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GreenGeeks Hosting Review – Eco-Friendly But Worth It?

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8.0

Ten out of 10

Last updated: April 1, 2022

What is GreenGeeks?

Trey Gardner founded GreenGeeks in 2008. GreenGeeks, an independent hosting company that is rapidly growing, is based in California but has data centers in Canada and the US. GreenGeeks is a host that is more eco-friendly and focuses on customer service.

GreenGeeks Pricing

* Prices per month for a 36-month subscription

GreenGeeks current plans & pricing

GreenGeeks Alternatives

Here’s how GreenGeeks ranks against a select group of hosting companies I have used, either personally or through a client.

Bluehost Review

Rating

9.5/10

Uptime Guarantee

No

Migration is free

Yes

Promotion

Start at $2.95/mo

SiteGround: Review

Rating

8.5/10

Uptime Guarantee

No

Migration is free

No

Promotion

Enjoy Discounts up to 73%

InMotion Hosting Review

Rating

9.0/10

Uptime Guarantee

No

Migration is free

No

Promotion

Start at $2.29/mo.

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GreenGeeks vs. Bluehost

Bluehost is one the most well-known brands of Newfold Digital. Onboarding and pricing are superior to GreenGeeks. GreenGeeks is better at core hosting performance, while Bluehost offers better onboarding and bonuses. GreenGeeks Hosting is more important to you than its mission and independence. Bluehost is the best choice if you are just starting a project or need more Getting Started guidance.

GreenGeeks vs. SiteGround

SiteGround is a competitor to GreenGeek. Both have a strong reputation for providing solid support and a focus on speed. SiteGround shares many positives with GreenGeek (including speed, support and data centers), but has some of the same drawbacks. Read my complete SiteGround Hosting review. SiteGround is my recommendation if you’re in Asia or Africa and are looking for hosting bonuses. GreenGeeks is my choice if you’re in the US or Europe, and are looking for a simple host (or like GreenGeeks mission).

GreenGeeks vs. InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting (i.e., not owned by any large holding company) is one of GreenGeeks’s major independent competitors. InMotion doesn’t offer the same benefits as GreenGeeks, which has global data centers and a simple plan structure. InMotion has all the benefits of GreenGeeks (including some of their environmental commitments and a cleaner grid source), without any of the negatives. InMotion offers solid pricing and excellent support. My full review of InMotion Hosting can be found here. However, unless you require European data centers or GreenGeeks structure, I recommend InMotion Hosting.

GreenGeeks vs. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the dominant player in the world of web hosting. They have even tried to be more than a web hosting company and become a platform. The GoDaddy hosting products are somewhat hidden among their other offerings. They will have better pricing for short-term and more complementary products than GreenGeeks. They will be behind in customer support, core hosting features and performance as well as pricing. Their brand history is littered with brand controversies, which directly contrasts with GreenGeeks transparency and brand image. GreenGeeks is the best choice unless you have a compelling reason to use GoDaddy.

GreenGeeks vs. A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting is GreenGeek’s largest independent (i.e., not owned by any large holding company) competitor. Both have a strong reputation for providing solid support and a focus on speed. A2 Hosting shares many GreenGeek’s positives, including speed, support, data centers, and support. However, it also has some downsides. My full A2 Hosting review can be found here. Although A2 Hosting offers Windows hosting with some added benefits, it also has many disadvantages such as upsells or complexity. GreenGeeks is a good choice if you’re in the US or Europe, and need a simple host (or like GreenGeeks mission), then I would recommend them. A2 Hosting is fine if you have a good reason to use it (e.g., Windows hosting or sale pricing).

What is GreenGeeks Hosting exactly?

GreenGeeks, a traditional web host company, offers a variety of hosting services including VPS, Shared, Reseller, and Reseller products. They also offer complimentary products like domain registration, website builder and WordPress hosting. Here’s their pricing chart.

GreenGeeks was established in 2008 by an industry veteran with the promise of eco-friendliness in an ever-dangerous industry.

GreenGeeks is also unique in its focus on simplicity within a complex industry. GreenGeeks is a select group of independent hosting providers that includes:

• InMotion Hosting
• HostPapa
• A2 Hosting
• SiteGround

They are not owned or controlled by Newfold Digital, nor the GoDaddy Group.

A couple of websites I had recently needed their own hosting accounts. GreenGeeks has been a topic of conversation for me so I decided to give them another chance.

Based on my experiences as a customer, here’s my GreenGeeks Hosting Review.

GreenGeeks Pros

GreenGeeks Hosting reviews are plentiful online. Most of them include user-generated reviews that are based on personal experience and anecdotes. This is fine. But I have a different approach. In all my reviews of web hosting providers, I have mentioned that there is no best web hosting provider.

It all comes down to the right fit for your project, based on your goals and budget. These are the benefits (and disadvantages) of GreenGeeks Hosting.

Speed and Performance

Hosting accounts can do many things for your business. However, the main function of a server hosting is to provide your website files when someone requests them. However, the implied adverb is to be able to quickly serve those files.

Speed is more important than ever in an age of multi-device connections and global audiences. There are many factors that affect website speed. However, it is primarily the responsibility of your hosting server to get the files to the browser as fast and efficiently as possible.

