Reviews
Fiverr Logo Design
Fiverr is the place to go when you want to hire a designer one-on-one. You can have a custom logo designed for as little as $5. As a designer myself, I was actually surprised by the quality you can get for such a low price.
Wix Logo Maker
Wix Logo Maker is free to try, easy to use, and inexpensive. The AI won’t do all of the work for you, but the editor offers advanced customization options. I tested Wix Logo Maker's most affordable plan to see exactly what you get, and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to invest some time in the design process.
Liquid Web
Liquid Web doesn’t aim to provide average hosting at bargain prices. It’s expensive, period. But if you don’t mind paying more to know you’re going to get high-quality service, Liquid Web’s premium hosting plans are worth it in my opinion. This host guarantees you the stability that shared hosting services simply can’t.
Squarespace
Squarespace has been one of my favorites for a while, and writing this review has done nothing to change that. It’s not the cheapest option out there, but if you’re ready to build a site and even make some money off it, then I’d say go for Squarespace. It has plans both for personal sites and business users, and with a long list of interesting features, these plans definitely...
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a solid choice for your email marketing needs. There are few flaws (though they matter), and if you want a service you can integrate into almost any tool chain, ActiveCampaign’s feature-packed plans have few equals. While its decent feature set could potentially be let down by the rather high prices on more expensive plans, ActiveCampaign still provides...
Divi
Divi sets out to do one thing, and do it well: turn WordPress into a site builder. In that, it succeeds quite admirably. If you want to build lots of WordPress sites, Divi is absolutely worth the investment of time and money required. Those looking for a simple, cheap way to build their first website should probably look elsewhere first (like our list of the top website...
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
ALERT: Sendinblue has rebranded to Brevo! Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is simple and easy enough to use, and its generous free plan gives you unlimited contacts and allows you to send up to 300 emails per day. I liked the automation tools in particular, and the option of custom-coded email templates is always welcome.
Looka
Looka is a reliable way to make good-looking logos. What it lacks in flexibility and fine customization options, it makes up for with beautiful designs. If you’re on a budget and want to create a decent-looking logo as quickly as possible, this might be the right logo generator for you.
DesignCrowd
DesignCrowd is a pretty good option, all things considered. The user interface can be very confusing at times, but you may well decide that the quite reasonable prices are worth it. If you want to save even more money but you need a professionally designed logo, you should head to Fiverr and hire a logo designer for as little as $5.
Editor X
Editor X has the potential to be one of the best site builders on the market, striking a balance between relative simplicity and sheer editing power. It’s a new product and still has a little ways to go, but if you design websites for a living, Editor X could make your life a lot easier.
Shopify
Shopify is simply fantastic for any retail-oriented business and loaded with options and features. The cheapest plan is more than enough to get your online business started, and overall I have no complaints. That said, some other e-commerce platforms make it easier to customize your site however you want, and they match Shopify’s pricing plans almost exactly. It’ll come...
WordPress
WordPress.com is a powerful and flexible website builder that requires a bit of a learning curve, but it’s worth learning if your website is a big part of your business strategy. It’s best for sites with loads of content, especially if you're willing to upgrade to one of its top-tier plans.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a perfectly good option for anyone who’s serious about starting an online business, and wants lots of visual customization options. It’s definitely intended for teams, though, with a dash of enterprise-level design philosophy. Still, no one should discount BigCommerce immediately. It’ll just take more time for e-commerce beginners to adjust to its host of...
AWeber
AWeber is perhaps one of my favorite email marketing platforms so far. It’s clear that decades of experience have been translated into a tight, efficient, and useful email marketing experience with few flaws, and there’s a nice free plan to get started with. Sure, I could wish that I didn’t have to scroll past outdated templates to get to the better-looking ones. I could...
Fixed.net
Fixed.net is an all-inclusive service with well-trained staff and reasonably-priced hosting plans. It’s great for beginners and semi-experienced webmasters alike, and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to manage just one or two websites in a very hands-off sort of way.
Blog Posts
7 Best Hostinger Alternatives – Tried and Tested in 2024
Hostinger is pretty great, but it has a lot of competition, and I do mean a lot. As you might expect, the quality of that competition varies greatly. While some hosting companies actually outperform Hostinger, others tend to repeat Hostinger’s mistakes or outright mimic its flaws. Specifically, while Hostinger’s overall performance rocks, we’ve encountered hosts that have...
What’s Open Source Software + How It Makes Money 2024
Do you want to know more about how the internet works? Do you want to learn how to choose the right (open source) software for your business or website, and learn some nerd history along the way? Or how about just reading some dated and obscure cultural references? Most importantly, do you want to learn more about the software that already helps you and your website make...
