Established in 2012, SmartWeb is a South African web hosting provider that specializes in Linux cPanel shared and reseller hosting. They employ SSDs that deliver up to 20 times faster performance than traditional drives. At the moment, SmartWeb is only available in English.
Features and Ease of Use
SmartWeb is committed to delivering exceptional web hosting services that are easy to use even for beginners. Their cPanel shared hosting packages feature:
- Free website builder
- CloudLinux OS for better security, reliability, and efficiency
- Unlimited MySQL databases
- Unlimited bandwidth
- One-click installer with over 200 apps ready
- Virus and malware scanning
- Free SSL certificates
- Anti-spam filtering
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Unlimited subdomains
Their entry-level shared hosting plan starts you out with 2GB SSD storage and a single hosted domain. This doesn’t come with a free domain registration, however; you’ll have to purchase at least their Standard plan for that. With every level up, you get more storage space and the ability to host more domains.
SmartWeb also has reseller hosting featuring cPanel and WHM white-label packages. Each package includes the option to provide your customers with access to their free website builder, SSL certificates, one-click app installer, and all the other fantastic features offered in their shared hosting. The basic reseller hosting plan allows you to utilize 20 cPanel accounts, and beyond that, there are no limitations on the number of cPanel accounts you can have (only the SSD storage space is capped).
Pricing and Support
SmartWeb’s three shared hosting plans are named Value, Standard and Business. Each of these are reasonably priced and comes with unlimited bandwidth, though they aren’t the cheapest options in the market.
What’s more, SmartWeb has simplified the process of moving from one hosting plan to another; there are no contracts to tie you down, nor are there any extra fees charged to change your plan. You can unlock premium features with a few clicks of your mouse, or downgrade to a cheaper package just as easily.
All three plans are priced in South African Rand. Users have the option to pay by PayPal or credit card. They include a 30-day full money back guarantee, so you can try out their web hosting risk-free.
One notable downside of SmartWeb is the fact that their live chat isn’t available 24/7. Given how popular live chats have become in the web hosting space, this limitation is noteworthy. That said, the company is very active on social media and frequently chats with their customers there. In addition, their ticket support is great: they’re highly responsive and helpful. When I sent them an email, they responded within the hour. They do not appear to have any telephone support.
How much does SmartWeb cost?
SmartWeb offers plans from $2 to $15. The price depends on which type of hosting plan you choose. You can see the updated pricing table (updated weekly) below.
Which SmartWeb plan should I get?
My recommendation is to start with a cheaper plan. You can always upgrade later on. SmartWeb can help you with the migration to a more expensive plan. The increase in visitors many times takes longer than expected and you shouldn’t pay a lot of money until the need arises. Of course, your needs may vary, and you can consult with a hosting expert from SmartWeb.
How good is SmartWeb’s customer support?
SmartWeb is not ranked as one of our top web hosts. But that can also be a result of SmartWeb being a small, under the radar, hosting provider. There are advantages to a small hosting company – as a customer, you are more important to them. You can also check out our comparison of the most popular web hosting services here.
