A2 Hosting Review: Is This The Right Web Host For Your Business?

Established in 2001, A2 Hosting is touted as a high-performance web hosting provider with lightning server speed and up to 20x faster load times compared to regular services.

But, is this web host really as fast as promised? And what types of hosting solutions does it offer? Read the rest of this guide to discover more about A2 Hosting, including its features, ease of use, hosting plans, pricing, and support.

We’ll also look at some of its top competitors and the unique features they have to offer to help you decide whether A2 Hosting is right for you.

What is A2 Hosting?

A2 Hosting is a web hosting company that offers high-performance website hosting plans, including Shared Hosting, WordPress Managed Hosting, and VPS Hosting.

The company serves over 110,000 users in 223 countries and offers additional services to streamline the website creation and management process. This includes domain names, website migration, a website builder, and website security. 

Here’s a quick look at A2 Hosting’s core features:

• 99.99% server uptime
• Lightning server speed
• Unlimited bandwidth
• SSD storage
• Free SSL Certificate and SSH
• Linux and Windows support
• Free site migration
• One-click WordPress installation
• Fully managed WordPress web hosting
• Managed automatic updates
• Advanced server security
• Daily and on-demand website backups
• 24/7 chat and phone support

In short, A2 Hosting allows you to focus on your business operations without having to worry about the technical aspects of managing your website, such as website updates, security, performance, and other back-end management tasks.

The company offers different types of web hosting, low introductory rates, fast load times, excellent uptime, and robust security features.

Who is A2 Hosting Ideal For?

A2 Hosting has an impressive range of hosting plans that are ideal for all types of business and personal projects. No matter your goals, this platform has all the tools you need for success.

Here is a closer look at the different solutions available for various types of users.

• Course Creators: A2 Hosting’s LMS hosting package helps you develop your online courses through the platform’s Learning Management System that is included in all LMS hosting accounts.
• Businesses: Businesses of all sizes can host and manage their websites, as well as other portions of their business (marketing, sales, customer services, etc.)
• Agencies: A2’s Agency Hosting allows you to build, maintain, and host your own customers on your website. It’s also ideal for developers or SEO consultants.
• E-commerce Store Owners: The platform’s servers support all major open-source e-commerce tools, such as WooCommerce, OpenCart, and PrestaShop.
• Bloggers: A2 has robust blogging solutions for first-time bloggers and seasoned experts alike.
• Hobbyists: Create a portfolio site or personal website to showcase your family memories and enjoy A2 Hosting’s advanced features at a low cost.
• Nonprofits: Save with A2 Hosting’s exclusive discounts for ultrafast, reliable nonprofit web hosting.

A2 Hosting is perfect for all types of users thanks to its unique Turbo hosting plans which use upgraded servers with 40% faster CPU processors, increased RAM, and up to 3X faster NVMe storage. Overall, this is a great pick for any business, especially those that expect tons of website traffic.

Features of A2 Hosting

1. Ease of Use: Is A2 Hosting Easy to Use?

A2 Hosting has a beginner-friendly dashboard that is easy to navigate. Once you have your website up and running, you’ll find all the tools you need for managing your site available to you on the intuitive dashboard.

The web host uses the traditional cPanel control panel, which comes with an impressive range of functionalities.

Here, you can register and add your new domain, install WordPress in one click, set up your email account, optimize your sites, and access advanced features through the files, databases, and security settings.

In addition to hosting management, you also get a range of other services that you can access right from your dashboard, including:

• Domain Registration: A2 offers a comprehensive suite of domain registration and management features. If you’re not ready to purchase or transfer your domain just yet, you can use a free, temporary domain name provided by the platform.
• Wide Range of Hosting Solutions: Once you’ve registered your domain on A2, you can choose the right hosting plan and decide on the best data center to host your website.
• Pre-installed WordPress: As an A2 user, you don’t have to install WordPress yourself as it comes already pre-installed. You can update it easily through the WP Toolkit tab.
• Website Management: A2 Hosting offers website management services to remove the hassle of having to take care of your own website’s back-end admin tasks, including WordPress management, updating plugins and themes, and taking care of maintenance issues, such as errors on your website.