GreenGeeks Hosting makes many claims about its speed and performance.

Some of these claims are marketing claims and are true for all hosting providers. We’ll also cover the negatives.

GreenGeeks Hosting is a good host overall.

Time To First Byte is a key factor in site speed. This refers to how fast the server responds to requests. Here’s how GreenGeeks Hosting website performed with a standard install

Their TTFB was better than their big brand competitors Bluehost and GoDaddy, and comparable with other companies that are focused on speed. Here’s an example of my TTFB report based on tests I conducted on my SiteGround site.

It’s a bit quicker, but still within the same range, especially considering the variability that can occur with TTFB testing. GreenGeeks Hosting and any other fast hosting company can help you do more if your server is well-set up. Here’s an example of my TTFB testing with an optimized InMotion Server.

GreenGeeks Hosting is a leader in speed and performance. If this is your top priority, they will be in the running alongside other direct competitors.

Company Structure and Mission

First, I don’t believe a company is “good” or “bad” simply because it has a large customer base. It all comes down to tradeoffs.

A large company has many major benefits. They often have the resources to offer large-scale, comprehensive solutions. They often have lower unit costs which can be passed on to customers. They are often more stable than smaller, upstart businesses.

However, small businesses are more likely to be agile, more close and more responsive to customers, and less likely view them solely through the lense of Net Promoter Score.

Hosting is all about your goals and preferences. There is no one right answer.

GreenGeeks has two advantages.

It’s an advantage that GreenGeeks Hosting, a founder-owned and independent company, is available. This is because it is rare these days. Hosting companies are often brands of Newfold Digital and GoDaddy.

GreenGeeks Hosting is not dependent, they are stable and growing, and use their independence to promote transparency.

GreenGeeks Hosting is the right choice if you’re looking for a company hosting your website, not a brand. You can skip this section and focus on your priorities.

GreenGeeks has incorporated sustainability into their corporate and business mission. Web hosting is an extremely carbon-intensive industry. It contributes to an increase in carbon emissions at a moment when carbon use must drop.

GreenGeeks buys 3x as much electricity from Bonneville Environmental Foundation in the form Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). This is in addition to the conservation measures at data centres.

Carbon accounting is not covered in this review. However, RECs seem to be more credible from a climate perspective than the less reliable “carbon offsets”. If you are interested, here’s the difference. The short version is that GreenGeeks data centers are located in states with very dirty grid power. However, they draw from cleaner direct sources within these states and purchase 300% of equivalent electricity from clean grid sources. They are putting more clean energy into the grid than they are consuming.

GreenGeeks, an indie company, is more eco-friendly than other hosting companies. They don’t just greenwash for the sake of sales.

Product Simplicity and Transparency

GreenGeeks is easy. There are a few plans available. They offer very few upsells, if any. WordPress automatically installs WordPress without any plugins.

GreenGeeks is transparent about the equipment you receive and the reasons you are getting it.

GreenGeeks uses some marketing-speak, which I will cover in the downsides (e.g. WordPress hosting vs. Although they offer web hosting, the majority of their operations are straightforward and simple. It’s refreshing and…nice to be a customer. Big upside for GreenGeeks.

Access to Support & Other Options

Reviewing customer service is difficult, as I have mentioned in other hosting reviews. Like Yelp’s local restaurant, negative and positive reviews are usually worthless.

It is impossible to know when customer issues will arise or when an employee has just encountered an amazing or terrible employee.

GreenGeeks Hosting has been a great experience for me. However, this is a very personal experience. Also, I like to consider “proxies” in customer support. These are things that can be used to determine the culture and processes of customer service.

First – GreenGeeks Hosting offers a variety of channels for customer support.

You will always find a phone number. They offer live chat and a vast knowledge base. They are able to quickly respond to social media requests.

GreenGeeks reps are very hands-on. They log in to your account and try real fixes before escalating the problem. Although some customers might not like this option, it shows that customer support is an investment and not a cost. This is the kind of conclusion I seek – and it’s the one I believe matters long-term rather than a single experience.

GreenGeek’s customer service is an advantage over big hosting companies like GoDaddy Hosting, which may or not prioritize customer support in the same manner as their independent competitors InMotion Hosting/SiteGround. This is another major advantage for GreenGeeks hosting.

Data Centers & Industry Contrasts

GreenGeeks is a global-oriented host that can efficiently deliver websites all over the globe, which is a similar but unrelated point.

Website speed can be affected by many factors, such as TTFB. However, the physical location of your server is crucial. Information requests travel over physical wires to reach a physical server. Distance matters even at lightspeed, especially if you have a website or your visitors need to load many files.

It’s a good idea to keep your files close to you and your audience if you live on the other side of the world.

*Note: If you live in one country but have a large audience, many sites can solve this problem by using a CDN.

Most cutting-edge web hosting companies have been based in the US, at least until recently. If you are in Asia or Europe, you may be limited by slow connections and poor local hosting.

GreenGeeks lets you choose your data center from the three they have in the US, Canada and Europe. GreenGeeks will work for you as long as you’re not in Austral Asia.

