WestHost: Budget-Friendly Plans & Eco-Friendly Hosting

Company Overview

WestHost is a U.S.-based web hosting company established in 1998 and headquartered in Providence, Utah. In the early 2000s, it became part of the UK2 Group and was later acquired by The Hut Group (THG), which expanded its operational capacity and global reach. Despite these ownership changes, WestHost has maintained their identity as a dependable, customer-focused hosting brand. It primarily serves individual entrepreneurs and small—to medium-sized businesses that value straightforward, affordable hosting backed by reliable infrastructure.

As a member of a wider international network of hosting providers under THG, they benefit from shared technology resources and global data infrastructure while continuing to emphasize ease of use and service consistency. Their approach centers on transparent pricing, stable uptime, and responsive customer support, making them a practical choice for users who prefer a simple yet steady hosting experience.

Over the years, they have earned a reputation for reliability and professionalism rather than aggressive marketing. They are not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and they hold a rating of D-. While they are not frequently featured in industry award lists, their longevity, established online force, and continued presence under a major global group position them as a trustworthy and stable player in the web hosting industry.

Features & Services

General features

• Free domain (first year on qualifying plans): Most annual hosting plans include a free domain registration for the first year
• Free website migration: They help transfer your website to their servers at no additional cost
• 99.9% uptime guarantee: They commit to a high uptime standard across hosting tiers
• 30-day money-back guarantee: New customers can cancel within 30 days and receive a full refund
• Unmetered bandwidth and storage: Most shared plans include unlimited bandwidth and scalable storage under fair-use limits
• StackCP control panel: Their proprietary hosting panel lets users manage domains, email, security settings, and applications from one dashboard
• Free SSL certificates (Let’s Encrypt wildcard): Automatic SSL for all domains and subdomains to ensure secure browsing
• Subdomain support: Users can create and manage subdomains depending on plan tier
• Email hosting: Includes branded email accounts with antivirus and spam protection
• PCI compliance support: Their infrastructure meets eCommerce industry standards for secure online transactions
• Renewable energy commitment: Their data centers are powered by 100% renewable energy

Security and reliability 

• DDoS protection: Built-in mitigation against distributed denial-of-service attacks
• Automatic malware scans: Continuous scanning for malicious files and vulnerabilities
• Email virus and spam filtering: Server-level filtering to protect incoming and outgoing emails
• SiteLock add-on (first year free on annual plans): Security monitoring and website protection available as an add-on
• Daily malware scans and removal for WordPress: Enhanced frequency of scans for WordPress-based sites
• Daily backups with one-click restore: Automatic daily backups and simple restoration options
• DV SSL certificates (free first year on some plans): Domain-validated SSLs to ensure encrypted connections
• Data redundancy and secure infrastructure: Their systems are designed to minimize downtime and data loss

Performance and optimization

• Free CDN and edge caching: Integrated content delivery and caching to speed up global site access
• Autoscaling capabilities: Adjusts hosting resources automatically based on demand
• Web acceleration tools: Features like optimized caching and CDN integration improve loading times
• One-click app installer: Access to 80+ pre-configured applications such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento
• Resource scaling (VPS and higher tiers): Users can increase CPU, RAM, and storage as needed
• Performance suite for shared hosting: Includes page-speed and caching optimization tools

Developer tools and platform support

• SSH access: Command-line access for developers to manage files and execute commands
• FTP / FTPS access: Secure file transfers via FTP or FTPS protocols
• phpMyAdmin and database management: Direct MySQL and SQL database control
• Support for multiple scripting languages: Compatible with PHP, Python, and Perl
• Cron jobs support: Automate tasks and scripts on schedule
• Git version control integration: Manage and track code revisions directly on the server
• WordPress auto-updates: Automatic updates for WordPress core installations
• Staging environment for WordPress: Create and test site changes before pushing them live
• Raw access logs and traffic analytics: Provides insights into user behavior and website performance

Additional tools and services

• Drag-and-drop website builder (StarterSite): Easy-to-use site builder with their latest drag‐and‐drop functionality, templates, and content blocks
• E-commerce integration: Higher-tier website builder plans allow online stores, product listings, and payment processing
• Professional templates and themes: Access to hundreds of modern, mobile-responsive designs
• Preview and publish tools: Test and publish site changes across devices instantly
• Email synchronization: POP/IMAP email hosting with mobile access and TLS encryption
• Custom hardware upgrades (dedicated servers): Ability to add or modify hardware resources on managed dedicated plans

Plans & Prices

WestHost offers a variety of publicly listed hosting packages, primarily focused on shared web hosting, WordPress hosting, and email hosting. Their pricing structure is transparent for these consumer-level services, with clear monthly and annual rates displayed on their website. For more advanced solutions such as VPS and dedicated servers, users can customize configurations based on resource needs, often requiring a quote or direct selection. While their introductory rates are competitive, renewal prices tend to increase after the first billing cycle.

