iPage web hosting review

As part of our ongoing search for the best web hosting services, we decided to take a closer look at iPage. On the surface, this provider appears to offer a great selection of hosting solutions, with low prices, an integrated website builder, and numerous tools to help you along the way. 

But as you probably know, hosting isn’t always as good as it appears. In our iPage hosting review, we aim to demystify every aspect of this popular hosting service provider by analyzing its service, prices, main features, and more. 

iPage: Plans and pricing

iPage’s most attractive and popular offering is its budget shared hosting, which starts from just $1.99 a month for a 36-month subscription. Prices increase to $2.49 a month over 24 months or $2.99 a month over 12 months, which isn’t too bad at all. However, you will have to pay $7.99 a month when the time comes to renew your plan. 

Nevertheless, this still represents great value for money. iPage only offers one shared hosting plan, and it includes all of the tools you need to get started. 

For example, you will benefit from unlimited website connections, unmetered bandwidth, and unlimited storage. You can access a free SSL certificate, a free domain for the first year, and free business email addresses. There’s even a free website builder that you can take advantage of if you need help putting your new site together. 

On top of this, there are three customizable VPS plans on offer, but these are quite limited. For example, the Basic plan starts at an affordable $19.99 a month, but it only comes with one CPU core, 1GB RAM, 40GB storage, and 1TB bandwidth. Upgrading to a higher-end plan will get you more resources, but it’s really not worth it. 

Other options include part-managed WordPress hosting (from $3.75 a month) and dedicated server hosting (from $119.99 a month).

There’s also a full domain registration portal, a selection of security add-ons available for purchase, and professional web development services for those who need additional help.

iPage: Features

iPage offers a selection of interesting features that add extra value for money to its already affordable shared hosting solutions. 

All shared hosting subscriptions come with the basic version of the iPage website builder. This enables you to create simple sites with up to six pages. And you’ll benefit from over 550,000 free stock photos, decent SEO tools, and a selection of website templates. Note, though, that you won’t be able to create an online store unless you purchase a premium website builder subscription. 

With iPage, you can create an unlimited number of @yourdomain email addresses. Use these to build a professional business image and create streamlined management workflows. 

Most budget shared hosting plans restrict you to one or two websites. Usually, you will have to pay for a much more expensive subscription to unlock unlimited domain connections. However, iPage includes all of this with its standard shared hosting package, which is great to see.

iPage: Interface and in use

Unfortunately, signing up for a new iPage account was anything but a streamlined process. Numerous upsells and add-ons are automatically added to your cart, and you may end up paying more than double the price of your basic hosting subscription if you’re not careful. This isn’t great. 

Credit/debit card and PayPal payments are available, and the checkout worked well, which was one positive at least. 

Unfortunately, though, the iPage vDesk control panel leaves a lot to be desired. It includes the basic tools, but it’s overly simplistic and just can’t compare to more popular interfaces such as cPanel or Plesk. 

iPage: Support

In the past, iPage’s support options have been average, at best. However, the company has raised its game recently, updating its knowledge base with a suite of great resources. Live customer service channels include live chat and phone, although email and online ticket support are notably absent. 

iPage: Security

iPage offers basic security features, but it’s far from a leader in the field. This is likely because it encourages you to purchase a premium SiteLock security subscription. This starts from $3.99 a month for basic malware scanning, bot attack blocking, and malware removal. If you decide to go for this option, your shared hosting price will be tripled.

Alternatives to iPage

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly host with a focus on security, Hostinger could be your best choice. Its shared hosting plans are a little more limited than iPage’s, but prices start from just $0.99 a month and the security integrations are excellent.

Another great option is InterServer, which boasts a very attractive price structure. It is a little more expensive, with standard shared hosting costing $5 a month (regularly on sale at $2.50). However, you won’t have to worry about prices increasing on renewal, and the excellent range of features means that you will still benefit from decent value for money. 

iPage: Final verdict

iPage certainly has its flaws, but its shared hosting presents a decent option for those on a tight budget. If you can look past the lack of monthly billing with shared hosting, the overly simplistic control panel, and the poor security tools, there’s a lot to like here. 

The bottom line: consider iPage if you’re looking for a budget hosting provider that enables multiple website connections. 

Further reading on web hosting

Read our range of buying guides covering various hosting types, including the best VPS hosting, the best cloud hosting, the best WordPress hosting, the best Windows hosting, the best Linux web hosting, and the best unlimited hosting.