The GreenGeeks Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about GreenGeeks 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.
GreenGeeks
The Insider’s Guide
Shared, WordPress and VPS hosting with a renewable energy match
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among web hosts, read from GreenGeeks’s own pages.
Made by GreenGeeks · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from GreenGeeks’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on GreenGeeks’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
GreenGeeks is an independent web host founded in 2008 that sells shared and WordPress hosting on cPanel, plus managed VPS, reseller and dedicated servers. It buys renewable energy credits for three times the power its platform uses and plants a tree for each new hosting account. Plans include LiteSpeed caching, a free CDN, daily backups, free malware cleanups and a free domain for the first year.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about GreenGeeks, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Daily backups, staging, free malware cleanups, a CDN and migrations done by hand are all included.
- 1
Best for cPanel hosting with a renewable energy match
GreenGeeks is solid cPanel shared hosting with a green angle: it matches three times its power use with renewable energy credits.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.95 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $13.95 per month at renewal (Lite), after a first year at $2.95 a month.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
LiteSpeed caching and CDN
Sites run on LiteSpeed with LSCache and Redis, HTTP/3 and current PHP versions, and a free CDN can be switched on in one click.
- 5
Security and malware cleanup
A firewall that uses AI to spot attacks and network-level DDoS protection guard every account, and hacked sites are cleaned free, with some limits.
- 6
WordPress tools
Automatic WordPress updates, staging, WP-CLI, Git and SSH, with daily backups and on-demand backups on some plans.
- 7
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.
- 8
Keep it
To replace GreenGeeks you would be making servers kept running, patched and backed up for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
GreenGeeks at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $13.95 per month at renewal (Lite), after a first year at $2.95 a month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- GreenGeeks, since 2008
- Category
- Web Hosting
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for cPanel hosting with a renewable energy match
GreenGeeks is solid cPanel shared hosting with a green angle: it matches three times its power use with renewable energy credits. Daily backups, staging, free malware cleanups, a CDN and migrations done by hand are all included. The $2.95 a month is for year one only, and Lite renews at $13.95 for a single site.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Lite's first year is $2.95 a month prepaid, then $13.95, so two years cost $202.80, about $8.45 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of hosts. Only 12-month terms are shown, so there's no longer deal to stretch the low price. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers new services only, and it isn't a trial. |
| Features | B | LiteSpeed with a free CDN, daily backups, staging, WP-CLI and Git, free malware cleanups, migrations of site and email done by hand, a first-year domain and a 150-app installer. Nothing in the core job is missing. |
| Ease of use | C | No app store rating to go on. Migrations are done for you, but it's cPanel, so there's still a site, domain and email to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A web panel only. The named integrations are cPanel and the apps it installs, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, SitePad and Weebly, with no API on record. |
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 GreenGeeks is for
- Great if you'd like your host's power use matched by renewables
- Handy when you want your site and email moved over by a person
- Good for sites that may later need a managed VPS from the same company
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you stay past year one, when Lite jumps from $2.95 to $13.95 a month
- Tight if you run more than one site, since Lite hosts just one
- Skip it if you might forget to cancel, as auto-renewal must be off 5 business days ahead
Good to know
Good for
- Small business sites and blogs that want cPanel shared hosting
- Buyers who want their host's energy use offset by renewables
- Sites that may later move to a fully managed VPS with the same company
Worth knowing
- The advertised $2.95 a month is for the first 12 months, prepaid; Lite then renews at $13.95 a month, Pro at $18.95 and Premium at $30.95.
- The pricing page shows only 12-month terms, and the free domain covers the first year only.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers new services, not renewals, and auto-renewal must be turned off at least 5 business days before.
- Lite hosts a single website; more than one site needs Pro or higher.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.95
A month to start
GreenGeeks is a paid product, starting at $13.95 per month at renewal (Lite), after a first year at $2.95 a month.
Lite, 12 months
$13.95
per month at renewal, after a first year at $2.95 a month
1 website, 25 GB and unmetered traffic. The first 12 months cost $2.95 a month, prepaid, then the plan renews at $13.95 a month.
Pro, 12 months
$18.95
per month at renewal, after a first year at $4.95 a month
Unlimited websites and 50 GB. The first 12 months cost $4.95 a month, prepaid, then $18.95 a month.
Premium, 12 months
$30.95
per month at renewal, after a first year at $8.95 a month
Unlimited websites and 100 GB for busier sites and stores. The first 12 months cost $8.95 a month, prepaid, then $30.95 a month.
VPS 4 GB
$69.95
per month for 4 vCPU and 4 GB RAM
Fully managed VPS with 75 GB SSD, cPanel and free migration. 8 GB is $129.95 a month and 16 GB $179.95.
Read from greengeeks.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
First year of Lite for $2.95 a month
On a 12-month term the first year is $2.95 a month for Lite, $4.95 for Pro and $8.95 for Premium, prepaid. They renew at $13.95, $18.95 and $30.95 a month.
