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France Web Hosting
Internet hosting services and the quality of the service providers vary wildly across the globe. In a 30 years, the hosting business has grown exponentially along with the rise of the internet consumer in France.
To this end, finding France web hosting is no longer a localized business. With hosting service providers from all over the world vying for your business, there is no shortage of competition. This drives prices down and encourages companies to continue to offer services that provide better bang for your buck.
Why Go Local France Web Hosting Instead Of Global
However, there a number of factors you should consider if you are indeed in the France market for a hosting service provider. The primary factor that you should keep in mind while deciding on a hosting services provider is location. We do not think of the internet in physical terms but it is still very much a network of physical cables running under the ground and on the ocean floor.
Therefore, there is still a finite limit on how fast data can be transferred from one place to another. Hence, if you are looking for web hosting services, look for a host located in your own country over some well known global brand that might not operate servers in your country. This is important because the more geographically close your server is located to the majority of your users, the faster your website performance perceived by them.
Also, consider currency conversion charges that you will incur every time you pay your hosting bill if your service provider is located in another country and does not bill you in the currency used in your country. What makes things worse is that currency conversion charges apply even if you get a refund on your bill. Therefore, unless it is absolutely unavoidable, try to find a host that will bill you in your national currency.
Another important issue that might have escaped your notice is that right now, data privacy is a hot topic in almost all the countries in the world. State sponsored hacking and government overreach in personal data of citizens have us all worried about unauthorized access to our private data.
Therefore, it might be prudent to have your website data stored on servers located in your country where you will have at least some recourse when it comes to privacy and data protection issues. In case your hosting service provider is from another country or at least operates data centers in other countries, you will have no legal rights if unauthorized access to your data is granted to malicious users.
Therefore, it definitely makes sense, at least from a security point of view, that you should ensure that your website data is located within your country’s borders inside the jurisdiction of the legal system of your country.
Finally, the last reason why you might want to go with a hosting service provider from your own country is not only the potential cost savings and access to legal recourses but the simple fact that you will be helping out a fellow citizen in their business. Promoting businesses in your own country serve the national interest and, if nothing else, makes you will good about having contributed to the economy.
So without further ado, here are the ten of the best hosting service providers in France.
1. OVH
OVH is one of the largest hosting services in the world, and it is based in France. With more than 1 million customers worldwide, the company boasts of a coverage and user base that can be rivaled by few other companies.
The company owns 20 data centers all around the world and offers fully managed hosting solutions to its customers. With 7.5 Tbps network capacity, OVH boasts of one of the fastest interconnects in the business. Coupled with high performance components and an in-house server and network infrastructure design team, you can rest assured that OVH delivers where it matters.
The company offers VPS and cloud hosting plans to cater to the budget end of the spectrum and also offers dedicated servers for old school hosting that delivers the absolute best in performance and reliability. No one to be left behind with the times, the company also offers public, private, and hybrid cloud technologies for all your business needs.
OVH offers one of the most comprehensive hosting solutions in the business and you will be hard-pressed to find a more fleshed out offering.
2. Online.net
Online.net was established in 2000, making it a veteran of the web hosting services business. The company operates primarily in France and owns 3 data centers, built on the cutting edge N+1 and 2N architecture.
The company offers hosting solutions that span a wide range of services, ranging from the very budget end shared hosting to VPS or cloud hosting and dedicated server based solutions. The company also offers cloud-based storage and data archival services as a standalone service, so you can rest assured that any of your network or data related requirements will be fulfilled by Online.net.
3. Gandi
Gandi is one of the oldest domain registrars in France that was accredited by the ICANN. While that was how the company started out in 1999, by 2005 it was transformed into a complete web hosting service provider that continues to offer diverse hosting related solutions.
Gandi now caters to more than 190 countries across the globe and is counted as one of the biggest names in the hosting business. From inexpensive shared hosting to cloud based VPS hosting plans, as well as dedicated server solutions for enterprise clients, Gandi offers a comprehensive package of hosting related services to its customers at extremely competitive prices.
4. 1and1
1and1 has the distinction of being one of the oldest hosting services companies in the world. Established in 1988 in Germany, 1and1 has been continuously operating and offering a wide range of accessibly priced internet and web hosting solutions.
