JustHost Hosting Reviews

What is JustHost?

JustHost is a web hosting provider that offers Linux-based shared hosting services. JustHost was founded in 2002 in Glendale, California, and was acquired by Endurance International Group in 2012.

How Good is JustHost Hosting?

JustHost offers relatively standard shared hosting packages for a fairly competitive price. There isn’t much that distinguishes them from other EIG-acquired companies, rather, they demonstrate many of the tell-tale signs of this acquisition. While you may be tempted by attractive introductory pricing and sign-up features, the actual service delivered is mediocre at best. JustHost lags considerably behind its competitors in speed, uptime, and customer service.

Just Host Hosting Review: Worth a Shot?

Just Host – maybe you have a friend using them and so you thought they were worth a try.

Or you've been hosting with them since they started in 2002 and you're wondering if they're still any good.

If you look around the web, the reviews of Just Host aren't too pleasant.

We'll give you our opinion and let you make up your mind.

Just Host’s shared hosting packages appear to make a strong case for your business: competitively priced, a clear and affordable path to scale up, plenty of storage space, and several other goodies to boot.

The quality of service delivered, however, is all-around lackluster. With slow page loading speeds, below-average uptime, and frustrating customer service practices, we recommend passing on Just Host. For around the same price, you can get similar packages with better service with SiteGround or Bluehost (another EIG brand).

Best Features of Just Host Hosting

To be sure, Just Host offers some attractive features that make them worth your consideration. Here are some reasons why they may have caught your eye.

Justhost Web Hosting Pricing Table

Hosting PlanBasicPlusChoice Plus
Starting Price$11.99/mo$14.99/mo$17.99/mo
Sale Price$3.95/mo$6.95/mo$6.95/mo
No. of Websites1UnlimitedUnlimited
Website Space10 GB20 GB40 GB
BandwidthUnmeteredUnmeteredUnmetered
PerformanceStandardStandardStandard
SSL CertificateFreeFreeFree
Included Domains111
Free CDNIncludedIncludedIncluded
Privacy Protection1 Domain Privacy + Protection1 Domain Privacy + Protection1 Domain Privacy + Protection

Justhost Dedicated Hosting Pricing Table

Hosting PlanStandardEnhancedPremium
Starting Price$109.99/mo$159.99/mo$209.99/mo
Sale Price$79.99/mo$99.99/mo$119.99/mo
Processor4 cores, 8 threads Intel© Xeon Processor4 cores, 8 threads Intel© Xeon Processor4 cores, 8 threads Intel© Xeon Processor
Cache 3 MB8 MB8 MB
RAM4 GB8 GB16 GB
RAID Storage500 GB (RAID 1)1000 GB (RAID 1)1000 GB (RAID 1)
Storage5 TB/mo10 TB/mo15 TB/mo
Domain NameFreeFreeFree
IP Address3 IPs4 IPs5 IPs
Operating SystemCentOS 6.5 (64-bit)CentOS 6.5 (64-bit)CentOS 6.5 (64-bit)

Justhost VPS Hosting Pricing Table

Hosting PlanStandardEnhancedPremiumUltimate
Starting Price$29.99/mo$59.99/mo$89.99/mo$119.99/mo
Sale Price$19.99/mo$29.99/mo$44.99/mo$59.99/mo
CoreDual CoreDual CoreDual CoreDual Core
RAM2 GB4 GB6 GB8 GB
Storage30 GB60 GB90 GB120 GB
Storage #21 TB/mo2 TB/mo2 TB/mo3 TB/mo
DomainFreeFreeFreeFree
IP Address1 IP2 IPs2 IPs2 IPs
Operating SystemCentOS 6.5 (64-bit)CentOS 6.5 (64-bit)CentOS 6.5 (64-bit)CentOS 6.5 (64-bit)

1) Competitive Packages in Terms of Space

With their most basic plan, Just Host offers 100MB of storage, 100 email addresses, backups, a free domain name, and unlimited monthly data transfers. This is a fairly competitive package for the base price of $3.50/month. There is also a clear path to scale up with Just Hosting, as unlimited domains can be hosted with them for just an extra $1.50/month. It’s easy to see how someone might be interested in Just Host based on the price point per space offered.

