StableHost Review: Is Their Clustered Hosting Really Worth a Try?

As a digital marketer who has helped dozens of business owners set up their websites, my goal is always to find a reliable web host that offers dependable, performance-driven features. When I first came across StableHost, I hesitated since they're less popular than GoDaddy, BlueHost, and other A-list providers. But after trying out their hosting services, I can boldly say StableHost is worth a try. 

In this StableHost review, I shared everything – well, almost – you need to know about this web host, including its performance, customer support, pricing plans, and features. 

Before we do, let's cover some basics.

StableHost Review

StableHost isn't the youngest kid on the block. The company was founded in 2009 and has since grown into one of the best hosting providers in the industry. 

One thing you’ll love about StableHost is their customer-centricity. Despite its large customer base (housing over 50,000 domains), this host is led and managed by just 15 employees. According to them, having a tight-knit team helps them reduce operational costs and channel revenue into providing premium hosting solutions for their users. Awesome, right? 

If you're looking for all-inclusive web hosting, StableHost is an excellent choice. They offer domain registration services and even have a proprietary site builder (BaseKit) that allows you to build your websites in one click. 

BaseKit has over 100 customizable templates to choose from, including a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to alter the design to your preferences. The best part about this site builder is that it is included in all StableHost's plans at no extra cost. 

StableHost provides a variety of hosting solutions, including shared, reseller, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting. They are rated excellent on Trustpilot for garnering 4.9-star reviews from over 2000 users: 

StableHost Rating – my personal take

Currently, over 2 billion web pages are competing for the ‘best web hosting provider’ keyword. This includes web hosting providers and other third-party sites such as review platforms.

How do you sift through this list to find the right hosting provider for your website? To simplify this, I created a personal rating system that grades each provider based on six vital metrics: Performance, features, customer support, pricing plans, and user intuitiveness. This helps me to fairly evaluate each host’s capabilities and overall performance.

For effectiveness, I used a 5-point grading scale and provided reasons for each score given. 

StableHost Prices & Plans 

Like every other provider, StableHost offers shared,  VPS, reseller, dedicated, and WordPress hosting solutions. 

Each plan comes with unlimited bandwidth, a free site builder, and a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is enough time to decide if they're worth a try. Let's explore what each plan entails. 

StableHost’s Shared Hosting Plans

Mini

Space offered – 5GB SSD 

Bandwidth – 500GB bandwidth

Number of websites – 1 website allowed 

Price – $0.9/month 

Starter

Space offered – Unlimited

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Number of websites – 1 website allowed 

Price – $4.30/month 

Pro

Space offered – Unlimited

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Number of websites – Unlimited number of websites allowed 

Price – $4.25/month

Platinum

Space offered – Unlimited

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Number of websites – Unlimited number of websites allowed 

Price – $27.99/month 

I recommend the StableHost pro plan, especially if you plan on building/managing a site with high traffic. At $4.25/month, you get unlimited disk space, bandwidth, email accounts, and databases. You can also access a free website builder, SSL let's encrypt certificate, 99.9 SLA, and more. 

Who is this for? 

StableHost shared hosting plans are perfect for anyone with minimal hosting needs. Whether you're just starting your website or looking to host several sites simultaneously, you’ll find a package tailored to your needs. However, if you have high-traffic sites, check out the next hosting plan.  

StableHost’s dedicated hosting Prices & Plans

Professional

Space offered – 40 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – 2TB Bandwidth 

Features – Intel Pentium G3450 3.4GHz 2C, RAID 0 or 1, Hard drives 2 * 300 GB SAS

Price – $145/month billed annually

Premium 

Space offered – 40 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – 3TB Bandwidth 

Features – 2 CPU cores, SSH and root access, Intel Xeon E3 – 1240L v3 2.0GHz 4C, RAID 0 or 1, Hard drives 2 * 300 GB SAS

Price – $165/month billed annually

Ultimate 

Space offered – 100 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – 4TB Bandwidth 

Features – 4 CPU cores, SSH and root access, Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 1.6GHz 6C, hard drives 2 * 300 GB SAS, RAID 0 or 1

Price – $245/month billed annually

I recommend StableHost's Ultimate dedicated hosting plan, considering it offers more robust features. 

