A2 Hosting no longer exists under that name: World Host Group bought A2 Hosting in January 2025 and rebranded it as hosting.com a few months later. In 2026, hosting.com’s managed web hosting starts at $1.99/mo on an introductory term, with three plans (Starter, Pro and Max), LiteSpeed servers, daily off-server backups and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It suits small businesses and developers who want fast shared hosting with room to grow, as long as they budget for much higher renewal prices.
Updated October 2026.
This A2 Hosting review explains what changed with the move to hosting.com, what the current plans include and how the pricing works. Existing A2 customers can also use it to decide whether to stay. You can visit A2 Hosting (now hosting.com) to see today’s offers.
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A2 Hosting (hosting.com) at a glance: key facts
| Item | hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting), October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Starting price | From $1.99/mo on an introductory term (Starter) |
| Top shared plan intro price | Up to $7.79/mo (Max) |
| Renewal price | Not shown on the plan page; third-party trackers reported about $11.99 to $27.99/mo in mid-2026 |
| Best for | Small businesses, WordPress sites and developers who want LiteSpeed speed |
| Free domain? | Yes, free domain registration with Starter and above (first term) |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
| Uptime promise | 99.9% |
| Rating | 3.9/5 (our assessment) |
What happened to A2 Hosting?
A2 Hosting was an independent host based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, known for its “Turbo” LiteSpeed servers and developer-friendly shared hosting. In January 2025, UK-based World Host Group acquired A2 Hosting, and in late April 2025 the A2 brand was retired and replaced by hosting.com, World Host Group’s flagship brand.
For customers, the change was mostly a rename and a migration onto hosting.com’s systems. The old a2hosting.com address now redirects to hosting.com, and support, billing and plan management happen in the hosting.com account area. World Host Group says its brands serve more than 700,000 customers and power over three million websites.
The practical takeaway: when you search for an A2 Hosting review in 2026, you are really evaluating hosting.com. Plan names, prices and limits have changed from the old Startup, Drive, Turbo Boost and Turbo Max lineup.
What are the pros and cons of A2 Hosting (hosting.com)?
Here is how hosting.com’s current offer stacks up, based on its published plans and policies.
Pros:
- LiteSpeed web servers on every shared plan for faster caching
- Daily off-server backups with restore points from the last 30 days
- Free domain registration, free SSL and malware detection and removal
- Free managed migration from another host
- Clear upgrade path to WordPress, VPS, dedicated and reseller hosting
- 30-day money-back guarantee and a 99.9% uptime promise
Cons:
- Renewal prices are much higher than the introductory rates
- Renewal prices are not displayed on the main plan page
- Old A2 plan names and some legacy features were changed during the rebrand
- Staging and Node.js support start on the Pro plan, not Starter
- Brand change created some confusion for long-time A2 customers during the 2025 migration
Who is A2 Hosting (hosting.com) best for?
Hosting.com is best for small businesses, agencies and developers who want shared hosting on fast LiteSpeed infrastructure with a straightforward path to larger servers. The Pro plan’s staging sites, preview URLs and Node.js support make it a better developer pick than most entry-level shared hosting.
It is also a sensible choice if you were already an A2 Hosting customer and your site runs well: your account moved to hosting.com, so staying avoids a migration. Just review your renewal invoice, because promotional pricing from your original A2 signup will not carry on forever.
Hosting.com is less compelling for hobby sites that only care about the lowest long-term price. If that is you, compare renewal prices in our guide to the best cheap web hosting providers.
How much does A2 Hosting (hosting.com) cost in 2026?
Hosting.com lists three web hosting plans. Its own product data shows introductory prices from $1.99/mo to $7.79/mo for the three plans, with the lowest rate tied to the longest prepaid term. Monthly billing costs more than the advertised rate.
| Plan | Websites | NVMe storage | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5 | 15 GB | Free domain, SSL, daily backups, malware removal, free migration |
| Pro | 10 | 50 GB | More CPU and RAM, staging sites, preview URLs, Node.js |
| Max | 50 | 100 GB | Highest CPU and RAM, 40 mailboxes, SLA, premium SSL, priority support |
Renewal pricing is the catch. Hosting.com does not print renewal rates next to the plan cards, and third-party pricing trackers reported regular rates of roughly $11.99/mo for the entry plan and up to $27.99/mo for the top shared plan in mid-2026. Check the renewal price in the cart before you pay, and consider a longer first term if you want to lock in the intro rate.
The free domain is included for the first term only, after which it renews at the normal registration price.
What hosting types does hosting.com offer?
Hosting.com carried over A2 Hosting’s wide product range and added newer platforms. Its current lineup includes:
- Web hosting (shared): Starter, Pro and Max plans with LiteSpeed and cPanel-style management.
- WordPress and WooCommerce hosting: WordPress-tuned plans, including an option bundled with WP Rocket.
- Node.js and AI application hosting: platforms for JavaScript apps and AI-driven projects.
- Reseller hosting: cPanel reseller plans for agencies and freelancers.
- VPS and VDS hosting: managed and unmanaged Linux VPS, plus virtual dedicated servers.
- Dedicated servers: for high-traffic or compliance-heavy workloads.
- Domains and email hosting: domain registration, transfers and standalone email.
This range is one of the strongest arguments for hosting.com: you can start on Starter and move up to VPS or dedicated hosting without changing companies.
