☀️ Summer Update: new features and more!
Hey everyone! 👋
It’s been a while since our last post. We’ve been quiet but busy as we’ve continued to build and refine Opalstack’s services.
Please read on to find out what’s new! ✨
New features!
Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificates for Everybody
When we launched our Let’s Encrypt integration just over a year ago we did so with support only for domains that use Opalstack’s name servers. Since then, many of you let us know that you prefer (or need) to use external name servers but still want the convenience of automated provisioning and renewal of LE SSL certificates.
We didn’t want you to continue renewing certificates manually (gross!) so in mid-June we rolled out LE support for all the sites you host with us regardless of the NS that they use.
In technical terms, this means that we’ve switched HTTP-01 challenges as the primary method of verifying control of your domain.
In layman’s terms, this means that activating SSL for any site is now as simple as flipping a switch in the control panel! 🎉
Multi-factor Authentication
If you’re one of the many people who have been asking for enhanced security for control panel logins then you’ll be happy to know that we rolled out support for multi-factor authentication a couple of weeks ago.
You now have the option to secure your panel logins with either a mobile authenticator app or a USB security key. Instructions for getting started with MFA are available in our documentation: Using Multi-Factor Authentication to Secure your Account
Email Storage Quota Changes
When we launched our email service last August the plan included a fixed storage quota for mail which was completely separate from the web storage quota for shared hosting. Over the last year we’ve heard from a lot of you that having email storage and web storage combined into a single quota was more convenient than having them separate. Starting this week we’re combining email and web storage quotas on shared hosting to make managing your account just a bit easier!
Here’s how email storage quotas now work:
- Shared hosting customers have a single storage quota covers both web and email storage.
- VPS customers have a 50GB email storage quota. Web storage is limited by the capacity of the VPS.
- Dedicated server customers have a 100GB email storage quota. Web storage is limited by the capacity of the dedicated server.
If you were paying for extra email storage we’ve already cancelled your subscription so you don’t have to do anything.
Shared Hosting Plan Changes
When we launched Opalstack we did so with a single shared hosting plan we called the “Starter Stack” that included 1GB of RAM and 100GB of storage. As more of you joined, we saw a need for a smaller plan and rolled that out in October 2019 as the “Value Stack”. Now we’re hearing from some of you that you’re starting to bump up against the Starter Stack plan quotas (congrats! 🎊). But, you don’t want to add a second shared server or move to a VPS/Dedicated plan.
For those people we’re happy to announce our newest shared hosting plan: the “Double Stack”, which provides double the resources of our original Starter Stack plan!
Here’s a quick comparison of the specs and pricing for all of our managed shared hosting plans:
- Value Stack: 512MB of RAM and 50GB of storage for $9.50/month or $95/year.
- Single Stack: 1GB of RAM and 100GB of storage for $15/month or $150/year.
- Double Stack: 2GB of RAM, 200GB of storage for $25/month or $250/year.
If you’d like to move to the Double Stack plan then please send us an email (support@opalstack.com) and we’ll get you upgraded.
Swag Update
At the beginning of the year we promised some swag for anyone who signed up by the end of January 2020. It’s taken a while but we’re done making all of the keychains and we’re now preparing to ship them. Thank you for your patience!