Web developers and small businesses, who need the right combination of low prices and great features, choose to host their sites on a virtual private server and xlHost is a leading provider of this popular resource. The budget-friendly hosting company has four distinct virtual private server (VPS) plans that range from entry-level to enterprise, meeting the needs of an appropriately diverse group of consumers. With xlHost, a Linux or Windows-based VPS hosting package is a smart, affordable, and flexible choice.

Four Plans for Virtual Private Server (VPS) Shoppers

One of the great things about the virtual private server (VPS) plans offered by xlHost.com is that the company bucks the common trend of charging more for a Windows-based server than for its Linux counterpart. All too often, this is one of the many hidden surcharges that can cost customers dearly on a monthly basis. At xlHost, VPS hosting is offered at a standard rate, and only extra hardware or broadband requirements will up the price.

The company’s entry-level plan costs just $29 per month and offers a dual Intel Xeon 3GHz processor that is shared between each of the VPS clients on the server. Purchasers of this plan get 512MB of dedicated RAM, 5GB of hard disk storage space, and 200GB of monthly bandwidth. Those hardware features are complimented by a single dedicated IP address, a remote desktop license, and full root access to the server. Setup is free on all xlHost servers, which is an added value for shoppers.

At the high end of the virtual private server (VPS) server plans offered by xlHost, the company offers its “Ultra Virtual Private Server” solution. It comes with the same Intel Xeon processor as the entry-level model, but quadruples the dedicated memory to 2GB and boosts hard disk space to 25GB. Monthly bandwidth also gets an increase, to 1TB of data transfer per month. Four static IP addresses are included, as well as two remote desktop licenses. Customers get full root access to this server, as well, and they’ll pay just $59 per month for this virtual private server (VPS).

Great Prices, Questionable Customer Service Tools

While the company is undoubtedly competitive on the pricing of its virtual private server (VPS) hosting plans, it could stand to make some improvements to its customer service and support operation. At xlHost, the customer service phone number is not a toll-free number, but rather one which is local to Columbus, Ohio. Those customers without mobile phones or robust long distance calling plans will pay a premium each time they need support from xlHost.

The company does operate an online discussion forum for customers to help themselves and each other, and they have a knowledge base full of articles on how to get started with a virtual private server (VPS) option. A priority-based support ticket system is also operated by xlHost, and they maintain a presence on both Facebook and Twitter. For novice hosting customers, this might present quite a gamble.

Reliability: No Guarantees

There’s no evidence that xlHost is an unreliable place to host a virtual private server (VPS), but there’s also no guarantee that the company’s services will be accessible for any given amount of item. That’s because xlHost eschews the traditional uptime guarantee that most companies have in place. It’s a budget host, and they’re known to have a few quirks in some instances, but this particular quirk may not resonate very well with small business and enterprise customers who need a guarantee that their data and websites will be accessible at all times.

Good Prices, but a Big Gamble

The prices offered by xlHost on its virtual private server (VPS) hosting plans are outstanding, and its customer support operation is at least decent when it’s not being reached via telephone. But the company’s absence of an uptime guarantee might worry some consumers. VPS shoppers who can look past that fact, however, will appreciate the small hit their budget takes with an xlHost plan.

xlHost.com’s Dedicated Server Review