Webland.ch review

First impression

Webland is a web hosting services provider that was founded back in 1998. They are based in Münchenstein, Switzerland, and offer a range of services that include shared hosting, email solutions, domain registrations, SSL certificates, and virtual private networks,  aimed mainly at the local small to medium sized businesses. The company consists of 15 hosting professionals and currently host in excess of 75,000 domains on their servers.

Trial Period

For new clients looking at Webland's shared hosting plans, there is a full 30-day free trial available. This provides plenty of time to evaluate their services to make sure they are the right fit before committing. Sadly, there's no money back guarantee in place, and as their plans run on annual subscriptions only, it is important to test them thoroughly within this period.

Billing Cycle

Their standard billing cycle for all their hosting plans is yearly, and payments need to be made in advance before your account gets activated. However, users can request shorter payment cycles, but this will need to be arranged with their admin staff directly.

They currently only accept payments via credit cards and TWINT, a well-known Swiss mobile payment solution.

Control Panel

When it comes to managing your account and website, Webland includes its very own, custom-created and user-friendly control panel, the 'System Configurator' with all their hosting plans. This intuitive panel features a very simple, and straightforward interface from where users can easily manage their hosting, databases, email accounts, and more, from one location. They also provide a PDF document explaining how to use this panel, and all its features and functionality, but unfortunately, this PDF is only available in German at the moment.

Limits

Webland splits their shared hosting plans into two categories, "Private & Small Businesses", and "Companies & Businesses", each with three options to choose from, as well as the option of Linux or Windows-based servers. These plans range from 25GB disc space, unlimited POP/IMAP email accounts (total size has a limit of 12.5GB), 10 MySQL/MSSQL databases, and a limit of 10 domains on the Starter plan, their entry-level option, up to 250GB storage space, unlimited POP/IMAP email accounts (with no size limit), 100 MySQL/MSSQL databases, and a limit of 100 domains on the Hosting Business Cluster plan, at the other end of the spectrum. All plans come standard with a complimentary SSL by Let's Encrypt, as well as Smart Analytics, to track visitor numbers and stats. It is worth noting that the storage runs on standard HDDs and not super-fast SSD drives.

Website Builder

At the moment, Webland doesn't offer a built-in website builder as part of their plans. However, you can easily install a CMS (content management system) such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and others via their AppCenter (which is included within their 'System Configurator' control panel). These CMSs come with user-friendly interfaces and a variety of pre-designed themes or templates one can easily edit to create a website that is not only responsive but also professional-looking, quickly, and with no coding knowledge. Personally, I prefer these above-standard dedicated website builders by far!

Security

Webland has all the basic security measures in place that one would expect from a quality hosting provider. Their servers, all housed within the IWB (Industrielle Werke Basel), the largest carrier-neutral data center in Northwestern Switzerland, are monitored 24/7 and they run intelligent software that detects and correct any errors as well as security breaches. All accounts also come with daily automated backups, a web application firewall (WAF), advanced DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack protection, anti-spam and antivirus software, as well as complimentary SSL certificates by Let's Encrypt. Excellent security that should cover all bases.

OS

Webland uses the CloudLinux operating system, a very stable and secure OS that is basically a modified version of Linux that uses Lightweight Virtual Environment (LVE) technology to create isolated containers for each user, for their Linux-based shared hosting plans, and Windows Server for their Windows-based options. Unfortunately, they don't specify the exact versions, as, according to them, may change due to updates and internal system configurations.

Support

Their support unfortunately isn't available 24/7, and users can only contact their agents via email, live chat, or phone, Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, should they run into problems. Response time during these periods are generally fast, in my experience emails get a reply from a friendly and well-trained support agent within an hour every time. 

Conclusion

In my opinion, Webland is a decent hosting option for individuals or small businesses, and not really suited for larger corporations. Their plans are affordable and security good, but their servers still run on standard HDD's and their support isn't available around the clock, which might be a dealbreaker for some.