2. Diverse Hosting Plans

A2 Hosting has a range of web hosting services to cater to all types of end-users. This includes:

• Business Hosting
• E-commerce Hosting
• Agency Hosting
• Blog Hosting
• LMS Hosting
• Nonprofit Web Hosting
• Personal Website Hosting

Each service has diverse plans to suit all budgets. All A2 Hosting plans come with the highest security standards and include one-click WordPress installation. You also get free website migration, which makes it easy to move your site from your current host to the new one.

Here’s a closer look at the main offerings on A2 Hosting:

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is when multiple websites are hosted on the same server. This type of hosting is ideal for small, low-traffic websites such as a business website that serves as a point of contact for a company.

Each website shares server resources with the rest of the sites on the shared web hosting plan. This includes things like processing power, disk space, memory, and bandwidth.

The downside of this type of hosting is that if one of the websites experiences a sudden surge in traffic, it can cause other sites on the server to slow down or even become unavailable.

On shared hosting plans, all customer data is stored on the same servers which, while being convenient and affordable, can also result in an increased risk of cyber threats for all websites involved.

Managed WordPress Hosting

In comparison to shared hosting, managed hosting offers dedicated server resources for each website, so there’s no need to share with other client websites.

This type of hosting allows you to enjoy managed server benefits, which is ideal for beginners and non-tech-savvy users. You also get tools for WordPress theme and plugin management right from your dashboard.

The best part about using A2’s Managed WordPress Hosting plans is that they’re optimized on the platform’s Turbo Servers, a time-proven technology designed to increase speed and performance while ensuring the security and stability of your WordPress site.

Dedicated Hosting

When you opt for dedicated hosting, your website gets its own, dedicated resources. This means you won’t have to share server space, bandwidth, or processing power with other websites.

You will have a faster website speed, more robust security, and reduced downtimes. This is the ideal plan for high-traffic websites that require consistent and reliable performance, such as e-commerce stores or affiliate websites.

However, the convenience of having your own dedicated resources also means you pay more compared to shared hosting. Also, this plan comes with caps on traffic, server space, and bandwidth.

Additionally, you’ll need to have some technical knowledge to effectively manage your own dedicated hosting account.

VPS Web Hosting

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a type of web hosting that provides you with dedicated resources to increase reliability. It comes with two levels of management options offered at a low price: managed VPS, and unmanaged VPS.

• Managed VPS Hosting provides 100% worry-free server management. You get access to an easy cPanel control panel, managed service security, and 24/7 support from the A2 Hosting support team.
• Unmanaged VPS Hosting allows you to self-configure your custom server. You can choose your own operating system, get full root access, and command line management.

A2’s VPS hosting promises up to 20 times the speed, and you can choose from a range of affordable, growth-focused plans with huge savings when you opt for the 36-month term.

Reseller Hosting

A2 Hosting offers fully white-labeled reseller hosting accounts that you can use to start your own hosting business to support your customers or earn additional revenue.

The easy-to-use reseller hosting plans come with complete server management and include features like round-the-clock server maintenance, security, malware scanning, and resource upgrades.

You can easily manage your Reseller account on the user-friendly cPanel control panel. There, you also get access to automated billing software to take care of all your hosting management processes, including invoicing, provisioning, payment processing, suspension, and sending reminders.

3. Uptime and Reliability: How Reliable is A2 Hosting?

A2 has an impressive 99.99% uptime commitment and uses ultra-reliable turbo servers for 20 times faster page load speeds compared to regular services.

Google and other search engines closely monitor uptime, which is why it’s good to have a web host that focuses on ensuring that your site has as few interruptions as possible so your rankings don’t suffer.

A2 Hosting also offers automated onsite backups. Website backups are critical for protecting your business data and minimizing downtime.

