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The hosting.com Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about hosting.com in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

hosting.com

The Insider’s Guide

Shared hosting from the former A2 Hosting, with an API and MCP server

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among web hosts, read from hosting.com’s own pages.

Made by hosting.com · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.0GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from hosting.com’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on hosting.com’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.0

GPA, above 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade

hosting.com is the new name of A2 Hosting, merged with World Host Group under one brand. It sells shared hosting in Starter, Pro and Max plans on LiteSpeed servers with NVMe storage, plus its own cloud servers and dedicated hardware. Every shared plan includes daily backups, malware removal, a free first-year domain and an AI assistant called Orbi.

To get you started, here are 7 things to know about hosting.com, taken from its own pages and our grades.

The Orbi assistant answers setup and DNS questions and passes you to people when needed, but you're still setting up a site.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for hosting you can run from scripts or an AI agent

    The checkout fills it in, and our reader couldn't see it.

  2. 2

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  3. 3

    LiteSpeed, NVMe and AMD EPYC on every plan

    All shared plans run on LiteSpeed web servers with NVMe storage and AMD EPYC processors, with published RAM, vCPU and IOPS limits for each plan.

  4. 4

    Malware removal and firewall

    Monarx scans continuously and removes malicious code itself. Every plan also has a web application firewall and brute-force protection.

  5. 5

    Daily backups with self-restore

    Backups run every day with 30 days of restore points, and you can restore a single file, database or mailbox without opening a ticket.

  6. 6

    A 2.0 GPA, above 7 of 21

    That is against the other web hosts we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  7. 7

    Keep it

    To replace hosting.com you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

hosting.com at a glance

Pricing
Paid
Free plan
No
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
hosting.com, since 2003
Category
Web Hosting
Our grade
2.0 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for hosting you can run from scripts or an AI agent

hosting.com, the new name for A2 Hosting, puts a lot into every shared plan: daily backups kept for 30 days, malware removal, a firewall, and an API plus an MCP server so you can manage it from scripts or an AI tool. What we can't tell you is the price. The checkout fills it in, and our reader couldn't see it.

ToolGPA report cardhosting.comGraded Oct 17, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCNo price on record: plan prices are filled in by the checkout and couldn't be read, so no two-year figure can be worked out. With nothing to compare, it sits at C, the grade for no stated price. First-term prices renew at regular rates.
Free plan and trialFNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial, so you pay before you can try it.
FeaturesBDaily backups with 30 days of restore points you can use yourself, Monarx malware removal, a firewall, a first-year domain and free managed migration on every plan. Staging needs Pro, but nothing in the core job is missing on Starter.
Ease of useCNo app store rating to go on. The Orbi assistant answers setup and DNS questions and passes you to people when needed, but you're still setting up a site.
Platforms and integrationsBA web dashboard with no app on record, but shared plans come with an OpenAPI interface and an MCP server, and it works with Claude. Pro adds a Claude skills pack.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.0

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who hosting.com is for

  • Great if you want to manage hosting from scripts, Claude or another AI agent
  • Handy when you'd like to restore one file or database yourself, without a ticket
  • Good for old A2 Hosting customers weighing up the renamed plans

Who it is not for

  • Not for you if you need staging on the cheapest plan, as it starts on Pro
  • Tight if you need priority support or an SLA, which only come with Max

Good to know

Good for

  • Existing A2 Hosting customers weighing the renamed plans
  • Developers who want to manage hosting through an API or an AI agent
  • Small business sites that want backups and malware removal built in

Worth knowing

  • Plan prices are filled in by the checkout and could not be read, so they are not listed here; promotional prices cover the first term and plans renew at regular rates.
  • Staging sites, preview URLs and Node.js need Pro or higher; priority support, a premium SSL and a service level agreement need Max.
  • The free domain is for the first year only and then renews at the standard rate.
  • A2 Hosting's old plan names are retired: Startup became Starter, Turbo Boost became Pro and Turbo Max became Max.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

hosting.com's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.

No price on record: plan prices are filled in by the checkout and couldn't be read, so no two-year figure can be worked out.
From our grade for value for money

We could not confirm hosting.com’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. hosting.com has them.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Shared hosting from the former A2 Hosting, with an API and MCP server. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, malware protection.

Staging needs Pro, but nothing in the core job is missing on Starter.
From our grade for features
LiteSpeed, NVMe and AMD EPYC on every plan
All shared plans run on LiteSpeed web servers with NVMe storage and AMD EPYC processors, with published RAM, vCPU and IOPS limits for each plan.
Malware removal and firewall
Monarx scans continuously and removes malicious code itself. Every plan also has a web application firewall and brute-force protection.
Daily backups with self-restore
Backups run every day with 30 days of restore points, and you can restore a single file, database or mailbox without opening a ticket.
API, MCP server and Claude skills
Shared plans come with an OpenAPI interface and an MCP server for managing hosting from scripts and AI tools. Pro adds a Claude skills pack.
Orbi AI assistant
An AI assistant on every plan answers setup, DNS, WordPress and billing questions, and passes you to the in-house support team when needed.
Free managed migration
The support team moves an existing site to hosting.com at no charge.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • WordPress
  • Claude

hosting.com is made by hosting.com, and has been around since 2003.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

7/21

Other web hosts it is graded above

hosting.com's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7.

It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 12 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 22 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. hosting.com’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 21
  • FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 21
  • BFeaturesAbove 11 of 21
  • CEase of useAbove 0 of 21
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 21

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace hosting.com you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

What you could not

  • An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
  • It plugs into other products, WordPress and Claude among them, and has an API.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. hosting.com’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

SiteGround, Hostinger, DreamHost and Namecheap

The 4 tools hosting.com is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

11

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is hosting.com free?

No. hosting.com is a paid product.

What platforms does hosting.com work on?

hosting.com is available on Web.

Does hosting.com have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. hosting.com is listed for Web.

Does hosting.com have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. hosting.com is listed for Web.

Is hosting.com open source?

hosting.com is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does hosting.com have an API?

Yes. hosting.com offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does hosting.com integrate with?

hosting.com's listing names WordPress and Claude. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes hosting.com?

hosting.com is made by hosting.com. It dates from 2003.

What are the alternatives to hosting.com?

The closest alternatives to hosting.com in our directory are SiteGround, Hostinger, DreamHost and Namecheap.

How does hosting.com compare with other web hosts?

hosting.com's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7.

Could I make my own version of hosting.com?

To replace hosting.com you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from hosting.com’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from hosting.com's own pages on 17 October 2026. Its plan comparison page showed no prices to our reader when we checked it again that day. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by hosting.com. Prices change, so check hosting.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,880

Tools graded, in 47 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 1,880

    tools graded

  • 47

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "hosting.com: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/a2-hosting

Know someone choosing between web hosts?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/a2-hosting/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded web hosts after hosting.com, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what hosting.com’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. hosting.com is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by hosting.com. Prices and plans change: check hosting.com before you buy.