Editor's opinion
Sean Thompson
I am a full-time web developer & IT professional with more than 18 years experience. I have been working with numerous hosting companies over the years.
First impression
Hostens is a web hosting services provider headquartered in Lithuania, founded in 2017 by Arvydas Strausas, who remains its CEO. With a background in computer sciences and fresh out of university in 2003, Strausas established 'Interneto Vizija', a prominent Lithuanian hosting service provider, from which Hostens originated as a division. Their team of proficient hosting professionals caters to over 100,000 clients throughout Europe from their TIER III data center located in Vilnius, Lithuania. Hostens specializes in Domain Registrations, Shared Hosting, and VPS Hosting services.
Trial Period
They unfortunately don’t offer any trial periods to test out their services, but they do have a 30-day full refund guarantee in place, that allows you ample time to try them out without risk. This guarantee applies to their Container VPS, Storage VPS, Linux VPS, Windows VPS, VPN, Spam Filter, SEO Tool, Shared Hosting, and Reseller Hosting services, and is processed within 3 business days.
It is important to note that no refund is available for domains, certificates, additional IP addresses, licenses, add funds transactions, and other one-time payments.
Billing Cycle
Hostens Shared & VPS Hosting plans provide flexibility in billing cycles, allowing users to opt for monthly, annual, biennial, or triennial commitments, with attractive discounts for longer terms. Conversely, their Managed VPS plans offer only monthly and annual sign-up options.
They accept all major credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro via Stripe, along with Bitpay, PayPal, Alipay, Doku, and Boletol, a widely used payment method in Brazil facilitating both cash and online payments, as valid payment methods.
Control Panel
Their Shared and Managed VPS plans include the widely popular cPanel control panel, known for its user-friendly interface for managing all aspects of your hosting account. Standard VPS plans however don't include a control panel by default, but cPanel, as well as DirectAdmin, which is faster and more lightweight than cPanel, and Plesk, for Windows-based plans, are available at an additional monthly fee.
Limits
Hostens Shared Hosting plans are available in three, super affordable options, namely the S10, S20, and S40. The S10, their entry-level plan comes with 10GB disk space, 768MB RAM, 100x POP/IMAP email accounts, 10x MySQL databases, and a limit of 10 websites. The S20 features 25GB space, 1.5GB RAM, and 20x MySQL databases, and allows for 20 websites, whilst the S40 boasts 50GB disk space, 2GB RAM, 40x MySQL databases, and a limit of 40 websites.
All Shared Hosting plans come standard with 1x CPU, Daily and Weekly Backups, a Free SSL certificate, and the option of hosting your site in Europe, Asia, or America.
Their unmanaged VPS plans are scalable and also available in three options, which range from 20GB disk space, 1x CPU, 2GB RAM, and 4TB bandwidth on the SMALL plan, up to 80GB disk space, 3x CPUs, 8GB RAM, and 16TB bandwidth on the LARGE, their top tier plan.
All their VPS hosting packages are provided with dedicated public IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
Website Builder
Hostens offers the Basekit Website Builder, a user-friendly tool for building websites with features like e-commerce and booking systems. Although it comes with an extra monthly fee, it's great for those without coding experience. Alternatively, their Shared Hosting plans include free one-click installations for popular CMSs like WordPress, PrestaShop, and Joomla, making it easy to create professional websites without hassle.
Security
Security comes in the form of a network firewall, DDOS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack protection, an automated Malware removal tool, Anti-Virus software, and complimentary SSL certificates by Let’s Encrypt. To enhance security further, they include CageFS, which isolates each user's files, preventing access to sensitive information and thwarting various cyber-attacks.
For those needing extra security, Hostens offers advanced 256-bit encryption strength SSL certificates such as Positive SSL Wildcard, GeoTrust True BusinessID SAN with EV, and GeoTrust True BusinessID SAN, which come at an additional cost.
OS
In Hostens' Shared Hosting, they use CloudLinux OS, which is tailor-made for shared hosting, known for its security and reliability. Meanwhile, their unmanaged VPS plans offer a variety of OS options like Ubuntu, CentOS, AlmaLinux, and more, giving users flexibility in choosing what suits them best.
Support
Their support is top-notch, available 24/7 via Email, Live Chat, Social Networks, or a Ticketing system. You'll feel valued as a customer, not just a number, with friendly and polite agents who break down any language barriers. Live Chat responses are almost instant, and emails are answered in less than a minute. Dealing with their support is a breeze and a pleasure, to say the least.
Conclusion
Pros |
Cons |
- Affordable Plans;
- Excellent Support;
- Good Security;
- 30-Day Money Back Guarantee;
- Free SSL Certificates.
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If you are looking for super cheap and reliable Shared and VPS Hosting plans, then do consider Hostens. They offer fast, secure, and well-structured plans complimented with superior technical support. an excellent choice in my opinion.