HostMonster and JustHost are two of the biggest names in web hosting companies. Easy to use and affordable – both services offer similar features and benefits, making the task of choosing between the two a little tricky. While both hosting companies are smart choices, there are some distinct differences that should help you choose the one that is right for your website.

Compare HostMonster & JustHost on Our Expanded Comparison Chart

Pricing
With regard to pricing, JustHost costs slightly less than HostMonster. For a two to three-year contract, JustHost charges $2.95 a month when you use the 50OFF coupon code. Plus, regardless of what contract length you choose, there are NO set up charges and a free domain number is always included. In comparison, if you choose a 24-month contract at HostMonster, it will cost $3.95 a month. While there is typically also a $30.00 set-up fee and $10.00 domain registration charge, both are waived if you choose a 12, 24, or 36-month contract.

Update: In February 2011, HostMonster changed its minimum contract to 1 year and now charges $4.50/month whether you purchase a 1, 2 or 3 year contract. There are no set-up fees and a free domain still comes with every package. If price is your primary concern, BigHosts.com is one of the only places where you can purchase JustHost.com for only $2.95/month!

Read the rest of this entry »

Watch out for hidden set-up fees, especially on short-term contracts

Website hosting services are typically not that expensive. For less than $5 a month, you can host your website on a secure, reliable, feature-packed server. What few know, however, is the actual cost of getting your site up and running can be quite a bit higher. That’s because some web hosting companies will charge you setup fees. These typically range between $40 and $60, which is a decent amount of money to pay just to get your site live. You can avoid this fee, however, if you know which companies to choose.

Compare Web Hosting Plans with No Set-up Fees

Many web hosting companies are now dropping the setup fee if you sign up for a long enough contract. They do this to ensure your loyalty over a few years, encouraging you to go for the longer contract rather than the month to month option. If you find a host that has enough features to carry your website few a couple of years of growth, this is a great option for you, because it saves you a lot of money at the outset, which is typically when you need to save money the most since your website has not yet begun to earn any for you. Here are a couple of hosts that offer free setup fees.

Read the rest of this entry »

Setting up a website is not always the most affordable thing you could do. First you have to design it, which might cost you something if you are not yourself a designer. Then you have to buy a domain name. Finally, you have to host the site. One way you can save a little money is to get your web hosting through one of the top domain hosts. Not only are most of the top hosting companies the cheapest out there, but most of them also offer a free domain name.

Compare Top 10 Web Hosting & Free Domain Names

Why They Do This

The main reason that web hosting providers offer free domain names with their packages is competition. If the competition is offering this and one particular company is not, you will likely move on. There is simply too little difference between the various providers for you to be willing to lose out on a freebie like this.

The other reason is to get customers. Offering a free domain name is a huge marketing point. They can offer it as a “free gift,” drawing customers in.

Finally, because these web hosting companies register so many domain names each year, they can get a great rate on the registration and renewal. The cost to them is much lower than it would be to you, so in the end both you and the host win. They win because they get your business, and you win because you do not have to pay for your domain name.

Read the rest of this entry »