Stated on greengeeks.com
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, WordPress and VPS hosting with a renewable energy match. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: malware protection, managed WordPress.
The named integrations are cPanel and the apps it installs, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, SitePad and Weebly, with no API on record.
- LiteSpeed caching and CDN
- Sites run on LiteSpeed with LSCache and Redis, HTTP/3 and current PHP versions, and a free CDN can be switched on in one click.
- Security and malware cleanup
- A firewall that uses AI to spot attacks and network-level DDoS protection guard every account, and hacked sites are cleaned free, with some limits.
- WordPress tools
- Automatic WordPress updates, staging, WP-CLI, Git and SSH, with daily backups and on-demand backups on some plans.
- Free migration and domain
- Specialists move an existing site and its email across by hand, and a domain registration or transfer is free for the first year.
- Site builders and app installer
- A one-click installer covers more than 150 apps such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal, and SitePad and Weebly are offered for drag-and-drop sites.
- Renewable energy match
- GreenGeeks matches three times its energy use with renewable energy credits through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and plants trees with One Tree Planted.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- cPanel
- LiteSpeed Cache
- Joomla
- Drupal
- SitePad
- Weebly
GreenGeeks is made by GreenGeeks, and has been around since 2008.
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
GreenGeeks'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 value for money (B, above 11 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $2.95 a month, against a middle price of $10.99 for the category: 3 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. GreenGeeks’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 11 of 21
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 21
- BFeaturesAbove 11 of 21
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 21
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 17 web hosts. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. GreenGeeks is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
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 GreenGeeks you would be making servers kept running, patched and backed up for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $35.40 a year.
What you could not
- Servers kept running, patched and backed up for you.
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- It plugs into other products, WordPress, WooCommerce and cPanel among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. GreenGeeks’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
Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost, hosting.com and ChemiCloud
The 5 tools GreenGeeks is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Hostinger
From $10.99/mo
Shared, WordPress and cloud hosting run from its own hPanel dashboard.
- GreenGeeks also covers managed WordPress.
- 1.8GPA
SiteGround
From $14.99/mo
Shared and WordPress hosting on Google Cloud with its own Site Tools.
- 1.6GPA
Bluehost
Paid
- 2.0GPA
hosting.com
Paid
Shared hosting from the former A2 Hosting, with an API and MCP server.
- GreenGeeks also covers managed WordPress.
- 2.2GPA
ChemiCloud
From $11.95/mo
Shared cPanel hosting and managed WordPress on LiteSpeed servers.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 GreenGeeks free?
No. GreenGeeks is a paid product, starting at $13.95 per month at renewal (Lite), after a first year at $2.95 a month.
How much does GreenGeeks cost?
GreenGeeks lists 4 plans. Lite, 12 months: $13.95 per month at renewal, after a first year at $2.95 a month.
What platforms does GreenGeeks work on?
GreenGeeks is available on Web.
Does GreenGeeks offer any discounts?
GreenGeeks publicly lists the following: First year of Lite for $2.95 a month.
Does GreenGeeks have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. GreenGeeks is listed for Web.
Does GreenGeeks have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. GreenGeeks is listed for Web.
Is GreenGeeks open source?
GreenGeeks is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does GreenGeeks integrate with?
GreenGeeks's listing names WordPress, WooCommerce, cPanel, LiteSpeed Cache, Joomla, Drupal, SitePad and Weebly.
Who makes GreenGeeks?
GreenGeeks is made by GreenGeeks. It dates from 2008.
What are the alternatives to GreenGeeks?
The closest alternatives to GreenGeeks in our directory are Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost, hosting.com and ChemiCloud.
How does GreenGeeks compare with other web hosts?
GreenGeeks's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7.
Is GreenGeeks good value for money?
ToolGPA grades GreenGeeks B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.95 a month, against a middle price of $10.99 for the category: 3 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of GreenGeeks?
To replace GreenGeeks you would be making servers kept running, patched and backed up for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from GreenGeeks’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 GreenGeeks's own pages on 17 October 2026. 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 GreenGeeks. Prices change, so check greengeeks.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
- GreenGeeks, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/greengeeks
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
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, "GreenGeeks: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/greengeeks
Know someone choosing between web hosts?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/greengeeks/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded web hosts after GreenGeeks, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Web Hosting Insider's GuideEvery one of the 22 web hosts we grade, compared
- ChemiCloud Insider's GuideShared cPanel hosting and managed WordPress on LiteSpeed servers2.2 GPA
- DreamHost Insider's GuideIndependent shared and WordPress host with monthly or multi-year terms2.2 GPA
- FastComet Insider's GuidecPanel shared and WordPress hosting with first-term discounts2.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what GreenGeeks’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. GreenGeeks is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by GreenGeeks. Prices and plans change: check greengeeks.com before you buy.