A2 Hosting has built its brand on low-cost, high-performance web hosting, but my colleagues and I evaluated both A2 and Hostinger, and the findings were unexpected. Hostinger is not only significantly less expensive than A2, but its performance is comparable, if not better, worldwide.
Don’t get me wrong: A2 Hosting may give excellent results, particularly if you choose one of their Turbo plans. In addition, A2 provides more storage space and slightly better security, but I question whether these little benefits warrant the additional expense.
I took it upon myself to compare both hosts regarding functionality, convenience of use, pricing, and support. Not only did I personally investigate both services, but I also reviewed my colleagues’ professional reviews to determine which is best for you.
Despite the close race, Hostinger emerged as the clear winner for most consumers. Does this mean I would always suggest it over A2 Hosting? Not necessarily.
So, keep reading to find out why Hostinger won (and when it didn’t), or sign up for a Hostinger plan today.
Plans & Pricing
Hostinger can help you save more money in the long run.
Both Hostinger and A2 Hosting provide a wide range of services, including shared hosting, managed WordPress, and complex VPS options. However, Hostinger’s shared plans are considerably less expensive than A2 Hosting’s.
Consider A2 Hosting’s Startup and Hostinger’s Single, two shared hosting plans with comparable pricing for the first prepaid term, which lasts three years with A2 Hosting and four years with Hostinger. At first glance, A2 Hosting appears to be a better value due to the more storage space provided.
Hostinger web hosting:
| Plan Type | Plan Name | Price (per month) | Storage | SSL Certificate | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web Hosting | Single Web Hosting | $1.99 | 50 GB SSD | Free | 1 Website, 100 GB Bandwidth, Weekly Backups |
| Premium Web Hosting | $2.49 | 100 GB SSD | Free | 100 Websites, Unlimited Bandwidth, Free Domain | |
| Business Web Hosting | $3.49 | 200 GB SSD | Free | 100 Websites, Daily Backups, Free CDN | |
| Shared Hosting | Premium Shared | $2.49 | 100 GB SSD | Free | 100 Websites, Free Domain, Free Email |
| Business Shared | $3.99 | 200 GB SSD | Free | 100 Websites, Free Domain, Enhanced Performance | |
| Cloud Hosting | Cloud Startup | $9.99 | 200 GB NVMe SSD | Free | 300 Websites, 3 GB RAM, Daily Backups |
| Cloud Professional | $18.99 | 250 GB NVMe SSD | Free | 300 Websites, 6 GB RAM, Daily Backups |
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from Hostinger
Key Highlights:
Shared hosting:
- The Single Plan is the most affordable option for beginners with simple needs. It has crucial features like 50GB SSD storage and 100GB bandwidth.
- The Premium Plan contains greater resources, such as 100GB SSD storage, and lets you host multiple websites with free domain registration.
- Business Plan is designed to provide expanding enterprises with improved speed, including 200GB SSD storage, daily backups, and free SSL.
Cloud Hosting:
Cloud Hosting:
- Startup Plan provides an excellent starting point for small to medium-sized websites, with features such as 200GB storage, 3GB RAM, and dedicated resources.
- The Professional Plan offers more resources for expanding enterprises, such as 250GB storage and 6GB RAM.
- The Enterprise Plan is ideal for high-traffic websites that require more capacity, with 300GB storage, 12GB RAM, and other benefits such as a dedicated IP address.
Hostinger offers reasonable pricing, particularly on long-term contracts, making them a fantastic choice for small to medium-sized enterprises searching for affordable but powerful hosting solutions.
A2 Hosting Plans and Pricing
| Plan Type | Plan Name | Storage | Bandwidth | Number of Sites | Price (per month) | SSL Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Hosting | Startup | 100 GB | Unlimited | 1 | $1.95 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) |
| Drive | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $3.95 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) | |
| Turbo Boost | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $4.95 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) | |
| Turbo Max | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $13.95 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) | |
| VPS Hosting | Launch 1 | 20 GB | 1 TB | 1 | $2.99 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) |
| Launch 2 | 75 GB | 2 TB | 1 | $7.99 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) | |
| Cloud Hosting | Managed VPS | 150 GB | 4 TB | Unlimited | $29.99 | Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt) |
Key Features of the A2 Hosting Plans:
- Shared Hosting: Provides a range of plans, from the basic “Startup” plan, which is ideal for small personal sites, to the “Turbo Boost” and “Turbo Max” plans, which are designed for faster loading speeds and large traffic. All shared hosting plans include free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, which provide basic protection for all hosted websites.
