TL;DR
Bulgaria may seem a little out of the way as far as the European Union is concerned. Yet surprisingly, the country has birthed a few notable web hosting companies. Some like ScalaHosting and AltusHost have grown their identities strongly on the international stage. Others like ICN remain strong in-country and rebrand for overseas operations.
1. ScalaHosting
ScalaHosting
Originating from Bulgaria, ScalaHosting has grown into a global web host offering innovative web technologies and strong customer support.
ScalaHosting HQ: 1999 Bryan St, Ste 900, Dallas, Texas, 75201, USA.
For those familiar with the ScalaHosting brand, it may come as a surprise that it actually has its origins in Bulgaria. Founded by Bulgarian duo Vladislav Georgiev and Hristo Rusev, it has grown into an international powerhouse backed by strong venture capital funding.
Today it operates out of two key areas – Texas in the USA and Sofia in Bulgaria. This is a big part of what makes them such an outstanding choice whether you’re seeking to target Bulgarian or EU traffic, or in the country seeking an international audience.
Yet for ScalaHosting, location isn’t the only advantage they offer. They are a strong innovator when it comes to web technologies. Aside from other tools, ScalaHosting also developed its own web hosting control panel, allowing customers the ability to move away from cPanel due to increasing fees.
Coupling all of this with native support, there really is no better choice for web hosting in Bulgaria compared to ScalaHosting. The team is young, enterprising, and always ready to help.
Key Highlights with Interserver
- Data centers in the US and Bulgaria
- Reputable and reliable services
- SPanel web hosting control panel
ScalaHosting Ratings & Performance
ScalaHosting Tested Performance
Learn more about ScalaHosting from our review.
2. AltusHost
AltusHost
AltusHost has an outstanding reputation in Europe. It’s cluster of euro-centric data centers is ideal for those seeking to establish a presence in this region.
AltusHost HQ: Kingsfordweg 151, 1043 GR Amsterdam, Netherlands.
While AltusHost may not be located exactly in Bulgaria, they occupy a very strong location in Europe. This allows anyone hosting with them strategic access across the entire continent. Founded in the Netherlands, AlthusHost has built their reputation there and resisted the temptation of overextending the brand.
Given that their stronghold is such a massive contingent, AltusHost offers a choice of data centers in a number of countries – including Bulgaria. Other choices you can pick from include the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden.
For the more security conscious, AltusHost is a good choice as well. Their servers are kept together even within the data centers. These are solely accessed by their staff and kept in isolated clusters.
Perhaps the one downside for those wanting to host with AltusHost is the fact that they charge in Euros. This means facing even steeper fees when converting from the Bulgarian Lev – more so than converting to US dollars.
Key Highlights with AltusHost
- EU-centric with servers in Bulgaria
- Good range of business web hosting plans
- GDPR-compliant
AltusHost Ratings & Performance
AltusHost Tested Performance
Read our AltusHost review to find out more.
3. ICN.Bg
ICN.Bg HQ: Boulevard Simeonovsko Shose No. 33, First floor, Office 1, 1700 Student Complex, Sofia, Bulgaria.
If for some reason you really need to host 100% locally in Bulgaria then ICN can be a good pick. This is a host that has chosen to keep its domestic branding despite having grown to international levels.
ICN today maintains two separate brands – itself serving the domestic market, while launching HostPulse for overseas clients. The result is a company that is suitable to work with in multiple scenarios.
This method allows them to offer better support for Bulgarian users, with even the website being available in the language. That, added to the fact they offer a complete range of web hosting products makes them an even better choice.
An added benefit is that they present prices in Bulgarian Lev, so it truly feels very localized as well. Even after conversion to USD, prices are reasonable to a large extent.
Key Highlights with ICN.Bg
- Pricing in Bulgarian Lev
- Sofia-based data center
- Website builder included
Finding the Right Web Host for Bulgaria
A big part of the consideration for hosting within this region is exactly that very strategic location. At the same time, thanks to the country being an EU member state, it is likely that hosting solutions sourced here will also be compliant with strict EU data privacy regulations.
Hosting in-country typically comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Of course, a key part of the consideration would be the specific site you’re intending to run. Combined with the audience you serve, the sum is what you should specifically be seeking.
In context of this, Bulgaria offers two key benefits. The localized availability of strong hosting options as well as strong national moves towards infrastructure building. Since 2014 the country has invested heavily in the development of ultra-fast networks, resulting in very capable data centers.
Infrastructure Influences Speed and Reliability
When most of us look for hosting providers, there are many other things we tend to look out for. Price, features, and freebies typically top the list. While those hosting more personal websites might be able to get away with that, those seeking performance can’t afford to.
This is where the advantages of hosting for Bulgaria really comes to the fore. Thanks to the attention that is being paid to high-tech infrastructure development, a good number of data centers have been springing up in the country.
Often an overlooked aspect of web hosting, infrastructure is something that isn’t readily seen. It does, however, affect the websites hosted on it in terms of both data transfer speeds as well as uptime.
What Else to Look for in a Bulgarian Web Hosting Provider
Aside from the basics covered earlier, there are a few other primary things to look out for when choosing a web hosting partner for Bulgaria. While not all of these may affect everyone, they may influence your decision depending on your needs.
Localized Customer Support
The EU is a tight coalition of member states with a unified currency. However, this has not always extended to all aspects of business. One area that this comes strikingly to the fore is in language.
If you need to have very localized support, your choices in web hosting providers can be a little limited for the country. While this may be true, it would be advisable to resist the temptation to throw all caution to the wind and simply find a local hosting provider.
As you can see from our list, there are some choices that would not only fit those localized customer support requirements, but also offer international levels of service. That means recognized standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that can help take your hosting experience to the next level.
GDPR Compliance
Europe is one of the regions with the strictest data privacy regulation laws in the world. This is good for consumers, but as website owners, you need to be very much aware of this when choosing our hosting partner.
It means a necessity to keep a look out for GDPR compliance if you intend to process the data of any European citizens, irrespective of where you are in the world. Of course, your choice of web host will also influence this.
When choosing a host to meet regulation compliance, be aware that some may try to pass off US-standards as being acceptable. In many cases, this will not be entirely accurate.
Pricing and Currency
All of us love a bargain, and that’s especially true for long term commitments like web hosting. For Bulgaria, it’s tempting to just find a host that charges in Lev to avoid the hassle of conversion.
While this may be great, do know that just because you’re being charged in the local currency doesn’t automatically make it the best deal. Prices for hardware and expertise remain relatively constant.
You may find yourself paying more, despite it being in Lev. Make sure you take this into consideration and compare prices from local and international sources before making your decision.
Conclusion
For most country-specific web hosting, there are seldom many clear-cut solutions. The key reason for this is the absence of hosting companies that can do equally well across multiple regions. Thankfully, that isn’t quite true for Bulgaria.
Here, there are a number of excellent choices that come easily to mind, such as those on this list. Irrespective of whether you need local support, international standards of operation, or simply information in your own language – the choices do exist.
