Toast.net Gold, $ 29.95/mo. on Linux/Windows Shared

Gold has been updated on November 28, 2020 (added December 1, 2018), Aggregate Rating (1 out of 10 from 1 reviews)

🔌 Hosted domains :	3
🆓 free domains :	0
📌 Dedicated IPs :	0
💳 Payment Methods :	Credit / Debit / Prepaid Cards
🔨 Control Panel :	CPanelPlesk
🔧 Category :	BackupWordpress
✍️ Support Options :	EmailHelp DeskPhone / Toll-FreeLive ChatAvailable 24/7
🌏 Server Locations :	United States
⚑ Targeting :	US

See also initial Gold plan location on their website!

📜 Plan description

📄 Editorial Review

TOAST.net is a Toledo, Ohio Internet and managed-services company founded in 1996 by Kevin David. The business operates through End-User Computing, Inc., an Ohio corporation with roots predating the TOAST.net brand. The company has remained relatively small compared with national hosting conglomerates, with its strongest presence in Ohio and a long history combining Internet connectivity, hosting, email and managed IT services.

Its portfolio covers Shared Hosting, Domain Registration, Website Design, Business Email, Google Workspace, Personal Email, Email Marketing, Managed Security, Endpoint Detection and Response, Patch Management, Online Backup and Internet Access. TOAST.net is therefore broader than a conventional shared-hosting provider and is particularly suited to small businesses that prefer to obtain web, email, connectivity and IT-management services from a single company.

Web hosting is available on both Linux and Windows, with all standard plans managed through Plesk. Hosting accounts include FTP access, File Manager, web statistics, FTP backup options, SEO Toolkit, Performance Analyzer and WordPress patch notifications. Supported technologies include PHP, ASP, .NET and CGI-BIN, while applications such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, ZenCart and Magento can be installed. MySQL databases can be managed with phpMyAdmin.

The three main hosting packages are Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver includes 10 GB web space and 40 GB monthly bandwidth, Gold increases these resources to 20 GB and 60 GB, while Platinum provides 30 GB and 80 GB. Domain aliases and subdomain allowances also increase with each plan. Each package includes an SSL certificate and website-building functionality. Silver has a separate SSL installation fee, while SSL installation is included with Gold and Platinum.

The hosting plans remain relatively modest in resource allocation. Each account supports only two MySQL databases, making the service more appropriate for smaller business websites, informational sites and ordinary CMS installations than for complex database-intensive applications.

TOAST.net also provides managed Website Design for customers who prefer not to administer their own hosting environment. This service includes domain handling, design, publishing, SSL, analytics, automatic backups, responsive layouts, e-commerce options and SEO features. The managed website platform uses Amazon / AWS cloud infrastructure, adding a more modern hosted option alongside the traditional Plesk environment.

Domain registration and transfer services are available for common extensions such as .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO, .BIZ and .US. Transfers require the standard authorization code, while renewals can be managed through the customer account.

Email is one of the company's stronger service areas. Business Email runs on SmarterMail and provides 10 GB mailboxes, webmail, secure IMAP, mobile synchronization, Outlook compatibility, shared contacts, calendars, tasks and file sharing. Domain administrators can also manage DKIM, SPF and DMARC settings. Mailbox data receives daily snapshots, while customized backup, restoration, migration and archiving services are available for more demanding business environments.

Larger organizations with more than 250 mailboxes can use a dedicated virtual SmarterMail server. This service is specifically designed for email hosting rather than being a general-purpose VPS product.

TOAST.net is also a partner for Google Cloud services and provides Google Workspace migration, configuration, training and ongoing support. The company has worked with Google's productivity platform since 2008 and has substantial experience migrating business mailboxes.

Personal users can still obtain @toast.net email accounts, which is increasingly unusual among hosting companies. Personal Email includes either 10 GB or 20 GB primary mailboxes depending on the package, with additional accounts, IMAP and ActiveSync support. Email Marketing is also available through Constant Contact.

The managed-services portfolio includes Endpoint Detection and Response, Patch Management and Online Backup. EDR provides monitoring, automated containment and remediation for security threats. Patch Management performs recurring scans and automated software and operating-system updates while also supporting asset tracking, security reporting and remote assistance. Online Backup protects workstations, servers and Microsoft 365 data using encrypted off-site storage, file versioning and recovery tools.

Internet access remains an important part of the business. Residential and business fiber services are available, with business fiber reaching symmetrical speeds of up to 5 Gbps in supported locations. This ISP background gives TOAST.net considerably more networking experience than providers that operate exclusively as shared-hosting resellers.

The main commercial service is aimed primarily at the US market, with pricing in US dollars (USD) and an English-language website.