The Intel Xeon processor offers high performance and multi-core capabilities, ensuring the servers can handle demanding workloads. This is perfect if you run high-traffic websites or heavy applications. 

The SAS drives are equally designed for enterprise-level reliability so the server remains operational and accessible during peak periods. 

Who’s this for? 

The StableHost's dedicated hosting plan is a perfect choice if you need more performance-based features beyond what's offered on shared hosting. The Intel Xeon processors, CPU cores, and RAID O or 1 keep your sites at blazing performance, provide faster data access, and minimize the risk of data loss due to disk failure. 

StableHost’s VPS hosting Prices & Plans

VZ 1GB

Space offered – 40 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – 2TB Bandwidth 

Features – 1 CPU core, SSH and root access

Price – $61.95/month billed annually

VZ 2GB

Space offered – 40 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – 2TB Bandwidth 

Features – 2 CPU cores, SSH and root access 

Price – $61.95/month billed annually

VZ 4GB

Space offered – 100 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – 4TB Bandwidth 

Features – 4 CPU cores, SSH and root access

Price – $61.95/month billed annually

Who is this for? 

Try out StableHost’s VPS plans to launch or run your website applications on enterprise-level hardware. Whether you manage a video streaming platform, gaming apps, or large eCommerce sites, the servers are built to handle high traffic volume and complex workloads easily. This ensures that the servers experience minimal downtime and optimal performance. If you also need to install your operating system, StableHost offers free access to KVM virtual machines.

StableHost’s Reseller hosting Prices & Plans

Basic

Space offered – 20 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Features – Allows to host up to 10 clients, LiteSpeed PHP Caching, unlimited FTP accounts, SSL Let’s Encrypt Certificates, etc.

Price – $9.12/month billed annually

Pro

Space offered – 40 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Features – Allows to host up to 50 clients, unlimited email accounts, advanced analytics, unlimited MySQL databases, etc.

Price – $18.29/month billed annually

Plus

Space offered – 60 GB SSD Storage

Bandwidth – Unmetered Bandwidth 

Features – Allows to host up to 100 clients, unlimited email accounts, Softaculous, cPanel, etc.

Price – $27.45/month billed annually

Who is this for? 

StableHost's reseller hosting plans are a good choice for web developers, digital marketers, web hosting entrepreneurs, and IT professionals who manage multiple websites simultaneously.  

They offer a white labeling option that allows you to customize the hosting solutions to your brand. On each plan, you also enjoy unmetered bandwidth, daily automatic backups, cPanel, access to LiteSpeed PHP caching, and more.

StableHost’s WordPress hosting Prices & Plans

Starter

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Features – LiteSpeed PHP Caching, enterprise grade SSD drives, dual CPUs, unlimited MySQL databases, SSL Let’s Encrypt certificates 

Price – $4.30/month billed annually

Pro

Bandwidth – Unmetered bandwidth

Features – One-click Softaculous installer, LiteSpeed PHP caching, unlimited email accounts, Site.Pro web builder, etc.

Price – $4.25/month billed annually

Platinum

Bandwidth – Unmetered Bandwidth 

Features – Enterprise grade SSD drives, RISoft daily backups, advanced analytics, LiteSpeed PHP caching, etc. 

Price – $27.99/month billed annually

Who's this for? 

StableHost's WordPress plans are for WordPress owners even though they do not provide detailed features for each plan. They did cite that all plans have automatic daily backups, cPanel, SSH access (at an extra fee), unlimited email accounts, free site builder, etc.

StableHost’s Features

These are some of the functionalities you'll enjoy if you decide to stick to this web host: 

• Free site builder 
• Enterprise-grade SSD storage
• OpenLiteSpeed caching 
• cPanel 
• Free email tools 
• Softaculous one-click installer 
• 24/7/365 customer support 

To be candid, I didn't find many top-of-the-line features with StableHost compared to other hosting providers such as BlueHost or Hostinger. 

However, their clustered hosting features give them a distinct advantage. Let me explain. 

StableHost uses a clustered technology that regularly monitors the health of the SSD drives. Since these drives are in sync, every file stored in the drive is replicated across multiple drives to minimize redundancy. 

