1stDomains.nz review

First impression

1st Domains is a New Zealand-based domain registrar which was founded in 2007 by New Zealand entrepreneurs. Today, they belong to Webcentral, a company based in New Zealand, but a member of the Melbourne IT Group. They have their office in Auckland and are engaged in registering domain names like .nz as well as registering other domains. In addition, they provide web hosting, email hosting, as well as SSL certificates to provide the facility for people and business to establish themselves on the Internet.

Trial Period

If you're one of those who prefer to get your toes wet before diving in, 1st Domains may leave you a little short. There is no money-back guarantee or trial period offered here like some of the competition does. Once you join, you're in - no do-overs, no refunds. While they're inexpensive and their packages are simple, it does mean you'll have to be positively certain before you click that buy button. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but it would've been nice to have at least some small window of opportunity for refunds if only for peace of mind.

Billing Cycle

For payment, 1st Domains prefers to keep things straightforward - everything is on an annual basis. No monthly plans, no quarterly payments - one annual payment to renew your hosting or domain. When renewal time comes around, the same goes, so you'll have to keep an eye out for those reminders to stay on top of things.

For payment, they make it easy, with the options of credit card or payment direct to your bank account.

Control Panel

Subscribers who signed up for their hosting plans will be using the Plesk control panel - and honestly, that's a big plus in my opinion. Plesk is a relatively easy-to-use hosting control panel, so it's easy to handle your site even if you're not a technical wizard. It lets you do everything from setting up emails and databases to installing software and handling security, all in a tidy, easy-to-navigate package. Compared to more well-known cPanel, Plesk has a cleaner, more streamlined look, and it gets along with Linux and Windows hosting. So whether you're a newcomer or veteran, having Plesk included with all hosting plans is a big plus.

Limits

They're packed with unlimited SSD storage, unlimited MySQL databases, and unmetered traffic - so you never have to worry about running out of room or hitting bandwidth ceilings. And you also receive a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate to secure your site, plus daily backups for added peace of mind. And with a 99.99% uptime guarantee, downtime is virtually a non-factor. Sounds ideal, right? Well, there's one little catch - you can only host one website per plan. So, if you're working on multiple projects, you'll need to have a separate plan for each, which can get pricey in a hurry. But if you're shopping for a rock-solid hosting setup for a single site, it's tough to go wrong here!

Website Builder

Customers looking for a unified drag-and-drop website builder at 1st Domains will be a little let down. They don’t have a site builder per se, but they make it simple with a one-click installation of top-of-the-line content management systems like WordPress and Joomla. And quite honestly, that’s all most of us require. With WordPress, for example, you can get a site live in minutes, theme it with styles, and add on with plugins - no coding involved. Joomla, a little more formal, offers you fair control over form and content. So no site builder as such is offered, but the CMS choices they offer are more than adequate to getting your site live with minimal fuss.

Security

Inspecting their security, you can see they have the basics covered. They offer free SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt, which encrypts data passed between my site and its visitors in all of their hosting packages. Additionally, their email hosting comes with premium anti-spam and virus protection through ImunifyAV, which protects all communications from malware attack. Furthermore, they encrypt sensitive information like usernames and passwords to give an added layer of security. I did notice, however, that their hosting packages don't come with advanced security features like intrusion detection systems (IDS) or web application firewalls (WAF), which larger sites typically require for advanced protection.

OS

This New Zealand host runs its web hosting plans on CloudLinux CentOS, a smart move for security and stability. So what is that? CloudLinux is basically a modified version of CentOS, but designed for hosting environments. It gives every user isolated “containers” so no one site can hog all of the server's resources or take others down. It's like having your own mini safety bubble on a shared server - your performance isn't affected, and security is more secure. It's a behind-the-scenes workhorse that makes your site run smoothly, even when your digital neighbors get a bit too demanding.

Support

For customer support, 1st Domains makes it simple but effective. You can reach them via email, support tickets, or by calling them between business hours. And a throwback to the good old days - they even offer support via fax! Yep. Although I didn't actually try out the fax feature (who has one, anyway?), their email and ticket support was speedy, with responses typically coming within a few hours. Phone support is offered for more serious issues, but it's not 24/7, so if you have problems outside of business hours, you'll have to wait until they're back online.

Conclusion

If you're in the market for a quirky, no-frills, no-nonsense New Zealand-based hosting experience, 1st Domains could be the ticket. They offer top-notch hosting with unlimited SSD storage, nightly backups, and a solid as a rock 99.99% uptime guarantee—perfect for small businesses, personal sites, and anyone who just wants a solid home for their site. But if you're a power user who needs hosting for multiple sites, needs advanced security features, or wants the flexibility to pay month to month, you might find their setup a bit restrictive. And the fact that a website builder isn't included means that you'll need to be okay with a CMS like WordPress too. So if you don't mind a year's commitment upfront and you just want a solid, steady host, 1st Domains might be just the thing you're looking for. Just don't expect all the bells and whistles!