FatCow Review

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User reviews (77)

FatCow, founded in 1998, is a web hosting company known for its simplicity and affordability. They cater to individuals and small businesses.


About FatCow:
Owner/CEO:
Daniel Foster
Established:
1998
Phone:
+1-888-278-9780
Email:
N/A
Address:
4000 E. Southcross Blvd, Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78222, USA
Servers Locations:
  • Sydney
    Sydney
  • London
    London
  • Mumbai
    Mumbai
  • Singapore
    Singapore
  • New York (New York City)
    New York (New York City)
  • Texas (Dallas)
    Texas (Dallas)
  • Illinois (Chicago)
    Illinois (Chicago)
  • Show all
Servers Locations: 10
  • Sydney
    Sydney
  • London
    London
  • Mumbai
    Mumbai
  • Singapore
    Singapore
  • New York (New York City)
    New York (New York City)
  • Texas (Dallas)
    Texas (Dallas)
  • Illinois (Chicago)
    Illinois (Chicago)
  • Virginia (Ashburn)
    Virginia (Ashburn)
  • Florida (Miami)
    Florida (Miami)
  • California
    California
Customer Support: 4
English
Website: English
All languages (4)
English
Support: English
All languages (4)
Live chat
United States
United States Accepted
3.4/5
Good Hosting Provider
by Trust Host Review
Features: Good
Reliability: Mostly credible
User Friendly: Good
Support: Good
Price: Fair value for money
Promotion: Good discount
Other Factors: Average
Marry Rose
Author: Marry Rose Last updated: 30 August 2024

Review FatCow 2024

FatCow, with its whimsical name and pasture-themed branding, might seem an odd choice for seasoned web professionals. Can this cow, known more for its beginner-friendly approach, satisfy the needs of experienced users with its hosting plans? Let's delve into the details.

Hosting Plans & Pricing: FatCow simplifies things with a single shared hosting plan. While this "one-size-fits-all" approach might appeal to some, experienced users often require more granular control and scalability. The lack of VPS or dedicated server options is a significant drawback for those needing more resources or customized setups.

Ease of Use: FatCow boasts a user-friendly interface, ideal for beginners. However, seasoned system administrators might find the streamlined approach limiting. The control panel, while functional, lacks the robust features and customization options that experienced users often rely on.

Performance & Server Speed: FatCow's performance is decent but unlikely to impress experienced users. Shared hosting inherently comes with resource limitations, potentially leading to slower speeds, especially during peak traffic times. While FatCow doesn't disclose its data center locations, server location can significantly impact website loading times for different geographic audiences.

Security: Security features offered are fairly standard, including SSL certificates. However, advanced security configurations and customization options are limited, which might concern experienced users managing sensitive data or requiring a higher level of control.

Customer Support: FatCow provides 24/7 customer support, which is essential. However, the quality of support might vary. While basic inquiries are usually handled efficiently, more technical issues could require escalating to more experienced support staff, potentially leading to delays.

The Verdict: FatCow, while suitable for beginners, falls short for experienced web professionals. The limited hosting options, lack of advanced features, and shared hosting performance constraints present significant drawbacks. Seasoned users are likely to find more suitable solutions from providers catering specifically to their needs for flexibility, control, and robust performance.

FatCow

FatCow, founded in 1998, is a web hosting company known for its simplicity and affordability. They cater to individuals and small businesses.

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FatCow's rating: Good hosting provider

We rate features of services on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest rating and 5 being the highest rating. e also take into account the opinions of other users when rating features. We read user reviews and feedback to get a sense of how other people are using the features and what they think of them.

Hosting provider with a stable user count and no significant complaints will be given a GOOD reputation rating. Therefore, you do not need to worry when host your website on these platforms.

