Hosttech.ch review

First impression

Hosttech is a Switzerland based web hosting provider that was founded back in 2004 by Manuel Kälin and Marius Meuwly. They run their operations out of Schönenberg, Zurich, and offer services such as shared hosting, dedicated servers, VPS servers, managed servers, virtual data centers, domain registrations, and email solutions. In 2009, they were converted into a GmbH (limited liability company) and are currently one of the country's biggest web hosting providers.

Trial Period

This provider unfortunately doesn't offer any free trials so that new customers can test them out before signing up. But they do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on their shared hosting plans, so if they don't live up to your expectations within the first month of service, simply cancel your plan for a full refund. It is important to note that this policy only applies to their shared hosting and not server plans.

Billing Cycle

Their shared hosting plans are billed in advance for a year, so full payment needs to be made for 12 months before your account gets activated. On VPS, however, users will have the option to choose between monthly or annual payment cycles.

They currently accept all major credit cards, PayPal, as well as bank transfers as valid payment methods.

Control Panel 

All their shared hosting and server hosting plans come standard with the Plesk control panel. This panel features a clean, modern, and mobile-friendly interface, and unlike cPanel (the industry go-to panel), supports both Windows and Linux-based plans. It is super-easy to use and allows one to manage servers, websites, and applications without needing to be a technical geek. Personally, I would have liked to maybe get a choice between at least two panel options on VPS servers.

Limits

Hosttech's shared hosting plans all run on premium brand-name hardware and lightning-fast SSD drives, and come in four scalable options. The Hosting Top Deal plan comes with 50GB SSD disc space,  512MB RAM, 10 MariaDB databases, and a limit of 10 domains. Next up, they have the Hosting L plan, which is their most popular option. It features 150GB SSD storage, 1GB RAM, 20 MariaDB databases, and on this plan, you can host up to 20 domains. Lastly, they have the  Hosting XL and Hosting Unlimited plans, which boost 350GB SSD disc space, 200%  computing power, 2GB  RAM, 50 MariaDB databases, a limit of 50 domains, or 750GB  SSD storage space, 300%  computing power, 3GB  RAM, and unlimited MariaDB databases and domains, respectively. All shared hosting plans come standard with unlimited POP/IMAP email accounts and a free SSL certificate by Let's Encrypt.

Their VPS plans, on the other hand, offer users the choice between Windows and Linux-based servers and come in multiple options. The specs on these plans range from 2 Core CPUs, 2GB RAM, and 50GB SSD disc space on the Sunny, their entry-level VPS plan, up to 12 Core CPUs, 120GB RAM, and 1.5 TB SSD storage space on the Tornado, their top-tier VPS plan.

Website Builder

Their shared hosting plans come standard with the Plesk control panel, which lets you install popular content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal with a single click. One can easily use these to create stunning websites quickly and effortlessly. But, if you are looking for a dedicated website builder, you are in luck as they offer the 'Website Creator' website builder in two paid-for plans (one suited for personal sites and the other for ecommerce). This builder lets you choose from 50 templates and features a drag-and-drop interface to edit the images, text, logos, and more. It is also fully responsive, meaning it will display correctly on any screen size.

Security

All their shared hosting plans come standard with a complimentary SSL certificate by Let's Encrypt, and Imunify360, a comprehensive security suite that includes a network firewall, a web application firewall (WAF), patch management, and PHP security layers, to name just a few. Users can also buy more advanced SSL certificates from them, should they need better encryption. Hosttech's servers are housed in its own "DATAROCK" data center that is ISO 27001-certified for security. This is an underground bunker that features the highest security levels. Furthermore, they also do backups every 24 hours and keep them for a week to ensure your data is safe.

OS

Hosttech makes use of the CloudLinux operating system, a Linux-based OS designed for shared environments, on their shared hosting servers. This OS is known for being very stable and secure, and allows server admins to set limits on resources such as CPU, RAM, and disk I/O for each LVE (lightweight virtual environment). Their VPS servers offer a bit more options. Users can choose between CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, or Windows Server. CloudLinux can also be loaded, but one has to specifically request that. 

Support

Hosttech support agents are available 24/7 via email, support tickets, or phone. One can also check their network status on their website, where they will provide information on their own network and known issues. Their agents are a pleasure to deal with and replies are swift! They even guarantee response times of a maximum of 24 hours on basic support, or 12 hours on platinum and business Support.

Conclusion

If you are based in the Swiss region and looking for a new provider, Hosstech should be on your short list. Their plans are well structured, and with both shared and VPS hosting, they cater to anyone from home users to large corporations. Their support is fast and friendly, and their security is solid. Definitely worth checking out.