I have been building online family trees for about twelve years now. My first attempt used free hosting with ads and a clunky page builder. It worked until I tried to install TNG (The Next Generation of genealogy software). TNG runs on PHP 7.4 — a version many modern hosts have dropped. My free host upgraded to PHP 8.2 and my tree died overnight. That is when I started hunting for a provider that actually lets you choose your PHP version without paying enterprise prices. After reading forum threads and testing three cheap options, I settled on the hostack shop because they offered per-account PHP selection and actual phone support during setup.
Why older PHP still matters for genealogy software
Genealogy platforms like TNG, webtrees, and PhpGedView were written years ago. Their developers update slowly. The latest stable webtrees release still requires PHP 7.4 or 8.0. Hosts that force PHP 8.1 or 8.2 will break your tree entirely. You cannot just switch to a different app because your data is locked into a specific database schema. Moving your Gedcom file to another platform means losing notes, sources, and media links. So sticking with a host that supports older PHP is not a luxury — it is a necessity if you want to keep the work you have already done.
What I learned testing shared hosting plans
I signed up for three popular budget hosts. The first one charged extra for PHP version control. The second said they supported PHP 7.4 but actually forced 8.0 on the server. I only discovered this after uploading my tree files and getting blank pages. The third host had good reviews but their support team took three days to answer a simple ticket. That is when a friend in a genealogy forum mentioned a small host that runs custom configs. I checked their site, found the PHP version menu in cPanel, and migrated my tree in an afternoon. It cost $8 a month. That was the hostack shop plan I still use today.
How migration actually works for a family tree
Before you move, export your full database from your old host using phpMyAdmin. Then upload the TNG or webtrees files via FTP. Most hosts give you a public_html folder. Do not overwrite your old database tables on the new server — create a fresh database and import your backup. You will also need to edit the config.php file to point to the new MySQL credentials. If your host provides a staging subdomain, use that first. I did mine on a Sunday morning. Total time was about two hours because the hostack control panel let me set PHP version before I even uploaded files.
Cost and hidden fees to watch for
- Many budget hosts advertise low monthly rates but charge for backups or SSL certificates.
- Some hosts automatically renew at triple the introductory price without warning.
- Free migrations are not always free — some hosts charge if you ask them to move your files.
- Check if the plan includes enough inodes for your media files. My tree has 4,000 photos and 12,000 names. One cheap host I tried capped inodes at 50,000.
- If you need email accounts for family surname addresses, verify that the plan includes at least five.
- Refund policies matter. I use a 30-day money back window as a trial period for any new host.
- Look for a host that allows you to set PHP per subfolder, not just per account. TNG stores thumbnails in a separate directory that sometimes needs a different PHP handler.
Support quality made the difference
When I migrated, I accidentally set the wrong MySQL user privileges. My tree showed blank pages again. I called the hostack phone number at 9 PM Eastern. A person answered in under a minute. He walked me through granting SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE privileges on the database. That never happens with the big brands. I have had to call twice more since then — once for a DNS change and once for a Let’s Encrypt renewal issue. Each call got a human within two rings. That kind of support is rare at the $8 price point. Most shared hosting support that I have tried either outsources to a different time zone or uses a chatbot first.
What I would do differently if I started over
I would not use a free host even for a prototype. The migration headache is not worth the savings. I would check the host’s PHP version list before buying. I would also test the support response time by submitting a fake urgent question before I pay. And I would keep a local backup of my database on an external drive. My old host once had a server crash that lost two days of edits. With a good host you still want your own backup. My current host does automatic daily backups, but I still download a manual copy every month. That way if I ever need to switch hosts again, the hard part is just the file transfer. The PHP version will not be a problem if I choose wisely from the start.
