GreenGeeks is a web hosting provider whose goal is to be as environmentally friendly as possible. They offer a variety of shared hosting plans for everyone from beginners to large companies. Their prices are affordable, and their plans include plenty of useful features. See our expert GreenGeeks review to decide if it’s the right choice for you.
All web hosting companies offer similar plans with same promises. In this complete GreenGeeks review, we will put their promises to test in the following areas:
- Speed & Performance: How fast will your website load on GreenGeeks?
- Reliability: Can you rely on them to ensure that your website is accessible all the time?
- Customer Support: Will you be able to get quick support when you need it?
- Features: What’s included in the GreenGeek hosting plans?
- Pricing: How much does GreenGeek cost, and can you get a good deal to save money?
We will share lots of details in this in-depth GreenGeeks review. If you don’t want to read all that, then here is the quick summary of our GreenGeeks review score.
| GreenGeeks Review Summary | |
|---|---|
| Performance grade | A+ |
| Average load time | 527 ms |
| Average response time | 119.7 ms |
| Free domain | Yes |
| Free SSL | Yes |
| 1-click WordPress | Yes |
| Support | Phone / Live Chat / Knowledge base |
| Start with GreenGeeks | |
Bottom line In our review we found GreenGeeks to be a good hosting provider. However, there is room for improvement in terms of performance and speed.
That being said, let’s get into the details of how we reached this conclusion.
About GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks was founded in 2007 by Trey Gardner. Based in Los Angeles, California, the company now powers over 600,000 websites and offers a green hosting solution.
What is Green Hosting?
Green hosting is an environment-friendly hosting service that uses different technologies and processes to reduce their carbon footprint.
The web hosting industry uses a huge amount of energy and has a big environmental impact. GreenGeeks aims to mitigate this by purchasing wind energy credits. They purchase three times the amount of power they use. They’re also an EPA Green Power partner.
GreenGeeks Performance Tests
WPBeginner users trust our reviews because we only recommend products and services that we have used ourselves. We sign up for each top WordPress hosting company to thoroughly test their claims by running performance tests.
For this review, we signed up for a hosting account on GreenGeeks and installed WordPress. While using the default theme, we filled the website with dummy data including media and images. This way our test site looked and behaved like an actual WordPress site.
GreenGeeks Speed Test Results
Speed is crucial for the success of any website. That’s why the first test we ran was to measure the website speed using Pingdom.
Here are the results:
Our test site loaded in less than a second which is great. However, this test alone does not show the full picture because the site has no traffic at all.
GreenGeeks Stress Test Results
Next, we wanted to see how well our test site would perform on GreenGeeks during peak traffic. To measure this, we used a tool called K6 (formerly called Load Impact).
We gradually built up to 100 unique visitors at once to see how the server would handle increased requests from multiple connections at once.
Here are the results:
The blue line represents page load time and the green line represents number of users on the site.
GreenGeeks didn’t perform well under this test. Our site remained responsive well up to 30 users but then performance started degrading. The response time became too high and the server started giving errors.
What this means is that if you have a small website, then GreenGeeks will work well for you. However, any traffic spikes will degrade your website performance significantly and may cause downtime.
You can address this by installing a WordPress caching plugin. However, if your web server is slow, then even caching alone won’t make much difference.
GreenGeeks does give users an option to enable caching, but we wanted to fair in our tests across all platforms, so we ran tests only with the default installation setup without any performance optimization.
GreenGeeks Response Time Test
Next, we wanted to test how our GreenGeeks site responds to requests from different geographic locations. To measure this we used a tool called Bitcatcha.
Here are the results
As you can see that the response time was particularly great in North America. However, it was slower in India and Asia Pacific but still under a second.
GreenGeeks Hosting Plans and Features
GreenGeeks has a wide range of hosting plans for customers of every size. They offer basic shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated server hosting.
However, their main offering is their shared hosting plans called EcoSite Starter. It includes:
- unlimited storage and bandwidth
- 1 free domain for first year
- hosting for unlimited websites (Except Lite plan)
- SSD storage (solid state drives web space) with nightly backups
- free email accounts
- 1-click installation of WordPress
- one-click Softaculous for apps like Joomla and Drupal via cPanel
They also provide a free website migration service as an add-on, so you can easily move from your current hosting company.
GreenGeeks uses advanced technologies like LiteSpeed, LSCache, MariaDB, and unlimited MySQL databases. There are also a few advanced features for more technical users and developers:
- pre-installed Git
- PHP version selection
- WP-CLI for direct command line access
Hosting plans
Their main shared hosting / WordPress hosting service is available in 3 levels.
