A2 Hosting vs. Hosting.com: What's New for Server Owners in 2026

A2 Hosting no longer exists as an independent brand; its domain a2hosting.com now redirects to hosting.com, and this 2026 change means server owners will find the former Sprint, Exceed, and Mach dedicated server plans completely replaced by a new lineup featuring AMD EPYC processors, NVMe drives up to 3.84TB, and up to 128GB of RAM.

In the world of hosting, changes are not uncommon. Mergers, acquisitions, and rebrands are part of a dynamic industry that constantly adapts to new technologies and market demands. However, when a well-known player like A2 Hosting completely changes its identity and domain, it raises many questions for existing clients and potential users. In this article, we will thoroughly examine what the transformation of A2 Hosting into hosting.com means, what changes have affected dedicated server offerings, and how to prepare for these changes to avoid issues and downtime.

What happened to A2 Hosting? The hosting.com rebranding

For many webmasters, developers, and system administrators, A2 Hosting was synonymous with reliable and high-performance hosting. The company, known for its "turbo servers" and focus on speed, held a strong position in the market for many years. However, in 2026, a radical rebranding occurred, changing not only the name but also the entire structure of its offerings. Now, attempting to access the familiar a2hosting.com automatically redirects you to hosting.com. This is not just a logo change; it's a complete acquisition or rebranding that entails profound changes for anyone who used A2 Hosting's services.

From A2 Hosting to hosting.com: A chronicle of changes

The fact that a2hosting.com redirects to hosting.com confirms the irreversibility of the process. This means that the A2 Hosting brand, as we knew it, has ceased to exist. The new hosting.com domain is likely intended to create a more universal and broader perception of the company, possibly targeting a wider range of services or consolidating various assets under a single name. For customers, this means a review of all previously familiar procedures: from accessing the control panel to interacting with support. It's important to understand that domain changes often involve shifts in legal structure, management teams, and most importantly, in the products offered and terms of service.

a2hosting.com redirects: Impact on SEO and access

From an SEO perspective, a redirect from a2hosting.com to hosting.com is standard practice during a rebranding. This allows some of the "link equity" of the old domain to be passed to the new one, minimizing losses in search rankings. However, for users accustomed to typing the old address or who have it bookmarked, this might cause some confusion. An automatic redirect is typically a 301 (Permanent Redirect), signaling to search engines that the resource has permanently moved. But despite technical correctness, it's always a reason for customers to carefully examine the new provider, even if it's essentially "the same" hoster under a new name. You need to ensure that all links pointing to your website or services hosted on a2hosting.com are correctly handled after the redirect, and also update documentation and internal links where the old domain was mentioned.

hosting.com dedicated servers: What's under the hood?

The most significant change for A2 Hosting dedicated server owners is the complete transformation of the product lineup. The former, well-known Sprint, Exceed, and Mach plans are no longer offered. Instead, hosting.com has focused on high-performance configurations based on modern technologies.

As of August 2026, according to information from the dedicated servers page on hosting.com, current dedicated server offerings are built on the following specifications. It's important to note that there are no public prices on the page, and to get a specific quote, you need to contact the sales department. Prices may change.

AMD EPYC processors: Power and efficiency

The new hosting.com dedicated server lineup is based on AMD EPYC processors. This is a significant change, as A2 Hosting traditionally offered Intel Xeon-based solutions. AMD EPYC processors are known for their high core counts, per-core performance, and support for large amounts of RAM. They are excellent for virtualization, databases, high-load web services, and resource-intensive computing. The choice of AMD EPYC underscores hosting.com's commitment to providing modern and powerful solutions. When choosing a server for a specific task, understanding the architecture and benefits of different CPUs is critical.

NVMe storage and upgrade options

In a standard configuration, hosting.com dedicated servers include:

• Boot Drive: 480GB NVMe.
• Primary Drives: 2x960GB NVMe in RAID 1. This ensures high read/write speeds and fault tolerance.

Disk subsystem upgrade options are available:

• Up to 1.92TB NVMe.
• Up to 3.84TB NVMe.
• Alternatively, up to 8TB SATA, if storage volume is more important than maximum I/O speed.

The use of NVMe drives is standard for high-performance servers in 2026. They significantly outperform traditional SSDs and even more so HDDs in speed, which is critical for databases, caching, and applications with intensive disk loads.