Parameters Score Why did we give this score?
Features 3.8 Good - We consider a number of factors when rating features, including: usefulness, ease to use, effectiveness, impact.. FatCow's feature is excellent. It provides a high level of value to the user and is easy to use and effective.
Reliability 3.5 Mostly credible - FatCow consistently meets its promises and delivers on time. They have an excellent customer service record and are very responsive to customer complaints.
User Friendly 4 Good - Easy to Use: FatCow is very easy to navigate and use. Users will have no trouble finding the information they need or completing tasks.
Support 3.3 Good - The support service is good. There is a user manual and FAQ page, and they are well-written and provide adequate information. The helpdesk is responsive and helpful. The support time is fast and there is live chat with customers. The service supports multiple languages.
Price 3 Fair value for money - The pricing of FatCow is fair. It is comparable to the average prices of similar services, and there is some flexibility in the price list.
Promotion 3.7 Good discount - FatCow offers frequent promotions. Their promotions are attractive and have a wide reach. There are a few bonus programs, discounted codes, or percentage discounts. They have a few conditions for receiving promotions, but their targeted audience is broad. Their rewards programs and loyalty programs are strong, and their discounts and special offers are frequent and appealing.
Other Factors 2.5 Average - The number of customers is moderate, and the partner reviews are mixed. The company's revenue is also moderate.

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of using FatCow as your hosting platform.

Positives

  • Money-back guarantee.
  • FatCow offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, reseller hosting, and more, catering to diverse needs.
  • Plans are affordable, especially with introductory discounts and promotions.
  • Free domain name.
  • Free SSL certificate.
  • Content Delivery Network (CDN): Improves website loading speed and performance globally.
  • 99.9% uptime guarantee.
  • Good track record for uptime and performance

Negatives

  • Limited data center locations: May impact performance for users in certain regions.
  • Lack of advanced features: Compared to some competitors, FatCow lacks website staging, malware scanning, and other advanced tools.
  • Mixed customer support reviews: While some praise the support, others report slow response times and unhelpful interactions.
  • Upselling pressure: Customers may experience pressure to upgrade to more expensive plans.

Interesting facts

Offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Offers a wide range of hosting plans and services, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, and reseller hosting.
Provides various features like free domain name, CDN, custom WordPress themes, and email marketing.
Uses high-quality hardware and software.
Offers a user-friendly control panel.
Offers a limited number of data center locations.

Overall, FatCow offers average performance for a below-average price. While they provide refreshing simplicity and transparency in some ways, their plans are riddled with deceptive and redundant upsells, poor speed and uptime, and high renewal rates5. If your budget is your chief concern, FatCow might be ideal for your needs.

FatCow's FAQs

What is FatCow's uptime guarantee?

FatCow guarantees 99.9% uptime, ensuring that your website will be up and running almost all the time.

How do I register a domain with FatCow?

You can register a new domain or transfer an existing domain to FatCow through their user-friendly domain search and registration platform.

What payment options are accepted by FatCow?

FatCow accepts various payment options including credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), PayPal, and bank transfers.

What kind of customer support does FatCow offer?

FatCow provides 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat, ensuring prompt assistance whenever needed.

What are user reviews like for FatCow?

FatCow consistently receives positive reviews from users, praising its reliability, user-friendly interface, and excellent customer support.

Does FatCow offer any promotions or discounts?

FatCow frequently runs promotions and offers discounts on its hosting plans and domain registrations. Check their website or social media channels for ongoing offers.

What features are included with FatCow's hosting plans?

FatCow's hosting plans come with various features including unlimited storage and bandwidth, free SSL certificates, website builders, and one-click WordPress installation.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my hosting plan with FatCow?

Yes, FatCow allows you to easily upgrade or downgrade your hosting plan to meet your changing needs.

What is FatCow's refund policy?

FatCow offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try their services risk-free.

Does FatCow have a mobile app?

Yes, FatCow offers a mobile app for iOS and Android, providing easy access to your hosting account and website management on the go.

