In March 2019, SiteGround upgraded its hosting plans to included advanced backup and restore functionality for all of its plans instead of just a few of them. I’d already mentioned in my post on CodeGuard backup solutions, that you mostly didn’t need it with SiteGround. Even the basic hosting plan had automatic daily backups – though you had to pay for restores with StartUp.
But with the latest update, even that limitation is removed. Now SiteGround users definitely don’t need to pay extra for 3rd party backup software even if you’re on the lowest SiteGround hosting tier. Here’s why.
Best SiteGround Discount Code
SiteGround has amazing discounts on all its hosting plans for the first billing cycle. Here’s the highest discount coupon at this time:
Here’s the complete SiteGround discount list, including cloud and dedicated hosting.
SiteGround’s Previous Backup Policy
Before the update, SiteGround’s backup and restore policies were as follows:
| Daily Backup | On-Demand Backup | Restore | |
|---|---|---|---|
| StartUp | Free | $30 | $20 |
| GrowBig | Free | $30 | Free |
| GoGeek | Free | Free | Free |
Here’s a screenshot of SiteGround’s previous backup policy:
As you can see, the StartUp plan used to have the most restrictive policies, to compensate for the low price of hosting. As a result, it might have been a good idea to invest in a separate backup solution to keep your data safe and to be able to restore it whenever you could. But of course, if it going to be infrequent, then you could always just pay the fee.
Either way, it was a toss-up.
SiteGround’s Updated Backup Policy
On the 27th of March 2019, SiteGround changed their policy and essentially offered a free upgrade to their existing hosting plans by making major changes as shown here:
| Daily Backup | On-Demand Backup | Restore | |
|---|---|---|---|
| StartUp | Free | $30 | Free |
| GrowBig | Free | Free | Free |
| GoGeek | Free | Free | Free |
The changes to the plan are highlighted in bold. Basically, the GrowBig plan can now create instant on-demand backups whenever they want, and the StartUp plan can restore their existing backups at any time. StartUp users will still have to pay to create an instant backup, however.
With these changes, even the most basic SiteGround hosting plan can do away with 3rd party backup solutions. Unless you want to take a snapshot of your site, you have 30-days of backups waiting for you to restore at any given time. It’s an amazing value add by SiteGround, and further emphasizes the usefulness of their hosting.
The March update also brought changes to SiteGround’s SuperCacher, and staging functionalities. Now GrowBig users can also use the staging features, which allow them to create instant copies of their site to work on, and then push those changes live if everything works out.
So What did GoGeek Users Get?
GoGeek is SiteGround’s most advanced shared hosting service and doubles up as a starter VPS. The March update brought out several features that were previously only available to GoGeek. So what love did SiteGround show for its most advanced users?
GoGeek plans now have priority support and a direct line to SiteGround’s most advanced tech support. Apart from value, SiteGround also has the most sophisticated customer support of any “standard” shared hosting company. Customer support is the most expensive aspect of any hosting service, and SiteGround invests a considerable amount of time and attention in getting the most technically qualified staff.
So now GoGeek users will be immediately routed to the highest levels of tech support in addition to the cloud and dedicated user base. So there’s something for everyone in the latest March update!
SiteGround often pushes the boundaries of their hosting plans. A few weeks back, they enabled the QUIC protocol on all their shared hosting packages – even before a behemoth like Cloudflare! And that’s what makes them special.
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