Network capabilities and data center location

Servers are located in a data center in Dallas. This is key information for assessing network latency to your target audience. Standard connectivity is provided at 1 Gbps, but there is an option to upgrade to 10 Gbps, which is necessary for projects with very high traffic or demanding bandwidth requirements.

# Example of checking ping to a data center in Dallas (IP address may vary)
ping -c 5 104.148.113.100 

# Example of checking network speed from a server (after installing iperf3)
# On the server:
# iperf3 -s
# On the client:
# iperf3 -c [SERVER_IP] -P 5 -R

These parameters allow you to assess the suitability of the new hosting.com dedicated servers for various tasks, from hosting large web applications to deploying game servers or complex enterprise infrastructures.

Where did Sprint, Exceed, and Mach go? Old plans discontinued

For many long-term A2 Hosting customers, the Sprint, Exceed, and Mach plans were iconic. They offered various levels of performance and resources, allowing users to choose the optimal option for specific needs. The absence of these plans in the new hosting.com lineup is not just a name change but an indicator of deeper structural changes in the company's product strategy.

Comparing old and new offerings

Without the exact specifications and prices of the old Sprint, Exceed, and Mach plans (which are no longer current), a direct comparison with current hosting.com offerings is difficult. However, it can be assumed that the new AMD EPYC configurations with NVMe drives offer significantly higher performance and modern technologies compared to what was available a few years ago. The old plans likely relied on less powerful processors (possibly older generations of Intel Xeon) and may have used HDDs or SATA SSDs as the primary disk subsystem. The new lineup, focused on EPYC and NVMe, is geared towards maximum performance and efficiency.

For existing customers who are still on old A2 Hosting plans, this means that sooner or later they will have to face the need to transition to new terms. It is important to carefully examine what specific changes have occurred to their current contract, price, and specifications. Most likely, hosting.com will offer migration to new plans, but the terms of this migration may vary.

How to determine if your current plan meets new realities

If you were an A2 Hosting customer and your server continues to operate, you need to take the following steps to assess the situation:

1. Check your current billing and contract: Ensure that the terms under which you are paying have not changed without your knowledge.
2. Compare specifications: Try to find out what hardware your current server is running on. It might have already been upgraded to AMD EPYC or NVMe, but this is unlikely without notification.
3. Assess performance: Conduct performance tests on your server (CPU, disk subsystem, network) and compare them with the advertised specifications of the new hosting.com servers. If your server significantly lags, it's a reason to consider an upgrade or migration.
4. Contact support: Ask direct questions about the future of your current plan, its renewal options, and the terms for transitioning to new offerings.

The absence of old plans means that the company aims to unify its product line and focus on more modern and, likely, more expensive solutions. This can be beneficial for those seeking maximum performance but may pose a challenge for customers with limited budgets or less demanding projects.

A2 Hosting customer checklist: What to verify after the rebrand

When your hosting provider undergoes a rebranding, especially one as significant as A2 Hosting's transition to hosting.com, it requires diligence from the customer. Here's a step-by-step checklist to help you ensure the stability of your services and protect your interests:

1. Check notifications from the provider: Carefully review all emails and messages from A2 Hosting / hosting.com. They should contain information about the rebranding, changes in terms of service, account migration, etc.
2. Log in to the new/updated control panel: Ensure that you can log in to your account on hosting.com and that all your services, domains, servers, and billing information are displayed correctly.
3. Review the updated contract and Terms of Service (ToS): There may have been changes to legal aspects, privacy policy, SLA (Service Level Agreement), and usage policies. Make sure the new terms are acceptable to you.
4. Verify billing information: Confirm that rates, payment dates, and payment methods remain the same or have been correctly transferred. Pay attention to any changes in prices or payment structure.
5. Contact customer support: Test the new/updated support service. Ask a few questions to assess their responsiveness and competence. Find out how communication channels (phone, chat, tickets) have changed.
6. Check server access and operation: Ensure that SSH/RDP access to your dedicated server works without changes. Check server logs for unusual activity or errors after the rebranding.
7. Monitor performance: For several days after the rebranding, closely monitor your server's performance (CPU load, RAM usage, I/O latency, network throughput). Any unexplained drops could signal problems.
8. Backup strategy: Ensure that your backup strategy remains current and works without failures. If the provider offers backup services, check its settings and functionality.
9. Update DNS records (if necessary): Although the redirect from a2hosting.com to hosting.com should be transparent, if you use any specific records associated with the old A2 Hosting domain, ensure they have been updated or continue to function.
10. Evaluate new offerings: Explore the new hosting.com dedicated server lineup. They may offer more powerful and modern solutions that could be beneficial for your project in the future.

