• Location: Burlington MA
• Year Founded: 1997
• BBB Profile of Fat Cow

It sure sounds like it has more to do with dairy than anything web related, but FatCow, deceptive though its name may be, is actually a provider of affordable Web hosting solutions. Founded in 1998, FatCow caters mostly to small to medium business enterprises as well as individuals who want to get more bang for their limited web hosting buck.

What makes it great
For those who are looking to limit their spending yet want to stake their claim on a piece of Internet property, FatCow offers some of the best web hosting packages available. It has a simple, one host plan for small and medium sized businesses that has all its best features. This one plan, one price scheme makes FatCow one of the easiest web hosting services to work with because it does away with all the confusion of different pricing schemes employed by other web hosting sites.

However, noting the need for a smaller plan, FatCow has also added just one other plan to its repertoire, the MiniMoo, which lets small businesses get started on their websites without being overwhelmed by the full package.

Pros
The aforementioned details, however, aren’t the only things that make FatCow a preferred option among beginning entrepreneurs. There are a lot of other features that make FatCow a popular choice. One important and cost-effective feature is giving users the option to add multiple domains into a single account for a small fee. This allows clients to save a significant amount, as they are able to host multiple domains without having to pay for the cost of an entirely new hosting package.

Another standout feature is its rich, yet user-friendly control panel. The interface is loaded with features, yet the navigation panels were all intuitive, allowing users an easier time to understand and control. FatCow also has a full redundant connection to Qwest, GlobalCenter and GTE, which allows it to continue operating even if one or two providers encounter problems. It maintains daily server backups as well to make sure that data is not lost or can be fully restored.

Cons
Though popular and well received, FatCow is not without its own flaws. The web hosting company has taken criticism for the lack of consistency of its technical support group. Some reviews noted that it was difficult to contact tech support either by phone or by e-mail, and some communication to the company were not met by any response. In relation to this, FatCow has also been criticized for its lackluster customer service, receiving complaints that customer service was not readily available and did not provide the service required especially when help was needed.

Overall
FatCow wins because of its cost-effectiveness and unique way of packaging its web hosting services. It has been a reliable provider for quite some time and has established itself as one of the top companies for web hosting, which is something worth considering. Continued patronage would not have been possible if their service has been consistently substandard. There may be areas, however, that the company can work on, but barring a lack in continuous improvement, FatCow will continue to be among the best web hosting companies available out there.

Read what current and former customers of Fat Cow web hosting service have to say about the features, customer service, and more.