INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Most web hosting packages run on Linux servers, and it's easy to see why: the operating system is fast, reliable, secure and free, with an
impressive software ecosystem that includes some of the best web applications around.For all these benefits, Linux won't be the right setup
If your site is based on Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET or .NET, or you're intending to run Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server or some
other Microsoft stack product, you'll need to choose a Windows plan.Opting for Windows hosting doesn't restrict you to Microsoft products
Most plans offer one-click easy installation of popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop, phpBB and more.There's no cPanel,
but something similar (like Plesk) will make it easy to view your website status, create email accounts, tweak settings and generally manage
your plan.Select a VPS or dedicated hosting plan and you'll also be able to use Remote Desktop to manage the server from its own
desktop.Windows hosting has some issues
You won't get the same choice of applications as with Linux
There's less help available for troubleshooting apps like WordPress on the Windows platform
There are Microsoft licence fees to pay, too, so it's a little more expensive than Linux plans.Overall, though, if you need to take
advantage of Microsoft technologies, Windows hosting can deliver a great service for a surprisingly low price
Read on for five top Windows hosting providers you might want to check out first.1
11High value plans for the Windows hosting newbie11 Windows Web Hosting Basic11 Windows Web Hosting Plus11 Windows Web Hosting
ProFeature-packed plansLow pricesUses Windows Server 2016Windows hosting has a reputation for being costly, but 11's shared Windows range
basic plan is better specified than some of the Linux competition
You get unlimited websites, web space and bandwidth, along with 100 email accounts with 2GB storage each, plus daily backups, 24/7 phone and
email support, a free domain and an SSL certificate thrown in.Windows-specific features include five Microsoft SQL databases of up to 1GB
each, ASP.NET 4.7, ASP.NET Ajax and MVC 3, 4 and 5
There's support for SQL import, SSI and dedicated app pools, and your plan will be running on Windows Server 2016 (many hosts are still
using 2012).Ramping up to the top-of-the-range Pro Windows plan gets you 10 times the allocated RAM, 25 databases, unlimited emails, a
dedicated IP, regular malware scanning and an integrated Cloudflare-based CDN
full control over the server, but more flexible VPS and dedicated plans are also available at very low prices, and opting for Windows
looking to try out Windows hosting with the minimum of risk.2
A2 HostingRun ASP.NET, PHP 7, WordPress and more on the same Windows serverWindows Shared Hosting LiteWindows Shared Hosting SwiftWindows
Shared Hosting TurboSpeed-boosting CDN and Anycast DNSDecent pricesPHP 7.xA2 Hosting is a capable provider with a huge range of plans
covering everything from basic shared products, managed WordPress and email hosting, to reseller plans, cloud VPS and dedicated servers.A2's
This is a shared product, but a good one, with unlimited websites, subdomains, email addresses, databases and more
Highlights include free site migration, SSD storage as standard, virus scanning, automatic backups, free Let's Encrypt SSL, Anycast DNS, and
Cloudflare Free CDN for a claimed average of 200% faster page loads.Your site will be hosted on Windows Server 2012, although you can choose
capabilities on a shared hosting plan.What you do get with the Lite plan is support for an array of current and legacy Microsoft products
and standards: ASP.NET 2.x, 3.x and 4.x, classic ASP, .NET Core 2.0, ASP.NET MVC 4 or 5, IIS 8.5 and Silverlight 4 or 5
And if your needs are more cross-platform, there's PHP 5.6, 7.0, 7.1 or 7.2 support, phpMyAdmin, and one-click installers for PrestaShop,
WordPress, Drupal and more.If shared hosting isn't enough, A2 also provides managed Windows VPS plans
the features and support you get.3
HostwindsFlexible mid-range hosting for cash-strapped power usersSupports Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016Excellent tech supportGood
valueWhile there are plenty of low-cost shared Windows hosting packages around, they're not the best choice for everyone
We suspect that many users who need a Windows website will also require more speed and functionality than the average customer, and budget
hosting may not be good enough.Hostwinds' Windows VPS hosting offers no less than 10 plan configurations, making it much easier to find and
purchase the precise level of service you need.The baseline specification is impressive
Every plan offers free site migrations, SSD storage, and 1Gbps network connectivity (100Mbps is common with other plans)
You also get the ability to use Windows Server 2008, 2012 or 2016, along with fast response times for any support issues (30 seconds for
chat or phone, 5 minutes for tickets), and 99.999% uptime guaranteed overall.The starter Tier 1 plan offers relatively limited resources,
with one CPU core, 1GB RAM, 30GB disk space and 1TB traffic per month
watch your system and automatically raise a support ticket if it goes down.Put it all together and these seem well-designed hosting plans
which are powerful, configurable, with excellent support and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee
If basic Windows hosting isn't enough, Hostwinds could be worth a try.4
HostGatorFrom simple shared plans to full-on dedicated serversFew limits or restrictionsVery low starter pricesShared plans have outdated
softwareMany web hosts provide some level of Windows support, but it's often limited to a specific set of products, such as dedicated
That could become an issue if you decide you'd like to upgrade or downgrade your hosting at a later date, so it makes sense to look for
hosts which offer more flexibility.HostGator has a range of Windows plans covering personal and business-friendly shared hosting, and
ranging up to highly-specified dedicated servers with the power to run just about anything.Most of these products are distinctly short on
The starter Personal plan may only support one website, but you're allowed unlimited subdomains, emails, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server
databases, and unmetered bandwidth and disk space
equivalent Linux plans of some providers.There is a potential downside in HostGator's relatively dated software: Windows Server 2008 R2, IIS
7.5, MSSQL Server 2008 R2 Web Edition, Access Databases 2007, 2010, ASP.NET up to 4.5, PHP 5.2.17 and PHP 5.3
This won't matter to everyone, but check your technical Windows requirements before you sign up.HostGator's dedicated plans are a little
more up-to-date, though still lagging behind some of the competition, with Windows Server 2012 R2, IIS 8.5, SQL Server 2014 Express, and
discounts mean that you could pay more than double on renewal.5
Liquid WebTop-quality professional hostingPowerful productsHighly configurableProfessional and reliable supportLiquid Web is a popular
provider of high-end professional web hosting services, and its current range includes some very capable Windows products.The company's
Cloud VPS range hosts your web space across multiple devices to improve performance and scalability, delivering what Liquid Web claims is
the "fastest managed VPS hosting on the planet"
touches include a choice of SQL Server versions
available if you need them.For even more control, you could opt for one of Liquid Web's Private Cloud Servers
These give you all the power of a Cloud Dedicated Server, but also allow for creating, managing and using custom VPS instances (separate
You could set up a Windows VPS to run your ASP.NET site, for instance, but also create a Linux VPS instance to run WordPress, another for
Even better, there's no long-term contract required, and no leap in costs after an initial discount expires.Liquid Web may charge a Windows
licence fee on top of that, but you'll only pay once per Cloud Server
This allows you to create as many Windows-based VPS instances as you need, at no extra cost.Interestingly, if you remove all Windows
instances then the licence fee will no longer be charged, a handy money-saver for users who only need Windows support occasionally.Whatever
product you choose can be fully managed by Liquid Web's excellent support team, another company highlight
strong sign of confidence in its services that you rarely see elsewhere.You might also want to check out our other hosting
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