Shared hosting plans

Shared hosting is WestHost’s most affordable and beginner-friendly option, ideal for individuals, small businesses, and first-time website owners. All plans include free website migration, a free domain (on annual terms), unlimited SSL certificates, unmetered bandwidth, StackCP control panel access, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Essential: $3.75/month for a 24-month term. Includes 1 website, 25 GB storage, 10 × 1 GB databases, one 10 GB mailbox, CDN and web acceleration tools, DDoS protection, automatic malware scans, email security, and Git integration—ideal for personal blogs or starter sites
• Personal: $10.75/month for a 24-month term. Expands to multiple websites, 50 GB storage, additional mailboxes, and more subdomains—best for users managing several small sites
• Professional: $14.75/month for a 24-month term. Supports 25 websites, 75 GB storage, and unlimited subdomains—suited for freelancers and small business portfolios
• Premier: $20.75/month for a 24-month term. Offers unlimited websites, 150 GB storage, unlimited databases, SiteLock (first year free), and DV SSL—built for growing businesses that need scalability and added protection

WordPress hosting plans

WestHost’s managed WordPress hosting is optimized for performance and maintenance, featuring automatic core updates, daily backups, malware protection, staging environments, and 24/7 support. All plans come with free SSL certificates, CDN integration, and the same 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Essential: $6.74/month for a 24-month term, renewing at $7.99/month. Includes 1 website, 25 GB storage, autoscaling, CDN, DDoS protection, malware scans, and daily backups—great for simple WordPress blogs or portfolios
• Personal: $12.74/month for a 24-month term. Includes up to 5 websites, 50 GB storage, and expanded mailboxes—ideal for content creators managing multiple WordPress installs
• Professional: $15.74/month for a 24-month term. Offers 10 websites, 100 GB storage, and full WordPress management tools—perfect for businesses with high-traffic blogs
• Premier: $19.74/month for a 24-month term. Allows up to 25 websites, 200 GB storage, and advanced extras like DV SSL and SEO tools—best for agencies or large-scale projects

Email hosting plans

WestHost also provides standalone email hosting with anti-spam protection, TLS encryption, and mobile access. All email plans are billed annually and can be paired with any hosting plan or domain purchase.

• Personal email: $0.50/month for the first year. Offers 2 GB storage, up to 100 mailboxes, and 10 MB attachments—ideal for individuals or small teams
• Professional email: $1.00/month for the first year. Includes 10 GB storage, 25 MB attachments, and additional mailbox management options—better suited for businesses with heavier communication needs

Additional costs and considerations

• Renewal prices are higher than introductory rates (for example, Essential shared hosting renews around $5.00/month after the first term)
• Add-ons like SiteLock, dedicated IPs, and premium support may involve extra fees
• VPS and dedicated server plans require specification selection and may vary in price based on CPU, RAM, and storage configuration
• Promotions such as “first month for $1” are occasionally available for new customers
• WestHost accepts major credit cards and PayPal for all hosting and domain purchases

Advantages

• Budget-friendly pricing for feature set: WestHost’s entry-level plans include essentials like free SSL certificates, email hosting, backups, and DDoS protection at a lower cost than many competitors
• E-commerce website builder integration: Select Website Builder plans include e-Commerce functionality with product listings, shopping carts, and secure payment options, allowing small businesses to manage online stores directly from their hosting dashboard
• Eco-friendly hosting: Their infrastructure is powered by 100% renewable energy, allowing users to run websites sustainably without compromising on speed or reliability
• Built-in performance suite with CDN and autoscaling: WestHost includes a complete performance toolkit (CDN, caching, and autoscaling) across most hosting tiers, optimizing speed and reliability without requiring premium add-ons
• Custom StackCP control panel: Their proprietary StackCP interface offers a faster, more intuitive alternative to cPanel, integrating hosting management, billing, and support in one clean dashboard
• Vast one-click application library: Their app installer supports over 80 CMS, e-Commerce, and site-building tools, enabling users to deploy and customize websites without coding knowledge
• Website builder with drag-and-drop tools: Their Website Builder lets users create professional sites easily using drag-and-drop editing, mobile-responsive templates, and built-in design tools. Advanced features like image galleries are available in higher-tier builder plans
• Prompt data restoration in critical cases: WestHost’s support team can quickly recover deleted websites or misconfigured accounts, helping minimize disruptions and data loss