- Lite – Limited to 1 WordPress install
- Pro – The Pro plan includes unlimited websites with 2x performance
- Premium – The premium plan also inncludes free dedicated IP address
Each GreenGeeks web hosting plan also comes with Cloudflare CDN (for security, speed, and seo), scalable CPU, eCommerce support, generous disk space, website builder with templates, unmetered data transfer, and more. Plus you can easily upgrade to VPS plans or WordPress hosting as your site grows.
GreenGeeks offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. This means that within the first 30 days after signing up, you can cancel your account for any reason and get a full refund of your hosting fees. The refund doesn’t include domain registration fees, and you get to keep your domain.
Support and Customer Service
GreenGeeks provides support 24/7 via live chat and email support ticket. They also offer phone support Monnday – Sunday from 9 am to midnight EST.
For managed WordPress hosting customers, there are WordPress expert support specialists available to help you set up your site or handle any WordPress-specific issues.
Many customer reviews of GreenGeeks rave about their top-notch support. They have a reputation for responding very quickly to inquiries and providing expert help no matter the issue.
Pros and Cons of GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is a popular web hosting company, but it may not be right for everyone. Consider these pros and cons before choosing a plan.
Pros of choosing GreenGeeks hosting
- Better for the Environment – GreenGeeks is a web hosting company with strong values that cares about the environment. You can help to support renewable energy by hosting with GreenGeeks.
- Packed With Features – GreenGeeks hosting plans include all the features you need to help you build a website.
- Affordable – GreenGeeks offers very competitive prices for all the features they provide.
- Highly Rated Support – Customer rave about the top-notch expert support GreenGeeks provides.
Cons of choosing GreenGeeks hosting
- Phone Support Isn’t 24/7 – Phone support is not provided from midnight to 9am EST. If you have a problem in the early hours of the morning, you must use live chat or email support instead.
- Setup Fee for Monthly Billing – If you choose the month-to-month billing, there’s a $15 setup fee. The fee is waived if you pay for a year or more.
Is GreenGeeks Right for You?
Now that you have read through our entire GreenGeeks hosting review, you might be wondering whether GreenGeeks is the right web host for you.
After reviewing GreenGeeks services in detail, we are awarding them with the title “Most Eco-Friendly Hosting.”
The web hosting industry has a huge impact on the environment. Every web hosting server produces 1390 pounds of CO2 per year. It has surpassed the airline industry in environmental pollution.
As GreenGeeks customer, you can do your part to support renewable energy by choosing eco-friendly web hosting. GreenGeeks purchases wind energy credits and is a recognized United States EPA Green Power Partner. They put back into the grid three times the amount of energy they consume, helping to lessen your web hosting’s impact on the environment in an energy efficient manner.
GreenGeeks is a good hosting solution for anyone who is just starting out. For higher traffic volumes you may need to upgrade to a high-performance plan or move to a managed WordPress hosting provider.
Ready to get started with GreenGeeks? Click here to select your GreenGeeks plan today.
FAQs About GreenGeeks Web Hosting Services
Following are some of the questions we have been asked about GreenGeeks’ website hosting services.
1. Is GreenGeeks Hosting Good?
If you are looking for eco-friendly best web hosting service for a small business, then GreenGeeks hosting is among the best web hosting options out there.
They have easy to use control panel for newbies, 99.9% uptime guarantee, friendly support team, and helpful knowledge base tutorials.
2. Where is GreekGeeks Data Centers Located?
According to GreenGeeks website, their data centers are located in Chicago, Phoenix, Canada (Toronto and Montreal), and Europe (Amsterdam). They are powered by green energy and equipped with high quality SSD based Raid-10 arrays.
3. How does GreenGeeks.com Compare to Other Hosting Companies?
We are often asked to compare GreenGeeks with other hosting companies like Bluehost, GoDaddy, SiteGround, HosGator, and more.
We believe that Bluehost and HostGator are both better than GreenGeeks in terms of performance and user experience. GreenGeeks will be better option than GoDaddy due to better customer support. SiteGround, is more expensive but far superior in terms of technology, customer support, and user experience.
GreenGeeks Coupon
WPBeginner users get a free new domain and 60% off their web hosting with our GreenGeeks coupon code.
All you have to do is click on this link to purchase. The discount will be auto-applied.
Julien says
Perfect hosting and great support if you experience any issue.
They are nice to work with and I personally recommend them.
Ernie says
Greengeeks support is timely and helpful.
Albert Rehan says
The service is just amazing, quick turn around when there is a problem, you guys are fab
DJuana Fitzpatrick says
I love this service. I love how I was able to receive immediate help using the chat. I highly recommend.
Stephan in Lisbon says
6 years with Greengeeks, about to renew for another 3… perfect host, fantastic support. Thank you…
Tony Torres says
Thank you Green Geeks for going above and beyond helping us get things up and running again.
Gerardo Alvarez says
Have been with greengeeks for about 4 years now. I’ve recommended it to everyone I know.
