The Turbo Server Claim vs. Reality
A2 Hosting’s primary marketing angle is the “Turbo” server tier, which they claim is up to 20x faster than standard shared hosting. The Turbo servers run LiteSpeed Web Server rather than Apache, and LiteSpeed does handle concurrent requests more efficiently under load. In our testing, a WordPress site on A2 Turbo loaded in 1.9s — a genuine improvement over the base shared plan (2.6s) and faster than Hostinger’s comparable tier. However, the “20x faster” claim requires a specific benchmark scenario that doesn’t reflect typical real-world conditions. Expect 20-40% better performance than standard Apache shared hosting, not 2000%.
That said, LiteSpeed is a legitimate performance advantage. For sites that can’t move to managed hosting yet, A2 Turbo is one of the better-performing shared environments available.
Developer Features That Stand Out
A2 Hosting includes SSH access on all plans — something SiteGround reserves for higher tiers. Git integration is available directly through cPanel, which makes deploying code changes cleaner than FTP-based workflows. Staging environments are available on the higher-tier plans. For developers who need a cheap sandbox for testing Joomla, Drupal, or Magento installs (not just WordPress), A2’s broad CMS support is a practical advantage — Kinsta and WP Engine are WordPress-only.
The any-time money-back guarantee is a notable differentiator. Most hosts limit refunds to 30 days. A2’s policy removes the timing pressure when evaluating the platform.
A2 vs. SiteGround and Cloudways
Against SiteGround, A2 Hosting’s renewal pricing ($10.99/mo) is more predictable and lower than SiteGround’s $17.99/mo renewal — a meaningful advantage for price-sensitive buyers on a multi-year budget. SiteGround’s performance and dashboard quality edge ahead, but not by a margin that justifies the higher renewal cost for developers comfortable with cPanel.
Against Cloudways, there’s no comparison on performance — Cloudways cloud infrastructure wins outright. But Cloudways requires comfort with server concepts. A2 Hosting’s cPanel environment is more familiar for developers coming from shared hosting who aren’t ready to manage cloud instances.
Who Should Use A2 Hosting
Developers who need SSH access and Git on a budget, teams running non-WordPress CMS platforms, and site owners who want a step up from basic shared hosting without committing to managed hosting pricing.