Should You Use the SiteGround GrowBig Plan for a Growing Website with High Traffic?

In this SiteGround GrowBig review, we’ll take a closer look at the features, performance, and pricing of the GrowBig plan to help you determine whether it’s the right choice for your website. We’ll also compare it to the StartUp and GoGeek plans to see which one might be a better fit for your specific needs.

I’m a big fan of SiteGround. In my SiteGround review, I have covered all the key features and pros and cons of this premium web hosting service. Here, I will zoom in on their GrowBig plan ($4.99/month).

TL;DR: The SiteGround GrowBig plan is geared toward individuals and businesses looking to increase their client base and grow their revenue. It has high-quality features on a robust platform and is enough to satisfy even the most demanding customer.

However, this plan is not for enterprise-scale businesses that will be disappointed with the lack of dedicated features. For that, SiteGround’s GoGeek plan is a much better choice.

What is the SiteGround GrowBig Plan?

SiteGround is a well-respected hosting provider founded in Bulgaria in 2004. The company is one of only a handful that WordPress officially endorses, and indeed, its hosting plans are fully set up for all WordPress and WooCommerce hosting requirements.

While the company’s hosting plans aren’t the cheapest going, you do get exceptional value with premium features, so it’s well worth the cost. And with servers based in multiple locations across the globe and powered by Google Cloud Infrastructure, SiteGround is one of the fastest and most reliable providers around.

SiteGround’s GrowBig plan is its mid-tier and bestselling plan. Designed for growing businesses, all your hosting needs are met, and then some.

Suitable for standard hosting needs, WordPress, and WooCommerce, the GrowBig plan has a wide appeal for anyone (even beginners) requiring a hosting solution for more than one website.

GrowBig Plan Features

Before we get stuck into the detail, here’s a quick look at what the GrowBig plan offers its customers:

• Hosting for unlimited websites
• 20 GB web space
• 100,000 monthly visits
• Unmetered traffic
• Free SSL certificate and CDN
• Free email and email migrator
• Daily backups and enhanced security
• One-click staging
• On-demand backup copies
• 30% faster PHP
• Out-of-the-box caching
• Unlimited databases
• 100% renewable energy match
• Collaboration feature
• Weebly or WordPress website builders included
• Google Cloud hosting infrastructure
• Free WordPress installation and migration and automatic updates
• WP-CLI and SSH
• WooCommerce online store enabled
• Managed WordPress services
• Officially endorsed by WordPress
• 24/7 customer support

Why Choose the GrowBig Plan?

Unlimited Websites

A big part of why you would choose the GrowBig plan over the lower-tier Startup plan is the difference in the number of websites you can host.

The Startup plan only allows for a single website, whereas GrowBig lets you have unlimited. This can be standard websites, WordPress, WooCommerce, or a mix of all three.

The beauty of having no restrictions here is that it allows you to scale your business without worrying about your plan limits every five minutes.

Enhanced Security and On-Demand Backup

The last thing you want to be concerned with is whether or not you remembered to perform any security tasks on your websites. After all, falling foul of a malware attack is just about the worst thing that can happen to a website, so it’s definitely something to be avoided where possible.

Fortunately, most of SiteGround’s security features are robust and plentiful. Here’s what you get:

• Power and hardware redundancy
• Anti-hack systems and server monitoring
• Spam protection
• Unique account isolation
• LXC-based stability
• Regular updates and patches

In addition to this, SiteGound automatically performs daily backups and keeps each copy for 30 days. So if you need to revert to a previous version, you’ll have 30 of them to choose from.

The GrowBig plan also includes on-demand backups, meaning you can perform one whenever you need to and store up to five in one go.

This is especially useful if you are about to install something new, make some big changes, or run any updates. If anything goes wrong, you can wipe that sweat off your brow and simply revert straight back to the copy you just made.

Ultrafast PHP

I won’t get into the technicalities of what PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is. All you need to know is that SiteGround has developed its unique PHP technology to bring you ultrafast page load speeds. Up to 30% faster, in fact.

