Reviews
Fiverr Logo Design
Fiverr is the place to go when you want to hire a designer one-on-one. You can have a custom logo designed for as little as $5. As a designer myself, I was actually surprised by the quality you can get for such a low price.
Looka
Looka is a reliable way to make good-looking logos. What it lacks in flexibility and fine customization options, it makes up for with beautiful designs. If you’re on a budget and want to create a decent-looking logo as quickly as possible, this might be the right logo generator for you.
Squarespace
Squarespace has been one of my favorites for a while, and writing this review has done nothing to change that. It’s not the cheapest option out there, but if you’re ready to build a site and even make some money off it, then I’d say go for Squarespace. It has plans both for personal sites and business users, and with a long list of interesting features, these plans definitely...
Shopify
Shopify is simply fantastic for any retail-oriented business and loaded with options and features. The cheapest plan is more than enough to get your online business started, and overall I have no complaints. That said, some other e-commerce platforms make it easier to customize your site however you want, and they match Shopify’s pricing plans almost exactly. It’ll come...
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a solid choice for your email marketing needs. There are few flaws (though they matter), and if you want a service you can integrate into almost any tool chain, ActiveCampaign’s feature-packed plans have few equals. While its decent feature set could potentially be let down by the rather high prices on more expensive plans, ActiveCampaign still provides...
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
ALERT: Sendinblue has rebranded to Brevo! Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is simple and easy enough to use, and its generous free plan gives you unlimited contacts and allows you to send up to 300 emails per day. I liked the automation tools in particular, and the option of custom-coded email templates is always welcome.
DesignCrowd
DesignCrowd is a pretty good option, all things considered. The user interface can be very confusing at times, but you may well decide that the quite reasonable prices are worth it. If you want to save even more money but you need a professionally designed logo, you should head to Fiverr and hire a logo designer for as little as $5.
Liquid Web
Liquid Web doesn’t aim to provide average hosting at bargain prices. It’s expensive, period. But if you don’t mind paying more to know you’re going to get high-quality service, Liquid Web’s premium hosting plans are worth it in my opinion. This host guarantees you the stability that shared hosting services simply can’t.
AWeber
AWeber is perhaps one of my favorite email marketing platforms so far. It’s clear that decades of experience have been translated into a tight, efficient, and useful email marketing experience with few flaws, and there’s a nice free plan to get started with. Sure, I could wish that I didn’t have to scroll past outdated templates to get to the better-looking ones. I could...
DesignEvo
DesignEvo’s premade logos are hit and miss, but it offers some major advantages: the advanced logo editor and the ability to make your own semi-complex logo from scratch. Even with fewer features, the focus and flexibility offered by DesignEvo make it a true contender in the logo maker scene. However, if you are looking for a professionally made logo, hire a designer for $5 on...
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a perfectly good option for anyone who’s serious about starting an online business, and wants lots of visual customization options. It’s definitely intended for teams, though, with a dash of enterprise-level design philosophy. Still, no one should discount BigCommerce immediately. It’ll just take more time for e-commerce beginners to adjust to its host of...
The Logo Company
While the prices may be a little higher than you’ll find with some other services, The Logo Company’s business model provides peace of mind, making it so much easier to click that Buy button. If you have the budget, the service is worth it. If you don't, I suggest hiring a professional logo designer for as little as $5 on Fiverr.
WordPress
WordPress.com is a powerful and flexible website builder that requires a bit of a learning curve, but it’s worth learning if your website is a big part of your business strategy. It’s best for sites with loads of content, especially if you're willing to upgrade to one of its top-tier plans.
Squarespace Logo Maker
Most of the paid alternatives to this app far outdo what the Squarespace Logo Maker can offer; but then, they cost money. If you literally have little to no budget to speak of and are okay with having a decent but unoriginal logo, this is exactly the logo maker you need. But if you don't want to design a logo yourself, but are on a shoestring budget, hire a professional logo...
LogoMaker
LogoMaker isn't the worst logo maker out there, but that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it? It makes me sad because it has a lot of the right ideas, just mediocre execution. You’d be better off grabbing a logo from one of the competitors and leave the design work to a professional - hire a logo designer for $5 on Fiverr.
Blog Posts
Liquid Web VPS Review 2024: Is the Quality Worth the Price?
Liquid Web is all about that managed VPS hosting (and dedicated servers) and seems to fully believe in the idea that you get what you pay for. If you want quality hosting, you’re going to have to pay the price. And sure, I’m fine with all of that in theory; I’d say most of us are. But does Liquid Web actually deliver that quality? And are the features on offer worth the...
Accessibility Color Checker: How To Check Your Website [2024]
Right now, the WCAG 2.1 guidelines are your best guide to making sure people can actually read what’s on your websites, especially people with low vision or similar visual disabilities. But WCAG 2.1 compliance can be a little tricky. For example, you need to reach a minimum text to background contrast ratio of 4.5 to 1*, and that’s to say nothing of Level AA and Level AAA...
