Voyager.nz review

First impression

Voyager is a privately owned New Zealand-based company that provides a range of IT related services such as Internet Connectivity, Broadband Connections, and VOIP Solutions.  They also serve as a domain registrar, and offer other specialized business services like Cloud Hosting, and VOIP Solutions, Microsoft 365, Virtual Private Servers (VPS), Dedicated and Shared Hosting, and Cloud Servers, to name a few. Voyager has earned the NZCompare People’s Choice Broadband Award three years in a row (2022, 2023, and 2024), which is a massive feat.

Trial Period

Unfortunately, this provider does not offer any free trials for potential customers to test the waters first, and while they do not seem to publicly offer a refund guarantee (it is not mentioned on their website), I was able to confirm with their support department that refunds do actually happen from time to time, but it depends on the situation.

Billing Cycle

If you dislike long contracts, this New Zealand provider is a breath of fresh air since they provide straightforward and commitment-free options. Their Dedicated Server and Shared Hosting plans are billed on simple month-to-month contracts. Their VPS plans are more interesting as they operate on an hourly billing cycle. You’re charged for the hours you actually use, up to a maximum of 672 hours (which is basically four weeks). If you reach that cap, you’ll pay the standard monthly rate, but if you use less, you’ll only pay for what you used. If you only need a VPS temporarily or have fluctuating workloads, this is a cost-effective option. 

Currently, the company accepts all major credit and debit cards as well as bank transfers and order payments.

Control Panel

Voyager combines Plesk Obsidian with Shared Hosting and uses the Solus platform for VPS users, which makes managing your hosting very easy. Shared users who use, or have used, Plesk Obsidian as their control panel, will know it's one of the best, and most user-friendly control panels on the market. It allows you to administer websites, emails, databases, and even security arrangements with ease. The Solus platform, on the other hand, focuses on allowing users to have full control of their virtual servers. Solus offers instant management services such as rebooting or reinstalling your VPS, making it easier for users who require more controls without having to deal with complicated configurations.

Limits

Their Shared Hosting plans, which run on a cluster of servers for outstanding uptime and speed, come in three options (both in Linux and Windows). Their entry-level option, the Lite plan is equipped with 10GB storage (standard HDDs, not SSDs), 10 POP/IMAP mailboxes which include 10GB of mail storage, and 2 MySQL databases. Next is the Plus Plan, which has 25GB of disk space with 25 POP/IMAP mailboxes, 25GB of mail storage, and 5 MySQL databases. At the top, the Max plan includes 50GB of disc space, and 50GB of mail storage with 50 POP/IMAP mailboxes, and allows for 10 MySQL databases. All plans come standard with a complimentary SSL certificate by Let’s Encrypt, as well as unlimited traffic.

Voyager VPS plans, on the other hand, offer multiple scalable options, all running on Dell EMC Enterprise Servers with lightning-fast, enterprise-grade, SSD storage. Their most basic plan starts with 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 15GB SSD storage, while their top-tier plan goes up to 4 vCPUs, 8GB RAM, and 500GB SSD disk space. However, these are only starting points from where users are able to design their own server fully by selecting the exact specifications required.

Website Builder

Unlike some hosting providers that bundle in a drag-and-drop site builder, Voyager doesn’t include one with their plans. However, they do offer easy installation for several popular CMS platforms, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento. These platforms allow users to create responsive, and professional-looking websites quickly, and with zero coding knowledge!

Security

As for security, Voyager has the basics well covered. There are daily backups and the website data is kept in other locations to make sure that if there are problems, no information is lost. Their servers are monitored 24/7, which allows for prompt response to any issues that may arise. In addition, their data center located in Auckland is secured with strong physical protection, such as closed-circuit television cameras, biometric access control, and mantraps. All these measures aim to stop unauthorized access to the facilities. Furthermore, each plan comes with a free SSL certificate by Let’s Encrypt. Unfortunately, there are no additional security options for shared hosting and VPS plans because those accounts are self-managed. Therefore, if you want features like intrusion detection systems (IDS), web application firewalls (WAF), or malware scans you must make those arrangements yourself – which is disappointing, to say the least.

OS

For those who prefer Linux, Voyager utilizes CloudLinux 7.9 ("Boris Yegorov") on their shared hosting plans, while Windows enthusiasts will get Microsoft Windows Server 2016. VPS hosting clients on Voyager will have to prepare themselves for a plethora of options because the list is massive. There are the following: AlmaLinux (8.3, 8.4, 8.7, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 and 9.4), CentOS (7, 8, 8 Stream, 9 Stream), Debian (9,10, 11, 12), Ubuntu (16.04, 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, 24.04), Rocky Linux (8.4,9) and even Alpine Linux 13.15 for those who enjoy the lightweight alternatives. Voyager also provides Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022 (KMS editions) as options for Microsoft-based servers.

Support

From my experience, their team is quick to respond, and they genuinely seem to care about helping customers. Their support agents are available through multiple channels, including e-mail support (available from 8 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week), phone support (available around the clock), and support tickets, which are open to both customers and non-customers alike. They also have a decent knowledge base for users to trouble shoot their issues themselves. Users can expect to get a response from on their tickets within two hours.

Conclusion

If you are based in the land of the long white cloud, and looking for a new hosting provider, then Voyager is worth a shot. They are reliable, their infrastructure is well-maintained, their pricing is affordable, and their support team is both responsive and very helpful. In my opinion a great choice!