In addition, the technology also monitors your drives for issues such as high traffic volume or hardware malfunction. But if this happens, you don’t need to worry about a performance outage as the system automatically switches you to another drive/node. This way, your website remains accessible and functional to users at all times.

StableHost’s Performance Tests

The true test of any web host is its reliability in terms of performance, speed and uptime. These metrics give you real-time insights into the effectiveness of the host’s functionalities in keeping your site accessible, even during peak periods. 

The three top metrics are: 

Speed: Denoted as the time to the first byte (TTFB), it measures the responsiveness of a web server. It also tracks the time the user receives the response from the server.

A good TTFB should be 300ms or less. Although Google didn't state explicitly that it affects rankings, I believe it does (indirectly) because of its influence on the Google Core Web Vitals. 

Uptime: measures the reliability of the web server, that is, the amount of time it is operational and available to users. A good uptime should be around 99.9% – 100%. 

Lastly…

The website's loading time: this measures the time it takes for a web page to display fully on the user's browser. It's one of Google's core ranking factors because it has a direct influence on user experience. The average website loading time should be 3s or less. 

StableHost promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee, fast load time, and satisfactory server reliability. But how true is this? 

I tested their performance using a website hosted on their servers, and here are the results. 

First, I used GTMetrix to test the server response time and overall performance. 

The TTFB was 300 ms, which is quite quick. While this is a good score, I believe it should be better since other hosts have lesser TTFB.     

I validated their uptime in the last 30 days using Uptime Robot: 

The uptime showed 100% in the last 30 days, proving that their web servers are reliable. Excellent! 

Keep in mind that the location of your web host data center can impact the performance of your website. I'll share more insights on this later. 

StableHost’s Customer Support

StableHost boasts reliable customer support. According to them, they only hire talents passionate about web hosting. Let's prove that. 

Phone

Want a quick response? You can reach any of StableHost’s technicians by phone. This line is available for all regions but incurs charges for those outside the US: 

Emails: 

Whether you have sales-related, payment, or technical issues, StableHost allows you to get professional and specialized support through their email support system. 

For sales inquiries, content them via [email protected]. For technical assistance, use [email protected]. This ensures you receive expert help tailored to your needs. 

Live Chat

StableHost’s live chat support is readily available on the bottom-left of their website for quick fixes. I decided to try it out since they claim to respond within 10 minutes. 

I sent a message, and a bot responded giving me a countdown till an agent attended to me. And three minutes later, a human responded. Cool! 

KnowledgeBase

Do you prefer quick, accessible support? StableHost has a vast library of resources that features several articles on diverse topics:

The articles were authored by the StableHost team, so you can be confident of getting an expert's view on any related issue. 

Mailing Address 

Who uses a mailing address in this modern age? StableHost includes their company address for post mails.

StableHost's Security Features 

I love how StableHost prioritizes the safety of their domains hosted on their platform. Although their security features aren't the best in the industry, you still have access to the basic tools that protect your sites for the bad guys. 

Whichever plan you opt for, you get SSL Let’s encrypt certificates, spam filtering, and DDoS protection. 

You'll also get Imunify 360, a multilayer security system, which is the major layer of protection on shared servers. This system helps detect and stop website attacks before infiltrating the web server. 

If you want a more stringent security system, purchase any of StableHost's security audit plans. 

The system was built in-house and is used to scan servers for any attacks, even to the smallest point. This includes port scanning and intrusion testing, cross-site scripting vulnerability testing, SQL injection scanning, etc. 

The best part is that they don't stop at the audits. The StableHost security audit system also assists in remedying the issues affecting your server security. 

StableHost’s website builder 

You might be used to WordPress, Wix, Joomla, and other popular website builders. But StableHost did something unique – creating their own site builder – BaseKit! 

BaseKit has over 100 customizable templates (responsive, too), a drag-and-drop editor for beginners, advanced analytics features, and more. It comes at no extra cost; you can access it after purchasing any of StableHost’s plans. 

However, if you prefer WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or other popular CMSs (content management systems), you can download it from Softaculous via cPanel.

User-Friendliness – Ease of use

One thing I admire about StableHost is that affordability isn’t an excuse to build a subpar interface. 

The StableHost UI is user-friendly, and requires almost no technical knowledge. In fact, if you encounter any issues, they have a ton of how-to articles on their resource page to guide you. 