The company is well known for offering complete 360 degree services under one roof; if you want to get your web venture online and running, 1and1 offers domain registration, website hosting, website design and development, and industry standard customer support. For beginner users, the company offers shared hosting plans that offer lots of storage and a great, inexpensive starting point for your first website.
As step up options, you can also get professionally designed WordPress hosting plans, fully managed cloud based resource stack solutions, cloud VPS servers, and dedicated servers, all at one location.
5. PHPNET
PHPNET offers services exclusively to French customers and clients. Catering to a user base of almost 15000 unique clients, the company has grown wildly since it was established in 2002. What makes this success story even more fascinating is that the company remains fully privately owned to this day, having foregone any capital from external investors and government aid.
The company owns 2 data centers with a combined capacity of more than 3000 servers. This is more than enough to deal with the present and future growth of the company. The company offers hosting services across the budgetary spectrum, from cheap shared hosting plans to managed dedicated server solutions for enterprises and corporate entities. By aiming squarely at the domestic market, PHPNET is able to offer some pretty great deal that other more “global” companies might fail to.
6. AMEN
Amen Hosting is part of the greater Dada Group, a leading provider of hosting and internetworking services in the European region. The Amen brand operates as independent local entities in France, Portugal, and the Netherlands. While the company chiefly targets small businesses and corporate entities, it only offers some pretty inexpensive hosting solutions that are clearly aimed at individual users and owners of personal websites and blogs.
For more than 20 years, the company and its sister brands have enjoyed record customer satisfaction numbers and that is what has propelled the company to the place it is now. Fully accredited by the ICANN, the company is also a preferred partner of AFNIC, the official registrar of the .FR top level domain.
7. Ikoula
Ikoula was established in 1998, and the company has since moved in the direction of simplifying its offerings. It offers 3 distinct service tiers: hosting and related services, virtual machine and cloud processing technologies in its Enterprise Services tier, and a final EX10 Marketplace where the company entertains IT resellers and other business entities for white label cloud and networking related services.
Ikoula operates more than 5000 servers nationwide and is home to over 35000 unique websites. Privately owned and operated since its inception, Ikoula offers a great balance between affordable prices and excellent services.
8. LWS
LWS is one of the oldest web hosting service providers based in France. Founded in 1999, at the cusp of the rise of the internet industry, LWS serves more than 180,000 domains nationwide, making it also one of the largest web hosts in the country.
LWS advertises itself as a fully French company with servers located in France and French employees. In other words, the company is as French as champagne. LWS offers hosting solutions from the strictly budget oriented, such as shared hosting and WordPress hosting, to those offering more performance, such as cloud and VPS hosting plans, and dedicated servers that allocated physical hardware for enterprise clients.
9. Nuxit
Nuxit can be equated to the new kid on the block. Established in 2003, Nuxit falls firmly in the domain of a small hosting company. It offers shared hosting and VPS based hosting solutions, but you will not find resource heavy offerings such as dedicated servers and cloud compute solutions here.
With about 30 employees, the company targets small businesses and individual users as their chief client demographic and offers a great alternative to the bigger hosting service providers. If you want to support a local business and appreciate good customer service over outright price, consider Nuxit.
10. o2switch
o2switch was formally founded in 2009, but the underlying company has been offering hosting services since 2003. The company offers budget hosting solutions, replete with full SSD-based storage and a money back guarantee.
o2switch is definitely aimed at users who do not want any form of hassle when it comes to their web hosting and prefer a more hands-off approach. The company offers only one plan and, needless to say, this greatly simplifies things. By bundling great value for money hosting with a redundant infrastructure and DDoS protection, o2switch definitely offers a great deal that is worth considering.
Conclusion
So this is ten of the best hosting service providers in France. Bear in mind that this was a general purpose comparison in which parameters were evaluated briefly and broadly.
For any hosting need, some level of customization is always necessary. While you typically can get away with a preconfigured plan, a bit of customization goes a long way in making your hosting experience effective and enjoyable instead of a headache.
Identify your requirements, allow for unexpected situations, and find out the plan that is perfect for you.
That way, you get exactly what you need and do not overpay for resources that you do not require. Optimize for your requirements and you will be on your way to a great web hosting experience.