- Cloud Hosting: A2’s cloud hosting plans are designed for scalability and flexibility, making them suitable for websites with variable traffic. The “Entry Level” plan is $4.99 per month, with plans scaling up to “Enterprise” for more resource-intensive sites.
- SSL Certificates: All A2 Hosting plans include with free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, which provide basic security features for websites. Additional SSL solutions are available for purchase if you need more advanced security is required.
- Performance: Plans such as “Turbo Boost” and “Turbo Max” include NVMe SSD storage, which is much quicker than ordinary SSD, resulting in faster page loading and overall speed.
- Customer Support: A2 Hosting is well-known for its “Guru Crew” support, which is available 24/7 via phone and live chat and provides rapid assistance with technical difficulties or questions.
- Money-Back Guarantee: A2 Hosting provides a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans, with a prorated return possible after the initial 30 days.
These plans offer flexibility and alternatives for all types of customers, from beginners to more advanced websites that require great speed and scalability.
However, the two strategies are only a little balanced throughout the first term. Following renewal, A2 Hosting’s Startup plan costs nearly three times as much as Hostinger’s Single. Something to bear in mind if you’re in it for the long haul.
Hostinger’s Single shared hosting plan includes 50 GB of SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth, which is more than enough for a small project. If you want to host a blog, a personal website, or a landing page for your business, Hostinger’s Single plan is an excellent, low-cost option.
Features
Hostinger’s Control Panel is more user-friendly, yet A2 Hosting provides more tools.
Hostinger and A2 Hosting offer similar services in their shared hosting options. You receive plenty of storage space, bandwidth, email, and free website transfers. However, there are a few noteworthy differences.
For example, the two hosts have separate control panels. A2 Hosting offers the more typical cPanel, while Hostinger has its hPanel option. hPanel is less packed with features that most users never use, making it easier to browse overall.
hPanel also makes it simple to install WordPress or other popular content management systems (CMS). However, once the setup is complete, you must manually change the settings and plugins to achieve optimal performance. A2 Hosting allows you to install a pre-optimized version of WordPress, which can save you some time.
One drawback of A2 Hosting’s entry-level Startup plan is that it does not feature automated backups. Hostinger, on the other hand, provides peace of mind with automatic weekly backups on all plans.
Overall, while A2 Hosting’s feature set is nothing short of outstanding, Hostinger’s user-friendly hPanel gives it just enough of a lead to be the tiebreaker.
| Feature | Hostinger | A2 Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting Types | Shared, WordPress, Cloud, Email, VPS | Shared, WordPress, Email, VPS, Dedicated Servers |
| Free Domain | Only on the Business plan | ✘ (Not included) |
| Number of Websites | 1 – 300 | 1 – Unlimited |
| Free SSL Certificate | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disk Space | 50 GB SSD – 200 GB NVMe | 100 GB – Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Automatic Backups | ✔ (Weekly) | ✔ (Daily on the Drive plan and above) |
| Control Panel | hPanel | cPanel |
| Email Accounts | 1 – 100 | Unlimited |
| Free CDN | Only on Business plan | ✘ (Not included) |
| Free Site Migration | ✔ | ✔ |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 Days | Anytime (Full refund within 30 days, prorated refund after 30 days) |
Performance
The race was close, but Hostinger performed better than expected.
Both Hostinger and A2 Hosting offer SSD storage and full support for Cloudflare CDN on all plans, but that’s where the similarities end. The main difference between the two is that Hostinger includes LiteSpeed technology and caching on all servers, but A2 Hosting requires you to pay extra for these things.
LiteSpeed is perhaps the quickest web server for WordPress, and it is gradually displacing the more traditional Apache. Regardless of the package you choose, Hostinger includes a LiteSpeed web server and automatic caching. Unless you choose the more expensive Turbo Boost or Turbo Max plans, A2 Hosting will only provide Apache.
Hostinger also gives you more alternatives for data center locations. A2 Hosting operates data centers in the United States, the Netherlands, and Singapore, while Hostinger also serves Brazil, India, France, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania. If you want your website to load quickly for your target audience, one solution is to use a server that is nearby to them.
To compare the performance of the two hosts, I joined up for their entry-level plans, built two identical websites, and ran speed tests over several months.
I used GTmetrix to monitor both hosts’ performance, and I was surprised at how closely they performed.
