BigRock
BigRock is a veteran in the hosting space, particularly famous in India. If you are targeting an Indian audience or need specific local payment methods (like UPI/Wallets), BigRock is a strong contender. However, compared to modern “speed demons” like Hostinger, it feels a bit old-school.
Key Features
1. Data Centers: Servers located in India (great for local latency) and the US.
2. Control Panel: Uses the traditional cPanel (industry standard, familiar to old-school developers).
3. Support: Offers both phone support (a rarity these days) and live chat.
4. Operating Systems: Robust options for both Linux and Windows hosting.
✅ The Pros
1. Local Advantage: If your visitors are in India, the local servers ensure decent load times.
2. Phone Support: Unlike many modern hosts, you can actually call them if you get stuck.
3. Familiar Interface: If you are used to cPanel, you will feel right at home (no learning curve).
4. Flexible Payments: Excellent support for Indian payment gateways (Debit cards, UPI, Net Banking).
❌ The Cons (The Truth)
1. Aggressive Upselling: During checkout, they often try to sneak in paid add-ons (SiteLock, CodeGuard, Premium DNS) that you might not need.
2. Speed: It is decent, but lacks the “instant” snap of LiteSpeed servers used by competitors like Hostinger.
3. Renewal Shock: Similar to others, the renewal price is significantly higher than the introductory offer (often 2x-3x).
4. Paid Backups: unlike some competitors who give free daily backups, BigRock often charges extra for their backup service (CodeGuard).
💡 The Verdict
Is it worth it? Yes, for specific users.
If you are an Indian business owner who wants phone support and local servers, BigRock is a reliable, safe choice. It is stable and “just works.”
My Suggestion:
If you choose BigRock, go for the “Pro” (or Advanced) plan rather than the “Starter.” The Starter plan is too restrictive on space and transfer.
Crucial Step: When checking out, uncheck all the pre-selected add-ons (like SiteLock/Backup) to keep your cost low. You can always add them later if you really need them.