FatCow vs Just Host

February 27th, 2009 · 12 Comments

Just Host vs FatCowIn the ever changing world of Web Hosting, there are always some providers who will stand out from the others from time to time.

Two of these web hosts are FatCow and Just Host. Within a few months, both companies have managed to rise to the top of web hosting fame (if there is such a thing!).

It can be quite difficult to choose between these two very good web hosts so let’s see what makes them different.

Features and Benefits

As far as features goes, JustHost and FatCow are quite similar. Both web hosts are hosting on Linux web servers and offer some the most common features such as :

  • 1 Free Domain Name
  • Unlimited Hosting and Transfer
  • Unlimited Mailboxes
  • PHP 4 & 5, Perl, CGI and SSI Support
  • FTP Access
  • Cron Jobs
  • Automated Script Installers

But if you’re going to have a website running on Ruby on Rails, you’ll have to go with Just Host as FatCow doesn’t offer support for this programming language.

Aside from technical features, both web hosts will give you some nice PPC vouchers but FatCow will give you more Google AdWords credits than Just Host ($25).

Control Panel

Here lies the biggest difference between both web hosts. Just Host makes use of cPanel, which is probably the most popular control panel of them all. Its got a great interface that’s very easy to use and it has plenty of features. Just Host also offers you Fantastico Deluxe, a nice script installer that will automate the installation of popular web applications such as Wordpress, phpBB, Drupal and osCommerce among others.

On the other hand, Fat Cow offers you Plesk, another very good control panel. It’s just as easy to use as cPanel but it offers a little less features. FatCow also provides you with InstallCentral which basically does the same thing as Fantastico Deluxe although it offers less applications.

Click to enlarge screenshots

FatCow Control Panel Just Host Control Panel
FatCow Control Panel Just Host Control Panel

Pricing

We’re definitely talking cheap web hosting here. Just Host hosting plan is available for $6.95 (click here to get a 20% Coupon for Just Host and pay $4.95 per month instead) and you get to choose between a 6-months, 12-months, 24-months and 36-months terms.

On the other hand, FatCow’s hosting plan sells for $88 a year ($7.33 per month) but if you can use this FatCow Coupon to get a $10 rebate instantly.

Verdict : Just Host is The Best Option

Over the course of my experience with these two great web hosts, I found FatCow’s control panel to be a little bit slow at times although this didn’t seem to affect my website. I also prefer using cPanel over Plesk. Less experienced users will also benefit more from Just Host’s Fantastico Deluxe than from InstallCentral.

That said, I give a little advantage to Just Host and since they’re also cheaper I’d recommend them over FatCow.

Links

12 responses so far ↓

1. Response by : zeddy on Mar 9, 2009 at 7:16 pm

thanks for the comparison – i’m looking to change my web host. it’s a nightmare!
through my hunt for a good & affordable web host, i came across Just Host. and it definitely caught my eye.. your review has made me more inclined to use their service!

2. Response by : Fishback on Jun 28, 2009 at 1:24 am

Fatcow does not support cron jobs. I just signed up and promptly cancelled my account after tech support at Fatcow confirmed they do not support cron.

3. Response by : Stephane Brault on Jun 29, 2009 at 8:04 am

Hi Fishback,

You are right, I never noticed FatCow doesn’t support cron jobs. While it may not be needed for most basic websites, it still sucks.

This is why I always stick with cPanel hosting, everything’s there and its a business standard.

Thanks for your comment!

4. Response by : Julie Lake on Aug 18, 2009 at 4:06 am

Very useful post – finding a good web host is proving a nightmare and I’d just about narrowed it down to these two. Wish I knew what a “cron” was, though! I’ve also heard good things about BlueVoda (VodaHost); does anyone have any comment on this host?

5. Response by : The Web Hosting Hero on Aug 19, 2009 at 8:50 am

@Julie : the CRON allows you to schedule tasks to be executed automatically by the server. It can be maintenance tasks for example.

I know about VodaHost but never used them so I can’t tell.

6. Response by : Sapphiro on Oct 20, 2009 at 11:16 am

Same problem. I did a lot of research last week and finally came to shortlist these 2 hosts. Finally decided to go for FatCow because of its more attractive web design, but turns out that they don’t provide Cron Job. :(

7. Response by : Julie Lake on Oct 24, 2009 at 12:39 am

My previous post appears to have been tampered with! I certainly did NOT endorse JustHost which continues to give us so much trouble that we’re considering changing. Am looking at FatCow but also favour Blue Voda. JustHost customer support is just about non-existent and rarely addresses the problem. If you’re running a serious business avoid JustHost!

8. Response by : The Web Hosting Hero on Oct 24, 2009 at 7:33 am

Hi Julie,

Your previous post wasn’t modified except for the link to VodaHost which was made active for users to click on.

Let me know what kind of issue you had with Just Host. I’ll see what I can do. Give me as much details as possible.

If you don’t feel comfortable posting it here, you can send me an email at info@thewebhostinghero.com

Best regards,

Stephane

9. Response by : The Web Hosting Hero on Oct 24, 2009 at 7:40 am

By the way, I just want to say that if you’re running a business, then get a “Business Hosting” plan. I mean, how much do you expect a business to work for you for $2.95 per month?

InMotion Hosting provides great business hosting. If you’re serious about your business, pay for a hosting package that’s meant for businesses.

10. Response by : Julie Lake on Oct 25, 2009 at 2:03 am

Yes, well that’s a fair comment I suppose. But JustHost (which costs us more than $2.95 a month by the way!) DOES promise to deliver for very modest start-up businesses like ours and offers a more expensive business plan also. Which we’d consider upgrading to if our experience with the basic model was more positive. But perhaps you’re right and we should switch to InMotion or similar….

11. Response by : The Web Hosting Hero on Oct 25, 2009 at 8:20 pm

Just Host does cost $2.95 per month if you use a coupon code and sign up for 36 months.

That said, I’d strongly recommend you get a business web host. I personnally never even hosted any of my critical websites on a shared web host. I always used a managed VPS from FutureHosting.com

This way, I’ve always got someone monitoring my servers and support is based in the U.S.

But if you don’t want to spend as much, go for InMotion Hosting. I’ve sent a couple of friends who work online there and they’re very satisfied so far.

Web.com is also very good but a bit expensive.

12. Response by : The Web Hosting Hero on Nov 4, 2009 at 12:52 pm

@Julie : After verification, it seems that Just Host’s support is based in the UK.

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