SiteGround achieves this by having a PHP with lower memory usage, allowing the server to deal with larger quantities of data faster.

This feature is unique to SiteGround and essential for businesses that require fast-loading websites. After all, don’t forget that Google penalizes slow-loading pages, so to have this feature on your side is a real plus.

WordPress Staging

Hands up, who has wrecked their WordPress site before?

I’m guessing it’s a good percentage of you, myself included. WordPress is awesome, but the sheer number of customization options and plugins makes it easy to slip up and install something that simply doesn’t tango with your WordPress site. The end result is the site crashing, and you have to pick up the pieces and start again.

The GrowBig plan addresses this problem by providing one-click staging for your WordPress sites. This entails making an exact copy of your website, allowing you to test out any desired changes in a safe environment.

Meanwhile, the original site stays intact, and you can make the changes after you have tested them and are confident they won’t pose an issue.

100% Renewable Energy Match

We should all be striving to make more environmentally conscious decisions in all aspects of our lives, and hosting is no exception.

Fortunately, SiteGround is way ahead of the game here and promises a 100% renewable energy match.

How can it do this?

Well, it uses Google Cloud infrastructure. And Google has been carbon neutral for longer than you think.

Additionally, Google has an energy match guarantee in place for all energy consumed in its data centers and offices (which, believe me, is a lot). The organization, therefore, matches all its consumed energy with the equivalent amount of energy derived from renewable sources.

Pricing

The GrowBig plan has an initial promotional rate followed by its standard rate once your initial subscription period has expired:

• Monthly contract: $29.99
• 12-month contract: $4.99/month, billed annually
  • The renewal cost is $24.99/month, billed annually

No matter which contract length you choose, you can take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee and try the platform without risk.

If GrowBig sounds good to you. Why not sign up and give it a try?

Pros and Cons

Pros

• SiteGround offers a large number of advanced features are included in the price, and many of the free or unlimited ones
• Staging and on-demand backups make it an extra secure option, particularly if you make a lot of changes often
• The 100% renewable energy match is great for sustainability
• The control panel is simple to navigate and use
• Host unlimited websites
• Free CDN and free SSL certificates
• 24/7 live chat, phone customer service making troubleshooting stress free
• Lots of great features for WordPress users, including managed WordPress hosting services
• Premium server resources (2x more server resources than the StartUp plan)
• Includes SiteGround security plugin and caching plugin

Cons

• No priority support (only on the GoGeek plan)
• Price jumps at renewal

GrowBig vs StartUp, and GrowBig vs GoGeek

GrowBig vs StartUp:

• GrowBig plan offers more features than StartUp plan, including 2x more server resources, priority support, unlimited websites, and more. Target customers are small to medium-sized businesses with multiple websites or those who need more resources.
• StartUp plan is a good option for those who need basic features and want to keep costs low. Target customers are individuals or small businesses with a single website and a tight budget.
• GrowBig is $4.99/month, and StartUp is $2.99/month

GrowBig vs GoGeek:

• GrowBig plan is a good option for those who need more resources and advanced features such as priority support, staging environment, and on-demand backups. Target customers are small to medium-sized businesses with multiple websites or those who need more resources and advanced features.
• GoGeek plan offers even more advanced features, including 4x more server resources, white-label clients, and Git repository, making it ideal for larger websites with more complex needs. Target customers are large businesses or individuals with complex websites that require advanced features and high performance.
• GrowBig is $4.99/month, and GoGeek is $7.99/month

Questions & Answers

Our Verdict

I personally believe that SiteGround is an excellent choice when it comes to hosting services. They’re a friendly bunch, and they also happen to have top-notch hosting plans on offer too.

I recently reviewed their Startup plan and was blown away by the number of features you got for just a few dollars. It was definitely more generous than most competitors’ entry-level plans.

Having been so impressed with the Startup plan, I decided to try out its GrowBig plan for size and see if it also lived up to my now somewhat high expectations.

Designed for growing businesses, the GrowBig plan offers plenty, so let’s get into it in a little more detail.

Still, for most people, it’s a solid choice, so I recommend you give this premium web host a go.

