This test was carried out in order to analyze in depth the different French web hosting providers, with the aim of better understanding the differences which separate them from international providers.
You may have noticed that many web host comparison studies have already been carried out. Most of them are made from elements provided by hosts, from their own sites. So why consult ours?
We have been more methodical! To distinguish ourselves, we decided to deepen the research and provide you with concrete examples. Instead of just reviewing the info provided on their sites, we decided to create our own sites and make up our own minds on the matter.
Each host was evaluated based on 5 criteria : features, level of performance, ease of use, price and customer service. During the tests, we communicated a lot with the customer service, in order to be sure of the quality offered and their level of competence.
Finally, we compared the best French websites to the biggest foreign competitors! We wanted to know how the hosts of websites made in France compete against their foreign competitors.
How the test was carried out
In order to better understand the differences between web host sites and provide a viable test, we decided to be their customers. The different stages of our test are described below. The purpose of our test is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each host.
The first step was to create a domain on each platform, and to subscribe to a web hosting subscription . Our site is made up of large images in WordPress. These elements are decisive because the larger the images, the longer the loading time. If the servers are efficient, they should be able to provide a decent load time.
The second step, testing customer service. The goal is to measure the response time but also the level of service and the quality of response of each company. Each customer service has been tested repeatedly.
The third step was to gain access to their control panels . This allowed us to look in detail at the functioning of each of them and to draw our own conclusions. We have also implemented the WordPress CMS via the services offered by each platform. The test consisted of measuring the performance of different web hosts and their ease of use.
Step 4 was to perform several performance tests : the availability of the site on each server, the loading time on mobile and PC. For this, we used external tools such as Gtmetrix and Uptime Robot.
What are the best web hosts available in France?
To find the companies to test, we first determined which were the main web hosting companies in France. For this, we did extensive research by consulting Google, blogs and forums talking about the subject.
Our first step was simply to use Google, researching specific keywords such as “web host”, and taking paid ads into account.
Our second approach was to scan blogs and forums on the subject and select the names that come up most often. The comments were particularly interesting and allowed us to find a broader list of suppliers.
We then used our own experience and tested hosts that regularly appeared in searches and blogs , but were not necessarily described as the best.
All of the providers listed above have been thoroughly tested. You can read our analyzes for each host by clicking on their name.
If you want to test a host, you must create a real website
autonomous-shoes-France
When testing different web host providers, we needed to test support. So we decided to buy a domain and a web host on each host. We also tested domain transfer to see how site hosts respond and whether handling is easy or not.
We chose the cheapest subscriptions, with the possibility of installing WordPress when it was. The cheapest subscription was chosen because it is often the most convenient, especially when launching a new website.
Regarding the “test sites”, we used a website entirely designed by our design team for the launch of autonomous smart shoes in France. The website contained various images and text, like many sites on the web.
The site was provided in Zip format and downloadable via WordPress as a new theme. We also used the new article creation feature with Lorem Ipsum content to make the test as real as possible.
Creation of identical sites
In order to obtain comparable results, we installed the same site on each site host and made no changes once the site was installed. This allowed us to test performance on sites immediately, without any form of optimization on our part.
Results and analysis: how do the hosts stand out?
Now that the test is over, we are forced to note that we have been pleasantly surprised by most suppliers on the French market. Although we have limited experience building websites, we managed to set up a WordPress website with all the vendors!
The platforms were evaluated based on several factors. For each provider, we looked at services and features, website usability, control panel, WordPress installation, loading speed and uptime, customer service response time and level quality, as well as the starting price to host a small site.
Particularities of the hosts
Within the services and their functionalities, we have tried to identify what the different players put forward in order to stand out from their competitors. In general, we found as distinctive elements the location of the servers, the free SSL, additional tools allowing to optimize the Web site or services of creation of site with lessons to code.