A2 Hosting provides free server rewind data backup protection so you can restore your website quickly and easily in the event of a disaster.

4. Speed and Performance: How Fast Is A2 Hosting?

As previously stated, A2 Hosting is a high-performance web hosting service that’s known for its lightning server speed. This means better SEO, lower bounce rates, and higher conversion rates.

However, it’s important to note that your website’s performance will depend on the type of hosting plan you choose.

For example, in a shared hosting service, many websites use the service provider’s server resources and bandwidth, which may result in the overall decrease of speed for your site whenever one or more of the websites on that server use up the resources.

With a managed hosting service, you get dedicated resources for your site which ensures optimal performance and consistent speed.

Fortunately, A2 Hosting has a range of tools to optimize performance, including advanced caching software, optimized configurations, and LiteSpeed-powered servers with performance enhancements.

A2 Hosting even offers a free tool where you can conduct a quick speed test using your IP. 

Excellent Server Response Time: Tests conducted on Pingdom show that the host provider has an excellent server response time of under 300ms. This is the gold standard in page loading speed, which makes A2 Hosting the ideal option for high-traffic websites that need to sustain performance during times of peak activity. 

What Makes A2 Hosting So Fast and Reliable?

A2’s website loading speed is so fast because the platform uses contemporary technology to speed up its sites, including fast drives and advanced caching systems.

Below are a few of the reasons why A2 continues to lead the pack in terms of speed and performance. 

A2 Hosting Uses Modern Hardware:

• Global Data Centers: A2 Hosting has data centers located in all major regions around the world, including the US, Europe, and Asia. You can choose the best servers according to where your target audience is primarily based. The proximity helps to reduce response time and boost your page load speed.
• SSD storage: A2 uses SSD storage rather than the outdated HDD version. Tests have shown that SSDs offer up to 20X faster speed than HDDs.
• NVMe AMD EPYC Server: If you choose the A2 Turbo plan, your site will be hosted on a NVMe AMD EPYC Server, the fastest enterprise-grade server currently available.

A2 Hosting Uses Advanced Software Optimizations:

• PHP Version: As an A2 user, you can choose the PHP version you want according to how many requests you want to be served per second. This is an ideal feature for e-commerce and affiliate websites that deal with tons of traffic daily.
• Pre-Configured Caching: A2 uses LiteSpeed, one of the fastest web server technologies used by hosting providers. It has its own caching engine designed to deliver your website content faster. 
• A2 Optimized Plugin: A2 offers an optimized plugin for WordPress and other CMS solutions. This is a beginner-friendly tool that analyzes your website’s performance, theme, security, and other plugins. It then offers suggestions on different ways to improve your website “score” to optimize it for online visibility and search. 

It’s clear to see that A2 Hosting has robust hardware to support your site. Performance testing results have shown that all the integrated tools and technology work to make A2-hosted websites faster, with impressive uptime, and the ability to support big surges of traffic.

A2 Hosting even provides CDN hosting, which involves caching content on a server that’s geographically closer to a user. This isn’t a feature you’ll find on all web hosting providers, especially not for free.

5. Quick and Easy Domain Registration

With A2 Hosting, you can easily buy and transfer domains. The platform offers a range of domain services, including domain name search, domain support, domain guides, and easy domain management.

Here’s a closer look at some of the domain registration services available on A2:

• Domain Name Registration: Register your new domain name quickly and easily on the A2 Hosting platform. Choose from top-level domains (TLDs) to fit your needs, including .com, .net, .org, .biz, .co, .cc, .us, and .io.
• Domain Hosting: Once you purchase your domain, you get instant hosting on the platform’s fast servers.
• Domain Transfer: A2 Hosting makes the process of transferring your existing domains quick and easy.
• Domain Security: Robust, built-in security protocols protect your personal information from spam, scams, and domain theft.
• Email Forward: You can forward emails to an alternate address to make it easier to monitor all your mail from a single account.
• Website Builder: After purchasing a domain, you can choose from a range of popular website software and solutions to create your new sites.