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Buying a Domain Name
You might know you need a domain name, but aren’t sure where to start. Or, you might have heard from a friend that you need one if you want a website, but you’re not quite sure what a domain name is. I make a living thinking and writing about nerd/web stuff, and I’ve been a web designer off and on for half my life. I can help. If you already have a general idea of what...
Hostinger VPS Review 2024 – Does It Live Up To Its Reputation?
While Hostinger’s shared hosting platform has long been a favorite of ours here at Website Planet, it also offers a number of VPS plans at low prices, with a wide variety of operating systems and control panels to choose from. But does the high quality of Hostinger’s shared plans translate to good value VPS options for your larger projects? With the sheer number of options...
How to Make Your Own Avatar + 9 Inspirational Designs [2024]
There’s no magic formula to create an avatar, because avatars are art. A few subtle details make all the difference between a legendary avatar, and the hundreds of others we see daily and instantly forget. Unless you have major artistic muscles that you exercise regularly, it’s probably best to hire a designer – and YES, you can afford it! If you want, you can skip...
How to Make Your WordPress Blog or Website Private [2024]
Whether you want to create a basic “Members Only” area of your business site, or just have a private blog for your family and friends to read, there are lots of reasons to lock down some or all of your website. Fortunately, WordPress makes that simple and easy enough. I’ve been building websites off and on for a decade, and using WordPress a lot of the time. I’ll admit, I’m...
A2 Hosting VPS Pricing Review: Can It Still Compete in 2024?
A2 Hosting is one of the older hosting companies still operating, and it banks hard on that reputation. Reliability is its watchword. But how reliable is it, really? I’ve thoroughly investigated A2 Hosting’s VPS service: I’ve tested the entry-level plan, I’ve engaged with the support team on more than one occasion, and I’ve compared its prices and plan details to other top...
FastComet VPS Review 2024: Good Speeds, but Old Software
FastComet offers shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers. There’s something here for everybody, everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. The company has 11 data centers all over the world. There’s a certain emphasis on e-commerce, with optimized shared hosting plans for WooCommerce, OpenCart, and Magento... and also WordPress for more general users. There’s also a lot said...
NameSilo Review: The Best Domain Name Manager? [2024]
NameSilo does one thing extremely well: domain name registration Sometimes all you want, or need, is to just buy a domain name and point it at your server. There are some great services for just that sort of thing, and NameSilo is one of them (hope you don’t mind a spoiler), but it offers so much more. NameSilo is one of those ambitious services that wants to do a...
Wix vs GoDaddy Website Builder 2024 – No Real Competition
Wix is a website builder giant that very few other platforms can compete with. GoDaddy is a web hosting and domain registration giant, which was enough to make me believe it had the chance to give Wix a real fight with its new and improved website builder. I’ve been a web designer for 15+ years. You’d think I would have learned by now to lower my expectations of shiny new...
99designs vs. Designhill: Which Is Best for Logo Design? [2024]
99designs is a well-known graphic design platform, and its website is beautiful - but does this mean it’s the best place to run a logo design contest? Not necessarily. Designhill might not look as polished, but it is more affordable. Can you really get a high-quality logo for a cheaper price? I decided to run design contests on both platforms to find out. This was actually...
GoDaddy VPS Review: Is It Good, and Is It Worth It? [2024]
GoDaddy, like so many other web hosting companies, wants to be your one-stop shop for domains, servers, site builders, ecommerce, and more. I’ve had the opportunity to review several of those services, and now… it’s time to talk about GoDaddy’s VPS hosting solutions. Is it any good? Does GoDaddy do anything interesting with VPS tech? How does it compare to the competition...
Google Domains Review 2024: You May Be Surprised By Its Features
Think of any single thing, and Google probably does it. Google, as a company, needs no introduction I think. And Google Domains is just one more thing in a long, long line of products and services that Google offers because... why not? It may as well. It certainly has the money lying around to do whatever it wants. And apparently what Google wants is for you to buy...
DreamHost VPS Review: Is It Worth It for VPS Hosting? [2024]
DreamHost VPS Hosting at a Glance DreamHost has so far established itself (with us) as a decent host with sometimes spotty customer service. But hey, things change, and even within a single company, different departments can provide completely different experiences. Enter DreamHost’s VPS plans. This product is actually something of an interesting beast. See, most VPS...
DIY Logo Maker vs Graphic Designer: Which Is Better in 2024?
DIY logo makers claim you can design your own logo in a matter of minutes with the help of AI (artificial intelligence). The question is how intelligent these tools really are. Are you going to end up with a logo that looks professional and unique, or are these apps are just fun AI-based toys to play around with? Good news! I actually went and tested a whole lot of DIY...