The service this years is always up and running and if they have a update task or manteniance task to do never interrupt the service. Always great support and fast response.
My congratulations for the support team. They are always friendly and helpful. Resolve all issues in a simple and friendly way.
Thanks so much GreenGeeks
Stan says
Wow – Greengeeks has wonderful teams of support that help out when you’re in a pinch. They figure out any type of problem and are quite patient!
I’d recommend them highly.
Kevin says
I have been contacted to GreenGeeks for more than two years. They always replied my requests so quickly and feel responsible to response my questions whenever I sent it. Good luck for your business!!
sunardi sukowardi says
Greengeeks give the best services and i am more than 8 year wth GG thanks
Leon says
Siteground helped me a lot today and I restored my site (some external issue). Thanks guys!
Semgye says
Very quick answers and great kind support. Thank you.
Mark says
GreenGeeks were awesome & very helpful in my transfer from the now abysmal Site5. I just hope they don’t go the same direction & get bought out by EIG! I can highly recommend GreenGeeks!
Terry Samuels says
I have been in the process of moving 150 sites to greengeeks. I was so impressed, the last 2 moves have been a complete nightmare with the latest one telling me I have to wait 24 hours to get a dedicated ip and ssl. they claim the site has to point to them for at least 24 hours, meaning the site will be down a full day at the least.
I have had many dedicated ip and ssl installed with greengeeks and it has never taken more than 2 hours. Today the nameserver point took 16 minutes.
This new policy has stopped me from moving any other sites to Greengeeks. My clients can’t afford the 24 hour down time.
Too bad…
Joel says
Fantastic customer service! Always available and helpful!
chris hogan says
Absolutely fantastic support
I’m relatively new to all this website stuff and in the 2 years I have owned my site I have left 2 hosting providers because they didn’t seem to understand how scary and confusing this is for a newbie.
GreenGeeks however seem to know exactly how to explain things to the technically challenged like me, they have helped me along with a number of things over the last 6 months or so and I couldn’t be happier with them.
10/10
Jennyfer Moreno Shek says
I’m not the easiest customer to please…. and so I’ve tried over 30+ web hosting companies in 9 years… I’m not afraid to migrate my clients’ sites or mines when things stopped working. HOWEVER, that changed when I signed up! Their customer support is awesome, they are rapid, if you ask questions they are more than happy to answer and explain. and are available 24/7. I couldn’t be any happier to have my sites hosted with Greengeeks and so I recommend them highly to anyone looking for a great hosting (little to no downtime on your sites), and superb customer services!
Fernando Bartolozzi says
Great assistance! Answered all my questions and was very pleasant!
Magalie Laniel says
Lightning fast customer support, offered to fix the problem for me even if I could have fixed it myself. A1 service, thanks so much!
Feeling at the right place
Koray Onelke says
Excellent customer service. I absolutely do recommend GreenGeeks to everyone. Great service and support. Thanks!
Marla says
Great service and support. My issue was solved in no time flat . Thank you
Ignacio says
Excellent service and amazing support, very patient with newbies questions.
Christopher B. says
We have had a lot of issues in our site. That being said, Green Geeks has always gone above and beyond to help with issues that honestly aren’t their problem. I’m very happy with this platform. Knowing a little bit will definitely help you set the site up, but they are quick to guide you or even do the work for you if there’s minor settings that need to be tweaked.
MikeB says
They Are Very Good at Customer Service!!!!
Nathaniel Christopher says
I love my website. I don’t update it much these days but it’s been a part of my identity for over 16 years and whenever it’s down or broken… I get a bit distressed.
I’m great at uploading cat pics and missives to my website but I’m not always great under the hood. Last night I tried to install some complicated plugin and I ended up fucking over my entire website.
Shit!
Anyways, I logged into my GreenGeeks account and they saved the day. Not only did they fix my website but they did so with courtesy, patience and skill.
Thank you!
Tony Chester says
While installing a WordPress theme, I was given the error “The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini.” 5 minutes later after a quick live chat session — my theme was installed.
Nice and responsive replies followed by prompt action gives me peace of mind when using them.
Dave MacLachlan says
GreenGeeks has a terrific support team. All of its members are knowledgeable, courteous and helpful. Special thanks goes out today for support staff, who not only addressed my problem, but explained something that had been puzzling me for a while. Thanks,
Louise Johnson says
I was trying to install a Plug-in at 11:00 this evening after working all day on designing a site and got an error message. I went on to chat and got helped right away – solve my problem and within minutes I had successfully installed it. Great customer service!
Irina says
Greengeeks is not only green and affordable, they have an awesome customer service too. Every time I have a problem with one of my websites the friendly team is there for me to fix it. I love the Live Chat, because I can ask questions 24/7 and get my answer straight away!