Latest user reviews

Mojtaba Chehelcheraghi
• 6 months ago
Their auto renewal is a scam! They charged me 726 Dollar for their most basic hosting for three years, althought I had cancelled the auto renewal, never share with them your visas, never authorise them to use your Paypal, they are not honest at all.
Jay Grusin
• 7 months ago
12 years a customer with auto renewal. There are no human voices only chat boxes. I needed an issue resolved (four days past the refund period and I mistakenly allowed my subscription to be renewed). Find the chat feature was very difficult and once there 10 to 15 minutes was the average between exchanges. And finally on came one and asked how they could help after I had already explained it twice. It was clearly a stall tactic and they finally won. I cancelled my auto-renewal and will eat the $554.00. A terrible way to treat customers but a great way to avoid refunds or finding a way to resolve the issue. A NO WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN WHAT HAPPENED...NOTHING.
Lisa Daily
• 7 months ago
I've been a customer over 15 years and have referred many colleagues to FatCow. They used to be great. Then, web.com bought them, and now they're TERRIBLE. Over the weekend, I was charged double what I paid a year ago for web hosting. My invoice for the almost $300 charge simply read "fat cow plan". When I spoke with the chat rep, it took over an HOUR, and I had to request a supervisor multiple times. Original chat cust. service 1. Didn't know what fat cow plan was. 2. Told me they couldn't find the bill on my account (even with screen shot), 3. Told me I hadn't actually been charged (lie) and 4. then an HOUR later when I finally got a supervisor, I was told it was the hosting plan and a cost of doing business increase. When I said doubling the price was not CODB they offered me a $29 refund. I wasted over an hour and a half, trying to get this resolved (or at least an explanation of what they were charging me $300 for.) I'll be looking for a new web host asap. It's a shame, I loved FatCow.
Daniel McNaught
• 8 months ago
Very poor support. Couldn't update domain contact information for a customer through a) their current web portal, b) an older portal they provided a link by, c) support chat, and d) no phone option.Instead the customer had to apply to prove ownership of their own domain in said portal! A huge waste of about 3 hours of our time!
Steve G
• 8 months ago
FatCow didn't notify me of extreme rate increase and I didn't notice the charge. $272.22 for a year of hosting that I don't even use. I mostly ended up using it to manage my business email. This is the second time I have experienced sneaky high rate increases. The first time I complained and they refunded most of the increase.
Mel N
• 8 months ago
This is the worst of the worst. I was Fatcow for many years. They turned on auto renewal and I was expecting to pay for just my domain name which is what I originally purchased. No extras and next thing I know at auto renewal they charged me $400 for extras that I didn't ask for or approve. When I went to call them a few weeks after my renewal there was not phone number so on the online chat they said it was too late and they could not refund me. It wasn't even a month into my new year renewal. They no longer have a phone number just a very frustrating online chat. Terrible will find a new hosting company.
Mark
• 8 months ago
I've been with FatCow for 24 years. They were reasonable and had great support (live person). The prices were reasonable and they always appreciated loyal customers. BUT NOW, they have raised their prices to an unaffordable level, they have no live person support, and they don't care about loyal customers. It's a shame, but I now have to move all of my business to another host. I understand that they are being acquired by Blue Host. Maybe that will be a good thing. I've recommended so many people to FatCow and I know they will be leaving too. A classic example of pricing yourself out of business.
odbdux
• 8 months ago
This is more or less unusable unless you have the most vanilla kind of site. It is especially bad if you have a problem. There is no direct support. There is a chat button on their page but is doesn't work. When you seek support you will be thrown at a zillion FAQs which, after doing a monumantal search, might give some clue - Isay might.
Just Say
• 9 months ago
Watch out putting auto payment on this company. They have this advertisement on their panel and if you accidentally click or press that advertisement it will straight away goes to your chart and auto pay it straight to your card with OUT CONFIRMING. !!!! They are not the cheapest on the market. If you call the number on their site it is not available. Maybe available may be works in US only but it says international call.
Julie Abel
• 9 months ago
Absolutely horrible. DO NOT USE! For a non-profit site I was originally charged $119.99 / year (called the $99 plan lol) and then, with absolutely NO warning, charged me $296.46. Saw it on my credit card but it was too late to refund. I stayed on chat with them for 1.5 hours trying to get them to bring the price down. Finally, they agreed (but only by $88.94). However, at the last minute I was told it would not be refunded but be a credit for next year's hosting. Well, there won't be a next year because I'm getting out of this hosting company. And, of course, they know that.

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MasterCard
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iDebit
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FatCow's Features

Money Back Guarantee
Hourly Payments
Monthly Payments
Yearly Payments
Domain Purchase
API
DDOS Protection
Accepts Bitcoin
Affiliate Program
Load Balancers
WordPress Hosting
VPS Hosting
Cloud Hosting
Shared Hosting
Site Builder
Email Service
Free SSL
Backup Services
CDN Services
SEO Hosting
Unlimited Hosting
Object Storage
Streaming Services
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User reviews of FatCow

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1.4

Rated by 77 users

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FatCow's Coupons

Browse all bonuses and promotions offered by FatCow, including their first deposit bonus and other generous promotions.

$3.15/mo
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Free Trial
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