Hostway Website Starter, $ 14.95/mo. on Linux Shared

Website Starter has been updated on July 16, 2025 (added January 22, 2014), Aggregate Rating (2.5 out of 10 from 19 reviews)

🔌 Hosted domains :	unlimited
🆓 free domains :	0
📌 Dedicated IPs :	0
💳 Payment Methods :	Credit / Debit / Prepaid Cards
🔨 Control Panel :	[In-house]
🔧 Category :	Website Builder
✍️ Support Options :	EmailHelp DeskPhone / Toll-FreeLive ChatAvailable 24/7
🌏 Server Locations :	United States
⚑ Targeting :	AT CA FR DE KR NL RO UK US
💰 Money-back guarantee :	30 days
🚀 Uptime :	100 %

Original plan URL was https://cart.hostway.com/order-service/index.php

📜 Plan description

📄 Editorial Review

Hostway, founded in 1998 by Lucas Roh, Arnold Choi, and John Lee, initially entered the market through the acquisition of Spectronet Inc. The company expanded internationally in 2000 with the launch of Hostway Korea and, for years, was recognized as a global player in the hosting industry. However, much of what once made Hostway competitive appears to have faded over time.

Hosting Services

Shared Hosting

Hostway offers shared hosting plans for both Linux and Windows platforms. These packages include unlimited bandwidth and are geared toward users looking for a basic online presence. Entry-level plans include features like OX App Suite email, a drag-and-drop website builder, and a selection of templates for quick site creation. FlexCloud plans also come with Easy Script, making app integration easier for beginners.
However, detailed technical specifications are not readily accessible from their current website. Some hosting plans, such as the "Website Starter" package, only appear during the checkout process, and lack transparency in terms of resources or features.

VPS Hosting

Their VPS services, intended for developers and designers, are advertised as SSD-powered and capable of supporting popular applications like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. Users can choose between cPanel and Plesk for server management. Despite this, Hostway no longer appears to manage these VPS offerings directly—there are strong indications that these are now resold from third-party providers, like SolVPS.com (part of the same company group).

Email Services

One of the more stable offerings is Hostway’s Hosted Microsoft Exchange email, which caters to small businesses needing professional email with integrated calendars and contact management. Key features include:

• Email archiving
• Spam and malware filtering
• Shared calendars
• Unlimited storage
• Mobile and desktop access

These services are supported by 24/7 assistance and Microsoft Gold Partner backing, which provides some reassurance in terms of reliability.

Web Design

Hostway also provides website design services through a streamlined process: users share their business requirements, and the company’s designers create a site aligned with those goals. The websites are hosted on their infrastructure, which claims to offer fast loading times and secure delivery.

Infrastructure and Data Centers

Once headquartered in Chicago, Hostway had a presence across numerous countries including the UK, Germany, Australia, and India. As of 2025, those international offices are no longer mentioned. The only active locations listed now are Austin, Tampa, and Vancouver.
Their infrastructure once included six data centers across North America, with fast backbone connections using OC-12 and Gigabit Ethernet. However, the current site no longer provides up-to-date details about these data centers, making it unclear whether all those locations are still operational or relevant to today’s services.

Reliability and Uptime

Hostway once advertised a 100% uptime guarantee, a bold claim in the hosting world. Unfortunately, this is no longer reflected anywhere on their current site, and there is no reference to service-level agreements or uptime metrics. This lack of transparency could be concerning for users requiring consistent performance.

Support and Accessibility

Customer support is still technically available through multiple channels including phone, email, live chat, ticket system, and even social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. However, responsiveness and efficiency appear inconsistent based on current user experiences, and the once robust support reputation seems diminished.

Administrative Interface

Hostway uses SiteControl as the standard control panel for most services. VPS users have the option to use cPanel or Plesk, depending on their preferences. While SiteControl is functional, it lacks the modern interface and features found in more widely-used solutions today.

Pricing and Payment

Hostway continues to advertise affordable pricing, but only credit card payments are accepted now. In the past, customers could use PayPal or even checks, but those options have been removed. Moreover, the once-available 30-day money-back guarantee is no longer referenced anywhere, raising concerns about purchase security for new customers.

Observations on Decline

There are several signs that Hostway's offerings have significantly degraded over time. Many legacy links on the website still point to outdated interfaces, and the overall product selection has become narrow. Previously available services, such as dedicated servers and WordPress-specific hosting, appear to have been quietly phased out.

The current structure suggests a reliance on third-party reselling, limited updates to service transparency, and a visible reduction in service diversification. Combined with the lack of a clear refund policy and reduced support effectiveness, this raises questions about the long-term stability and reliability of Hostway as a hosting provider.