Disadvantages

• Service disruptions during platform migrations: Several users have reported major service interruptions during infrastructure changes—such as the move from cPanel to StackCP—resulting in downtime, broken email configurations, and disrupted DNS records that sometimes lasted for days
• Slow or inconsistent support response times: Multiple customer reviews describe long wait times for live chat and delayed responses to tickets, particularly during widespread outages or migration periods
• No free hosting or trial period available: Unlike some competitors, WestHost does not offer a free trial or temporary hosting period, so users must commit financially before fully testing the platform’s performance and support
• No free domain with lower-tier plans: WestHost only includes a free domain with select annual plans, meaning budget users on cheaper tiers must purchase their domain separately, slightly increasing initial setup costs

Customer Experience

WestHost maintains a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot, indicating a generally favorable reputation among users. Many reviewers describe consistent, long-term satisfaction with the company’s reliability and customer support, particularly praising knowledgeable agents who resolve issues quickly. However, a notable minority expresses frustration with occasional service disruptions and delays in response times.

Positive feedback

Customers frequently highlight WestHost’s knowledgeable and patient support staff as one of their strongest assets. Many reviews praise individual agents for efficiently and empathetically resolving complex email or hosting issues. Users who have been with the company for decades note that reliability has historically been a hallmark of their service, citing long-term uptime and helpful technicians as reasons for loyalty. Others commend the team for promptly restoring deleted accounts, transferring domains smoothly, or guiding less technical users through configurations. Generally, satisfied customers appreciate the company’s willingness to follow up on issues and deliver personalized technical assistance.

Critical feedback

Negative feedback centers around slow response times, prolonged outages, and communication problems, particularly following platform migrations and system changes. Customers report challenges reaching live agents, long hold times for chat and phone support, and unacknowledged support tickets. Several users mention that the recent transition to a new hosting system caused website and email downtime, which affected businesses and personal operations. Others express disappointment in losing phone-based technical support, describing email-only assistance as inefficient.

How the company responds to feedback

WestHost’s representatives regularly reply to reviews on Trustpilot, often thanking customers for their feedback and apologizing for service disruptions. They typically direct dissatisfied clients to contact their escalation team at client-escalations@uk2group.support  to resolve issues privately. The responses are courteous and consistent, demonstrating an effort to address concerns even if some users perceive them as automated. Their continued engagement in review platforms indicates a willingness to maintain transparency and rebuild customer confidence following service challenges.

Customer Support

WestHost offers several reliable support options designed to efficiently meet customer needs at any given moment. Their technical support team is available 24/7 for instant access through live chat and a ticketing system via the customer portal.

For billing inquiries, assistance is available Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Customers who prefer phone support can reach the company directly at 1-801-666-3158, while abuse or spam-related issues can be reported to abuse@westhost.com. These multiple points of contact allow users to choose the most convenient way to get help, depending on their issue’s urgency or complexity.

To help customers resolve issues independently, WestHost maintains an extensive Knowledge Base featuring hundreds of detailed articles covering account setup, email configuration, domain management, website troubleshooting, and security guidance. In addition, their blog offers tutorials, product updates, and educational posts on topics like coding, website optimization, and hosting best practices. Users can also access step-by-step instructions and general platform tips through community-driven discussions on the WestHost support site.

Conclusion

WestHost is a leading web hosting company that delivers dependable, scalable hosting for individuals and businesses that value performance without complexity. Their range of shared, WordPress, and dedicated plans offers flexibility for users at every stage, supported by built-in CDN optimization, automatic backups, and their streamlined StackCP control panel.

Their biggest strengths lie in their seamless scalability, the custom StackCP control panel, and substantial value for the price. Additionally, tools like one-click app installs and autoscaling make scaling simple. However, users have noted slower support responses during high-traffic periods and the absence of a free trial.

Overall, they are a solid choice for those seeking a reliable, user-friendly hosting experience with room to grow. To explore other providers or see how WestHost compares, visit our web hosting reviews, try our hosting comparison tool, or read our website hosting articles for more expert insights.