Want to sign up for the GrowBig plan? Find out how to do it here. If you don’t think SiteGround has all your boxes ticked, why not take a look at some great SiteGround alternatives?

Recent Improvements & Updates

SiteGround constantly improves its hosting services with faster speeds, better security, a user-friendly interface, enhanced customer support, and eco-friendly initiatives. Here are just some of the recent improvements (last checked October 2024):

• Free Domain Name: As of January 2024, SiteGround now offers its customers a free domain registration for the first year.
• Advanced Email Marketing Features: SiteGround has significantly upped its game in the email marketing arena. The introduction of an AI Email Writer stands out as a game-changer, enabling users to craft compelling emails effortlessly. The feature is designed to aid in generating high-quality email content, streamlining the email creation process. Additionally, the new scheduling feature allows for better planning and timing of email campaigns, ensuring optimal engagement. These tools are part of SiteGround’s broader strategy to enhance digital marketing capabilities for its users.
• Enhanced Security with ‘Under Attack’ Mode: In response to the increasing sophistication of HTTP attacks, SiteGround has bolstered its CDN (Content Delivery Network) with an ‘Under Attack’ mode. This mode provides an additional layer of security, safeguarding websites against complex cyber threats. It’s a proactive measure that ensures website integrity and uninterrupted service, even under duress.
• Email Marketing Tool with Lead Generation for WordPress: SiteGround has integrated a lead generation plugin with its email marketing tool, specifically tailored for WordPress users. This integration is a significant step towards empowering website owners to capture more leads directly through their WordPress sites. It simplifies the process of converting website visitors into potential customers, enhancing the overall effectiveness of email marketing campaigns.
• Early Access to PHP 8.3 (Beta 3): Demonstrating its commitment to staying at the forefront of technology, SiteGround now offers PHP 8.3 (Beta 3) for testing on its servers. This opportunity allows developers and tech enthusiasts to experiment with the latest PHP features, providing valuable feedback and insights ahead of its official release. It’s an invitation to be part of the evolving PHP landscape, ensuring that SiteGround users are always ahead of the curve.
• SiteGround Email Marketing Tool Launch: The launch of the SiteGround Email Marketing tool marks a significant milestone in their service offerings. This tool is designed to boost business growth by enabling effective communication with customers and prospects. Its user-friendly interface and powerful features make it an indispensable tool for businesses looking to enhance their digital marketing efforts.
• Implementation of SRS for Reliable Email Forwarding: SiteGround has implemented the Sender Rewrite Scheme (SRS) to improve the reliability of email forwarding. SRS addresses issues related to SPF (Sender Policy Framework) checks, ensuring that forwarded emails are not wrongly classified as spam. This update is crucial for maintaining the integrity and deliverability of forwarded emails.
• Expansion with Paris Data Center and CDN Point: To cater to its growing global customer base, SiteGround has added a new data center in Paris, France, and an additional CDN point. This expansion not only improves service quality and speeds for European users but also signifies SiteGround’s commitment to global reach and performance optimization.
• Launch of SiteGround’s Custom CDN: In a significant development, SiteGround has launched its own custom CDN. This CDN is tailored to work seamlessly with SiteGround’s hosting environment, offering improved loading times and enhanced website performance. This custom solution signifies SiteGround’s dedication to providing a holistic and integrated web hosting experience.

Reviewing SiteGround: Our Methodology

When we review web hosts like SiteGround, our evaluation is based on these criteria:

1. Value for Money: What types of web hosting plans are on offer, and are they good value for money?
2. User Friendliness: How user-friendly is the signup process, the onboarding, the dashboard? and so on.
3. Customer Support: When we need help, how quickly can we get it, and is the support effective and helpful?
4. Hosting Features: What unique features does the web host provide, and how do they stack up against competitors?
5. Security: Are essential security measures like SSL certificates, DDoS protection, backup services, and malware/virus scans included?
6. Speed and Uptime: Is the hosting service fast and reliable? What types of servers do they use, and how do they perform in tests?

For more details on our review process, click here.