TL; DR: If you think you need tech expertise to host your site, think again. Founded by tech entrepreneur Ryan Gray, NameHero is a cloud web hosting provider with powerful services designed for everyone, from DIY novices to enterprise-level businesses. Choose from web hosting, game server hosting, or email hosting — and stay tuned for even more custom solutions on the horizon.
I’ll never forget the day I decided to learn how to cut my own hair. I prefer to support local businesses where I can, so I booked an appointment with a stylist-in-training who was offering a nice discount. When I arrived, I asked for face-framing bangs and an inch off the bottom. Simple, right?
But let me tell you that is not what I walked out with. I left with a lopsided mess and the chunkiest, bluntest bangs that have ever graced my forehead. Of course, I didn’t say anything — judging by her face, she knew she’d just pulled off what looked like a drunken Edward Scissorhands moment. So I thanked her, smiled, and went on my way.
Now, I’m not one to lose sleep over a bad haircut, but that day, I made a decision: I’ll learn how to cut my own hair. Sure, there are times when you absolutely need an expert, but there are also moments when you can confidently take matters into your own hands.
Web hosting is not one of those things I think I could take into my own hands. It’s far more complex than wielding a $10 pair of dollar-store scissors and following a YouTube tutorial. Because let’s be real: Most people who need a website don’t have the expertise (or desire) to navigate the intricacies of hosting. Ideally, we’d have seamless access to exactly what we need without any unwelcome surprises.
NameHero is a prime example of expertise in the web hosting industry.
NameHero was founded by experienced entrepreneur in the tech field, Ryan Gray, who serves as the CEO and founder.
One might say he’s a seasoned pro: With nearly three decades of experience as a web developer, he launched NameHero less than a decade ago.
Because when it comes to web hosting, you don’t want to risk a bad haircut; you want a pro with a steady hand and years of experience, not just someone with a pair of scissors and a dream.
Hosting Made Easy
Founded in 2015, NameHero has quickly built a global network of web hosting experts and earned spots on the Inc. 5000 lists in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Making the list is no small feat. Only companies with certain revenue growth over a three-year period qualify. So, yes, it’s a big deal for a young company, and I think much of that success comes down to Ryan’s own expertise.
Back in 1999, he launched his own web development company and helped local businesses establish their online presence long before it was an expected service. So to say Ryan was ahead of the curve is an understatement.
Ryan described NameHero’s beginnings as “a basement operation” that now encompasses 31 full-time employees, adding: “I always say every day that we have to be dynamic. And even though we’ve grown, our customers are our only investors, so it’s very important for us to have our ear to the ground.”
Ear-to-the-ground is no exaggeration. Ryan credits the growth of NameHero to its customers and the collaborative, feedback-based relationship the provider has with them.
“We look over the forms from all our tickets and the feedback we gather from customers each month. This helps us figure out how we can do better and what we need to address moving forward,” Ryan explained.
Changing with the trends so willingly may be why NameHero has a 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot, says Ryan: “That definitely speaks to our relationship with our customers. It kind of goes above the norm, and that’s been the values we’ve lived by and try to continue to sustain.”
NameHero also owns its own data center in Missouri. Now, owning a data center in itself is not unusual, but for a smaller company, it’s definitely a diamond-in-the-rough type of thing.
“We have our own data center-owned servers. We developed our own proprietary cloud. We’re not a reseller of anyone else’s services, either,” Ryan added.
He also hinted that although it’s not official yet, somewhere in Europe may be the next location. Operating a data center in the heart of Europe’s fast-growing tech hub is a pretty good move if you ask me.
It’s Game On
NameHero wears a few different hosting hats under the cloud umbrella. Here’s a glance at its services (which I’ll dive deeper into next):
- Web Hosting
- WordPress Hosting
- WooCommerce Hosting
- Enterprise Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- Flex VPS Hosting
- Reseller Hosting
- Email Hosting
- Game Server Hosting
- Domain Registration
Several of these services are brand-spanking-new, which in part brings me here today. For starters, the email hosting was only added in Q2 of this year for “those who are looking for another alternative.”
