A website needs to be hosted on a server to be accessible on the internet. Virtual private servers suit customers who prefer not to share space and resources with many other websites but do not yet require a fully dedicated option either.
Shared hosting is a traditional and affordable option but often comes with an unreliable allocation of drive space, processor power, and memory. VPS hosting allows customers to experience more capability, security, and speed.
Hosting platforms vary in cost, quality, and functionality. We’ll be examining the VPS hosting service offered by GreenGeeks.com and evaluating the value of their service.
GreenGeeks: Zero Carbon Web Hosting
Greengeeks.com started in LA in 2006. The company has grown to become an industry leader while maintaining a clean, green image. Web hosting has a massive environmental impact, but GreenGeeks ‘cancels out’ their emissions by purchasing wind energy credits.
The platform offers many hosting services, including:
- VPS
- WordPress
- Reseller
- Shared
All services offer fast, secure, and scalable hosting from data centers in Chicago, Phoenix, Toronto, Montreal, and Amsterdam. GreenGeeks also boasts a responsive 24/7 support team, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and a 30-day money-back guarantee to offer peace of mind to potential customers.
As we evaluate GreekGeeks as a hosting provider, we’ll be focusing on their VPS hosting service.
VPS Hosting with GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks presents its VPS service as a middle ground between the low cost of traditional shared hosting and the power of a fully dedicated server. There are three plans to choose from:
- 2GB
This plan features 2GB of RAM, a 4 vCPU, and 50GB of SSD disk space. GreenGeeks advertises this plan as the fast yet affordable option at $39.95 per month.
- 4GB
This plan offers double the amount of RAM at 4GB, but the same size virtual processing unit. It comes with 75GB of SSD disk space. GreenGeeks says this is the best selling option with better value at $59.95 per month.
- 8GB
This plan features 8GB of RAM, a larger virtual processing unit at six vCPU, and the largest available SSD disk space of 150GB. The largest and most powerful VPS hosting plan costs $109.95 per month. However, for this price, customers could find a dedicated server option.
The difference between each plan is a larger RAM, Virtual Processor (between the 4GB and 8GB plan), and SSD Disk space, but the following features come with each of the three plans:
- 10 TB transfer
- cPanel included
- Free SSL certificate
- Free website transfer
- Free Softaculous license
- GreenGeeks managed support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
The Benefits of VPS Hosting with GreenGeeks
- Supportive
GreekGeeks offers 365/24/7 customer support through email, phone, and live chat. Their customer service capability makes their platform accessible to those who are new to website hosting.
- Active
When hosting your website with GreenGeeks, it will be monitored around-the-clock. Issues are fixed immediately, often without the user noticing.
- Secure
GreekGeeks is at the forefront of advancements in secure website hosting, using account isolation and Secure vFS to protect client data.
- Fast
GreenGeeks boasts excellent server speed across the board with the latest innovations for fast data storage.
- Ethical
The carbon footprint of the web hosting industry is almost a match for air travel, but GreenGeeks offsets 3000% of their emissions with wind power.
Some Draw-Backs of GreenGeeks
- Data centers
Although customers can choose from data centers in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, there are no data centers in other parts of the world such as South America, Asia, Africa, and Australasia.
- Non-refundable fees
Refunds do not include domain registration fees, set-up fees, and other add-on costs. Users must pay the $15 set-up fee, even if they cancel after 30-days.
- Prices increase
Only first-time GreenGeeks users can benefit from many of the advertised prices. The price of this hosting service will no doubt increase when customers renew their plans.
The Verdict
GreenGeeks offers an impressive VPS hosting service to clients. Their platform is ultra-fast, with a customer-focused support team and an accessible service to those who are unfamiliar with the technical aspects of website hosting. GreenGeeks sustains a zero-carbon footprint without forfeiting technological power.
