To compare the best web hosts, we hosted the same WordPress website on each one and tested performance, customer service, and value for money. Check out the results here.In operation since 2002, Canada-based Velcom offers a range of affordable web hosting packages that suit both beginners and experts. Velcom’s service offerings include virtual (shared) hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and colocation services. Their website is in English, but they support up to 26 languages.
Features and Ease of Use
Velcom’s web hosting comes with many unlimited benefits on both their base and top-tier plans. Some of the features are:
- Paid domain registration
- Automatic weekly backups
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Unlimited storage space
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Add-on domains, unlimited in all but the “Easy Set” package
- SSL certificates are free, but only private on the top-tier plan
Their basic plans provide more substantial functionalities than the basic plans offered by most other providers. What’s more, the one-click installer and website builder make Velcom very beginner-friendly.
I particularly like the way Velcom places emphasis on scalability, by making it easy to switch between plans at any time. This is especially useful if you want more add-on domains, a dedicated private IP, or private SSL certificate.
You’ll have to look elsewhere if you want to host on the Windows operating system since they only support the CentOs Linux distribution, which gives you access to phpMyAdmin and MySQL via cPanel.
Weekly backups are automatic, but you can also back up your files manually at any time.
Pricing and Support
Velcom’s pricing sits at the industry average. It is a good deal when you consider the features they offer, but you have to sign up for a minimum of 36 months to secure the best pricing option. At the other end of the commitment spectrum, you could pay for just a month if you’re not sure that this provider is for you, and take advantage of the longer-than-average 45-day money-back guarantee.
Velcom has a toll-free support contact number, but this is available only if you subscribe to their “All Set” plan. Otherwise, you can summon support via their support ticket system, email, or live chat. I was pleased to receive a live chat response within 20 seconds. If you prefer to help yourself, you’ll be disappointed with the empty knowledge base that is arguably worse than no knowledge base at all.
How much does Velcom cost?Velcom offers plans from $4 to $10. The price depends on which type of hosting plan you choose. You can see the updated pricing table (updated weekly) below.
Which Velcom plan should I get?My recommendation is to start with a cheaper plan. You can always upgrade later on. Velcom 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 Velcom here.
How good is Velcom’s customer support?Velcom is not ranked as one of our top web hosts. But that can also be a result of Velcom 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.
