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Where is the catch?

We've tried to list here some of the "Gotchas" you need to be aware of when looking for a webhosting company to host your site. Some of these are tricks, some are business practices, others are just minor issues. Reading carefully the webhost's terms of use and acceptable use policies you will be able to find these. Anyway it is always better to know what to look for. So here are some of the most common "catches".
  • Unlimited space, transfer, etc.  Actually it is not possible.  Almost all hosts that have "unlimited" plans, specify in their Acceptable Use Policies that no site can use an "excessive" amount of resources.  So if your site is using too much disk space, bandwidth, or CPU time, these "unlimited" hosts will ask you to upgrade, pay for the resources used or just host your site elsewhere.  We do not recommend using "unlimited" webhosts so you know exactly what you're getting.

  • Daily transfer limits or limits on the number of hits per day. Very few hosts have these, but you should be aware that you can't just multiply by 30 to get the monthly transfer limit because transfer usage is uneven.

  • Setup fees. Some hosts have setup fees some do not. Usually when you go for monthly contract, there is a setup fee. If you for an year contract the setup fee is waived. Also some hosts will hide the fact that there is a setup fee until you get to the payment page. So, be careful. Always check what you are paying for.

  • Limits on file size or on the number of files you can have on your site. Yes some host have such limits, really. Well, we recommend that you choose a company where there are no such limits.
  • FTP transfer limit.  Few hosts have limits on FTP use.

  • Limit on database size that is only listed in the terms of use.

  • High extra space and additional transfer fees. It is normal for extra space and transfer to cost more than they do for the initial account, but check if these are not too high.

  • No 24/7 support. If you own a personal site, you will be most probably working on it in the evenings or over the weekend. So 24/7 support is a must.

  • No control panel.  This may be OK for experienced webmasters but many new users need a control panel.

  • Limit on monthly site hits.  Few hosts do that in addition to transfer limits.  

  • No money back guarantee. What if you do not like the service? Or if your plans change and you no longer need a webhost? Most webhosting companies do have 30 days moneyback guarantee.


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