Seeweb.it review

First impression

Seeweb is an Italian web hosting services provider that was founded back in 1998 by Antonio Baldassarra and Enrico Vona, and was one of the first domain registrants in Italy. They started out as a basic web hosting provider but quickly expanded into more advanced cloud computing services, becoming one of Italy’s largest cloud and dedicated server providers. They offer a big range of services such as shared hosting, virtual private cloud (VPC), cloud streaming, cloud mail solutions, and backup solutions, amongst others.

Trial Period

This provider does not offer a free trial for potential customers to test their services before signing up. However, they stand behind their offerings with a Service Level Agreement (SLA) on all plans. If you're unsatisfied, you can cancel within the first 10 days for a full refund.

Billing Cycle

When it comes to billing, Seeweb keeps things straightforward. If you sign up for their shared hosting plans you will be billed for the year upfront, while their cloud computing and server plans only come in monthly payment cycles.

They currently accept payments via Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, PayPal, and bank transfers.

Control Panel

Seeweb's shared hosting plans come standard with the Plesk control panel pre-installed, a Windows and Linux-friendly control panel known for its security features and streamlined WordPress management. Users who sign up for their cloud servers will get to choose between Plesk or cPanel during setup. cPanel remains the benchmark in my opinion, a great choice for Linux users, loved for its deep customization and one-click app installs, while Plesk on the other hand offers a more modern interface with strong multi-server support. A solid setup, though beginners might need a quick tutorial to navigate both panels at first.

Limits

Their shared hosting, based on the IBM FlashSystem A9000 storage system, a high-performance, all-flash storage system designed mainly for enterprise environments that require high-speed data access, scalability, and advanced data efficiency features, is available in two options, namely Shared Linux or Shared Windows. Each plan features 10GB storage space, 5 MySQL 8.0 databases, and 25 POP/IMAP email accounts. One needs to be aware that these plans don't include a free SSL certificate, but they are available at an additional fee.

Looking at Seeweb’s cloud servers, these are KVM-based virtual machines with fully dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage resources. Looking at Seeweb’s cloud servers, these are KVM-based virtual machines with fully dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage resources. These cloud servers do not come in preconfigured packages. Instead, users can fully customize their deployment by selecting the data center location, operating system, CPU and RAM allocation, and storage configuration, and more, to meet their specific needs.

Website Builder

Their focus is more on offering custom cloud infrastructures, mostly aimed at larger corporations, and not so many home users, and although they offer shared hosting, these don't include any type of website builder at all. Users can however still install a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal, OpenCart, or Joomla, which comes packed with all the tools one needs to create a responsive and professional-looking website without much effort or any coding knowledge. Shared hosting plans come with one-click installations, but on cloud servers, one will have to install the CMS manually.

Security

Seeweb's security gives me mixed feelings, to be honest. While their data centers are ISO 27001 certified, the internationally recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), and come with 24/7 surveillance featuring on-site personnel supported by remote monitoring systems, advanced DDoS protection, and automated weekly backups, I'm disappointed that many basic security features require additional payments. Unlike most providers who include these as standard, Seeweb doesn't offer free SSL certificates (not even the ones from Let's Encrypt), and their virtual private cloud requires extra payments for essential protections like a web application firewall (WAF) and antivirus software. Even their cloud servers lack basic security features as standard - no built-in firewall, antivirus, or anti-spam protection comes included. For a company that invests so heavily in physical security and infrastructure certifications, it's frustrating to see these fundamental security measures treated as premium add-ons rather than standard protections.

OS

Seeweb's shared hosting plans will come either with Debian 11 / 12, or Ubuntu 24.04 / 22.04, depending on which server your plans get allocated, both hugely popular Linux-based operating systems known for being stable, secure, and widely used in servers, developments, and desktop computing. Users that opt for their cloud servers will get to choose between Debian 11 / 12, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 / 9, Rocky Linux 9, CloudLinux, AlmaLinux 8 / 9, Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04, or Windows Server 2019 and 2022 standard for Windows-based servers.

Support

Support is one area where they truly shine! If you get stuck and need to get hold of their support agents, you can contact them via live chat (available during certain hours of the day only), phone, email, or support tickets (one needs to be registered to submit a ticket). One live chat responses are nearly instant, and on email, I got replies within 30 minutes every single time. What makes this even more impressive is that there is always more than one agent cc'd on the emails, ensuring your plea for help doesn't fall through the cracks! Excellent support all round!

Conclusion

Seeweb shines as a premium hosting solution for medium-to-large enterprises that prioritize enterprise-grade hardware like IBM FlashSystem storage, robust cloud solutions, and exceptional uptime backed by responsive support - all housed in ISO 27001-certified data centers. However, their model falls short for home users and budget-conscious customers, as basic security features like SSL certificates and firewalls come at additional cost, and their fully customizable (but unguided) cloud environment may overwhelm beginners. While their setup is great for corporations, smaller operations will likely find better value elsewhere with providers offering more inclusive packages at more affordable premiums.