Additional domain registration features include custom name servers which allow you to customize how the domain information is displayed in “Whois” searches. You also get free DNS management which helps to speed up your website and improve its availability with reduced redundancy.

6. Top-Grade Hosting Security

A2 Hosting has excellent data security features to help protect your business reputation and sensitive data.

The secured hosting environment comes with a range of security measures that adhere to current best practices for maintaining privacy and security, including high-performance features like the ones below:

• Free SSL Certificates: A2 Hosting provides you with free, automatically activated Let’s Encrypt SSL on all hosting plans. This helps to secure pages on your website by encrypting information such as logins and credit card numbers instead of sending it via plain text.
• Reinforced DDoS Protection: The web host also offers reinforced DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection. DDoS is a cyber-attack where your website is disrupted by flooding it with fake web traffic from compromised systems to use up all your resources so legitimate users can’t access the site.
• Firewalls: A2 has a dual firewall available on all plans. The first one, Config Server Firewall (CSF) is a server firewall that improves overall server security and protects against attacks. The second firewall, ModSecurity, is a Web Application Firewall (WAF) whose job it is to filter, block, and monitor inbound/outbound traffic from your site.
• Patchman Enhanced Security Tool: This tool has multiple functions, but initially, it’s designed to detect and patch malware/vulnerabilities on your site. It will notify you about outdated software, quarantine infected files for 24 hours, and automatically patch up issues in your CMS.
• 2-Factor Authentication: 2FA is a simple but crucial part of your website security. If a malicious actor tries to log into your account, not only will they be met with a password, but they will also need to get through a second layer of protection, often a code that only you can get as the website admin.

Note that the level of website security you get from A2 Hosting will depend on the type of hosting plan you opt for.

For example, if you choose dedicated or managed web hosting services, A2’s Hosting experts will take care of all your security needs.

Also, this type of hosting keeps your website more secure than shared hosting. It’s a lot easier to secure your server compared to a shared server where you might suffer a security breach that originates on another site with whom you share resources.

7. Simple Website Builder

A2 has a drag-and-drop website builder, A2 SiteBuilder, which you can use to create your new site. Of course, this is unnecessary if you choose pre-installed WordPress instead. In that case, you’ll use the WordPress builder to create your website.

The site builder on A2 is template-based and uses a simple editor that provides you with basic page customization options.

You can change things like theme colors and fonts, but there isn’t much else you can do to create unique designs. This means that unless you use a third-party site builder, you’ll probably end up with a website that looks very much like most cookie-cutter site templates out there.

The A2 SiteBuilder is free for single-page sites, but you’ll have to pay a fee if you want to use it for multi-page websites.

Considering that the site builder comes with an additional monthly fee, it probably makes more sense to opt for a platform like WordPress which is free and offers more flexibility and deeper customization capabilities.

8. One-Click Installation of E-commerce Platforms and CMS

If you intend to sell products online, A2 Hosting has you covered with multiple e-commerce tools for building your online store.

These include popular solutions like:

• WordPress (WooCommerce)
• Joomla
• Drupal
• OpenCart
• Magento
• PrestaShop

Each e-commerce solution comes with a one-click setup to help you get started with your online store fast.

A2 Hosting also has developer-friendly tools for those looking to host multiple websites under a single hosting provider. You get features like admin-level root access, server rewind backups, and updated versions of the most commonly used developer tools, such as Python, PHP, Ruby, MySQL, and Apache.

9. Free Email Account

You can add unlimited email addresses on all the hosting plans on A2. This is a great feature for anyone who needs to send occasional emails. However, the email clients offered by the platform use the same server as your site, which means that it may not be ideal for frequent, professional use.

In such a case, you will have to integrate a third-party email tool. Still, using an email with your website name on it looks a lot more professional than using a Gmail one, so it’s worth considering taking advantage of this handy free tool.