Both A2 Hosting and Hostinger reported typical loading times of around 0.8 seconds. The best loading speed I have recorded with A2 Hosting was 0.5 seconds, and I never obtained a result higher than 1.12 seconds, which is significantly below the suggested 1.2 seconds.
For the complete speed test results, please visit our in-depth A2 Hosting review.
Though Hostinger’s slowest indicated time was little more than 1.5 seconds, it was far more constant in the 0.6s to 0.8s range.
Given the pricing difference between the two hosts, I did not expect Hostinger to provide comparable performance, but that is exactly what happened. When I used the Sucuri Load Time tester to evaluate both hosts’ global performance scores, I observed an identical situation. Hostinger and A2 Hosting both received B performance ratings, with Hostinger scoring slightly higher.
Though the total score for A2 Hosting was the same, you can see how it struggled slightly more in areas further distant from its server. Considering that neither host has a CDN installed, both surpassed my expectations.
Even yet, our testing revealed one thing: despite its extremely low-cost shared plans, Hostinger can give comparable performance to A2 Hosting.
Finally, I used UptimeRobot to test the uptime of both hosts. Honestly, there isn’t much to say here. Both Hostinger and A2 Hosting guarantee 99.9% uptime, and during my extensive testing, both provided excellent uptime statistics.
Overall, Hostinger and A2 Hosting were virtually identical in terms of performance. Finally, I had to award the performance win to A2 Hosting, but only based on its best performance score.
This is not my preferred criterion for comparing web host performance, but it was the only difference between the two, given that the two produced nearly equal results in every other category.
Security
Hostinger provides excellent security, however A2 Hosting performs somewhat better.
Whether you choose Hostinger or A2 Hosting, you can be confident that your website is in good hands. Both hosts provide free SSL certificates with all plans and take proactive steps to avoid unwanted attacks.
Hostinger provides DDoS protection, server-wide firewalls, and BitNinja security. All plans include weekly backups, allowing you to easily restore a previous version of your website if necessary.
Similarly, A2 Hosting includes DDoS protection, a dual firewall, virus scanning, and the Patchman security tool. The latter detects any outdated software on your account and promptly quarantines any questionable files.
Furthermore, A2 Hosting’s Perpetual Security Initiative includes server software on all plans, ensuring the most up-to-date Linux and malware protection.
The drawback of A2 Hosting is that the Startup plan does not provide automated backups. However, you can schedule your backups through cPanel without upgrading to a more expensive plan.
Support
Do not expect much from either Hostinger or A2 Hosting.
Both Hostinger and A2 Hosting provide 24-hour customer support. Hostinger offers live chat and email assistance, whereas A2 Hosting provides phone and ticket help.
Unfortunately, one issue with both hosts is that agents are not always available. It can often take many hours to receive an answer, requiring you to go through a knowledge base in search of a “quick” solution.
However, Hostinger provided a more useful response than A2 Hosting. For example, when I approached one of Hostinger’s representatives for assistance with website optimization, I was provided several useful links to go to, including a helpful article in the knowledge base. I followed the instructions outlined, and my website’s loading times increased.
Although slow, Hostinger’s assistance is in-house, which shows. I had a different experience with A2 Hosting, which has almost entirely outsourced its customer service.
Whenever I contacted an agent, they were sluggish to react and not always clear. Many times, I became even more puzzled.
The responses improved slightly when I used the ticket system. However, I might have obtained the same information more quickly if I had looked for my inquiries on Google.
Overall, I had a poor experience with both hosts, but if I had to pick a winner in this category, Hostinger would be my choice. Yes, it took many hours for its agents to react, but when they did, they gave some important information.
In all cases, the knowledge base proved to be beneficial, although this will provide little comfort if you are not a lover of DIY solutions.
Choose Hostinger for outstanding performance at a low cost.
There’s no doubt that Hostinger versus A2 Hosting is a close race, especially when it comes to features and speed. It’s no surprise that both hosts are on our list of the best web hosting services.
However, Hostinger’s shared hosting rates are significantly cheaper, providing them an advantage.
A2 Hosting’s plans may include pre-optimized CMS installs and somewhat improved performance in some circumstances, but in my opinion, these benefits alone are not worth the extra money. The Turbo servers are anticipated to provide even better performance, but again, they are not cheap.
