Fasthosts Website Builder Review: Craft, Secure, Thrive

Fasthosts at a Glance

Fasthosts Internet Limited, established in 1998 in Gloucester, UK, is a leading hosting provider with over 25 years of industry experience. They specialize in a wide range of services, including domain registration, shared and dedicated web hosting, VPS, email hosting, and website builders. Known for their commitment to innovation, Fasthosts operates state-of-the-art, ISO 27001-certified data centers powered by renewable energy, emphasizing sustainability and security in their offerings. The company's mission is to make technology accessible to all, supported by 24/7 UK-based customer service that caters to both startups and established businesses. Managing over 1.1 million domains and hosting 320,000 websites, Fasthosts continues to grow by expanding their product range and improving their technology to meet the evolving needs of their diverse customer base​.

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Features

Free domain name: Fasthosts offers a free domain name for the first year with most of their website building plans, including popular options like .com, .co.uk, .net, .tech, and more. This is a valuable feature for anyone launching a new website.

Mobile optimized: Fasthosts ensures that websites built with their platform are optimized for mobile devices. This allows your site to look great and function well across different devices, providing a smooth user experience.

Website analytics: Fasthosts includes native website analytics tools that offer insights into your site’s performance. Additionally, users can integrate external tools like Google Analytics for more advanced tracking and data.

24/7 support: Fasthosts offers 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat, and a ticket system. They also provide a robust online knowledge base filled with guides and tutorials.

Built-in marketing features: Fasthosts offers a suite of marketing tools, such as SEO optimization options and tools for managing ads. While the basic plans may not have extensive built-in marketing functionality, higher-tier plans include more advanced options like keyword tracking​.

Fasthosts Plans & Prices

Website Builder packages

Essential plan

The Essential plan, priced at £11 ($14.55) per month or £7.50 ($9.90) per month on an annual plan, is perfect for users who want to build a simple, functional website. This plan includes up to 10 web pages, 800MB of storage space, a free domain for one year, a personalized email address, and free SSL certificates for secure browsing. It’s a great option for small businesses or personal websites needing basic functionalities to get online quickly.

Complete plan

At £15 ($19.84) per month or £11.50 ($15.21) per month on an annual plan, the Complete plan offers a more robust set of features. It builds upon the Essential plan by supporting up to 350 web pages and providing unlimited storage. Users also gain access to a Microsoft Exchange mailbox, SEO tools for enhanced site optimization, and analytics for tracking performance. This plan is ideal for users needing more scalability and advanced features to grow their website.

eCommerce Website Builder packages

eCommerce Start-Up

For those starting an online store, the eCommerce Start-Up plan is available at £1 ($1.32) per month for the first three months, followed by £18 ($23.80) per month. This plan supports selling up to 500 products and offers a flexible store design, single-page checkout, and integration with Facebook and Instagram shops. It provides everything a new startup needs to get their online store up and running smoothly.

eCommerce Grow

Priced at £1 per month for the first three months, then £24 ($31.74) per month, the eCommerce Grow plan includes all the features of the Start-Up plan but expands support to accommodate up to 5,000 products. Additional features like abandoned cart recovery and Google Shopping integration make it a perfect fit for growing businesses. This plan also supports larger file sizes for e-goods, allowing for files up to 1GB.

eCommerce Pro

Designed for larger shops, the eCommerce Pro plan is available for £1 per month for the first three months, then £40 ($52.90) per month. It builds on the Grow plan by supporting up to 10,000 products and adding advanced features such as real-time delivery tracking, product variations, product filters, and stock control tools. Multilingual support and gift cards further enhance its value for bigger operations.

eCommerce Expert

The most comprehensive option, the eCommerce Expert plan, starts at £1 per month for the first three months, then £60 ($79.34) per month. It includes all the features from the Pro plan and extends the ability to sell unlimited products. This plan integrates with Amazon and eBay, supports volume discounts, customer groups, and point-of-sale solutions, making it ideal for established businesses aiming to scale even further.

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Pros

Secure protection

Fasthosts provides SSL certificates as part of their hosting packages, which use advanced TLS encryption technology. This level of encryption ensures that sensitive data, such as customer payment details and personal information, is transmitted securely between users and your website. Their data centers are also ISO 27001-certified, which means they adhere to the highest international standards for information security management. This certification guarantees that strict protocols are in place to protect against data breaches, unauthorized access, and other security threats.

Access to free stock photos

Fasthosts includes access to a stock image library, allowing users to easily add professional-quality photos to their websites at no extra cost. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses and individuals without the budget for custom photography, helping enhance the overall look and feel of the site. Whether you’re designing a product page or blog post, these images offer a quick and affordable way to improve visual appeal​.

Robust eCommerce options for growing businesses

Fasthosts offers powerful eCommerce tools, enabling users to create a fully customized online store without needing technical expertise. The platform supports key features like social media shop integration (Facebook and Instagram), advanced product management, and flexible store layouts. These features cater to businesses looking to scale their online presence, offering functionalities that can accommodate growth, such as automated product syncing and store management.

