I’ve tried a few different web hosting providers over the years. I think it was a particularly bad experience using GoDaddy that pushed me toward the VPS offerings, and eventually I settled in with Linode. I’ve been with Linode for several years, but just recently cancelled my service. My domain has wandered between different hosts for a few days now but has finally come to rest at WordPress.
GoDaddy is the absolute worst. They boast a clunky, slow interface that hides common functions in bewildering places. There are a few Internet sites that notoriously do this to you: Cisco, AT&T, BlueCross, etc. They all lead to the same frustration by running you in circles until you finally give up. When I finally ditched the GoDaddy domain, I felt a wave of relief.
My next foray was into Virtual Private Servers, and Linode was one that seemed reasonably priced and offered a wide selection of Linux server images that could be quickly deployed. Over time, the specs for the VPS changed slightly (more disk space, more memory, less processor) and the price slowly increased. Finally, I realized I was paying $20 a month for a service I was mostly not needing. My immediate needs are pretty simple: just want to host a WordPress blog somewhere.
I set out looking for a new web hosting service and the landscape has changed considerably. Everyone seems to offer some form of shared hosting, VPS, or dedicated server. The prices for shared hosting are surprisingly cheap. I tried IX Web Hosting, but was instantly reminded of the horrible experience I had using GoDaddy, and cancelled my account before anything could be billed. I set up Amazon’s S3 service since it provides an introductory free tier. But after a year, I’m not sure exactly how much I might be billed.
So I’m back to WordPress. This time, I’m using a hosted WordPress and pointing back to my domain. It’s easier than managing my own WordPress (which my VPS eventually turned into). I think this will become the permanent home for my blog.
Kiel the Coder 