What features stand out on hosting.com?
The headline features on every web hosting plan are LiteSpeed caching, NVMe storage and daily off-server backups you can restore to any point in the last 30 days. Free managed migration means hosting.com’s team moves your existing site for you, which matters if you are leaving another host.
Hosting.com also leans into AI tooling. Its plans include an AI website builder for WordPress, and the company advertises developer features such as an OpenAPI interface and an MCP server for connecting AI assistants to your hosting account. Pro and Max add staging sites and preview URLs, which let you test changes before they go live.
Email is included on all web hosting plans, with webmail access, and the Max plan specifies 40 mailboxes.
How fast and reliable is hosting.com?
Hosting.com promises 99.9% uptime and highlights LiteSpeed web servers as standard on every web hosting plan. LiteSpeed’s built-in caching generally helps WordPress and PHP sites serve pages faster than a basic Apache setup, which was also the idea behind A2 Hosting’s old Turbo plans.
Hosting.com does not publish independent speed benchmarks for its new plans, and we did not run our own tests, so we cannot quote load-time figures. Real-world performance will depend on your plan’s CPU and RAM allocation, your theme and plugins, and whether you use the caching tools provided.
The Max plan is the only shared tier that lists a service level agreement, so businesses that need a formal uptime commitment with credits should look there or at VPS hosting.
How secure is hosting.com?
Every hosting.com web hosting plan includes free SSL, malware detection and removal, email protection and daily off-server backups. Max upgrades the free certificate to a premium SSL certificate.
Backups stored away from the main server are a meaningful protection: if a server fails or a site is compromised, you can roll back to a clean copy from the last 30 days. Even so, keep your own off-site backup for business-critical sites, and use strong passwords and two-factor authentication on your hosting and WordPress accounts.
What is hosting.com customer support like?
Hosting.com advertises 24/7 in-house support, continuing A2 Hosting’s round-the-clock support model, with live chat and tickets plus a knowledge base. Max plan customers get priority support.
During the 2025 migration from A2 Hosting, some account data such as historical invoices took time to move across, according to coverage of the rebrand. If you are a long-time A2 customer and cannot find something in the new dashboard, contacting support is the fastest route.
How we evaluated A2 Hosting (hosting.com)
This review is based on hosting.com’s published plan pages and product data, announcements and press coverage of the A2 Hosting rebrand, and third-party pricing trackers for renewal costs, all as of October 2026. We did not run speed or uptime tests and do not quote benchmark numbers. Our rating weighs features per plan, transparency of renewal pricing, upgrade options, support and security.
If you are comparing hosts, see our best web hosting roundup and the best shared hosting providers.
FAQs
Is A2 Hosting still in business?
A2 Hosting still operates, but under a new name. World Host Group acquired A2 Hosting in January 2025 and rebranded it as hosting.com in spring 2025. Existing A2 accounts were moved to hosting.com, and a2hosting.com redirects there. Plans, prices and support now run through hosting.com.
Who owns A2 Hosting now?
A2 Hosting is owned by World Host Group, a UK-based hosting company that has made more than 30 acquisitions. World Host Group bought A2 Hosting in January 2025 and moved it onto its flagship hosting.com brand. The group says its brands serve over 700,000 customers and more than three million websites.
How much does hosting.com cost?
Hosting.com’s web hosting starts at $1.99 per month on an introductory term for the Starter plan, with the three shared plans ranging up to $7.79 per month introductory. Renewal prices are much higher; third-party trackers reported about $11.99 to $27.99 per month in mid-2026. Always confirm the renewal price in the checkout before buying.
Does hosting.com include a free domain?
Yes. Hosting.com’s Starter, Pro and Max web hosting plans include free domain registration for the first term. After that, the domain renews at hosting.com’s normal registration price for that extension. You can also transfer an existing domain or point a domain registered elsewhere to your hosting.com account.
Does hosting.com have a money-back guarantee?
Yes. Hosting.com offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on its web hosting plans, continuing the policy A2 Hosting used. Domain registration fees are usually excluded from refunds because domains cannot be returned once registered. Check the current terms of service for exclusions on VPS, dedicated servers and add-ons.
Is hosting.com good for WordPress?
Hosting.com is a good fit for WordPress because every web hosting plan runs on LiteSpeed with built-in caching, NVMe storage and daily backups. It also sells dedicated WordPress and WooCommerce hosting, including an option bundled with WP Rocket. Pro and Max add staging sites, which help you test updates safely.
Should A2 Hosting customers switch hosts after the rebrand?
Not automatically. If your site runs well and the renewal price is acceptable, staying with hosting.com avoids a migration. If your renewal invoice jumped or you need features your plan lacks, compare options at least a few weeks before your term ends, so you have time to migrate without downtime or a rushed decision.
Is A2 Hosting (hosting.com) worth it in 2026?
Hosting.com keeps what made A2 Hosting popular, fast LiteSpeed servers and a broad range of plans, and adds modern extras such as daily off-server backups and AI tooling. The main drawback is cost after the first term, so it makes most sense for sites that will use its performance and upgrade path.
Before you sign up, check your domain and social usernames with the namechk availability checker, or brainstorm options with the domain name generator. Then see current A2 Hosting (hosting.com) plans and compare the renewal price at checkout.
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