For the ultimate in customizability when it comes to choosing a virtual private server (VPS), there are few companies with as many options as Site5.com. Founded nearly a half decade ago, the company has been in business since 1998 and offers a VPS product that has eleven different price points and power levels. Because of its commitment to varied service levels and pricing, Site5 is one of the leading hosts online to offer a virtual private server (VPS) product.

Eleven Levels of Customization

The key to getting a good deal when shopping for virtual private server (VPS) hosting is to find a host which offers intricate customization options. This ensures that a customer doesn’t over-buy, and pay for features they will never use. It also ensures that their server won’t be underpowered just to save on the monthly price and fit into a tight budget.

The first tier of service at Site5 comes in the form of its three lowest-end packages. Each of these three levels of virtual private server (VPS) hosting comes with dual 2.93GHz Intel processors; installed RAM ranges from 756MB to 1.5GB, and hard disk storage space ranges from 35GB to 75GB. Included monthly bandwidth allotments can be either 600GB, 800GB, or 1TB. These packages range in price from $40 at the low end to $80 per month at the higher end.

The next tier of service encompasses the next seven levels of virtual private server (VPS) hosting at Site5. These packages (levels four through seven) each include four processors running at 2.93GHz. Installed RAM at the low end is 2GB, and reaches as high as 6GB for the highest-end plan in this tier. Hard disk space maxes out at 300GB for this tier of service, and monthly traffic ranges between 1.25TB and 4TB. Customers can expect to pay between $105 and $250 per month for these virtual private server (VPS) plans.

The highest level of virtual private server (VPS) hosting provided by Site5.com features eight Intel processors running at a clock speed of 2.93GHz. The installed RAM on these plans ranges from 8GB to a peak of 20GB, which is a truly powerful option for enterprise and advanced users. Hard disk storage space of between 400GB and 1TB is available, and monthly data allotments range from a low of 4.5TB per month to a high of 7TB monthly. These plans are the most expensive offered by Site5; customers can expect to pay between $325 and $600 per month for access to this kind of raw virtual private server (VPS) power.

Extra Features and Site5 virtual Private Server (VPS) Upgrades

Unfortunately, Site5 isn’t entirely forthcoming about the cost of its servers. While each server does include management service provided by the company, the monthly price does not include the extra charge levied for a cPanel or SiteAdmin web-based control panel. Each server is required to have this software, so it would make sense to include it in the price. Instead, Site5 adds a $10 extra charge to every plan for these features.

Two static IP addresses are included with every plan, from level one to level eleven. Extra static IP addresses will cost the customer $1 per month, per IP address. Backup services are also not included with these plans, and will cost an extra $3 monthly for those customers who require such service.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Uptime and Customer Service

Site5 promotes a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee on all of its products; the company also offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on all of its products, to varying degrees. Its shared hosting and reseller hosting options get 45 days to judge the quality of service and either continue with the company or ask for their money back and take their business elsewhere. For virtual private server (VPS) customers, however, this period is reduced to just 15 days. It’s a bit harsh, but any hosting customer should know whether the company is a good fit by the time two weeks has passed.

Customer support is provided via a toll-free customer service hotline. This service is available between 10am and 6pm Eastern Standard Time; online support options will need to be used after business hours. These options include a support ticket filing system and email service for technical support and billing. A knowledge base, site-owned wiki solution, and discussion forums are also provided to all customers on the site. Site5 maintains an active network uptime monitor on its website in case of any problems, virtual private server (VPS) can view the company’s uptime reports at any time.

For Lots of Customizability, Site5 is a Leader

There are few virtual private server (VPS) hosting companies which offer as many different plans and customizations as Site5. Although it’s disappointing that the company engages in “hidden” fees like its control panel surcharge and premium backup services, the prices aren’t overblown or inflated. Customers could do far worse than to choose Site5 for their virtual private server (VPS).