6 Best Windows Cloud Hosting Providers: An Easier Way [2024]
Some days, you just want to run your ASP.net-based website on a Windows server and be done with it. Other days, you might want to set your team up with thin clients and a remote Windows-based desktop. Whatever the case, you’re here because you need some cloud-powered Windows hosting, and the “obvious” choice just isn’t doing it for you. Yes, Azure is powerful, and who...
Full List of EIG Hosting Brands + The Best Alternatives for 2024
In the world of hosting, EIG (Endurance International Group) has become a name to be feared - or at least quietly dreaded. Web hosting providers bought by this conglomerate tend to degrade in quality, and it’s always sad to watch good services go bad. After some extensive research, I put together a list of all the web hosts EIG owns in , so you can know which companies...
Fiverr vs 99designs: Is the Popular Choice Really Better? [2024]
99designs is a huge name in the design industry, but also very expensive. On the other hand, Fiverr is cheap, but are those low prices too good to be true? I decided to find out where you can get the best quality design for the best price, and there was one clear winner. Fiverr. The winner is Fiverr. I personally tested both of these hiring platforms thoroughly, as part of...
Blogger Alternatives: 6 Better Options for Your Blog in 2024
Blogger. Now there’s a name lots of people have nearly forgotten in the web design industry. And yet, it’s still going strong, with plenty of users and active blogs. It’s improved over the years too. Not needing to rebuild the entire site every time you write a new post is… well it’s standard, now. However, if you’re reading this article, you might be thinking it’s time for...
99designs vs DesignCrowd – Which Is Best for Logo Design? 2024
At first glance, 99designs and DesignCrowd may look essentially the same - but trust me, they’re not. You have to spend time with each one to see the true differences, and in this case, “spending time” means spending money. How else could you know which service is really better? Well, guess what? I spent the money so you don’t have to. As part of my quest to find the best...
Wix E-Commerce Review – Good for Your Online Store? [2024]
If you’re reading this article, chances are pretty good that you want to build an online store, and you really don’t want to get bogged down in technical stuff. Well, you’re in luck. Wix of drag-and-drop fame, Wix of the pretty decent free plan, THE semi-old-school site builder Wix... has an e-commerce platform. It’s simple to use, fairly flexible, and designed to give the...
Accessibility Color Checker: How To Check Your Website [2024]
Right now, the WCAG 2.1 guidelines are your best guide to making sure people can actually read what’s on your websites, especially people with low vision or similar visual disabilities. But WCAG 2.1 compliance can be a little tricky. For example, you need to reach a minimum text to background contrast ratio of 4.5 to 1*, and that’s to say nothing of Level AA and Level AAA...
NameSilo Review: The Best Domain Name Manager? [2024]
NameSilo does one thing extremely well: domain name registration Sometimes all you want, or need, is to just buy a domain name and point it at your server. There are some great services for just that sort of thing, and NameSilo is one of them (hope you don’t mind a spoiler), but it offers so much more. NameSilo is one of those ambitious services that wants to do a...
24 Best FREE Photoshop Plugins & Filters: Still Good in 2024
Photoshop hardly needs an introduction. People who have never touched a desktop know what it is. Its name is used as a verb, no matter how hard Adobe has tried to stop that particular trend. It’s the universal symbol of photo editing, retouching, and digital art. But hey, every program has its limits, and that’s why Adobe has encouraged the development of a massive...
A2 Hosting VPS Pricing Review: Can It Still Compete in 2024?
A2 Hosting is one of the older hosting companies still operating, and it banks hard on that reputation. Reliability is its watchword. But how reliable is it, really? I’ve thoroughly investigated A2 Hosting’s VPS service: I’ve tested the entry-level plan, I’ve engaged with the support team on more than one occasion, and I’ve compared its prices and plan details to other top...
GoDaddy VPS Review: Is It Good, and Is It Worth It? [2024]
GoDaddy, like so many other web hosting companies, wants to be your one-stop shop for domains, servers, site builders, ecommerce, and more. I’ve had the opportunity to review several of those services, and now… it’s time to talk about GoDaddy’s VPS hosting solutions. Is it any good? Does GoDaddy do anything interesting with VPS tech? How does it compare to the competition...
DreamHost VPS Review: Is It Worth It for VPS Hosting? [2024]
DreamHost VPS Hosting at a Glance DreamHost has so far established itself (with us) as a decent host with sometimes spotty customer service. But hey, things change, and even within a single company, different departments can provide completely different experiences. Enter DreamHost’s VPS plans. This product is actually something of an interesting beast. See, most VPS...
GreenGeeks WordPress Hosting Review: A Hidden Gem [2024]
GreenGeeks has ranked high on our web hosting lists for quite some time, and for good reason. Whether you want shared hosting, VPS hosting, or reseller hosting, you can find it here, for a fairly reasonable price. The company’s real claim to fame, of course, is its eco-friendly operations and data centers. GreenGeeks uses completely renewable energy and puts more energy...