Awesome job, Greengeeks!!!
Cuong Do says
Great service. Extremely fast response for support (Nick).
I decided to buy more services from Greengeeks after having been using for more than 1 year.
Fernando Vicente says
I tried your service about 6 months, the support people are the best! Now I am migrate all services from other place to GreenGeeks!
A.K. Ross says
You guys have saved my skin, again!! You’re a super team. Thank you for the online chat function as it really helped me in my IT problem. Keep it up!!!
BK says
Green Geeks technical support is fantastic. Everyone has been very polite, patient, and resolved my issues that had nothing to do with Green Geek but challenges I had with a website designer that only they could help me deal with. Thank you!
Joe Mateus says
I have been a web developer since 1999 and I have used many hosting companies over the years. Some you probably heard of and others not so much.
I started using Green Geeks back in March 2011 and I haven’t used any other hosting company since then.
Besides having competitive pricing and excellent server up time, their customer support is top notch.
Over the years I have called them at the weirdest times of the day and they are always there to answer my questions and/or concerns quickly. What more do you want from a hosting company?They have the price, the products and the customer support that is critical when you run a single website or like me, many websites.
They are the only hosting company I use and recommend.
Lydia Robertson says
Simply the best customer service I have ever had in IT.
Daniel Abah Idoko says
you guys are the best, your support team is awesome!
DebI Lewis says
The online chat support is always so helpful! I could not be happier with this host company. I’ve lost track of the number of clients I’ve recommended use GreenGeeks!
Jaze says
Second to none!!
Great customer service, fast and efficient.
Rich Pearson says
Absolute thumbs up for Greengeeks support – Fast replies, accurate info, easy to follow…
I have to provide techincal services for two sizeable companies and Greengeks make my life so much easier – Faultless service guys
Marco Monti says
Two thumbs up Greengeeks!
Thank you Michael P., David Rogers and the rest of the staff. You have helped make my life easier with your replies to my questions.
Take care,
Marco Monti
YVonne Keller says
Excellent customer service. Always helpful, patient and never condescending. Extremely happy customer.
Thomas C. Davis says
I manage a number of websites for communities of faith and small not-for-profits. They don’t have the money or the savvy to solve technical problems, so they rely on me for troubleshooting. I’m self-educated, and now and then I rely on GreenGeeks Support to solve a problem that goes beyond my capabilities. They have never let me down. Always prompt, courteous, and expertly capable. I can’t say enough in praise of the GreenGeeks Support staff.
Andrew Odom says
I have been searching for a host to park all of my domains. I was recommended to check out Green Geeks because I was told their customer service was top notch. I was not disappointed at all and online agent Nick V. was an exceptional help. So far I am very glad to have made this switch and I look forward to my future service and hosting.
Jeremy says
I’ve been looking for a reseller host who was going to make my life easier, not harder. Where other hosting companies have been given weeks at a time to prove themselves and failed, before I moved on, Greengeeks have very quickly impressed, with efficient speedy service and their communication has been responsive. I’m looking forward to many years of happy custom
Ivan says
Thanks for the help!
Phil Taylor says
OK, so I’m a total noob when it comes to this computer stuff. I spoke to Vance, and oh boy was this guy patient with me. I was ready to throw the towel in and give up on this web stuff all together, but he got me regrouped, started again from scratch with me, and after what seemed like an eternity. I have a webpage up and viewable. WOO HOO, that’s a huge milestone for me, and if it hadn’t been for Vance, I don’t know what I would have done.
Thank you Vance and GreenGeeks, now I know I spent my money in the right place.
Marco Monti says
They answered all my question and helped me out at lighting speed!
Bernard Gibbons says
I have used quite a few ISPs over the years and I have to say that GreenGeeks is the best I have encountered. Superfast response time to questions and to making changes I requested.
Peter says
great problemsolvers at work – very content! Thanks!
gabriel says
I’ve been around a year and so with them. I can’t recommend them enough!!!
3 main reasons:
We’re living times in which EVERY data center / server facility should GO GREEN! we “common mortals” don’t tend to be aware how much contamination “the Internet” generates
THEIR SUPPORT: the best I’ve ever had in my personal experience, they simply rock! Be it the day shift, or the night shift. Plus you always get to talk to the same guys, which feels like family!
Performance for your bucks: just top of the top, I remember when I migrated from 1 “big brand” to another until coming up with them, having my first ever SSD shared hosting, plus some nice features in their plans: CRM’s, Nifty PHP version selector app…
I simply love them and love to sleep better at night knowing I’m doing something (more) for our planet!
Al Ladd says
Greengeeks has been such a pleasure for an amateur webmaster like me to work with. Quick, spot-on support, able to work with the client’s level of tech-savviness. Bravo!