FatCow vs. AwardSpace

There are two companies that consistently rank well in today’s web hosting reviews: FatCow and AwardSpace. These two hosts are extremely popular and are often paired off in battles as webmasters try to determine just who has the better service. The comparisons are warranted when considering their experience in the industry, reliable service and super-low prices. Here is another chapter in the ongoing hosting war of FatCow vs AwardSpace.

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Pricing

Both web hosting providers deliver an affordable service but FatCow has the advantage in this regard. While hosting with AwardSpace starts from only $3.99 a month, this particular package is only suited for the needs of personal users. FatCow’s all-in-one hosting solution is as low as $4.83 per month and offers enough for personal and business needs. AwardSpace does have more capable solutions but those packages will cost you significantly more.

Products and Services

As we eluded to, FatCow has a single web hosting plan capable of satisfying customers with varying needs. Though impressive, its offerings fall a little short in comparison to AwardSpace. This host offers many different variations of shared hosting as well as SSL certificates, virtual private servers and reseller hosting. FatCow does however, compliment its popular web hosting plan with add-ons such as domain registration, email, e-commerce and marketing services. As you can see, AwardSpace gives you more variety while FatCow delivers a path to easy service upgrades.

Web Hosting Features

AwardSpace and FatCow match up pretty evenly in the feature department. Both provide easy to use site builders for creating your website, web-based file managers, database support and a slew of e-commerce features. They also give you a number of free software applications with choices such as blogs, image galleries, guest books and forums. While both companies offer many of the most common features in the hosting marketplace, there are some vast differences. One unique quality of AwardSpace is Microsoft’s ASP.NET, a framework most commonly found on Windows-based servers. This is worth noting because the company runs its service on the Linux platform. Unique features offered by FatCow include Google Webmaster tools and incentives such as $75 in free advertising credits.

Customer Service

Customer support is crucial for your hosting account and in our opinion, this is where these two providers differ the most. AwardSpace does a good job at aiding the customer, but fails to deliver 24/7 support like many of the competitors. Your support options are limited to email and support ticket backed by a community forum and knowledge base. FatCow on the other hand, offers support around the clock, filling in the gaps with toll-free phone support and live chat online.

Recommendations

You really can’t go wrong when choosing FatCow or AwardSpace. However, because of their advantages and disadvantages, if support is your primary concern, FatCow is the clear winner.

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