Still unsure? Here’s a brief overview of my comparison of Hostinger vs A2 Hosting:
support:
| Category | Hostinger | A2 Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Plans and Pricing | Significantly cheaper than A2 Hosting, especially after renewal, except with unmanaged VPS | More expensive overall for similar plans, except with unmanaged VPS |
| Features | Generous storage space and unlimited bandwidth, free domain for the first year on most plans, user-friendly proprietary control panel, 30-day money-back guarantee | SSD storage, support for Cloudflare CDN, LiteSpeed web server, 8 data center locations, outstanding performance, and perfect uptime |
| Performance | SSD storage, support for Cloudflare CDN, 3 data center locations, LiteSpeed web server on more expensive plans, outstanding performance, and perfect uptime | SSD storage, support for Cloudflare CDN, 3 data center locations, LiteSpeed web server on more expensive plans, outstanding performance and perfect uptime |
| Security | DDoS protection, firewall, BitNinja defense, automated weekly backups, free SSL | DDoS protection, dual firewall, malware scanner, Patchman security, automated daily backups on most plans, free SSL |
| Support | 24/7 support via live chat, email, and tickets; extensive knowledge base | 24/7 support via live chat, tickets, and phone; extensive knowledge base |
| Control Panel | Proprietary control panel (hPanel) | Traditional cPanel |
| Backup Frequency | Weekly automated backups | Daily automated backups on most plans |
Summary:
- Plans & Pricing: Hostinger offers more economical plans than A2 Hosting, particularly after renewal, except unmanaged VPS alternatives.
- Features: Both hosting services provide unlimited bandwidth, but Hostinger includes a free domain name for the first year on most plans and a proprietary control panel (hPanel). A2 Hosting provides unlimited storage on most plans as well as a money-back guarantee at any time.
- Performance: Both companies use SSD storage and support the Cloudflare CDN. Hostinger has additional global data center locations, which helps improve performance across multiple areas.
- Security: Both hosting services include strong security features, such as DDoS protection and free SSL certificates. However, A2 Hosting offers more frequent backups (daily) and other security features such as a dual firewall and Patchman protection.
- support: Both companies give 24-hour help, but A2 Hosting also offers phone service.
This table should help you understand the key differences between Hostinger and A2 Hosting, making it easy to select the best option for your needs.
Final Thoughts about Hostinger VS A2 Hosting:
Hostinger and A2 Hosting both provide reliable shared hosting with top-tier features such as SSD storage, free website transfers, and full Cloudflare CDN integration.
Hostinger defines out for its user-friendly hPanel, which simplifies website management and includes automatic backups on all plans. It also incorporates LiteSpeed technology and caching on all servers, giving it a top choice for performance.
However, A2 Hosting offers the more familiar cPanel and pre-optimized WordPress installs, which saves time during setup. While A2 Hosting is significantly more expensive and has fewer data center locations, its customizable plans and anytime money-back guarantee provide additional value.
Finally, Hostinger may have a slight edge for newbies and those wanting ease of use, whereas A2 Hosting caters better to customers who require greater control & Scalability.
Hostinger VS A2 Hosting FAQs:
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Does A2 Hosting provide WordPress hosting?
Yes. A2 Hosting offers some of the best-managed WordPress solutions in the business. These plans are not as inexpensive as Hostinger’s, but they do include some good features, such as further speed optimizations, automated upgrades and backups, a one-click staging environment, and a Jetpack Personal license.
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Is Hostinger cheaper than A2 Hosting?
Yes, if you are looking for shared or managed WordPress hosting, Hostinger is less expensive than A2. This is especially true if you intend to stay with your web host for the long run. After renewals, Hostinger can be up to three times cheaper than A2 Hosting.
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Is A2 Hosting fast?
Yes, A2 Hosting is one of the industry’s fastest and most cost-effective hosting options. However, Hostinger can provide nearly identical results at a significantly lower price.
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Is Hostinger the best host?
Hostinger is one of our favorite web hosting services. It provides consistent and high-quality performance, a user-friendly proprietary control panel, and surprisingly low shared hosting costs.
However, to claim that Hostinger is “the best host, period” is misleading. The best host is the one who best meets your needs, purpose, and budget. If you’re curious as to which is the finest host for you I encourage you to check out our professional list of the best web hosting services in 2024.
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Is A2 hosting reliable?
Fast and reliable service. If you need assistance, please contact us by chat or email. We are courteous, helpful, and solution-oriented. I’m delighted we finally switched to A2hosting from our old hosting provider. Easy migration along with excellent technical support convinced us that we had made the right decision.
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Why is Hostinger so cheap?
Hostinger pays much less than competitors to run their web hosting infrastructure due to extensive automation and optimization. These significant operating cost disparities allow them to market services at substantially lower prices.