A thorough check using this checklist will help you minimize risks and stay informed about all changes related to your hosting provider's rebranding.

Choosing a dedicated server: Matching your workload

Choosing a dedicated server is always a compromise between performance, resources, and cost. This is especially important when considering new offerings, such as those from hosting.com. While there are no public prices for their dedicated servers, we can rely on typical configurations suitable for various workloads. Below is a general table that will help you estimate the necessary resources. It's important to remember that these figures are approximate and may vary depending on your software optimization and specific workload.

For 50 concurrent users running complex analytics or a high-traffic web application, a recommended configuration includes 16 CPU cores, 64 GB RAM, and NVMe drives starting from 1.92 TB.

The current hosting.com dedicated servers based on AMD EPYC with NVMe drives (from 480GB boot + 2x960GB RAID 1, upgradeable to 3.84TB) and up to 128GB of RAM, with 1 Gbps network connectivity (10 Gbps available) and located in the Dallas data center, fully meet the requirements for medium and high-load projects from this table. For comparison with other service types, such as VPS or cloud solutions, it's useful to explore what a VPS is in 2026 and how it differs from dedicated servers.

Since hosting.com does not provide public prices, to get an accurate cost estimate for a configuration that meets your needs, you will need to submit a request directly to the provider. Prices are current as of August 2026 and may change.

When to consider migration: Signs it's time for a2 hosting alternatives

Even if a rebranding goes relatively smoothly, there's always a risk that changes could negatively impact your project. Understanding when to look for a2 hosting alternatives can help you avoid critical situations and downtime.

Signs of service degradation or changing terms

The following signals should make you seriously consider looking for a new hosting provider:

• Unjustified price increases: If, after the rebranding, the cost of your services significantly increases without a corresponding improvement in quality or features.
• Performance degradation: Frequent downtime, slow website loading, high latency, or a drop in disk operation speeds that were not previously characteristic.
• Decreased support quality: Long response times, incompetent specialists, lack of 24/7 support, or a more complicated contact process.
• Worsening SLA: If the new provider offers less favorable terms for service availability (uptime) or quality guarantees.
• Lack of functionality: If new offerings do not include options that were critically important to you (e.g., specific OS, control panels, developer tools).
• Lack of transparency in communications: Absence of clear information about future changes, development plans, or reasons for problems.
• Security issues: Increased security incidents, ignoring vulnerabilities, or lack of adequate protection measures.

Finding alternatives: What to look for in other providers

If you decide it's time to switch hosts, pay attention to the following aspects when choosing an alternative:

• Hardware specifications: Look for modern processors (AMD EPYC, latest generation Intel Xeon), fast NVMe drives, sufficient RAM, and high-speed network connectivity.
• Data center locations: Choose a provider with data centers geographically close to your target audience to minimize latency.
• Scalability: Ensure the provider offers flexible resource scaling options (RAM, disk, CPU upgrades) as your project grows.
• Reputation and reviews: Research reviews from other customers, especially those with similar needs.
• Support quality: Evaluate the availability and competence of technical support.
• Pricing transparency: Choose providers with clear and understandable pricing policies, without hidden fees.
• SLA and guarantees: Carefully review the Service Level Agreement, which guarantees availability and performance.
• Developer tools: Availability of API, automation capabilities, support for various OS and technologies.

Valebyte.com offers a wide range of VPS and dedicated servers that can be an excellent alternative if you are looking for reliability, performance, and flexibility.

How to migrate servers with zero downtime: A step-by-step guide

Server migration is a complex process, but with proper planning and execution, it can be done with minimal downtime. This is especially relevant if you are forced to look for alternatives and migrating from Render.com to a VPS or from any other provider.