Registering an account with StableHost

To register an account with StableHost, you have to purchase one of their hosting plans.

Step 1: 

Navigate to the menu bar to find the hosting plan that best fits your needs: 

Step 2: 

Once you’ve found the package that fits your needs, click ‘Order Now.’ You’ll be redirected to a new page where you enter your domain.

If you have an existing domain or want to transfer your domain, just click any of the options listed and follow the prompts. 

Tip: If you don’t have a domain name, StableHost also offers domain registration services so you can find and register the perfect name for your business:

Step 3: 

You’ll see the product review page, where you will be required to choose your payment option. I love that StableHost offers a flexible means of payment – credit card, PayPal, AMEX, Stripe, MasterCard and Visa.

Step 4:

Once you choose your payment method, click ‘Continue to CheckOut.’ This is the second stage. 

In the third stage, you’ll be asked to create an account with StableHost. Fill all the required information and click ‘Create Account:’

Step 5:

Next, you’ll receive a congratulatory message that your order has been received for review: 

StableHost’s intuitive Control Panel

StableHost uses the default cPanel as its control panel. Here, you’ll find everything you need to manage your hosting environment efficiently. Although the user interface isn’t modern, you can easily find the tools and features conveniently. 

Overall, I found it easy to use and navigate.  However, I believe it can be upgraded to meet the modern consumer standards.

Installing WordPress on StableHost

Installing WordPress on StableHost is a breeze! 

To do this, log into cPanel from your account. 

Next, search for the ‘Softaculous Apps Installer’ and click ‘WordPress.’

You’ll be directed to a new page to install WordPress in one click. Then, hit the ‘Install >> Quick Install’ button. 

Then, choose the domain name you want for your WordPress account and ‘wp’ for the directory field: 

Also, add your preferred user name, password, and email address to receive the installation details.

Lastly, click the ‘Install” button and you’re all set! 

You’ll get a congratulatory email alongside your installation details: 

Server footprint and CDN

Before choosing any hosting provider, you need to consider the server footprint and content delivery network (CDN).

The server footprint is the geographical spread of a web host’s servers. The wider the server footprint, the faster the loading time, and vice versa. 

Also, proximity matters. The closer a web server is to you (or your audience), the faster the speed and vice versa. 

Using a CDN helps to reduce the distance between the server and the users, therefore making web pages load faster and improving the overall user experience of your website.  

StableHost has data centers in different regions across the world – the US, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Spain and Germany. They also use an advanced content caching technology and a globally distributed CDN to improve the performance of sites hosted on their platform. 

Conclusion: Do We Recommend StableHost? 

Yes! 

I was impressed by StableHost’s hosting solutions, especially their commitment to improving customer experience. One thing that stood out to me is how they struck a balance between reliability and affordability. Also, their support team is good, but I  think it needs to be improved.  

Overall, I recommend StableHost to anyone looking for a holistic hosting platform. It offers a platform with enterprise grade functionalities to start your digital journey, grow and scale accordingly.   

Visit StableHost →

FAQs 

Is StableHost legit?

Yes, StableHost is a credible web host. They are well known for their affordable and reliable web hosting services. Their hosting services feature many attractive functionalities, including unlimited bandwidth, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, a web application firewall, DDoS protection for security, and more. 

What is the money back guarantee on StableHost? 

StableHost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is enough time to evaluate the host’s services to see if they fit your website well. 

Which web hosting performs best: Hostinger or StableHost? 

Personally, there's no perfect answer to this. Hostinger and StableHost are reliable and credible providers in the hosting industry, with unique features and specs. Let's consider some use cases: 

• Affordability: StableHost trumps Hostinger by a few dollars if you're considering costs. The Hostinger shared hosting plan starts at $2.99/month. StableHost offers the same deal at  $0.90/month! 
• Speed: In this case, I'll go with Hostinger. This is because they offer cloud hosting solutions, free CDN, servers in over 6 locations worldwide, LiteSpeed web server technology, and a 99.99% uptime reliability. 
• Security: I'll also choose Hostinger over StableHost. Why? They offer advanced DDoS protection, web application firewall, cloudflare protected name servers, secure access manager, and more. 
• Customer support: I believe StableHost shines, thanks to its 24/7/365 customer support availability.