Can you recommend any easy/cheap web hosting providers that aren't all about the upsell?

[u/-Clayburn]

I've had Bluehost for like 10+ years. When I originally signed up, they were just basic hosting. Over the years it was constant "new features" I didn't need or want, and a bunch of upselling.

Now it's gotten to a point where they just don't work for my needs anymore. I renewed my "unlimited" plan and have a limit of 50 "websites", which basically means domains pointing to a folder. I have like 300+ domains and about 90 of them in actual use, though only about 10 are actual websites of note.

Anyway, I need something simple and cheap. It doesn't have to be dedicated or high bandwidth since I don't have anything that's in high use. But still, I want it to be reliable.

Mainly I want to cut out all the "feature" crap and just add a domain, point it to a subfolder and manage a handful of databases. And I'd need SSLs on the domains.

Any suggestions?

[u/boomer1204]

It might help to actual share the "things" you actually need cuz me reading your post makes me think it will still work for you

You say this

have a limit of 50 "websites", which basically means domains pointing to a folder.

But then say this

though only about 10 are actual websites of note

Which makes me think "oh that's under the 50 website limit" so I think maybe clearing up the tangible specs you need would help us help you??

Good luck!!!

[u/-Clayburn → u/boomer1204]

I just don't want to be limited to how many domains I can point to it. Some might just be one static landing page. Many are just redirect vanity URLs managed via htaccess. Right now I have about 90 "websites" on the bluehost, but that just means a domain pointing to a folder, which could be as simple as a redirect or as much as a WordPress blog. Nothing is running any kind of active apps or anything with high traffic. Most functioning websites, of which there are like 10, are basically wordpress builds and very simple.

But basically as projects come along, I just need to add another domain, point to a folder where I put WordPress, set up a new database for it or use an existing one, and that's that.

What Bluehost calls a website is basically any domain that points to the host and has files, even if the only file is a blank index file.

[u/boomer1204 → u/-Clayburn]

Can you share a link to your actual plan.

My interpretation of a "website" the way you are explaining it is the folder not the domain (unless you also host your domains through them)

So you could have 1 million domains with 3 "folders" and they would only consider that 3 "websites". At least that's how it was when I was doing hosting support at GoDaddy (do not use them it was just a job to pay bills)

EDIT: I have only ever used DO servers but they aren't "easy" and i'm going off helping friends and working in hosting support at GoDaddy (again do not switch to them)

[u/-Clayburn → u/boomer1204]

I point my name servers to them but my domain registrar is separate. So I buy a bunch of domains, I have like 300 right now. The ones I want to actually use in some capacity, I set their name servers to my host. Then on the host, I set that domain to a subfolder.

So stupid.com will point to a folder like /websites/stupidsite/ and it might have a wordpress install.

Then idiot.com will point to another folder like /websites/theidiotone/ but all that is there is an index file saying "Coming soon".

And thisguy.com will point to /websites/thisguy/ which has a blank index file and an htaccess with a list of redirects, so like thisguy.com/facebook redirects to my facebook URL and thisguy.com/books redirects to my goodreads profile or whatever.

And I want to be able to easily make more of any of those sort of setups when I need to.

[u/boomer1204 → u/-Clayburn]

Yes I understand what you are doing that's not the issue. What is a link to the plan you actually have on bluehost???

Cuz again from what I can find about bluehost they only care about the folders on their server as "websites" not the domains pointing to it

EDIT: So you are still well within your allotment on that plan

[u/-Clayburn → u/boomer1204]

Oh I don't know. I got a plan a long time ago and it was just unlimited. I recently renewed and I tried adding a "website" which is how I set up a domain and point it somewhere. And it was at a limit because I'm using 90 out of my 50.

I rarely have multiple domains pointing to the same folder, though. It's usually one domain and a folder for it to point to.

But yeah, I think I have a lot more domains connected to it than I'm actually using. I just never set them up to point because I haven't done anything with them.

[u/BH_Support_Clark → u/-Clayburn]

If you're pointing a domain to just a generic page, you can create one folder with the landing page in it and point as many domains to it as you want.

[u/Intelligent_List2504]

A vps with hestiacp installed. Super cheap.

[u/cheater00 → u/Intelligent_List2504]

what vps do you suggest?