10. Free Website Migrations

A2 Hosting offers free website transfer for one website on all the Shared Hosting plans. The platform’s dedicated customer support team will handle all website transfers. The number of sites you can migrate for free varies depending on the plan you’re on. For example, users on the Managed VPS, Dedicated, and Reseller Hosting plans get up to 25 free website transfers. Those on the Shared Hosting plans may have to pay a fee when migrating over 25 accounts.

Pros and Cons

Like every other web hosting company out there, A2 Hosting has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a quick look at some of the more prominent ones to give you a better idea of the capabilities and limitations of this hosting service.

Pros:

1. Simple User Interface: The user admin area on A2 Hosting is intuitive and easy to navigate. You can configure account options without technical assistance.
2. Fast Server Response Time: A2 Hosting has lightning server response time which makes it easy to process requests even during peak hours. Choose the Turbo plans for even faster speed and higher performance.
3. Superb Data Security Features: A2 Hosting has strong security protocols in place to protect your business’s sensitive data.
4. Optimized for WordPress: As a WordPress user, you’ll be able to benefit from A2 Hosting’s WordPress optimization features for a site that performs at optimal levels.
5. 100% Fully Re-brandable Hosting Accounts: Customize your clients’ nameservers, control panel, and billing software to match your agency’s branding specifications.
6. Free Account Migration: The A2 team can move your website(s) to A2 Hosting for free in the majority of cases.
7. A2 Optimized Plugin: Less experienced website owners will benefit from this website optimization tool for WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and OpenCart.
8. Unmetered Storage and Bandwidth: On the higher-tier plan, your storage and bandwidth are unlimited.

Cons:

1. Costly Beginner Plans: A2 Hosting plans are value-packed and ideal for higher-tier sites. However, they may prove a tad pricey for small sites.
2. Lax Customer Service: A2 Hosting seems to have it together in all areas except customer support. There is a long wait time for the live chat, up to 45 minutes in some cases.
3. High Renewal Rates: One of the disadvantages of using A2 Hosting is its high rates when renewing your subscription. For example, the Startup plan costs $2.99/month, but when you renew, the cost is $10.29/month.

Support and Community

A2 Hosting has a friendly and knowledgeable support team that’s always on hand to assist you.

The Guru Crew Support is available via live chat, phone, or email. Note that the ticketing system is only for paying customers, and you must be logged into your account to access it through your dashboard.

A2 also has a knowledge base filled with in-depth tutorials and how-to guides on every conceivable topic to help you get the most from the platform.

Unfortunately, there are many negative online reviews stating the lack of service from the customer support team. Some reviews state that customers had to wait up to half a day to get an answer to a question, which may be a dealbreaker for some.

A2 Hosting Alternatives

This guide has shown that A2 Hosting checks many of the boxes when choosing the best web hosting service. It offers rock-solid performance, usability, reliability, and support. It’s perfect for websites with growing audiences and traffic levels.

But, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, which means it might not be ideal for your website type, budget, and business needs.

If you are looking for an alternative web host, here are three other web hosting companies that make great alternatives to A2 Hosting. You can also learn more by checking out our top 11 picks for web hosting.

A2 Hosting vs. Hostinger

Hostinger is one of the top providers of shared web hosting services. Like its competitor, the platform offers lightning-fast server speeds, even on shared hosting plans.

If you plan to build an e-commerce website, it’s crucial to have a high uptime, and a web host provider like Hostinger is a great option to consider. It comes with a 99.9% uptime guarantee to ensure your online store runs smoothly at all times.

Compared to A2, Hostinger’s renewal prices are significantly lower. Also, the platform offers a free domain with each hosting plan. If these are important factors to you, then Hostinger might be a better hosting solution for you.

Read the full Hostinger review.

A2 Hosting vs Nexcess

Nexcess is a managed hosting platform for WordPress, Magento, and e-commerce. This web hosting provider is ideal for anyone who wants a hands-off hosting solution that comes with state-of-the-art hosting infrastructure and excellent server speeds for high-traffic websites.

