rotten bananas

I’m shopping around for a good hosting company. Rotten Bananas is currently piggybacking on my buddy’s BlueHost account because, well, he has the space, and I’m cheap. But, I have a few ideas for new projects, and I’ll inevitably need some additional hosting, so I figure I should find something sooner rather than later.

I like BlueHost. It has everything I need, including lots of backend tools and auto-installations with Fantastico. I’ve also been looking at AN Hosting. They’re really yelling about support on their site. They offer 10 add-on domains to Bluehost’s 6, not that I would ever hit my limit on either one, but I like to keep my options open. Both offer a free domain for life. Both are $6.95/month.

What will probably cost AN Hosting the sale is that they charge an additional $1.95/month for AWStats, and that’s only if you opt for it at sign-up time. If you add it on later, it costs over $4/month extra. I’ve been spoiled by AWStats with BlueHost. I absolutely love it. We’ve actually had a little trouble with BlueHost’s uptime (or lack there of) over the last few weeks. It was all explained by moving and upgrading servers, and they’re very generous with all the extras they offer, so I’ll most likely stick with who I know.

The main problem that I have with BlueHost is that they require full payment at sign up time. I’m content committing to two years to get the$6.95/month rate, but I want to pay it at $6.95 each month, not $170 lump sum. It’s much easier on the bank account that way.

I imagine I’ll end up with BlueHost, but it’ll take some mental pressure to work up the nerve to drop that much cash. I’m getting pretty antsy because of my potential projects. Hopefully I’ll get this all resolved quickly, so I can start experimenting with my new ideas. I’ll keep you all updated.