Introduction
Nexcess is a fully managed hosting provider, offering specialized services tailored for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, and other CMS platforms.
A subsidiary of Liquid Web, Nexcess focuses on delivering performance, scalability, and security, making it a go-to choice for businesses of all sizes—whether you’re a small online store, a large eCommerce enterprise, or a content-rich blog.
In this detailed review, we’ll explore its features, performance, pricing, and more to help you decide if Nexcess is the right hosting solution for your needs.
Key Features of Nexcess Hosting
- Managed Hosting
- Nexcess offers fully managed hosting solutions, which means they handle all the technical aspects of running a website—server maintenance, updates, security patches, backups, and more—allowing you to focus on growing your business.
- Their managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting are optimized for performance and security.
2. Auto-Scaling
- Nexcess provides an auto-scaling feature that automatically adjusts server resources during traffic spikes.
This ensures that your website remains online and performs optimally, even during peak traffic times, without having to pay for resources you don’t always need.
3. Optimized for WordPress and WooCommerce
- Nexcess’ hosting environment is optimized for WordPress and WooCommerce with built-in caching, CDN (Content Delivery Network), image compression, and other performance-enhancing features.
- The platform includes tools like Solid Security ” Formerly iThemes Security Pro”, Astra Pro, and Beaver Builder Lite, making it an excellent option for WooCommerce users who want to ensure fast-loading product pages.
4. Staging Environment
- One of the most appreciated features of Nexcess is its 1-click staging environment.
You can create a clone of your site to test new themes, plugins, or code changes before pushing them to the live site, ensuring minimal risk to your production environment.
5. Daily Backups
- Nexcess performs automatic daily backups of your website, ensuring that your data is always protected. Backups are stored for 30 days, allowing you to restore your site to a previous state if necessary.
6. Security Features
- Nexcess has advanced security features, including automatic updates for plugins, malware monitoring, SSL certificates, and firewall protection.
- They also provide a free Solid Security ” Formerly iThemes Security Pro” plugin for additional layers of protection.
7. 24/7 Expert Support
- Nexcess provides 24/7 customer support through phone, live chat, and email. Their support team is known for being knowledgeable in WordPress, WooCommerce, and Magento, making them a reliable partner for addressing technical issues.
8. Built-in CDN and Caching
- Nexcess includes a built-in CDN, which helps to deliver content faster to users around the world.
Combined with their caching solutions (like Varnish, Memcached, and Redis), Nexcess ensures websites load quickly and efficiently.
9. Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
- APM is a unique feature that helps users track the performance of their website and troubleshoot issues by monitoring database queries, load times, and other key metrics.
Performance
Speed and Uptime
- Nexcess is renowned for its impressive speed and uptime reliability. Powered by top-tier hardware and a global CDN, websites hosted on Nexcess typically enjoy faster loading times, which is crucial for SEO and user experience.
- Uptime is guaranteed at 99.99%, meaning your site will face little to no downtime. This is vital for eCommerce websites, as downtime can result in lost sales.
Server Locations
- Nexcess has data centers in the United States, Europe, and Australia, which helps users from different regions experience fast load times. This is especially beneficial for businesses with a global audience.
Ease of Use
Nexcess has a custom dashboard called Nexcess Client Portal, which is intuitive and user-friendly. Even for beginners, managing websites, creating staging environments, accessing backups, and monitoring performance are straightforward tasks.
One-Click Installations
- Nexcess supports one-click installations for WordPress and other CMS platforms, making it easy to set up your site without any technical expertise.
Site Migration
- Nexcess offers a free migration service to help you move your website from your previous host with minimal hassle.
Their migration tool ensures a smooth transition without any loss of data.
Pricing Plans
Nexcess pricing is competitive, particularly considering the range of managed services they provide.
Below are the main hosting plans available for WordPress and WooCommerce:
- Spark Plan ($21/month)
- 1 Website
- 15 GB Storage
- 2 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL & Daily Backups
- Free Email
- Maker Plan ($87/month)
- 5 Websites
- 40 GB Storage
- 3 TB Bandwidth
- Staging Environment
- Designer Plan ($120/month)
- 10 Websites
- 60 GB Storage
- 4 TB Bandwidth
- Builder Plan ($164/month)
- 25 Websites
- 100 GB Storage
- 5 TB Bandwidth
- Nexcess also offers specialized WooCommerce hosting plans starting at $21/month.
These plans are optimized for eCommerce and include additional features such as cart abandonment technology, built-in performance monitoring, and free premium plugins like Jilt for abandoned cart recovery.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Fully managed hosting for WordPress and WooCommerce
- Excellent performance with auto-scaling and built-in CDN
- Free premium plugins and performance monitoring tools
- Easy staging environment and free website migrations
- Great customer support is available 24/7
- 99.99% uptime guarantee with daily backups
Cons:
- Slightly higher pricing compared to shared hosting providers
- Some features like advanced APM tools are available only in higher-tier plans
- The custom dashboard, while powerful, might take some time for beginners to get used to
Who Should Use Nexcess Hosting?
Nexcess is an excellent choice for:
- eCommerce Store Owners: The WooCommerce hosting is specifically optimized for fast loading, smooth scaling, and enhanced security.
- Content Creators: Bloggers, marketers, and influencers can benefit from Nexcess’ managed WordPress hosting, which takes care of the backend so they can focus on content creation.
- Agencies and Developers: Nexcess supports multiple websites, has robust staging and performance monitoring tools, and is perfect for developers and agencies managing multiple clients.
- Growing Businesses: With auto-scaling features, businesses can handle increased traffic without needing manual upgrades.
Final Thoughts
Nexcess hosting is a premium managed hosting solution that stands out for its focus on performance, security, and scalability. While its pricing might be higher than basic shared hosting, the features, speed, and reliability you get make it an excellent investment for serious website owners, particularly those running WordPress or WooCommerce sites. Whether you’re an eCommerce store, content creator, or business looking to scale, Nexcess delivers a solid hosting experience with the tools you need to succeed online.