Update: This opinion piece is outdated. Since I wrote it, Cloudflare has introduced dynamic caching, and with the WP Cloudflare Super Page Cache plugin, you can achieve amazing performance by caching everything. Here's an updated article on how dynamic CDN caching can compensate for cheap … [Read more...]
5 Web Hosts with Great TTFB and LCP Metrics
Low TTFB times are a good judge of hosting. Towards May 2020, Google updated one of its metrics to judge page speed. This new metric called Largest Contentful Paint or LCP is the time it takes for the page to render the most prominent visible element. According to Google, optimizing LCP is crucial … [Read more...]
Enabling Cloudflare Server Push with .htaccess
In mid-2016, Cloudflare announced that they were adding support for "Server Push". This is a very cool technology that can dramatically reduce the time a browser spends downloading resources. Basically it means that the server can send some files to the browser even before the browser actively … [Read more...]
Hostgator Hatchling vs Baby: A Huge Upgrade
The biggest difference between Hostgator Hatchling and the Baby plan is that you can host unlimited websites on Baby. But there are a few other changes too! The Hatchling plan is the cheapest package available from Hostgator. It's great value for money, especially considering that Hostgator … [Read more...]
Bluehost CodeGuard Not Worth it: Alternatives
The in-built Bluehost backup is pretty pathetic. Even worse than Hostgator's. So obviously you need something to help protect your website when something goes wrong. The Bluehost CodeGuard add-on starts at $2.74/m. But in my opinion, it's just not worth it. Too little disk space, and the basic plan … [Read more...]
The Best Kinsta Alternative is..a VPS!
I like the idea of managed WordPress hosting with Kinsta, and have considered moving to them several times. I wrote a glowing Kinsta review because I believe they really do try their best to make WordPress as painless as possible. However, I've always pulled back at the last minute. When I do the … [Read more...]
UpdraftPlus + Shared Hosting = Boom!
It's understandable if you want to backup your site on shared hosting. After all, many web hosting services like Hostgator have terrible backup policies. However, you must absolutely avoid plugins like UpdraftPlus on any kind of shared hosting platform. These plugins will eat up your server's … [Read more...]
The Best Alternative to Jetpack Backup and CodeGuard
DropMySite is, hands down, the best alternative to Jetpack Backup and CodeGuard. It's cheap and does what it says. I have been looking for an automatic backup solution for my website for some time. I gave up on plugins like UpdraftPlus because they place a huge load on your site, and your pages will … [Read more...]
The Hostgator Backup Service Sucks: Alternatives
Hostgator does a terrible job at backing up your site. Even compared to the generally poor standards of shared hosting, the service is sucks. Most web hosts automatically take at least a daily backup as well as once a week. The Hostgator backup service only takes weekly backups - and that too on a … [Read more...]
Why I No Longer Recommend SiteGround
Update: To prove my point, SiteGround increased its prices again. I now recommend NameHero instead, but this further proves that SiteGround is out of touch with customers. SiteGround was my favorite web host for a long time. I used to call it the "Apple" of the hosting world due to its focus on … [Read more...]