Migration planning: From audit to testing

1. Audit of current infrastructure:
   • Compile a complete list of all applications, databases, files, configurations, cron jobs, SSL certificates, domains, and DNS records on your current server.
   • Identify dependencies between components.
   • Record OS versions, software (web server, DBMS, language interpreters).
2. Choosing a new provider and server:
   • Based on the audit and performance requirements, select a new provider and plan that meets or exceeds current specifications.
   • Ensure the new server has a compatible operating system and software versions.
3. Preparing the new server:
   • Install and configure the operating system.
   • Install all necessary software (web server, DBMS, PHP/Python/Node.js, etc.) and their dependencies.
   • Configure the firewall, SSH access, and user accounts.
4. Creating backups:
   • Make a full backup of all data on the current server. Use reliable methods (rsync, tar, database dumps).
5. Data transfer:
   • Use rsync for incremental copying of files from the source server to the target. This allows you to synchronize data multiple times, minimizing downtime during the final switch.
   • Export and import databases.
6. Application configuration:
   • Deploy your applications on the new server.
   • Configure configuration files, environment variables, database paths.
   • Install SSL certificates.
7. Testing:
   • Use the /etc/hosts file on your local machine to point the domain to the new server's IP. This allows you to fully test the website and applications on the new server without affecting live traffic.
   • Check all functions, forms, database access, and background tasks.
   • Conduct load testing if possible.

Tools and automation for migration

To speed up and simplify migration, you can use the following tools and approaches:

• rsync: Ideal for transferring files and directories. Allows synchronization of only changed data, reducing final copy time.

rsync -avz --progress /path/to/source/ user@new_server_ip:/path/to/destination/

• mysqldump / pg_dump: For exporting databases.

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database_name] > database.sql
mysql -u [username] -p [database_name] < database.sql

• Ansible/Chef/Puppet: For automating new server setup. Allows deploying an identical configuration, reducing the risk of errors.
• Docker/Kubernetes: If your infrastructure is containerized, migration is significantly simplified, as ready-made images are transferred.
• DNS TTL: Before the final switch, reduce the TTL (Time To Live) of your DNS records to a minimum value (e.g., 300 seconds or 5 minutes). This will allow DNS changes to propagate faster.
• Final DNS switch: After successful testing on the new server, change your domain's A records in the DNS panel to point to the new server's IP address.

After the DNS switch, traffic will continue to go to the old server for some time (equal to the TTL), then gradually switch to the new one. During this period, it is important to keep the old server powered on and active to avoid downtime. Once you are sure that all traffic is going to the new server, the old one can be powered off.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the A2 Hosting rebranding to hosting.com mean for my current services?

The rebranding signifies that the A2 Hosting brand has ceased to exist, with all operations now managed by hosting.com. This involves changes to the domain name (a2hosting.com redirects), the product lineup (the former Sprint/Exceed/Mach plans are no longer available), and potentially the terms of service. You should review your billing, contract, and ensure that all terms of your current agreement remain unchanged, and that server access and support function correctly.

What hardware are the new hosting.com dedicated servers built on?

The new hosting.com dedicated server lineup in 2026 is based on AMD EPYC processors. In a standard configuration, they include 480GB NVMe for the boot drive and 2x960GB NVMe in RAID 1 for primary data. RAM can be up to 128GB. Servers are located in a data center in Dallas and offer 1 Gbps network connectivity with an option to upgrade to 10 Gbps.

Where did the Sprint, Exceed, and Mach plans go?

The Sprint, Exceed, and Mach plans previously offered by A2 Hosting are no longer available. They have been replaced by a new, unified lineup of AMD EPYC-based dedicated servers. If you were on one of these plans, you need to contact hosting.com support to clarify the terms of your current contract and options for transitioning to new offerings, if your plan was not automatically updated.

How can I find out the price for a hosting.com dedicated server?

As of August 2026, public prices for hosting.com dedicated servers are not listed on their website. To get information on pricing and specific configurations, you will need to submit a request directly through the form on the dedicated servers page on hosting.com or contact their sales department. Prices depend on the chosen configuration (RAM, disk volume, network speed) and may change over time.

What drives are used in the new servers, and are there upgrade options?

The new hosting.com dedicated servers use NVMe drives. The base configuration includes 480GB NVMe for booting and 2x960GB NVMe in RAID 1. Disk subsystem upgrades are possible up to 1.92TB NVMe, 3.84TB NVMe, or, if large storage volume is needed, up to 8TB SATA. NVMe drives provide significantly higher read/write speeds compared to traditional SSDs or HDDs.

Conclusion

The rebranding of A2 Hosting to hosting.com in 2026 is a significant event requiring attention from all server owners. The discontinuation of the former Sprint/Exceed/Mach plans and the transition to a new lineup of AMD EPYC-based dedicated servers with NVMe drives up to 3.84TB and up to 128GB RAM in the Dallas data center undoubtedly enhance the performance and technological sophistication of the offerings. However, due to the lack of public pricing and the need to adapt to new terms, it is crucial for customers to conduct a thorough audit of their current services and be prepared for potential migration or upgrades to ensure the stable operation of their projects.