2) Instant Sign Up

An immediate dealbreaker for many customers, international ones especially, is a prohibitively lengthy signup process. Some hosts require that your identification is verified, and many require that you call them during business hours to complete your verification. For anyone living outside of the States, or even just in a different time zone, navigating call center hours is just one more hassle that we all feel the industry should have grown out of by now. To Just Host’s credit, they provision your server instantly. Their sign-up process is easy and your site will be ready to go live immediately after signing up.

3) Free Domain Name

We like a free domain name just as much as anyone. And sure if you're only hosting with them for a year, it saves you $10.

But it's not something that will seal the deal, just something nice to have

4) 30-Day Money Back Guarantee

We like this, and it's a sign of a great host. If they're willing to give you a full refund within 30 days, they're worth your time. They're willing to spend time and money to make you happy, so this is a definite plus that a shoddy host wouldn't do

5) Backed by a Large Company

This is both a pro and a con. They were bought by EIG back in 2012, which is good for security reasons. You know that they're not going to let everything melt to the ground and sell your credit card to hackers. At the very worst, they'll make you move to Bluehost. The downside is that they are a big corporation. You may get slow wait times, subpar support, and general boring features of a big company.

6) App Integration and Freebies

If there is anything to be said in favor of choosing a corporately owned web host, it is that there are definite perks to be had in the form of ease of integration with other corporations, like Google. Just Host works seamlessly with all of the standard Google add-ons, as well as 100 other open-source platforms. Just Host will also throw in Google and Bing advertising credits, which is a nice bonus for a new website looking to experiment with AdWords and SEO.

 

Downsides of Just Host Hosting

While there are certainly some things that Just Host does a nice job at, our position is that there are far to many places where they fall short. If speed, uptime, and customer service are important to you, and they are to most people, then you should give Just Host a hard pass. Here is more about those shortcomings, as well as some other issues we take with their services:

1) Below Industry Average in Uptime

Just Host’s uptime average for 2015-2016 came out to 99.89%. To a layman, that can seem like a pretty good average. But if you do the math, it translates to nearly 100 hours of downtime per year. Furthermore, this is a significant way behind the industry average of 99.96% uptime. If your website is monetized, every hour of downtime costs you money – this is something that should be carefully considered before choosing Just Host as your web hosting provider.

2) Below Industry Average in Speed

Page load times are incredibly important to both your search engine rankings and your overall user experience. Not only are users prone to bounce from your site if it takes too long to load, but Google will also push your site further down in the search results if they feel your site is too slow. This is why it is no small detractor that Just Host’s average page load times are between 30-40% slower than the industry average. With page load speeds of around 950ms, they are considerably behind other similarly priced hosts. A2 Hosting, the fastest host we’ve reviewed to date, loads pages in 210ms. Another EIG-owned company with a similar cost, A Small Orange, loads pages at around 520ms.

3) Slow Customer Support with Upsells to Boot

A quick perusal of customer reviews of Just Host’s customer service speaks volumes. As is frequently the case with EIG companies, customer service-related complaints begin to spike just immediately after acquisition. Just Host is no exception in this regard. You can expect to wait 10-20 minutes to get connected to customer service, either via the phone or instant chat. Once you do, their reps can’t quite seem to meet you where you are at; you will frequently be given links to their FAQs pages, or recommendations for basic troubleshooting that you’ve already tried. Furthermore, you’ll encounter upsells at every turn. While upsells are not the worst thing a company can do to its customers, this practice is terribly frustrating when you are just trying to get a problem fixed.

4) Server Backups are Not Guaranteed

Just Host lists weekly server backups as one of the services they offer, something that many of their competitors do as well, if not more frequently. However, read the fine print and you’ll see that these backups aren’t guaranteed. Not terribly reassuring, right? Obviously, the security of your data isn’t to be trusted entirely with Just Host, so if you should choose them as your service provider, make sure that you are performing manual backups.

