Founded in 2009, iHost BY is a small web hosting provider based in Belarus. Its Russian language website not only advertises hosting plans but also provides some handy utility services (if you know what they’re for) including a ping service, a Whois service, GeoIP IP address lookup, spam database check, and chmod calculator (for file access permission settings).
Features and Ease of Use
iHost BY does not offer VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Its shared hosting solutions incorporate the following features:
- Unlimited bandwidth
- MySQL databases
- Apache servers
- Unlimited email
- PHP support
- cPanel control panel with the Fantastico installer
- Linux operating systems
- Unlimited mailboxes
- Unlimited subdomains
- Unlimited FTP accounts
- phpMyAdmin
- 1 Gbps port
- Cloudflare CDN
There are three shared hosting solutions: Start, Optimal, and Professional. The basic Start package comes with 1 GB disk space and 1 domain. The advanced Professional package includes 20 GB disk space, free domain registration, 20 domains, unlimited MySQL databases, and unlimited mailboxes.
All shared hosting plans also come with unlimited bandwidth and free website transfer, and they are particularly suitable for hosting PHP and CMS websites.
Although this hosting provider advertises backup services, these are not further substantiated on the vendor’s website. I also noticed that the site’s security certificate is reported as invalid by most browsers when you click one of the “order now” buttons. This doesn’t bode well for a potential web host, and it may well dissuade many would-be customers.
iHost BY uses powerful servers based in Belarus. Its Linux virtual servers are connected to a network with up to 1Gbps connectivity.
Pricing and Support
iHost BY’s hosting solutions are reasonably priced for the attractive features that include unlimited bandwidth and free website transfer. The monthly prices are presented in Belarus rubles.
This vendor also offers a social tariff to non-commercial entities such as religious groups and nonprofits. This social tariff has no limit on domains and databases.
A 30-day trial period allows you to try before you buy, and various discounts, promotions, and bonuses are offered to prospective customers. The network uptime guarantee is 99.68%.
For self-support, there is a limited FAQ page but no knowledge base. You can contact iHost BY’s technical support team (not 24/7) by telephone, email, and live chat, but there is no ticketing system. I received no response to my exploratory email:
How much does iHost BY cost?
iHost BY offers multiple plans priced highest to lowest. The price depends on which type of hosting plan you choose. You can see the updated pricing table (updated weekly) below.
Which iHost BY plan should I get?
My recommendation is to start with a cheaper plan. You can always upgrade later on. iHost BY can help you with the migration to a more expensive plan. The increase in visitors many times takes longer than expected and you shouldn’t pay a lot of money until the need arises. Of course, your needs may vary, and you can consult with a hosting expert from iHost BY here.
How good is iHost BY’s customer support?
iHost BY is not ranked as one of our top web hosts. But that can also be a result of iHost BY being a small, under the radar, hosting provider. There are advantages to a small hosting company – as a customer, you are more important to them. You can also check out our comparison of the most popular web hosting services here.
