Afaqi.com review

First impression

Afaqi is a Saudi company and cost-effective yet dependable digital solutions provider to businesses. They deal in services from website development and design, online shop solutions, digital marketing and branding. Whether developing custom websites, SEO management, photography, pay-per-click management, or email and SMS marketing, Afaqi strives to be of help to companies to achieve a robust online presence. They also deal in available services of website hosting, managing domain names, and networking solutions to accompany their services. 

Trial Period

If you are contemplating using Afaqi's hosting plans, keep in mind that they do not have free trials. Instead, they have a 30-day, risk-free, and money-back guarantee that you can trust. If you do sign up and are dissatisfied, you can simply cancel your package for a full refund - no questions asked. 

Billing Cycle

Afaqi’s shared hosting plans come with a bit of a catch - you’re locked into an annual commitment right from the start. Unlike some providers that offer monthly billing for a little more flexibility, Afaqi takes the "go big or go home" approach. There’s no testing the waters with a short-term plan, so if you’re not ready to commit for a full year, this might not be the best fit. 
Customers can choose to pay using major credit cards, PayPal, or through bank transfers.

Control Panel

Their shared hosting plans, all of which are Linux-based, comes with my personal favorite control panel - cPanel. cPanel is an extremely popular web host control panel which makes it easy to host and administer websites and servers. It has a user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for both newbies and seasoned professionals alike to complete important hosting tasks without needing lots of technical expertise. You are also able to install and administer email accounts, install apps like WordPress, track website performance, configure security settings, and even databases using it without any trouble. It also has file manager functionality so you are able to quickly and easily upload, update and backup website files from within your browser.

Limits

Their Shared Hosting plans, which they resell from Prolines - a Saudi provider (possibly owned by the same people, though their support couldn’t confirm this, and I couldn’t find any concrete information) - come in three options, each catering to different needs. The Startup plan is pretty basic, offering 1GB of disk space, 10 POP/IMAP email accounts, 5 MySQL databases, and support for just one domain - perfect if you’re running a small site. Moving up, the Business plan removes storage and database limits but still only allows one domain, which feels a bit restrictive for something labeled "Business." Then there’s the Pro plan, which finally gives you the freedom to host multiple domains, along with unlimited storage, email accounts, and databases. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that all storage is on standard HDDs, not SSDs, so don’t expect lightning-fast performance. Personally, even with the Pro plan, I wouldn’t host anything more than a personal site here.

Website Builder

If you’re hoping for a built-in website builder with Afaqi’s shared hosting plans, you’re out of luck, as they don’t include one. Instead, they focus on full-service website design and development, so if you want a professionally crafted site, their team can handle it for you at an additional cost. However, their hosting does come with Softaculous, a one-click installer that lets you set up WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and other CMS platforms in seconds. So, while there’s no drag-and-drop builder, you can still create a great-looking site without touching a single line of code - just pick your CMS, install it, and start building!

Security

All of their shared hosting plans include a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate, so any data passed between your site and your users is all secure. Their data centers are physically secure and monitored in multiple layers, so you won’t have to worry about unauthorized access. For more advanced protection, however, you’ll have to pay for their advanced security services - like incident response and vulnerability management. While these extras are perfect for businesses that need an extra layer or two of protection, I did discover that one or two basic security functions - like automated malware scanning or advanced DDoS protection - aren’t included across the board. So, while Afaqi’s got the fundamentals taken care of, you may need to pay a small additional fee to feel completely secure.

OS

Afaqi’s shared hosting operates on CentOS, a free and open-source Linux distribution that’s built on the foundation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Known for its rock-solid stability, strong security, and extended support, CentOS has become a go-to choice for web hosting providers. It offers a dependable environment that ensures smooth compatibility with various applications, making server management hassle-free and efficient.

Support

If you ever need support from Afaqi, I hope you have the patience of a saint because the only way to reach them is through WhatsApp - and let’s just say, quick responses aren’t their strong suit. On www.proline.sa, the company they seem to be using for reselling hosting, things aren’t much better. They do have an extra option, a website contact form, but don’t get too excited because, just like WhatsApp, responses are painfully slow. Let’s just say, if you’re looking for lightning-fast support, you might want to bring a good book… or three.

Conclusion

Is Afaqi a good hosting option? I’d have to say no. They dabble in a wide range of services - photography, promotional gifts, exhibition stand designs, and more - which makes it seem like hosting isn’t really their main focus. From what I can tell, they don’t even offer their own hosting but rather resell plans from another provider. If you're looking for a reliable hosting company, I’d recommend shopping around as there are definitely better options out there!