Webhost iPage has attracted a lot of attention due to its “Best Overall Value” package, which costs $3.50 per month. Interestingly, most webmasters are intrigued by web hosts that are so cheap or, in other words, too good to be true. But if it’s legitimate, this opportunity is too good to pass up. So, I decided to give it a try knowing that worst case I would only lose $4.50. It was something I could live with, and it was very worthwhile to be able to provide an accurate evaluation of a web host that so many people were interested in and had questions about.
Value for money
Although most iPage marketing focuses on a super low rate of $3.50 per month, it’s important to note that that rate requires a 3-year commitment (36 months @ $3.50 = $126.00). While this is exceptional value for money, it’s mostly too much for a first-time commitment. The good news is that the monthly fee is only $4.50 (at time of review), so if you try it out and like it, $130.50 for 37 months is still an amazing deal. iPage also offers a rate of $4.25 per month with a 1-year commitment, but if you’re willing to commit for a year, you can also do three. iPage offers an anytime money-back guarantee that allows you to cancel any commitment, which I’ll talk more about in the performance and reliability section.
The best aspect of iPage’s pricing structure is that there are no hidden costs. For $4.50 (or $4.25 or $3.50), you get a free domain, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage space, unlimited email accounts, databases, a security package, built-in site building tools, a online store and even both Free Ad Credits are also available. yahoo! and Facebook. Better yet, iPage is green and runs on 100% wind power. However, there are some additional features available, such as domain privacy at $8.99/year, automatic backups at $12.95/year, and a wide range of directory and traffic services offered at different rates.
Performance and reliability
To be a great deal, iPage has to offer maximum performance and uptime. After all, webmasters would love to pay a little more for that confidence and peace of mind. When starting this process, one red flag was that iPage was not actively promoting its uptime. But upon further investigation, I found that they maintained an excellent 99.96% uptime for the last six years, and I did not experience any issues during the evaluation period. Most importantly, they offer a money back guarantee at any time. If you opt out within the first 30 days, they offer a 100% refund, and if you opt out after that, they offer a prorated refund. It puts the 3-year commitment in a whole new light.
Help
Another thing that sets iPage apart from many hosts is that they include 24/7 customer support in their basic package. But how good is that support? Well, to test it out, I contacted them through the chat system on the site and was pleasantly surprised when the system connected me with a support agent almost immediately. To assess support, I asked them where their servers are located, what the email attachment limits are, and what options do I have if I want to edit the .htaccess file. The response time and thoroughness of each question was impressive, and the agent also clearly explained how I could use the built-in .htaccess editor right in the iPage control panel.
• Telephone
• live chat
• Support Console (advanced live chat that requires login)
• Feedback system
• Support ticket system
• Email (form on the site)
There will be no problem contacting iPage…
Easy to use
The iPage Control Panel looks a bit different than what I’m used to, but in a good way. I think it’s cleaner and easier to use than many other control panels. It just looks more up to date.
All the important things are here and it’s good for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are new to web hosting or have been working as a webmaster for 10 years.
We like
• Price – iPage is an exceptionally affordable web host with no hidden fees.
• Extras: iPage offers a wide range of extras that are quite rare at this price.
• Support: iPage gives you 24-hour customer support options.