• Chicago, USA
• Montreal, CA
• Amsterdam, NL

GreenGeeks’ transparency and regularity is second to none compared with industry peers. This is partly due to the simplicity I mentioned earlier. They are also refreshingly simple. As you can see, they reveal the IP addresses of their data centers. They will tell you what they are allowed and not to do.

They offer a free, up-sell-free WordPress autoinstall.

Their account management is so easy it’s almost boring

It’s not about the simplicity of the design – there can be downsides too – but what it says about the company.

GreenGeeks is a company that seems to sell a quality product. They are proud of this. That’s all. This type of company is great to work with for a product such as web hosting.

Cons of GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks is not without its faults, just like any other web host. GreenGeeks complaints are numerous online. These complaints, like the pros, are all within the context of your goals and priorities. Here are some cons I discovered while using GreenGeeks hosting.

Price Point

Comparing pricing between hosting companies can be frustrating, as I mentioned in my best website hosting article. Because plans come with different caps, it can be difficult to compare apples and oranges.

However, I do try to compare pricing based upon the 3 “D” core hosting features.

• Domains – How many websites can you run from your account?
• Databases – How many software installations you can run
• Disk Space – How many files can you upload to your account

After reviewing the “core” hosting features I consider all possible “bonus” features. You should only consider bonus features if they are relevant to your goals. If you are planning to run Google Ads, a credit there may be worth it, but if not then it is something you should ignore.

GreenGeeks Hosting offers shared Linux hosting at three main tiers: the Lite (at renewal, $10.95/mo), Pro (at renewal, $15.95/mo), and Premium (at renewal, $25.95/mo).

Their plans include heavy discounting and are comparable to those of discount brands and competitors.

They are certainly more expensive than other hosting companies I have looked at, however.

Their promotional pricing is only available for 3-year plans. Their renewal pricing is higher if you are only looking to pay once a year.

Their Lite plan is also very limited. This plan is only suitable for one website and has no other uses.

They may offer some bonuses but they come with strings attached. It may not be worth the price difference between tiers.

To be clear, this is not a bad thing. The metric of price is not very useful. Each customer should consider the total value of their requirements. GreenGeeks Hosting is more expensive than other hosts. I don’t think their features are worth the …. price tag, which leads to the next section.

Product Selection and Feature Set

GreenGeeks keeps its product range simple. Their WordPress Hosting isn’t complex – it’s Shared Hosting with dedicated support reps and security monitoring.

They do not offer managed WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, or shared or VPS hosting.

They don’t offer NGINX (although they do have LiteSpeed), built in staging or their own CDN network. They do not bundle WordPress plugins and brand-name SSLs. They use a standard, off-the-shelf cPanel or Softaculous installer.

Ironically, this lack of product features is just the flip side to their simplicity and simple approach.

Customers who expect everything to be pre-bundled or convenient will find it a disadvantage compared to other products.

Consider your local grocery store. Costco can keep things in stock and keep prices low due to their shockingly small number of SKUs. Costco doesn’t carry 26 hot sauce brands. This would be insane. My local Super Kroger has a slew of national and local brands that I love. Sometimes, they might be out of stock or more costly.

GreenGeeks can be compared to Costco. You can get what you need but don’t expect to have dozens of extras. They don’t offer Bluehost’s easy-to-use cPanel or InMotion custom WordPress plans. However, that’s not GreenGeeks.

Onboarding and Product Setup

GreenGeeks follows a similar approach to simplicity in feature design. They have a simple, plain-speaking process for product setup and onboarding.

They don’t upsell or clutter much, but they are more traditional than other hosting companies. Here are their account setup emails.

It’s solidly good, as you can see. They provide what you require. There is no help. This is great, unless hosting proves too daunting for you and you need help.

Bundles and Bonuses

Their lack of bonuses and bundles is another problem. Hosting companies are striving to be “platforms”. Part of this is the push to bundle products to retain customers.

• WP Engine bundles premium themes
• InMotion bundles JetPack plugins, caching plugins and high-quality JetPack plugins
• Bluehost offers an entire theme/app marketplace
• HostGator offers a drag and drop builder that is second to none

Even among hosting companies that don’t bundle, they offer more bonuses and carved out a special position. SiteGround offers a variety of tools for developers. HostPapa offers a variety of international support options.

GreenGeeks seems to be a sustainability pitch. This is great, and I applaud it. It’s crucial to understand your needs as a customer before making that compromise. While individual action on climate change is important, it is not enough. Society-level actions are still crucial. Even though the Nissan Leaf has less range and more space than a petrol-powered car, I still bought it. I don’t require a lot of space or range for my daily use. GreenGeeks should have the same consideration.

Conclusion

GreenGeeks is one the fastest growing independent hosting companies. They offer great support and a solid product.

GreenGeek’s current plans and pricing are a great choice if you want a hosting company that offers solid support, high performance, and a green mission.

InMotion Hosting is a great choice if you’re looking for hosting that offers all the benefits of GreenGeeks, but at a lower price and with more product bonuses. Check out InMotion’s pricing and plans.

If you still have questions, check out my guide to website setup.