5) No VPS

Many hosting providers offer a VPS option as an upgrade from a shared hosting plan. Short for Virtual Private Server, it means that you are renting a dedicated section of space from a server. Just Host does not have this option. Furthermore, Just Host does not offer cloud hosting options. While their shared hosting plans scale in a predictable and useful way, Just Host is not the company to choose if you plan to scale your business using VPS.

6) No Catchall Email

One of the key features that Just Host is lacking is a catchall email feature. Even though Just Host offers an unlimited amount of domains, this catchall email can make it so that you miss out on some important emails.

Bottom Line:

That $3.45/month price that attracted you to Just Host in the first place comes with a big catch: you only get that price if you’re willing to purchase their services for 3 years. Especially considering their money-back guarantee is only available for the first 30 days of service, that is a very large chunk of money you are being asked to shell out upfront. While many would be happy to pay upfront for the right service, all things considered, Just Host doesn’t make the most compelling case for why you should strap yourself down to them for such a long period of time. If you are going to choose a corporately owned host, we'd recommend GoDaddy or HostGator instead, where the business models are more mature.

JustHost Questions and Answers

With so many web hosting options available, how do you know which service is the right one for your business website or site?  We know it can be a difficult decision, so that’s why we do most of the research for you.  Have you been considering using JustHost for your web hosting needs?  If so, you’re in the right place.  In this article, we’ll start out with an extensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section that contains information on the most common concerns people have.  Then, we’ll cover why choosing JustHost may be a good choice for you.  Let’s get started:

Does JustHost offer Linux or Windows hosting?

Their web hosting services are Linux only and do not include Windows hosting.

Will JustHost try to raise my monthly price when it comes time to renew my contract?

When you sign your first terms of service, you will receive a discount.  After that, each time you renew you will be billed at the regular price for your service plan.

Do the JustHost plans include a free domain?

Yes, all of JustHost’s plans include a single free domain name registration.  If you have a shared plan, it’s only free for one year.

If I have any downtime, will JustHost provide me with a refund?

No.  JustHost web services have no uptime guarantees, so you won’t get anything back for downtime.

Does JustHost have a money-back guarantee?

Yes, if you choose to cancel your service within 30 days you can get a full refund of the cost of your plan.  After the 30-day period, refunds are prorated for the portion of monthly service that was unused.  You may be charged for your domain names if you cancel your contract.

Does JustHost offer Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting plans?

Yes, they absolutely do.  They offer four different choices of VPS hosting so you can pick the one you need.

Does JustHost customer support have a phone number where I can reach them?

Yes, their customer support is available to you via live chat and phone 24/7.

What programming languages does JustHost support?

JustHost supports all languages that run on Linux servers, including PHP, Python, Perl, and Ruby on Rails.

Are there any reseller options if I choose JustHost?

No, they don’t offer any reseller plans.

Will JustHost help me to transfer my existing website to its servers?

No, they won’t.  JustHost doesn’t offer any kind of website transfer services.

Am I able to have more than one website on my account at once?

Of course, every JustHost plan includes unlimited domain names, so you can have as many websites as you want.

Is there a control panel software included with the JustHost plan?

Yes, you get cPanel software with every hosting plan.

What payment methods does JustHost accept to make my monthly or yearly payments?

They accept checks, money orders, Discover, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal for any regular payments for service.

Can I set up my web hosting account to make monthly payments?

Yes, you can pay for your web hosting services in any billing cycle you choose: weekly, monthly, or yearly.  Just remember that if you choose to cancel, your refund is prorated for the remaining term of your billing cycle.

Does JustHost offer any kind of backup services?

No.  While they may choose to back up your sites at their own discretion, they do not guarantee any kind of backup service.  You are responsible for your own off-site backups.

Do students, schools, or nonprofits get a discount for using JustHost services?

Students at participating universities may be eligible for discounted rates for using JustHost for their web hosting services.

Which JustHost plan is the best one for streaming video?

All of the JustHost plans are equally good at streaming high-quality audio and video.

Where is the JustHost web hosting service located?

JustHost has a data center located in Chicago, Illinois with over 2,000 servers and four technicians on-site at all times.

