AltusHost.com review

First impression

Professionally looking website, easy to navigate. All packages have detailed description of their tech specs. Shared hosting packages are more expensive in comparison to other providers: from $6.71/mo to $20.25/mo, though, they’re bigger. The disk quota varies from 10 Gb to 30 Gb. In addition, the servers security is on a high level. Moreover, the company offers WordPress hosting. It has the same prices and features as Shared, however, it is fully optimized for WordPress. What’s more, both Shared and WordPress servers run on LiteSpeed that ensures website speed. It is much more quicker than Apache web server.

VPS servers are divided into Windows and Linux VPS. The server characteristics are rather good, so the price-quality ratio can be considered well-balanced. For instance, the SX4 VPS package is at $90.17/mo and includes 6 CPU cores, 8 Gb RAM, 160 Gb SSD disk space and 16 Tb of bandwidth. In addition, it is possible to choose the server location: Netherlands, Bulgaria or Sweden.

Dedicated servers are divided into Standard, High-End and Outlet Servers. Although the latter are the cheapest (from $107.15/mo), their tech specs are quite nice. High-End Servers are expensive, however, very powerful. For example, a server that has two Intel Xeon E5 2650 v3 processors, 96 Gb RAM, 4x 2 Tb disk storage and 50 Tb costs $338.30 which is not that much for such a powerful server. Also, if you need a server with a certain configuration that’s not on the list, you can contact their support team via ticket and they will be able to find a server that matches your needs.

Trial period

AltusHost does not offer a trial period, however, they have a nice moneyback policy. It is possible to get a full refund for any Shared or WordPress hosting package within 45 days after the purchase and for VPS servers - within 14 days. Dedicated servers are non-refundable.

Billing cycle

Shared and WordPress hosting packages have quarterly, semi-annual, annual and biennial billing cycles. VPS and almost all Dedicated servers (except Outlet servers) have monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual cycles. Outlet servers have monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual and biennial billing cycles.

Control panel

cPanel is included to each Shared and WordPress package for free. cPanel or DirectAdmin can be installed on Linux VPS and Dedicated servers in case they have CentOS 7 installed on them. The price varies between $5.64 and $28.20 per month. Windows VPS as well as Dedicated servers with Windows installed come without a control panel. However, it is possible to access the server via remote desktop client. It is also possible to use VPS and Dedicated servers without a control panel.

Limits

VPS and Dedicated servers have usual CPU cores, bandwidth, disk storage and RAM limitations that can be found in the plan description. Shared and WordPress hosting packages have unlimited bandwidth, number of databases, domain names and email accounts. Only the disk space is limited: from 10 Gb to 30 Gb.

Security

AltusHost provides a redundant DDoS-protected network for all servers. Also, they provide Imunify360 for their Shared and WordPress hosting packages. This is a built-in security tool that combines several measures, such as web application firewall, malware scanner and brute force protection. Currently it is available for cPanel, Plesk and DirectAdmin.

The server security for VPS servers is under your own responsibility, if you purchase a self-managed package. A package is considered managed, if you install CentOS and cPanel on it. Managed VPS packages have basic security. Dedicated servers are protected, however, there are no details about the security measures implemented. Backups are created every day for Shared and WordPress hosting. For VPS and Dedicated servers you have to make them on your own, though, you can purchase offsite backup storage (starting from $16.89/mo). Also, all servers are being monitored 24/7.

OS

CloudLinux runs on Shared and WordPress servers. Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu can be installed on Linux VPS and Windows Server 2008/2012- on Windows VPS servers. As for Dedicated servers, the following operating systems are available for them: Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu, FreeBSD - for free and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016 - at an additional cost (at $32.71/mo). Also, it is possible to set up VMware server virtualization for free. It allows you to create multiple virtual machines on the same physical server. You can also request a custom OS installation via IPMI/iDrac, however, this is a paid feature.

Support

The company provides 24/7 email and ticket support. Chat support works every day from 8am to 6pm CET. Phone support is available only for customers with Dedicated server hosting package. Also, for VPS and Dedicated servers without a control panel it is possible to purchase server management service. The company’s professionals will ensure your server health and performance as well as software installation and updates. The price varies between $56.39 and $140.98 per month. The knowledge base is small and accessible only through client area.

Conclusion

At first it seems that this hosting is bit more expensive. However, if you dig deeper, you can see that the services provided are worth the price. For instance, Shared and WordPress servers are very secure. VPS and Dedicated servers have excellent price-quality ratio and are very scalable. In addition, all of the servers are located in Europe which is a nice solution in case most of your website visitors are from Europe. Generally, this hosting can be considered as reliable, secure and affordable.