“If they want to have an email account where they know their data is safe, they can get it from us now,” Ryan explained. “Those servers are fully owned by us and we don’t sell the data. Nobody else can see it. It’s their eyes only.”
As more people are speaking out about how their data is used, this is a breath of fresh air.
Another recent launch was expanding its VPS hosting offerings with the new CloudShield product.
“We’re seeing a trend where companies tend to run more lean nowadays; they don’t have a team of ten tech people. If they’re lucky, they might have one — if that,” Ryan explained. “So we’re trying to have our solutions that are easy to use regardless of people’s experience, but with that enterprise capability.”
CloudShield is an all-in-one completely configured VPS hosting product that comes with a cloud Linux operating system (OS). It also has Imunify360, LightSpeed, and cPanel dashboard — all preinstalled, configured, and ready to go upon purchase.
NameHero’s game server hosting is also a recent venture. Ryan explained that it was born out of necessity. A lot of customers were approaching NameHero about spinning up a game node on one of its VPSes.
The issue is VPS web hosting obviously doesn’t work for game hosting.
“It’s a completely different configuration. What you’re going to play Minecraft on is completely different than what you want to serve your website on,” Ryan explained.
That’s where the game server need came in. Although only a small percentage of NameHero’s customer base uses game server hosting, it’s a pretty decent package.
Choose from Palworld, Rust, Soulmask, or Minecraft to play with your friends right away.
Here’s the best part: There’s no setup needed. As a fully managed provider, NameHero offers simple, one-click deployment with no need for extra configuration.
Plus, NameHero avoids overloading its servers — something not every company openly admits to.
(I like to follow the rule: if they don’t mention details like these, there’s probably a reason.)
There is one way the gaming servers are like web hosting. Both NameHero services are protected by enterprise-level DDoS security. That’s because DDoS security is a common problem in both gaming servers and web hosting.
“We’re building our gaming servers with the same performance and security in mind as our web hosting because performance is absolutely everything,” Ryan said. “Whether you’re hosting websites, reselling, running a VPS, or managing a gaming server, you’re all at risk for DDoS attacks — especially in the gaming world.”
And boy, is that true. Did you know your game can get hacked? And it happens a lot more often than you think. A study by Gcore shows that 34% of game companies face attacks every two months.
Ryan said that although it took some training to get the game servers off the ground, he’s optimistic about the team NameHero has established, adding, “We hope to bring that same customer service and satisfaction we’re known for in the hosting space into the gaming space as well.”
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Much of NameHero’s future plans center around expanding its existing services, particularly around WordPress and eCommerce hosting.
WordPress runs nearly half of all active websites, and Ryan said this shows that people want more flexibility in their hosting options. In other words, more people are moving away from being locked into specific software vendors.
Ryan has been in the web industry for more than 25 years, so he’s not one to shy away from trends and what they demand.
This means being flexible is not just an option, it’s a necessity. So next on the exploration list for NameHero is AI integration for an in-house website builder solution through its WordPress platform.
“It’s mainly for beginners who don’t want to hire a designer because it feels too complicated. They’ll be able to set up their own website easily,” Ryan explained.
But first, NameHero is completely revamping its site builder, HeroBuilder, which currently offers more than 200 website templates.
Many more features have been added since, but check out some of the basic features HeroBuilder showcased in this 2020 video:
The plan is to leverage AI so customers who don’t know code or don’t want to hire a web developer can easily get their site online with just a few clicks.
“All hands are on deck for AI integration and our new website builder,” Ryan said. “As well as looking for potential international locations, we’re really focused on expanding these parts of our services the most.”
Plus, NameHero is offering up to 85% off for its web hosting services. Prices are as low as $1.34 per month for basic web hosting.
But it’s only for a short while — so if I were you, I would get in while you can. Check it out today.