Does JustHost have a blog and are they on Twitter?

They do have a blog, but the last entry was a long time ago.  The last Twitter entry was even farther back than the blog post, so they aren’t active on either one of them.

Can I use WordPress on JustHost’s service?

Of course, you can.  WordPress is fully supported using this web hosting service.

Why You Should Choose JustHost
  • When you sign up for JustHost services, you get one free domain name registration. Or, if you choose you can transfer a domain name instead.
  • You can host as many domains as you wish from your server. When you sign up for JustHost, you get the benefit of being able to manage all of your websites from one control panel.  Have as many or as few websites as you need, because there is no limit.
  • You get great uptime. While uptime isn’t guaranteed at JustHost, they are in business to provide you with a reliable and secure hosting platform.  Their servers all feature quad processor technology and power backup is supplied by generators.  The data center is monitored at all times, so any issues can be addressed almost immediately.
  • Customer support that’s always available. With this web hosting service, you can expect to resolve any issues quickly and easily since they always have technicians available.  You can contact them via three easy methods: email, chat, and phone.  All three channels can be used 24/7 for your convenience.
  • It’s affordable and it’s unlimited. Since uptime isn’t guaranteed at JustHost, they can offer you better pricing than some of the more well-known web hosting services.  What they are giving you here is a value-priced service with unlimited everything.  Unlimited domain hosting, unlimited email accounts, unlimited website transfers, and unlimited storage space.  You get more and you pay less, but you could experience downtime.
  • You can integrate with the control panel. You get cPanel software with your JustHost contract, which allows you to set up your websites the way you want and promote them much more effectively.  You can utilize advertising tools, install applications, and even use template designs to make you a much better website manager.
  • It’s simple. Unlike other web hosting companies, JustHost tries to keep everything as simple as possible so there’s no confusion.  From signing up to using the control panel software, everything is set up to keep things easy.  Their entire process is designed to make your life easier, not more complicated.
  • You get cPanel. This control panel interface software is an award winner for a reason.  It’s very user-friendly so you can manage every aspect of your hosting account, allowing you to set up emails, and domain names, use database information, and access statistics for all of your websites.  cPanel turns you into the host, not the customer.
  • Free scripts. When you sign up for JustHost, you get an entire script library, and it’s completely free.  Using SimpleScripts, you can install any of the leading scripts, including Joomla, osCommerce, phpBB, and the popular WordPress.  This is a good tool and of great value.
  • They have a money-back guarantee. If you decide to try JustHost, there’s really very little risk involved.  Every one of their hosting plans includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, so as long as you cancel before the first 30 days have elapsed, you get your full purchase price refunded.  If you cancel your account after 30 days, you get a refund that’s prorated based on how much time you have remaining on your contract.  All refunds exclude any registration and setup fees paid, but you get to keep any domain names you may have registered while using JustHost.  There’s very little risk to trying JustHost services, but many great rewards.
Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a low-cost option for a web hosting service, you should definitely take a good look at JustHost.  This web hosting company has some pretty basic services, but they meet the needs of most average users.

Customer support is pretty good, but the unavailability of Windows hosting is a problem.

Everything is basic here, so advanced users need to keep shopping, and any business customers would want to avoid this service since they don’t guarantee uptime.  While reading customer reviews online, we noticed that they were almost all extremely negative, noting serious issues, major downtime, and problems reaching customer service.

This many bad review indicates some serious problems, so our advice is to be careful if you choose this service.  For average users who want a cheap contract and are shopping on price, JustHost may be the perfect web hosting service for you.  For business and e-commerce websites, this is a definite no.

JustHost Reviews
2.7 / 5 Reviewer
{{ reviewsOverall }} / 5 Users (1 vote)
Pros
  1. Quick Set Up
  2. Clear Path to Scale with Shared Hosting
  3. Competitive Space Offerings
  4. Free Domain
Cons
  1. No VPS
  2. No Catchall Email
  3. Back Ups Not Guaranteed
  4. Customer Service is Lackluster
  5. Below Average Speed and Uptime
Support2
Speed2
Features3
Value4
Transparency2.5
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