If you have (or want to start) a high-traffic website that makes money through e-commerce, affiliate marketing, and/or advertising, Nexcess can help you build a super fast website with no traffic caps.

Read the full Nexcess review.

A2 Hosting vs WP Engine

WP Engine offers world-class web hosting services ideal for established businesses looking to scale. It has powerful features to maintain high performance even during traffic surges, which makes it easier to build and maintain a strong reputation and brand.

This is the perfect hosting provider for anyone who intends to drive the majority of your website traffic from Google and other search engines.

Read the full WP Engine review.

Pricing: How Much Does A2 Hosting Cost?

A2 Hosting is one of the best web hosting companies that provides affordable hosting for every solution. Its plans are ideal for all types of users, including beginners and low-traffic website owners, as well as high-traffic websites looking to scale.

Here’s what each plan entails.

• Shared Hosting: A2 shared hosting plans range from $2.99/month for the Startup plan, to $11.99/month for the Turbo Boost and $14.99/month for the Turbo Max plan. You can choose the right plan for you depending on the resources you need, including things such as the number of websites, amount of storage, and website migration. You can save up to 75% when you opt for the 12-month term.
• WordPress Hosting: A2 WordPress hosting starts from $11.99/month for the “Run” plan, which allows you to build a single website with 4GB memory and 50GB storage. If you want to sell products or services online, you can opt for the e-commerce-ready “Sell” plan which costs $41.99/month and allows you to build and manage unlimited websites.
• VPS Hosting: A2 VPS Hosting is the ideal plan for you if you want to control and scale your own website resources so you can grow with ease. Starting from $39.99/month, you can save up to 48% with a 36-month term for both the managed VPS plans and unmanaged VPS options with unlimited storage.
• Dedicated Hosting: A2 Dedicated Hosting is perfect for users who need the highest level of performance for their website. The unmanaged dedicated hosting plans start from $155.99/month, and you can save 37% with the 24-month term.

A2 Hosting offers a money-back guarantee on all hosting plans, which means you can test drive the high-speed hosting service completely risk-free.

Bottom Line: Is A2 Hosting The Right Web Hosting Service For Your Business?

A2 Hosting has been around a lot longer than most other hosting platforms. The company has proved its reliability and continues to improve its services, which is why it remains one of the best web hosting services out there. 

You’ll get a fast website that offers visitors an exceptional browsing experience every time thanks to well-established and time-proven performance-enhancing technology.

Here’s a quick recap of the value-added features you get for the price:

• Super fast speed (thanks to SSD drives, server-side caching system, etc.)
• Excellent uptime of up to 99.99%
• Choose from 4 server locations on 3 continents
• Unlimited bandwidth and generous storage
• Reliable customer support is available 24/7
• Staging and speed optimization options for WordPress users

All in all, it’s the perfect option for anyone who wants a reliable, medium-priced provider with generous storage and bandwidth resources.

FAQ:

Q: Is A2 Hosting free?

A: A2 Hosting doesn’t offer free plans. However, you can get shared hosting plans starting from just $2.99/month/website (billed annually). The basic plan comes with 100GB of SSD storage and free website migration.

Q: Does A2 Hosting have a website builder?

A: Each of A2’s shared hosting plans comes with a site builder that allows you to create a website quickly and easily using professionally designed templates.

Q: Why is A2 Hosting cheap?

A: A2 shared hosting is affordable because there are multiple websites on each server sharing resources, such as physical hard drives, processing power, disk space, memory, and bandwidth.

Q: Where are A2 servers located?

A: A2 has top-end servers in Michigan and Arizona, USA, Amsterdam, Europe, and Singapore, Asia to ensure that your website is safe, secure, and accessible at all times. All the equipment is high-powered, expertly tuned, and monitored 24/7 by a team of engineers.

Q: Is shared hosting good for small businesses?

A: Shared hosting is ideal for most small businesses, particularly those with simple security needs, and limited storage and bandwidth requirements. For example, a website that serves as a point

Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution

Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.