on many negative users feedback found online.
Recommendation: iPage hosting is for…
But, they are one of the cheapest hosts! iPage is recommended for,
For newbies and bargain hunters, iPage’s ultra-low price tag is hard to be ignored.
iPage is reliable (uptime constantly >99.95%), extremely cheap ($70+ for first three years), and easy to start (smooth signup process)
There are very few web hosts that can provide the same bargain.
iPage Alternatives
iPage is less than ideal in today's web hosting market. They used to my #1 budget hosting pick due to its ultra-low price. They are still considered very cheap – given that global hosting price start averagely at $4.84/mo, iPage $1.99/mo plan is quite a steal. But the aggressive up-selling practice – summing up with other drawbacks mentioned above – is a big turn-off.
If you are looking for something similar to iPage hosting but not iPage, here are some choices to consider (links point to my reviews):
Other similar hosting brands under EIG (iPage management): BlueHost and Hostgator.
(P/S: We use affiliate links in this review. If you purchase via our link, it will credit WHSR as your referrer. This is how I keep this site alive for more than 9 years and publish more data-driven hosting reviews like this one. Your support is highly appreciated. Buying via my link doesn't cost you more – in fact, I can guarantee that you'll get the lowest possible price for iPage hosting. )
About Jerry Low
Founder of WebHostingSecretRevealed.net (WHSR) - a hosting review trusted and used by 100,000's users. More than 15 years experience in web hosting, affiliate marketing, and SEO. Contributor to ProBlogger.net, Business.com, SocialMediaToday.com, and more.
WHSR receives referral fees from hosting companies listed on this website. Our opinions are
based on real experience and actual server data. Please read
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Services
Shared Hosting
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes
Dedicated Hosting
No
Cloud Hosting
No
Managed Cloud Hosting
No
Domain Registration
No
Basic Features
Data Transfer
Unlimited
Storage Capacity
Unlimited
Control Panel
Vdeck
Extra Domain Reg.
$14.99/year
Private Domain Reg.
$9.99/year
Auto Script Installer
Mojo Market Place
Custom Cron Jobs
No
Site Backups
No
Dedicated IP
$59.95/year, Shared SSL included.
Free SSL
Only for domains registered at iPage
Built-in Site Builder
IPage Website Builder at $10.99/mo
Server Locations
North America
Yes
South America
No
Asia
No
Europe
No
Oceania
No
Africa
No
Middle East
No
Speed Features
NGINX
No
HTTP/2
No
WP Optimized
No
Joomla Optimized
No
Drupal optimized
No
Email Features
Email Hosting
Yes
No. of Email Accounts
Unlimited
Webmail Support
Yes
Email Forwarder
Yes
e-Commerce Features
Cube Cart
Yes
Zen Shopping Cart
Yes
PrestaShop
Yes
Magento
Yes
Customer Care Policy
Server Usage Limitation
Account using excessive amounts of CPU processing maybe suspended. No specific definition given for the term "excessive".