£1 for the first three months on all eCommerce plans.

Fasthosts offers an introductory rate of just £1 ($1.32) per month for the first three months on all of their eCommerce plans. This affordable pricing structure allows businesses to test out the platform and its features before committing to full-priced plans. After the trial period, users can continue with plans based on their needs, making this a risk-free way to launch an online store.

30-day money-back guarantee

Fasthosts offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all their hosting and website builder plans, effectively serving as a free trial of their services. If the platform doesn't meet a user’s expectations, they can cancel within the first month and receive a full refund. This guarantee provides peace of mind, especially for those trying out Fasthosts for the first time.

Robust themes

Fasthosts offers a vast library of over 12,000 customizable WordPress themes. These themes cover various industries and purposes, allowing users to easily find one that fits their website needs, whether for personal blogs, business sites, or eCommerce platforms. The themes are also designed to be responsive and user-friendly.

Green data centers

Fasthosts utilizes UK-based green data centers powered by renewable energy from offshore wind and biofuel. This environmentally friendly approach reduces the carbon footprint while maintaining high levels of performance, reliability, and security.

Cons

Pricier than competitors

Fasthosts may initially seem budget-friendly, with prices starting as low as £1 for the first three months. However, after the trial period, rates increase significantly—£18 per month for the eCommerce plan, £24 for the Grow plan, and £40 for the Pro plan. Despite the higher renewal rates, Fasthosts lacks features compared to competitors at similar or lower prices. For instance, while Fasthosts' eCommerce plans include basic integrations with Facebook and Instagram shops, they lack advanced features like automatic backups, free CDN, and robust security measures such as daily scans and enhanced DDoS protection.

Storage limitations on the essential plan

Even though Fasthosts requires you to pay for the Essentials plan, they only provide 800MB of storage, which is significantly less than what many competitors offer on their basic or even free plans. This limited storage is a significant drawback, particularly for users who want to expand their site with additional pages or media. Paying for a plan with such restricted space can be frustrating, as it does not meet users' needs, requiring more room to grow their website.

Limited server locations

Fasthosts operates their servers exclusively in the UK, with data centers in Gloucester, Worcester, and London. This setup provides excellent speed and reliability for UK and European users, but it poses a significant disadvantage for those with a global audience. Users outside these regions, particularly in Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, may experience slower website loading times. Their lack of geographically diverse server locations limits their ability to deliver optimal performance worldwide.

Customer Reviews

Fasthosts' website builder has garnered mostly positive feedback, earning a solid 4.7 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot. However, they hold a more moderate rating of 3.6 out of 5 on G2, reflecting mixed opinions, particularly around advanced functionality and customization options.

Positive feedback

Customers appreciate the ease of use offered by Fasthosts' website builder. Their block-based editor allows for intuitive site creation, making it accessible even to users without technical expertise. One customer shared how quickly they were able to set up a fully functional website using the available templates. Many users also commend Fasthosts for their excellent customer support, with specific instances of support agents resolving issues efficiently and providing clear guidance during the process.

Negative feedback

Some users report frustrations with the limited customization options in the website builder, particularly when trying to deviate from the predefined layouts for store and product pages. Additionally, performance issues were highlighted by customers with high-traffic websites, who found the platform less suitable for scaling. These limitations in flexibility and handling higher traffic contribute to the mixed reviews on some platforms, despite the overall positive feedback about the service’s ease of use and customer support.

How Can I Contact Fasthosts?

If you need to get in touch with Fasthosts, you can reach their sales team at 0800 0612 153 for any inquiries or contact their support team at 0333 0142 700, available 24/7 to assist you. For general inquiries or complaints, you can send an email or use the live chat support, available Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM (GMT). You can also stay connected with them on social media through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for updates and more information.

Conclusion

Fasthosts Internet Limited, founded in 1998 and based in Gloucester, UK, has over 25 years of experience in the website builder market. They offer a comprehensive platform that enables users to create websites easily, backed by cutting-edge, renewable energy-powered data centers and ISO 27001-certified security standards. Fasthosts’ website builder includes standout features like a free domain name for the first year, mobile optimization, built-in marketing tools, and robust eCommerce capabilities, making them an attractive choice for businesses and individuals alike. Their plans cater to a range of needs, from simple websites to advanced online stores, with features like SEO tools, analytics, and social media integrations. While their service excels in ease of use and UK-based customer support, some users note limitations in customization and higher pricing after initial promotional periods. Overall, Fasthosts provides a reliable, secure, and user-friendly platform for building professional websites with minimal technical expertise.

If you're still exploring your options, don't miss our curated list of the top website builders to find the perfect fit for your needs. Dive deeper with our comparison tool to see how Fasthosts stacks up against the competition, and stay updated with the latest insights on our blog.

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