A2 Hosting | SiteGround | |
Our Rating | ||
Plan in review | Swift | GrowBig |
Price before discount | $ | $ |
Price (12-mo) | $10.99 / month | $19.95 / month |
Price (24-mo) | $3.69 / month | $5.95 / month |
Special Discount | 63% discount on first bill | New users promo - 70% off! |
Promo Code | WHSR | Link activation - New users promo |
Website | https://www.a2hosting.com | https://www.siteground.com |
Summary | ||
Pros Reliable server, hosting uptime above 99.99% Well-optimized for best performance, TTFB < 400ms Reasonable renewal rates and signup discount Anytime money back guarantee Free websites migration for first time customers Choice of 4 different server locations Specialized developer environment (Node.js, python, etc) Save 63% (latest deal) on your first bill | Pros Extremely reliable – 100% host uptime at most times Free site migration for GrowBig and GoGeek users Choice of five server locations in three continents Free let’s Encrypt Standard & Wild Card SSL Innovative - Full SSD, HTTP/2, Built-in Cacher, NGINX, etc Save 60% on your first bill Best for WordPress and Drupal websites Positive feedback from other SiteGround users Good after sales support | |
Cons Site migration chargeable when you downgrade Many A2 Hosting speed features cost extra now A2 Turbo Plan does not support Ruby or Python | Cons Hosting price increases after first bill Mixed results in our server speed test Uptime guarantee does not cover outages in the event of DDoS | |
Learn More | Essential Features | |
Data Transfer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage Capacity | Unlimited | 20 GB |
Control Panel | Cpanel | Panel |
Extra Domain Reg. | $14.95/yr for .com domain; prices vary for different TLDs. | $15.95/yr for .com domain; prices vary for different TLDs. |
Private Domain Reg. | $9.95/year | $12/yr |
Auto Script Installer | Softaculous | Softaculous (incl. 320+ apps) |
Custom Cron Jobs | Yes | Yes |
Site Backups | Yes | Yes |
Dedicated IP | $48/year | $54/year |
Free SSL | Let's Encrypt | Let's Encrypt |
Built-in Site Builder | A2 Website Builder | Yes, Weebly |
Learn More | ||
Visit Online | https://www.a2hosting.com | https://www.siteground.com |
In a battle of the giants it is often difficult to discern who the winner will be and that is sort of the case we have between A2 Hosting and SiteGround. Both are very recognizable names in the web hosting business and have been around since the early 2000s.
A2 Hosting has stayed true to its roots in Ann Arbour, Michigan while SiteGround has spread out a little bit across a few countries, but both offer server choices in various key locations to their users – in the US, Europe and Asia.
In terms of performance, A2 as usual offers excellent TTFB of below 550ms but SiteGround speeds vary a little across various data centres. Availability is good with both offering uptimes well above industry standards.
Compare Speed Test Results at Bitcatcha
A2 Hosting speed test (server located in United States): A
SiteGround speed test (server located in Singapore): A
It is a little puzzling about SiteGround performance since they apparently offer full SSD, HTTP/2 with built-in cache and more. Perhaps the difference lies in A2 Hosting’s famed Turbo server and custom optimization. The only major drawback we can see from the setup is that A2 Hosting’s Turbo servers don’t support Ruby on the Rails or Python.
While we used to complain a little about A2 not having a stable and always available live chat support service, SiteGround seems to improve on that a little. It offers 24/7 live chat, BUT, do note that is sales support, not for technical issues.
What does make me more comfortable with both of these hosts is that their business practices seem very much above board. They have solid customer feedback and anytime money back guarantees to back the fees they are changing.
Expect to pay a little more above the industry norm for A2, but significantly higher than that (almost double) for SiteGround. Thankfully, if you opt for a longer buy-in period those fees drop by a lot. I feel that there is no issue with the long term buy in if you couple that with the anytime money back guarantee.
What I do feel slightly unhappy about is the rather steep renewal fee that SiteGround users will be looking at. I feel that $19.95 is a little steep for a plan to renew at, especially for standard shared hosting.
With advantages to long term buy-in pricing and solid reputations and infrastructure, either of these hosts would be a good choice. However, I feel that more advanced users and business owners will benefit more as the will be able to take full advantage of the enhanced features both these hosts offer.
Not sure where to start? Here are three "must-see" suggestions:
Also check out:
Disclosure: WHSR receives referral fees from hosting companies listed on this website. Our opinions are based on real experience and actual hosting service data. Please read our review policy to understand how we rate a web host.